Slightly OT Proud moment for me here. My mother, Kathy Thomas being quoted today. Thanks Tony. And high five to my mom for speaking truth.

*waves*

Hey Nora's Mom!! We love Nora!! And you! Thanks for speaking with Tony. Merry Christmas to you and your family. ❤

The SPness is strong in your family! So glad you're both out.

SPness. A term that must always be written, never spoken.

Haha, I didn't even notice!

Laughter! I had to think for a second about what you meant but then I cracked up.

I'm glad it wasn't just me! Lol and I actually said it out loud twice trying to figure out - so that my 17y old goes "MOM! What're you saying over there, weirdo?!!" Lol thx Artoo!!!

Hysterical!!

It's your mom!!! Big proud moment here, Nora!

I remember when Kathy first showed up as a commenter, still rather fragile, has come a long way since.

YAY!!! <3

How was awkward dancing?

...as I recall.... it was a stunning display of technical and artistic expression. Also, Rasha's cash has been replaced somehow with bar receipts. And my feet hurt.

I'm happy that apple did not fall far from that tree.....you come from a line of strong women I am guessing!

Thank you, Kathy and Nora, for speaking out!

Beautiful, Nora!!!

That's fantastic! Happiest holidays to you and your family.

Nora, congratulations to you and your mother for having tons of courage!

Tony, this investigative journalism reporting is ★★★★★ FIVE STARS ★★★★★
How high does it go indeed ?

Years ago when I first heard Scientology Inc. likened to the Mafia, (Thank you Tory Christman) I
thought that was so exaggerated. As the years have gone by and layers and
layers of lies and cover ups have been peeled off these LIES, the carefully hidden dishonesty and subterfuge, I feel MAFIA
a fair comparison right down the violence.

Especially since the cherch is so money hungry, organized and violent.
But the Mafia don't mess with someone's MIND. In Scientology Inc. I know of
numerous case histories where the Cult itself drove person into a full blown
mental breakdown ~~ Lisa Mcpherson, Nancy Many and Scott Campbell are 3 of at
least 100-200 that can be named. Not to mention half a dozen "OT 8s" that went
literally crazy "Type III" they call it after Scientology's $1 million dollar
extraction and the OT 8 procedure on past identities in past lifetimes.

I elaborate on a specfiic case history of their criminal conduct in above
video..

The going insane doesn't surprise me in the least. Once you see where Hubbard plagiarized the lower bridge and OT levels from, and the dangerous, failed and harmful hypnotic techniques he crafted his thought reform program from it is clear that a person is meant to be enslaved by Dianetics and Scientology auditing and indoctrination. And hammered via delusion and hallucinations into a false personality that suppresses their pre cult identity.

Additionally the materials from OT III and up have been described as causing mental difficulties including severe hallucinations for some and genuine insanity. Even low level book one auditing and objectives and TRs create a hypnotic reality and divorce from actual reality. By the utterly mind bending processes of OT VIII a victim is meant to be utterly confused and entirely submissive to Scientology doctrine with their thoughts, emotions, memories, behaviors and attitudes all twisted to make lies truth and truth lies. I frankly am quite surprised more Scientologists don't go insane on the bridge.

MB, I can't remember where you said it, but you'd already explained your last question: a common reason that psychoses is not so prevalent is because so many parishoners use "stop thoughts" to protect their very minds. Seems to me that anyone who attempts to sort elron's twists and folds would break their minds, like shattered glass.
This is why I get the shudders looking at all the pictures of course completions, flag career recuitment, fund raising celebrations, and so one. Far too many people display a flattened, wooden affect with fixed smiles and unfixed eyes aglaze. About how I would picture myself in a family portrait besides family members that I'm sure are serial killers...and I've caught some of them glimpsing me at the corner of their eyes, wondering if I knew...

The graduates often are enthralled (mentally enslaved), and from the hypnosis in trance states. You are correct if you are referring to trance logic as a way to temporarily shield the conscious mind from stress, anxiety, confusion, and trauma from cultic abuse but it comes at a terrible price. The effect is neither permanent or complete. The hidden harm accumulates in the subconscious and despite denial, dissociation and doublethink the cognitive dissonance builds to mind shattering levels in the subconscious. I suggest everyone with genuine interest in this read A Theory Of Cognitive Dissonance by Leon Festinger. That with a good grounding in hypnosis and loaded language along with Lifton's eight criteria for thought reform give a good basis for examining the effects of Scientology.

Even with all the remarkable defenses and coping mechanisms the human mind has the fact that people resist being driven to suicide or insanity by Scientology as often as they do is truly astounding. Particularly in light of all the hundreds of harmful thought reform methods Ron Hubbard combined from plagiarized sources. The Building The Prison Of The Mind series is entirely my interpretation of that book and the hypotheses within regarding Scientology.

Captain David Miscavige (leader of Scientology and the Sea Org) has tried to refine this and exploit it but make no mistake Hubbard knew it harmed and enslaved people and fully desired that result. I cannot overstate all the many, many ways Scientology turns a mind against itself and twists and turns it in ways it wouldn't in a less cultic relationship.

The cruel and callous inflicting of trauma and delusion as the totalistic undue influence from Scientology is truly amazing. But in cognitive dissonance theory there is a crucial collection of hypotheses about the stress a mind can endure and limits that can be reached and withstood. I have written on them extensively at Mockingbird's Nest. This is covered in the Building The Prison Of The Mind series.

Now that I think about what you wrote it makes sense in a diabolical way. The short term defense in a horribly pernicious way makes the zealotry and fanaticism understandable. To avoid the trauma and conflict the victim is compelled to maintain the cult identity and submission to Hubbard's authority, as that hypnotic submission holds the trance logic in place.

The stronger the buried cognitive dissonance, confusion, trauma, overwhelm, reelingness, contradictions, shame, feelings of worthlessness, feelings of utter incompetence and inferiority the more close minded and desperate the need to maintain the avoidance of the truth becomes.

It is a terrible irony that a Scientologist reaches a point where to defend their fraying ends of sanity they ruthlessly defend the very thought reform methods that are harming them.

To avoid certain harm they prolong and protect hidden ruin. The insidious nature of Scientology cannot be stressed strongly enough.

wow! thanks for writing this, now I get it, the mind bend is beyond deep unbelievable.

You are certainly welcome. Whatever measure of success I have in taking apart Scientology is a small way I can try to help others to recover from or avoid exploitation and abuse by the cult.

Regarding the mafia comparison, I believe many mafia members take great offense at being thought of as similar to Scientology. It really isn't fair. They may rob you and take your life, Scientology takes far more.

And they know the importance of family!

Oh yeah, you might have to whack your cousin, but you don't regularly disconnect from everyone.

Yeah, I was thinking that Fredo might be an exception here, but then I remember that even in Godfather One, Michael warns him "Don't ever take someone's side against the family again!"

lol

Yes they do.

Scientology's Office of Special Affairs needs some fresh defectors who know all these dirty PI details.

Charlie Earle isn't going to quit anytime soon, but he ought to quit and go straight to the FBI and debrief of all the things Charlie knows the Private Eyes that the lawyer firm Scientology uses hires and does their daily dirty tactics like Karen's detailing in this video.

Charlie Earle, Linda Hamel, and Kathy O'Gorman I wish would just go straight to the FBI and debrief and turn on Scientology.

That would be delicious Chuck, and no doubt would scare the tiny pants off Miscavige.

I got a picture in my mind of those wall plaques in the entrances of large organizations, of the heros of the past, well there ought to be a plaque with the names of the ex Scientologists who went to the FBI plaque!

Like a new twist to Scientology's own plaques for their members' imaginary Scientology forwarding accomplishments.

There ought to be a Scientology museum somewhere with all the horror stories and a Hall of Fame for the heroes.

Well getting on the NY Times Bestseller list sort of serves. This was in the NY Times Book Review Dec 13, 2015. That was last Sunday, I'll post this morning's once it arrives.

https://uploads.disquscdn.c...

As I understand it, right now, they're trying to get you to admit to things that you did wrong to show that you, like they, are just human. Consequently, the barrage of lawsuits. Obviously, there's the pack mentality they use but the big push right now is trying to get down on someone's level.

Yep, Hubbard's transgression quack counseling is just part of the whole Hubbard crank crackpot pseudo-therapy and exorcism edifice.

The Hubbard transgression interrogation various types of fake counseling dig up dirt that Scientology records on paper and then distills into other paper formats to stifle the members from dissenting.

Hubbard's "religious" use of transgression admissions of the members keeps the members mentally stifled and mouths shut.

Except that never works in human history, and not for Scientology and Hubbard either.

Leah Remini is the latest prominent ex member to beat the Hubbard quack system.

They make you believe that confessing is a good thing, that it will enhance your spirituality when in reality is just black-mail material.
Leah "beat the Hubbard quack system", I love that phrase she should get an award for that.

Merry Christmas to you and Jeff, Karen. Hope you both have a wonderful holiday season. *huge hugs*

I'm behaving so I get my J. Swift lunchbox with Karen thermos from Santa. :D :D :D

The mafia would not have been able to get away with what happened to Lisa McPherson. And they would probably be insulted to be compared to this cult. The cult is worse and does a lot more damage in a broader sphere. All cults, but this cult in particular. Criminal organizations usually only go after their own and try not to involve bystanders. Scientology doesn't care who they hurt.

At least when you join the Mafia you know what you are getting in to.

true that.

exactly, what i posted above! at least the mafia goes after usually only other bad people who somewhat "deserve" their fate/fates....

Ron Miscavige and I were talking about this exact subject the other day and we came to the conclusion that with the Mafia you know what you are dealing with. With the Sea Org you can never be sure because the goal posts are constantly shifting.

Joe, do we have an expected date for the book release?

The
Mafia let the world know who they are. Wise Guys. They know that the
FBI knows. The FBI knows the Mafia knows. They do not pretend or
masquerade to be anything other than thugs. Scientology INC. *PRETENDS*
religiosity while using money extortion tactics, threats, domination
and severing your own family from you while using thought reform tactics
and mind control to get you to change your mind.

When deeply involved in Scientology, drinking the Koolaid and being a
good toeing-the-line Scientologist, there are 3 major FEARS

1 A fear of
being connected to SPs,
2 A fear of becoming an SP
3 A fear of being
declared an SP.

SP = Suppressive Person ("anti-social personality" Excommunicated and cut
off from family and friends.

Incredulously, many believers in the flock
are whipped into obedience with these fears hanging over them in a meaningful
way !

Also Karen, perhaps not the best analogy, but I see those fears sitting atop the fear of either failing to 'handle a ruin' and/OR failing to achieve a personal goal or goals....'aspirations' might encompass such things.

The SP issues/fears actually add to those underlying concerns or fears, and add another layer of holding a person down or back. These are all held and interact together because El Con alluded to, falsely promised, that his scientology would provide answers and accomplishments towards those aspirations. But it was and is a 'bridge' of betrayal. a allusion and it leads to being trapped in a delusion. A so aptly called 'prison of belief'.

So it is true the saying '"eventually you become to believe and love the things you suffer for" kind of a way of admiring the "winning valence" using the cult's lingo.

We so appreciate your videos Karen, they are always clear and informative. The organization is corrupt and evil. Many lives have been destroyed and continue on to this day. Thank you for speaking out,.As you say, one layer at a time, until the world opens its eyes and takes away that religious cloak that hides the awful truth.