Atack: General report on Scientology 1

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FACTNET REPORT

GENERAL REPORT ON SCIENTOLOGY


(Part one of a four part series)


My name is Jonathan Caven-Atack. I reside at Avalon, Cranston
Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 3HQ. I was born on 5
June 1955. Background and Expertise:

1. I was a member of the Church of Scientology from December
1974 to October 1983. During that time I undertook the equivalent
of 24 of the 27 available "levels" of Dianetic and Scientology
"auditing" ("auditing" is supposedly a form of counselling). I
also completed eight courses related to "auditor" or counsellor
training as well as courses in recruitment and administration. As
a part of my "indoctrination" (the word used by Hubbard for
training), I read more than 20 of Scientology founder L. Ron
Hubbard's textbooks and listened to about 150 taped Hubbard
lectures. I received "auditing" and "auditor" training at
Scientology Missions or Churches in Birmingham, Manchester and at
the British headquarters at Saint Hill, near East Grinstead.

2. In January 1983, the Church of Scientology published a
list of 611 people who had been "declared Suppressive Persons"
(JCA-1). Shortly thereafter, I was informed that one of my
employees had been similarly "declared a Suppressive Person", and
shown Scientology Policy Directive 28, "Suppressive Act - Dealing
with a Declared Suppressive Person" (JCA-2). This order forbids
Scientologists any contact with any person "declared
Suppressive". This policy is known within Scientology as
"disconnection". For six months, I wrote letters questioning the
"Suppressive Person declare" issued on my employee. During that
time I made enquiries of the Master at Arms, or Ethics Officer,
at Saint Hill, of the Special Unit, of the International Justice
Chief, of the Executive Director International and ultimately of
L. Ron Hubbard. The responses I received were evasive.


3. In September 1983, I decided to conduct my own
investigation of the Church of Scientology. I was unwilling to
have my communication controlled and my freedom of association
denied, and uneasy with the attitude of Scientology's new
management, who described themselves as "tough" and "ruthless"
(JCA-3), and unhappy at the high price charged for Dianetic and
Scientology services ("auditing", for example, had risen from #6
per hour in 1978 to over #100 per hour) (JCA-4).

4. Since my resignation from the Church of Scientology, in
October 1983, I have assembled a large collection of Scientology
and Hubbard related materials, and interviewed well over a
hundred former members, including a number of former Hubbard
aides. I have also read thousands of pages of court rulings,
government enquiry reports, affidavits and sworn testimony
relating to Hubbard and Scientology. This research led to the
publication, in 1990, of my book A Piece of Blue Sky, which is a
history of Hubbard and his organizations. This book has been
cited as a principal source of reference in academic papers by
professor of sociology and history of religion Stephen Kent
("International Social Control by the Church of Scientology",
presented at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion,
November 1991) (JCA-5) and by professor of neuropsychiatry Louis
Jolyon West ("Psychiatry and Scientology", presented as the
"Distinguished Psychiatrist" lecture, American Psychiatric
Association Annual Meeting, Washington DC, 6 May 1992) (JCA-6).


5. I have been retained in connection with the preparation of
many court actions in which consideration of Scientology has
arisen. In 1984, I assisted in assembling documents as evidence
in a child custody case put before Mr Justice Latey ("Re: Wards B
& G"). In 1987, I provided documents and affidavits in the
successful defence of Russell Miller's biography of Hubbard,
Bare-Faced Messiah, heard before Mr Justice Vinelott, in the
English High Court. I also prepared documents for the defence of
Miller's book in the USA, Canada and Australia. I have been
consulted by litigants in the US, Canada, Brazil, Australia,
Italy, Switzerland, Spain and the UK. In these cases, I have
prepared documents, recommended relevant documents for discovery,
and contacted or recommended witnesses.


6. I was the principal researcher for Russell Miller's
Bare-Faced Messiah, and was also consulted by Bent Corydon for
his L.Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman and by Stewart Lamont for
his Religon Inc. I was the principal researcher for the chapter
on Scientology in Jean Ritchie's Secret World of Cults. I was
also the principal researcher for BBC Panorama and TVS
programmes about Scientology (both broadcast in 1987). I have
been consulted by television and radio producers, and by
journalists throughout the world.

L.Ron Hubbard's intent:

7. Scientology was devised by L.Ron Hubbard as a means of
gaining authoritarian control over those deceived into joining
any of his many organizations. Hubbard cynically constructed a
set of hypnotic techniques which masquerade as therapy and
create progressive psychological dependency upon the
organizations of Scientology. Hubbard also hid behind the
pretence of religion.

8. I can give evidence regarding the techniques commonly
employed by Scientology organizations to recruit followers, to
create and maintain their loyalty and to sell them courses,
supposed counselling, Scientology films, tapes, books and
"Special Properties" (highly priced special editions of Hubbard
works and Hubbard memorabilia). Although I have no
qualification in psychology or psychiatry, I have had contact
with several hundred former Scientologists in the last ten
years, and feel able to estimate the effect of Scientology upon
these former members. L.Ron Hubbard and the claims of
Dianetics and Scientology

9. Despite possession of a massive archive of Hubbard's
private papers, including numerous handwritten and illustrated
black magic rituals and accounts of Hubbard's extensive drug
abuse (JCA-7), Scientology management still deceive
Scientologists by perpetuating Hubbard's fictitious claims
about his life. Scientology materials make many false claims,
including the following: that Hubbard was a wounded and
decorated war hero (JCA-8, JCA-9) he suffered from an ulcer
(JCA-10, JCA-11) and never saw combat (JCA-12); that Hubbard
was a "nuclear physicist" (JCA-13) - he failed a short course
in "atomic and molecular" physics which was part of the degree
course he failed to complete (JCA-14); that Hubbard had studied
for five years as a teenager with holy men in India, China and
Tibet (JCA-15, JCA-16, JCA-17) - he spent less than three weeks
in China and did not visit India or Tibet (JCA-18, JCA-19,
JCA-20). These are a few of the many deceptions created by
Hubbard and perpetuated by the cynical managers of Scientology.
Gerald Armstrong and Vaughn and Stacey Young were formerly in
charge of Scientology's immense "Hubbard Archive" and can
testify to this deliberate deception.

10. After a chequered career as the author of adventure
stories, Hubbard released his first supposed therapy text,
Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health, in 1950
(JCA-21). This book is still sold by the Church of
Scientology, which claims sales in the millions.

11. Dianetics was in fact a reworking of techniques abandoned
by Freud, where traumatic memories are supposedly
re-experienced (JCA-22). In the book Dianetics, Hubbard
asserted that memories of physical pain or unconsciousness
("engrams") are "the single and sole cause of aberration and
psycho-somatic illness" (ibid, p.68). Such buried traumata
supposedly cause people to react to situations without
conscious reflection and constitute a "reactive mind".

12. Hubbard adopted Freud's notion that traumata form in
"chains" and that it is necessary to find the earliest
traumatic memory on such a chain to relieve its symptoms. In
Dianetics, Hubbard asserted that the earliest such traumatic
memories are birth and prenatal experiences.

13. The book Dianetics describes a purported system of
therapy which will supposedly release the individual from
compulsions, neuroses, repressions, psychoses, arthritis,
bursitis, asthma, allergies, sinusitis, coronary trouble, high
blood pressure, the common cold, myopia, schizophrenia, manic
depression, dipsomania (ibid, pp.51-52, also p.92), visual and
hearing deficiencies (ibid, pp.10-11), dermatitis, migraine,
ulcers (ibid, p.92), tuberculosis (ibid, p.93), morning sickness
(ibid, p.156), conjunctivitis (ibid, p.126). Hubbard also wrote
that his techniques would bring about an individual with
"complete recall of everything which has ever happened to him or
anything he has ever studied", who would be capable of
performing a calculation which a "normal [person] would do in
half an hour, in ten or fifteen seconds" (ibid p.171). In later
works, Hubbard also asserted that he had found psychological
cures for paralysis (JCA-23, p.9), blindness, cancer (JCA-24)
and leukaemia (JCA-25, JCA-26), and that his techniques had even
be used to raise the dead (JCA-27, p.170).

14. In Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health,
Hubbard asserted that his techniques would work on anyone not
suffering from brain damage (JCA-21, p.17), and that the outcome
of therapy would be a "Clear". A Clear would be free from the
disabilities, and possessed of the capabilities, listed in the
foregoing paragraph. In 1971, in the Scientology publication
"Advance!", the following claim was made: "A Clear has over 135
I.Q., a vibrant personality, glowing health, good memory,
amazing vitality, self-control, happiness and more. The most
valuable thing you can do for yourself, and for your family,
friends and Mankind is attain the state of Clear. You can
achieve Clear - not in years but within months through the most
advanced technology of the human spirit - Scientology" (JCA-28).
A 1988 issue of "The Auditor", a Scientology magazine, asserts
that "A Scientology CLEAR has: Over 135 IQ, Creative
imagination, Amazing vitality, Deep relaxation, Good memory,
Strong will power, Radiant health, Magnetic personality"
(JCA-29). Such claims are repeatedly made in literature
produced by the Church of Scientology. For instance, a 1991
issue of Scientology's "Celebrity" magazine states: "Scientology
auditing can help you - you can get - A higher IQ to handle your
problems ... More energy to make more money - Better health ...
More years to live." (JCA-30)

15. In 1952, Hubbard incorporated notions of the spirit (or
"thetan") and reincarnation into his system. He asserted that we
have all existed as spiritual beings for trillions of years (by
the 1970s, he was talking of quadrillions). In the 1950s,
Hubbard coined the phrase "Operating Thetan", meaning a spirit
capable of "operating" separately from its human body
("exterior"). The goal of Scientologists is to be "exterior with
full perception". Hubbard defined "Operating Thetan" as the
"ability to be at cause knowingly and at will over thought,
life, form, matter, energy, space and time, subjective and
objective." (JCA-31). Currently, eight "Operating Thetan"
levels are available to Scientologists, most of which consist of
a form of exorcism, sold to Scientologists for over #300 per
hour (JCA-32). Scientologists come to believe that they are
possessed by thousands of spirits which can of course lead to
mental illness.

16. Many of the fundamental ideas of Scientology can be found
in the works of black magician Aleister Crowley. Hubbard
recommended Crowley books to his followers and called Crowley
"my very good friend" (JCA-33). As with all other magical
systems, Scientology seeks to stregthen the will of the
individual so that the physical world and other people can be
controlled by intention alone. Scientologists believe that by
undergoing Hubbard's "processes" they will ultimately be able to
order events through "postulates" or wishes. Hubbard promised
godlike powers to his followers.

The religious nature of Scientology:

17. In a lecture given in 1952, Hubbard asserted: "In 1938 I
codified certain axioms and phenomena into what I called
SCIENTOLOGY" (JCA-23, p.8). Factually, Hubbard had briefly lost
control of Dianetics, so restyled his ideas "Scientology" (He
was probably unaware that the word was already in use, meaning
"pseudoscientific ideas"). In April 1953, Hubbard wrote to the
head of the Hubbard Association of Scientologists, Helen
O'Brien, asking for her opinion on "the religion angle"
(JCA-34). In December 1953, Hubbard registered the Church of
Scientology, and a parent body called the Church of American
Science, in Camden, New Jersey (JCA-35, JCA-36, JCA-37). In
February 1954, Hubbard's associate, Burton Farber, incorporated
the Church of Scientology of California (JCA-38). Within a few
years all organizations affiliated to Hubbard had been restyled
"Churches" of Scientology. These Churches tithed 20 percent of
their income to Hubbard's Church of American Science (JCA-35).
In March 1954, Hubbard announced that graduate auditors "can be
given any one of three or all of the following certificates:
DOCTOR OF SCIENTOLOGY, FREUDIAN PSYCHO-ANALYST, DOCTOR OF
DIVINITY." (JCA-35).

18. Numerous claims have been made by Hubbard and his
organizations for the religious nature of Scientology. In
1954, Hubbard said: "a Scientologist has a better right to call
himself a priest, a minister, a missionary, a doctor of
divinity, a faith healer or a preacher than any other man who
bears the insignia of religion in the Western world" (JCA-38).
In a Bulletin of 18 April 1967, Hubbard asserted that
"Scientology is a religion by its basic tenets, practice,
historical background and by the definition of the word
"religion" itself ... Scientology is ... a Religious practice
in that the Church of Scientology conducts basic services such
as Sermons at Church meetings, Christenings [sic - Scientology
makes no claim to be a Christian Church], Weddings and
Funerals." (JCA-39). In a Bulletin of 4 May 1972, Hubbard
asserted "Dianetics is a science which applies to man, a living
organism; and Scientology is a religion." (JCA-40). In the
textbook What is Scientology?, first published in 1978,
Scientology is defined as "an applied religious philosophy"
(JCA-17, p.3). Most Scientology textbooks contain a disclaimer
such as the following "This book is part of the works of L. Ron
Hubbard, who developed Scientology applied religious philosophy
and Dianetics spiritual healing technology." (JCA-41).

19.
The Church of Scientology offers a "Minister's Course" to its
members (JCA-42). After two weeks of training, Scientology
ministers wear dog collars and the Scientology cross and
conduct Sunday services, weddings, naming ceremonies and
funerals (JCA-43). The Church of Scientology has in the past
commissioned religious experts such as E.G. Parrinder (JCA-44)
and Frank Flinn (JCA-45) to prepare reports or give testimony
to the effect that Scientology is a bona fide religion. The
booklet "The Corporations of Scientology" (JCA-46) claims that
"In the Scientology religion, the scriptures are all the spoken
and written words of L. Ron Hubbard". All Scientology
organizations are licensed by the Religious Technology Center,
a California based corporation, and sign an agreement accepting
that the Dianetics and Scientology teachings are "scripture"
(JCA-47). Hubbard's "scriptures" are incontrovertible: "It is
hereafter firm Church policy that LRH [Hubbard] ISSUES ARE TO
BE LEFT INTACT AS ISSUED [emphasis in original]. No one except
LRH can revise his issues." (JCA-48). Since Hubbard's death in
1986, his work has been written in stone.

20. The ambiguity of Scientology's religious claims is evident
in a document which discusses the establishment of a
Scientology organization in Japan: "Even the point of whether
we go religious or non-religious has to be covered as it will
determine whether the books mention the Church [of Scientology]
or not and whether they have Church symbols, etc." (JCA-49)

21. Scientology has been granted religious tax-exemption in
Australia and the USA. However, in Regina v. Segerdal, in July
1970, the then Master of the Rolls, Lord Denning ruled that
Scientology is not a religion (JCA-50). Techniques of
Persuasion and Selling Techniques

22. Scientology is a proselytizing faith and all
Scientologists are termed "Field Staff Members" and expected to
effect conversions. The methods of conversion are spelled out
in the Hubbard memoranda reissued in the "Field Staff Member
Kit" (JCA-51), in the "Registrar Drills" (JCA-52) and in "FSM
Breakthrough - New FSM TRs - Controlling a Conversation"
(JCA-53). I was extensively trained in recruiting at the
Birmingham Mission of the Church of Scientology, in 1975. The
Field Staff Member is instructed to discover through
questioning what is "ruining" a person's life (termed "the
ruin" by Hubbard) and to exploit any "fear of worsening".
Having brought the individual face to face with their weakness,
the Scientology Field Staff Member "brings to understanding" -
the understanding that Scientology can solve whatever problem
is disclosed.

23. In a tape-recorded lecture Hubbard said the following:
"all the social machinery people have actually breaks down
before direct intention. But the thing that causes difficulty
in moving people along this line of methodology, has a great
deal to do with the invasion of privacy. I won't call it
privacy because that dignifies it. You have to be willing to
invade privacy, very definitely ... If you have a hard time
invading people's privacy, you'll have a hard time 8-Cing
[controlling - "8-C", literally "infinite control"] them into a
chair in an HAS Co-audit unit [Hubbard Apprentice
Scientologist], first PE [Personal Efficiency Course], and so
forth. Because you think they have rights. Nah [sic]! They
don't have any rights! What do you mean? What do they have -
what has rights? That machinery? Those dramatizations? Those
computing circuits? You mean those things have rights? Hah!
Pish-pash [sic] ... If you invade this guy's privacy that just
walked in, believe me, he walks straight in." (JCA-54).

24. Hubbard asserted that every individual has a particular
emotional level or "tone" (JCA-55, JCA-56), and during
recruiting it is necessary to approximate the emotional
condition of the would be recruit (Scientologists do elaborate
role-playing of emotional states, including the "Mood Training
Routines"), so creating rapport. Using emotional manipulation,
the individual is reduced to a depressed condition where he or
she will realize a desperate "need of change" in his or her life
(JCA-57).

25. Hubbard called non-Scientologists "wogs" (JCA-58) or "raw
meat" (JCA-59) and said that non-members are "dead" in the
"head" (JCA-60) - in a hypnotic daze and therefore easily
controllable. Non-Scientologists are held to be in the grip of
their "Reactive minds" and so incapable of logical decision.
Consequently, Field Staff Members are urged not to discuss the
ideas of Scientology, but to play upon the emotional weaknesses
of the potential recruit (JCA-51, JCA-61).

26. The most used method of recruitment in Scientology is the
Oxford Capacity Analysis Personality Test or "OCA" (JCA-62).
This derives from Scientology's "American Personality Analysis"
of the early 1950s, which in turn was constructed from existing
tests devised by psychologists. The OCA has no connection with
Oxford, let alone Oxford University. The original test has
long been outdated and was rewritten by individuals with no
background in psychology or personality testing. Further, it is
made clear in internal literature that far from being a "free"
test, its function is solely to recruit people into Scientology
(JCA-63).

27. Hubbard openly employed "hard-selling" techniques
(JCA-51, under "hard sell", JCA-64). Sales staff undertake
frequent (often daily) "hard-sell drilling". Scientology
organizations use a printed manual called the "Hard Sell
Reference Pack". I frequently experienced the use of such
techniques. For instance, on my first visit to the British
headquarters, at Saint Hill, in August 1975, I was taken to a
staff recruiter at 11 p.m. and remained with her until about 1
a.m. My refusal to join Scientology's paramilitary "Sea
Organization", which entails a "billion year" commitment
(Scientologists believe in reincarnation), was met with
progressively more stern entreaties. I was shown a Hubbard
memorandum, which I was assured was entirely secret, which
asserted that the third world war was imminent and that the
Church of Scientology would be the only organization capable of
surviving this holocaust and governing the world beyond it.
According to this memorandum, this was the real purpose of the
Sea Organization, despite Hubbard's published assertion that
Scientology is "non-political". As a last stab, the recruiter
told me that anyone who refuses to join the Sea Organization is
insane.

28. On one occasion, between June and August 1982, I spent
thirteen hours being given a sales interview by Scientologist
Peter Buttery at my apartment in East Grinstead. In the same
year, I was visited by the same Scientology salesman who had
brought Scientologist money-lender Lee Lawrence with him. They
attempted to persuade me to borrow #7,000. The assertion was
made that after "upper level" Scientology counselling it would
be easy for me to recoup the money and pay back the loan and
the 30 percent per annum interest. Lawrence's loan
applications had to be approved by Scientology (JCA-65).

29. Scientology sales staff, or "registrars", rapidly form a
picture of an individual's assets and borrowing capacity. I
have dealt with many individuals whose financial security was
undermined by their involvement with Scientology.

30. Scientologists are told that if they fail to undertake
certain courses they will be "at risk" (JCA-66). Ominous
warnings are often given to those who declare an intention to
leave the Churches of Scientology (JCA-67).

31. Sophisticated sales techniques are aquired by Scientology
registrars on the "Registrar Salesmanship Course" (JCA-68), and
through the application of material in the "Hard Sell Reference
Pack" (JCA-64). Scientology registrars spend long hours
"drilling" these techniques and learning how to overcome
resistance (JCA-52). Such drilling continues throughout the
registrar's career, especially after a failure to sell.

32. Hubbard made many extravagant and unfounded claims for
Scientology and these are often used by registrars. For
instance, in Flag Mission Order 375 Hubbard said: "Advanced
Courses [in Scientology] are the most valuable service on the
planet. Life insurance, houses, cars, stocks, bonds, college
savings, all are transitory and impermanent ... There is
nothing to compare with Advanced Courses. They are infinitely
valuable and transcend time itself." (JCA-69). In a magazine
article, Hubbard said: "For thousands of years men have sought
the state of complete spiritual freedom from the endless cycle
of birth and death and have sought personal immortality
containing full awareness, memory and ability as a spirit
independent of the flesh ... In Scientology this state has
been attained. It has been achieved not on a temporary basis,
subject to relapse, but on a stable plane of full awareness and
ability, unqualified by accident or deterioration." (JCA-70).

33. The Scientology attitude towards new recruits is
unequivocal. In a 1959 Bulletin, which is still circulated,
Hubbard said "NEVER let anyone simply walk out. Convince him
he's loony if he doesn't gain on it [an auditing procedure]
because that's the truth" (JCA-71). In a Policy Letter which is
still a part of most Scientology courses, Hubbard said: "When
somebody enrols, consider he or she has joined up for the
duration of the universe - never permit an 'open-minded'
approach ... If they enrolled, they're aboard, and if they're
aboard, they're here on the same terms as the rest of us - win
or die in the attempt. Never let them be half-minded about
being Scientologists ... When Mrs. Pattycake comes to us to be
taught, turn that wandering doubt in her eye into a fixed,
dedicated glare ... The proper instruction attitude is '...
We'd rather have you dead than incapable.'" (JCA-72). In
"Critics of Scientology", Hubbard asserted "it is totally
hopeless and fatal not to be a Scientologist." (JCA-73).

34. In a lecture, still sold as part of a Scientology course,
Hubbard said "But what kind of a government and what kind of a
weapon is really serious? Not a weapon that destroys mud. A
weapon that destroys minds, that's serious. Out of the body of
knowledge which lies before you [i.e., Scientology] a sufficient
technology is [sic - exists?] to take over, seize and handle any
government on the face of the Earth ... You can control men like
you would control robots with those techniques ... Contained in
the knowable, workable portions before your eyes there are
methods of controlling human beings and thetans [spirits] which
have never before been dreamed of in this universe. Control
mechanisms of such awesome and solid proportions that if the
remedies were not so much easier to apply, one would be appalled
at the dangerousness to beingness [sic] that exists in
Scientology ... This universe has long been looking for new ways
to make slaves. Well, we've got some new ways to make slaves
here." (JCA-74). In private papers revealed to a California
court in 1984, Hubbard said "Men are my slaves" (JCA-75).

--
(Continued in part two)

---Annoy a fool, ask him to back up his beliefs with facts---
"An enemy may be deprived of property, lied to, tricked, sued
or destroyed by any means" L Ron Hubbard--Fair Game Policy,
"If guns are outlawed, how can we shoot liberals?"
Mississippi State Senator Mike Gunn running for Congress