SCIENTOLOGY AND MEDICATION A matter of life or death.
Michael Pattinson
Scientologists and medication. A matter of life or death.
This question is a core issue as to why many people are protesting
Scientology and so I think it deserves its own thread to get the truth
out to properly inform the public at large.
*** I AM INVITING CONTRIBUTION OF ACCURATE INFO AND DISCUSSION FROM
THOSE WHO HAVE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF THIS. ***
I have been fielding questions over the past few days from several
sources as to what Scientology's stance is on members being able or
willing to get proper medical treatment. Recent events have brought
the question to the forefront even though many people have been
voicing its importance for years. Maybe some lives can be saved in the
future as an honorable and compassionate legacy from all those whose
lives were lost due to a conflict of dogma vs doctor.
To contribute to this thread I want to start by adding in some things
I have experienced with Scientology's stance on medications and/or
treatment of disease or illnesses.
I have read the usual and measured lawyers' declarations of the
Scientology position on proper or allowed medical treatments for
members who are experiencing difficulties and they don't give the full
story in my experience.
Ignoring potentially fatal realities to push a legal or public
relations "spin" for the sake of money is far from being socially
conscious and is actually anti-social in the extreme.
There have been many, many instances reported of deaths, disabilities
and incapacities from apparent lack of proper medical attention and
treatment of Scientologists. These are easily available online through
search engines, so I will not list them here.
Some people asked about the difference between physical and mental
sickness or health matters as far as Scientologists are concerned.
Things such as broken limbs are, from my observation, treated with the
usual physical remedies from a doctor such as splints, braces and
slings. There is nothing unusual in this aspect of things as far as I
saw. Healing is done with time, rest (so the limb can heal fast) and
normal common sense. The Scientologist will most likely also be
treated with what are called "Assists" which are techniques which hope
to to improve nerve impulse flows and/or remove some blockages of
nerve energies in the physical body as well as get the inhabiting
human spirit (thetan) back into better communication with its body.
As far as pain is concerned there is, from my experience (I had dental
troubles) a strong tendency to minimize
the use of pain relievers. If a member goes into a Scientology or
Dianetics counseling session they will be asked if they have recently
taken drugs. If so, the session will not go ahead. the administrar
tive folders will be sent to the "Case Supervisor" for a new approach,
which will most likely include a drying out period and then some
special auditing/counseling to address the fact of having taken the
drugs. This will be a paying service, often more expensive than the
medical aspects of the person's health problem.
When the injury is not a physical break or sprain things get more
complicated and conflicting.
There is no sense in listing the numerous health problems that can
occur, from a common cold to a fatal cancer as the Scientology answer
tends to be a kind of one-size-fits-all approach dictated by L.Ron
Hubbard through the person's Scientology "Case Supervisor". The Case
Supervisor (C/S) is the ultimate local or international authority that
the individual Scientologist will comply with, mainly because they
have no choice in the matter.
The C/S is outside the direct contact reach of the Scientologist, and
is in the "Ivory Tower" of isolation from influence that Hubbard
ordered to be the way things are done.
***This arrangement of the isolated unquestioned authority (C/S)
working on the unquestioned authority of L Ron Hubbard's orders, the
passive Scientologist who has to comply with the technical
instructions from that C/S, the incompatibility with medical,
psychological, psychiatric and pharmaceutical professions due to
Hubbard's unreasoned hate of the above practitioner/professional
approaches, is at the CORE of the misadventures and even some
fatalities that have occurred. ***
The multitude of possible outcomes in whether a Scientologist will
get, or not, proper medical treatment reduces down to the above
combination of factors. So, I feel that it is not so much a question
of whether a Scientologist's health problem is physical, mental,
spiritual or viral/bacterial as it is a question of what the C/S will
order. It is far more likely (due to being indoctrinated that their
entire endless future depends on Scientology) for the Scientologist to
comply with the C/S instructions than any relevant medical advice that
goes up against Hubbard's writings.
So, the bottom line is that medical/treatment decisions will most
likely be determined for the Scientologist by a non-medically trained
Case Supervisor.
This is one vital/fatal point the lawyers conveniently omit from
public statements on this matter of life or death.
It is dangerous anomaly.
I think this will answer a lot of questions.
Ball of Fluff
I do want to point out, though, that those who say (not you. thinking
of other posts I've seen) that all medical care is forbidden to
Scn'ists are wrong. Of course it's allowed but staff can and do
interfere frequently.
CofS does not understand neurology, either, and they tend to treat it
as if it were a psychiatric ailment when it's not. Not that I'm in
favor of their stance on psychiatry- I'm not.
Hubbard did write at least one HCOB- I think there're more, though-
where he told people to get medical treatment and complete physicals.
However, most CofS members don't do that, or do so sporadically and
the cult's fine with that.
C
Eldon
> Great post, Michael. It's true
>
> I do want to point out, though, that those who say (not you. thinking
> of other posts I've seen) that all medical care is forbidden to
> Scn'ists are wrong. Of course it's allowed but staff can and do
> interfere frequently.
>
> CofS does not understand neurology, either, and they tend to treat it
> as if it were a psychiatric ailment when it's not. Not that I'm in
> favor of their stance on psychiatry- I'm not.
Hey, Scientologists are superstitious enough generally to latch onto
lots of odd stuff. LRH himself recommended Adelle Davis' megavitamin
overdose theories. They're probably depriving their kids of childhood
vaccinations at this point... and why?
Because there's a rumor that vaccinations cause AUTISM! Sound
familiar?
Even after the manufacturers took out the mercury preservative stuff
just in case, the rumors still abound. As long as 90% of the kids in a
kindergarten class get vaccinated, those who don't get a free ride.
When the proportion slips below that, watch out. An epidemic may
happen.
This is just the kind of shit that cult fanatics easily buy.
Ball of Fluff
> On Jan 7, 9:13 pm, Ball of Fluff <amafluffyg...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > Great post, Michael. It's true
>
> > I do want to point out, though, that those who say (not you. thinking
> > of other posts I've seen) that all medical care is forbidden to
> > Scn'ists are wrong. Of course it's allowed but staff can and do
> > interfere frequently.
>
> > CofS does not understand neurology, either, and they tend to treat it
> > as if it were a psychiatric ailment when it's not. Not that I'm in
> > favor of their stance on psychiatry- I'm not.
Hi, Eldon!
>
> Hey, Scientologists are superstitious enough generally to latch onto
> lots of odd stuff. LRH himself recommended Adelle Davis' megavitamin
> overdose theories. They're probably depriving their kids of childhood
> vaccinations at this point... and why?
That's true. They are. (superstitious) and they do latch on to odd
stuff...remember that stupid book about the aliens that people were so
excited about in the mid 90s or so? And super blue green algae? (My
former brother in law- a non Scn'ist but a member of another cult- got
into that one, too) And all these vitamin thingies...
I do remember that LRH said Adelle Davis did pretty good and all but
that there was a "huge hole" in her books about something or other.
I do know of Scn'ists who've deprived their kids of vaccinations- I
personally knew one or two- but it's not, as far as I know, a tech
thing where it says they can't let them have the vaccinations. John
and I NEVER were ok with that idea.
>
> Because there's a rumor that vaccinations cause AUTISM! Sound
> familiar?
Yes, I've heard about that.
>
> Even after the manufacturers took out the mercury preservative stuff
> just in case, the rumors still abound. As long as 90% of the kids in a
> kindergarten class get vaccinated, those who don't get a free ride.
> When the proportion slips below that, watch out. An epidemic may
> happen.
You know that the Scn-ese for that is "wrong why", right? Har!
>
> This is just the kind of shit that cult fanatics easily buy.
Yes.
>C