Because of various problems with Blogger, I've copied everything as of November 26, 2012 over to WordPress. The new location is Ask the Scientologist. I am not deleting this blog and will still accept comments and answer questions here too, but any new articles will appear at the WordPress location. I apologize if this causes any problems.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Scientology: Why Doesn't It Work?

Now, before all you Scientologists get your knickers in a twist, I'm not talking about personal, subjective experiences. These kinds of things happen to almost everyone for any number of reasons and can't be proven or disproven. That's not what this article is about.

I'm talking about all the stuff that the Scientology technology is very explicitly supposed to accomplish in the world. Why doesn't that work?

For example: All Scientologists are required to do the "PTS/SP Course". The full, actual name of the course is the "How to Confront and Shatter Suppression - PTS/SP Course". Most Scientologists today have actually done this course.
PTS="Potential Trouble Source", someone connected to an SP.
SP="Suppressive Person", someone who, for instance, attacks Miscavige's Church of Scientology.
So, do any Scientologists actually confront anything that might upset them? Do any Scientologists look at and confront any opposition to Miscavige's church? Scientologists don't look at any media that might mention negative things about Scientology. Scientologists carefully avoid most of the Internet. When the Anonymous protests take place near any Church of Scientology, Scientologists run and hide. Scientologists cover the windows and hunker down, waiting for the protesters to go away. Where is the confront?

And don't even mention "shatter". If graduates of the PTS/SP Course could "shatter suppression", there wouldn't be any protests, would there? All the negative information about Miscavige and his church would simply go away. But that hasn't worked either, has it?

No confront. No "shattering." Virtually all Scientologists have "learned" this technology but the promised results just aren't happening.

Why doesn't Scientology work?

Contrary to what one might expect, Scientologists really do know there are problems in the Church of Scientology. They even talk about it with each other. While they don't see the big picture, they see the local manifestations.

They see the local problems, but they believe that things are better elsewhere; things are better for other Scientologists.

And they expect that, sooner or later, someone will notice that things are going bad for this Scientologist, or things aren't going well with this local church -- and someone will come and fix it.

And these loyal Scientologists carefully write up reports, sometimes to "RTC", sometimes to David Miscavige, sometimes to someone else who is "in charge". They carefully look up the policies, they carefully document all their problems, they carefully present their information, they carefully suggest what should be done -- then they wait.

And they wait.

And the problems persist and get worse.

So they carefully write it all up again. And they carefully send it "up lines" again.

Surely this time, someone will read their report, see the horrible misapplication of Hubbard's policies or technology, and they will fix it. It's obvious what is wrong. It's obvious what should be done. All it takes is that one person in authority reads their careful report and sends the proper orders.

But it doesn't happen. Scientologists all over the world are having serious problems, they are carefully writing up their reports and sending them "up lines" to RTC or Miscavige or someone in authority -- and nothing is getting corrected. Why?

Why doesn't Scientology work?

Quite a few years ago, OT VIII was released. It was heralded as the "first true OT level". While David Miscavige, himself, has been unable to attain this level, many other Scientologists have. Some of them are still in Scientology and are still working to support Scientology.

But where are the results of these "true OTs" who are supporting Scientology? These OTs are supposed to be far beyond anything that has ever existed on this planet. These OTs are supposed to be incredibly effective. Around such OTs, things "just go right". Yes?

No.

But why? Why is so much going so wrong for the Church of Scientology? Why is it such a struggle for Miscavige and his church? Why have so many OT VIIIs dropped out of sight, left the church, moved away?

Why doesn't Scientology work?

Scientology is supposed to be fun. Scientology is supposed to increase communication, increase ARC, increase a person's ability to face difficulties. Scientologists are supposed to end up flourishing and prospering. Scientologists are supposed to be happy. Scientologists are supposed to be more connected with people.
ARC: Scientology acronym for Affinity, Reality, Communication, which equals Understanding.
I'm sure there are brief moments of happiness for many Scientologists, but, in general, none of this is happening. There is very little fun, very little happiness, not much flourishing or prospering. As a rule, Scientologists withdraw from friends, family, and society. Being involved in Scientology is not supposed to make one's life more of a struggle, but this is exactly what happens. Life, for Scientologists, just becomes harder, grimmer and more guilt-laden.

The difference between what is promised by Miscavige's Church of Scientology and what actually happens is stark. Why?

Why doesn't Scientology work?

And don't look at the colossal failure of Miscavige to get all churches to the "size of old Saint Hill". Don't look at Miscavige's failure to complete his "SuperPower building" in Clearwater. Don't look at the failure of the "Ideal Org" campaign which has caused untold problems for the local churches.

It doesn't take any effort at all to see that Scientology is not working. Things are not going well at all. It is obvious.

It takes a tremendous amount of effort, continuous effort, to keep not seeing this -- to make excuses, to hide from the facts, to grit your teeth and see the illusion and not the reality. Being a Scientologist today is a lot of work -- and none of it is fun.

And the bottom-line question that Scientologists must not ask is:
Why doesn't Scientology work?

10 comments:

  1. Good question, Bill. Thanks for asking it so cleverly. As a former Sea Org member I can confirm what you say about nearly all staff getting trained on the PTS/SP course as well as many public Scientologists. I know Miscavige took quite some pride in personally working over that course to make it so "effective," and he ruthlessly pushed getting as many people through it as possible. Well, contrary to what he thinks, you are right, none of the graduates could confront and shatter their way out of a wet paper bag. Have you seen the latest Tom Cruise interview with Barbara Walters? Talk about a whipped puppy! He sure isn't talking about Scientology anymore, yet he was ranting on and on in that infamous 2004 video about confronting and shattering suppression. No longer! Right there is the biggest high-profile example of the exact point you are making, Bill.

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  2. Scientologist probably have perpetual wedgies...Excellent blog, Bill.

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  3. I've worked around Miscavige and found him to be one nasty piece of work. Until you manage to get out from underneath his influence, staff who have been unfortunate enough to work under him are in a constant state of fear and anxiety at best. There are many accurate descriptions of him on the web already so I won't regurgitate them here. Aside from any inherent flaws in Scientology itself, DM is the biggest reason why Scientology doesn't work and is going straight to hell. A man like him being in charge of a church is simply counter-intuitive. The following exercise quickly makes the point. Sit down and list out all of the characteristics that you would expect to find in a Man of God or a Holy Man or some such. You know - obvious examples like Jesus Christ, Ghandi, Buddha and some of their obvious traits such as Love, Tolerance, Forgiveness, Patience, Peace, etc. Now write down the characteristics you would expect to find in an Unholy Man or Man of the Devil or what have you. Now list out the known traits of Miscavige and compare him to the two lists above. Would you call him a Holy Man? Does he seem like someone who should be running and expanding a Church? I didn't think so either.

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  4. @Anonymous,

    Yes! Even Scientology's own policy on The Anti-Social Personality (meaning Suppressive Person) exactly describes Miscavige. More irony.

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  5. Come on now Bill. We both know the reason Scientology isn't working is because of all the SP's and Psychs.(Sarcasm, or for a Scientologist 1.1...hehe)
    But don't tell Scientologists that if Scientology really did work that those "stops" wouldn't exist in the first place.
    Truth really does hurt!
    Now you can refer to Bills "why don't Scientologists look" posting.
    Your words are well put together Bill. Thank you for your time on writing about these true to life postings about Scientology.

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  6. I don't agree that Scientology does not work. It has worked perfectly for what it was created for: A means to rook and swindle money out of the gullible rubes, marks, and suckers.

    Hubbard got away with rooking BILLIONS out of his customers, repeatedly selling them a bridge in a bait-and-switch bunko fraud that never ends. The insane drug addled conman died with hundreds of millions of dollars in cash in his possession, all of which disappeared in David Miscaviage's off shore banks.

    During the 1977 Federal raids against the insane criminals the Feds "recovered" tens of millions of dollars in cash from the crook's \temporary residences, some 30 million of which was tsacked in a closet of a residence Hubbard had fled after learning the Federal authorities were on their way (Gilman Hot Springs and Hemet.)

    Scientology works. It has been a successful criminal enterprise for decades. Sci9entology does everything that its founder created it for.

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  7. Love your articles...you are a very talented writer, Bill.

    You should consider publishing some of these essays. Or, if you would allow it, I'd like to make a copy of a few of your stories to pass out at our next Co$ 'event'.

    What say you?

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  8. Thanks! I'm not sure about publishing -- who would want to publish these? However, I'm always interested in getting these articles more widely read. If anyone wants to print and hand out, I approve! I'd appreciate credit back to askthescientologist if you do.

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  9. By all means I'll make sure that you& this great website are credited.

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  10. I have already seen this posted on two sites. http://itsyourtimes.com/?q=node/4098
    and Ex-scientologist message board.
    Seems to be a popular topic, DM must love you.;-)

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