Scientological Thinking

 

 


In reading about Jonny Jacobsen's excellent coverage of the trial of Scientology in Belgium an amusing kind of exchange between the judges and Scientologists being questioned keeps occurring.

I will paraphrase an example to show how this works.

Judge: So you are supposed to pressure customers to donate large sums of money and buy courses ?
Scientologist: It is always the choice of the customer to buy the course.
Judge: But you say you follow the writings of Hubbard and here is a quote where Hubbard says to hard sell and make sure you get the sale.
Scientologist: I am not familiar with that and you don't understand, you are taking that out of context.
Judge: Are you required to keep track of all moral infractions in fine detail ?
Scientologist: That hasn't been my experience. I only tell the auditor what I am comfortable saying.
Judge: But you have ethics files, auditing files, reports you write on yourself, conditions write ups, OW write ups, life histories, student files and staff files on yourself !
Scientologist: You misunderstand.
Judge: Here is Hubbard's policy stating the auditor must report your overts to the ethics officer.
Scientologist: You are cherry picking things in a way that doesn't make sense.
Judge: Aren't you required to donate large sums of money that escalate the longer you are in Scientology ?
Scientologist: Oh no, not at all.
Judge: Haven't you donated tens of thousands of dollars for services AND tens of thousands to the IAS on top of that ?
Scientologist: Oh yes, because I wanted to.
Judge: You say you follow Hubbard's teachings and here he specifically states to have you flow more money toward your bridge, and to push you to buy ever more expensive services !
Scientologist: No, you don't understand.
Judge: Every policy I bring up you say doesn't apply !

The poor judge goes round and round. Why ? It's not because he doesn't understand Scientology terms. He doesn't understand Scientology's RESULTS on the mind of a Scientologist.

The Scientologist doesn't SEE the reality of Scientology. He FEELS an impression, totally divorced from reality. The methods of indoctrination in Scientology create an unthinking obedience and attitude of cheerful submission in a Scientologist.

The "study technology" actually annihilates the capacity for critical, independent, rational, logical and linear thinking. I covered that in the blog entry Insidious Enslavement: Study Technology. Additionally the loaded language has the effect of creating doublethink. By making words and phrases label their opposites Hubbard created a state of confusion and inability to even perceive reality or detect contradictions in Scientology beliefs and behaviors.

As an example Scientologists simultaneously consider OTs to be godlike superior beings with tremendous powers and know they are entirely normal people with no special abilities. As another example Scientologists consider Scientology workable and Scientology organizations far superior to other groups, but accept that staff get no or very little pay and don't have improving conditions, or even pay equal to normal organizations. I covered the methods of this and many examples in Propaganda by Reversal of Meaning and The Secret of Scientology part one: Control by Contradiction.

Scientologists don't see contradiction in Hubbard's terms, phrases, doctrine or organizations. They simply don't see it. They don't SEE Scientology !

 That's why whenever a judge points out Hubbard's words, no matter how clearly Hubbard states something, no matter how frequently and consistently Hubbard says to do something, no matter how many times the Scientologist himself has done what the judge is asking about with Hubbard's own words to hand - the Scientologist cannot see the details and reality of Scientology.

Scientologists are persuaded with vivid images and hallucinatory fantasies and see THAT fiction instead of the reality of Scientology in Hubbard's doctrine, his organizations and even their own lives and actions.

They buy into a dream of a utopian future, and ignore the current actuality. And the doublethink is so total they accept slavery to strive for freedom, they disconnect from families to build strong families, they are ruthless and brutal to others to help them, they grow to hate virtually everyone to achieve higher affinity for others.

The Scientologist has the horrible weakness of seeing only the illusion of a noble end and not the obvious, criminal, abusive, dishonest and dishonorable means that are truly the heart of Scientology.  That is the bait and switch Hubbard as a covert totalitarian uses - he gives very generous empty promises and fills minds with visions of counterfeit dreams, these dreams are truly fractured shards from Hubbard. They brilliantly seem beautiful and beneficial to gain euphoric associations. But are vague, misunderstood and broad and flexible enough to be used to lead the Scientologist on a path he doesn't even really see.

Now, I am not saying Scientologists are completely free from any degree of responsibility for their actions. That would be impractical and too black and white. And not true. There is no simple total answer.

But understanding Scientologists starts with understanding Scientology's effect on the individual Scientologist. By seeing Hubbard's intent, Hubbard's methods, the results on the Scientologist and the Scientologist's impression of what is occurring you can remove the mystery and seeming irony of Scientology. It all fits together.

By studying the indoctrination method as thought reform, and the behaviors of Scientologists as cult behaviors along with hypnotism and Hubbard's plagiarized methods and social psychology to understand his effects on his victims you can see what a Scientologist sees, without becoming a Scientologist. And if an ex Scientologist you may hopefully radically reduce Hubbard's influence upon your mind and life.