Hi, I'm a former Scientologist. I'm currently under the Scientology status of 'wog', which means I'm not active, I've returned to the normal world. 'wog' stands for 'worthy oriental gentleman', and as I'm part asian, I get the joke, although others may not.
To respond to some of the statements made in the forum, I thought I'd make a comment.
First of all, I wonder if some of the bloggers are merely making flaming comments just to be spiteful. You know who you are, if that's the case, and I won't require a response from you.
I gather from some of the blogs that Scientology's claims and terminology can seem outmoded, and even their past can seem jaded, and the 'players in the game' may look or actually be antithetical to their stated causes and ideals.
In point of fact, you are probably right. In most if not all endeavors, for example, finding the cure for polio, a lofty goal no less important than any claim made by Scientology or any other religion or invention, there is the element of human nature.
Again in the case of the search for the polio vaccine, if you google the history, you'll find that the chief 'inventor/doctor' who received the Nobel prize (I heard this on talk radio) was apparently upset enuff by his team that he failed to acknowledge them in his speech (scandal!), and later on many scientists felt that his vaccine was the 'inferior' medicine, and as a result, developed a newer vaccine. There was also the public concern later on that his version of the vaccine actually could cause polio in some innoculees, if that's a word. I'm sure to the team who felt miffed by their leader, this was a serious matter and no joke. They spent much of their professional careers or efforts on this only to be snubbed at the Nobel conference? Hindsight is 20/20.
I and others who care, for whatever reason, can probably choose to debate each point made in this topic... For example,
"Is that it? Is Scientology for people who don't learn sufficiently fast? For those who stayed behind in school? " was quoted by 'upsidedownnewspaper'.
Here is a rebuttal. I found this statement made in a forum discussing SSRI's... [
www.extremefitness.com]
"luggaguy
November 13th, 2006, 08:06 PM
Im about to take some adderall to study for a final I have in 2 days. My buddy hooked me up with some 20 mg extended release. Im not trying to pull the 'allnighter' so he recomended to open the capusle, chew or crush about 1/2 the balls in the cap. That way I can take 10 mg, since I took it once 4 yrs ago my tolerance is very low. That should work, if not Ill take the rest. Has anyone tried this method? How long did it last? Thanks
Nastynav000
December 29th, 2006, 03:43 PM
i took it to study for a busy week of finals!! was able to pull 4 A's on my finals exams and a A on a 10 page paper all in the course of 3 days!! adderoll is a life saver! and i dont have ADD or ADHD"
So, if you're saying that people aren't interested in being more awake and able to study more, well maybe you aren't, but other people apparently are, enuff to take prescribed ampi's when they shouldn't. They're professional career is more important than their health. Nuff said there.
So the pendulum swings both ways.
So here's another thinker for you. On Barbara Walter's special on Heaven and NDE's, and i'm paraphrasing heavily, so apologies. A women was interviewed who had a near death experience. She claimed to have gone to Heaven and back. The experience was more real to her than life itself. Because of her NDE, she has achieved a change in lifestyle, how she treats others, what her life's goals are, and feels much better about her life, her existence, and towards her fellow man. I will assume she's probably even less inclined to be prejudiced or spiteful to others. Who knows.
Then, BW interviewed a physician/psych, not sure which exactly, who stated that what she probably experienced physically was the brain shutting down as she was dying, from lack of oxygen or organ support, (she did flatline I believe. At least, that's what I was led to believe), and the brain's inhibitive systems let go and her brain 'flooded' with memories and enuff endorphins/seratonin/dopamine or whatever to cause her to see the visions and experience the feelings she did, beyond what humanly normal.
First of all, I hope I go that way. Small comment aside there.
Then, Barbara TOLD THIS WOMAN the prognosis of the doctor. The woman looked very upset by that statement, and adamantly refused to believe that it was just her brain malfunctioning, and that it was her dream come true, that she saw heaven. It was too real for her to discount as merely a bad trip. So, to each their own. I'm an old Star Trek /Tolkien/D&D/SF Fan. I like to believe in the supernatural. Helps me sleep bettter at nite. I'm sure the OT 3's sleep just fine too.
Outmode tech: Ben Franklin believed that electricity was a liquid. I read his recent biography. He's considered the 'inventor' of electricity, although he isn't. Technically, his discovery of electricity revolves around discovering that electricity likes to flow from/ to a pointed object more than a flat/rounded object, and that lightning is a form of electricity. Also, it's widely believed that lightning struck the kite. Impossible, his poor grandson/nephew I forget which would have been killed. Think about holding a wet string with wet hands in a rainstorm. Lightning would need much less reason than that to slam you. For a good example of lightning watch the Mythbusters on cable. I love their lighting tests, like the guy on a phone. Boom!
So, what's my point? Well, let's discount Ben Franklin as a quack for his outdated ideas. I don't think there were any electron microscopes back then, so can you really blame him? Kudos to him for even thinking it up, I say.
And do we really want to argue with someone with an NDE that she was just hallucinating? Yeah, let's bust her bubble! Maybe we should all hallucinate like that. Might just make the world a better place.
Some bloggers have asked what has Scientology done for us, "lately"? Well, how about looking at the copyright dates on the books and articles released by LRH. They're circa 1950+. Recently there have been scientific studies done about prenatal memory. The math says 1990-1950=40 years ahead of his time. Now, I don't know the exact date scientists got together and decided to gather evidence or when they succeeded, I just picked 1990 out of a hat. I know it wasn't widely accepted when I was a teenager, and it certainly wasn't widely accepted in his day. How about the concept of self-help! Again look at the dates. In the 50's he started a self help revolution, which we still see in other self help gurus today. Tony Robbins, for example. EST, and other groups based on their experience with Scientology or Dianetics. Not saying all are good or bad, I'm sure that there's good and bad with these, as much as there's been good and bad with pope's, kings, religions, etc.
For example, many occidentals don't know that Buddhism has a long history of WAR!!! Think shaolin monks and the kung fu tv series. Who was Buddhism at conflict with? Confusionists, or whoever didn't agree politically or otherwise with buddhist ideals. Were the Buddhists the instigators? I don't know that much about that history, but I know they were often attacked for 'corrupting the views of the populace or the common people'. Confusionism is a royal philosophy. Buddhism was a grass roots effort with radical ideals.
So, in history there's not much that's new.
Also, somebody made a comment about the tone scale, and LRH thrusting 'that concept on us'. Actually, I recently found an old book published in the 20's and then republished in the 40's by Will Durant. I found the book enticing because the Dianetics book is dedicated to Mr. Durant. In the back of that book, IS the tone scale, proposed by Will Durant, the modern philosopher of the early 20th century. LRH merely extended it and named it.
From my point of view, LRH was a man who, like many engineers, sought to take the philosophies and knowledge of his time, and try to study and explain the human condition, and possibly even to help the cause of man.
I feel he followed in the footsteps of DaVinci, Ben Franklin (who was a freemason and anti-christian, even though his friend was the witch murderer, cotton mather, and who EDITED the declaration of independence from being a document of religious rhetoric to the timeless masterpiece of humanitarian ideals it is today.), Isaac Newton, who apparently 'invented calculus to bring glory to GOD', (please forgive the editorial) and others (Freud). Like Ben Franklin, LRH was nothing if not thorough. You will not find, I think, a more thorough body of empirical research and documentation into his search for relief from the 'human condition'.
Having personally experienced his counseling techniques, I can say I have yet to experience anything else quite as in depth. I lost my fiance a few years ago (suicide), and went to a psych to help me with the grief. It was interesting, but superficial, and short-lived. Needless to say I was not much relieved by it. I got more out of talking to friends.
However, my wife, who recently received some special therapy via her psychologist, went through a routine where she held 2 probes in either hand, which vibrated, and while recalling a past painful memory, was asked to 'envision or picture' a different or more pleasant outcome for the memory , which is a relatively new technique for psychologists. LRH, 1951 Philadelphia Doctorate Course Lectures, available now on DVD. Topic, Creative Processing, which of course is LRH's title for envisioning different outcomes for a painful experience. 1951....
Mimicry is the sincerest form of flattery.
p.s. My wife said it worked, she felt alot better... ;)
Here's to enjoying life...