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Video: Dr. Stephen Wiseman: Scientology's War Against Psychiatry (Vancouver's annual "Skepticamp" - March 20, 2010) Video: Christie Collbran, Secretes of Scientology (MSNBC - April 2010) «The dark side of Scientology» Transcript of a film from the German television (ARD - April 2, 1997) Testimony (affidavit) of Silvana Garritano: «I was introduced to Scientology in October, 1977, when I went to the New York Church to take a "Communications Course» (March 7th, 1980) Testimony (affidavit) of Marjorie Hansen: «He claimed that I was deficient in my communication with other people» (March 5, 1980) |
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Scientology's War Against Psychiatry part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5 April 15, 2010 — Dr. Stephen Wiseman is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia, and Consultant Psychiatrist at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, BC. For a number of years he has been researching Scientology, its inventor L. Ron Hubbard, and the organization's anti-psychiatry arm, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights. This is his first public talk about Scientology's war on Psychiatry, given at Vancouver's annual "Skepticamp" at UBC on March 20, 2010, and is of monumental significance in this long conflict. Hubbard started a campaign http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientol... 24 years after Hubbard's death, this campaign has reached a fanatical level of hostility with multi-million dollar attack-media offensives and legal and extralegal programs to harm or destroy the profession and subject of psychiatry generally and psychiatrists' careers individually. Scientology's war on psychiatry under current Scientology head David Miscavige has not attained its goal, but it has negatively impacted public understanding and threatens to drive an extremely vulnerable set of citizens away from the option, science, hope and help that psychiatrists can be for them. Dr. Wiseman describes what he
and two colleagues have undertaken as a push back against Scientology in the
name of his profession. This is the first such effort, certainly in the
English-speaking world, and is long overdue. In the past, several individual
psychiatrists speaking for themselves have stood up to Scientology and faced its
organized and heavily-funded hostility. For this, Drs. Jolly West http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Jo... Until now, however, no group of psychiatrists or professional organization such as the American Psychiatric Association has confronted or pushed back against the distortions and falsehoods of Scientology, and this has emboldened Miscavige's organization considerably over the years. With the work of Dr. Wiseman and his colleagues, these days are now over. The Skeptics and related reason-promoting groups and individuals
have been speaking out against Scientology's deceptions and anti-science for
many years. Dr. Wiseman's talk and Q & A period are short because of the
SkeptiCamp format, but he imparts considerable new information and many
insights. It is obvious he has educated himself about Scientology and its war,
and he says that the research he and his colleagues have done is at a level now
where publication and further presentation options are under consideration. He
has taken their endeavor this far while working full time in his medical
specialty at a major metropolitan hospital. He is clearly articulate,
well-informed, human, and reasonable, and for these reasons represents a
formidable force against the shrill, destructive rage of Scientology. Thanks to
Gerry Armstrong for writing the description, transcribing the power point
slides, and transcribing audience questions. |
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Transcript of a film from the German television magazine, "Gesucht wird ...", broadcast in the first program by ARD on April 2, 1997, filmed by Botros and Koch, TV reporters from Bremen:
February 1997, Los Angeles. We have called the police for assistance. Our chief witness, Garry Scarff, former Scientology agent, is suffering a nervous breakdown. Garry Scarff: They're going to kill me and they know where my parents live. 5 days earlier, Clearwater, Florida. Shooting some scenes in front of the Fort Harrison Hotel, the spiritual head- quarters of Scientology. We are immediately photographed by one of the organization's security men. Garry Scarff knows the game. Until 1992, Scarff was on the other side, a Scientology agent. Then he defected and became an embittered opponent. Weeks before he had told us of penal camps, mysterious deaths, and even of, in 1991, a planned murder. We wished to pursue these serious accusations against the organization. Scarff, shown here on the right, wanted to help us. We are also accompanied by Martin Ottman from Stuttgart, on the left. He worked until 1992 as a member of the paramilitary Sea Org, the elite unit of Scientology here in Florida. The presence of Scarff and Ottman makes the Scientology staff members very nervous. Never before have former members of the sect who possess such an intimate knowledge appeared on television with such serious accusations. Scientologist #1: How much are you getting paid for this? Scientologist #2: What's happening here is a joke. Garry Scarff: I was on staff of the Office of Special Affairs, OSA. That is like the intelligence service of Scientology. That is where the nerve center, the "war room" is, in the headquarters in Los Angeles. The organization has a special computer and communications network which they use to collect and evaluate information on the activities of Scientology critics worldwide around the world.. Scarff has given extensive testimony under oath as to his activities for the Office of Special Affairs. Reporter: Did you participate in any criminal activities ? Garry Scarff: One time there was an assignment to which I was supposed to later testify under oath. At the time I claimed my right to remain silent, and will do so again today. Otherwise I would go to prison for a very long time. The take [loot] from that assignment went directly to the OSA intelligence service. Meeting to plan the footage for the next day. We want to try to track down alleged inmates of the organization. The so-called "Rehabilitation Project" (RPF) is, in reality, a labor camp of the Sea Org, says Garry, for members who have failed in their assigned duties on post. Also somebody who has not brought in enough income must go into the labor camp. Martin Ottman has regularly observed black-clothed inmates in a Scientology living quarters, the so-called 'hacienda.' Early the next morning on the way to the "hacienda." Once again we recall the directives of the organization for the so-called 'Rehabilitation Project': (Personal restrictions and punishments: may only speak when spoken to,sleeps and eats in an area separate from others,has no liberty.) Garry Scarff: There is a inmate. They are having a meeting. They are sitting in a circle together. There he is, there he is. He is making a security check. He is running. Look, he's running. Martin Ottman says that the prisoners must always be in motion. Occasionally, as punishment, they must run around a tree for days at a time. Reporter: What is hidden behind the concept of "Rehabilitation Project" ? Ottman: It is a type of punishment camp, about the same way I would picture a gulag from Stalinistic Russia to be. Reporter: How could a lay person envision a labor camp such as this ? Ottmann: First of all you receive black clothes which you have to wear everyday. You have to work at least 16 hours a day. You have to explain your own case for five hours a day. And you have no contact of any sort with the outside world. Reporter: But the people don't leave. They can leave but they don't do it. Ottman: Yes, but they are dependent upon it. They have been made dependent and they have made themselves dependent upon Scientology. From their perspective, their lives depend completely upon Scientology and they would rather be humiliated that way than turn away from Scientology. On the way to Cape Corell. Martin has recommended that we speak with Hanna Whitfield. We read again what she has stated under oath: "Sea Org members were often locked up in a dark, dirty and smelly hole in which rats lived." Garry and Hanna Whitfield were members of the elite unit, the Sea Org, for years. Hanna even made it to Deputy Commodore, representative of Scientology's Founder, Hubbard. Hanna Whitfield: These pictures were taken in the early 1970's. That's me in the middle. That is Diana, the oldest daughter of Ron Hubbard and his third wife, Mary Sue. Here I am again. That is Hubbard's daughter and his son, Quentin. My loyalty to Scientology knew no bounds, nevertheless I was accused of having bad thoughts about Hubbard. That was my alleged crime. I was dragged by two powerful men to an area in Fort Harrison which was next to the garage. The punishment camp was on the second and third levels. I was locked for two days in a room without windows, all by myself. I didn't have a bed, nothing at all. Just a mattress on the floor. The lights were sometimes on, sometimes off. We had to perform a lot of repair work. We did the dirty work. Cleaned the bathrooms and the rest rooms. And when they did construction work in Fort Harrison, we had to carry away the refuse in buckets from the highest floors, then carry mortar back up. We were not allowed to use the elevators. Here is the three level garage at Fort Harrison, and a black-clothed Scientologist, apparently an inmate. A co-inmate of Hanna's was even chained in the basement. Hanna Whitfield: She worked for the Guardian's Office. Today it is called the Office of Special Affairs, OSA, and it's like the CIA of Scientology. The undercover espionage department of the organization. Linn had the assignment of conducting certain inquiries in Washington. She found irregularities and wanted to have the case investigated. Her employer had decided against that, however, and wanted to cover up everything. As a result, Linn was sent to the punishment camp at Fort Harrison. They chained her to a pipe there. She was locked in the basement for 2-3 weeks. She slept down there. She ate down there. She was forced to clean the pipes. Some- times I thought of calling the police for assistance. As soon as I'd think of doing that, it would occur to me that that would be the greatest crime against Hubbard and the organization. I could not have done that in any case. We made an appointment to speak with Sergeant Greg Tita, the Sheriff of Pinellas Country, where the Scientology enclave of Clearwater is located. We have learned that there is even a penal camp for children in the organi. zation. An internal report talks about cadets who tried to flee [from it]. Tita: I've had run-away cadets here that must have gone into the children's prison camp. Pinellas County has also had experiences with Scientology children. In a visit to the cadet school, my colleagues have determined that there were signs of child neglect and abuse. They wrote up a report and the case was forwarded to the juvenile office. However, Scientology lodged a complaint against the publication of the report in the press and won. It is still sealed today. I don't think that it has to do with a dispute over the investigation, they just wanted to make sure no information got to the public. Ariane Jackson can assess what happens with Scientology children. She was forced to separate from three of her four children. At the time they were two, four and six years old. Scientology put them in a children's establishment, later they made cadets out of them. That was 10 years ago. Later she had only sporadic contact with them. Since Ariane has left Scientology, she may no longer see her children. Reporter: Can you still remember leaving them ? Ariane Jackson: I hate to think about it. They climbed into a special bus. An older man from the Sea Org tore me away and pushed me into the car. I could still wave to them and then we drove to the airport. Reporter: Does it often happen that children are separated from their parents ? Ariane Jackson: Yes. Reporter: Do you know of other cases ? Ariane Jackson: Yes, if the partners separate in a divorce and one of them is in the Sea Org, then that is the better person. The children are awarded by the organization. Then what could be better for their children than Scientology training, Scientology schools, just Scientology everything. The Clearwater police station is within line-of-sight distance of the Fort Harrison Hotel, the headquarters of Scientology in Florida. We again meet Ariane Jackson there the next day. Martin Ottmann has talked her into giving testimony in an investigation which the police are in the process of investigating. It has to do with the mysterious death of a young Scientologist who was last seen alive in Fort Harrison (Lisa McPherson). Garry Scarff also wants to support the investigation, and has offered his assistance to the investigating officials. Lisa McPherson, shown here with her mother, died in December, 1995 under mysterious circumstances a short time after she had successfully graduated a Scientology course. Lisa had wanted to leave the sect, said the family's attorney. After a nervous breakdown, 17 days before her death, the organization completely isolated her inside Fort Harrison. Kennen G. Dandar (attorney): Our research has determined that she was unconscious. She received no nourish- ment, no water. She was extremely dehydrated. Before she lost consciousness, she was beating against the walls. Reporter: How do you know that ? Attorney: The Scientologists themselves have admitted that she beat against the walls. According to the autopsy report, Lisa must have received strong medication before her death. Reporter: In order to sedate her ? Anwalt: Whether she fell into the coma because of the sedative, or whether she had a psychological breakdown that led to the coma, in any case they were very late in deciding to bring her to the clinic. And instead of driving her to the nearest hospital which was only a few blocks away, she was brought 20 miles away to the Columbia New Port Ritchie Hospital. A Scientology doctor worked there. They had called him up in advance. He said, yes, bring her to me. Was Lisa already dead when she arrived at the hospital ? According to the Scientology doctor in the clinic, Lisa died in the emergency room as a result of a bacterial infection. Was the report falsified ? In any case, it contains a false birth date. Besides that, the pathologist who performed the autopsy on Lisa McPherson said that no sign of an infection was found. It was much more likely that she had died from severe dehydration. Scientology has complained before a court in Clearwater about the release of test results from the autopsy. The case has raised considerable apprehension. Did Lisa McPherson die because she was locked up and because she was denied any medical care ? This was the question Sergeant Wayne Andrews was trying to answer as he led the police investigation in the McPherson case. He was not ready to appear in an interview. However, he let us research other cases in the police archives. We came across a series of peculiar deaths among the Fort Harrison guests in the past 20 years. These also included German Scientologists. South of Clearwater. This is where Sergeant Greg Tita, who was working for the harbor patrol at the time, found a man's corpse in the water. It was later determined to be that of Andreas O., a 38 year old German, Chief of the Stuttgart Scientology Mission. He had apparently been in Florida for months. Scientology was unhappy with him and his sales. They had prescribed special courses for him. Despite the no-swimming zone and although a storm was fast approaching, the German had gone into the water two days prior. He believed, we later learned, that as a Scientologist he had supernatural powers. According to the police report, the Sciento- logists had given a false name for the missing German before the body was found. In order to mislead the police? Tita found that somewhat remarkable. There are still other unexplained deaths among the guests of the Fort Harrison Scientology Hotel on record:
According to investigation documents, Heribert P. died the night of August 28, 1988 while suffering a severe epileptic seizure, during which time he hit his head on the nightstand. Until early 1988, he had been treated by Dr. Klaus Ballin, a doctor from Munich. He, also a Scientology adherent, was coincidentally also in Fort Harrison at the time. A swimming pool is in the rear of the hotel, so that people can relax between their expensive courses. Heribert P., son of a well-to-do construction contractor, also apparently enjoyed his life in the Scientology refuge up until his death. Back in Germany, in Friedrichshafen am Bodensee. Here is where the German lived. We wanted to look into the case because the police report has made us curious. It said that despite regular seizures, the Scientology doctor had prescribed vitamins for his patient instead of medication which would prevented the seizures. Those would not have been discovered in his blood at the autopsy. His mother said that the Scientologists had promised to cure her son without medication by giving him expensive courses in Florida. Immediately following his marriage, at the recommendation of his wife, Heribert was treated by Ballin, the Scientologist doctor. The mother is still very upset. Mother: A human life is not a factor for this organization. You don't just cavalierly make promises that you can't keep. Do you believe that the death of your son, Heribert, could have been prevented if he would have been taking his medication ? Mother: Unconditionally. Reporter: The mother thinks that Heribert had wanted to give huge amounts of money to Scientology. Mother: It wasn't until after his death that we learned that he had called from a bank in Florida requesting a loan of a half million. The reason he gave was that he would like to procure real estate in Florida. Reporter: And what do you think the money was really for ? Mother: It would have gone straight to Scientology. Munich: We tried to set up a meeting with Dr. Klaus Ballin. How would he reply when asked about taking his epileptic patient off medication ? Ballin did not want to go on camera. He preferred to make a written comment: At the time, he prescribed vitamins and Scientology concentration exercises as an alternative treatment. Although he says he has separated himself from the organization since then, he dismisses any complicity on his part in the death of Heribert P., the epileptic. We show the documents on the case to Professor Gunther Schwendemann. He leads the neurology section in the East Bremen Hospital. Schwendemann says that vitamins are completely ineffective in treating epilepsy. Schwendemann: It is against the fundamentals of therapy to take a patient who is having seizures every night off medication, rather than find a medication which is suited for him. Furthermore, vitamins and minerals are not effective against seizures. Therefore, one could say that the patient would very likely still be alive today if he had received adequate treatment. Part 2 Los Angeles airport: We see Garry Scarff again. He was not surprised when we told him of the case of the epileptic from Friedrichshafen. Garry had stated that he was ready to help us in the search for the abortion clinic, as well as the labor camps and children's camp of which we had heard from former members. He'll be traveling back to his old workplace, and can count on running into his ex-bosses there. The next morning. Sight-seeing tour of the Scientology headquarters. Scarff: Here in the middle building is where they locked up prisoners when I was here. Several weeks before, we had actually observed Scientology inmates at work at this location. In the offices of the Office of Special Affairs, up there, Scarff said that a plot to commit murder was hatched in 1991. That is what led him to leave, he said. Scarff: I was supposed to have done the worst thing that can be demanded of a person, namely, take the life of another human being. It was horrible to see that much of an enemy in a sect opponent, so that something like that would be ordered of me. It was an order, not a request. I was put under pressure to carry out this murder. The plan was that she should lose control of her vehicle after I had cut the brake line. In case that didn't work, I was supposed to ram her car from behind in order to cause an accident. I was supposed to do everything to make sure she was dead. In case she should have survived the accident, my assignment was to suffocate her with a pillow. Scarff has also testified under oath to these horrible accusations, which have been contested by Scientology Scarff: As we were talking about the murder of the sect opponent, the mood was very casual. People were laughing a lot. The whole thing looked like a big joke. It was a feeling of power. Power that we had over this individual. And then we talked about what would be done in case the investigating authorities should react so swiftly that I would not be able to flee. In this case, I was supposed to make a TKO. A TKO is "Total Knock Out" - suicide. Somebody showed me exactly how I was supposed to do that. He took his finger, as if it were a revolver, and pressed it into his mouth. It had to point upwards, so that the bullet would penetrate the brain stem. Then he said to me, that in case I didn't die immediately, then at least my brain would be destroyed and I wouldn't be able to talk and would just be a lifeless shell. Scientology also contests this. A little later, in the middle of Los Angeles. High ranking people from Garry's former department suddenly fell upon us with cameras. They must have been following us. Reporter: What's going on ? Scientologist: We're making a film about your film. Elliot Abelson is a legal counsel for Scientology International. Mike Rinder is the Chief of the Secret Service. Lisa Goodman is an official spokesperson on his staff. Then came the confrontation between Garry Scarff and Mike Rinder. They mutually revile each other as liars. Rinder: Garry, you are a liar ! Scarff: No, Mike you are the liar ! Rinder: No, you are, Garry, Garry ! Scarff: Mike ! Rinder: Garry ! Rinder accused Garry of publicly lying years before when he was a member of an anti-sect organization. Scarff: Yes, everything I did on assignment from OSA was a lie. In the offices of Graham Barry, attorney in Los Angeles. Garry shows us photographs from his time in Scientology. The court transcription of his "sworn testimony" is contained in a 1,000 page document. Graham Berry has represented a number of Scientology opponents. In the course of a proceeding he had Garry participate in a so-called "deposition," which is an examination under oath. That is how the former Scientology agent became a leading witness for the alleged criminal machinations of the organization. Graham Berry: Scarff's examination lasted a very long time. There were numerous attempts on the part of the Scientology attorney to prevent him from testifying. They constantly asserted that Scarff was not credible, that the evidence was not relevant, that we only wanted to annoy the church, etc. In spite of all these objections the presiding judge ordered that the witness's testimony should continue. It was a cross examination with Graham Berry on one side and the Scientology attorneys on the other side. The examination lasted 17 days. It was recorded, in its entirety, by court stenographers on video. Garry Scarff had demanded the highest security measures from the attorneys. He was afraid for his life. And he gave the reason for his fears in his examination. After his departure, he said an attempt was made to kidnap him. Garry Scarff: I saw a hand on the side door of a step van. And a face was looking in my direction. I said that I was going to call the police right away, and heard, at the same moment, the step van tear away. I saw then that a second vehicle was following it. Reporter: What do you think they had in mind ? Garry Scarff: I know what they had in mind. They wanted to kidnap me. I think they would have brought me to Hemet. [He weeps.] Reporter: What is Hemet ? Garry Scarff: Hemet, Gilman Hot Springs, that's where the prisoners go. And I think that I would never have gotten away from there. My life would have ended. [He weeps uncontrollably.] After the visit with the attorney. The camera man from Scientology was waiting outside. Secret service chief Rinder and Abelson, the attorney, also hurry to their vehicles. Two, then three cars begin the pursuit. A huge show is made of following us. It appears to be put on for the benefit of our fellow traveler, Garry Scarff. We call the Los Angeles police, as Garry has requested. He appears worse and worse off. Reporter: A television team accompanied by a man who is threatened by Scientology. And those are the ones who are following us. The police, however, showed little interest. We tried, unsuccessfully, to shake off our pursuers on the highway. We are on the way to the center in which the women of the Sea Org have their abortions, which they are compelled to do, as stated in sworn testimony. The more the woman wants to have her baby, the greater the pressure put on her to have her abortion. X: I was induced to have an abortion. Women who get pregnant are driven to a clinic in Riverside to get abortions as a matter of course. Do our pursuers know what our destination is ? Are they already putting the pressure on the management at the abortion center over their cellular phones ? At the Planned Parenthood Center. The director on duty is already expecting us. In a nearby parking place, one of our Scientology pursuers provokes an accident. It is apparently an attempt to prevent our planned interview, but it doesn't work. Janet Honn-Alex: We thought that it was really very peculiar that all the women were making the same decision. Independent of the individual woman's condition, all of them had made the decision to have an abortion. It made no difference how old they were or how many children they had already had. We thought that was very strange. And as we took the trouble to look into individual cases more precisely, because the whole thing was beginning to look suspicious, they stopped coming to us altogether. The police arrived outside and started taking statements about the accident. In the meantime, we told Janet about Scientology instruction Nbr. 3905: In the event that a married Sea Org member has a child, they are transferred out of the Sea Org. Reporter: Wouldn't that be the same thing as having to leave your family? An extreme pressure ? Janet Honn-Alex: I didn't know anything about that. And we had asked the women if they could have a child and still remain in Scientology. They always said yes. I think that is alarming, that there is a rule which says that women should be excluded from a group if they would like to have a child. I think that's terrible! After the interview, on the way back to our hotel. We have picked up 4 Scientology vehicles which are following us. One of them is a green van, which, we later learn, is possibly outfitted with electronic eavesdropping equipment. Garry Scarff: Even as we speak, four vehicles are parked outside our hotel. They will watch us all night, in case we get the idea of taking off. They will maintain their readiness round the clock. Naturally, those people are not just sitting around in their cars. All of them are in constant contact with the secret service headquarters in Los Angeles. The attorneys, the OSA people, everybody who is assigned to your surveillance is at work at this very moment. The next morning - Hollywood, Los Angeles: The night before we hired body guards who are supposed to see to Garry's safety while we speak with Scientology. We have before us an interview with Mike Rinder, the Chief of the OSA secret service, and Elliot Abelson, attorney. Garry does not want anything more to do with these people. The entrance of one of the private detectives we have hired to come along as a witness is barred at the door by Abelson and Rinder. The interview takes place in the Celebrity Center, which serves Scientology's Hollywood stars. Mike Rinder: Scientology is not dangerous. There are eight million Scientologists worldwide. They find it totally good. You have three, four, five or six people, a small handful that say something about it is not right. We have even heard and read that we are supposed to have gulags. That claim is outrageous. It is particularly outrageous because it is being made by somebody from Germany. If any country should be especially sensitive when it comes to the rights of religious minorities, that is Germany. Elliot Abelson (Scientology Attorney): You are agents of the German government. You are not concerned with reality, but with confirming your prejudice. After the scolding, we steer the discussion to Lisa McPherson, the Scientologist who lost her life under peculiar circumstances in Clearwater, Florida. Question about this are apparently unwelcome. Reporter: Had Scientology given her all the medical assistance she required ? Mike Rinder: If you claim in your broadcast that someone has done something to murder her, then I will haunt you until the end of time. That is an insolent lie. Nevertheless, Rinder and Abelson unintentionally gave themselves away. They admitted that Lisa was already dead when she arrived at the clinic. Then Rinder conceded that she had died in a hotel room. Reporter: In a hotel room ? Yes, Lisa McPherson died in the care of the Scientologists. The golf course at "Gold." That is the largest Scientology base, the real center of power. Mike Rinder drove out with us. Here, especially, he wants to keep our filming under control. Right on the golf course, asserted Andre Tabayoyon, the former security chief of "Gold", after his departure [from Scientology], there was an apartment for Tom Cruise, the Hollywood star... Reporter: Tom Cruise profited from slave labor of Scientology prisoner. Mike Rinder: That is another one of Andre Tabayoyon's lies. Reporter: That's not right ? Mike Rinder: Absolutely not. No, he doesn't come here. You wanted to come here and take a few pictures, not ask me any questions. We've already had the big interview. Rinder gave us aerial photographs of the area which were not free from technical defects. Nothing suspicious was in view; Rinder had seen to that. Tabayoyon's sworn testimony also stated that the Scientology base is defended with firearms. There are semi-automatic machine guns, pistols, all unregistered. "I trained the security force in the use of these weapons, and I trained them in various methods of killing people." That evening we plan out the next day with Garry. We wanted to rent a helicopter and fly over the alleged children's camp. It lies several miles from "Gold" base. The next morning. Rinder called up and said that Garry had told him our plans. Garry Scarff: I didn't call up last night. I think I know what is really wrong here. I have a suggestion: I'll fly back home. You continue, but don't say anything more to me. These people are running an operation against you and against me. Reporter: Did Garry call them up, or did the Scientologists eavesdrop on our discussion of the night before from one of their vehicles? We drive back to Los Angeles. We are unsure. The situation comes to a head in a parking place in Los Angeles. We called the police and our bodyguards for assistance. Garry is suffering a nervous breakdown. The Scientology pursuers observed the event from their vehicles. Reporter: Did you call Rinder last night and tell him what we had in mind ? Garry Scarff (weeping): Yes! They don't say anything for fun. If they say that they are going to kill somebody, then they do it. You can't play around with Mr. Rinder. He doesn't joke around. I will give them what they want, so that they will leave me alone. These people have told me that I should not come to Los Angeles, or else there'd be trouble. And I didn't listen to them. They are angry because I called them murderers in front of the camera. Reporter: But that was the truth. Garry Scarff: They are going to kill me. And they know where my parents live. [Weeping, he ends the discussion.] Our private detective, Roger Johnson, advises that we call off our filming. Roger Johnson: They know that you want to take pictures out there, and they have a helicopter on call. That much I know. Reporter: What could they do ? Roger Johnson: They will cut you off in the air. Two helicopters could look pretty exciting, but it would be dangerous. They will do anything to disrupt your filming. We accompany Garry to the airport. We stay with him until the engines start. And we decide to stop the filming. Three weeks later. Clearwater, Florida. Scientology-opponents demonstrate in front of Fort Harrison. They blame the organization for the death of Lisa McPherson. Garry is also here. We have stayed in close contact with him ever since we shot in Los Angeles. He hopes that public appearances such as this can protect him from further psychological terrorism or even acts of revenge. Attorney Elliot Abelson has organized a counter-demonstration by Scientology adherents. Mike Rinder, chief of the OSA Scientology secret service, has also flown out from Los Angeles. He wants to personally observe the appearance of the Scientology opponents. Meanwhile, back in California... Preparations for a helicopter fly-by. Our goal is difficult to find. It lies on the edge of an Indian reservation. The organization's children's camp (the Scientologists call it a cadet school) lies in an inaccessible region of the San Bernadino Mountains. One of the Scientology directives says that Sea Org members may only sporadically see their children. In any case, one hour per day is too much. And we read, once again, the internal directive on the so-called children's "Rehabilitation Project." We had heard about a boy named Gavin. He had cut both his arms up with a razor blade. He was a problem. He had to go into the children's camp. The barracks appear deserted; the work areas are abandoned. Not a soul is in sight. It gives us the impression that the children were sent into the buildings at the first sound of the approaching helicopter. This region is known as "Happy Valley" to the Scientologists. Anybody who has read the internal directives of the organization - anybody who has read the reports on neglected Scientology cadets would have a hard time imagining that happy children live here. |
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AFFIDAVIT OF SILVANA GARRITANO I was introduced to Scientology in October, 1977, when I went to the New York Church to take a "Communications Course". The "registrar" (a euphemism for salesman) was Jerry Indursky. He told me that my problem was a lack of assertiveness, that I did not speak up for myself. Indursky promised me Scientology would remedy that problem and I would emerge from the Communications Course a happier, more successful person because I could stand up for myself. I also learned that every person who expresses an interest in the Communications Course or takes the "Personality Test" is told that he or she suffers from some major problem. Scientologists call it a "ruin". Every person, whether he has a problem or not is led to believe his "ruin" can be solved after successfully completing the Communications Course. This standard procedure is ordered and authorized by Hubbard and routinely practiced by Scientologists in the "Dissemination Drill". The Dissemination Drill designed by Hubbard is the procedure or process where the "registrar" "finds the public person's ruin" and tells him Scientology can handle this "ruin". Once the person registers for the Communications Course, Scientology convinces the person that additional courses of auditing are necessary. This is emphasized as being initially important. Scientologists are directed to sell courses, books or materials to the person, convince the person he needs auditing to solve his problems and if he can't afford auditing or has no money for courses or books, convince the person to join staff and work for Scientology. Scientology promises the person he will earn a substantial salary but that is false. The person works 50-60 hours a week and earns only pennies per hour. This practice is universally applied to every Scientology Church. My "registrar" introduced me to the Communications Course supervisor. He interviewed me for some time and asked what my intentions were concerning Scientology. When I told him that I doubted the course would benefit me in any manner, he became annoyed. Scientology promised that the Communications Course would: improve my career, improve my relationship with people, provide the self-confidence and assertiveness I lacked and a host of other benefits. During the Communications Course, Scientologists from the New York Church began recruiting me for a position as a staff member. My "registrar", Jerry, made a point of training me to do the "Dissemination Drill" so I could sell the Communications Course to others and entice them to join the Church. My course supervisor, Bart Dobin, then approached me and told me I should join staff. I had no intention of becoming a staff member. My career as a fashion designer required a full-time commitment. At that time, I was an assistant designer and shop manager for a hat manufacturer. I had practically completed my training at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and in the evenings I studied and practiced ballet. Ballet had been a therapeutic release from such demanding schedule and served as a means of self expression. After I joined Scientology I never had the time money or effort to pursue my ballet lessons. Considering all my activities, I told the New York Scientologists that I could not work 50-60 hours per week (a staff member is required to work at least 50 hours per week). The Scientologists would not accept that as an answer. My course supervisor, the woman in charge of personnel the Executive Director Deputy Executive Director and one or two other people tried to convince me to join staff. Next, they introduced me to a notorious flirt. He walked me around the block a few times and attempted to convince me to join staff. I think the eventual goal was the "no-clothes-close" whore you convince the customer in bed. (That is a well-known tactic for Scientology registrars.) During this period I visited my two brothers at the Boston Church. They recruited me for staff in Boston and I agreed to join after I graduated from school. They considered this materialistic and middle class and the various personnel officers and registrars attempted to convince me to drop school and come to Boston immediately. I eventually completed the Communications Course and was brought to the registrar. Scientologists told me that the "registrar was "clear". (Supposedly a state that one reaches after many hours of auditing.) She explained the various levels of awareness attainable through Scientology (known as the Grade Chart). There was a large "map" of this journey on the wall behind her and she explained she had gone all the way to the top. She said once reaching the top an individual would receive many benefits and be free of all problems. An individual who reached the top, such as herself, would control events, such as trains arriving late when she was late; her mother sending her things she wanted without having to ask for them; and other examples of control. These promises sounded very attractive so I signed up for the "Hubbard Qualified Scientologist Course". I paid $200.00 for it. Several weeks later I met a Sea Org member who invited me to her office to "talk". One half hour into the interview she told me she was recruiting me for the Sea Org in New York. Through the use of several Sea Org members and the "Big League Sales Closing Technique" (the bible of Scientology registrars and recruiters), the Sea Org members explained the world would come to an end if I didn't join. Surrounded by Sea Org members, while at a restaurant in New York, I signed a "billion year" contract. At this point I quit my job, subleased my apartment, quit school and moved into the Church. Scientologists assigned me a bunk in a small room, the women's dorm which housed twenty metal army bunks stacked throughout the room. Scientologists placed me in the "E.P.F." (Estates Project Force). E.P.F. served as a "forced labor camp" and E.P.F.ers served as part of a manual labor force. In the E.P.F. I worked from 7:00 A.M. through 1:00 - 2:00 A.M. without a break. I cooked, washed dishes pots and pans and served as a steward. In the evening hours I cared for the children of other Sea Org Members, which required watching 12-15 small children that were confined to a very small room. The quarters, kitchens, bathrooms and especially the nursery were filthy. Three married couples and two children lived in one of the bedrooms of the house, with blankets and fiberboard used as partial dividers. The week I arrived at the Sea Org, a flu epidemic crippled the entire crew. Someone determined the kitchen area was contaminated and an order was issued requiring the entire kitchen to be disinfected. Myself and three individuals worked around the clock cleaning and scrubbing the floors. The kitchen was roach infested and filthy. I continued my work serving as a kitchen "hand", cleaning and caring for the children and shopping and serving the meals for about six months I usually received about $150.00 to $200.00 per week to shop for 60 people. Scientology transferred me from the Sea Org to the SO 1 Unit. This is the unit that handles Hubbard's personal mail. According to his "Standing Order No 1" he receives all mail and answers it personally. This is a blatant lie. I was one of the people who answered his mail, others forged his signature. We received mail approximately 300 pieces per week from all over the world. No one outside this Unit, except the Commodores Messenger Org, (C.M.O. is Hubbard's corp of personal servants), is aware of this practice. Everyone believes Hubbard's representation, that he answers his mail personally. After six months in the SO 1 Unit, Scientology transferred me to the Executive Training Department. I began training in November, 1978 studying the "Organization Executive Course" and their high level Scientology Training Courses. This lasted approximately two months when Hubbard decided we had enough training (although we had not completed half of the curriculum) and orderd that we all be sent to his location. As it turned out, I was the only person qualified for security clearance. I was asked to write a "Life History". This required recording every intimate or personal experience in explicit detail and Scientologists directed me to include the most personal and confidential facts. Later, I learned that these files were used to blackmail opponents to Scientology. Around Christmas of 1978 I decided to visit my family in New Jersey. Scientologists programmed the responses I was permitted to give if a public person should inquire about Scientology. In fact, Scientologists carefully drilled me for about two weeks, before I left for New Jersey, on what I should say and how I should behave with my parents. This occurred, because my parents had threatened to "deprogram me". (Incidentally, The Flag Guardian's Office (Flag G.O.) is in possession of a great deal of data concerning brainwashing and deprogramming and I was thoroughly briefed on methods used and what to expect from my parents). When I returned from my Christmas vacation I was informed that I would be going where Hubbard was, the "Special Unit" (S.U.), a code name for wherever Hubbard is residing. After Hubbard left Clearwater in 1976, a base was established in La Quinta, near Indio, California. Gradually more properties were purchased as the various activities expanded. I was sent to S.U. towards the end of January, 1979. I had been on staff at Flag (Clearwater, Florida) and after extensive security checking, clearances, bonds and oaths of silence, I was put on the plane to Los Angeles. Actually the route from Flag to S.U. is very complicated and circuitous to avoid being followed. It involves changing planes, code names drops and passwords. The procedure changes every so often. When I first arrived at S.U., it was still located in Indio. I was told that we owned another property about 100 miles south of Indio but I wasn't told the actual location until much later. At that time, Indio was known as "Winter Headquarters" and Gilman was known as "Summer Headquarters". In January of 1979, Scientology transferred me to the S.U. in La Quinta, California. I was assigned to the position of Marketing Secretary. My position required extensive familiarity with all the internal networks and avenues of communication that control the enterprise denoted Scientology. After approximately two months in La Quinta, we received adverse publicity which forced us to move to Gilman Hot Springs. Apparently, a married couple, the Hartwells, became dissatisfied with Scientology and reported their experiences to the media and press. Until this time Hubbard had successfully concealed the Scientology operation at La Quinta. Once exposed by the Hartwells, he feared local animosity and fled to Gilman Hot Springs. Hubbard perpetrated another fraud. Scientology purchased golf course and surrounding buildings. Hubbard disguised his operation at Gilman Hot Springs as the "Hoag Scholarship Foundation". The idea was to convince local businessmen that lawyer, Hoag, owned the place and that he conducted a program designed to help young people learn trades and skills. Hubbard's purpose was to conceal from public scrutiny the management level of Scientology. In Gilman Hot Springs, it was my job to read every proposed policy, program or project involving every phase of Scientology management and operation. This included the basic operating procedure of every Scientology Organization in the world. I read telexes received from Scientology Churches located throughout the United States and the world. Although Hubbard resigned as figurehead of Scientology, he actively controls the operation from Gilman Hot Springs, California. He was doing so when I left in December of 1979. In California, I served Hubbard and Scientology in the following capacities: Marketing Secretary - my duty was to ascertain what the public wanted and then wrap the public's needs in the Scientology wrapper and disseminate programs and courses that purported to offer what the public wanted; International Issue Authority - all proposed policies, executive personnel transfers and new programs were reviewed by me. As International Issue Authority, Hubbard then gave final approval or vetoed the program or policy. To effectively execute these duties, I read many telexes and confidential papers and files. I communicated regulary with Hubbard, and as a result learned the following: Hubbard was concerned solely with making money! He received telexes every Thursday evening across the world. These telexes reported the weekly statistics (money collected from book sales, course sales, collection of freeloader debts, etc. and other facts) from every Org in the world. If the sales figures dropped below a certain level Hubbard became furious. On one occasion, when sales fell below $500,000 per week in Clearwater, Florida, he ordered a rice and beans diet three times daily for the entire staff. No one was permitted to break this order. Finally, sales jumped to $1,000,000 per week and Hubbard permitted the staff to return to another meal plan. Hubbard initiated every sales gimmick imaginable. He ordered to develop sales gimmicks to market Scientology more effectively. Hubbard ordered the following sales gimmicks: Survey the public and discover what the public needs. When you know what they want, tell them Scientology will fulfill that need. Hammer that in. Never sell them anything unless you find out what they want. Take a current Scientology course and break it into several parts. Then sell each part for more than the cost of the original course. If we expand a course without adding any substance, we will rake, more money. We will triple the revenue without offering anything more. It is the "oldest trick" in the book to cut a course in two, make each more expensive than the original. That way we charge more without giving more. Hubbard never talked about Scientology as a religion. I was informed that Scientology had to be represented as a religion to meet certain legal requirements. Hubbard made many derogatory comments about people who believed they had been to other planets and this belief was an integral aspect of what he publicly preached. All Hubbard ever talked about was making money. I can attest to the fact that Scientology was run as a money making enterprise. There was no other governing policy and no other motive for our actions at the international level. "Make Money" was the only order we actually received from Hubbard. As a result of my two years in Scientology, serving as an Executive on the International Management level, I learned th following facts: Approximately twenty years ago, the Church began incorporation of the various smaller units (Orgs) and other Scientologists. The G.O. serves a broader function gathering data on all opponents of Scientology and conducting covert operations designed to intimidate, harass and destroy critics. Hubbard controls the G.O. at the International Management Level. FLAG REPRESENTATIVE NETWORK A third Hubbard representative present in every Org is the Flag Representative. This person serves Flag Headquarters in Florida and oversees the day to day operation of all the orgs in every city and country throughout the world. The Flag Rep ensures that the local orgs implement and execute Hubbard's policies and programs as disseminated through the various networks. The Flag Rep may assume direct control over the Commanding Officer (C.O.) who actually serves as a figurehead. All policies and orders within Scientology are disseminated from the "International Board". The "International Board" is fictitious title. It does not exist. Orders and policy are initiated by Hubbard or by his Executive personnel and approved by him. Hubbard created the "Watch Dog Committee" to approve all policy and programs. This Committee, composed of individuals from his personal messenger corps, ostensibly approve and initiate policy. However, Hubbard must review and approve or veto all policy and programs designed by any branches or divisions. The Church of Scientology of California is supposed to be the parent organization. Scientology itself is structured around several networks. All orders and communications are filtered down from the international level through the various executives of the networks to local churches and staff members. All policy, bulletins and procedure are disseminated in this manner without exception. There is an absolute order issued by Hubbard that under no circumstances may an individual Church create or initiate policy or programs. Hubbard through the complex network he designed controls the operation of the entire enterprise. L.R.H. COMMUNICATOR NETWORK Hubbard created the Commodores Messenger Org (C.M.O.) which essentially serves as his corps of personal servants and messengers. They execute his orders. Every Church throughout the world contains a unit designated the office of L.R.H. Hubbard's representative in this office can exercise absolute control of the Org and execute any command Hubbard issues. This representative can control the Commanding Officer (C.O.) who serves as the head of an Org. GUARDIAN'S OFFICE NETWORK A second Hubbard representative present in local orgs is the Guardian's Office. The Guardian's Office operates as the internal police force and investigates and disciplines errant executive personnel. This Committee is another layer in the complex structure that further isolates Hubbard from public scrutiny. Hubbard, through the Watch Dog Committee and the Commodore Messenger Org, initiates and disseminates all Scientology policy and programs. All churches, organizations and franchises (missions) are subject to the orders of Hubbard disseminated through the Commodore Messenger Org (C.M.O.) and the Watch Dog Committee. These Churches and missions must abide by the Policy Letters written or approved by Hubbard. Any church or mission that fails to follow the policy is labeled "off policy" and can lose its license or be subjected to severe discipline. This command line is absolute and any deviations from current policy are severely penalized. No one is permitted to set arbitrary rules or policies locally. Every single phase of Scientology's activity is very closely monitored and controlled by Hubbard through the various covers. This includes the Guardian's Office, World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE), and the Mission Office World Wide. Any statements to the contrary are false. During the period from July 1, 1979 to December 10, 1979, I saw every single order, policy and program that had to do with Scientology management ranging from the international level (Mission offices at World Wide and in the United States) to every local Church across the the world. Not one program or order could be effected without approval at my level. Hubbard requires a uniform structural arrangement within each Church which facilitates control. I learned about the operation of the typical org by working at the Sea Org in New York and then by initiating, approving and disseminating policies and programs that are implemented at the local level. Every Scientology group across the world must attract the public and sell products to survive. The marketing of Scientology is uniformly and religiously pursued as follows: There are specific policies that discuss the "Personality Test", which is designed to attract the public, offering a free personality evaluation. The public person takes the personality test. A Scientologist then reviews the results and points out certain character deficiencies. The results are plotted on a graph which illustrates and highlights the persons deficiencies. The person is then told he is in trouble and desperately needs the "Communications Course" or "Auditing" to become more communicative, honest, appreciative, or the standard benefits that one purportedly receives. The idea is to get the person so "caved in" that he will do anything to solve his seemingly worthless personality. He is told his faults are ruining his life ("ruin") and Scientology can "handle" these problems. High pressure closing techniques are implemented to force the person to sign up for his first "Communications Course". During the Communication Course, Scientologists assess the financial status of the recruit. If the person can afford additional courses, Scientology promotes various courses. If the person appears fairly affluent, Scientology sells auditing and entices the person with many outrageously false promises. Scientology "registrars" are highly trained in removing the public's "considerations" about "donating" money to the Church in return for auditing or training. Scientologists are very adept at swinging loans and mortgages, and in fact many of them are well acquainted with other Scientologists who run loan-sharking businesses (loans offered for the purpose of helping Scientologists buy auditing and training). Scientology's growth and performance is measured by "statistics". An individual's performance within Scientology is noted on a system of points. If a person within Scientology does not meet his or her assigned quota he faces punishment. The pressure to make money and recruit additional staff is so enormous that many recruiters and registrars go to unbelievable extremes to achieve their quotas and keep their "statistics" up. Scientology churches run on two main statistics: Gross Income and Paid Completions. The executive director of any church is ultimately responsible for these two statistics pushes his staff to raise them each week. The emphasis is to make money. The first policy disseminated by Hubbard, through the Commodore Messenger Org, continually reiterated and reinforced, stated "make money, money and more money". Hubbard imposed a safeguard which enabled him to take immediate control of an Org or mission if their revenues fell below a certain level. Two networks, the G.O. and the Finance Banking Offices assumed command of the Org and provided Hubbard with a direct line of communication and control until the Org revenues increased. This safeguard was called a "financial dictatorship". Each has a "Reserve Account". Orgs deposit money weekly but are prohibited from using these funds. These "Reserve Accounts" are controlled by Hubbard through International Management in California. Hubbard has appointed key personnel as signatories and only they can withdraw the funds from reserve accounts. Every Org deposits 10% of their gross income in the "reserve account". Distribution of the remaining gross income is as follows: Flag management receives 10%; Guardian's Office World Wide defense fund receives 15% and the remaining funds are used to run the local orgs. I once read a manuscript where Hubbard said the orgs would never be permitted to use the money in the "reserve accounts". A prevalent practice of Scientologists is denoted "Crime Culling". Crime culling is the systematic perusal of "auditing files" and the extraction of confidential disclosures made during auditing sessions. The purpose is to glean embarassing, humiliating or criminal disclosures. Then the person who revealed these facts is threatened if he or she attempts to criticize Scientology. In California, I participated in this practice. Max Goodman, Director of Inspections and Reports, handed me a file and told me "to cull it" for any potentially embarassing information. I was told to look for "homosexual tendencies, child abuse, crimes, any strange relationship with his family or anything the guy would not want known." I reviewed the file and elicited many embarassing and humiliating facts. My supervisor told me this information to keep John Doe silent and prevent him from revealing anything about Scientology. Generally, this practice is conducted by the G.O., however, my supervisor assigned me to "crime culling" as a punishment for some transgression committed against Scientology The foregoing serves only as a summary of some facts and practices known to me concerning the operations of Scientology. It does not contain a detailed history of abuses I suffered or promises made to me by Scientology. This affidavit is signed under the pains and penalties of perjury. Those facts of which I have personal knowledge are true. Those facts of which I do not have personal knowledge, I believe to be true. Since this affidavit covers approximately two (2) years, many of the dates set forth herein may not be precisely accurate but I have stated my best memory as to said dates. Dated: March 7th, 1980 [Signed] Silvana Garritano Source:
http://www.xenu-directory.net/news/library-item.php?iid=5932 AFFIDAVIT OF SILVANA GARRITANO
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Reading this one (not found online), I thought about this young Australian soldier who committed suicide in 2007. Some of the names in there might still be in Scientology, as per Kristie's database. A few illegible passages, marked "[?]", suggestions for these would be appreciated. I transcribed as is, typos included. I, Marjorie Hansen of Hanover, Massachusetts depose and state as follows: On or about April 16, 1978, I was walking on Boylston Street in Boston when I was approached by a man named Kevin, who asked me if I would consent to taking a "Personality Survey". Kevin stated that he was working on the survey for some college courses he was taking. He then led me to a building on Beacon Street which I later found out to be owned and operated by the Church of Scientology. After taking the "Personality Survey", which turned out to be identified as "The Standard Oxford Capacity Analysis", another employee reviewed the results of the test with me. He claimed that I was deficient in my communication with other people and that the Church of Scientology offered a "Communications Course" which would be guaranteed to solve my alleged communication deficiencies. I was then introduced to Amy Ray who gave me an extended sales presentation and showed me Scientology literature claiming that the communications course, together with a process called "auditing" would bestow numerous benefits on me, including raising my I.Q., preventing colds, curing or preventing various physical illnesses, increasing my career potential and solving problems dealing with relationships and marriage. Amy Ray told me that auditing was confidential. I finally agreed to take the course at the price of $35.00 whereupon I was taken up stairs and introduced to my course instructor. He gave me more specific instructions about the course and demonstrated the "E-Meter" which is a type of a lie detector used during the auditing process. He told me that "auditing" was confidential between myself and my auditor. The course instructor arranged a schedule for me to come into the "Org" every night during the week beginning immediately, in order to take the course. While taking the communications course, I was approached by Kevin Tighe, the "Procurement Officer" at the "Org", who took me into his office and showed me various books, pamphlets and writings of L. Ron Hubbard, promising, and in some cases guaranteeing how Scientology and auditing would give me all of the aforementioned benefits together with preventing war, helping mankind and helping the individual to be a stronger and better person. He then asked me if I would like to become a member of Scientology and work on staff. I told him that I didn't think I would be able to because I had a full time job and that it would be too much for me to work for them Monday through Friday nights and all day Saturdays and Sundays. Kevin said that an arrangement could be made where I would have less hours than other people and still be a part of Scientology's attempt to improve the world. So, I then became an "expeditor' and worked at various jobs at the Org which basically involved being a messenger. While working as an expeditor, my various jobs included: 1. Going out to the street and passing out literature; 2. Writing letters to people who had bought a book, signed up for a course, or just anybody they had a file on, to try to get people to come into the "Church"; 3. Typing personnel lists; 4. Running errands to stores for lunches and supplies; 5. Working on their newspaper; 6. Filing. Also, during the communications course I was required to do training routines or "Tr's" as they are called by Scientology. Basically, TR's consisted of following the instructions of the course leader with regard to a lot of very simple little actions that one normally performs in every day life together with other types of responses to people. For instance, I wan required to sit across from another person and stare into their eyes and respond in a certain way to questions asked of me. I was persistently told to respond to certain stimulus in a certain way and in no other way, and to channel my thoughts and my behavior in accordance with Scientology "technology". Sometimes I was subjected to 'bullbaiting" sessions in which the person sitting across from me attempted to make me react to something he said or did and I was required to respond without any reaction or emotion. I was told the purpose of this routine was to make me comfortable when confronting or dealing with someone else. On one occasion, while "confronting" another person, I got up to go to the ladies room, and the course supervisor and his assistant went into the hallway looking for me and reprimanded me never to leave the room again while doing the training routines. I was told that exact adherence to the technology was required if I was to obtain the benefits sought in the course. As the course progressed, the technology became more strict and covered a wider pattern of behavior and I was required to respond in accordance the [?]dingly strict"technology". On another occasion during the course, I was approached by an individual named Norman Berkenshaw [?]gain demonstrated the benefits that auditing would have for me and who showed me additional literature about how auditing worked and how much it would help me. I was again told in this meeting that auditing was confidential and anything that I told my auditor during the auditing sessions would never be disclosed to any other person, but that it was like "confession" between myself and the auditor. Shortly thereafter, I was approached by another individual who went over the "Auditing Chart" with me and gave me more information about it and more promises and guarantees of how successful it would be. I was introduced to Sam Pollock who was in charge of auditing sales. One of his responsibilities was to help a person get auditing by whatever means available. He was the first one to inform me that auditing would cost at least $3,000 for three sessions which I was told would be the minimum needed in order to obtain the advantages promised me. When he told me the price for auditing, I told him that I couldn't afford it and that if Scientology was interested in helping people and improving the world and auditing was so beneficial then it was ridiculous for it to be so expensive. After my meeting with Pollock, I was never left alone about getting money for auditing. I was constantly approa- ched by numerous people at the Org who cited all the benefits of auditing to me and told me that if I could borrow the money, after I had obtained the auditing, my abilities would be so much greater that I could easily go out and repay whatever loans I took out. I was questioned concerning my family members, friends, bank accounts, property and any other sources of money that I had. They specifically questioned me about taking out a loan from a bank. I told them I would be unable to do so unless my mother co-signed for it and that she would never do it for auditing. I was told to tell my mother that the money would be for "tuition" for me to go to school at the "Academy of Scientology" in order to take courses to become a social worker dealing with drug rehabilitaion. I was specifically told not to mention auditing. Pollock, Urich and an individual named Tim all told me to have my mother come in and they would tell her about the courses I would be taking to become a social worker. After a great deal of pressure, I finally agreed to have my mother come in and they told her all of the above lies. On their representations she agreed to co-sign for the loan. They then made me go to the bank the very next day in order to get the money. I was told to be in constant contact with Pollock. When I went to the bank and filled out the application the bank officers told me it would take about a week to approve and process the loan. I called Pollock and told him this, and he told me to go back to the bank and tell them that I needed the money immediately because I had to meet a tuition deadline. I went back to the bank and the bank agreed to rush it through for me. When I called Pollock again and told him that I had the check and told him that I would bring it into him that night, he said to bring it in immediately. I said that I was unable to do it and that he could wait until that evening. He then said that he would send Joan Gambino and Tim to meet me at the Vallee's Steakhouse parking lot in Braintree in order to pick up the check. I then told him that I wanted a receipt for the money and that I didn't want to just hand them a check for $3,000 in a parking lot, but they said that they had to have it immediately and I should calm down and look at it all as "game". Shortly after I gave them the check for $3,000, I learned that staff members did not have to pay for auditing. I became rather upset and I told them that since I was now on staff I should receive auditing free of charge and that I shouldn't have been charged $3,000 for the auditing which at that point I had not yet begun. While on staff, I was informed that I was to become the personnel control Officer (PCO). As the PCO I was trained to do the following things: 1. Testing prospective staff members; 2. Keeping staff member files in order; 3. Going through staff member files to extract information on their backgrounds; 4. Reporting any information that came to my attention about staff members who showed an inclination to leave the Boston Org for any reason, and going through their files to extract contracts and other documents that they signed. I later learned that the purpose of my work was for the supervisors to control and if necessary to threaten staff members with the potential "trouble" that would result to them if they left the Church. In addition, they were told that if they left the Church they would owe X amount of dollars. On one ocassion, I assisted Angus McDuffy in this procedure. Before I was allowed to begin auditing I was required to make a list of all of my relatives and friends who might have an influence over me in connection with the auditing. I was told that if any of these people were in any way opposed to Scientology I would have to "handle" or to disconnect from them. The day before my auditing started, I was escorted by David Scimemi, my auditor, to my sister Donna's house in Plymouth to make sure she was properly "handled". In the first session of auditing, we spent approximately two hours in "word clearing". In view of the amount of money I had paid I thought that this was a waste of time. Thereafter, we began to do "run downs" in which they asked me questions about most aspects of my life, such as my relationship with my parents; things that I knew my parents had done; things that I had done; my sexual history; and any knowledge that I had of crimes by myself or other people. I later learned that the results of these were given to another person called the case "supervisor", contrary to the representations made to me that the auditing would be confidential. After a few auditing sessions, I realized that not only were the sessions not helping me but that I was becoming very emotionally and mentally distressed. Some of the sessions were very tiresome and frustrating and I began to think that unless I could make the needle on the E-Meter "float", I would never get out of the session. So I began to guess at the results that they looking for in order to terminate the session. At time, despite the questions asked of me, I would try to remain "calm" inside in order to achieve a floating needle. After awhile, I felt that if I didn't do this I would have a nervous breakdown right after the session. I was told that auditing was absolutely confidential between myself and the auditor. After one of my sessions, I was appraoched the next day by Joseph Urich, Sal Ilasi, Angus McDuffy, and other staff members who questioned me about certain things that I had disclosed in auditing. At one point Urich required me to sign a statement releasing Scientology from any liability or preventing me from claiming a refund of money for anything that I disclosed during auditing. I was told that if I didn't sign this document I would not be able to continue auditing even though they already had all of my money. During the course of auditing I was specifically ordered to disconnect from nearly all the people I had known before Scientology. I had informed them that one very close friend of mine was opposed to Scientology. They ordered me to request him to come into the Church and then ordered me to sit down and write out a statement telling him that I was never going to communicate with him again. When he came into the Church I was ordered to give him the statement and verbally tell him that I was cutting off all forms of communication with him. With regard to other people they simply made me sign a statement that I would totally disconnect from these people. Gradually, I became aware of the fact that I was becoming more and more isolated from my family and from my friends and I was becoming dependent on Scientology. I was also becoming nervous and upset and more obedient to whatever they told me to do. As I became aware of this fact, I didn't go to the Org for a couple of days. I was called at home and ordered to come in immediately. I was then told that I must be connected to a suppressive person, otherwise I would not have stayed at home. I had seen what they had done to other people who had demonstrated an inclination to leave and I was told and shown documents pertaining to the "Fair Game Doctrine". In short the doctrine authorized the practice of deceipt, fraud trickery, intimidation, harassment, an the "destruction" of any Scientology critic. The staff leaders cited Paulette Cooper, the author of The Scandal of Scientology, as a person who must be attacked and prevented from making any other statements on Scientology. The existence of this Fair Game Doctrine and its actual application to Paulette Cooper evoked fear and caused discomfort and emotional torment. I feared similar attacks if I chose to leave the Church which caused further distress. Having this in mind, I was extremely fearful of them and decided I had better return to discuss the matter with them. When I returned they sent me to the "Ethics Department" where I was told I had to overcome these, "evil" purposes in me that were affecting my attitude toward Scientology. At this point they told me to take 5,000 milligrams of Vitamin C per day and to continue in my courses. Shortly thereafter, I tried a second time to leave Scientology and I was constantly hounded by them and commanded to again discuss it with them. I was told to do a "case analysis" to find out what was creating this attitude toward Scientology. I told them that I just wanted to be left alone and that I wanted to get out. At this point, Joseph Urich told me that he wanted me to be a member of Scientology and that if I didn't show up for class that they would come and get me. He showed me the policy manual which allows them to come and get a "blown" student, by force if necessary, for the good of the student! At this point, I felt extremely fearful, trapped, and thought that I would never be able to escape from these people. I had seen them separate so many people from their families, and friends, and pressure so many people into paying money, telling lies, and making bizarre plans to overthrow the government and eventually the world, I felt that if I didn't leave I would become insane an that eventually my life would be in jeopardy. After I didn't show up on a particular evening, someone from the Org called me and asked me where I was. I told them that I was not ever coming in again, that I felt cheated and deceived, and that they were destroying the lives of many people. I told them I was going to go to a lawyer to try and get my money back and to stop them from harassing me. I then left the house that evening. Later, when I returned home, my brother told me that three Scientologists had been at the house looking for me and had sat outside waiting for me to return and had finally left. Subsequently, I contacted the Attorney General's Office and informed them of the type of activities involved at the Church of Scientology on Beacon Street. I thereafter authorized my attorney, Michael J. Flynn, to institute suit against them. This Affidavit is signed under the pains and penalties of perjury. Those facts of which I have personal knowledge are true. Those facts of which I do not have personal knowledge, I believe to be true. Since this affidavit covers approximately five (5) months, many of the dates set forth herein may not be precisely accurate but I have stated my best memory as to said dates. Dated: March 5, 1980 [Signed] Marjorie J. Hansen AFFIDAVIT OF MARJOORIE
J. HANSEN
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Un must: "Ron Hubbard, le gourou démasqué" Ce livre de Russell Miller révèle la face cachée de la scientologie. On y découvre un Ron Hubbard, malade, mythomane et poursuivi par la justice. Il est disponible en format pdf ou html sur notre site. Nous avons également publié une version résumée.
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LA SCIENTOLOGIE DANS LES MÉDIAS
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