I was a Scientologist - AMA!

[MamaMoonbeam]

I was a 'lower level' Scientologist for a couple of years. Ask away! 😊

How much money in total did you hand over to the organisation?

Did you at any time believe any of this:

Xenu (/ˈziːnuː/),[1][2][3] also called Xemu, was, according to Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, the dictator of the "Galactic Confederacy" who brought billions[4][5] of his people to Earth (then known as "Teegeeack") in DC-8-like spacecraft 75 million years ago, stacked them around volcanoes, and killed them with hydrogen bombs. Official Scientology scriptures hold that the thetans (immortal spirits) of these aliens adhere to humans, causing spiritual harm.

@newnameforthis123 i haven't seen the docu.

In the auditing sessions I kinda felt like it was bullshit but when it got the the e-meter i knew it was because i used to see how much i could make the needle move, or not if i was bored!

That's interesting Mama
I would be afraid I would be sucked in and be defenceless against their programming!
Because that's what it is, isn't it....

@nauticant probably the best part of £1k
That is higher up stuff. There was like a bootcamp course that I was asked if I was going to do, and you get on to stuff like that after it. There's a whole other part of the church you can go to once you've completed the detox course.

@Butterer yea, like I said. I like to make my own decisions about things...

@Roussette I was curious, but had suffered badly from mental abuse from a previous relationship so felt like my head was pretty strong!

Did you do any reading into the higher up stuff to learn more of what you were getting yourself in to? Or did you swerve learning anything about it to keep the cognitive dissonance at a manageable level?

There's a cult on our high street and I keep thinking about going along for their free 3 hour session with cups of tea

Some people are just not very risk averse and like different experiences/ finding stuff out.

I know a woman who joined Scientology for a bit too see what it was about, wonder if it is you OP!!

@Butterer

Sorry, it's just a bit like going 'MLM is a scam, everyone knows it, but maybe it isn't - I'll sign up to see if general opinion is wrong and I can be proved right, at my expense and with awareness that I'm being exploited'

Yea, I have no excuses. Scientology is definitely and elaborate MLM apart from the only beneficiaries are the very high ups!

@nauticant you don't get access to the higher up data until you're at the proper level to do so (until your brain is right smooshy for it)

@NiceGerbil quite possibly me! moved from london to somerset. If your mind feels strong, I would definitely recommend going along for tea, biscuits and a chat, just for a laugh to see how they draw a person in!

Interesting... because if I'd been subjected to mental abuse I would just be afraid I was vulnerable and could slip back at any time. Maybe I am just wary, maybe I've read too much about it, there's some good books out there and all I know is... I wouldn't get within a mile of anything to do with Scientology.
That doesn't stop my fascination with it... from a distance though!

@Butterer they really do wheedle their way in, like they're trying to help. £30 courses become £50, become £75 become £180 and more. The detox camp is £5000 and my scientologist boyfriend had done it! People have died doing that course!
I have a child to sink cash in to now

@Roussette I can appreciate that. I suppose I took the stance of taking all of it with a pinch of salt anyway so I suppose I never really immersed in to it fully. The boyfriend was a lost cause though. He went to the ship, he was well in to it but his family was pretty dysfunctional so I guess that could be a link?

Yes, I imagine it is someone who is desperate to fill a hole in their lives with something.

Did the e meter throw up anything unexpected. Like you were thinking about something and it suddenly shot up and you hadn’t thought that thing was upsetting you at all but guess it must have been after all?

I’d love a shot of an e meter thingy. Wonder if you can make them? I’d probably shock myself right enough...!

@Elieza nah, it really wasn't anything to do with thinking. It was more squeezing and heart rate I think 🤷🏻‍♀️ I'm sure I've seen one or 2 on ebay before...

Someone died doing the detox course

Does David Miscavage believe in it , or does he know the whole thing is just nonsense , it is a scam and he is a con-artist ? Apparently he is quite short and has a filthy temper .
Did you have good friends within Scientology ? Do you keep in touch , albeit secretly ?

@Cagedbirdsinging I dont know what he believes.
I was very happy to cut ties with the church and all the people I knew.

How do people die doing a course? How/why?!

@Tadpolesandfroglets

This is more info on the course

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purification_Rundown

@MamaMoonbeam thank you .

Anything really interesting you found out which you don't think normal people know?