Scientology

[doc]

What a cult.

Can't make money off of it. Can't get dates out of it. Can't even get people to drink Kool Aid.

I'm utterly useless.

[shaolinstylee]

Dude, I feel so out of the loop, where is the cool aide?

The making money part...... I don't think you'd pass in that bar crowd there Doc.

[onesp1ng]

"The Doc, Iron Fist around the World Campaign"


Will it be starting soon then? Do you guys know anything I don't? You see I've been waiting and waiting for Doc to contact me about this. What can a guy do to become the Wise One's number one worshiper anyway?

I've just done too much to be let down now, though feel any position expounded by his Almighty Baldness will be a great one indeed. Let's make it worth something, people! Anyhow, you already have my discipleship number. I wonder how many others have signed up in the last year??? We are growing strong -- I can feel it.

Doc, my Omnipresent Baldheaded King, what shall we do in order to follow your laws more closely, enroute to world domination? Please speak Great One.

Thank you.

[doc]

Can Scientology Cruise to India?

Jon Osbourne / Sipa Press

Sometimes, films that have so-so receptions in the U.S. go blockbuster in Asian countries — especially if they have a big star. Will the same be true of a religion?

The Church of Scientology is getting a big push in India, and a marketing tool in the campaign seems to be the cachet of Tom Cruise. “We are releasing [Hindi versions of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard’s works] in 13 major cities of India," Danish publisher Thomas Goldenitz told the Indo-Asian News Service, which notes, “Hubbard used to claim that the faith shared similarities with Hinduism.” During the interview, Goldenitz happened to drop Cruise’s name.

“It seem that whenever Scientology undertakes a campaign to promote itself, Tom Cruise becomes a convenient name or tool to be employed,” Cultnews.com’s Rick Ross tells The Scoop. “He’s a huge star in India. No doubt his star power will attract attention for this latest project for Scientology.”

Sad. It's amazing that people tolerate, and admire, this idiocy from Hollywood.

[Limni]

What a bizarre bunch in the weird bullshit site. War of the Worlds is a great Spielberg film that has zero to do with Scientology. Your imagination's on overload. And as for India, Scientology has been there for a few decades, the city of Misore to be precise. I like Tom Cruise as he is not only a good actor but feels strongly about certain issues and does not give a damn about critics. Whether you're into Scn or not, you have to admire that as a virtue. The Battlefield Earth movie was a poor version of the much superior novel. Read the novel. I enjoyed the Mission Earth series better, which was a satire on the US government, prostitutes and cloak & dagger action. I find it entertaining that there are some who will attack anything they do not understand because it is not mainstream. Hubbard created a new psychotherapy that works with Dianetics. What if you actually could read the book and find out for yourself? Or what if you could read? Sorry, can't help it.

[doc]

Well, I really have no trouble reading, I assure you of that. I do have trouble finding the time to read certain things, things that I have no desire to spend time with. Such as Hubbard's fiction. I prefer a good history book, something that I can learn from. Not something that is trying to convert me.

I've dealt with enough of that, with various real, established religions, throughout my life.

Anyway, I find this topic interesting, so I did some more reading on the internet about this. From, well established web sites. Here's some of the more interesting things that I've found. I think the quotations speak for themselves.

Scientology Beliefs

Scientologists follow Mr. Hubbard's belief that a person is neither mind nor body, but a spiritual being - a soul. However, the word "soul" is an ambiguous term, which had been given many meanings by many religions. In order to avoid confusion, Mr. Hubbard selected the word "thetan" from the Greek letter "theta" which has traditionally meant "thought" or "life". A Thetan is the essence of a person, One does not have a Thetan, one is a Thetan. The brain, and the rest of the body, is looked upon as a mechanism, a communication center for the Thetan. The mind is perceived as a collection of pictures.

Scientology recognizes "Eight Dynamics." A "dynamic" is an urge, drive or impulse. Understanding these dynamics help a person gain insight and harmonize all their life activities. The first four dynamics were initially described by Mr. Hubbard in Dianetics; the remaining four were added with the creation of Scientology:

The First Dynamic is the urge to survive as oneself.
The second the urge to survive through family and sex.
The third is to survive in various groups such as a company or with a group of friends.
The fourth is to survive as mankind.
The fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth are the urge to survive through other life forms such as animals, the physical universe, the spiritual universe and Infinity or God respectively.

The human mind is divided into two components: the analytical mind and the reactive mind. The former resembles Freud's concept of the conscious mind; it senses, remembers, reasons and recalls. The reactive mind is somewhat similar to Freud's unconscious. It records physically and psychologically disturbing events in this life and prior lives. These include perceived assaults in the womb, the birth process, assaults, injuries etc. They are recorded as engrams which are a form of psychic scar. These engrams are considered "the single source of all man's insanities, psychosomatic illnesses and neuroses.". They are not sensed by the analytical mind directly. However, they will degrade a person's life and keep an individual from reaching their full potential. By removing the engrams, one can progress from being "preclear" (PC) to "clear;" i.e. totally free of engrams.

A person can progress beyond "clear" to becoming a "OT" or "Operating Thetan." Scientologists believe that an OT is able to leave their body and mind. They can see, hear and feel without access to their normal senses.

Great religious leaders like Buddha and Jesus Christ are regarded as being slightly above "clear".

Scientologists reject the concept of eternal life in hell and heaven. They believe in reincarnation in which a person passes through a number of lifetimes. "....personal salvation in one lifetime [is] freedom from the cycle of birth and death".

They believe that God exists, but do not have a specific belief about the nature of that deity.

Their goal is to help sufficient numbers of people to become "clear" so that a significant impact can be felt in areas of crime, mental illness, warfare, drug addiction, physical illnesses etc.


Practices:

Scientology "auditing" is a unique form of personal counseling intended to help an individual look at his own existence and improve their ability to confront what and where they are. It is a precise, thoroughly codified activity with exact procedures. A Scientology counselor is known as an "auditor". Auditing is assisted by use of a specially designed meter (E-Meter or Electro-psychometer) which they believe helps locate areas of spiritual distress or travail by measuring the mental state or change of state of the person being audited. It does this by continuously measuring the electrical resistance of the person's body. Variations of resistance are shown on a ammeter which are then interpreted by the trained auditor. The E-Meter was invented by Volny Mathieson who gave it to L.R. Hubbard. It is covered under US Patent 3,290,589 "Device for Measuring and Indicating Changes in the Resistance of a Human Body", issued on 1966-DEC-6.

An equal part of the practice of Scientology is training in Scientology principles which includes the technology of the auditing process.

The whole purpose of auditing and training is to graduate individuals to a higher state of spiritual existence or to cross "The Bridge to Total Freedom." The goal is to revive the individual as a spiritual being and free him from dependence on the material universe. The metaphor of a bridge has long been used in religious tradition to denote the route across the chasm from where we are now to a higher plateau of existence.

Auditors are members of the clergy. They are ordained and wear clerical clothing.

Not being an exclusive religion, members are welcomed to retain their church affiliation when they become Scientologists.

Another Scientology symbol is an eight-pointed cross. The eight points represent the eight Dynamics, described above. The cross also represents the transition from materialism to spirituality and the crossing of that barrier.

Many anti-cult groups accuse the Church of Scientology (and hundreds other religious groups with which they disagree on theological grounds) of not allowing members to leave the church, or of endlessly harassing them in an attempt to force them back into the fold. We have found these claims to be false with other religious groups, and we believe that it is also untrue in the case of Scientology. The church's official position is that if a person leaves and asks to be taken off the membership/mailing lists, they are not contacted. Otherwise they might expect to get a phone call or letter of inquiry.

Copyright © 1997 to 2004 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2005-JUL-02
Author: B.A. Robinson

I found this quite interesting. And, abhorrent. I've dealt with this kind of behavior as a physician, on many occasions, when dealing with another cult form, the Christian Scientists. Their beliefs rival this, below, in the way that they deal with serious illness. Now, I don't mind what they do to their own bodies; it's when they make decisions for others, especially children, that I get terribly upset.

Court Case involving Scientology

McPherson moved to Clearwater from Dallas in 1994 with her employer, AMC Publishing, a marketing firm operated and staffed largely by Scientologists. Like others at AMC, she wanted to be close to Scientology's spiritual headquarters in downtown.

A year later, McPherson, then 36, became "clear," a state in which a Scientologist is said to be free of inhibitions caused by painful memories in the subconscious.

Two months later, just blocks south of Scientology's Fort Harrison Hotel, she was involved in a minor traffic accident. McPherson exited her sport utility vehicle, took off her clothes and told a paramedic, "I need help. I need to talk to someone."

Paramedics took her to nearby Morton Plant Hospital for psychiatric evaluation. Soon, fellow church members showed up and told hospital staff they would care for McPherson. Scientologists oppose psychiatric treatments. McPherson signed out against a doctor's advice and was taken to the Fort Harrison, where she remained for 17 days.

Handwritten daily reports written by low-level Scientologists painted a sobering picture. McPherson fought with her caregivers, refused to eat, cried and broke things. She soiled herself and eventually grew too weak to stand.

Church records show McPherson received doses of chloral hydrate, a prescription sedative, and was given magnesium injections.

The records also say McPherson was cared for by a medical doctor who is not licensed in Florida but worked for the church. The doctor diagnosed her as septic, determined she needed antibiotics and drove her to the hospital, the records said.

The staffers' notes indicated McPherson's weight had dropped dramatically and, one staffer wrote, she "looked very sick and was breathing heavily."

Still, they drove her to a hospital in the next county so she could be seen by a doctor who is a Scientologist. The trip took 45 minutes. At the hospital, McPherson was not breathing and had no heartbeat. The Scientologist doctor pronounced her dead.

* * *

Nearly a year after her death, State Attorney Bernie McCabe charged the Church of Scientology with two felonies: practicing medicine without a license and abuse of a disabled adult.

Those charges were dropped in June 2000 after prosecutors blamed then-Medical Examiner Joan Wood for scuttling their case.

Wood initially said McPherson had died of complications from dehydration. In 2000, five years later, Wood said that after reviewing her findings she determined the death was accidental.

But the civil case, in which the burden of proof is easier to meet than in a criminal cases, endured. Filed in February 1997 on behalf of McPherson's estate by Dell Liebreich of Texas, it contended church staff members let McPherson become severely dehydrated and die.

As in the criminal case, Scientology hired a squadron of top-notch lawyers and committed exhaustive resources. It was a strategy designed to outlast Dandar, observers said.

The case was fought vigorously by both sides.

Over the years, Dandar expanded the case beyond simple negligence, alleging church leaders intentionally allowed McPherson to die to avoid a public relations flap. Going into the latest round of negotiations, the four remaining counts of the lawsuit alleged negligence, battery, infliction of emotional distress and wrongful death.

The church contended Dandar restructured the case to undermine Scientology and its leadership, with the financial backing of millionaire Robert Minton, then the church's chief critic. Minton contributed more than $2-million to fund Dandar's efforts.

"This was like the banner of the whole anti-Scientology movement," Minton once said of the McPherson lawsuit. "Here was a chance to really nail Scientology."

In an astonishing reversal in April 2003, however, Minton took the witness stand for the church and accused Dandar of urging him to lie under oath, drawing up false court records and pushing him to drum up anti-Scientology publicity. Dandar contended Minton's testimony was extorted by the church.
Scientology leaders always denounced the lawsuit, calling it an assault funded by church haters. Their vigorous defense, they said, was needed to set the record straight.

"This settlement was reached four years ago when the medical examiner corrected the death certificate and found Lisa's death to have been accidental, caused by a sudden, unexpected pulmonary embolism," Shaw said.

* * *

The agreement comes as the church enjoys unprecedented growth in Clearwater.

To date, the church owns more than $50-million in Clearwater-area properties and is nearing completion of a $50-million Mediterranean Revival-style building nicknamed "Super Power." Additionally, the church now has 565 hotel rooms in and near downtown for visiting Scientologists who consider Clearwater their spiritual mecca.

Clearwater City Manager Bill Horne said he was pleased with the settlement of such highly visible and controversial litigation, especially in light of the City Council's intent to bring redevelopment plans back before voters sometime next year.

The settlement reached this week was a "global settlement," Lirot said, meaning all of the many offshoot cases filed by the church against the McPherson estate and its attorneys also will go away.

"If nothing else, this will benefit the judicial system of Pinellas County," Lirot joked. "There were a lot of cases out there."

Lirot called the case a once-in-a-career experience, and said the settlement is "good news for both parties."

"Everyone involved gets to move on with their lives," Lirot said.

- Staff writer Jennifer Farrell contributed to this report.


TIMELINE OF THE CASE

1994: Lisa McPherson, a longtime Scientologist, moves from Dallas to Clearwater with her employer, AMC Publishing. The company is operated and staffed largely by Scientologists who want to be close to Scientology's spiritual headquarters downtown.

JUNE 1995: McPherson becomes mentally disturbed and receives a Scientology procedure called the "Introspection Rundown," in which a troubled person is placed in quiet, dark isolation. No one may speak within the person's hearing. The person is given vitamins and food and encouraged to rest. McPherson has trouble recovering, but later writes a letter praising church staffers for helping.

SEPTEMBER 1995: McPherson officially becomes "clear," a state in which a Scientologist is said to be free of inhibitions caused by painful memories in the subconscious. Over 13 years, McPherson has spent tens of thousands of dollars on Scientology counseling. She is 36.

NOV. 18, 1995: McPherson is involved in a minor traffic accident in Clearwater, after which she takes off her clothes and tells a paramedic: "I need help. I need to talk to someone." She says she's been doing "wrong things she didn't know were wrong." Paramedics take her to nearby Morton Plant Hospital for psychiatric evaluation, but a group of church members intervenes. McPherson signs out against a doctor's advice and is taken to Scientology's Fort Harrison Hotel in downtown Clearwater.

DEC. 5, 1995: McPherson has been in the care of Scientologists at the Fort Harrison for 17 days. On the evening of Dec. 5, Scientologists caring for her worry she has become seriously ill. They decide to drive her to a hospital in New Port Richey - a 45-minute trip - so she can be seen by Dr. David Minkoff, a Scientologist who works in the emergency room. At the hospital, McPherson is not breathing and has no heartbeat. She is gaunt, bruised and unkempt, according to records. Minkoff pronounces McPherson dead.

DEC. 6, 1995: Clearwater Police quietly begin to investigate. There is no local obituary and no public police report on McPherson's death. News of the case would not leak out until a year later.

DEC. 16, 1996: When the investigation becomes public, Scientology accuses Clearwater Police of harassing the church. The church's version of the death: McPherson checked into the Fort Harrison hotel for "rest and relaxation" and "suddenly fell ill."

JANUARY 1997: The Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney's Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement join Clearwater Police in the investigation. Medical examiner Joan Wood tells reporters there is no way McPherson "suddenly fell ill."

FEB. 19, 1997: In Tampa, McPherson's relatives file a wrongful death lawsuit against the Church of Scientology.

JULY 9, 1997: New light is shed on the case when a judge allows the release of internal logs detailing how Scientologists cared for McPherson. The records differ significantly from the account church officials gave.

DEC. 15, 1997: Clearwater Police and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement complete their investigation and recommend criminal charges in McPherson's death.

NOVEMBER 1998: After reviewing the case for 11 months, State Attorney Bernie McCabe charges the Church of Scientology with two felonies: practicing medicine without a license and abuse of a disabled adult.

NOVEMBER 1999: Wood agrees to reconsider her conclusions about McPherson's death.

JANUARY 2000: Robert Minton, a New England millionaire on a crusade to reform Scientology, opens a headquarters next to church property in Clearwater and calls his organization the Lisa McPherson Trust. Minton has financed the civil lawsuit against Scientology since 1997.

FEBRUARY 2000: Wood, after reviewing medical information provided by Scientology, changes McPherson's death certificate. She amends the manner of death from "undetermined" to "accident."

JUNE 7, 2000: His review complete, McCabe decides not to prosecute, noting that Wood's change of opinion undercuts the prosecution's effort to prove the criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt.

JULY 28, 2000: Hillsborough Circuit Judge James S. Moody Jr. orders the wrongful death lawsuit be transferred to Pinellas County.

NOVEMBER 2001: Minton announces the Lisa McPherson Trust is disbanding and closing its Clearwater headquarters.

APRIL 2002: In an astonishing reversal, Minton, who gave Ken Dandar, lawyer for the estate of Lisa McPherson, nearly $2-million to pursue the wrongful death suit, takes the stand for the church in its effort to remove Dandar from a case tied to the wrongful death suit.

JANUARY 2003: Circuit Judge Susan Schaeffer rules the wrongful death lawsuit against the Church of Scientology should continue, and that Dandar can remain on the case.

MAY 2004: The estate of Lisa McPherson and the Church of Scientology reach a settlement. The terms are made confidential.

By ROBERT FARLEY, Times Staff Writer
Published May 29, 2004

I think that the quotes say it all. No need to hear my rants about this nonsense. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a busy day ahead of me. I'm going to see if I can find me one of those E-meters; I've always wanted to be an Operating Thetan.

[zachsan]

it really never does cease to amaze.

one of the main principles of scientology is that, when it's questioned or doubted, its adherents are supposed to attack the skeptic, his credibility and his intelligence. very little is done to rebut the actual criticisms, aside from dismissing them as lies and repeating completely unsupported claims about the cult, such as that it has cured addiction and "helped" thousands of people.

I find it entertaining that there are some who will attack anything they do not understand because it is not mainstream. Hubbard created a new psychotherapy that works with Dianetics. What if you actually could read the book and find out for yourself? Or what if you could read? Sorry, can't help it.

again, just like reading from a script.

no wonder so many actors are drawn to scientology.

[Limni]

Doc;

You seem the only one here halfway intelligent so I'll respond. Your synopsis of what Scn is was interesting and is not badly stated. Reincarnation is a belief system of Eastern religions. Scn talks of past lives which is a bit different. You don't come back as a cockroach (except maybe in Zach's case) but you "pick up a body" at the end of this life. Anyway, these beliefs are not forced down one's throat. What is true for you is what's true. Critics tend to take some way-out data and twist and exaggerate it to make it seem Scn is some weird, strange thing. That's what I protest against. Why can't they just duplicate what's in front of them? The St. Petersburg Times is notorious for their Anti-Scn stance, so I would not necessarily take what they say as gospel. Your crack at the end of your blog just shows me you're really not that interested in exploring it, but just making fun of it. To Zach, I would like to say that in any debate, refuting the source of where the speaker is coming from is a common debating technique from what I understand. There is proof to these claims! I have dealt with many Scn'ists and they get things done and make things happen at work and in their educational sphere and believe strongly in anti-psychiatric treatment and believe that there are alternate therapies. The "assist" is one such and has speeded healing, similar in some ways to "acupressure" but not really. It's its own tech. Sometimes critics don't like my pointing out the areas of the world where Scn techniques were practiced for the better in disaster areas such as Aceh, Kyoto (earthquake), and 9/11 New York. Or when I talk of the Purification Program cleaning out toxic accumulations in NYC firefighters. The proof of claims made is there. Now if Zach would just get his head out of his butt and actually LOOK.... So it is well that you did a bit of research. Have an open mind and read Dianetics or check out the DVD. I'm not trying to make you into an Scn, but I want you to at least have a positive attitude towards it. I'm sorry about Lisa McPherson. I don't know a lot about the case so don't feel expert enough to comment on it. Sorry for the long comment, thanks.

[Limni]

Your inability to debate as well as doing the very thing you're accusing me of (attack the skeptic and credibility of) is so noted, hypocrite. Are you a psychiatrist?

[Limni]

The last line is accurate.

[zachsan]

i'm sorry, i just have a hard time viewing bullshit in a positive light. this is a personality flaw of mine. maybe i need to talk to an auditor about it.

To Zach, I would like to say that in any debate, refuting the source of where the speaker is coming from is a common debating technique from what I understand.

yes it's common. it's only useful, however, when evidence is offered as part of the refutation. saying things such as "Have an open mind and read Dianetics or check out the DVD" is not a useful refutation of anything.

Your inability to debate as well as doing the very thing you're accusing me of (attack the skeptic and credibility of) is so noted, hypocrite. Are you a psychiatrist?

i'm not attacking your credibility. i'm attacking the credibility of your argument, simply by pointing out that you don't have one. you meanwhile have taken shots at my intelligence and ability to read.

and no, i'm not a psychiatrist. are you an australian?

There is proof to these claims!

and herein lies the ultimate problem.... there ain't. it would be one thing if scientologists could prove that psychological disorders are the result of dead souls tormenting us. however, as any scientist worth his salt knows, such a claim is metaphysical in nature and could never be proven nor disproven. thus, such a claim has nothing to do with science. this however doesn't stop scientology from describing itself as a science. to tie in with my original statement, that makes it bullshit.

bullshit that also happens to be a multimillion dollar business with a messiah figure and followers that rely on it to provide meaning to their lives. if only they could come up with a word to describe such a thing...

[doc]

Your crack at the end of your blog just shows me you're really not that interested in exploring it, but just making fun of it.

I really have no interest in making fun of this. Just as I have no interest in making fun of anyone's beliefs, religious or otherwise. People will believe what they want to believe, and generally, whether it's Christianity, Judaism, or Islam, or any other subset or subsect of some sort of religion, most of the time, you really can't find any good explanation for why people believe what they do. I stay out of that sort of stuff; I'm a bad Buddhist, which has been more than adequately made known previously, a bad Catholic, which I readily attest to, and no doubt, if I had the inclination, I'd be a bad Jew and an even worse Muslim.

I would try to be a good Mormon though, they got some real cuties in Utah that believe in having big families at a young age. And you know what that means. Oops, I'm digressing...

Basically, I'm not a fan of any sort of religion. Personally, I find the whole concept of established religion an opiate of the weak and unknowing. But, that's my opinion, and no doubt, I'll get roasted for it.

But, I'm used to that.

No, I have a major f*cking issue with this Scientology bullshit, not because of what they believe or don't believe in, but because of what they do. And I thought I had made that clear in my post above. Again, and I've said this god (oops, who doesn't exist) knows how many times in the past. Don't read the words. Read what the words say. I put that post above, in that fashion, for a reason.

In all the years that I've practiced medicine, I not only took care of patients, but I served as chairman of various Quality Assurance committees, Chief of some Anesthesia departments (for nine years), and, acted as a medico-legal consultant and expert witness, for the defense, on quite the number of medical malpractice claims. I've seen hundreds of cases and events, that occurred in the medical arena, both in the operating room and without. Before I became a physician, I was in the very first Paramedic training program in the state of New York, becoming the youngest paramedic in that state at the time, to move on to become the senior instructor of upstate New York's first and only paramedic program, for a few years. I've seen the shit happen from the initial traumatic injury, all the way through people's hospitalizations, and, interrment (I also worked as a night manager in a mob owned funeral home in Brooklyn; yes, you get screw ups in that business also). I can honestly say, that I've got a lot of experience in the ways that people get messed up in the various stages of health care.

And in my professional medical opinion, the care of this woman, Lisa McPherson, was undeniably a true clusterf*ck.

Let's look at the FACTS.

Lisa moved to an area of Clearwater which was near the Scientology headquarters. The headquarters. We're not dealing with some branch office run by some moron. We're dealing the the head shits here.

She becomes "mentally disturbed", again, no proper medical evaluation seems to be noted, but, the Scientologists seem to be, in their mind, adequately certified to proceed with some sort of isolation procedure (the "Introspection Rundown") to help her recover. Well, I'm not a psychiatrist, but, I never saw a lot of complete isolation procedures with any sort of mentally ill patient. And I'm old enough to have experienced some the real true psychiatric hellholes of New York; the ones with the basements and the cells, the ones with the shit on the walls, and the people locked in wards. Even in those horrid places, patients were not completely removed from "human interaction". Regardless, maybe the Scientologists know something the rest of the medical world does not.

Here's a description of the isolation procedure that they use:

L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology, wrote several "bulletins" about his process that he declared "Its results are nothing short of miraculous."[2] The three bulletins I'll be quoting from are:

1. HCO Bulletin 23 January 1974 "The Technical Breakthrough of 1973! The Introspection RD"
2. HCO Bulletin of 20 February 1974 "Introspection RD Additional Steps"
3. HCO Bulletin of 6 March 1974 "Introspection RD Second Addition; Information to C/Ses, Fixated Attention"

A "rundown" in Scientology is a series of prescribed steps designed to produce a certain end result. These steps involve "auditing", which is looking back through a person's past to find some memory that is causing the person present time problems. The Introspection Rundown is designed to handle a psychotic break or mental breakdown. The theory of the Introspection Rundown is that if you can find what caused the person to become introverted and psychotic then you can handle that cause and break the psychotic episode.

The first step of the rundown is "isolate the person wholly with all attendants completely muzzled (no speech)." [1] Auditing sessions are given infrequently to search for the cause of the psychotic break during this rundown, otherwise the person is isolated in complete silence.

"When it is obvious the person is out of his psychosis and up to the responsibility of living with others his isolation is ended." [2] The supervisor in charge of the person being isolated tests the person's condition by writing a note, such as "'Dear Joe. What can you guarantee me if you are let out of isolation?'" [2] If Joe does not answer in writing satisfactorily, the supervisor must write back "'Dear Joe. I'm sorry but no go on coming out of isolation yet.'" [2] Of course, "this will elicit a protest from the person" [2] but the rundown is not over until the supervisor concludes that Joe has recognized what caused his psychotic break. Once the rundown is over, if the person is a Sea Org member (the elite corps that signs a billion year contract with the church), he/she is put on the RPF - a sort of manual labor detail, and is "told to make good." [3]

Hubbard was quite excited about the Introspection Rundown and declared "THIS MEANS THE LAST REASON TO HAVE PSYCHIATRY AROUND IS GONE." [1] Also, "I have made a technical breakthrough which possibly ranks with the major discoveries of the Twentieth Century." [1]

The evidence in Lisa McPherson's case points to her being put on the Introspection Rundown after her accident on November 18. Her behavior on that date was one of a person having a psychotic break, which would then require the IR. Her appearance at her death was of a person who had been held in isolation for some time. The actions of church members after her death indicates to me that probably the IR was poorly handled and Lisa died as a result.

Hubbard wrote that "This Rundown is very simple but cannot be flubbed, as that will compound the errors and cause further introspection in the pc." [1] In other words, this process if done incorrectly could actually make someone having a psychotic break get worse. Handling the Rundown "is very precise and even touchy business. There must be no mistakes and you cannot be heavy-handed on them." [3] What right does the church have to incarcerate mentally unstable people? What training do they have to prevent injury to the unstable person? What recourse or input does the person incarcerated have? What critieria are used to decide that the isolation is no longer needed? What training do the supervisors get to make such a decision over the length of someone's incarceration? How many people have gotten worse instead of better? What happens if a person never gets better, since Scientology considers psychiatry to be quack science? How long can isolation be maintiained? Months? Years? (by Jeff Jacobsen)

After spending "tens of thousand of dollars" on the "church", she gets involved in some minor accident, in which she removes her clothing upon the arrival of the paramedics. Now, in all the years I've driven an ambulance in New York City, in the upper East Side where the people wipe their asses with hundred dollar bills, and in Harlem and Bedford Stuyvesant, where I've gotten shot at, I have never had a patient remove their clothing upon my arrival. And especially not a woman. Hell, even when I got my MD degree, I still had trouble getting women to remove their clothing. Now I have to pay them to do it. Oh, I'm digressing again.

I view her actions in one of two ways; either she really has some significant psychiatric illness, which is very possible, or, she's asking for help. Which, is how I might view this. If a woman did this on one of my calls, I would view it as a statement, as a plea. This woman possibly was in a situation with something or someone (the Scientologists?), and she knew that if she acted in this way, some authority would take control of her, either medical or police. I think that's what she wanted. Either that, or she really had some serious psychiatric issues, which needed real medical help.

Well, she did end up in a psychiatric institution,which may be what she wanted. People that get this involved in these cults, sometimes feel trapped. And sometimes the only way out of that situation, is to get detained or arrested. It's the only safe place for them.
What I truly don't understand, is why the Scientologists, INSTEAD of her family or social services, demanded her release and took her into their own custody. And not only custody, but custody for treatment. Medical and psychiatric treatment. Her signing out against medical advice, in my mind, was probably due to the coercion from the Scientology people. Why they got involved is anyone's guess, though, I can propose my own thoughts on this. Can anyone explain why a "church" got involved at this point? You know, the Mormons, who I won't get into, have a tremendous social services net. They really take care of their parishioners that get into trouble. Unwed teenagers with newborns are given financial assistance. People that lose everything are offered temporary housing. But they don't take their members out of hospitals and lock them up in their facilities, dosing them with drugs and such. No, this behavior on the Scientologist's part, cannot be properly explained, other than the fact that they were most likely trying to keep this woman undercover. And away from authorities. No doubt, she had a lot to say about what was going on in this "church". To me, this action by the Scientologists, is what truly defines them as a cult and not a religion.

It gets worse.

The Scientologists "house" her in their institution, away from family, friends, and prying eyes. Apparently, they perform one of their Isolation Procedures upon her. They dose her with chloral hydrate, which is a sedative hypnotic. The drug is not only used for anxiety, but, is also used as a sleep aid. Dosing someone with chloral hydrate will sedate the hell out of them, to the point where they can become lethargic or obtunded. Being under the influence of this drug can alter one's perception of one's hydration and nutritional status, which, will cause the individual to stop eating and drinking.

It gets worse.

They also dose her with magnesium injections. Magnesium in the body has a close affiliation with calcium action; having too little, or, in her case, too much, serum magnesium, can lead to some serious side effects. Excess serum magnesium can cause changes in mental status, nausea, diarrhea, appetite loss, and muscle weakness. With prolonged excess ingestion and serum levels of magnesium, patients will start to exhibit difficulty breathing, extremely low blood pressure, and irregular heartbeat patterns.

It gets worse.

Dosing her with chloral hydrate, which, no doubt, contributed to her dehyration, made her serum levels of magnesium worse. With decreased urine output, the excretion of magnesium diminishes, thus, inadvertantly, leading to increased body levels of the mineral. The effects of magnesium administration are therefore pronounced. It's no surprise that she was brought into a hospital emergency room, without breath or cardiac activity. Their bringing her to a Scientology physician, "45 minutes away" in a different county (in Clearwater, there was a hospital, Morton Plant Hospital, two minutes from the Scientology center), in my mind, is just further evidence of the Scientologists trying to cover up their clusterf*ck. Her body appears gaunt and bruised, and, upon further examination at a later time, is found to have over one hundred cockroach bites on her body. Where ever she had been locked up in this "Introspection Rundown", sedated and tranquilized to hell, she had been the main guest at some huge cockroach feed.

I'm not surprised that felony charges were placed against the Scientology people. What they did, as I see it, comprises not only of assault and battery, but, even, if you wanted to push it a bit, manslaughter. But, the county's case against the "church" falls apart when the county medical examiner, years later, changes a few words on the death certificate.
Understandable. The world wide expose of the Scientologists in this case would have destroyed them. No doubt a payment of a few hundred thousand dollars, to some ex county medical examiner (who was probably making eighty thousand dollars a year, with some shit retirement salary to look forward to), was in order. A beneficial arrangement for both parties, without a doubt.

Further proof of their guilt lies in their subsequent actions. They come up with a "release form", right after McPherson's death, which basically allows them to detain and "treat" people, once these people sign the release, which, I've reproduced here:

Church of Scientology

Flag Service Organization
(hereinafter referred to as "the Church")
Agreement and General Release
Regarding Spiritual Assistance
1. I, ___________________________________, recognize, acknowledge and agree that I am exclusively responsible for my present and future condition in life and for the choices and decisions I make affecting my life. With that in mind, and solely of my own volition and in the independent exercise of my own free will, I am voluntarily signing and submitting to CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY ___________________________________ (hereinafter the "Church") this AGREEMENT AND GENERAL RELEASE REGARDING SPIRITUAL ASSISTANCE (hereinafter this "Contract") so that, upon its acceptance by the Church, I may participate in Scientology Religious Services and spiritual assistance under the terms, conditions, covenants, waivers and releases I agree to by signing this contract, and by doing so, I specifically acknowledge and reaffirm all other waivers, releases and agreements I have signed with any Church of Scientology.

2. This contract is my statement of my personal understanding concerning Scientology religious tenets and my statements reflecting my own beliefs and desires. By signing this Contract, I recognize, acknowledge and agree that:

a. Scientology is a religion, the Church is a church of the Scientology religion and all the services and activities of the Scientology religion are exclusively religious in nature.

b. Scientology is unalterably opposed, as a matter of religious belief, to the practice of psychiatry, and espouses as a religious belief that the study of the mind and the healing of mentally caused ills should not be alienated from religion or condoned in nonreligious fields. I am in full agreement with this religious belief. I do not believe in or subscribe to psychiatric labels for individuals It is my strongly held religious belief that all mental problems are spiritual in nature and that there is no such thing as a mentally incompetent person-- only those suffering from spiritual upset of one kind or another dramatized by an individual. I reject all psychiatric labels and intend for this Contract to clearly memorialize my desire to be helped exclusively through religious, spiritual means and not through any form of psychiatric treatment, specifically including involuntary commitment based on so-called lack of competence. Under no circumstances, at any time, do I wish to be denied my right to care from members of my religion to the exclusion of psychiatric care or psychiatric directed care, regardless of what any psychiatrist, medical person, designated member of the state or family member may assert supposedly on my behalf. If circumstances should ever arise in which government, medical or psychiatric officials or personnel or family members or friends attempt to compel or coerce or commit me for psychiatric evaluation, treatment or hospitalization, I fully desire and expect that the Church or Scientologists will intercede on my behalf to oppose such efforts and/or extricate me from that predicament so my spiritual needs may be addressed in accordance with the tenets of the Scientology religion.

c. As I so strongly disagree, as a matter of religious principle, with the use of psychiatric treatment for anyone, including myself, I reject the usage of psychiatric labels and I believe in assisting individuals through religious and spiritual means. Therefore, I am hereby specifying that should I get into a situation in the future, unlikely as it is, where others may think that I need psychiatric treatment of any kind, that I instead desire to receive Scientology spiritual assistance and that it can include, but is not limited to, the Introspection Rundown. Further, I realize that in the future it may consequently be suggested by a senior Scientology minister, should the need arise, that I receive such spiritual assistance, and again, I want to make it clear that under such circumstances I desire to receive Scientology Spiritual Assistance, which may include, but not be limited to, the Introspection Rundown.

d. The Scientology religion teaches that the spirit can be saved and that the spirit alone may save or heal the body, and the Introspection Rundown is intended to save the spirit. I understand that the Introspection Rundown is an intensive, rigorous Religious Service that includes being isolated from all sources of potential spiritual upset, including but not limited to family members, friends or others with whom I might normally interact. As part of the Introspection Rundown, I specifically consent to Church members being with me 24 hours a day at the direction of my Case Supervisor, in accordance with the tenets and custom of the Scientology religion. The Case Supervisor will determine the time period in which I will remain isolated, according to the beliefs and practices of the Scientology religion. I further specifically acknowledge that the duration of any such isolation is uncertain, determined only by my spiritual condition, but that such duration will be completely at the discretion of the Case Supervisor. I also specifically consent to the presence of Church members around the clock for whatever length of time is necessary to perform the Introspection Rundown's processes and to achieve the spiritual results of the Introspection Rundown. I understand, acknowledge and agree that the Introspection Rundown addresses only the individual's spiritual needs and I freely consent, without reservation, and without condition or limitation, to Church members conducting the Introspection Rundown, and that I accept and assume all known and unknown risks of injury, loss, or damage resulting from my decision to participate in the Introspection Rundown and specifically absolve all persons and entities from all liabilities of any kind, without limitation, associated with my participation or their participation in my Introspection Rundown.

I HAVE CAREFULLY READ THIS CONTRACT AND FULLY UNDERSTAND ITS CONTENTS AND CONSEQUENCES. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT I AM NOT ELIGIBLE FOR SPIRITUAL ASSISTANCE UNLESS I SIGN THIS CONTRACT. WHILE IT IS UNLIKELY THAT I WILL EVER BE IN A CONDITION WHERE PSYCHIATRIC INTERVENTION MAY BE DEEMED AN OPTION, I HEREWITH REAFFIRM THAT IN SUCH AN EVENT I WISH TO RECEIVE ONLY SCIENTOLOGY SPIRITUAL ASSISTANCE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE INTROSPECTION RUNDOWN, AND THAT THIS CHOICE IS AN INDEPENDENT EXERCISE OF MY OWN FREE WILL. I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT BY SIGNING BELOW, I AM FOREVER GIVING UP MY RIGHT TO SUE THE CHURCH, ITS STAFF AND ANY OF THE RELEASEES NAMED IN THE GENERAL RELEASE I SIGNED, FOR ANY INJURY OR DAMAGE SUFFERED IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH SCIENTOLOGY RELIGIOUS SERVICES OR SPIRITUAL ASSISTANCE.

I sign this Agreement and General Release Regarding Spiritual Assistance on this __ day of _________, 20__, intending to be legally bound to it, and request that I be permitted to participate in spiritual assistance.

______________________________________________
(SIGNATURE OF APPLICANT}

______________________________________________
(Printed Full Name)

______________________________________________
(Home Address)

______________________________________________
(SIGNATURE OF PARENT OR GUARDIAN, IF APPLICANT IS A MINOR)

______________________________________________
(Printed Full Name)

______________________________________________
(Home Address)

______________________________________________


______________________________________________
(SIGNATURE OF WITNESS)

______________________________________________
(Printed Full Name)

Having reviewed the above Agreement and General Release for spiritual assistance, including, but not limited to the Introspection Rundown, the Church, in reliance upon, and conditioned upon, the truthful promises, representation and agreements made therein, on this ___ day of _______, 20__, accepts _________________ for participation in spiritual assistance in the future as needed.

CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY ____________________________________

By its: _____________________________________________
(Title)

(SIGNATURE) _________________________________________________

Read the damn thing, and read it carefully. Look at what these people want their members to sign. What I find REALLY appalling, is the section in the bottom which allows a parent to sign, and essentially force, a minor child into undergoing this horrible procedure.


A travesty. A travesty, which, as I see it, is proven by the direct actions of the Scientologists, when they find it more feasible to pay off the litigants. No doubt a few million dollars is nothing to their coffers, especially as compared to the incredibly negative press that they would have had, had this thing really gone to court. I have no doubt that they would have lost the case, and in the process, not only lost millions of dollars in legal and punishment fees, but, would have gotten such incredibly bad world wide press, in this day and age of CNN and FOX, etc, that it would have taken them years to recover. No, a few million dollars here and there, and the problem is gone. Time to move on.

I find all of this abhorrent, to the utmost degree, both as a doctor and as a human being. Truly abhorrent and egregious.


It's actions such as these that make me look at these people not as a church or a believable religious institution, but as a cult-like organization. A dangerous organization, which feeds off of the feeble minded, off of the weak, off of the unknowing, not with the membership's best intentions in mind, but with the propagation and prosperity of the organization itself, even to the detriment of its membership.

"Cult: A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader. A usually nonscientific method or regimen claimed by its originator to have exclusive or exceptional power in curing a particular disease. Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing." Dictionary.com

Limni, you appear to be an intelligent individual.

Dispute this.


Attached are autopsy photos showing her debilitated state, and cockroach bites. These are not images of someone who has become "suddenly ill", as was proposed by the Scientology people who did her forced isolation. The malnutrition and dehyration, which no doubt occurred over a period of many days, is obvious. These photos are horrible to view, please think about whether you really want to view these or not. View this for further information: http://www.parishioner.org/agree.html

[zachsan]

yeesh. good post doc... but is there a way to link to those pics without including thumbnails?

[Limni]

Since I know little of the McPherson case, I don't feel qualified to comment on it. As for release forms, well as with all organizations, release forms protect an organization from frivolous (spell) lawsuits. I sign stuff like that in other organizations too -- usually called a release form. I'm no lawyer and so cannot comment on that either. Pretty gross and graphic photos you got there. How do you know they're authentic or doctored digitally? Thanks for being honest about how you feel about religion. I believe in the Constitution's freedom of religion and more power to that amendment. Probably not the response you wanted but there it is. See you next week.

cheers,

LM

[plumflower_pm]

What do you mean "since I know little of the McPherson case"?. Read Doc's posts, it is right there. You can certainly comment on it, your commentary will have no bearing except that we feel you might somehow be able to defend the church's actions in this particular scenario.

You don't have to be a lawyer to share your thoughts on that release form either.

Seems like you're staying up on the fence where it's safe.