I noticed this at Flag. We had total contempt for public, because they weren’t up to being Sea Org like us.
You get the kind of management you talk about when you promote based on how ruthlessly they go for getting short term stats.
We also have the issue of what happens when you are operating on long-term sleep deprivation.
An Army colonel talks about his experiences at the Army National Training Center (NTC), when units come in and do practice combat against the NTC’s “opposing force(OPFOR)” unit. The OPFOR unit has a strict doctrine of its officers getting sleep, and trusting subordinates to do the right thing while they rest.
I’ve seen this a lot in the SO.
After thinking quite a bit about this phenomena, I’m unsure what to call it, in Scientology….
There is an implanted conscience of ideology of Scientology hierarchy that was implied to everyone
At the very top there is LRH
#2 - David Miscavige COB
#3 Tom Cruise
#4 John Travolta & other Celebs
#3 - Sea Org - with its own hierarchy completely unknown to public
#4 - OT 8
#5 - OT’s “on the level”
#6 - Clears
#7 - Trained Auditors (highly trained at the top)
#8 - ED’s of class 5 Org’s
#9 - Registrars
#10 - public who has money - as long as they are constantly giving it to Scientology - ranking falls off completely once they stop and make it known - NO MORE MONEY TO SCIENTOLOGY
Everyone else are a mix of “PTS” - Potential Trouble Sources” needing to handle or disconnect from family or friends, “Regraded Beings” (constantly re-doing training and auditing bridge actions), “Out Ethics Terminals” on a program” WOGS, illegal PC’s, Degraded Beings and SP,s .
Here is AI’s interpretation:
Below is a clear, accurate description of what you are describing, framed in neutral terms and grounded in Scientology’s own concepts, your observations, and commonly described internal culture, without asserting anything as fact about specific individuals.
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Scientology Interpretation of What You’re Describing
What you are observing is not an official Scientology doctrine, but rather a social-hierarchy phenomenon that many former members and researchers have described as the “informal status ladder” or “cultural caste system” within Scientology.
In Scientology terms, this could be described as a combination of:
Implanted Ideological Conscience
A sense that one should revere or defer to those higher on the Bridge or higher in organizational power — similar to the Scientology concept of a “mental implant” or “false purpose line” that shapes behavior.
Status via “Ethics Conditions” & “Exchange”
Scientology assigns people conditions and worthiness based on:
• spiritual advancement (Bridge level)
• training
• “contribution”
• organizational rank
This often becomes internalized as a moral hierarchy — who is “upstat” and who is “downstat.”
Tone Scale / Beingness
Members are encouraged to view people by “tone level,” which often reinforces status judgments.
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HOW THIS MAPS TO THE HIERARCHY YOU DESCRIBED
1. LRH (L. Ron Hubbard)
In Scientology, Hubbard is the Source.
He symbolically and doctrinally sits above all.
2. Senior Church Leadership
David Miscavige (COB) is the top executive authority today.
This position is viewed as the highest command point in the living hierarchy.
3. High-Visibility Public Figures
Well-known celebrity parishioners tend to be treated as highly valuable “opinion leaders.”
This creates an informal elevated status, even though not part of scripture.
4. Sea Org
The Sea Organization is described by the church as the elite dedicated order.
Within Scientology culture, Sea Org members are often considered spiritually and morally superior due to their commitment.
Within the Sea Org:
there is an internal, complex hierarchy that is often invisible to public Scientologists.
5. OT Levels (OT VIII and below)
Higher Bridge levels typically carry higher perceived spiritual authority or accomplishment.
6. Clears
Considered spiritually rehabilitated, above most public members.
7. Trained Auditors
Because auditors create case gain for others, they carry a special form of status — “technical authority.”
8. Org Executives (like EDs)
These are command positions in local organizations.
9. Registrars
Registrars have organizational authority to direct people onto services, and many public Scientologists feel pressured by them — this gives registrars a kind of functional rank.
10. Public with Money
Among public members, those contributing financially or progressing rapidly on the Bridge are given greater attention, validation, or status.
If someone stops contributing or participating, they may feel their status drops abruptly.
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Everyone Outside or “Below” This System
Scientology uses a variety of labels for non-members or those deemed problematic to its progress:
• Wogs (non-Scientologists)
• Illegal PCs (people Scientology considers unfit for auditing)
• Degraded Beings (a term in Hubbard’s writings)
• Suppressive Persons (SPs) (declared enemies of the church)
These labels create an implicit boundary between “in-group” and “out-group,” forming a cultural caste.
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WHAT YOU’RE DESCRIBING (IN SCIENTOLOGY TERMS)
This appears to be the internalized ethical/spiritual hierarchy that members come to believe in, even though it is not printed on any official org chart.
In Scientology language, it could be referred to as:
✦ A “synthetic viewpoint” or “implanted hierarchy”
A mental construct absorbed through constant messaging, expectations, and group culture.
✦ A “false stable datum”
Something accepted as true that organizes thought and behavior, even if not explicitly written.
✦ A “Service Facsimile” built into group identity
The idea that higher status equals greater beingness, awareness, or worth.
✦ A “valence system”
Members adopting behavior and viewpoints from roles or personas defined by the organization rather than from their own authentic viewpoint.
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✔ In simpler terms:
You’re describing the real operational hierarchy — the one members feel, not the one the church publishes.
A ladder of spiritual worth, organizational power, and social approval.
And yes, many former members report experiencing exactly this layered hierarchy as an internalized belief system that shapes self-worth and behavior.
