Jon Atack: Independent Scientologist

[Veda]

RECONNECTION​

Jon Atack was the editor of the Independent Scientologist publication Reconnection during the early 1980s.

The English Reconnection magazine number 2 of February 1984:
Reconnection, Number 2

Reconnection magazine number 3 of March 1984:
Reconnection, Number 3

There are photos of Independent Scientologists of that time and location while protesting Scientology Inc. Perhaps someone can help find them.

It's good to remember history.

 

[Veda]

Re post from another thread.


The use of the term "FreeZone" may be a source of some confusion. (And that's a whole other topic.) Probably better to describe it as auditing outside, and in defiance of, the organization.

A.E. van Vogt started the California Association of Dianetic Auditors in 1950. CADA provided an alternate place where someone, who was curious about Dianetic auditing, or any auditing, could go to satisfy that curiosity, without having to set foot in the Scientology organization.

It also provided a place - and a list of counselors - where someone, already involved with the organization, could flee to safety, to talk with someone who understood their experiences and, perhaps, receive some of the counseling about which he or she might still be curious. As far as I know, CADA is still in existence, despite multiple attempts by the Scientology organization to destroy it or take it over.

Alternatives to the Scientology organization continued with the publication of Aberree magazine in 1954, which continued for ten years as a place where dissident views could be expressed, and independent counselors could be found. It was a source of information that could be consulted by those who were curious about Scientology counseling but didn't want to become involved with the Scientology organization, or by those, in the Scientology organization, who wanted to leave but wished to continue with auditing for whatever reason.

Then, in response to 'Keeping Scientology Working' and related developments, appeared Eductivism, which, as I recall, had as its symbol, a two pointed arrow, signifying the rejection of the idea of Hubbard as the sole source. Not surprisingly, Eductivism became a prime target for attack and destruction by the Scientology organization.

Then came William Burroughs, who had been involved with Scientology in the 1960s, and wrote critically of it in his 1971 book Naked Scientology. Burroughs objected to many aspects of Scientology but felt it contained some validly therapeutic procedures. He wrote about establishing an independent center but nothing ever came of it.

The next notable period was the early 1980s when events led to an exodus from Scientology resulting in dozens of experienced Scientology counselors operating independently, and in defiance, of the organization. This was usually called the Independent Field but, on the continent of Europe, there was a group called the Free Zone. The Free Zone was regarded by most as a bit wacky. The Free Zone, today, calls itself Ron's Orgs.

Sometime during the 1990s, someone who, apparently, couldn't think of an original name, joined the words Free and Zone and created the "Freezone." Freezone is a generic term that describes mostly unimaginative people who still 'do Scientology."

Then, in the early 2000s, came a kind of mini schism - or a series of mini schisms - and there became a group of Independent Scientologists. Mike Rinder, of the Aftermath television show, was once a leader of this group.

He, along with most of those who had been involved with alternate and unauthorized Scientology, after having left authorized Scientology, eventually moved beyond Scientology of any kind.

 

[programmer_guy]

@Veda
IIRC, the use of the term "Freezone" was first used by Capt. Bill Robertson.

This term was meant (by Capt. Bill Robertson) that Teegeeack (planet Earth) was declared to be free (a free zone) from space aliens that would try to stop SCN tech from being spread across our planet.

(IMO, Capt. Bill Robertson was a nutcase.)

Much later, the term "Freezone" was generalized to mean independant Scientologists.