My suggested reading list for newly out Scientologists

[Veda]

Good post.

I've taken the liberty of snipping the top and bottom link to focus on the middle link. Even those of us who became involved with Scientology, before the Internet, had access to a large amount of information - which we discounted or ignored.

This can still happen, even today, much the same as it did then, usually resulting from the person having meet someone whom he likes and respects who happens to be a member of Scientology, or the person. one way or another, having had a positive experience with some aspect of Scientology. Thereafter the person regards it as unthinkable that Scientology could be anything other than as advertised.

Lots of material available, like above and

-snip-

Chronology of publications on Scientology

Scientologie Anastasius Nordenholz A Cure for All Ills Milton R. Sapirstein, The Nation, August 5, pages 131-132 Article Dr. Fredric Wertheim, Publisher's Weekly, June 17, page 26-27 DMSMH book review, Charles E. Bures, California Institute of Technology DMSMH book review, American Scientist...

whyweprotest.wikia.org

-snip

Link to the YOU KNEW AND STILL JOINED thread which may be helpful to those who find this current thread of recommended reading to be preposterous.

On item in the above thread from original ESMB no longer functions, so here it is:

Contains many interviews with high level Scientologists
who worked with L. Ron Hubbard

The Incredible String Band created five albums before becoming involved with Scientology.
This song was from the time before Scientology.

Scientology prohibits "mixing practices" and regards almost anything not Scientology as "reactive bank" or "squirreling."
This inhibition on creating took a toll on the ISB.

Link to the Scientology inspired music thread









​

 

[guanoloco]

Here's an excellent source for Ex-Scientologists.

Trapped in the Closet

When Stan is identified as the reincarnation of L. Ron Hubbard, Scientologists converge on his front lawn and ask him to lead them. When Stan criticizes the acting skills of a prominent Hollywood actor, the actor locks himself in Stan's closet and refuses to come out.

southpark.cc.com

 

[Dotey OT]

Thank you @ILove2Lurk you beautiful lurker!!!

This is the thread that I needed a few years back.

I am going to start a little reading list/documentary check off checklist.

I was doing great on my little side project of getting "hatted" as an ex-scio. Got derailed with everything that's been going on in the world.

I am getting back onto it!!

 

[Cat's Squirrel]

You might have done "The Basics" while you were in.
Here's another set for you, "The Heretical Basics,"
that you should be reading now that you're out.

View attachment 6688​

These are books the COS prefers you didn't read,
as the passages divulge many secrets they'd prefer
remain hidden. Some of the content is pretty shocking
at times. But if you endured being in the COS for a few
years or decades, you'll be able to handle it.

These are books that helped me untangle the experience
called Scientology -- referred to as unpeeling the onion
around here.

Some of the older titles have been put out on the Internet
by authors as webpages or PDFs. Most all are available
on Kindle or at your library as audiobooks.

Enjoy.

If it's still available, I can also recommend "Religion, Inc." by Stewart Lamont, a British reporter who investigated Scn in the 1980s. Lamont's strong point was that he came from a genuine religious background and was therefore able to examine (and then reject) Scn's claims to be a rwligion.

BTW, I borrowed it from the East Grinstead public library, right under the nose of the CofS.

 

[Chuck J.]

As always I will recommend two threads: The Sole Source Myth and Opening Pandora's Box. You should be able to find them here or on ESMB Mk.1

Those two will crack a lot of $cientology case.

 

[Karakorum]

I just recalled another one:
John Duignan's "The complex". John was in the Sea Org,worked in AOLA and Saint Hill UK, in ads and aslo global finance. He's a good writer and the account is vivid and easy to read. He details a lot of the nonsense, inside politics of the SO, as well as recruiting tactics and sleep deprivation.

For me at least, it was the best of the "post-Hubbard era SO personal accounts".

 

[UTR]

WHAT NEVER HAPPENED IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD: Ex Scientologist looks at the shoop and thinks: "OMG, this is so confusing

You don't know that doesn't happen. A newly out person has never seen the covers of these books, and so would not understand a satirical reference. Hearing for the first time about LRH's twin brother and LRH's second wife can all seem like equal new information.

And I was trying to be polite, but honestly, can you maybe not make this informative thread all about you?

 

[Veda]

As always I will recommend two threads: The Sole Source Myth and Opening Pandora's Box. You should be able to find them here or on ESMB Mk.1

Those two will crack a lot of $cientology case.

Link to The Sole Source Myth thread

Link to the Best of the Sole Source Myth thread

Link to the Alan Walter ESMB posts

Only some of the links still work, and internal links to other ESMB posts do not work (at least for me.)

Still there is a wealth of information.

 

[Veda]

Message to those curious about Scientology with views that are positive, but perhaps also have some doubts.

This should be a place you can communicate without being ridiculed or attacked .

Satire is mainly directed at the the organization of Scientology and its trickery and abuse., not you personally.

Some of the ridiculers may have forgotten that they were once where you are now.

 

[HelluvaHoax!]

You don't know that doesn't happen. A newly out person has never seen the covers of these books, and so would not understand a satirical reference. Hearing for the first time about LRH's twin brother and LRH's second wife can all seem like equal new information.

And I was trying to be polite, but honestly, can you maybe not make this informative thread all about you?

Oh wow, the shaming tech is on display today! LOL

"A newly out person has never seen the covers of these books, and so would not understand a satirical reference" You have spoken to all the newly out people and have actual examples of that happening? Of course you don't because you just made up that fake problem that never happened. Who specifically is this mythological person who "would not understand a satirical reference"? Only you can supposedly understand satire? Is that the gimmick that is supposed to shame people? LOL, really Lame.

"...can you maybe not make this informative thread all about you?"
Double lame. I greatly commended IL2L's book selections and I also greatly laughed at her hiliarious shoops. Again, you made up a problem that didn't even happen.

"Hearing for the first time about LRH's twin brother.......can all seem like equal new information". LOL. Anyone who see's ILove2Lurk's hilarious meme and actually believes that Ron's twin brother was the first being on this planet to achieve the state of "Operating Hobo" has problems far more serious than you pretend to imagine. Where is one of these imaginary people you made up who think that Ron's twin brother is an Operating Hobo? LOL. Triple lame.

.

 

[HelluvaHoax!]

.


A serious situation has been detected by both Karakorum and UTR, wherein newbie posters on ESMB are being confused, bewildered and spun in by looking at out-gradient memes. In order to get ethics in, we are therefore conducting a survey:

DO YOU KNOW ANY EX SCIENTOLOGISTS WHO SAW THIS
SATIRICAL MEME AND WERE HARMED BECAUSE THEY
WERE SHOCKED & ENTURBULATED TO DISCOVER THAT
RON HAS A TWIN BROTHER WHO IS AN "OPERATING HOBO"?

Feel free to use as many sheets of paper as you need to in
order to list out the many hundreds or thousands of meme victims.

Some of you may think this meme is funny, but I can assure you it is not.
We had a previous serious incident where Karakorum discovered that certain
whistleblowers like Mike Rinder and Leah Remini were likewise
really harming scientologists, staff members and others trying
to escape the cult. When asked, Karakorum could not
think of anyone specifically that Leah was harming,
but the harm was quite harmful, he assured everyone.

.​

 

[Chuck J.]

Link to The Sole Source Myth thread

Link to the Best of the Sole Source Myth thread

Link to the Alan Walter ESMB posts

Only some of the links still work, and internal links to other ESMB posts do not work (at least for me.)

Still there is a wealth of information.

I think we need to duplicate (Copy / Paste) some of those threads here on ESMBR.

 

[L Ron Hubbard]

You might have done "The Basics" while you were in.
Here's another set for you, "The Heretical Basics,"
that you should be reading now that you're out.

View attachment 6688​

These are books the COS prefers you didn't read,
as the passages divulge many secrets they'd prefer
remain hidden. Some of the content is pretty shocking
at times. But if you endured being in the COS for a few
years or decades, you'll be able to handle it.

These are books that helped me untangle the experience
called Scientology -- referred to as unpeeling the onion
around here.

Some of the older titles have been put out on the Internet
by authors as webpages or PDFs. Most all are available
on Kindle or at your library as audiobooks.

Enjoy.

Ok, nice!
Would you mind sharing a little bit about the eight items in your list? A little rewiew on every item and why you choose it to be in the list Heretical Scientology basics?

Lists | WorldCat.org

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www.worldcat.org

 

[ILove2Lurk]

Would you mind sharing a little bit about the eight items in your list? A little rewiew on every item and why you choose it to be in the list Heretical Scientology basics?

Would mind. Way too much work. I have a busy life.

Many reviews for each book are on Amazon for the curious.

 

[onceuponatime]

Ok, nice!
Would you mind sharing a little bit about the eight items in your list? A little rewiew on every item and why you choose it to be in the list Heretical Scientology basics?

Lists | WorldCat.org

Discover lists by users on WorldCat.org. Learn more about Lists and how you can create one.

www.worldcat.org

Welcome to the board. Since you showed up here, I assume this is target 2?

I agree with ILove2Lurk, look at reviews on amazon (or other sites).

In addition to the books, I highly recommend the HBO documentary Going Clear based on the book from Lawrence Wright.

 

[HelluvaHoax!]

Ok, nice!
Would you mind sharing a little bit about the eight items in your list? A little review on every item and why you choose it to be in the list Heretical Scientology basics?

Lists | WorldCat.org

Discover lists by users on WorldCat.org. Learn more about Lists and how you can create one.

www.worldcat.org

If I had to choose the best and easiest books to recommend to another (based on friendly/fun readability & devastating impact) from ILove2Lurk's outstanding list, I think i'd go with:

TOP FOUR (4) IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER

MESSIAH OR MADMAN

A PIECE OF BLUE SKY

BARE FACE MESSIAH

GOING CLEAR
​

I think they all attack Hubbard's hoax from slightly different angles. All 4 essentially have the identical warning message—just as any of the following 4 signs:

Scientology orgs should be required by consumer protection agencies to post that
last sign with one small tweak. ("DEEP DEBT & QUICKSAND: NO BRIDGING!!!")


.​

 

[HelluvaHoax!]

ps: the only reason I put half of those excellent books on the "bottom half" of the list is that 3 of them were very narrowly focused on specific stories of ONE cult victim (i.e. Paulette Cooper, Mark Headley & Leah Remini). Those 3 were nonetheless extraordinarily entertaining and informative books--but if someone wanted to generally learn about all the rackets of Scientology—the top four books would cover more ground. I also left out "INSIDE SCIENTOLOGY" because I am not qualified to review or comment on it since I only scanned it for new info that I didn't already know from my experiences and from reading a billion pages of info about Scn prior to Janet Reitman's terrific book being published.

.

 

[Veda]

Best book cover: The paperback edition of Bare-faced Messiah

​

Here are some songs by people who were, in one fashion or another, involved with Scientology.

All eventually moved beyond Scientology.

Some people are possessed by Scientology

Then, eventually, pass through Scientology​

One of Scientology's first celebrities was beat author William Burroughs, who became involved in 1959, as a distant, curious, "public," and, ultimately, became much more deeply involved during the late 1960s, even traveling to St. Hill in England.

From the Auditor newspaper

*

Shortly after Burroughs had left Scientology, after an involvement - as a
"public person." i.e. a customer - of over ten years,, Leonard Cohen became involved.
Here he is in the Scientology New York Academy, in the Martinique Hotel, during 1969

Leonard Cohen was audited on the Lower Grades and, after having moved on from Scientology, wrote this song:

*​

The 1972 book, Naked Scientology, is a compilation of William Burroughs' critiques on Scientology, and attempts to explain his involvement in Scientology.

"Like an anthropologist who has, after unspeakable indignities, penetrated a savage tribe, I was determined to hang on to get the big medicine."

*

Also during the late 1960s, the psychedelic Scottish folk music group, the Incredible String Band, became involved.

Guests on the Julie Fox Show

From just before Scientology involvement​

After leaving, ISB co-founder Mike Heron called his involvement in Scientology "silly," because he should have seen "that the control it exercised over me was stronger than anything I could have learned from it."

*

From Van Morrison's Inarticulate Speech of the Heart album of 1983:

During the early 1980s Van Morrison was briefly "on lines,"
and received "Life Repair" auditing.
Morrison apparently liked the auditing,
but did not wish to become further involved.

Three years later he released another album titled
No Guru, No Method, No Teacher.

*

One celebrity who Scientology Inc. sought was Frank Zappa.

Zappa, who, although he never became involved, was influenced by exposure
to some of Hubbard's books from the 1950s.

From the 1967 album

*​

These days, celebrities who hang around long enough (too long), and descend into Scientology deeply enough, experience their own peculiar assortment of indignities and absurdities.

A little bit of Scientology can sometimes be a good thing; a lot of Scientology seldom is.​

 

[Riddick]

Scientology: Jason Beghe Interview - YouTube

 

[The_Fixer]

*


Also during the late 1960s, the psychedelic Scottish folk music group, the Incredible String Band, became involved.

Guests on the Julie Fox Show

From just before Scientology involvement​

After leaving, ISB co-founder Mike Heron called his involvement in Scientology "silly," because he should have seen "that the control it exercised over me was stronger than anything I could have learned from it."

*

​

<Snipped for brevity>

​

That statement by Mike Heron sums the cult up beautifully I thought.