The great-grandson of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard says that the Church of Scientology is one of the most “devious, systematic brainwashing systems that’s ever been invented.”
Jamie DeWolf appeared on CurrentTV's "The Young Turks" on Thursday night and spoke with host Cenk Uygur about how Scientology is able to convince people -- including big-name celebrities like Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kirstie Alley and Juliette Lewis -- to believe its message.
"I think it is one of the most brilliant and devious, systematic brainwashing systems that's ever been invented," DeWolf told CurrentTV. "It works through electrified hypnosis. It works through past life regression therapy. It works through a lot of hodgepodge of ideas that you sort of throw together with this extremely brutal sort of security sense and this kind of like CIA-like structure that becomes really intoxicating to people."
Continuing, DeWolf said, "To meet people who've been out of the cult, yeah you want to ask them about Xenu and aliens, but the fact is these are smart people they've just been completely destroyed systematically."
DeWolf, a slam poet, was raised a Baptist Christian and was never involved with his great-grandfather's religion.
He has also opened up to the New York Post about the dangers of Scientology, saying it destroyed Hubbard's life.
"[He] became more and more unhinged in his last days. He was lost in his own little wonderland, surrounded by this armada, this dark security force. He was totally lost," DeWolf said of his great-grandfather, who died in 1986.
DeWolf's disclosures follow the release of Lawrence Wright's new book, "Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief," which offers an inside look at Scientology and the life of its founder, who once dreamed of being a screenwriter.
Scientologists have vehemently criticized the book and allege that Wright didn't verify enough of his facts, according to the Daily Beast. The author claims the church's allegations were trumped up, and that the organization didn't want to offer him any insight but did want a list of his sources.
“It’s a big project to write, essentially, a history of a hostile organization that hides its data and tries to mislead you about its past. And if I’ve made mistakes, they will be corrected,” Wright told the Daily Beast. “But it is a monumental task to try to get at the truth of what goes on inside Scientology.”
A Scientology-sponsored article published on the Atlantic's website this month claimed that the Church of Scientology expanded more in 2012 than in any 12 months of its 60-year history. The ad, which ran several days before the release of Wright's book, kicked up a flurry of criticism before the Atlantic pulled it and issued an apology.
Church of Scientology Loses Out to Young Love: Tom Cruise's Daughter and Boyfriend Together
January 25, 2013 10:15 AM EST
1 person recommends this | comments: 1Isabella Cruise is proving that the Church of Scientology doesn't hold a candle to true love. Tom Cruise's older daughter (with wife Nicole Kidman) and her boyfriend Eddie Frencher (yes, that's really his last name) are now engaged. That doesn't sound like unusual news all by itself—but keep in mind that Frencher quit Scientology's elite sect known as Sea Org—and therefore Isabella, being a Scientologist, shouldn't be having anything to do with him.
According to a report from RadarOnline, both Isabella and Frencher grew up in the organization, where children begin h
earing at a very young age that they should join Sea Org. When one signs on with Sea Org, they sign a 'billion year contract.'
earing at a very young age that they should join Sea Org. When one signs on with Sea Org, they sign a 'billion year contract.'After Frencher joined Sea Org, Isabella was told by head Scientologists to either join Sea Org herself or to break up with Frencher. In the end, Frencher only lasted five months in Sea Org and now a member of his family confirms that he not only left Sea Org—he left the church. The source also confirms that the two are in fact engaged.
What will this mean for Isabella Cruise? Will Tom Cruise pressure his daughter to break off her engagement with Frencher? Will he try to convince Frencher to make amends with the Church of Scientology?
The whole thing sounds incredibly controlling and many young couples will choose true love over a 'religion' that requires them to give up many other facets of their lives. Hopefully no one will put too much pressure on Isabella Cruise, and she will be able to make the choices that young women her age need and want to make.
Open Post: Hosted By Nicole Kidman's Thrusting Ass
Matt Damon hijacked Jimmy Kimmel Live last night and had on a few guests that Kimmel has never had on before including Demi Moore andNicole Kidman. Between Demi and Nicole, you'd think that perma-horny Demi would be the one riding Kimmel like he's got a pocketful of singles and the strip club DJ just played her favorite song, but it was actually Nicole who scooted her crotch against his lap. Nicole came out, hopped on Kimmel and showed all of us the skills she learned from working Tommy Girl over with a strap-on all those years. Seeing Nicole in action again brought a tear to Tommy's brown eye.
LOSING MY RELIGION: A day in the life of a Scientologist
- From:news.com.au
- January 26, 2013
- "I'm at a Scientology church and they're pinching me"
- Our reporter is given rare access to the secretive church
- Electric pulses, study camps and unusual rituals
- Talk about this story on Twitter: @newscomauHQ
Sydney's Church of Scientology in Glebe threw open their doors for news.com.au... Picture: The Daily Telegraph
Actor Tom Cruise - often seen as the public face of Scientology.
I'M AT a Scientology church and the Scientologists are pinching me.
They've even left a mark, they're going at it that hard. Although I'm not entirely sure what they're hoping to achieve.
I'm in a bit of pain here, at a Sydney Scientology church, because I'm on a tour they've offered to journalists.
Earlier this week, the Church fired off an email to reporters offering private tours of one of their six Australian places of worship.
Why? Most likely in an attempt to improve their public image.
Because while the Church of Scientology is a household name - thanks to celebrity believers Tom Cruise and Kirstie Alley - they have a terrible problem.
Many Australians think they are absolutely bonkers. For a number of reasons, the most significant being that they apparently believe that 75 million years ago, an alien warlord brought negative spirits to Earth which plague humanity to this day.
Then there are the allegations that their supposed 'science' is a crock, that they're in it to make money, that they exploit child labour... which Scientologists generally say are malicious lies told by former believers.
And then there are other public image problems, like Tom Cruise's prominent role in the Church.
There are signs that this negative perception has damaged the local Church. Last year one of the Church's most prominent figures resigned, taking a dramatic swipe at the Scientology leadership.
And figures from the latest Census report that the number of Scientologists in Australia dropped significantly over the last decade – by more than 13 per cent between 2006 and 2011.
So I took the Church up on their offer of a private tour because I wanted an answer to a simple question.
Are these people really as crazy as they're made out to be? From their unusual uniforms to a strange pinching examination, today news.com.au takes a firsthand look.
Not your average church
One thing stands out when you walk into a Scientology church -- this isn't your traditional place of worship.
It's futuristic. Some would even say it's cool. Don't think of wooden pews, or kindly old men offering confession. (And no, there aren't any stained glass windows of Tom Cruise jumping on Oprah's couch).
An artist's impression of a Church of Scientology building in Florida. Picture: AFP
Imagine a military base in a sci-fi thriller. There's a dash of Star Wars in the air, with all the fluorescent lights around. The concourse roof is a mirror. And nearly everyone is dressed like they're in the Navy.
I walk in and step towards their reception desk when the Church's long-time Australian spokeswoman, Virginia Stewart, pops up out of nowhere.
"Daniel? I saw you come in," she says, shaking my hand and beginning to show me around the facility.
But first, I've got a few questions. Men and women are milling around in white-collared shirts, black pants and shoes. Kind of like they were inspired by Cruise in Top Gun. Some even have patches on their shoulders indicating their high-ranking. What's with the dress code?
"The staff in this church are members of the Sea Org," explains Ms Stewart -- one of the few people dressed in your typical business-wear.
The "Org" are the Church's most dedicated members, who have committed their lives to the religion.
That explains why ranks in the religion are military-based. For instance, the founder of Scientology, science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, held the Church's top rank - "Commodore".
The Org even have a cruise ship anchored in the Caribbean, the Freewinds, which they use as a religious retreat, says Ms Stewart. (A poster in the church has the vessel PhotoShopped into Sydney Harbour. It's never visited Australia.)
But you really can't get too far into a conversation with a Scientologist without asking about--
"--the alien thing?" Ms Stewart sees where I'm steering our conversation and rolls her eyes. "We only ever hear about that from the media."
A famous 2005 episode of South Park lampooned Scientology beliefs, particularly the idea that their creation theory involves an alien warlord named Xenu, above.
'The alien thing' is what's popularly known as Scientology's creation theory -- their 'Jesus moment'.
Ex-followers have spilled to the media that Scientologists believe, in a nut shell, that an alien warlord brought evil spirits to Earth 75 million years ago.
Warlord Xenu's galaxy was overpopulated, so he dropped billions of aliens in Earth's volcanoes and hydrogen bombed them to smithereens.
Their disembodied souls apparently exist today and produce warped emotions in humans -- unless humans follow Scientology beliefs.
The Xenu thing has been mocked relentlessly, most memorably by an 8-minute segment on South Park.
The Church of Scientology has strenuously denied the alien story, claiming that people only cite it to ridicule them. And their Australian arm says: "Scientology has no religious belief that we are descended from aliens or have aliens living inside us."
If the Church does follow alien beliefs, as has been indicated, it's something the Church wishes to keep top secret.
How you become a Scientologist
In 2008, a Church of Scientology promotional video featuring Tom Cruise was leaked onto the internet. Cruise said: "I think it's a privilege to call yourself a Scientologist, because it's something you have to earn."
As far as I can see, "earning" the right to be a Scientologist involves a lot of hard work... (One wall of the Church even has a 'star chart' - like you would see in a primary school classroom - that monitor how far individual Scientologists have progressed in their coursework.)
And some money, too, that goes into maintaining the Church. They compare it to parishioners funding a Reverend.
At the beginning, though, it seems like a walk in the park. New recruits go through what is essentially a three week detox involving vitamins, tests and sitting in a sauna.
But there is a reason part of the Scientology Church building is more reminiscent of a university library than a religious institution.
To be a Scientologist, you have to study the "scriptures" of the religion in the chronological order L. Ron Hubbard wrote them, by participating in various courses.
Some of the courses can take weeks to complete and are sold as lessons that can improve your life, such as "How To Get Motivated" and "How to Improve Relationships". The upper limit is between $700 and $1400.
I peak into one of the classrooms. Everyone looks very absorbed in what they're studying. What are those two Sea Org officers doing at the head of the classroom, though?
Ms Stewart tells me the officers are monitoring for "physiological signs" that the students are "not understanding" the course content.
That is, if the supervisors see that you look bored or tired or listless, they'll be sure to get you back on the straight and narrow.
It's a hardcore study camp.
The Scientologists were not the only ones being monitored. I am too.
Another Church spokeswoman, Sei Broadhurst, follows me around holding a white iPhone in her hand. I believe she is recording our conversation.
Unusual practices
As a Scientologist, you have "the ability to create new or better realities", Cruise explained in his famous leaked interview.
And Scientology's spokeswoman Virginia Stewart gave me a practical demonstration of another part of the process they are required to follow to reach that point.
They use a method they call "auditing".
We're walking down a long corridor in the "auditing" wing of the Church. And Ms Stewart is explaining how auditing is essentially the religion's twist on counselling.
It involves the use of an "E-Meter", a low voltage electrical device which (the Scientologists say) can measure changes in electrical charges in the body that are caused by "emotional distress". A counsellor walks a Scientologist (or prospective one), through the implications of the machine's results.
A pamphlet explains the process is designed to help "guide you onto your personal path to success ... ultimately becoming an expert on the subject of you".
An "auditing" session - the woman is holding an "E-Meter". Picture: Ella Pellegrini
Once a newcomer has completed the auditing process they are judged as reaching a "state of Clear" – when somebody is no longer affected by irrational fears.
Little booths branch off from the corridor we are standing in, with two chairs, a table and an E-Meter in each one.
But I can hear an eerie, white noise coming from the corridor.
What is that sound? I wonder. "Is that noise from the E-Meters?" I ask.
Oh, that. The Scientologists explain the noise is all about privacy. Ms Stewart says it's used to block out sound so people cannot hear what's going on in the booths. And so they don't get disturbed by things happening outside.
In Scientology, no one can hear you being audited.
"Every corridor has the white noise," she explains, matter-of-factly.
The final test
Given what I've just seen, it's with some hesitation that I'm submitting to an E-Meter test. Plugging yourself into an electrical device for a strange religion is unnerving.
I'm gripping onto the handles of the device and I can feel an electrical sensation beneath my fingertips.
The Scientologists get me to "think about a recent argument I've had".
That's supposed to make the meter on the device move. It doesn't, leaving the Scientologists disappointed.
They tell me that pain is apparently supposed to get a reaction from the device. So Ms Stewart starts pinching me.
It does nothing. They keep at it, but all it does is leave a mark on my wrist.
"Have you had any drugs or alcohol?" one of their spokespeople asks me after another lacklustre result. Nope. It's 11am on a Thursday.
The meter does jump dramatically when I think about another incident in the past that gets me a little worked up...
But honestly, I reckon that might have been because my hands might have moved during the process.
Ms Stewart says the process does not work if someone is a non-believer or not interested.
Maybe that was it. Maybe I'm just sceptical. Or maybe it's all a complete hoax.
It's worth pointing out the American Psychiatric Association has advised against psychiatrists practising Scientology techniques.
A different kind of people
The Scientologists emphasise that they're well-meaning. And they're perfectly friendly. They send volunteers to disaster zones like Queensland after the 2011 floods. They don't stop talking about spiritual growth.
"It helps us know real answers to what life is," Ms Stewart says as we start to wrap up.
Controversial... A Sydney protester against Scientology. Picture: Jess Husband
But they've also been ridiculed in the media, and slagged as a "criminal organisation" in federal Parliament by Senator Nick Xenophon. Any attempts to rehabilitate their image will take years - if they can.
They worry about being "treated unfairly" by the media and reckon their religion isn't all that different to any other.
Around the end of our chat I ask Virginia Stewart, who has been the Church's spokeswoman since 1996, how long she's been with the church. Turns out she has been with them all her life.
But to an outsider like me, the Church's practices just seem bewildering.
It's lucky they pinched me.
If they didn't I probably would've had to do it myself -- so I wouldn't pass it all off as a strange dream.
With or without aliens.
Talk about this story on Twitter: @newscomauHQ
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/losing-my-religion-a-day-in-the-life-of-a-scientologist/story-fneszs56-1226562246647#ixzz2J40f7esf
Too big for her boots! Suri Cruise wears knee-high leather flats and a furry coat as she goes for a milkshake with Katie Holmes
By JADE WATKINS
|
She caused controversy when she stepped out in a pair of high heels at the age of four.
But these days Suri Cruise's fashion has seemingly toned down a bit.
But on Wednesday, the six-year-old was once again seen dressing older for her age as she stepped out in a pair of flat leather boots and a furry coat.
Too big for her boots: Suri Cruise stepped out in knee-high leather flat boots and a furry coat as she visited the Shake Shack with her mother Katie Holmes in New York on Wednesday
Suri was heading out with her mother for a milkshake at Shake Shack in New York when she debuted the new footwear.
Her snazzy boots and pink coat were paired with a more age appropriate grey pinafore dress and white shirt worn underneath.
The youngster had her brunette locks out with a pretty braid at the side, and the hairstyle was pushed back with a cute neon headband.
Little fashionista: Her snazzy boots and pink coat were paired with a more age appropriate grey pinafore dress and white shirt worn underneath
Follow the leader: The actress walked ahead of her daughter whilst she held her hand, and in the other she carried a collection of Suri's toys
She also had her fingernails painted with green varnish.
Suri and Katie were ferried to the milkshake parlour by a large SUV.
The actress walked ahead of her daughter whilst she held her hand, and in the other she carried a collection of Suri's toys.
The mother-of-one had dressed down for the outing in a pair of black wide-leg trousers and her new favourite jacket, an army-green parka with fur-lined collar.
Chauffeured: Suri and Katie were ferried to the milkshake parlour by a large SUV
Dressed down: Katie had dressed down for the outing in a pair of black wide-leg trousers and her new favourite jacket, an army-green parka with fur-lined collar
In comparison to Suri's luxurious leather boots, the Broadway star opted for some cosy plain flats.
It was recently revealed that the single mother won’t get the chance to show off her latest clothing collection at Fashion Week in February.
According to Women’s Wear Daily, the actress-turned-designer will be missing out on what would be an amazing promotion next month, although it is not clear why.
The publication reported on Tuesday: ‘Katie Holmes will be sitting out next month’s New York Fashion Week.’
This means that the single mother will have even more time to spend with Suri when she is not developing her style collection.
High heels at four: Suri caused controversy when she stepped out in a pair of high heels at the age of four
Her fashion label Holmes & Yang – which she co-designs with her stylist Jeanne Yang - made its New York Fashion Week debut last season but to mixed reviews.
After her play Dead Accounts ended its run prematurely recently, she signed on as the face and co-owner of Alterna Haircare.
The former Dawson’s Creek star will pose for Alterna's print campaign and contribute to the company's ‘product and initiatives’ as well as having a financial stake in the company as a co-owner.
New campaign: Katie has just signed up to work with Alterna Haircare
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2271013/Suri-Cruise-wears-knee-high-leather-flats-furry-coat-goes-milkshake-Katie-Holmes.html#ixzz2JbJQOU9b
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