-Caveat Lector- from: http://www.xenu.org/factnet/GEN/FILES/BOOKS/JON.TXT Click Here: <A HREF="http://www.xenu.org/factnet/GEN/FILES/BOOKS/JON.TXT">http ://www.xenu.org/…net/GEN/FILES/BOOKS/JON.TXT</A> ----- Full book online 935K Om K ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------- F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. (Fight Against Coercive Tactics Network, Incorporated) a non-profit computer bulletin board and electronic library 601 16th St. #C-217 Golden, Colorado 80401 USA BBS 303 530-1942 FAX 303 530-2950 Office 303 473-0111 This document is part of an electronic lending library and preservational electronic archive. F.A.C.T.Net does not sell documents, it only lends them according to the terms of your library cardholder agreement with F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. ------------------------------------------------------------------- A PIECE OF BLUE SKY Scientology, Dianetics and L. Ron Hubbard Exposed by Jon Atack A LYLE STUART BOOK Published by Carol Publishing Group Copyright c 1990 by Jon Atack A Lyle Stuart Book Published by Carol Publishing Group Editorial Offices Sales & Distribution Offices 600 Madison Avenue 120 Enterprise Avenue New York, NY 10022 Secaucus, NJ 07094 In Canada: Musson Book Company A division of General Publishing Co. Limited Don Mills, Ontario All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except by a newspaper or magazine reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review. Queries regarding rights and permissions should be addressed to: Carol Publishing Group, 600 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022 Manufactured in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Atack, Jon. A piece of blue sky: Scientology, Dianetics, and L. Ron Hubbard exposed / by Jon Atack. p. cm. "A Lyle Stuart book." Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0--8184-0499-X: $19.95 1. Scientology--Controversial literature. 2. Dianetics-Controversial literature. 3. Hubbard, L. Ron (La Fayette Ron), 191 I- 4. Church of Scientology--History. 1. Title. BP605.S2A83 1990 299 '. 936'092--dc20 89-77666 CIP Carol Publishing Group books are available at special discounts for bulk purchases, for sales promotions, fund raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details contact: Special Sales Department, Carol Publishing Group, 120 Enterprise Ave., Secaucus, NJ 07094. It was 1950, in the early, heady days of Dianetics, soon after L. Ron Hubbard opened the doors of his first organization to the clamoring crowd. Up until then, Hubbard was known only to readers of pulp fiction, but now he had an instant best-seller with a book that promised to solve every problem of the human mind, and the cash was pouring in. Hubbard found it easy to create schemes to part his new following from their money. One of the first tasks was to arrange "grades" of membership, offering supposedly greater rewards, at increasingly higher prices. Over thirty years later. an associate wryly remembered Hubbard turning to him and confiding, no doubt with a smile, "Let's sell these people a piece of blue sky." Acknowledgments My particular thanks are due to my three good friends Mitch Beedie, Lawrence Kristiansen and George Shaw. Mitch Beedie has been a constant source of encouragement, support and editorial insight throughout six years of research and writing. Lawrence Kristiansen has proved to be an invaluable resource, sharing freely his knowledge and understanding of Scientology. His meticulous research, and his painstaking editing, helped me to focus ever more closely on the subject matter. George Shaw also signed up as an unpaid (and exceptional) researcher, gave me the benefit of his considerable knowledge of Scientology, and provided fascinating perspectives on Hubbard's character and motives. This book is based upon statements made by over 150 individuals whether in interviews, correspondence, taped talks, published accounts, affidavits or sworn testimony. Those of my sources whose statements were made publicly, and those who have given permission, are named in the reference summary. I am grateful to them all and to the many people who have asked to remain anonymous, for reasons which the book should make clear. In return for access to my manuscript and my collaboration as a consultant, Russell Miller made his interview notes available to me, and for this and our friendly working relationship I am most grateful. l also wish to express my thanks to Dave Waiters and the staff of the Montana Historical Society; to Ron Neuman for access to his collection of Hubbard letters and first editions; and to Brenda Yates and Carol Kanda for ensuring that I received the 28 volumes of the transcript of the Armstrong case. Without Brenda these vital documents would not have become available in the first place. Gratitude is also due to those authors whose work made my own less daunting: the late Joseph Winter, Martin Gardner, the late Helen O'Brien, George Malko, Pauletter Cooper, Cyril Vosper, Bob Kauf- v Vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS man, the late Christopher Evans, C.H. Rolph, John Forte and most especially Roy Wallis for The Road to Total Freedom. I am also in debt to the St. Petersburg Times and the Clearwater Sun for their excellent coverage of Scientology. I am grateful to the many friends who have revived my sometimes flagging spirits on the long road to publication. Gratitude is due especially to: Robyn, Joy, Fiona, Joyce, Marcia~ Sam, Gall, Hana, Gay, John, Greg, Sarge, Marcus, Lew, Chris, Callan, Otto, my parents, my brother Andrew, and my wife, Noe!!a. The litigious nature of the Scientologists has ffightened most publishers into silence. Lyle Stuart and Steven Schragis were not intimidated, and I am extremely grateful to them. Finally, my thanks to our attorney, Mel Wulf, for his patient attention to detail; to my editor Bob Smith; and to all at Carol Publishing Group for making this book a published reality. --JON ATACK Preface Several years ago, when I began making inquiries into the life and times of L. Ron Hubbard, almost the first name that was mentioned to me was that of Jon Atack. Subsequently it was a name that would crop up time and time again. Almost anyone who knew anything about Hubbard invariably suggested that I should talk to Jon Atack. Of course by then I had talked to Jon and discovered him to be one of the world's foremost unofficial archivists of the Church of Scientology. In the loft of his house in East Grinstead, he had collected literally thousands of documents, letters, pamphlets, books and pictures, all of it indexed and cross-referenced on computer. For anyone interested in the history and development of Scientology, it is a treasure trove of reliable information on a subject positively riddied with deeply unreliable information. At some time in the future, the Atack archive will be lodged with an academic institution in order that it will be forever available to future researchers. Jon was extremely generous with his time, knowledge and help while I was working on my biography of Hubbard and I am therefore delighted to write this brief preface to his own much more comprehensive and wide-ranging book. It is, in essence, a distillation of his extraordinary attic archive and thus provides the reader with a dispassionate, thoroughly documented account of how Scientology was created and nourished by a struggling science-fiction writer, how it grew into a worldwide organization and how it has managed to dominate (and damage) so many thousands of lives. Because this book recounts the stark truth about Scientology, it is certain to provoke the ferocious hostility of practicing Scientologists around the world. Anyone who dares to publicly criticize the Church of Scientology or its founder is liable to be viiifled and hounded through the courts, as I can personally testify. (Although it is a mystery to me that Scientologists continue to believe that their founder was a vii viii PREFACE man with the highest regard for the truth, whereas the records consistently indicate that he was a charlatan and a congenital liar.) lon Atack is a former member of the Church of Scientology and I have no doubt that he will be attacked as a turncoat and traitor seeking to cause damage to his former church. All I can say is that over the months and years of our association I never doubted that his motives were decent and honest; I never felt for a moment that he was spurred by malice or any unworthy desire to settle old scores. It is my firm conviction that Jon began to assemble his archive because he had become aware that he had been fed untruths for years and he simply wanted the truth to be known about the antecedents and antics of his former church and its founder. It is for this reason that he willingly cooperated with me when I was writing my book, never offering opinions or information without comprehensive documentation to back it up. Jon Atack believes that people have the right to know the truth about Scientology. That belief is the laudable genesis of this book. --RUSSELL MILLER Author of Bare-Faced Messiah Contents Acknowledgments v Preface, by Russell Miller vii What Is Scientology? 1 PART 1: INSIDE SCIENTOLOGY 1974-1983 1. My Beginnings 9 2. Saint Hill 19 3. On to OT 26 4. The Seeds of Dissent 35 PART 2: BEFORE DIANETICS 1911-1949 1. Hubbard's Beginnings 45 2. Hubbard in the East 52 3. Hubbard the Explorer 60 4. Hubbard As Hero 70 5. His Miraculous Recovery 83 6. His Magickal Career 89 PART 3: THE BRIDGE TO TOTAL FREEDOM 1949-1966 1. Building the Bridge 105 2. The Dianetic Foundations 114 3. Wichita 121 4. Knowing How to Know 128 5. The Religion Angle 137 6. The Lord of the Manor 146 ix X CONTENTS 7. The World's First Real Clear 153 PART 4: THE SEA ORGANIZATION 1966-1976 1. Scientology at Sea 165 2. Heavy Ethics 172 3. The Empire Strikes Back 182 4. The Death of Susan Meister 197 5. Hubbard's Travels 202 6. The Flag Land Base 209 PART 5: THE GUARD1AN'S OFFICE 1974-1980 1. The Guardian Unguarded 217 2. Infiltration 226 3. Operation Meisner 236 PART 6: THE COMMODORE'S MESSENGERS 1977-1982 1. Making Movies 245 2. The Rise of the Messengers 255 3. The Young Rulers 264 4. The Clearwater Hearings 273 5. The Religious Technology Center and the [ntemational Finance Police 284 PART 7: THE INDEPENDENTS 1982-1984 1. The Mission Holders' Conference 293 2. The Scientology War 300 3. Splintering 308 4. Stamp Out the Squirrels! 316 PART 8: JUDGMENTS 1. Scientology at Law 327 2. The Child Custody Case 335 3. Signing the Pledge 344 Contents xi 4. Dropping the Body 351 5. After Hubbard 356 PART 9: SUMMING UP 1. The Founder 367 2. The Scientologist 378 3. Fair Game, Ethics and the Scriptures 390 Epilogue 397 Bibliography 399 Reference Summary 403 List of Abbreviations 417 Index 419 Scientology is both immoral and socially obnoxious... it is corrupt, sinister and dangerous. It is corrupt because it is based upon lies and deceit and has as its real objective money and power for Mr. Hubbard, his wife and those close to him at the top. It is sinister because it indulges in infamous practices both to its adherents who do not toe the line unquestioningly and to those who criticize or oppose it. It is dangerous because it is out to capture people, especially children and impressionable young people, and indoctrinate and brainwash them so that they become the unquestioning captives and tools of the cult, withdrawn from ordinary thought, living and relationships with others.---Jus'nc~ LATEY, ruling in the High Court in London in 1984 As soon as one's convictions become unshakeable, evidence ceases to be relevant--except as a means to convert the unbelievers. Factual inaccuracies... are excusable in the light of the Higher Truth.--P.H. HoEBENS What Is Sdentology? Scientology is among the oldest, largest, richest, and most powerful of contemporary cults. The "Church" of Scientology, first incorporated in 1953, claims to have seven million members, and reserves of a thousand million dollars. There are nearly 200 Scientology "Missions" and "Churches" spread across the globe. During the 1970's, cults became big business and big news. Yet in the welter of books published about these "new religious movements," there has been no real history of Scientology. This is rather surprising, because the history of Scientology is at turns outrageous, hilarious and sinister. Accurate information about Scientology is scarce because the cult is both secretive and highly committed to silencing its critics. A few sociologists have argued that involvement in any cult is usually short-lived and sometimes beneficial. However, after four years of research, including interviews with over a thousand former cult members, researchers Conway and Siegelman came to very different conclusions about Scientology: "The reports we have seen and heard in the course of our research... are replete with allegations of psychological devastation, economic exploitation, and personal and legal harassment of former members and journalists who speak out against the cult. ,,i Making a comparison with the tens of other cults in their study, they said: "Scientology's may be the most debilitating set of rituals of any cult in America.' ,2 Scientology, a peculiar force in our society, escapes tidy definition. The "Church" of Scientology claims religious status; yet at times Scientology represents itself as a psychotherapy, a set of business techniques, an educational system for children or a drug rehabilitation program. Officers of the Church belong to the largely landbound "Sea Organization," and wear pseudo-Naval uniforms, complete with campaign ribbons, colored lanyards, and badges of rank, giving Scientol- I 2 WHAT IS SCIENTOLOGY? ogy a paramilitary air. Although Scientology has no teachings about God, Scientologists sometimes don the garb of Christian ministers. The teachings of Scientology are held out not only as scientifically proven, but also as scriptural, and therefore beyond question. Scientology was also the first cult to establish itself as a multinational business with marketing, public relations, legal and even intelligence departments. Scientology is also unusual because it is not an extension of a particular traditional religion. It is a complex and apparently complete set of beliefs, techniques and rituals assembled by one man: L. Ron Hubbard. During the 36 years between the publication of his first psychotherapeutic text and his death in 1986, Hubbard constructed what appears to be one of the most elaborate belief systems of all time. The sheer volume of material daunts most investigators. Several thousand Hubbard lectures were tape-recorded, and his books, pamphlets and directives run to tens of thousands of pages. In 1984, judges in England and America condemned both Hubbard and Scientology. Justice Latey, in a child custody case in London, said: "Deprival of property, injury by any means, trickery, suing, lying or destruction have been pursued [by the Scientologists] throughout and to this day with the fullest vigour," and further: "Mr. Hubbard is a charlatan and worse as are his wife Mary Sue Hubbard... and the clique at the top privy to the Cult's activities." In America, dismissing a case brought against a former member by the Scientologists, Judge Breckenridge said: "In addition to violating and abusing its own members' civil rights, the organization over the years ... has harassed and abused those persons not within the Church whom it perceives as enemies. The organization clearly is schizophrenic and paranoid, and this bizarre combination seems to be a reflection of its founder LRH [L. Ron Hubbard]. The evidence portrays a man who has been virtually a pathological liar when it comes to his history, background and achievements. The writings and documents in evidence additionally reflect his egoism, greed, avarice, lust for power, and vindictiveness and aggressiveness against persons perceived by him to be disloyal or hostile." The evidence cited by Judge Breckenridge consisted of some 10,000 pages of material forming pan of Hubbard's personal archive, including his teenage diaries, a black magic ceremony called the "Blood Ritual," and hundreds of personal letters to and from his three wives. Some of these documents were read into the record, and others re- What Is Scientology? 3 leased as exhibits. The picture they reveal is very different from Hubbard's representations about his life. Nevertheless, Hubbard's personal history is one of the great adventure stories of the 20th century. A penny-a-word science-fiction writer who created an immense and dedicated organization to act out his grandiose ideas on a global scale, Hubbard commanded the devotion of his followers, who revere him as the greatest man who has ever lived. At the height of his power, Hubbard controlled a personal intelligence network which successfully infiltrated newspapers, medical and psychiatric assocations throughout the world, and even a number of United States government agencies. Eleven of Hubbard's subordinates, including his wife, received prison sentences for their part in these criminal activities. There is also something tantalizing in the psychotherapeutic techniques which are at the core of Scientology. Cult devotees are sometimes seen as adolescent, half-witted zombies easily coerced into joining an enslaving group because of their inadequacy. But Scientology has attracted medical doctors, lawyers, space scientists and graduates of the finest universities in the world. One British and two Danish Members of Parliament once belonged to Scientology. Even psychologists, psychiatrists and sociologists have been enthusiastic practitioners of Hubbard's techniques. And such people have often parted with immense sums of money to pay for Scientology counselling which can cost as much as $1,000 per hour. Hubbard's ideas have inspired many imitators, and several contemporary "psycho-technologies" and New Age movements derive from Scientology (est, eckancar and co-counselling, for example). Any assessment of Scientology is further complicated because it has demonstrably been the target of harassment. A Tax Court judge admitted in a ruling that the IRS had investigated Scientologists solely because they were Scientologists. Governments have panicked and over-reacted: for example, for several years in three Australian states the very practice of Scientology was an imprisonable offence. The secret inner workings of Scientology have long been zealously guarded, but in 1982, two years after Hubbard disappeared into complete seclusion, a purge began and the Church began to disintegrate. Hundreds of long-term Scientologists, many of whom had held important positions within the Church, were excommunicated and expelled. They were placed under the interdict of "Disconnection," whereby other Scientologists were prohibited from communicating with them in 4 wHAT IS SCIENTOLOGY? any way. At a rally in San Francisco, young members of the new management harangued and threatened executives of Scientology's franchised "Missions." While the newly created International Finance Dictator spoke, his scowling, black-shirted International Finance Police patrolled the aisles. Huge amounts of money were demanded from the Mission Holders. In the following weeks, Scientology's Finance Police swooped down on the Missions collecting millions of dollars and almost bankrupting the entire network. Hubbard had styled himself the "Commodore" of his "Sea Organization," and by 1982, the new leaders, some still in their teens, were members of the "Commodore's Messenger Organization." Many of these youngsters had been raised in Scientology, separated from their parents, originally working as Hubbard's personal servants. Anonymous letters describing incredible events circulated among Scientologists. We read about Gilman Hot Springs, a 500 acre estate in south California, surrounded by high fences, patrolled by brownshirted guards, and protected by an elaborate and expensive security system. We heard accounts of bizarre punishments meted out at this supposedly secret headquarters. A group of senior Church executives had been put on a program where they ran around a tree in near desert conditions for twelve hours a day, for weeks on end. Some Scientologists gave accounts of their treatment at the hands of the International Finance Police, where they had been abused verbally and physically, sometimes signing over huge amounts of money before coming to their senses. During this reign of terror, thousands of Scientologists left the Church, believing that Hubbard was either dead or under the control of the Messengers. These new "Independent" practitioners of Scientology were subjected to prolonged and extensive harassment and litigation. Private Investigators followed important defectors, sometimes around the clock for months. The Church widely distributed scandal sheets packed with fabricated libels concerning defectors. The essential question which plagued Scientologists who had left the Church was whether Hubbard knew what was happening. By the time Hubbard's death was announced in January 1986, many Scientologists believed his body had been deep-frozen for several years. Others believed he was still alive, that the coroner had been bribed, and that his death had been staged to escape the net of the Criminal Investigation Branch of the Internal Revenue Service, which was investigating What Is Scientology? 5 the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars of Church funds into Hubbard's personal accounts. As part of its campaign to stem the tide of defectors, Scientology brought law suits against several former members. In return, multimillion dollar counter-suits were filed against Scientology. In 1986, a Los Angeles jury awarded $30 million in damages to a former Church member. On the last day of 1986, a group of over 400 former members initiated a billion dollar suit against the Church. Former highly-placed Hubbard aides broke silence for the first time. The documentary evidence referred to by Judge Breckenridge pierced the self-created fantasy of Hubbard's past. The sinister reality beneath the smiling mask of the Church of Scientology was at last revealed. PART ONE INSIDE SCIENTOLOGY 1974-1983 This is useful knowledge. With it the blind again see, the lame walk, the ill recover, the insane become sane and the sane become saner. By its use the thousand abilities Man has sought to recover become his once more.--L. Rorq HUBBARD, Scientology: A History Qf Man, 1952 ----- Aloha, He'Ping, Om, Shalom, Salaam. Em Hotep, Peace Be, All My Relations. Omnia Bona Bonis, Adieu, Adios, Aloha. Amen. Roads End DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. 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