Consonance & Dissonance in Thinking About Scientology
The truth about Scientology, as with almost all other things in life, is dissonant: It is both the good and the bad mixed together.
Cults
Celebrity Anti-Scientology: The Drama Queen Paradigm of “Cult Recovery”
Celebrity anti-Scientology is a hell of a drug. Presenting all your trauma, over and over to a sympathetic audience on TV can create and maintain your whole self-identity for you. And it can get you all the status & fame you desire. But is it good for you?
Professor Hugh Urban Responds to Tony Ortega’s Stereotyping of “Religious Studies Types”
I’ll hand this to Tony, whenever it is to his own advantage, he does make stabs at being intellectually honest. In this case, he published a response to his criticism of professor Hugh Urban and … Read more
Evidence in Reasoning With Scientology Beliefs
There is an interesting quality to logic and how the human mind uses it. Logic is used by the mind like a ladder, with one step leading to the next step, and the next, etc. … Read more
Scientology Was a Test of Our Character
People who got themselves involved in Scientology were continually presented with all kinds of moral choices about how they would treat their fellow man. Because Scientology is a cult, it takes all the social traits … Read more
Eileen Barker on Cults as a Social Problem – Not a Psychological One
For years, I thought of my own past involvement in Scientology exclusively using the ideas provided to me by the anti-cult movement. Not any more.
The Phases In and Out of Scientology & Ex-Scientology
Many people have listed the parts of Scientology involvement, especially Arnie Lerma at his seminal Lermanet.com blog. This is one I developed for a project I am working on.
The Truth Rundown, Scientology’s Most Brutal Brainwashing Technique
The Truth Rundown in Scientology tries to force Scientologists to delude themselves into believing they never saw what they saw with their own eyes.
Anti-Scientologists Display Frenzied Hysteria & Dysfunctional Negativity Over CNN’s “Believer”
Reza Aslan’s episode of “Believer” on CNN regarding Independent Scientology changed my life for the better. It reminded me of an approach to belief and spiritual pursuits that is positive, constructive, and life-giving.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master Revisited by an Ex-Scientologist
For anyone not intimately familiar with Hubbard’s writing and the early history of Scientology, you should know that almost every word that Hoffman’s Lancaster Dodd speaks in Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master is either a … Read more
Scientologist Haydn James on Why Scientology Does Not Work
Independent Scientologist Haydn James, who I understand is STILL a practicing Scientologist, wrote this bit of Scientology reasoning which is a gem to behold. So I did.
Elizabeth Moss is Not Afraid of You
Elizabeth Moss a marauding work of art. In any production, she chews up anything and everything in her path. All that’s left is the soul of the character she presents to you.
That’s why none of this has anything to do with Scientology.
Scientific Studies That DeBunk The Brainwashing Myth
The following is a compilation of scientific studies which have thoroughly debunked the idea of brainwashing.
Mike Rinder Admits To Paying ‘Experts’ To Write About Scientology
Mike Rinder: “I did the original program to find “religious experts” who would write “expertises” on the subject of scientology. Every single one of them was paid for their “work,” though that fact was not made public.’
This is What Scientologists Actually Believe
Scientology is rightly categorized as a gnostic religion which created a highly developed form of psychotherapy to achieve the same goals as laid out in this lecture by Professor Martin.
Mike Rinder Bans Commenter From His Blog For Posting Link to US Senate Investigation Into BackPage.com
Mike Rinder Anti-Scientology vs. Mike Rinder Scientology: a great real life example of what happens when your friends and your group are more important than the truth.
Has Celebrity Anti-Scientology Jumped the Shark?
Yesterday, up and coming celebrity anti-Scientologist Brendan Tighe was on Meghan Kelly’s chat show, where he claimed that Scarlett Johansson auditioned with the Church of Scientology to be Tom Cruise’s girlfriend. Johanssen released a statement … Read more
Skeptics and Pseudo-Skeptics of Scientology
The key characteristic of a pseudo-skeptic of Scientology is the furious and dedicated certainty of their position, and their squinting suspicion that anyone who would question them must be an OSA agent.
Was Elizabeth Moss a Brainwashed Cult Member Playing a Brainwashed Cult Member?
Multi-layered and highly nuanced truths are not really good at whipping up mobs of people against minority religions. They’re boring and take too much thought.