Ex-Scientologists: Are You Being Emotionally Manipulated?
A cool even head is always smarter and more effective at eradicating abuse, if it does exist, than a hotheaded ideologue. And it will be harder to manipulate you. Good luck out there.
Cognitive Distortions on Scientology
From the discipline of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, the only scientifically validated talk therapy, cognitive distortions are exaggerated or irrational thought patterns that are believed to perpetuate the effects of psychopathological states, especially depression and anxiety.
Scientology itself is filled with cognitive distortions. But I have found that many Ex-Scientologists develop cognitive distortions on Scientology after they get out, and especially on their former selves as Scientologists. This can lead to anxiety and depression in Ex-Scientologists. But more importantly it can lead to you lying to yourself about your own life and who you actually are.
You can learn to identify your own cognitive distortions on Scientology in your thinking and self-talk. I believe this is a vital activity for any Ex-Scientologist. It can be extremely rewarding, leading to many insights about yourself, bringing you peace and stabilizing your moods after Scientology.
Below are some posts that pertain to the ideas of cognitive distortions on Scientology.
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Searching for Evidence That the Church of Scientology Paid Social Scientists to Shill for Scientology
Did they just pay for for travel and lodgings while at a conference? Or did they slip them wads of cash to write what they wanted?
Thinking With Simplistic Cult Metaphors from Scientology
Vicar, in his short but excellent comment over on Mark C Rathbun’s blog, wrote: “I would have to think that the deeper one follows Ron and presses on in this search for his native state, … Read more
The Hysterical Histrionics of Tony Ortega
In my race to lose friends and influence fewer people, I have to write one more post about the breathless and distorted interpretations of Scientology experiences by Tony Ortega. Yesterday, Tony Ortega wrote a blog … Read more
What Are AntiScientologists & the AntiCult Movement Trying to Achieve?
A cult is a smaller culture inside the wider culture around it. It has different knowledge, skills & moral values, with a different narrative and different attitudes and acceptable behaviors.
How to Avoid Feeling Like a Hypocrite as an Anti-Scientologist
There are some very common ways that you can become a hypocrite as an anti-Scientologist. After being an anti-Scientologist myself for so long, I have identified a few of those ways of thinking so that … Read more
Recovery: 2 Steps to Stop Thinking With Anti-Scientology
A message to Ex-Scientologists who have woken to find they’re thinking and feeling with the Anti-Scientology mindset. Here are 2 steps you can take to recover.
John McGhee, Another Militant Anti-Scientologist Calling Scientologists “Vermin”
I think it is important to document the new trend among anti-Scientologists, started by Mike Rinder of Scientology and the Aftermath, of calling all Scientologists “vermin”. After doing their best to keep Scientology from opening … Read more
Lawrence Wright’s Questionable Metaphor – A “Prison of Belief”
There is a point at which this metaphor becomes an exercise in thought-stopping: A person accepts it as an explanation for why Scientologists do what they do in the way that Larry and other anti-Scientologists describe, and that’s all you need to know. It seems to explain everything when, in fact, it explains very little.
Another Ex-Scientologist Quits Tony Ortega’s Underground Bunker
It is the influence of the Anti-Cult Movement that is causing this worst possible trap to get stuck in after leaving a religious or spiritual pursuit like Scientology.
Tony Ortega’s Bias: “Scientology managed somehow to shut down the FBI probe”.
I know it’s the height of heresy for me to bring this up. But a little heresy never hurt anyone – especially if you really want to see justice accomplished with Scientology.
The Insidious Cognitive Distortion That Fools You Into Thinking You Understand Someone When You Don’t
There is no substitute for being willing to see things from someone else’s perspective when you are in a disagreement or dispute with them.
In Defense of J Gordon Melton
I believe if an Ex-cultist is to fully graduate from his former cultic thinking and keep evolving and growing in a constructive manner after the cult, he should teach himself to listen to criticism, and carefully determine if there might be something true in it.
Hypothesis Testing
There’s a really good book, written by a former CIA analyst, called “The Thinker’s Toolkit”. This book contains 14 tools of structured analysis which can be used to help you figure things out. A structured … Read more
Fanaticism, Criminality, and Abuse in Scientology
Scientologists aren’t squirreling Scientology when they apply Fair Game to their “enemies”, they are applying 100% standard Scientology. Thus, I contend that all fanaticism, criminality, and abuse that comes from Scientologists, either in the Church … Read more