This was by far the most insightful and well researched book on L Ron Hubbard, David Miscavige and Scientology that I have ever read.
In researching the material for the book the author and his assistants spoke with an unprecedented number of people (some 250 or so) who studied, witnessed and/or were part of the history of Scientology and its leaders.
The bibliography of the Scientology sources, media, books, articles and manuscript collections that the author consulted in studying the subjects shows the great pain that was clearly taken not only to be thorough with the facts in the book but also to try to analyze the true story behind those facts and what it was that made both Hubbard and Miscavige (Scientology's two main leaders over the years) what they were.
I believe Lawrence Wright has accomplished that well beyond anything ever published. And he did it in an objective, professional way while constantly striving to be fair.
There are also some 42 pages of detailed notes near the end of the book where the author gives his sources for what he wrote in the book, page by page. Simply amazing!
In my opinion this book could not even have been written had not Project Chanology Anonymous (acknowledged in the book) suddenly made it possible for thousands to come forward and speak out without being destroyed by Scientology's intelligence and litigation machine designed to stop others from freely speaking out.
Where one or a few of us have managed to speak out before or even protest, suddenly thousands donned the mask and marched in unison and in protest starting on February 10, 2008. The beauty of that was how it opened the door to many others coming out, speaking and taking a stance. This had turned the tide. Organized Scientology could not stop them and they were joined by so many others who finally saw they could stand up and speak out.
Simply put, without the actions started by Anonymous in 2008 many of the sources for this book would not have felt safe to come out and tell the truth.Thus this book could not have been written.
A great deal (but not hardly all) of the facts covered in this book have been covered before. But the book lays out those facts in a clear, concise manner that helps the reader to understand not only the story of scientology but what it was that made its leaders what they became.
The author compassionately explores the life of L Ron Hubbard from his childhood, through his marriages, his time in the military, his friendships, his loves and his early writings. In countless writings and recordings about Hubbard in the past (if only on internet forum postings) writers often debated and tried to understand Hubbard as clearly one or the other: kind or cruel, a liar or a man of truth, sane or insane, a conman or an honest man, an abuser or a healer.
I think what the author tried to show was that Hubbard at different points was all of the above.
Combining Hubbard's own Affirmations with how he actually led his life, in my opinion the author gives a highly insightful perspective of Hubbard. It can be found on page 54 of this book:
"If one looks behind the Affirmations to the condition they are meant to correct one sees a man who is ashamed of his tendency to fabricate personal stories, who is conflicted about his sexual needs, and who worries about his mortality. He has a predatory view of women but at the same time fears their power to humiliate him".
While we are each of us at times conflicted, even walking contradictions throughout our lives, the real problem with Hubbard's own conflicts as well covered in this book is what they did to destroy the lives of so very many people over decades and indeed to this day some 27 years after Hubbard's death.
Some of the very worst parts of Hubbard became the very fabric of Scientology and organized Scientology. Woven throughout the policies and practices of organized Scientology one can see Hubbard's own paranoia and cruelty. Such things as the heartless internment camps known as "the Rehabilitation Project Force", heavy ethics for counter and other intentions (to his own), the cruelty of disconnection and so much more was all to protect a technology Hubbard called priceless but was rather valueless to most who tried it.
As covered in the book, Hubbard's conflicts are also reflected in his writings where he saw enemies everywhere and demanded the destruction of all who opposed his will.
His incessant demands for money combined with his disdain of those who thought differently than he destroyed perhaps thousands of families, even lives. And, like Hubbard before him, David Miscavige to this day continues to profit on the anguish of others while cowardly hiding behind organized Scientology's myriad corporate veils so as not to be held liable for that of which he is completely liable.
As shown in this book, the stories of widespread abuse of children, beatings, forced incarcerations, financial scandals, greed, medical abuse and the like rampant within organized Scientology both through the times of Hubbard and continuing to this very day are as painful to see as they are numerous. The cruelty meted out on others in the name of "salvaging the planet" while profiting Hubbard and Miscavige is breathtaking in its scope.
One horrid example that has me in tears just to read it can be found page 157 of the book. It is about an abused, pregnant mother sneaking out of the scientology's "Rehabilitation Project Force" without approval to see how her daughter was doing in the Scientology "Child Care Org":
"Taylor managed to slip away to visit her ten-month-old daughter in the Child Care Org across the street. To her horror, she discovered that Venessa had contracted whopping cough, which is highly contagious and occasionally fatal. The baby's eyes were welded shut with mucus, and her diaper was wet - in fact her whole crib was soaking. She was covered with fruit flies. Taylor recoiled. The prospect of losing both her unborn baby and her daughter seemed very likely".
My God!!!!
So many misled people of good heart were and are a part of Scientology who themselves put it all on the line to dedicate themselves and their lives to the following of a man who would ultimately betray them. This book makes me feel a sadness for all the good souls who cared and who tried to follow a dream and were betrayed.
I love how insightful the author is when he analyzes the facts before him and tries to make it make sense. For example, as the book points out, Hubbard wrote a great deal of science fiction before he ever wrote anything about Scientology. And there are strong elements of science fiction in the hidden levels of Scientology. Reflecting on both, the author makes a simple yet in my opinion insightful statement on page 32 of the book:
"Certainly, the same mind that roamed so freely through imaginary universes might be inclined to look at the everyday world and suspect that there was something more behind the surface reality. The broad canvas of science fiction allowed Hubbard to think in large-scale terms about the human condition. He was bold. He was fanciful. He could easily invent an elaborate, plausible universe. But it is one thing to make that universe believable, and another to believe it. That is the difference between art and religion".
I agree with the author that while one can argue that Scientology is a religion it must not be allowed to carry out such horrid abuses on countless others while hiding from prosecution behind the cloak of religion.
More than whether or not Scientology is indeed a religion I think the really important question is whether or not it is charitable or even spiritual. I see nothing spiritual at all about Hubbard's and Miscavige's abuse of others, the incessant demands for money and just hundreds and hundreds of things that make up the very fabric of organized Scientology and the policies it follows.
Perhaps even more importantly, as is clear in reading the book, there is nothing inherently charitable about Scientology. People have to either pay vast sums or give up their personal freedoms to "progress" in Scientology. Their benign-sounding front groups in the field of business, education, drug abuse and the like are not there to freely help the downtrodden or otherwise needy. They are there solely to themselves be a conduit of money and people into Scientology. They are "PR" to try to make organized Scientology look good to the public while in many cases are themselves a danger to the public.
In the book examples are given where others speak of Hubbard's "research" and his "technology" that has helped them. And I am glad they were helped.
But Hubbard's research has no scientific validity and in my opinion is often the product of a deranged mind thinking that somehow he has made these brilliant scientific discoveries when he has not.
An example from the book is Hubbard's "research" resulting in "The Introspection Rundown" which, Hubbard says eliminates the last need for psychiatry. "Evidence" of its value is a story of a man who was crazed on a ship and a danger to others. Hubbard had him confined and treated gently and given healthy supplements. The man came out of it. I am so glad this happened to this man but my God that is hardly scientific study showing Hubbard's procedure eliminates the last need of psychiatry.
Related to this, the book debunks Hubbard's claims about psychology and medication in effect showing how Scientology not only may not help a person but it will often keep a person away from the very sources that can indeed help him.
Examples of this are given in the book including the death of a beautiful boy Kyle Brennan who died from an apparent suicide at Scientology's "mecca" in Florida after his medically prescribed medication was taken away from him due to Scientology's unfounded beliefs from Hubbard's writings.
And, carrying on from what Hubbard preached, the book tells of a speech given by Scientology's current abusive leader David Miscavige saying that he intends to obliterate psychiatry, wiping it from the face of the earth.
My God how dangerous a view is that?
People have had "wins" in Scientology therapy which the author feels is akin more to psychotherapy which perhaps is Scientology's "more respectable cousin". But I submit that some of the beautiful and well-meaning people who are trying to help others using this "therapy" are more helping those people because they are good and kind people who give the others someone to whom they can pour out their hearts and discuss their troubles.
And that is all well and good until someone really needs professional help and there is no one within Scientology who is trained to give that help.
Later in the book, on page 359, the author speaks of how Scientology wants to be understood as a scientific approach to spiritual enlightenment but concludes that it really has no basis in science at all. Perhaps, he says, it would be better understood as a philosophy of the human nature.
As usual organized Scientology denies everything in this book that is negative. I would like to believe them but I can't. Although I was a small contributor of information to Lawrence Wright in his research, I know of so much of this book as being true from first hand observation.
I feel love and compassion for the many, many good souls who are Scientologists and who are trying to help others. I was once one of them. But I also feel a great sadness of just how these people were and are being betrayed by Hubbard, by Miscavige and indeed by a dream of a "heaven" which to many of them has turned out to be a "hell".
I wish all of them the greatest of healing and of peace. And I want them to know there are many of us out here with open arms ready to welcome them to join us as imperfect but free sisters and brothers who will help them heal.
And I wish to express my great thanks to Lawrence Wright and all who assisted him for this magnificent work that I believe will end up helping many people.
Perhaps the real sadness of all this is best reflected in some of the final words from the book telling of a time that was a few weeks before Hubbard's death when Hubbard summoned one he trusted at a ranch where he was hiding:
"Six weeks before the leader died, Pfauth hesitantly related, Hubbard called him into the bus. He was sitting in his little breakfast nook. `He told me he was dropping his body.......He told me he failed, he's leaving.' ..............................
I mentioned the legend in Scientology that Hubbard would return.
`That's bull crap,' Pfauth said. `He wanted to drop the body and leave. And he told me basically that he failed. All the work and everything, he'd failed'".
brb sad
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"You can lie, but truth is stranger than science fiction and much more believable"
The book is not the most well written piece. The prolific use of the word "that" shows poor editing. The piece starts out rather dry, giving the reader very relevant early information on Lafayette Ron Hubbard. This is irrelevant to what you are about to comprehend as the angonizing pages fly bye. The creepy factor runs down your spine as you realize early on Mr. Hubbard is a consummate liar and misogynist with an attitude of total entitlement. He was part of the science FICTION writing community. He started out with a promising future. You begin to realize virtually no one had any education but felt qualified to perform virtual psychiactric sessions on unsuspecting victims, including "celebrities". I realized how truly pathetic our movie stars are. What was most relevant, sad and disgusting are the stories about the uneducated,uncontrollable violence by the teenage messenger boy turned CEO, Chief, Commander whatever title of David and many others! I lived near the Gold Base for years, drove down Gilman Hot Springs road many times. The view from the road makes you think it is some kind of Muslim worship center. No one is out, no cars, no animals.
Top reviews from other countries
Wickedbigfoot
A genuinely fascinating book!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 11, 2024
h93
l'horreur de cette secte et la destruction des adeptes volontaires ou mis de force dedans
Reviewed in France on September 20, 2019
Opinionist ™
Un libro molto interessante ed informativo!!
Reviewed in Italy on December 1, 2018
D A Pettit
