Wow oh wow. I internviewed for a WISE mandate company and I have to agree it was the most intense interview I have ever been on. On the first interview I had to take the personality and I.Q. test. Then I had to take some kind of employee style (don't remember exact name of the test this was 5 years ago) where they had you answer all these questions about interacting with management and if I believed in a team management approach vs a dictatorship (?) management. I kept getting the answer wrong (I chose team). They made me take the test 3 times until I finally gave in and answered it the way they wanted. This first interview last 2 hours. They called me back a week later knowing I was out of town and told me it was imperative if I wanted this job I needed to fly back the next day for the 2nd part of the interview. I flew back 2 days early and interviewed again. This time I noticed the L. Ron Hubbard management books on display in the lobby. By the way I should add this was a software company and I was interviewing for a tech related job. The second interview was a grueling 8 hours! I was subjected to a "psychological" interview with a woman who could not confirm her personal credentials (meaning: she was not a licensed or papered psychologist). At that point I was getting suspicious but I already had so much lost time invested I stayed to the end. I was then finally given a "tech test" and passed with a perfect score (it was a very elementary tech test). Finally I was interviewed by a "team" of managers who were more interested in my marital status and what I did in my off time than my technical abilities and skills. (I later checked inquiring regarding ones maritial status is illegal during a job interview so is asking if I had children or was pregnant which they also asked). This questioning was explained as the position required alot of travel and initial training. I was exhausted mentally when I left but was offered the position and told to call the HR guy back the next day to firm up the salary and details. When I called back at the appointed time then next day I was told they were restructuring the position to a "more sales" oriented one than technical and wanted someone with more sales background. I attribute this to the fact I refused to answer the maritial and children questions by stating "are those questions allowed during an interview". I guess I dodged a MAJOR bullet by not qualifying for that job!!!!

This stuff is freaky! I am from Pittsburgh PA and I noticed that this cult, er I mean this scientology is trying to infiltrate in the city on the east coast as well. Several times they put out a full 2 page 'ad' in the City Paper (a local free rag. The type font was so tiny you could barely read it, it had about 100 questions on it. I looked in the corner and in tiny letters it said, "Scientology" and it has an address on East Carson street. Oh no! It's an ALIEN INVASION!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! What sort of name is L Ron Hubbard anyway, sounds like a squash or pumpkin.

A woman who used to live in my apartment building was a true blue scientolgist. She gave me the literature to look at and I found it to be juvenile at best.

I have no understanding why she was so hooked into this scam. Her children go to the school run by these fanatics.

Why do people join these wierd cults?

John

I am Sherri's mother. Her dad and I have always supported her and we always will. Sherri was raised in a very small rural town in New Mexico. When she was 3 she colored all the walls in her bedroom, as high as she could reach, with crayons. When asked why she did that she said, "I coloring my world". Well... we let her and that is what she has done ever since is color her world!

When it came time for college Sherri wanted to go to Emerson in Boston. 2000 miles away from home. Did we want to stop her? Yes, but as parents concerned about the woman she was becoming we didn't. Her first week of college was September 11th. More than ever we wanted her home! But, she stayed and she survived 3 Patriot victories and the historical Red Sox.

Sherri graduated a lot wiser and more aware of the world around her than she had been in New Mexico. She headed to California. Art was still the sustenance of her life.

You know the above story and yes, she called home several nights crying and wondering what she should do. She hung it out however and started teaching art. Wow, she really liked teaching and she liked the kids. She was good too and she received several commendations for her work from the very people who suspended her.

I know that despite this setback Sherri will still succeed with art, because it has always been her dream and she will persevere!

Heinlein won the spirit of the bet.

Scientology is just like L Ron Howard's books. Pure science fiction. Get a clue people!!!!

Don't even let their talons get within miles of you.
In the 70's I was drawn in by a street hawker in San Fran and gave them my name and address. They sent mail to me at that address every month for years (hand written) until a bulldozer tore down the building - literally.

i just started working for a WISE mandated company last week. i will say, the interview was nothing suspicious, until the HR person i was interviewing with mentioned that they follow L. Rons 'management technology'. that obviously hit a nerve immediately. but i continued nonetheless, as i've been unemployed for 8 months. i continued with the interview, everything going well and it gets to the 'test' part. of course consisting of iq test, personality, as a third which i don't remember exactly. 2 1/2 hours later i was finished, went home, then out to run errands. then received a call from the HR person i interviewed with and this person says, 'i know this is a weird question, but were you hungry or tired when you took the tests today?', although i was neither, i said, 'maybe a tad hungry.' they replied, 'well i need you to come back.' they would not tell me exactly why i needed to come back. a second call to them, on my way back, still got no answer as to the reason. when i get there, i find out that my personality test came back inconclusive, therefore i needed to take it over again. 200 questions later, i left feeling like i would not get the job. to my surprise, i got the job and was excited because i need work badly. a couple of days later, i got the job offer.

after filling out all my contracts and such, which included confidentiality clauses, and how no one would attempt to convert me to scientology 'while on the premises', i begin their 'basic hat' training. pretty much the basics of the management syle that they indoctrine. although i'm not quite complete with this part of the training and do not know what may come next, i am a bit worried.

I am living her expereince right now. I wasn't sure who was doing this to me, but after reading this I know. That's all I can say.

The Vorlog race from planet Zepton 34 will make you pay for this blasphomy! The Government is WRONG and so are YOU!!! They're mistaken and we have proof in here. Inquire for details...if your psyche is ready...all will be enlightened. ALL WILL BE ENLIGHTENED!!!!! ...WITHOUT demands of remuneration, prejudices, or consequence!!!!!! You will not understand untill you are CLEAR!!! Those who aren't will be devoured by a million Blorgs!!!!!!!!

Oh, look. Scientology is bull shit. Again.

No offense, Ebner, because I really, really like some of the pieces you've done, but you're kind of turning into a one trick pony. Outside of the gossip pieces, it seems like just about everything meaty you put on the site is on the same tangent. Anyone who reads it already gets it.

Go live in LA, you'll understand.

Out here in real life, no one pays attention to Scientology, but in the bubble world of LA, they get all kinds of attention and are very important.

Telling Ebner he is paying too much attention to Scientology is like telling the DC Bureau chief for the LA Times that they are paying too much attention to Dick Cheney.

Thanks for weighing in there pal, but it's kind of like this: Hollywood/Scientollywood - not much difference. Have you ever lost a loved one to a cult? Or, worse yet, to an acting career? I don't think you really "get it."

Being an East Coast person I cannot weigh in on the Hollywood connection, but ever since reading Ebner's piece in SPY I was floored.

I couldn't believe the Scientology shit, and it is 10 years later and it is more pervasive than ever.

Is there any solution to this crazy fucking thing? Is there anyway to stop this cult?

I don't know why but personally, I find this shit fascinating. It's like one of those TV shows where they chronicle the use of crystal meth. Like many others, I find myself asking "Why the fuck does one get into that sort of thing? Don't they know better?" Then again, I know that people can be talked into anything given enough reasoning as to what's in it for them.

My main question is how do people knowingly get sucked into that world when everyone around them can see that it's a bad thing. You hear talk about "something not feeling right" and the proponents being weird in a way that people "can't put their fingers on," but it seems like these insular beliefs can't go unnoticed. It's like meeting a group of women, and their friends pulling their girl away because a dude gives off that "loser" vibe. At least that's how it seems to me. What happened to this mechanism, and why doesn't it work with respect to these groups?

This is the part that's a stretch for me to get my mind around. I mean, living on the east coast you don't trust most people--not even the ones you know. I know I'm oversimplifying, but that's what I see here. How can someone with a reasonable level of intelligence (and money, as it seems some of these people are milked out of THOUSANDS of dollars) get duped by these clowns? Can any of you LA residents speak on this? Tucker?

ow do people get wrapped up in this sort of shit? Easy, they prey on the weak and vulnerable.

Here's a link to a decent article on cult recruiting practices.

http://www.watchman.org/cults/cultrecruitingmethods.htm

"How do people get wrapped up in this sort of shit? Easy, they prey on the weak and vulnerable."

Now HERE'S a statement that could easily apply to ANY religion.

I called the media relations department of Scientology, posing as an AP reporter to ask them questions about "cult recruitment practices" that I read in a weblog. They asked "Are you speaking of Mr. Ebner's article?"

So if the "weak and vulnerable" join the church errr cult, are they miraculously transformed through indoctrination into "strong and invulnerable" people, who then go on to overachieve?

It's the real life equivalent of an email chain letter, you know the kind, that "have been round the world multiple times" and are guaranteed to vex you with bad luck unless you send it to 15 people immediately.

The way I see it, at least people who have been associated with christianity are at least willng to fight for their belief.

I grew up in the same fucking town as ramtha It was not Tacoma, it was Yelm WA. Research it, google it, do what you have to do. These people are the most weak minded, wealthy, and stupid people I have ever met. We as normal people from a small town hate all these fuckers. People pay $1000 a weekend to go listen to her and be fucking retards who sleep in copper pyramids or whatever it is. Ramtha was the prequel to scientology. If you think scientology people are nuts, you should meet rammies. They are even fucking goofier. I would give up my life to see 1000 of these retards burn in whatever it is you burn in when you are stupid.

People join these groups because they are desperate. They are either desperate for human acceptance (there are thousands of Scientologists, maybe if I join they will love me!), or desperate for success (Tom Cruise and John Travolta are Scientologists, maybe if I join they can help advance my shitty acting career!) These kinds of people tend to be very easy to brainwash--just look at how many single guys have been duped much in the same way by goldigging women.

Unfortunately, Hollywood seems to be a breeding ground for the desperate and functionally retarded. And, as they say, you should never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

"Is there any solution to this crazy fucking thing? Is there anyway to stop this cult?"

Logic. Independent thought. All the shit that's kept you out of it thus far.

Cult mentality is beautifully illustrated by James Randi's exposure of that piece of shit evangelist Peter Popov on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

Randi and his friend figured out how Popov and his partner were faking their cold reads at tent revivals. Earpieces, and his cunt of a wife in the booth describing how the marks were dressed and what personal information they'd unwittingly given up to staff posing as attendees.

So here you have Popov astounding revivalists with all this John Edwards-style nonsense, and people falling over each other trying to line the collection plate, believing that Popov is moved by divine inspiration. Meanwhile, the missus is making jokes about "fat, dumb n*ggers" in the crowd, and cackling like a fucking bitch with Popov's partner's wife.

Randi goes on Carson and plays the tape, with the foul language edited out. But it's clear that these guys are cheats and liars and generally the lowest of the low preying on the weakest of the weak.

Evidently, after the episode ran, the network was inundated with phonecalls from people looking for the mailing address of the Popov Ministry to send him money.

People believe whatever they need to when they have nothing else, and are happy to pay for the delusion.

And the knucklehead in the HI article? Come on. She knew straight up it was bullshit and went anyway. I'm not saying she deserved to get put through the ringer by a bunch of toolbag mindfuckers, but her instincts signalled danger and she ignored them. There's your saving grace -- listen to your own fucking head, heart, and stomach, if that South Park episode wasn't educational enough.

I don't know how true it is, and I can't find the link -- maybe somebody else has seen it -- but there was a snippet out a few years ago about how Tom Cruise interviewed candidates for his wife. Namely Scarlett Johansson, and Thora Birch. Both of them got one whiff of Scientology and were like, Uh, yeah, we're rolling. Enter little dumbass Joey Potter whose series was ending and had nothing else on her plate, and BAM! Suddenly Tommy C.'s polesmoking is sidelined in favor of a straight-guy media circus.

I just don't get how anyone falls for this kind of shit. I mean, don't you come to a point where suddenly you can't suppress the laughter anymore, and when all the droids look at you blankly and the circuitry beneath their faceplates starts buzzing, you run like hell?

***

I got a real nice anon rep about this post, but it warns against underestimating the power of mind control.

Living in Communist China, yeah, I'd say one is subjected to a fair amount of mind control at the hands of a crazy ass dictatorial government.

But in the U.S., you have access to every newspaper in the world, libraries, reference books, the internet, school teachers, and college professors. And a zillion other people and resources are a phone call away.

Now if you're just willfully ignorant enough to walk around all these buildings and people en route to cult HQ, then you can't cry "mind control" after they empty your bank accounts or call you fat or whatever it is these glorified cafeteria bullies do to crush your self esteem.

Scientology is not a state-sactioned activity, it's a ruse. Their founder stole what, $200 million dollars from the "church" and did time? As a sentient human being, it's your duty to find this shit out. It is not the responsibility of the rest of the nation to do your thinking for you. Nor is it our responsibility to lend an empathetic ear or open wallet when you fall into only the most obvious trap short of the grapefruit diet.

No dis to native Californians or any left coasters with properly firing neurons, but there's a reason Scientology is so prevalent in Hollywood. It's where the highest concentration of bored wealthy people, and lost souls converge. No Hubbard follower worth his salt would waste his time in South Central, the Texas panhandle, the DC suburbs, any Indian reservation, the Bronx, or Camden, New Jersey. And WHY?! 'Cause there's no money to dupe people out of.

So, whatever the fuck Lord Xenu decries today, there's no changing the simple fact that 1 + 1 still equals 2.

When will people stop with this religion silliness and wake up to reality? Sigh...

http://scientology.chrisbox.com - An effort to get "The Bridge" seen by many.

"The Bridge" is a movie that Scientology does not want seen and has harrassed the filmmaker into removing with PIs and threats.

There are many copies currently on googlevideo...

Mark you lost it

fuck her! she is a scieno! let her die, like you all want them to fucking die!
talk movies for once

I applied for a finance job many years ago. Late nineties at the Eagle Rock/Glendale location. When I interviewed they asked me about my marital status, if I was interested in men, if I were willing to "make new friends", if I had many friends and was I close to them or could I exist without them. They also made a "joke" about creating a friendship with a male employee. I was dumbstruck when I heard all of this and I thought something is either terribly wrong with these people or they have taken the "artist lifestyle" to a new dimension. They definately did not care about my qualifications for the job since they seemed deeply interested in my personal life. They asked me to fill out some paper work and took me to another room to do it. I sat at the end of a table and filled it out. When I got to the end I noticed that it stated " we subscribe to the L. Ron Hubbard system of management". I thought, uh oh. (My family had a long history trying to shake Flag flyers from being sent to the house for 30 years after agreeing to go on an orientation only back in the 60's). Then I thought I would give them the benefit of the doubt and said to myself " maybe there's nothing wrong w/ the management system. They then asked if I would be willing to take a test. I said okay. I could not believe what I was looking at. I was looking at the Scientology personality test or some perverted version of what I had heard about. I remember some of the questions were "do you get a warm glowing feeling at the sight of children?". There were several questions regarding my reproductive "nature". The list went on and I began to get nervous and a little sick to my stomach. After I finished, they took it and asked me to wait a few more minutes (it took about an hour to fill out their form). They came back and said "Can you start on Monday?" and I said "yes" but inside I was screaming "get out of here". I opened the screen door and walked around the corner only to run as fast as I could to my car. I was mortified that I came that close to these people. When I got home I talked to a friend who recommended that I call the FBI, which I did and reported that they were using Mission Ren. for recruitment. The FBI said they didn't think there was much that they could do but they did take my statement.

Another thing on the scientologists that I learned about was when I worked at a bookstore in Hollywood, CA in the early 90's. Several men in business suits would come in and purchase all of the L. Ron Hubbard books. We were instructed to box them all up. When I asked my manager about it he said they did this all of the time so that they would move up the best seller list.

I have to say that I am angry that this is still going on. I didn't have much faith in the FBI being able to do much about it but I tried to inform them nonetheless.

Don't you get weird vibes from those who claim to be duped and brainwashed? I can't think that the washwater had much particulate matter in it to show for having been used.

Hell, I'd go through it all just to play with their altry miinds.

And the Scientologist realized that he was duped by the Con Artist. And the Scientologist said "Ron, Why did you do this to me, bring me to this room and locked me in, Ron I would but I cannot and will not place all the blame on you, for I was weak, I was without direction, I had never been taught how to see the 'Con' in front of me, now inside of it, I'm am learning to see through the Con." And a light shone in the darkened room. And the Scientologist found that this light was called 'Internet', and the 'Internet' led him to the key, and the Scientologist with key in hand, began the slow extrication process. Scientologist, stop the 'Internet' before it crumbles your house of cards, If you cannot, Your house of cards crumbles, even now as you read this. "Now", said the enlightened Scientologist, "What if we were to purify this imaginated religion of ours, drop the practice of black dianetics, seek no longer to control and enslave the minds of men, respect man and allow him to seek his path of freedom outside of the theoretical contruct of "Hubbardism", could we then have a new Scientology. Yes, I believe a New Scientology could arise from the death of this old Scientology that all rightly thinking men see clearly to be Ungodly, and enslaving. Mr. Hubbard should not be faulted for creating a religion, every man should create his own personal religion. However, No man should use mind control to get others to practice his particular brand of religion.

We have them here in London. They're on a recruiment drive, handing out flyers inviting people to attend for 'testing'!

We're just as dumb on this side of the Atlantic!

What is the difference between established religions and any "cult" such as Scientology? Since both established religions and cults ask followers to believe ridiculous, impossible, non-scientific and non-historic narratives, the only variable would seem to be duration: established religions have been around a long time and cults are much newer.

All religions are considered cults when they are new.

The idea that Scientologists hang out in Hollywood because that's where the money is could hardly be more laughable. You can't imagine that anyone who lives here and has any money is out WALKING anywhere, especially on Hollywood Blvd! Puh-leeze! The Scientologists are bagging tourists on Hollywood Boulevard's "Walk of Fame." And how gormless would you have to be to actually take a "personality test" handed to you by a street hawker??

It's as dumb as MENSA...the purportedly high-IQ society. All these people clumping together are good at taking IQ tests but apparently not so good at living well. If you really wanted to hang with your high-IQ peers you'd be working in a research lab along with all the other Curies, Einsteins, Sabins, Salks and Hawkings. If you were really so smart, you wouldn't have to join a club for smarties: you'd just drive around in your red Jag convertible and everyone would know.

Water seeks its own level. All of these folks have found each other. Makes life easier for the rest of us that they prefer each other's company.

No person engages in behavior that doesn't provide a payoff or satisfaction of some sort greater than the investment of time and money required to participate. This is true of relationships, religions, work and pastimes. Just because I think Scientology, like most religions, is idiotic, doesn't mean its adherents don't get a lot from it. Even if they are dumb clucks.

My friend worked for Earthlink, where lots of people were scientologists. I went with her several times.

People get drawn in because everyone wants to find that Panacea - this is what you're suffering from, we recognize it, and we know how to help you through it.

Thanks for recognizing that native Angelenos are different than the Hollywood entertainment crowd - I think the difference is the non-natives have a much smaller and weaker support system...of course they're better prey.

Additionally, scientology hides behind the idea that it's a religion, so if you say something in judgement about it, you are a bigot - nevermind the pyramid scheme.

I've often wanted to begin my own sect - a sect that preaches logic and critical thinking. This is why the mormons, scientologists and jehova's witnesses are gaining territory while critical thinking is losing it (sorry to group them all the same; I do not consider scientology a religion...I guess the other two are more cultish, anyway).

Let us walk door to door to people's houses and show them pretty picture books with geometrical proofs and scientific wonders...let us open their minds with glorious logic and wondrous critical thinking. All mysteries will be deciphered, and they will feel smart and powerful.

Okay, enough of this fantasy...The reality is that if people want to give away all their money because they think it will make them feel better - we have to let them.

I applied to this company and It was stranger than fiction.

They are Scientologists!

I found myself in what seemed to be an excecutive board room. Filled with many other applicants for art teaching jobs. Most of which had never drawn or painted anything in their life. I was given an application at least twenty pages in length. All of which had very little to do with professional job experience. More so, it asked very personal/psychological questions about my life. I was then called into an office for the interview. I was told that any experience in art is not a prerequisite for the job. In fact, that they preferred people with NO art training. Later in the interrview, I discovered that the woman interviewer was one of the teachers who trains the newly hired art instructors. She had never drawn a picture in her life prior to (MR) Mission Renaissance. In addition I was told that instructors and what they call "program directors" must sign a contract. For instructors/assistants, it was in the range of 1-1 1/2 years and directors 5 years. If one were to break this contract, they would have to pay "The Mission" Mission Renaissance for their training. The training, was of a particular method of the company's founder Larry Gluck. Whom, she stated was a world renowned artist. I felt somewhat naive, I have been studying art and art history for over 15 years and I had never heard of this artist or method. The interview had apparently gone well and I was scheduled for a second.

I was definitely unsure about making such a long term commitment to a company I knew nothing about. My first impression was not a good one, so I decided to do a little background research and uncovered a number of ambiguities.

The teaching "methodology" has less to do with the learning of art, and is more relative to scientology's reknowned "Personality Tests" and "auditing". Very 50's "how-to"...

The only actual Gluck artwork I could find was predominantly on his own websites. I did find one piece on E-bay, and the collector described him as an Impressionist? It was a pretty generic watercolor of an idealized islander of sorts. I found yet another Gluck piece on exhibition at my local Out of the Closet goodwill store. It would seem the artist truly has a fascination with exotic vacations, and grand scenery dipicted on foreign soil. In terms of craft and how these works were rendered, they appear rigid, uniform, and lack any attention to negative space. A kind of fill in the blanks methodology that lacks depth and richness. This was quite the disappointment.

This company specializes in teaching children.
If your an artist looking for work, or a parent, I hope you will take the time to research MR before deciding to apply or place your child in this environment.

It would seem that "The Mission" is Scientology.
A revival of what they call "tradition", is sadly, an incomplete recollection of history, specifically "the renaissance".
Instructors and Program Directors, need not have a degree or background of any kind in the arts. This may be a plus, for those whom would like to teach art, but have never actually made it. The Mission: would prefer, people who are young and impressionable. Both their employees and their students will be subjected to Scientology. As well as their misguided perception of art, which is completely contrary to historical references: of various movements in art, artists, and the most basic foundations in art history, but most importantly, it's own dogma.

I believe the difference between a "cult" and a "religion" is that being in a cult requires giving them money, whereas in a religion joining is free.

Look into Rhys Hovey's mind control abuse case, and you may see the end to Scientology in the US and Canada. I think he's the "last straw".

Hi Rhys Hovey here again. I would like to inform whomever is reading this, that I now have recordings of the ultrasound weapon that is being used on myself, 2 of my friends and many other people around the US and Canada. This is being done simply as mafia like, high tech torture and murder, and no doubt will be blamed on "national security", and hidden behind "mind control" propaganda, and Hollywood like lies, online, and on TV. These recordings can be found at www.youtube.com/rhyspaulhovey ,.. really,.. I am a video games engineer,. I'm NO threat to national security,. just like your little sons and daughters, a toy maker. Please be aware that these crimes are getting VERY out of hand,. and have nothing to do with your safety,. but only to restrict your freedoms and kill for money,. we can show this,. In December of 2007,. this same EM/ultrasound computer system (yes it's a really big expensive, computerized, satalite weapons/surveillance system lockheed martin style) was used on a WestJest airplane, that I was one, going from Vancouver-Toronto. This put the lives of 50-60 people at risk. Why? Do you really think that the FBI/CIA who are simply covering up these murders really care about you? asking your sons and daughters to die for them. I'm a video games programmer for crying out loud. Please help stop the mafia from pretending to be the NSA or whatever and caring about you,. the real victims can easily show you that they do not.

fuck scientology