This is the audio version of Chris Shelton's weekly Critical Question and Answer show on his YouTube channel. In this show, Chris answers questions posed by viewers in the comments section of his Q&A videos or sent by email to AskChrisShelton@gmail.com. Questions cover a wide range of topics but tend to focus on Scientology and critical thinking, as well as Chris' personal experiences with and in the Church of Scientology.
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Critical Q&A #435
And we’re back for 2024! This week, it’s answers about exchange and money in Scientology, fear induction in cults, the cult mindset and outsiders, plus a lot more. Enjoy!
(1) If Scientology is so intent on clearing the planet, why would they not offer Scientology services for free as presumably that would get the job done a hell of a lot quicker than the almost nonexistent progress they are currently making. Do you think Scientologists feel that because they’re paying for it, they will achieve their goals quicker than if it was free? Does their mind believe paying for it makes it better than if it was free?
(2) I was wondering if you could share a bit more on induced phobias in cults. After much reading it seems like one of the key ways they get you in. Not just love bombing, but sharply and suddenly introducing a phobia. When I got into Scientology, I never had the concept of the universe blowing up or I had to save my eternity or else. To say nothing of KSW. F U Ron. Thx for nothing.
(3) What is Hill 10 in Scientology?
(4) I’m about three quarters of the way through your book and it has really opened my eyes: what a fantastic read. I’ve been reading other sources from a Christian aspect, saying that the further up the Bridge you go the more it questions those sort of beliefs saying that really God is a lie. That questions Scientology itself as its meant to be a spiritual embodiment having religious overtones. What a contradiction! Also I’ve read reports that LRH was meant to be this fantastic selfless character but this couldn’t be further from the truth. He was actually quite a trouble-maker. So why do Scientologists believe there is nothing better than Scientology? Wouldn’t this invalidate anything a non Scientologist has to say which goes for the vast majority of the planet? How come Scientology hasn’t cleared the planet like it says it’s supposed to?
(5) I’m a bit confused in regards to the term “mental image pictures”. According to Hubbard, every engram that gets stored in the reactive mind creates a mental image picture, and through auditing, engrams get run through and transferred to the analytic mind where they become memories rather than engrams. What happens to the mental image picture? When someone achieves the state of clear, they should have total recall of everything that ever happened to them over the course of the whole track right? Are the mental image pictures stored in the analytical mind also? Another related question is what happens to engrams once someone starts the OT levels? Are they preoccupied with exorcising their body thetans and assume they’ve gotten rid of all their engrams?