Critical Q&A

The weekly show where I answer questions from viewers left in the comments section of my Q&A videos or sent to me by email at askchrisshelton@gmail.com. This week, the questions I answer are:

(1) Hi Chris! First, just letting you know that your videos are awesome! Second, I had a question with regards to how Scientology operates in different countries, specifically in the UK. I live in the UK and have not encountered Scientology, but wondered if one would notice a difference going to a Church of Scientology based in the U.S. and as opposed to a Church of Scientology based in the UK? I appreciate that you may not know unless you’ve been to a UK based Church? Thanks.

(2) Seeing as Scientologists seem convinced Hubbard will “return,” evidenced by the home awaiting him at their base in California and offices prepared for him at all orgs; what do you think would happen if someone showed up claiming to be Hubbard reincarnated?

Also, Miscavage is no “spring chicken.” Do they have, or do you think there is any succession plan? If so, what might it be? Hard to imagine Miscavage has any intention of ever stepping aside, but he isn’t getting any younger. His health could deteriorate, especially if he’s an addicted smoker as so many in the cult seem to be, or have been. I question if they receive regular health check ups or get regular medical care.

(3) There have been many high-profile exposés of Scientology, recently including the Emmy-winning HBO documentary Going Clear. Similar accounts have come up time and again through the history of Scientology; how were public-relations flaps (TV or newspaper series, public protests, unflattering news stories, etc.) experienced by you when they occurred? Are staffers informed about such things or shielded from them? Did they alter your work assignments in any way?

(4) I know that Scientologists are against drugs and medicines in general, but was curious about their stance on drinking alcohol. I understand you are not supposed to drink before session or while on the Purification Rundown, but is it considered okay to drink recreationally at all? Also, what about smoking? From what I hear, there are a lot of Scientologists who smoke, including David Miscavige, so wouldn’t they see that is hypocritical, as it is a type of drug too?

(5) Hi Chris, thanks for the great videos. Hubbard claimed that by doing Dianetics and Scientology processes, ordinary people could become super-beings. According to Mr. Hubbard a Dianetic Clear is able to completely recall everything which has ever happened to him or anything he has ever studied; able to do mental computations, such as those of chess, for example, which a normal would do in a half an hour, in ten or fifteen seconds; able to think spontaneously not merely “vocally;” has a vigor, persistence and tenacity to life much higher than anyone has thought possible; etc. According to Mr. Hubbard, an Operating Thetan can levitate objects, read minds, view remote locations and events, communicate over long distances, predict the future, cure himself of serious illnesses like cancer, remember past lives, etc. So Chris, here is my question: do Dianetic Clears and Scientology OTs have these god-like powers? If not, why don’t Scientologists see they don’t have them, wise up and leave?

(6) In one of your Q&A-videos you talk about why Scientologists were not allowed to talk about theirs sessions. You mentioned the example of two people thinking they had been Cesar and Cleopatra, remember? Now in 30 years of Scientology, one thing that I was totally sure of was having lived before this life. The first time this belief received a fissure was when I met an auditor in the cafeteria one day. He uttered a big sigh.

Me: Why are you sighing?“
Auditor: Oh, I have just been auditing yet another Jesus Christ for hours!“
Me: So what makes you sigh about that?“
Auditor: I have audited a few hundred of Jesus’s I think so far! It is really boring!“

Now that made me really think whether these “memories of past lives“ aren’t really mere projections, images or something like one also would see when taking psychotropic drugs. How else could you explain that so many people would believe having been Jesus Christ in a former life? Another doubt kicked in when I had a burn-out two years ago which erased a great part of my memories. So when “theta facsimiles“ really existed they wouldn’t be wiped out by a depression or burn-out, right? So I come more and more to the conclusion, that this whole concept of thetans living in different bodies is another pseudo-scientific nonsense as so many other parts of the teachings. I can imagine that there is some sort of a yet undiscovered “life-energy“ yet are afraid that all of my personal grandeur and splendidness one day will be eaten by worms, like everybody else’s.

As this concept of previous lives is one of the basic collars of Scientology (and many other religions) I would be really curious how you see it today with some years of distance from this indoctrination?

(7) I did not know that the church cancelled people’s auditing levels such as Clear. Was this just another money making scheme by COB (Crime Organization Boss David Miscavige)? How can this be squared with the idea of Standard Tech which is supposed to have been nailed down solid before LRH had died? I know of others who went Clear and they did not have their levels invalidated. How did they decide who was going to have their levels cancelled? Since we are hearing that the org’s stats are crashing, aren’t the staff constantly in danger or lower, eating rice and beans, getting half or no pay and having very poor morale?

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