Critical Q&A

The show where I answer questions left in the comments section of my Q&A videos or sent by email to AskChrisShelton@gmail.com. This week, the questions I take up are:

(1) One thing I’ve got on my mind is the As-Isness, exact duplicate, no two things can occupy the same time place basis of getting rid of mass in the mind. Can you explain this?

(2) I have heard and read a lot about the RPF, but I am still not fully clear about it. Yes, people are made to run, not talk to anyone, work very hard, eat scraps, sleep on the floor, a guard is at the locked door and there are bars on the windows. It is like a bad prison, with heavy work program during the day. But can a person, if they make up their mind, simply say: I am not going to oblige and I demand that I be let out? The church maintains it is voluntary, and it seems to me that there is some truth to that in the sense that people do not refuse to go to the RPF and believe they need to do it, for their own good. I understand that they are brainwashed, but I want to assume that someone is not (or have come to their senses) and demands to be let out. What will the church do in that instance? Will they use physical force to keep someone locked? Will they threaten use of physical force?

(3) Hello, Chris. I listened with interest your eval of Scn auditing as a form of hypnotism. Though I logged in years of countless hours in auditing sessions, I’ve never considered the hypnotic aspect and how that might have affected me. And it brought up a question in mind: How would you compare Scn auditing with an e-meter to the old fashioned Book One auditing using the Dianetics book only? This may be a little too “inside baseball” for your average viewer, but I’d appreciate your perspective.

(4) I need to make clear that I am not asking about David Miscavige, as he is a whole other issue, as he can do whatever he wants to people. I am looking for a general membership Sea Org view. I have gotten some mixed impressions of how Scientology handles broken policies and rules. Given what I have read, it seems to me that Scientology is all about working lists/steps, in order, and this includes punishment. One example, the Suppressive Person letter I once looked up, said something like, if you do Steps A-E, then you can come back to the Church. Also several comments you made about the RPF gave me the feeling that you know you have broken rule X, so you do steps 1-10, you’re forgiven and all is well. This sounds almost impartial. Elsewhere you, and others, talk about how “arbitrary” everything is and that it takes a lot of “sucking up.” So I wonder, which is it? If you were magically (yes, I know it is impossible) able to follow all the rules, would that mean you would never get into any trouble, or are you at the mercy of those above or around you? When you do break a rule, is the process of forgiveness a step by step impartial system, or is it up the whims and moods of those above or around you?

(5) Why are none of Scientology’s books available for e-readers? Are they just that behind the technology curve, or do they just want to max out their printing plant? Granted, some of Hubbard’s fiction is so available.

(6) Just curious as to who gets the money if I should buy a book like Battlefield Earth from Amazon or Google Books. Does it go to the publisher, church or to someone like his heir Jamie DeWolf (or a combination of these)? Not sure how the rules work in the US.

(7) I’m an ex staff member and I’m so glad I’m out of that junk. My question is, with all the glaring contradictions in Scientology, how is it that no staff seem to see them? They are so obvious and they’re everywhere. The one that blows my mind is that LRH says think for yourself, but then when you do and ask questions you find yourself in ethics. It’s hilarious!

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