Critical Q&A

This week, it’s a detailed breakdown of how past-life memories are recalled in Scientology, some comments about OSA staff members, facts vs beliefs and a lot more. Enjoy!

(1) I have a question about past lives. I really want to understand how people start to think about past lives. For example, if you asked me to go back earlier and earlier in my memory, no matter how much I tried, I would not remember anything before this life. I could make something up, but I would never ever fool myself that this is real. I understand that maybe Scientology says that anything you think of is actually something you lived before and/or those may be the memories of your BTs (please let me know if this is wrong). Perhaps these explanations are how they get around the problem of “making it up,” but I still don’t understand how you can go about looking into your past lives. For example, Grant Cardone says that he knows he is an immortal spiritual being because he went back and looked in his past lives, he knows who he was, what he did. Can you help me understand this process? Nothing is impossible in life, but I feel like I would never be able to convince myself that what I am making up as I go are my past lives. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

(2) From what I have deduced by watching you and Aaron Smith-Levin and others, I can only assume there are Scientologists that are monitoring all this material and watched “Going Clear” and have to spy on Leah Remini’s podcast and anyone talking out about Scientology, maybe even go as far as to have to transcribe them in a report. What I’m wondering is who gets to be exposed to this and what would they make of it? I would think that obviously they would think of you guys as liars and SPs and would not believe one word you said, but what happens when they get to OT 3 or 7 or 8 and have watched the Jason Beghe video and see that they were being completely accurate? How can they be so hardcore to not question it? Someone has to be sitting in the room writing reports on everything you say? I could be wrong but it makes me wonder… Anyways thanks!

(3) This is totally a non-religious type question but I suppose it applies to literally everything we believe is a fact. I’m truly just interested in the technical aspect of the word “fact” and how it is applied in the world. I use Merriam-Webster as my source for word definitions though Oxford dictionary is about the same. 

I have a premise that you don’t know for a fact what date you were born on. It’s my opinion, our parents can know our true birthdate, however we as individuals can only believe we know our own birthdate based on information from others. We cannot prove when we were born without belief nor have firsthand knowledge of the date we were born on, so it does not fit the dictionary definition of a fact. 

If you believe you know for a fact, when you were born, please explain your reasoning.

(4) What do Scientologists think about getting the COVID shot? Are they for it or against it? I asked a Scientologist I know & he said he was probably not going to get it even if he had the opportunity which I thought might be his way of saying it might go against Scientology policy. What are your thoughts?

(5) I know this is a hypothetical exercise, but do you ever stop to wonder how the whole ‘movement’ of Scientology might have panned out had it not come under the iron grip of David Miscavige?  You have mentioned in the past, for example, that it was at least possible for a lower-level Scientologist to make a bit of profit from the old-style missions. Also, I’ve been looking through ‘Captain Bill’s “messages from outer space” lately and they at least have the merit of being highly imaginative, idealistic and entertaining! Ultimately, of course, they are still yet another set of mad ramblings, but I can’t help thinking that, following the death of LRH, this kind of material might have flourished if the membership had gone in a more loosely-organised direction.  Can you imagine such an ‘alternative’ history, such that we would almost be able to see the ‘religion’ as endearingly ‘kooky’ today, rather than plain old nasty & manipulative?  Or have I myself indulged in pure fantasy, here?!  I write all this as a deeply-fascinated ‘Never-In.’

(6) What character would you be in the Dungeons and Dragons universe?

(7) Chris, are you familiar with the 5 elements of post-crisis adjustment, namely Denial, Anger, Blame, Acceptance, Resolution (DABAR)?  Have you gone through these yourself?  Also, where is Marty Rathbun on this chart? Is his “resolution” to take a payout from Scientology and pretend to support something he does not?

(8) I recently watched Star Trek Discovery, first 2 seasons only. I noticed today in my Netflix DVD queue (yes, that is till a thing and yes I still subscribe) that season 1 of Picard is on the way for me to watch on DVD. My question for you is, have you watched either or both of these newest ST series and what are your thoughts on them? How would you rate all the TV only ST shows from best to worst and maybe why?