Critical Q&A

This week, it’s answers about hypnotic trance in auditing, volunteering for the Aftermath Foundation, what is it that makes Scientologists think such ridiculous nonsense is true and a lot more. Enjoy!

(1) One thing that I’ve been thinking about recently is the possibility of implanted hypnotic messages installed during auditing . I was thinking back to when I was a Scientologist, a friend of mine was bragging about the fact he was in session for over two hours and didn’t remember anything that went on. Has it ever worried you that a hypnotic command was implanted without your knowledge?

(2) You recently interviewed Katherine Olson, who left the Sea Org last year. In her interview, she mentioned getting assistance from an Aftermath Foundation volunteer. This got me curious: what’s involved in becoming such a volunteer? The Aftermath Foundation’s Web site, for obvious reasons, is very basic: “write to us and let us know what kind of help you are willing to provide”. But there has to be more to it, right? Otherwise, there will be OSA plants in the system, if not right away, then eventually. Or am I being paranoid?

(3) At what point did you or people in general cross the line in Scientology whereby they accept the entire story hook line and sinker to the degree where all of the cosmology is acceptable and you are willing to remortgage your home max out your credit cards in what seems to be an unquenchable thirst to obtain as much Scientology as possible. It seems to me this is not too dissimilar from alcoholism or drug addiction whereby you just have to keep getting more or have I got that wrong because there seems to be no end to what people are prepared to do to get as much Scientology as possible.

(4) I want to know more about your courseroom supervisor experience. What were you like as a course supervisor? Were you strict or laid back? Did you make sure chitchat was kept to a minimum or did you enjoy having a laugh with students? Did you look out for people yawning, zoning out and then help that person find their misunderstood? What were the people in the courseroom like? Did you ever have someone disagree with what they were reading and tell you so?  Did anyone ever say that what they were reading or doing was nonsense? Did anyone ever walk out of the class annoyed? Did some students look excited to be there and loved everything they read? Were there days when the classroom was empty? Were the days when you had a full class and was that a good feeling when you saw that? 

(5) In a recent Critical Clip, you were talking about Sea Org staff at local Orgs.  You mentioned a position, that is in part, in charge of advertising.  What type of advertising do they do?  I have lived in the Twin Cities (MN) all my life, and I have never seen a billboard or heard a radio commercial for Scientology.  I presume they must do more than just wait for someone to walk into the local org.