dbloch7986

Occasionally, I'll get a troll come by or something online to try to ruin my day. But mostly they haven't messed with me too much. I am so sorry for what you went through. Unfortunately, there are lots of organizations that discourage people who need it from getting necessary medical treatments. This kind of behavior is tolerated WAY too much in the US. It's crazy how much we allow people to push pseudoscience as a cure for illnesses. It makes me angry every time I hear of a cancer patient stopping chemo in favor of using crystals and holy water.

Honestly, I think that shit is amazing. For both of them to put themselves out there in the public eye is just awesome. Especially, Rinder. He was the head of the most vicious part of the organization. He knows where at least some of the bodies are buried and he faces criticism from former members like me and current members as well.

When I first joined I was working about 10 hours a day doing all kinds of manual labor and janitorial work. The other 6 hours I would study stuff written by Hubbard. Then shower and sleep. There were a couple of meals in-between.

After this I worked 17 - 24 hours a day (occasionally went several days without sleep) for 365 days a year.

I moved to working in the basement of the Advanced Organization of Los Angeles where I was responsible for computerizing their central files. These files contain letters and invoice documents written to and by anyone that had ever bought anything from the organization over the life of the organization. I was also responsible for installing CAT 5 connections all over the building so people could access the computerized system. (15 years old)

After this I worked in one of the areas where Scientologists go to study. I was a customer service rep. I basically managed complaints, monitored people for tardiness and reported them if they weren't on-time to class, called people who didn't show up to classes they were scheduled for, helped people go take exams for courses they finished, signed up people for new courses, kept a log book, cleaned the classrooms, cleaned the film room, put on films for students who were studying courses that required them, cleaned the projector, performed maintenance on tape deks/CD players that people used to study their course materials, ran errands for the instructors and other general classroom upkeep. I was generally here from 7-8am until about 12-1am each day. My whereabouts were accounted for by the people I worked for at all times. (15 - 16 years old)

Then I was moved to the sales area. There I served as an assistant to a sales person. I processed credit card payments, transcribed documents, wrote letters to Scientologists trying to sell them things, served coffee and tea to customers, cleaned up the sales area at the end of the day, cleaned the bathrooms by the sales area, ran errands for sales people and other ad hoc things. I was not allowed to leave my desk without telling the sales person I worked for where I was going and how long I would be gone. I was here from 7am until 1am most days. (16 years old)

After this I was transferred to Florida where most of my work was studying L. Ron Hubbard texts to prepare me for different lines of work down the road. This was a bit easier assignment than my other ones and I cherished it. I was assigned here because I was submissive and didn't cause too much trouble in my earlier positions. Eventually, this position would get me in trouble because I caught feelings for a fellow staff member who was male. I was typically studying from about 8am until 12 am each day. My whereabouts were not as monitored. I could wander off for about 2-3 hours without being noticed by someone if I wanted to. However, I was in a totally different state that was 3,000 miles from home so there was nowhere for me to go. (16 - 17 years old)

On my way out I was sent to work in the tunnels under L. Ron Hubbard Way in Hollywood, CA. Down there I was assigned to organize moldy storerooms of items and files, box up and ship books to people, ad hoc manual labor and janitorial work, and shred papers in an industrial shredder. I took advantage of being on the way out and typically started work at 9am and was in bed by 10pm. This was simultaneously the best and worst part of my trafficking experience in that I got lots of sleep but I also couldn't stop thinking about killing myself over the humiliation.

She is in a facility near Lake Arrowhead here in California. That facility is tasked with preserving the works of L. Ron Hubbard on titanium plates and discs inside of giant vaults in anticipation of the coming nuclear destruction of the human race.

Lots more here from a diligent reporter that is also a friend of mine (full disclosure): https://tonyortega.org/category/shelly-miscavige/

Is Tom Cruise really that important in the church?

This question really has a few parts.

From an external perspective, Tom Cruise is a champion for Scientology. He is essential to the existence of the cult in that he provides legitimacy through his public involvement.

From an internal believer perspective, Scientologists understand the legitimacy granted to the cult by Tom Cruise and how important that is to the existence of Scientology. However, he does not have significant control over church matters and he is not a significant part of the day-to-day life of Scientologists. Some of the Scientologists who consider themselves more zealous dedicated to the cause are insulted by the way the current leader idolizes Cruise*.

Lastly, from a Church Management (really there is only one person who runs the Church and that's Miscavige) perspective, Tom Cruise makes them loads of money. In fact, though I never worked for him personally, people like me who are trafficked for labor by Scientology work for Cruise for free. They staff his house, assist his kids, do his PR, act as his publicist, design and build his custom cars, and other things like this. They are not compensated personally, although David Miscavige deposits Cruise's donations into accounts that only David Miscavige has control over.

But are aliens really that important in Scientology?

Oh boy, you hit a gold mine here. Yes. Extraterrestrial life is integral to the Scientology belief system and experience. Don't let any Scientologist tell you otherwise and if they are do feel free to bluntly accuse them of lying. As a child, I grew up listening to my parents' stories about how they were aliens in a past life. One of them worked at an interstellar prison of sorts, the other designed spaceships with warp drives. I asked my dad to design one but he said that we don't have the tech necessary or something. (LOL) A large part of the "alien" story in Scientology is that the Solar System is surrounded by a screen that prevents us from making contact with the society that dominates the central part of the galaxy.

On a personal level, I am happily agnostic about intelligent extraterrestrial life. We have proof that bacteria once existed on Mars, so at least on that level aliens do or did most certainly exist. If there was intelligent life outside of Earth, I think that the laws of physics mean we won't make contact with each other until we are both out there exploring the universe. (hurry up Elon!)