Ex-Scientologists' Stories
This section is reserved for the stories and other pertinent documents of ex-Scientologists. Do you have an experience you'd like to relate concerning your days in Scientology?
Caroline Letkeman
SP Declare: The document branding her a Suppressive Person. Pay careful attention to the language used about her supposed infractions.
Declaration #1 dated April 27, 2001.
Declaration #2 dated May 5, 2001.
Declaration #3 dated May 8, 2001.
Mike Argue
SP Declare: Mike Argue is another Toronto ex-Scientologist, who reached Scientology's OT7 level. He left Scientology, and was declared a Suppressive Person by the cult. This is the Declare issued by the cult. I've added a goldenrod background, because SP Declares are issued on goldenrod paper. You can read this is the (almost) original format, or with my added comments (the blue text).
RTC Contract (he didn't sign): RTC (the Religious Technology Center, the Scientology arm responsible for licencing all of Hubbard's works to the other branches of Scientology) wanted Mike Argue to sign this contract. Not surprisingly, given its contents, he didn't.
Toronto Ethics Order #145: This went to all Toronto Org staff, and leaked out to Mike Argue. Note that in Scientology it's considered a crime to be connected to a Suppressive Person (see the Declare above), which is why the order threatens "severe justice action" for anybody disobeying the order. The cult doesn't much like its members talking to people who give a critical view of Scientology.
You can read the order in the original format (or close to it), or with my added comments and jargon decoding.
[Note: The authenticity of this document has been disputed by several Toronto Scientologists. Click here to read the alt.religion.scientology post where Gregg Hagglund quotes several Toronto Scientologists on the subject of this document. I'm not sure whether this is genuine or not, myself. As such, take this document with a grain of salt.]
Toronto Org Dead Agenting Letter: This letter was sent from the Toronto Org to Revenue Canada (tax dept), four years after Mike Argue was Declared a Suppressive Person, and twelve days after Ethics Order #145 went out. I've blanked the usual names/addresses/phone numbers out of the document with blue comments. The signer and the other person named in the letter don't appear on the Scientologists On-line web-spam program, and in any event wouldn't want their names/addresses broadcast on the internet.
A couple of things are interesting about this letter. First, nowhere does the sender identify himself as being from the Church of Scientology of Toronto - which is the address given (the actual CoS Toronto address is on the 2nd floor of the Org building). Second, he fails to mention that the "counselling" Mike Argue was delivering was likely Scientology auditing, at prices far undercutting the cult's monopoly-market prices. These omissions are especially telling in the light of how the cult's criminal case (it would eventually have the conviction upheld upon appeal) had placed Scientology and its underhanded tactics into the limelight - the letter writer probably didn't want the RevCan employee receiving this letter to think "criminally convicted cult" and treat the letter with the usual credibility due to convicted criminals.
Granfalloon:
Scientology and Me - Twenty Eight Years Later
Dianetics: A Review - 50 Years Later
(You can also find a leaflet by Granfalloon on my Flyers/Leaflets page.)
Scientology and the Art of Brainwashing
[ Note: I'm not sure that I agree or disagree with the idea that people can be brainwashed, but this article raises certain interesting points. So, here you go. -Chris]
David Palter
An almost-Scientologist
Email from an almost-Scientologist: I got this email late on the night of January 21, 2000, followed by another one a few days later. I stripped the headers and the lady's name off the emails and am posting them to my website with her permission.