This, as you can see, was a paperback revised edition of Dianetics. It was a public reintroduction to the writings and ideas of L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986), incorporating more information that supplanted the initial 1950 publication. Some time went on, and nothing significant came of Dianetics in my life; apart from reading the book at a library and being confused. Sometime in the early 1990s, that changed. In the golden age of informercials, Dianetics was given its own 30 minute spot on television.
This intrigued me, partly because among the interviews in that program was Nancy Cartwright. I do remember the spot emphasizing the need for self help and letting go of the reactive mind. The net result was to go clear; in the mind, the body, the soul and the self. Now, I can understand those ideas. Yet, I had been reading the source materials at my library and seemed quite confused at the noted contradictions and problems in obtaining "clear". It might have made more sense to someone older than the age of 10, you might say. Perhaps, yet I was a prodigious reader even then and knew a lot of terms and concepts most others my age were not familiar with.
Years later I came across an interesting program on A&E named Investigative Reports, hosted and produced by Bill Kurtis, that had on one night a multi part look at the life and legacy of L. Ron Hubbard. It was on that show that I became aware of Hubbard's crowning business, the Church of Scientology. Now, this was odd: a church that was effectively founded by someone that had died only about 10 years before? And one that was taken seriously by both celebrities, governments and common people alike?
Well, it happened. By now I suppose you all know what Scientology is. You likely have seen or read Battlefield Earth; the absurdity presented there is quite similar to what Scientologists believe. Still many like you and I have seen the Paul Thomas Anderson film The Master; pretty much convinced the self help solutions are stolen from better texts and philosophers. Yet for myself, nothing prepared me for the truth to be revealed, in more ways than one, as I and others read the Lawrence Wright book Going Clear.
I do not think a full synopsis is needed, though let me point out this fact. Scientology is a cult that due to intimidation and financial tomfoolery has become amongst the most suppressive and abusive religions known to man. How anyone can go this deep into effectively becoming mere trash for one man's whims (that man now being David Miscavige) is beyond my imagination. I was and still am particularly disturbed with the idea of disconnection, to say nothing of The Hole.
Two weeks ago, documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney premiered his 2015 adaptation of Going Clear on HBO. This was done with the full support of Lawrence Wright, and includes interviews with Wright, journalists, former Scientologists including Paul Haggis and family members. What mostly is of interest are the stories coming from people who are not famous; people that can detail what they saw and what they felt. The interviews are quite emotional and feel unscripted; unlike what the Church of Scientology have been doing to counteract the revelations being brought forth.
There is one person in this religion that rules all, and he is David Miscavige. Believe me when I say the book and documentary do not even go to explaining the more gorier events surrounding Miscavige. For one thing, David Miscavige's own wife has been missing for 8 years. At this point, Shelly Miscavige might be dead; yet no one in the church is investigating the disappearance, and neither are police and governments. Still many others that are likely in The Hole are probably in that same fate too.
If there was any justice in this world, David Miscavige would be sentenced to life imprisonment at least for really the last 29 years. Yet, even though it is an HBO film coming off of the success of the miniseries The Jinx; it is sadly well known that this man:
will not be prosecuted and be continued to be revered unlike this man:
To let you know, the last photo is a picture of Robert Durst. As I mentioned before, Durst will be brought to justice one day for what he did; mainly because Robert Durst matters little to us. While David Miscavige is not an important figure in my life; yet he is the supreme being for any Scientologist. Put it this way: Pope Francis will not personally attack me or my family because we do not go to Mass and have differences with Catholic dogma. Go take a look at any Scientology response to the truth being made known and you will see a vast difference.
I urge my fellow readers and passers by to see and read Going Clear. This is another gem from Lawrence Wright and Alex Gibney that I think will garner attention and ideas in the years to come. Perhaps in time, David Miscavige will one day reveal the truth, if only to himself. It did occur with Robert Durst.
When that happens, what will the response be? I am not sure, yet I am rather concerned none the less.
Talk to you all sooner rather than later,
Robert
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