Hi, long-time Ex who just found this site
- Thread starter ToeOut83
- Start date
Hi aegerprimo,
Yes, I recently read Lawrence Wright’s book, Going Clear, which in fact was what directed me to this site. I’d read bits and pieces over the years but until I finished Going Clear (the book, not the process), I’d had no idea how epically bad the Church was. I actually tend to be skeptical of journalists writing about organizations from the outside, but nearly everything Wright said in the book rang true with my own experience, and with my friends who cycled out. I’ve pretty much lost touch with all of them now, but I’m thinking of seeing if I can touch base with a couple.
@Rich: No, I did the Lifespring training back in ‘83. It’s no longer available. It bothers me to read what Wikipedia has to say about it because I have nothing but good things to say about it. 25-30 years ago, nearly everybody who did the core trainings (there were 3) said it was more than worth the time and money; and many, myself included, said it was the most fantastic thing we’d ever done in our lives. I’ve conjectured that all the lawsuits and bad press came from people who took Lifespring when they needed therapy instead. Lifespring wasn’t designed for therapy, it was designed for people who were already mentally and emotionally healthy.
Don’t mean to preach, but I’m concerned that some readers on here, having been burned by Co$, will Google Lifespring and write it off as a Co$ clone. It isn’t anything like $cn.
Hi Dave. Thanks, I'll have a look at it.
Yes, I recently read Lawrence Wright’s book, Going Clear, which in fact was what directed me to this site. I’d read bits and pieces over the years but until I finished Going Clear (the book, not the process), I’d had no idea how epically bad the Church was. I actually tend to be skeptical of journalists writing about organizations from the outside, but nearly everything Wright said in the book rang true with my own experience, and with my friends who cycled out. I’ve pretty much lost touch with all of them now, but I’m thinking of seeing if I can touch base with a couple.
@Rich: No, I did the Lifespring training back in ‘83. It’s no longer available. It bothers me to read what Wikipedia has to say about it because I have nothing but good things to say about it. 25-30 years ago, nearly everybody who did the core trainings (there were 3) said it was more than worth the time and money; and many, myself included, said it was the most fantastic thing we’d ever done in our lives. I’ve conjectured that all the lawsuits and bad press came from people who took Lifespring when they needed therapy instead. Lifespring wasn’t designed for therapy, it was designed for people who were already mentally and emotionally healthy.
Don’t mean to preach, but I’m concerned that some readers on here, having been burned by Co$, will Google Lifespring and write it off as a Co$ clone. It isn’t anything like $cn.
Hi Dave. Thanks, I'll have a look at it.
billyd
Patron with Honors
Hi, I was active in Founding Church of DC (Washington DC) in the mid-to-late 70's. I've been digging in my memory and can't recall what exact year my wife and I started together, nor which year I did a Doubt Formula and cycled out. I was never staff but I did do a lot of volunteer work, manning the "Personality Test" Body Router tables and selling DMSMH books in shopping mall parking lots, among other things. I trained as a Dianetics Auditor but never completed my internship. Sad to say, I gave away my Mark V E-meter to a practicing Scylon. It would have made a great conversation piece if I'd kept it.
My wife did leave her Wog job to join staff (not very smart on the Church's part; She made a lot more money than me, so the Org's income stats suffered. She was willing to spend it all on auditing & training.) Eventually she joined SO and signed her billion-year contract and within the year we agreed to a divorce. I still hung out with her and friends in the Church for awhile, until I finally "pulled my toe out of the exit door and let it snap shut behind me" in '83, years after she'd re-married and moved to Clearwater.
I just recently discovered this site and have been lurking and reading for a couple weeks now, and I have to say it's encouraging to learn how badly the Church is doing. I'm also fascinated to find out how much was going on while I was In, that I didn't know about; and since. I lost track of my ex-wife when she moved (no permanent address or phone number) and haven't seen or heard from her since early '84 when I visited Clearwater. In the interest of brevity, I'll save that story for another time. I'm hoping to find whether my Ex is still in and hoping she isn't. Most of all, I hope she and her 2nd husband both left with their children and are still happily married.
I've looked over the epic FCDC-in-the-70's thread, read the first 30-odd pages, and it's probably my next stop, now that I've introduced myself; but I will welcome anyone to respond here who might have known me or friends that I knew. I think I"m too small a fry for the Sci-Spies to bother with, but I still think I'll remain anonymous for right now.
I'm glad to be here among people who understand the Sci-fie experience.
Hi. welcome aboard.
Ogsonofgroo
Crusader
TO83! A tad late to the party (me), enjoy your time here!
Ogs
AnonyMary
Formerly Fooled - Finally Free
Hi, I was active in Founding Church of DC (Washington DC) in the mid-to-late 70's. I've been digging in my memory and can't recall what exact year my wife and I started together, nor which year I did a Doubt Formula and cycled out. I was never staff but I did do a lot of volunteer work, manning the "Personality Test" Body Router tables and selling DMSMH books in shopping mall parking lots, among other things. I trained as a Dianetics Auditor but never completed my internship. Sad to say, I gave away my Mark V E-meter to a practicing Scylon. It would have made a great conversation piece if I'd kept it.
My wife did leave her Wog job to join staff (not very smart on the Church's part; She made a lot more money than me, so the Org's income stats suffered. She was willing to spend it all on auditing & training.) Eventually she joined SO and signed her billion-year contract and within the year we agreed to a divorce. I still hung out with her and friends in the Church for awhile, until I finally "pulled my toe out of the exit door and let it snap shut behind me" in '83, years after she'd re-married and moved to Clearwater.
I just recently discovered this site and have been lurking and reading for a couple weeks now, and I have to say it's encouraging to learn how badly the Church is doing. I'm also fascinated to find out how much was going on while I was In, that I didn't know about; and since. I lost track of my ex-wife when she moved (no permanent address or phone number) and haven't seen or heard from her since early '84 when I visited Clearwater. In the interest of brevity, I'll save that story for another time. I'm hoping to find whether my Ex is still in and hoping she isn't. Most of all, I hope she and her 2nd husband both left with their children and are still happily married.
I've looked over the epic FCDC-in-the-70's thread, read the first 30-odd pages, and it's probably my next stop, now that I've introduced myself; but I will welcome anyone to respond here who might have known me or friends that I knew. I think I"m too small a fry for the Sci-Spies to bother with, but I still think I'll remain anonymous for right now.
I'm glad to be here among people who understand the Sci-fie experience.
So glad you made it over here! It probably took at least half those weeks of lurking to get through the FCDC thread
Mary McConnell ( from Reaching For The Tipping Point forum )
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Wants2Talk
Silver Meritorious Patron
Welcome TO83!
I was on staff at FCDC 72 - 72
. PM me sometime.
I was on staff at FCDC 72 - 72
. PM me sometime.
TrevAnon
Big List researcher
Welcome!
Should your ex have decided to speak out there's a chance she is on the list of exes that did so made by Anonymous.
Please see
http://whyweprotest.wikia.com/wiki/Former_Church_of_Scientology_members_who_have_spoken_out
or my sig.
In case you're interested - and only in that case - to be on the list yourself you just have to post here using your real name giving as much info about yourself as you are willing to. We also need proof somewhere on the internet you were once in.
Again: only if you're interested.
Should your ex have decided to speak out there's a chance she is on the list of exes that did so made by Anonymous.
Please see
http://whyweprotest.wikia.com/wiki/Former_Church_of_Scientology_members_who_have_spoken_out
or my sig.
In case you're interested - and only in that case - to be on the list yourself you just have to post here using your real name giving as much info about yourself as you are willing to. We also need proof somewhere on the internet you were once in.
Again: only if you're interested.
Hi Mary, and thank you for the direction and for making me welcome. I actually didn't get very far through the FCDC thread...I covered some 30-odd pages before I skipped to the end. I return to random pages for name searches and when I do I'll usually read a page or few.
@Wants2Talk: I'm pretty sure I wasn't at FCDC until sometime in '74 at the earliest, but we probably knew some of the same people. I'll be posting in the FCDC-70's thread eventually, to see if I can find 70's-era people willing to revive its original/title subject.
@Rich: Thanks for the link, and I had seen it before. When I said the Lifespring training was no longer available, I was talking about the training that I and many thousands of people did in that era, with a large room full of people over a 4-day period.
You seem to be hinting that there was something Scientology-esque about Lifespring. Since you've introduced the idea into this thread, I will say that Lifespring was nothing like Scientology. I said that much because I didn't want the notion left hanging as it was on this thread; but I won't say any more because this is my introduction thread and isn't the place for long discussions on other subjects.
I did a quick search and am surprised not to find any mention of the Lifespring or Landmark Education variety of Other Practices here. That may be because I don't navigate well and suck at searches, or it may be that there isn't such a thread to find. I think I'd like to start a thread, eventually, comparing Scn, Lifespring and Landmark Education; or if you're keen to discuss it, you can go ahead and start with what you know about it and I'll join in on your thread, eventually. Fair warning, I can be slow to start things sometimes.
@TrevAnon: Thanks for the link. Didn't find my Ex on it, but not surprised. I'm not sure sure if I would qualify to be on the list.
First, as I've mentioned more than once, I was never on staff. I was heavily involved for a couple/few years as volunteer help, working with staff on body routing and book sales, plus grunt work like hours of letter-processing and stuffing envelopes and other odd jobs that needed doing. Also occasionally helped the local missions with special events. I kept a wog job (to the material benefit of my wife on staff) I guess I was just "public".
I'm not actually clear yet whether "never-in" means never involved in Scn at all, or never on staff.
Second, while that period of my life sits in my memory as kind of a grey disappointment and waste of time, money and energy, I can't really claim huge losses like some of these folks here who invested a sizable part of their lifespans in the Co$. Even if I qualified for the list, I don't know that I would have much to say...as much as I would like to add myself to the body of witnesses counseling innocents from becoming involved with that church.
This might be the place to clarify, in the interest of full disclosure, that while our divorce was catalyzed by my wife joining the Sea Org, I'm can't honestly claim that $cn ruined our marriage. It was already in trouble (although I didn't recognize that at the time) and the probable-almost-certain future we were living into would have had us divorced within a few years anyway. Our involvement in the Church did speed up the process, but the responsibility for our failed marriage was mine.
I'm not defending the Church of $cn, but I want it clear that there are plenty of valid accusations to level against the Church without blaming them for things they didn't do. Also, there's the off chance that my ex-wife might read this (I can't rule out that she could be in OSA now).
The most that can be said is that $cn's "Science of the Mind Technology" doesn't seem to do much toward preserving marriage between people who still love each other and are having troubles that are at least exacerbated by different levels of commitment to The Church. Their universal answer? Register or Disconnect!
TrevAnon
Big List researcher
Just so you know: to qualify for the list you would not have to have been staff or even sea org. Lots of people on the list were "only" public.
