Cults Inside Out: How People Get in and Can Get Out

by Rick Alan Ross

  In a CNN interview an official spokesperson for Scientology, Tommy Davis, was asked about the disconnection policy. He answered, “There’s no such thing as disconnection as you’re characterizing it.” However, Haggis publicly took issue with Davis. “We all know this policy exists. I didn’t have to search for verification—I didn’t have to look any further than my own home.” Haggis was referring to his wife who was told to disconnect from her parents when they left the church. He then concluded, “To see [Tommy Davis] lie so easily, I am afraid I had to ask myself: what else [is Tommy Davis] lying about?” Haggis later lamented, “What kind of organization are we involved in where people just disappear?”906 Lawrence Wright, the reporter who wrote the article in the New Yorker about Haggis, later expanded the story into a sensational book about Scientology.907

  Jenna Miscavige Hill, the niece of David Miscavige, wrote a book about her own odyssey in Scientology.908 She told the press, “My experience in growing up in Scientology is that it is both mentally and at times physically abusive.” Ms. Hill claimed, “We got a lousy education from unqualified teachers, forced labor, long hours, forced confessions, being held in rooms not to mention the mental anguish of trying to figure out all of the conflicting information they force upon you as a young child.”909 Like other defectors, Hill says she has been branded an SP.910

  2012—Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise Divorce

  In 2012 when actress Katie Holmes filed for divorce against movie star Tom Cruise, all the historically troubling issues surrounding Scientology seemed to congeal and become fodder for the press. And the issue of disconnection in particular—and its potential for parental alienation—was discussed in some depth. It appears the famous couple was preparing for a contentious court battle over the custody of their six-year-old daughter, Suri Cruise. Holmes reportedly was unhappy about Scientology and didn’t want her child to be indoctrinated. The divorce became a magnet drawing increasingly bad press for Scientology. Former Scientologists were interviewed, and details about their allegations of abuse in the organization were reported about and broadcast globally. Media magnate Rupert Murdoch even weighed in, calling Scientology “a very weird cult” and Scientologists “creepy, maybe even evil.”

  Josh Forman, a matrimonial attorney and partner at Chemtob Moss Forman & Talbert in New York, opined, “I don’t think it would be very good for Tom’s career if he is seen as having a huge, dragged-out custody battle with Katie. I think they should really settle, and I see this as settling.”911 Less than two weeks after the divorce filing, that is exactly what happened. Cruise quickly settled the divorce.912 In that settlement Katie Holmes was reportedly granted “sole custody of Suri,” while Cruise received “‘meaningful’ visitation rights.”913 Further details reportedly revealed that the settlement contained a prohibition concerning attendance at any “residential school” of any kind, which seems to preclude the possibility of potential Scientology indoctrination. Tom Cruise is also required to pay for his daughter’s education, health care, and dental costs, though apparently Katie Holmes will be the parent who specifically decides what type of care and education Suri Cruise will receive in the future.914

  Narconon

  Narconon is a drug rehabilitation program closely associated with Scientology. Narconon CEO Gary Smith said, “It’s not accurate to say it is Scientology-based, because Scientology is a religion. We’re not a religion.” However, Smith admitted that Narconon is based on the teachings of Scientology’s founder, L. Ron Hubbard, and that it receives funding from Scientology.915

  Board-certified forensic psychiatrist Dr. Ryan Estevez said, “Anybody can see if you look into [Narconon], the philosophy that is brought into the rehabilitation program is the same philosophy that is brought into their religion of Scientology.”916

  The rehabilitation program Narconon provides includes what is called the “purification rundown,” which is a Scientology ritual L. Ron Hubbard prescribed. This is about a month-long regimen of vitamins that includes taking large doses of niacin, ingesting cooking oil, running on a treadmill, and sweating in a sauna at temperatures reportedly set from 140 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.917 Dr. Estevez warned, “From a physician perspective, they are also doing something that could be very dangerous.”918

  A similar Scientology-linked detoxification program run in New York City called Downtown Medical sought to involve city rescue worker who responded to the World Trade Center attack and were exposed to toxic materials. Participants were reportedly asked to cease taking prescribed medications as part of the program. Dr. David Prezant, deputy chief medical officer of the New York Fire Department (FDNY), said, “It’s risky for anybody to stop any type of medication without guidance and a plan from their own treating physician.” The FDNY refused to endorse the program.919

  Narconon also ran an antidrug educational program, which was banned from San Francisco public schools in 2004.920 In 2005 the California Medical Association unanimously supported dropping Narconon as a source for drug education for students due to its “factually inaccurate approaches.” Medical experts specifically called attention to erroneous teachings such as “Drugs accumulate indefinitely in body fat, where they cause recurring drug cravings and flashbacks for years, even after the user quits” and that “the vitamin niacin pulls drugs from fat, and saunas sweat them from the body.”921

  Narconon Arrowhead in Oklahoma became the focus of a multiagency investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Pittsburg County sheriff’s office, and the Department of Mental Health. The investigation began with the death of Stacy Dawn Murphy, twenty, at Arrowhead in 2012 but would eventually include the additional Narconon Arrowhead-related deaths of Hillary Holten, twenty-one; Gabriel Graves, thirty-two; and the 2009 death of Kaysie Dianne Werninck, twenty-eight. During 2013 a number of lawsuits were filed across the United States against Narconon. Five lawsuits filed against the Arrowhead facility in Oklahoma alleged fraud, deceit, breach of contract, and civil conspiracy.922

  Lucas Catton, once the president of the Arrowhead facility in Oklahoma, left in 2004. In an interview Canton said, “It’s all based on deception. Everything from the success rate to their counseling certifications, to their general requirements of what it takes to be a staff member to their connection to the Church of Scientology—every single one of those things is deceptively portrayed to the general public versus what really goes on behind the closed doors.”923

  Search warrants were executed at a Narconon-related rehabilitation clinic during April 2013. Narconon in Georgia is under investigation for insurance fraud. One patient’s insurer was reportedly billed $166, 275 for doctor’s visits that never took place. At the time the warrants were executed, Danny Porter, the Gwinnett County district attorney, said, “We are actively and vigorously pursuing an investigation.”924 Concerned families claimed that Narconon financially exploited them. “No one ever said, ‘We’re going to open up two credit cards in your name,’” said Scott Maxey, a Chicago man who received new credit cards in the mail that were already charged to their limits to pay Narconon.925

  Scientology Shrinking

  Despite its prodigious efforts in recent years, which includes buying and renovating impressive buildings Scientology calls its “Ideal Orgs,” or operational urban hubs, census figures seem to demonstrate that Scientology is in decline with a shrinking membership. For example, according to a 2011 census there are only 2,163 Australians who call themselves Scientologists. This reflects a 13.7 percent drop in Australian membership alone over the past five years.926 The US Census Bureau and American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) estimates appear to reflect the same. ARIS estimated that there were fifty-five thousand Scientologists in the United States in 2001, but by 2008 that number reportedly dwindled to about twenty-five thousand.927

  CHAPTER 15

  SCIENTOLOGY INTERVENTION

  A middle-aged Scientologist confronted his wife and served her with divorce papers. He was determined to leave his fam
ily in an effort to become a full-time member of the Sea Organization, commonly called Sea Org. First established by L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology’s founder, Sea Org is now composed of the full-time staff serving at Scientology centers or what are called “Orgs” around the world.

  Most people who join Scientology begin as “publics,” people who pay for Scientology courses and services but are not on staff.928 Celebrity Scientologists like actors Tom Cruise and John Travolta are essentially publics, but they are catered to and receive special treatment, such as special handling at Scientology’s so-called celebrity centers.929 Scientology courses and services can be quite expensive and therefore potentially represent a substantial financial burden to the average income earner and at times even for the wealthy.930 Some publics have joined Sea Org in the hope that further training and services would be available, essentially in exchange for work. Sea Org members have signed “billion year contracts” tying themselves to Scientology seemingly forever, based on a belief in past and future lives.931

  After nearly thirty years as a public Scientologist, the husband wanted to do more to “clear the planet.” “Clearing the planet” is Scientology jargon that essentially means recruiting people into Scientology so they can supposedly become cleared of negativity through Scientology courses and training. The husband felt that at this point in his life he could best accomplish this task by serving Scientology as a staff person. Now that his two children were adults and not living at home, only his marriage remained as an obstacle. He must leave his wife, who had never fully embraced Scientology, and move on.

  After more than twenty years of marriage, the husband had never been able to convince his wife to do more than take a few Scientology courses. The couple owned a home and had raised their two children together, but now the husband was restless. He must fulfill his destiny through Scientology. And since his wife wouldn’t support this full-time mission, he must leave her and go it alone.

  After receiving divorce papers, the wife called her children, and a kind of family intervention took place. The wife and children cried and pleaded. They begged the husband and father not to separate from the family by going into relative seclusion in the Sea Organization. They knew that Sea Org members may cut off their families and have little, if any, meaningful communication. And if family members questioned such behavior or offered any criticism of Scientology, they might be labeled “suppressive persons,” or SPs, and then summarily be dismissed through what Scientologists calls the “disconnection” process.

  After the emotional catharsis of the family intervention, the husband agreed to pause and reconsider the situation. His family’s pleas affected him deeply, but he was confused and torn between his dual loyalties of Scientology and family.

  At this juncture the wife called her sister-in-law. The husband’s family had long been concerned about his involvement in Scientology, but much like his wife, they had kept their criticism private for fear of losing him. Now with the evidence mounting that he might submerge completely in Scientology, they decided to take immediate action and retained me to facilitate an intervention.

  Before beginning the intervention, we held a preparation meeting, which included the husband’s sister, his wife, and his children at my hotel room. We spoke at length for hours about the complexities of the intervention process and about how each person must fulfill his or her role. This talk included the usual warnings about boundaries and undue criticism at inappropriate moments. The intervention would require their full support, cooperation, and assistance for me to fulfill my role and facilitate this effort.

  We decided during the preparation process that the best approach for the intervention would be a friendly visit from the sister at the family home. This was planned in advance, and the children would be there. We would begin on a weekend. The sister and I would come to the house, and she would introduce me.

  We arrived in the morning. The wife greeted us at the door and let us in. It wasn’t long before the husband and I were engaged in a friendly conversation about his home improvement projects, art collection, and hobbies. We chatted about his interest in art history and architecture for some time before he finally asked, “Why are you here?” My answer was candid and to the point, explaining that his family had serious concerns about his plans for the future. It seems that he had decided to postpone those plans, though there was still some palpable fear among his family members. We agreed to have a deeper conversation about their fears. Were all these apprehensions misplaced, or were there legitimate reasons for concern?

  Our conversation soon moved to the subject of Scientology. The husband explained that he had been a member of the organization for almost three decades. He added that his wife and children had neither opposed nor fully embraced Scientology and that historically there had been no real arguments or serious disagreements about his commitment to the controversial organization. Instead, at times his wife and children had agreed to take Scientology courses and had been passive or generally agreeable to his ongoing involvement.

  At this point his wife entered the conversation, explaining that her relative passivity in the past regarding Scientology didn’t mean she had no concerns about it. The husband’s sister explained that after learning about the proposed divorce and his plans to abruptly change his living arrangements, she became seriously concerned. Both of the adult children likewise expressed fears about Scientology’s influence in the current situation. They wanted to know why their father had decided to leave their mother and move in to Scientology group housing.

  His explanation was that after years of taking courses and moving through Scientology training as a public member, he wanted to make Scientology his total focus and mission in life. The husband felt that the only way he could do this effectively was to become a full-time staff member of Scientology. Since his children were both adults now, they no longer needed a full-time father. And his wife had enough property and assets to ensure her security. When I asked whether Scientology or Scientologists had played any role in his decision-making process, the husband’s response was stony silence.

  During the first day we discussed the nucleus for a definition of a destructive cult, as described by Robert Jay Lifton.932 Might Scientology potentially fit within that basic framework? Did the founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, parallel the first characteristic Lifton had described, fulfilling the role of a defining charismatic and authoritarian leader? Wasn’t it Hubbard’s legacy of writings that formed the foundation of Scientology and completely defined the group? In this sense couldn’t Scientology be seen as a personality-driven organization? These thought-provoking questions stimulated our discussion and moved the conversation forward. The husband acknowledged the singular and pivotal importance of Hubbard and his writings. He said that without L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology had no basis for existence or meaningful substance.

  After Hubbard’s death in 1986, Sea Org member David Miscavige ultimately became chairman of the board of the Religious Technology Center tasked with the responsibility to “preserve, maintain and protect the Scientology religion.”933 Today he “holds the ultimate ecclesiastical authority regarding the standard and pure application of L. Ron Hubbard’s religious technologies.”934

  In our discussion about Hubbard, we touched on the mythology that seemed to surround the man. This included Hubbard’s personal biography, as promoted by Scientology, which reportedly is often misleading, generally inflated, and grossly exaggerated.935 Who was L. Ron Hubbard? We examined some of the relevant research about Hubbard’s education, military career, and time as a science fiction writer. But it was his role as the creator of Scientology that ultimately became Hubbard’s most lasting and important historical legacy.

  What was Scientology without L. Ron Hubbard? After a day of discussion, we agreed that the personalities of Hubbard and Scientology were so intertwined, synonymous, and inseparable that neither had any historical significance without the other. Scientology would simply be unable to fu
nction without Hubbard’s legacy. Therefore the most salient single feature of a destructive cult was evident in Scientology—that is, a charismatic leader comes to define the group and is its driving force. Our first day was consumed with establishing this fact. We examined the life of Hubbard through whatever objective historical documentation or existing news reports could be verified rather than through the mythology Scientology had developed about the man.

  At the end of the first day, there was no difficulty in obtaining the husband’s agreement that he would continue the dialogue the following day and not contact anyone associated with Scientology. He stayed with his wife and two children at the family home, and his sister and I returned to our respective hotel rooms, not far away, for the night. Per our previous preparation, the family understood that during the intervening evening they wouldn’t discuss Scientology or any related topics we had touched on through our conversation that day. Instead, they would use that time to unwind, relax, and engage in casual conversation not connected to the intervention.

  On day two we discussed the second characteristic Lifton identified in his core definition of a destructive cult—that is, evidence that the group or leader uses a thought-reform program. Lifton lists eight criteria that, taken together, constitute proof that a thought-reform program is in place and ongoing.936 Lifton explains that such a program can be run effectively using a minimum of six of these criteria. We discussed which of the criteria might be applicable to Scientology.

  The first and foremost of Lifton’s eight criteria of thought reform is control of the environment or what he calls “Milieu Control.”937 This aspect of thought reform provides the foundation or platform for the following seven operating characteristics. I asked the husband to explain what extent his social network of friends extended to beyond Scientology. He explained that virtually all his present friends were Scientologists. Other than members of his immediate family and extended family, he really didn’t have any deep or meaningful relationships with anyone outside of Scientology. After decades of involvement in Scientology, whatever old friends he’d once had outside the organization had long since fallen away.