Geoff Levin was once a fixture at the Scientology Hollywood Celebrity Centre, and he reminds us that in these warm summer days, it would normally be gearing up for its big annual bash…
Just as well they aren't doing galas anymore. What a nightmare! A full stage with cameras, lighting and sound in a parking lot that is too small. The neighbors all hated the loud sound at all hours of the night as rehearsals and sound checks went on. Sometimes for a full week!
In 2004 they had Beck on the main stage, and his sampler died during "Where it's At". As the sound technician for the whole event, I was "fully responsible" in the Scientology sense, meaning I should magically have been able to revive Beck's equipment using OT Phenomena. Sincerely, I knew I would be punished for it even though my equipment all worked flawlessly.
At that point I had literally been up for three days and was expected to stay up all night to help break down the event. Only to face severe punishment when I got back to Gold. Sitting in the little bathroom in the basement of CC that the staff are not supposed to use, I counted out my cash and came up with about $300 net worth. Enough to start a new life?
Hell to the YES! Thank God and Greyhound I was GONE. Stuffed some socks and underwear in my little tool bag, acted like I was going to the burger joint, crossed the street and caught a city bus instead. Back to Silicon Valley where I belong. Do you know the way to San Jose?
70's music references aside, it was the Gala that broke me. Sometimes you have to break to heal.
Good for you for realizing when it was time to turn your back on this pathetic cult that calls itself a church and religion. I'm still kicking myself to this day for taking 7 years to come to my senses and leave Scientology. If you're like me you probably felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from your shoulders after you left.
Scientology: The L. Ron Hubbard "Religion Angle" Religion
No OTs. A whole lotta BT exorcism and no results, naturally, since you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, and BT exorcism is factually just snipe hunting.
If you were there when CC was created, you know it wasn’t Hubbard’s baby, but Yvonne’s. Without her, it was nothing, and it eventually killed her. It sounds like the gala was something I would have hated. A thing my hubby and I call a must miss event. A place where the shiny happy people get put in one place while the hoi polloi sit there and ogle them.
It’s hard to have a gala when the few remaining celebrities have no friends who would willingly set foot in the door of Scientology.
I have always thought it was odd for a church to have separate facilities for celebrities. Where is community in that?
I have been a working artist most of my life. Sorry, Hubbard, but artists are not the only ones who dream. Not by a long shot. To me, artists help others make sense of dreams through their art. But all humans dream.
Your story illustrates another problem with isolating celebrity - when does someone “qualify” to stand with the cool kids? Who decides?
I was involved in Scientology in Toronto back in the 80's and had a number of bad experiences. I'm embarrassed to admit that it took 7 years for me to realize when it was time to leave. I'll always have the greatest respect and gratitude to people like Tony Ortega, Leah Remini, Mike Rinder, Aaron Smith-Levin and others for exposing this despicable mind controlling and money making cult.
$cientology, the 'religion' that dares not speak its name in public. And the public has been fairly well educated in the crimes of the Clampire. How many 'clebs' are left in the $cieno orbit? Not many, and they don't shill for Hubbard in public anymore.
Anyone with any sense and professional PR people knows that the best the can say about $cientology is that it is a 'beautiful religion'. And leave it at that. $cientology was always about glittering generalities and the testimonial. And that is all it ever had.
Since quitting Scientology, I keep learning words Hubbard never used, but ought to have used.
One is "churn":
"...Churn refers to the number of customers who cease doing business with a company within a given period. This could happen for many reasons - some customers may find a better or cheaper alternative, while others may be dissatisfied with the product or service...."
Scientology's churn is significant here in Toronto. Scientology was at it's peak I believe back in the 80's but even then, I would estimate the number of active members in Toronto was at most about 200. That's 200 in a city of over 2 million. When I first got involved in 1981, the Toronto org was in an 8-story building downtown. The building closed in 2013 supposedly for renovations and has been sitting empty and boarded up for the past 11 years. The org is now in a more remote area of the city with little foot traffic.
Just as well they aren't doing galas anymore. What a nightmare! A full stage with cameras, lighting and sound in a parking lot that is too small. The neighbors all hated the loud sound at all hours of the night as rehearsals and sound checks went on. Sometimes for a full week!
In 2004 they had Beck on the main stage, and his sampler died during "Where it's At". As the sound technician for the whole event, I was "fully responsible" in the Scientology sense, meaning I should magically have been able to revive Beck's equipment using OT Phenomena. Sincerely, I knew I would be punished for it even though my equipment all worked flawlessly.
At that point I had literally been up for three days and was expected to stay up all night to help break down the event. Only to face severe punishment when I got back to Gold. Sitting in the little bathroom in the basement of CC that the staff are not supposed to use, I counted out my cash and came up with about $300 net worth. Enough to start a new life?
Hell to the YES! Thank God and Greyhound I was GONE. Stuffed some socks and underwear in my little tool bag, acted like I was going to the burger joint, crossed the street and caught a city bus instead. Back to Silicon Valley where I belong. Do you know the way to San Jose?
70's music references aside, it was the Gala that broke me. Sometimes you have to break to heal.
What a powerful story, Techie, and I am so glad you are free!
Good for you for realizing when it was time to turn your back on this pathetic cult that calls itself a church and religion. I'm still kicking myself to this day for taking 7 years to come to my senses and leave Scientology. If you're like me you probably felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from your shoulders after you left.
Scientology: The L. Ron Hubbard "Religion Angle" Religion
No OTs. A whole lotta BT exorcism and no results, naturally, since you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, and BT exorcism is factually just snipe hunting.
So you got nailed for that. Well it turned out well in my book. And it got you out of the cult.
If you were there when CC was created, you know it wasn’t Hubbard’s baby, but Yvonne’s. Without her, it was nothing, and it eventually killed her. It sounds like the gala was something I would have hated. A thing my hubby and I call a must miss event. A place where the shiny happy people get put in one place while the hoi polloi sit there and ogle them.
It’s hard to have a gala when the few remaining celebrities have no friends who would willingly set foot in the door of Scientology.
Val, spot on. Yes, Yvonne was the compassionate Angel that is why Scientology expanded.
She adored Hubbard. She could not see the truth. We loved her.
Thanks for that insightful piece, Geoff.
I have always thought it was odd for a church to have separate facilities for celebrities. Where is community in that?
I have been a working artist most of my life. Sorry, Hubbard, but artists are not the only ones who dream. Not by a long shot. To me, artists help others make sense of dreams through their art. But all humans dream.
Your story illustrates another problem with isolating celebrity - when does someone “qualify” to stand with the cool kids? Who decides?
Chukicita thanks. Yes, the tier system often made me feel like s—-.
I was involved in Scientology in Toronto back in the 80's and had a number of bad experiences. I'm embarrassed to admit that it took 7 years for me to realize when it was time to leave. I'll always have the greatest respect and gratitude to people like Tony Ortega, Leah Remini, Mike Rinder, Aaron Smith-Levin and others for exposing this despicable mind controlling and money making cult.
Yes, Tony was my lifeline. My first contact with the truth about Scientology
$cientology, the 'religion' that dares not speak its name in public. And the public has been fairly well educated in the crimes of the Clampire. How many 'clebs' are left in the $cieno orbit? Not many, and they don't shill for Hubbard in public anymore.
Anyone with any sense and professional PR people knows that the best the can say about $cientology is that it is a 'beautiful religion'. And leave it at that. $cientology was always about glittering generalities and the testimonial. And that is all it ever had.
Thanks Geoff for the glimpse into the jaded past.
Ze Mooo, you’re welcome. The “opinion leader” program has been pretty much put to rest.
Thank god.
Such great stories thankyou Geoff so much.
Since quitting Scientology, I keep learning words Hubbard never used, but ought to have used.
One is "churn":
"...Churn refers to the number of customers who cease doing business with a company within a given period. This could happen for many reasons - some customers may find a better or cheaper alternative, while others may be dissatisfied with the product or service...."
Scientology's churn is a real thing.
Scientology's churn is significant here in Toronto. Scientology was at it's peak I believe back in the 80's but even then, I would estimate the number of active members in Toronto was at most about 200. That's 200 in a city of over 2 million. When I first got involved in 1981, the Toronto org was in an 8-story building downtown. The building closed in 2013 supposedly for renovations and has been sitting empty and boarded up for the past 11 years. The org is now in a more remote area of the city with little foot traffic.