[Today’s very special guest post is by Mirriam Francis, who appeared in the second season of Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath as a young Scientologist whose abuse by her father was covered up by the church.] I. One of the guiding principles in Scientology is “If it isn’t written, it isn’t true.” It is equally understood that if L. Ron Hubbard wrote something, it is therefore regarded as fact and must be adhered to exactly.
An excellent article, Miriam. So good to hear from you as I have wondered about how you were doing since the Aftermath series. I am an almost,but never in . Having suffered long term sexual abuse as a child, now that I am an old woman, I can see how it affected my life and my decisions and behaviors. It is truly a life altering experience. Things like that were swept under the rug and since our family didn’t believe in therapy we were just supposed to pretend it never happened and forget about it. To me, this is the worst thing to be told. My heart goes out to all of you who have been affected by this and my thoughts and prayers are with you all for healing. Again, thank you.
Miriam, your overview of the controls in Scientology is impeccable. And your explanations can be applied to the brainwashing that occurs not only in the violations of rape, also in all other violations such as financial fraud, elder abuse, grooming children for the Sea Org and fundraising for the IAS and ideal orgs. Miriam thank you for taking the time to write this accurate account of Scientology manipulation. It resonates with my own gaslighting experiences that almost destroyed me.
"Because justice is necessary." Well said Miriam, that train has left the station and Rapey is on his way or is in a state prison right now. Now comes the civil trial for the harassment that the Does suffered. Try as the Clampire has, that trial is going forward. I hope to see more revelations about the actual workings of Miscavige's machine and fingers pointed at the PIs and all the cutouts between the tormentors and the CO$.
Sex abuse, be it against a child or adult, is a life changing crime. Those who commit or cover up such crimes need to be in a court of law to explain themselves. And their they can be judged and the public can be warned about those criminals.
I almost wish they had the civil trial first so they could have gotten hold of his assets. I think they are all gone now between the trials and the ‘divorce’ settlements, which was just another slap in the face to the Jane Does.
Mirriam: you are an amazing writer, amazing advocate, but most importantly an amazing human being. Thank you for including all the trauma based research and knowledge as I am sure that many will read that who didn't know they needed to hear that.
From Taylor Tomlinson's Look at You special:
[About when you can't swim but are in the deep end of a pool]
....you're thrashing around going "I'm good, I'm good" and they're like "you're literally drowning"
....
Then someone floats by you on their back and you're like "What was that?!?". And they're like "Oh, that's someone whose parents supported them in the pool until they could be trusted not to die."
Your article got me thinking about 'ethics conditions', their intended purpose. They were helpful as guidelines going onto a new post. But I didn't find them helpful the times I was assigned lower conditions. I found them demeaning and embarrassing. I felt as if I was a pariah. Don't know if others felt similarly. The assignment to the RPF in the latter years of my 'holiday on ice' was the MOST demeaning of all; two giant men dressed in black came for me and took my 5'1" then skinny body away from about 100 others. Embarrassed, humiliated and shocked doesn't come near what I felt! And that's what your article reminded me of...the other unstated reasons for LRH's policies. His ethics handlings were also meant to cower and destroy a person. They said, 'you will do what I want the way I want it or suffer the consequences'...pitting the group against the shameful individual...heavy duty punishment for me. Fear was a constant companion of mine throughout my 10 years. Newly on board, I complained about how dirty the ship was and got assigned to the Mud Box Brigade! Showed me never to complain again. Accept. Obey! However, there was Stan Dronseka who would on a pretty regular basis, go to the chain locker. He'd regard it as an opportunity, a vacation, and he went off smiling with his 'chain locker coat' on filled with books to read, food, candy, etc. Lastly, and FAR from least, after I had escaped and had disavowed my love for anything to do with the cult, and definitely one of those times that 'conditions' were VERY unnecessary, was when a (former) Scientologist date was trying to 'do the deed' with me. There we were, in bed, getting better acquainted...and he says, 'WHAT'S NEEDED AND WANTED?' If anything could stop the action THAT WAS IT! What a frigging turn off!
Don't mean to make light of ethics handlings. I don't know if others felt similarly demeaned and embarrassed by them. Might be a good time to tell it like it was for you.
And I wonder from my ignorance about it, is healthy that there is a separation of powers in countries, but when a power, the judiciary in this case, corroborates the serious and unhealthy things that are systematically covered up in a group, are there no channels to communicate to other official powers, anomalies, with a view to eradicating them? The sentences are not enough.
An excellent article, Miriam. So good to hear from you as I have wondered about how you were doing since the Aftermath series. I am an almost,but never in . Having suffered long term sexual abuse as a child, now that I am an old woman, I can see how it affected my life and my decisions and behaviors. It is truly a life altering experience. Things like that were swept under the rug and since our family didn’t believe in therapy we were just supposed to pretend it never happened and forget about it. To me, this is the worst thing to be told. My heart goes out to all of you who have been affected by this and my thoughts and prayers are with you all for healing. Again, thank you.
What a fantastically articulate and moving post! Thank you, and may you and yours continue to heal, flourish, and prosper.
Miriam, your overview of the controls in Scientology is impeccable. And your explanations can be applied to the brainwashing that occurs not only in the violations of rape, also in all other violations such as financial fraud, elder abuse, grooming children for the Sea Org and fundraising for the IAS and ideal orgs. Miriam thank you for taking the time to write this accurate account of Scientology manipulation. It resonates with my own gaslighting experiences that almost destroyed me.
"Because justice is necessary." Well said Miriam, that train has left the station and Rapey is on his way or is in a state prison right now. Now comes the civil trial for the harassment that the Does suffered. Try as the Clampire has, that trial is going forward. I hope to see more revelations about the actual workings of Miscavige's machine and fingers pointed at the PIs and all the cutouts between the tormentors and the CO$.
Sex abuse, be it against a child or adult, is a life changing crime. Those who commit or cover up such crimes need to be in a court of law to explain themselves. And their they can be judged and the public can be warned about those criminals.
I almost wish they had the civil trial first so they could have gotten hold of his assets. I think they are all gone now between the trials and the ‘divorce’ settlements, which was just another slap in the face to the Jane Does.
Mirriam: you are an amazing writer, amazing advocate, but most importantly an amazing human being. Thank you for including all the trauma based research and knowledge as I am sure that many will read that who didn't know they needed to hear that.
From Taylor Tomlinson's Look at You special:
[About when you can't swim but are in the deep end of a pool]
....you're thrashing around going "I'm good, I'm good" and they're like "you're literally drowning"
....
Then someone floats by you on their back and you're like "What was that?!?". And they're like "Oh, that's someone whose parents supported them in the pool until they could be trusted not to die."
Brilliantly written!
Your article got me thinking about 'ethics conditions', their intended purpose. They were helpful as guidelines going onto a new post. But I didn't find them helpful the times I was assigned lower conditions. I found them demeaning and embarrassing. I felt as if I was a pariah. Don't know if others felt similarly. The assignment to the RPF in the latter years of my 'holiday on ice' was the MOST demeaning of all; two giant men dressed in black came for me and took my 5'1" then skinny body away from about 100 others. Embarrassed, humiliated and shocked doesn't come near what I felt! And that's what your article reminded me of...the other unstated reasons for LRH's policies. His ethics handlings were also meant to cower and destroy a person. They said, 'you will do what I want the way I want it or suffer the consequences'...pitting the group against the shameful individual...heavy duty punishment for me. Fear was a constant companion of mine throughout my 10 years. Newly on board, I complained about how dirty the ship was and got assigned to the Mud Box Brigade! Showed me never to complain again. Accept. Obey! However, there was Stan Dronseka who would on a pretty regular basis, go to the chain locker. He'd regard it as an opportunity, a vacation, and he went off smiling with his 'chain locker coat' on filled with books to read, food, candy, etc. Lastly, and FAR from least, after I had escaped and had disavowed my love for anything to do with the cult, and definitely one of those times that 'conditions' were VERY unnecessary, was when a (former) Scientologist date was trying to 'do the deed' with me. There we were, in bed, getting better acquainted...and he says, 'WHAT'S NEEDED AND WANTED?' If anything could stop the action THAT WAS IT! What a frigging turn off!
Don't mean to make light of ethics handlings. I don't know if others felt similarly demeaned and embarrassed by them. Might be a good time to tell it like it was for you.
And the Co$ NEVER admits culpability. Ever. For allowing criminal actions by its adherents. “Most ethical group on the planet”? I think not.
Powerful. ❤️
Brilliant article eloquently written. Thanks for sharing.
And I wonder from my ignorance about it, is healthy that there is a separation of powers in countries, but when a power, the judiciary in this case, corroborates the serious and unhealthy things that are systematically covered up in a group, are there no channels to communicate to other official powers, anomalies, with a view to eradicating them? The sentences are not enough.