The spring of 1972, I was 17 and in my senior year of high school. The school was in Grants, New Mexico, 12 miles away from where we lived. I only had one class to finish to graduate, and was taking courses at the community college in Grants in the evening as well as babysitting for an hour while one of the professors taught a night class.
Valerie has a way with the prose. The 'boiling frog' thing has been used so many times that it is passe, but it is oh so true. Cute guys and cute girls do excellent recruitment, if set up correctly. And the salesmanship of the mid 70's Clampire was still working. I can see myself and most people getting sucked in, in the same way.
I love her take on 'stole everything that wasn’t nailed down.' That set up a nice giggle. In Val's writing, I can see her personal code peeking out. Her 'inner voice' comes through very clear her doubts were piling up.
Tell the rest of the story Val. I love a good escape story.
Val, I’ve given several talks and interviews about my time in the Sea Org (1971-1982), and your description of becoming indoctrinated is the clearest, most perfect description of how it happens I have every heard. I plan to keep it and share it. Thank you!
The part about the pre-written questions, ugh. I preferred Qual cycles and D of P interviews where I could actually talk about what I wanted to handle. Not that anything ever got handled though.
“Not that anything ever got handled though”. Yes so true. Nothing ever gets handled and it gets harder and harder to make up lies while pretending you are getting something handled.
Yes ,your excellent piece brought back my days and nights at the Hollywood Cockroach Inn and my first experience with the Comm course in Asho F Sea Org 1974. By 78 I was controlled by the Guardians Office Intel crowd and during that year I got out as fast as I could. I could see that I was going to be heading for pulling weeds 24/7 @ what was called Gold Base. I knew what the consequences of that would be.
Valerie has a way with the prose. The 'boiling frog' thing has been used so many times that it is passe, but it is oh so true. Cute guys and cute girls do excellent recruitment, if set up correctly. And the salesmanship of the mid 70's Clampire was still working. I can see myself and most people getting sucked in, in the same way.
I love her take on 'stole everything that wasn’t nailed down.' That set up a nice giggle. In Val's writing, I can see her personal code peeking out. Her 'inner voice' comes through very clear her doubts were piling up.
Tell the rest of the story Val. I love a good escape story.
Val, that was delightful. We have lived similar lives. I was at AOLA while you were slow-cooking at ASHO.
It is an incredible story. Thank you for taking the time 💗
Val, I’ve given several talks and interviews about my time in the Sea Org (1971-1982), and your description of becoming indoctrinated is the clearest, most perfect description of how it happens I have every heard. I plan to keep it and share it. Thank you!
The part about the pre-written questions, ugh. I preferred Qual cycles and D of P interviews where I could actually talk about what I wanted to handle. Not that anything ever got handled though.
“Not that anything ever got handled though”. Yes so true. Nothing ever gets handled and it gets harder and harder to make up lies while pretending you are getting something handled.
Powerful Truths Valerie.
Yes ,your excellent piece brought back my days and nights at the Hollywood Cockroach Inn and my first experience with the Comm course in Asho F Sea Org 1974. By 78 I was controlled by the Guardians Office Intel crowd and during that year I got out as fast as I could. I could see that I was going to be heading for pulling weeds 24/7 @ what was called Gold Base. I knew what the consequences of that would be.
You write beautifully.💛🌹😘