Let's Sell These People a Piece of Blue Sky: Hubbard, Dianetics and Scientology by Jon Atack Read Free Book Online

people, many in pseudo-naval
uniforms. Although I had encountered “Sea Org” members before, it was strange
seeing them en masse. At Saint Hill they wore colored lanyards and campaign
ribbons on their navy blue blazers. A religion run by sailors? I pushed the
thought aside.
    An attractive brunette whisked me around, carefully avoiding
the Manor, which housed the mysterious “Guardian’s Office.” Between the Manor
and the castle there was an encampment of huts, occupied by busy Sea Org
members. The expensive canteen was also housed in a corrugated hut, as were the
book-store and several of the administrative offices. The “castle” housed the
course-rooms and the public parts of the Organization. My tour ended in the
office of the “Registrars” (the sales staff), where I was treated as royalty. I
handed over what seemed to me a fortune (some £400); borrowed only after
repeated assurances that I would make money easily after taking the auditor
training courses.
    Despite my insistence that I was only visiting, I was
ushered into a course-room. Scientology has a tremendous sense of urgency,
which took hold of me. I read the “Basic Study Manual” until the evening session
ended. I was then told that a Sea Org member wanted to see me. I was surprised
as it was eleven o’clock, and I had yet to find my lodgings. The Sea Org member
was a recruiter, who, for the next two hours, tried to persuade me to join that
group.
    In 1967, Hubbard had put to sea with a group of devoted
followers, who became the “Sea Organization.” I was shown photos of Hubbard
dressed up as the “Commodore.” Sea Org Members signed a billionyear contract, swearing to return life after life to fulfill “Ron’s purpose.” They
also staffed the four “Advanced Organizations,” where the secret upper levels
of Scientology were delivered. Saint Hill was one of the four. I had heard much
of this before and had already been tempted to join the Sea Org and work at the
Publications Organization in Denmark. I saw the Sea Org as the monastic order
of Scientology, something like the Knights Templar, perhaps. I felt guilty, because
I was not ready to renounce everything for the good of the cause. I doggedly insisted
that I wanted to train as an “Auditor,” and “go Clear” before deciding whether
to join the Sea Org. I was going to be a full-time student, and felt that as a
trained Auditor I would be far more useful to the Sea Org.
    Eventually the recruiter showed me a “confidential” Sea Org
issue, which claimed that the governments of the world were on the verge of
collapse. The Sea Org would survive and pick up the pieces. Her attempt to stir
up a sense of impending doom failed miserably. I wanted no part of it. Hubbard
had said elsewhere that Scientology was non-political. I was interested in
Scientology as a therapy, nothing more. As a therapy I felt it might have a
world-changing impact.
    Completely exasperated, the recruiter retreated into the
argument that anyone who did not join the Sea Org was insane. I was flustered,
not understanding that I was her last chance to reach her weekly quota of
recruits. Moreover I did not know that her pay, her self-esteem and the esteem
of her fellow staff members all depended upon increasing her quota each week.
    The Sea Org was a bemusing aspect of Scientology. It was
difficult to reconcile the military appearance of its members with religion or psychotherapy.
However, I was convinced that Scientology was a valid and potent therapy, so I
accepted the existence of the Sea Org.
    I moved to East Grinstead in September 1975, living with my
new girlfriend in a rented room. All three bedrooms of the small house were
occupied, as was one of the two downstairs rooms. There were eight of us living
there, including a baby. The couple who ran the house rented it from another
Scientologist. They were both Sea Org members who were “living out,” away from
the house run by the Scientology Church. They worked