I got roped into this a long time ago, and did the personality test and all that. After they showed me the graph of my personality, and showed me the graph it SHOULD be like, I started asking awkward questions like "Does everybody have to have the same personality?" and I was gently removed and found myself back out on the street, and just went to the pub next door.
Pretty much same for me (in Germany no less). They started on the personality test thing, and I said, "So this is like a psychological profile!" and they wigged out since psychology is taboo in their cult. My response was, "You guys didn't pass your psychology class, did you? 'Cause you clearly don't understand anything about psychology." and I was out on the street. Them fokes be crazy!
I just tried this personality test, and I was hoping to go try out the free in person consultation, but the closest is hundreds of miles north.... not that I'm searching for anything. I just rather enjoy the idea of joining their strange fake Navy, as an accidental autistic submarine sailor, just to torture an entire crew of believers. I love my ship's systems.... and beer... and my coffee cup! Jettison the motion sickness pills, and we'll sail for a lovely Sea-state 5 for a fun house, and then I'm going Full-Pirate, after raiding the wardroom liquor supply! I ain't got nothing else to do. I'm usually prone to being seen as a target/mark to exploit; I enjoy it, because I play a completely different game.
It might not be bravery, it might be lack of choice. It might be the case that if she doesn't sue them, then they're going to do all manner of nasty stuff to her, but if she DOES sue them, then they're limited in the scope of things they can do to her, without being prosecuted by the state... I don't know any specifics, just that there might be more options than "She must be very brave."
@@Raz.C Standing up for yourself and fighting back head on is generally considered a brave thing to do rather than cowering, running or any other easier option. I don't know much about this either, but it appears to me she took the brave path because even if she does have a lack of choice the choice not to fight back probably was an option.
I did like this video and I am subscribed, but would also like it known that I actively do NOT wish for you to go to their museum, nor have any direct contact whatsoever with ANY Scientology location, institution, or known personnel. You are sweet and smart and all-around wonderful, you make very good content that I would like to see continue for a long long while, they are *legitimately dangerous* people, and any content they might fuel is 100% NOT worth the risk.
My mom once gave me 'Dianetics' by L Ron Hubbard to read, telling me that it was a self-help book and asked me if I thought it would help her stop smoking. I spent a few hours reading it and told her that it was essentually pseudoscientific quasi-religious bullcrap and that it would objectively make her a terrible, judgmental person if she took it to heart. I was 12. Now I'm 44, she still smokes, but she's also not a Scientologist and I count that as an absolute win.
That's kinda insane that your mom relied on you as a 12 year old to vet her reading materials. I'm sorry you had to shoulder that. No one should have to parent their own parent. That being said, it's at least better than her becoming a scientologist 🤷♀️ I say that as someone who has parented their own parent. Now if only my mom would let my English Major ass vet her media consumption 🤔
@@hellfirefox516In context it was more a test of my intelligence at the time than an actual request for me to vet or verify the book. She's a whip-smart (and _very_ Dutch) lady but was never a huge reader, and that book is, off the top of my head, a 700-ish page pill. She tested my smarts regularly - but this was the one instance where she handed me a book to do so. Still changes nothing about the fact that it's full of ham-handed pseudointellectual and pseudophilosophical garbage you have to already (more or less) believe (in), to take seriously.
Approximately 50 years ago I was a hungry university student. I was wandering around downtown in my small city as there was a blizzard and classes were cancelled. I was walking down a pedestrian mall trying to find shelter from the wind and blowing snow. A two young pleasant people waved me over to a sheltered alcove at the entrance of an office building. They asked me if I wanted to take shelter for a bit and partake in a cup of hot chocolate and a bowl of soup. I eagerly accepted. While I was sipping on the hot chocolate one of them asked me if I would be interested in taking a short aptitude test. I took their test. When I completed it they took my responses into an office. I sat and enjoyed the soup and cocoa they gave me. They came back in a few minutes and gave me their interpretation of the results of my test. They told me my results showed that I needed much work to achieve self-actualization and if I couldn’t afford a small fee I could work with them as a volunteer thereby earning acceptance into the program. I suddenly remembered that I had to catch the bus back to residence on campus and beat a hasty retreat.
You were cold and hungry. They're always on the lookout for people who are vulnerable and in need. They want money, but if you can't give them money, you can give them free labor, which is money they don't have to spend.
@@gdutfulkbhh7537 Not once did they say they were from the church of Scientology. It wasn’t until I saw their bookcase in which there were many copies of Dianetics. I was well enough read at 18 to have some knowledge of Hubbard.
I once actually bought L. Ron Hubbard's book on Dianetics from a throw out stall for about $1. I read about 5 pages and put it down intending to come back and try again. It sat around on my bookshelf for about 15 years until I had to move house and I wanted to prune back my books a bit. Many went to second hand book shops but I couldn't bring myself to put Dianetics into a place where some unsuspecting person might read it. It went into the recycling.
I also got a cheap second hand copy- without doubt it is the most ridiculous "self help" book ever written, full of crazy claims (not supporting evidence or references to outside sources, of course) and badly cobbled together. Most Scientologists cannot really understand it, either, but wouldn't dare say that out loud! Basically, Hubbard took the early (and now debunked) idea of "engrams" and ran with it whilst on a lot of something (pinks and greys, perhaps- based on a letter he wrote to his first wife)! The volcano on the cover is supposed to restimulate you to what you're supposed to process on OT3 (body thetans and Xenu and all that guff)!
My sister went to thier Edinburgh office one day for a laugh, but they followed her around for months afterwards. It got to the point where they would go to her house every day, and, if she wasn't home, they would stand outside her door until she was. Sometimes for hours. Eventually a few of us had to come down with heavy manners to get them to leave for good, but even that took about 3 weeks. Imagine standing outside somebodies house while her family *this part redacted for legal reasons* and soak you with a garden hose for 10 hours a day. They're insane.
They dont. They don't like it at all. If I wasn't a lawyer, I would have spend quite a lot of money on lawyers telling them to fuck off over the years.@@Where_is_Waldo
Hmmmm. is that a Scientology thing though? I once tried to date a girl from Edinburgh and had much the same experience, when after our second date I told her I was not interested.
The Scientology victims have no other leads to follow up, because the cult’s dying. They have to report that they’re good little drones, so they will spend hours on completely hopeless tasks. It makes them more 'upstat' and that’s all they can ever be.
Pretty much most of those questions could be summed up as "Are you neurodivergent or otherwise vulnerable to being manipulated by a cult?" On this subject, I think one of the most interesting Scientology survivors would have to be Kate Bornstein. They joined basically because they were experiencing a lot of internalised homophobia/transphobia, and the idea that we're all internally genderless aliens was appealing to them at the time; once they got out, they transitioned and wrote "Gender Outlaw", one of the best books on practically applying Gender/Queer Theory out there. Interesting stuff!
I was just thinking this felt like some sort of autism assessment test, asking about special interests, not understanding social cues, being excessively honest/naive/trusting, sensory issues, copying people's mannerisms and accents, executive dysfunction, flat affect... This has to be done on purpose right?? Also thank you for the book recommendation :)
As an autistic person, I'm a bit confused as to what you 2 are on about. It seems like you're saying they are identifying ND folks to prey on us, but that makes very little sense to me. I don't know many autistic folks that do well with highly prescriptive "do this & don't ask questions or look in any other direction" environments. That's scientology. In my experiences, we aren't tolerated in spaces like that. We're often the last people they want around.
i really really recognized the questions like. “do you easily give your money to your friends” “are you suspicious of what people tell you” and if you say yes to giving money, they prey on you. if you say yes to getting suspicious, they know not to pursue you
I had the exact same feeling. I recently had an ADHD assessment and I helped someone else fill out screeners for autism a few days ago. A good chunk of these questions (maybe 80 %) were suspiciously familiar. I also suspect that they do the test, give basically the same results to everyone and then secretly create a personality profile to see how you could be used for their goals.
@@quinn0517 I see where you're coming from. At the same time, a lot of neurodivergent people have a lot of self-doubt and feel like a "failure" (usually if they don't know they are neurodivergent). Someone telling you they have an easy way to improve your "personality flaws" (that you might already have a deep believe in because you had problems with them all your life) might convince some people to give it a try, especially if they don't know what they are in for. Also, nobody said their methods are particularly effective. It seems most people just get a good laugh out of the personality tests and that's it. We shouldn't forget that this whole system was created in the 1950s. People didn't really have a clue about neurodivergence or what kind of organisation this is. It might have worked better then, which could be responsible for their "success". I could also imagine them preying more on the ADHDers and sorting the autistic people out. I know from experience that ADHDers can be an easy target for emotional manipulation.
When you consider that Scientology is a grift and not a religion, it makes a lot more sense. Hubbard: “You don't get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion.” So yeah, everything he created was fiction.
All religion is a grift, it was created to give answers when science was lacking, but now we have science, so... what are they doing? They're parasitic entities with no goal but no continue their own existence, so they dupe people in to giving them money.
I think his original words were "let's try the religion angle" when he was sued out of his copyright of the books and saw that he wouldn't earn money anymore. Scientology is a cult AND a grift at the same time, effing horrendous.
I’ve known several people who ‘escaped’ from these people. The whole ‘turning families against the one leaving’ is so true. I had a neighbor who had siblings periodically banging on her door, and yell at her for leaving. “You’re destroying this family”, I heard some evenings🫤. She told me she gave these people so much money she remained impoverished, until she got out. Anyways, we used to refer to them as some ‘Religious AMWAY’ due to their techniques😐😐😐 Scientology is entirely MENTAL😵💫😵💫😵💫 🏳️🌈🥰🏳️🌈 thank you again, for these videos you create!!! Thank you. (It is a pretty building😂)
I know a few who lost their house, income, marriage etc. All smart people, it's important to remember that anyone can be recruited if at a vulnerable time.
@annenelson5656 Ironically, too, that Amway was heavily using prosperity gospel evangelism as part of it's religious cloaking. The scientology cult use similar tactics, if something goes well, it's thanks to the cult, if it goes badly you "pulled it in" and it's your fault. Highly toxic gaslighting.
In my early 20s I was living in LA and took a scientology audit and survey. At the end of it, I asked if they had anything I could take with me to read. They then tried to sell me a mountain of books. I had been skeptical up to that point, but it was that moment where I realized that it was just a book selling scam.
Fun fact: one of the first things they say is that their church is 'here' on the 'famed' Tottenham Court Rd (where one is) while showing you an image of Piccadilly Circus (where one isn't). Off to a real trustworthy start there folks.
I still find it weird that Neil Gaiman's father was a prominent scientologist in England, but I guess he has distanced himself from the church and almost never speaks of it
"I still find it weird that Neil Gaiman's father was a prominent scientologist in England, " i did not know this, but i suspect virtually everything about Neil Gaiman is weird. he does not strike me as a fellow whose life was normal, considering his output. ouevre?
He base his world building on Scientology and Catholicism but is an atheist himself. He doesn't speak negatively about any of the beliefs. Only that he's not into them.
The thing I find the most gross about Scientology is that its roots started as a $20 bet between L'Ron and another sci-fi writer to come up with the strangest religion possible... L'Ron got too carried away started creeping the other author out so he conceded that L'Ron won paid him the $20 and then processed to have NOTHING to do with L'Ron ever again... and that was the Birth of Scientology!
Scientology engaged in witness intimidation during Danny Masterson's trial - no way they don't ramp up fair game against Leah, her legal team, her witnesses, everyone involved
Their protocols are written in stone by Hubbard decades ago, they literally can not deviate; they don't have any other play to follow. To suggest internally that maybe the rules shouldn't be followed would be Wrongthink and a High Crime and open up the person suggesting to punishment
Doesn't matter in the UK. Nobody gives a shit if you once used the N-word in a Facebook post, slept with a prostitute, etc. As long as you haven't done anything ACTUALLY bad, you have fuck-all to worry about. And they don't enjoy all the protections in the real world, that they enjoy in the US. Hell...even David Beckham was smart enough to turn them down, when Tom Cruise was trying to sucker him into the church. David fucking BECKHAM! If you can't trick him, your scam is pretty weak.
@@ryanstewart2289 They did indeed. Specifically blackmailed the IRS by snowing them down with so many nuisance lawsuits they couldn't get any work done, then offered to end the suits in exchange for tax exempt status. They also committed probably the largest ever infiltration of the federal government, in Operation Snow White. They have always been a criminal organisation first and foremost.
Before the Pandemic, I walked past the TCR Church of Scientology every day for almost 4 years, and I've never seen anyone go in or come out. In fact, the only people I've ever seen near that place has been people walking past, stopping, doing a double take, and then lose their shit with laughter.
I went in! Got a small free book from it. The book was a picture book and also weeeeeird. The people were friendly though, despite probably telling I was only in it for the laughs.
Yea I used to walk past the one in Plymouth, England quite often, there was a couple older people in there every so often, with their weird glazed looks. Almost went in to mess with them so many times but was scared off by the potential harassment.
As a Los Angeles native, I am no stranger to the enormous Church of Scientology in Hollywood. One time I was walking in Hollywood, and there was this unassuming "store" and it looked like an art exhibit. There was a well dressed man outside and he invited me in. I have zero idea why I just walked in without even know what it was, but curiosity got me. The guy gave me the option of taking the personality test or just taking the tour of the center, that would include information on the life of L. Ron. I chose the tour because I felt like a trapped animal and felt like the test would have taken too much time. The entire time the guy was talking to me, he was staring at me like a vampire stares at someone they're trying to mind control. Thankfully I was able to get the heck out of there quickly. Some years later, I was working telemarketing (worst two weeks of my life) in Glendale, CA. A coworker of mine had accused another coworker of sexual harassment & I was listed as a witness. The day after her filing the accusation, we get called into HR, where they separate us, asked us nothing about the claim but instead start to question each of us about our faith, beliefs and all this nonsense. They gave us an informal personality test. I was asked. Out of a list of about twenty emotions ranging from lowest to highest, where did I feel I landed. I selected the third emotion from the top, which was like "happy" or something similar. I was then told I needed to make changes in my life so that I'd be at the top, which I believe was "elated" - I was told that no matter how I felt, if I just smiled all day, I'd eventually find something to be happy about. I was also told that my support system, my family, was not enough and I needed to look into the church (of scientology) to become the ultimate version of myself. After I said "no, thank you" I was told that my performance at work would never improve with that stare of mind & we were fired. I stay away from anything having to do with that church.
I cannot express to you how much I share your enthusiasm for Leah Remini's lawsuit. I would love to watch the slow moving trainwreck of Scientology's enevitable downfall. Danny Masterson's recent 30 year jail sentence shows the eroding of their power base with more and more revelations of their abuses. And I almost (but not really) feel bad for the guy as he was probably brainwashed by the churches treatment back then into thinking he could actually get away with his sick urges. They foster thier celebrities to the point of sickness. I.E. Tom Cruise and his VERY dysfunctional family life. Who demands abandonment of family and friends in favor of the, oh yeah, cult. Thats why. Also I love how thier little video doesnt mention Xenu, the ancient alien overlord..... odd as he is very very important to their religious story.
I simply love how, after the judge received character statements from Masterton's co-stars and friends, to weigh up his crimes against the testimonials of his influential pals and decide.... nah, imma give him the full sentence, cya never! I hope this is landmark case against those who think they can hide behind Scientology's gates.
Xenu is a "secret" You only find out about it when you get high up enough that your investment is so great, you won't just go "WTF??? “and walk out. Thing is tho, it's been public knowledge for years now.... and it's still bloody hysterically funny. I mean, the great "truth" that they all pay thru the nose for, is the cut price little green men fantasy of a bad SF hack, that the whole world sniggers at them about.
Hi Emma! For more on Scientology in the UK, Apostate Alex would be a good person to interview. He's a former member and does excellent work exposing the inner workings of this cult.
We had a Scientology group try and worm their way into giving a talk about the psychology, and treatment of, drug addiction when I was at uni. Some fellow psych student knew who this group was, and raised the alarm. The uni cancelled the talk. They are an insidious bunch. Edit: this was 2005/6? I was going to go the talk, I didn't know this group was backed by Scientology. Glad my Thetan levels remain undisturbed.
As a Survivor of Scientology (I was introduced to it at 3 years old) and having gone AWOL from the Sea Org, I can say that I've kept only two things that I learned while there. Study Habits and Communication. When studding keep a dictionary right next to you and when you find your mind wandering, go back to where you last remember being at and then go slowly until you find a word or concept you don't understand. After you learn the word or concept, then continue and you should find yourself able to concentrate again. And when communicating with someone, know your subject, speak clearly, listen politely and make sure they're paying attention when you start. Don't "ambush" them like someone might do their partner when angry. And Emma, Yes, that was bust of Hubbard, and no, don't go to their museum. You don't need to do that to yourself, unless you are a masochist. Then I say you can find better ways to inflict pain on yourself, like dropping an anvil on your head. Cheers! P.S. Hubbard wasn't that good of an author. I'm including his REAL Science Fiction work as well in that comment. P.P.S. Can I borrow a Fiver? 😁
All of us there were in Scientology can point to a couple of positive things. I agree study tech was one for me too. Overall, if Scientology was entirely the lower bridge with less crazy management it would be a lot more successful
I'm glad you survived. Though looking up a word you don't understand in the dictionary is a good thing- "study tech" is used as punishment- (as you probably experienced)- if you don't agree with something Hubbard wrote you then have to define every single word and sometimes whilst on the emeter- it is punishment for having your own opinions on a man who wrote a lot of contradictory claptrap, much of it stolen from other sources. I also find that Scientologist, when communicating with someone outside the cult, use set patterns of talk ("acks") that are purely mechanical and don't really engage with the person they are talking to. I do find their crazy wild stare amusing, though- it looks creepy as hell on youtube!
Philosophy literally means “love of wisdom”. Hubbard hardly qualifies as a lover of wisdom. “Lover of deceit” or “lover of lies” or “lover of bullshit” might apply.
There is one thing he _really_ hated in that same measure - paying *any* taxation. He wanted all of the benefits that he could get from being a US citizen, and he wanted those benefits for free. My understanding is that his whole intent of creating scientology, and calling the scam a church, was to avoid taxation.
@@John.0z that probably had something to do with it, but all rich people resent paying taxes - The Beatles even wrote a song about it once when they got stung with a tax bill one time.
Scientology is real and here's a detail description and evidence to back up this claim. Come on everybody I say now let's play a game I betcha I can make a rhyme Out of anybody's name The first letter of the name I treat it like it wasn't there But a "B" or an "F" Or an "M" will appear And then I say "Bo" add a "B" then I say the name Then "Bo-na-na fanna" and "fo" And then I say the name again with an ""f" very plain Then "fee fi" and a "mo" And then I say the name again with an "M" this time And there isn't any name that I can't rhyme Arnold! Arnold, Arnold bo-bar-nold Bo-na-na, fanna fo-far-nold Fee-fi-m-mar-mold Arnold! But if the first two letters are ever the same I drop them both, then say the name Like Bob, Bob, drop the "B's", Bo-ob Or Fred, Fred, drop the "F's", Fo-red Or Mary, Mary, drop the "M's", Mo-ary That's the only rule that is contrary Okay? Now say Bo Now Tony with a B Then "Bo-na-na fanna" and "fo" And then you say the name again with an "F" very plain Then "fee fi" and a "mo" And then you say the name again with an "M" this time And there isn't any name that I can't rhyme Everybody do Tony Tony, Tony, bo-bo-ney Bo-na-na fanna, fo-fo-ney Fee-fi-mo-mo-ney Tony! Pretty good Let's do Billy! Billy, Billy, bo-gil-ly Bo-na-na fanna, fo-fil-ly Fee-fi-mo-mil-ly Billy! Very good, let's do Marsha! Marsha, Marsha, bo-bar-sha Bo-na-na fanna, fo-far-sha Fee-fi-mo-ar-sha Marsha! A little trick with Nick! Nick, Nick, bo-bick, Bo-na-na fanna fo fick Fee-fi-mo-mick Nick! The name game!! I hope that cleared things up. You're welcome.
You think this personality test is odd, a few years back here in Canada I turned down a job because inbetween interviews 2 and 3 (yeah...) I was asked to do an online assessment which included a personality quiz. No joke, some of the questions were things like "do you often feel hopeless" and "have you ever considered suicide?" What the actual fuck?? I told the recruiter I wasn't doing it. I got phone calls from him, from the company, all saying they really wanted to hire me but I needed to do the quiz. Nope. "But then you won't get the job." Yep, that is literally the point. If you make me do this, you are not people I want to work for.
There's a copier repair/light IT group where I live that uses "personality assessments" as part of their hiring process. I believe they just use it as an excuse to weed out applicants they don't want to hire.
"Personality tests" are bullshit - my guess is that they employed by corporations solely as a means to grant them a justification for placing people in certain positions that they otherwise wouldn't qualify for (like the best buddy of a corporate executive getting the job as "head of security" in spite of having no experience in the field - "Oh, but he has the personality traits we are looking for in such a position! He''ll learn the specifics of the position on the job - it'll be fine!")
Also timely because of the sentencing of r*pist actor Daniel Masterson, a Scientologist. A lot of stars had written to the judge with character references and pleas for lower sentences - all of which were unheeded, as he was handed down 30y to life, the maximum tariff. I suspect a lot of the letter writers are Scientologists. In the end, though, it shows that the Church's influence could well be waning.
I think you're the only one I've seen call him Daniel. Or not mention the absolute worst out of Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis. The horrific support they show DM is beyond normal Hollyweird.
I believe that they have both apologised. Not that that excuses them, they shouldn’t have done it in the first place, but at least perhaps some self-awareness is creeping in…
@@lidbassit’s damage control / PR, not a genuine apology. they’re seemingly more appalled that people _found out_ about the letters than reflective of the damage they’ve caused
How many people involved in That 70s Show were in the cult? Was it just a few of the actors, or were there also Scientologist studio crew and production staff as well? Have any of the non-Scientologists publicly complained about being proselytized?
I once took one of their courses called “Success through Communication” that focused on things like regulating emotions and gaining more self confidence and it was one of the strangest experiences I’ve ever had. All students get paired up with someone else and in one of my first sessions, the two of us were instructed to sit across from each other and stare directly into the others eyes for as long as you could, with a general goal of doing so for more than an hour without feeling uncomfortable. The next session, we did the same thing, except we spouted off completely random numbers in a conversational tone without saying things like, “uh” or “um.” Again, the goal was basically just do this as long as it takes to not feel uncomfortable. Who the hell is comfortable with this random-ass activity? Some of the later lessons got into different areas, but 70% of it just felt like made-up bullshit, almost like they were testing to see if they could brainwash you into doing these things to begin with. Lots of praise for Hubbard left and right and lots of negative comments about psychology or really any other way of trying to help oneself. There was an air of friendliness about everyone there, but also a definite creep factor that I couldn’t shake. For the record, this was in the U.S. (if that matters). I still have the booklet if anyone is curious about all the wackiness in it.
Yeah, as much as I dislike Joe Rogan and his podcast, his episodes with Leah Remini, Louis Theroux and other podcasts he's done regarding scientology have been very eye opening (and Joe tends to talk less during those shows which helps).
@@itcat_x2605 those are the only time Joe Rogan podcast actually does well, that 2017 era when he actually talked to people about their lived experience and shit. now just brings on whacko's and conservatives
@@Fleato Conservative talking heads don't have the backbone to tackle ACTUAL clandestine groups like Scientology because that means they'd have to fight a REAL fight. They would rather bully easy targets in the progressive community that don't even have political power. They use the same tired tactic I saw used during my youth here in Panama, with Noriega. They pretend these small groups are huge threats so they can fabricate an easy target. What do Americans call it? Strawman? Joe even humours fictional groups that were made up for stories and movies as if they are real, and the - as you say - whackos eat it up. Meanwhile a real global organization that can do real damage, like Scientology never gets brought up in conservative circles. Cowards.
this test really feels like it's designed to catch neurodivergent people, some of these questions sound really similar to tests i've taken for autism and adhd
Yeah - cults like people that put others before themselves because they are easily manipulated into doing things "for the good of all" instead of questioning why the hell they are made to put up with the cult's bullshit.
33:24 OK so maybe the worst thing for me about that whole "test" is the graph. If each dot represents a separate trait, why are they connected by a line? The right way to present that information is for each dot to be separate, or have a bar for each trait
Girl plug yourself all day long! You work hard to put together awesome videos that we have the privilege of watching for free, so be proud and keep letting people know about all the cool shit you do ☺️
Considering all the people that scientology bullies have attacked over the years, and all the families they have done their very best to tear apart, should her lawsuit succeed, I would expect a big wave of lawsuits to follow Leah into courts of law around the world. I can only hope that Leah succeeds.
Oh my. About 25 *cough* years ago I had some time to kill while in Washington DC near the Scientology center. Loving psyche tests, I eagerly agreed to take one of their personality profiling standardized test with its multiple choice answers. Finished the 30 questions and turned it in after about 10 minutes.... then they said "oh no, you didn't finish the other side" I flipped over the answer sheet and saw there were about another 100- 150 question spaces.... I didn't stick around to answer.
Some time ago I was staying with a family for about a week whilst my parents went on a week long holiday. We had no idea they were Scientologists and I spent a week fending off the mother and father trying to convince me to become a Scientologist. I was 10 years old at the time.
I applied for a job years ago for a private auto insurance company. It was directly across the street from the main Ron Hubbard Scientology temple in Hollywood. After my second interview I was getting some funny vibes from this company. The called me a few days later and offered me the job. I went in for one final meeting and they asked me to fill out a personality test... Guess which one it was. I told them "no thanks." It may have been a good job as everyone there driver really nice cars but I knew enough that I didn't want to risk getting sucked in.
When I took it several of the questions seemed to basically ask if you had tics so they're screening for people with tourettes and similar disorders as well.
I stopped by the Scientology center in Seattle with my brother, when we were in our teens -- that was 50 years ago, I'm shocked to realize. We both took the BS personality test, which was patent garbage. The thing is, I gave a fake name & address, but my brother gave his real name and address, since he was unaware of the scamminess of the org. Then he was getting regular email from them for at least 30 years. It may have been longer, but it was all going to my parents house, and I think they just started throwing it out on sight.
My brother has a similar tale, did he personality test, whilst drunk, one night and gave his real name and address. After years of our mother chucking the (real) mail out, she went to the local post office and spoke to the post master (when they still had them!) And was advised the only thing to try was "return to sender", but no one had ever succeeded in stopping them. After 2 and a half years of returning everything, they must have gotten sick of the returned mail charges, and they gave up!
Do children irritate you? Why... yes they do. Do the petty foibles of others make you impatient? Yes!... yes they do! WELL HAVE I GOT THE SCIENCE FICTION WRITER RELIGION FOR YOU!
I don't think they'd give you a tour because you're most likely already tagged as a SP. I will also add that I found it so amusing that they make everything "appointment only" when this is only necessary because these places are all totally empty unless they know to expect someone lol
In terms of picking a religion, I think having one not based on a pulp SciFi novel author (L Rob Hubbard) would be a good thing! Scientology has always sounded like episode(s) from the "Outer Limits" (or some similar old SciFi series) to me. Scientologists don't like psychology because ... people who know about psychology can see right their lack of logic! Keeps some people happy I suppose.
I always thought his name was Elron, not L Ron 😅 If you only listen to people say his name, it just sounds like Elron. Is the L an initial, or is his name really L Ron?
"In terms of picking a religion, I think having one not based on a pulp SciFi novel author (L Rob Hubbard) would be a good thing!" i personally have found having one based on small cute marsupials to be optimal. or, rather, Giant Space versions of small cute marsupials.
Just watched a video on Andrew Gold's channel about Scientology exposing the fact that it's based on witchcraft - as in Alistair Crowley's Golden Dawn, not modern witchcraft - though Crowley didn't like Hubbard
and most witchcraft is based on positive things, contrary to popular opinion (there are witches who are harmful to others, but at this point, we can say the same about any belief system or humanity as a whole, anyway, so it's a moot point).
I had a brush with $cientology when I was about your age, Emma. (I had to take the "Oxford" tsst for an employer 🚩 🚩.) It started my fascination with cults, abusive groups, conspiracy stuff, woo, and religious fruitcakery. It's a wild world out there. Thanks again for doing what you do.
I guess we are following a cult of personality ourselves by watching Emma's content. We watch her videos, and declare "Hey, let's be cheery and upbeat as a default. Let's see how our neighbours are doing." It's pretty concerning 🤔
As a bishop in the Church of Emma I am authorized to offer you three 'cheery upbeats' for a simple donation of only 59.95. And if you disagree you will be cheerily shunned.
I gotta finish this vid later, but for anyone unsure if a group/relationship they're in is "high control" (i.e., abusive and cultish), please look at the cult BITE model. It's an extremely useful checklist to help figure out if you're in a dangerous situation. The more items that describe your organization/relationship, the worse it is. Here's to more people like Emma talking about toxic and high control groups, helping to educate and heal 💜
I was 'triggered' by the start of the Scientology nutters video. I live in London, if anyone asks where I'm from I just say London, nothing more is needed. People know that if you say London it's London, England, UK so when this video says London, England it annoyed me ;o) Other Londons may need to specify where they are, London, Ontario for example.
Comment two: I did the personality test inside their offices in the late 90's as a teen. Back then they did two tests, an IQ test and the personality test (if I remember correctly). I remember it took ages to do but I wanted to do it properly and I wanted to buy "Dianetics" (I read it and basically the $30 book is all you need to do Scientology on your own. That one book explains the whole "science" so rest is just upsell and cult). Anyway my main memory is how much they complemented me on my intelligence (which I assume was a transparent sales tactic). And the personality test results instantly exposed the way the test worked. Basically it's designed to make you look "in need of help" no matter what your personality is by not testing traits but using a spectrum where both ends are bad. You literally have to be hypocritical and contradictory to answers on the test to get any one area "perfect". There is more to it's design (back then) and the sales techniques they used but this comment is way too long already. Luv ya Em
Ask the receptionist at the desk if there's any way that a person can pass the test with flying colors and be told, "Holy cow! You are a natural clear!" It won't happen, they will find something wrong with you and only they can help.
@@miriamhavard7621Scientology speak for someone who has "cleared their reactive mind". They are perfectly rational, they have perfect memory recall, etc. Notoriously, the first Clear that was presented to the world didn't remember what color shoes she was wearing. So much for perfect recall.
Because the results are fixed, that the theoretical basis for it are not consistent, and it's not rooted in any practical research. Basically it's pop-psychology and psychiatry.
Had a run in with scientology when I was 15 in Toronto, Canada. Went thru the "PERSONALITY" test and the results were so crazy that they had get in bosses to try to figure out the results for me. So told them that I will come back again when they get my results sorted out. Never did go back!!! BTW, have read most of sci-fi books by their god, L. Ron Hubbard. Did enjoy his writing style but never got into all the fuss about Dianetics which formed the part of ads in his books!!!
There were people all over the streets of LA in the 80’s giving out those personality tests. My ex filled one out and ended up subscribing to their magazine. I told him it sounded like a cult. He subscribed for two years but never joined. He ended up agreeing it was too cultish. We had to rely on our instincts pre-internet😂
The Canadian Scientology HQ in Toronto (which is gloomy multi story building on Yonge st, the main downtown street and three blocks from me) has been sitting empty since the 2000's. Officially it's been "under renovations" for about twenty years but you never see workmen and it's all boarded up. Occasionally they will have a table set up in front with books and you can see a few people wander in and out but when you look in it's clearly empty. Reportedly they are in some sort of tax dispute with the city and they want the same kind of tax exempt status that they have in America but they were told to pound sand so they're just letting the building rot. In the 90's the building was always open, or at least it looked that way on the ground floor, what if anything was happening on upper floors is another matter.
In his autobiography, Issac Asimov talked about his friend L. Ron Hubbard. He had told Asimov that he’d invented the whole Scientology thing for the money. This was in the 50s.
I read Battlefield Earth when I was a teen. I was amazed that Hubbard actually could write anything while patting himself on the back with both hands. I never read a more self aggrandizing "Author's Forward" in my life. There were even inserts in the book advertising the "soundtrack" for the book composed by none other than L. Ron Hubbard himself.
Damn! I shall have to reassess my admiration for Asimov! Anyone who befriends Old Mother Hubbard cannot POSSIBLY be a reasonable and sentient human being!
When asimov says "friend" Im guessing its like saying "co-worker" asimov, clarke, heinlein, all those guys came up at a time when scifi wasn't respected as literature, theyd write short stories for magazines (paid by the word), it was kind of like how comedians starting out all run into each other, working at the same crappy clubs and open mics, etc. So "friend" might just mean "this guy I worked with"
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@@Pippins666 Why not? Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia were friends.
Asimov definitely wasn't any kind of friend of Hubbard. He found the guy to be a loudmouth pest, an unbearable whiner (about the low word rates paid by the magazines), and very sleazy. Theodore Sturgeon had the same opinion.
Emma, I have been a fan of yours for a while. So glad to see you taking on Scientology. I was in Scientology for decades, now I am out and working to expose them. I was one of the people interviewed on Leah’s show. Good on you for taking them on!!
You're a Smart Cookie, Emma. Keep up the good work. Be careful around these people, you know how litigious they are. I would not go in person, that's not a good idea.
So, using the guide you posted (because mine looked very different than yours), it managed to tell me, *gasp, shock awe*, that a person with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder has, you'll never guess, depression and anxiety! I'd also like to note that it considers shyness or reservation to be "bad", and if you answer in ways that acknowledge that some problems aren't your fault, you're flagged as being irresponsible, without any regard for nuance or consideration for the fact that circumstance is a real thing that affects real people? It also seems to take umbrage with neurodivergence, but that's not exactly new.
The first place I ever heard of 'neurodivergence' was in the Terry Gilliam movie 'twelve monkeys'. Mine said I have a way too high opinion of myself and tend to mentally bludgeon others into following my lead. So they asked me to lead a congregation. The Toyota dealership offered me a better deal.
The anti-neurodivergence makes a lot of sense of you remember that they don't actually care about helping a person. They care about recruiting a charismatic person who can influence others and project an image of respectable success.
30:29 either really weird phrasing, or this quiz was written by a very devoted James Bond fan. In On Her Majesty’s Secret Service there is the line “This didn’t happen to the other fellow.” Also a great documentary that came out this year about people who are called James Bond.
I love this quote from Hubbard... "Writing science fiction for a penny a word is ridiculous, if a man really wanted to make a million dollars, he would start his own religion"
When I went to the Scientology place, they showed me a book full of celebrity Scientologists. The voice of Bart Simpson, Nancy Cartwright. The premise was that anyone could get success like these people if they also became a Scientologist.
A few years ago I was having some mental health issues, borderline suicidal, and really not doing well (I'm doing better now). Suddenly, one day, someone who I hadn't spoken to in nigh on two decades contacted me out of the blue.... "I've got some books that might help if you're feeling down, they'll really help you find value in life again." Seemed a bit odd, and I am not knocking people who reach out to help friends, but that would usually involve a "do you want to talk?" type approach, not "here, read this". I checked and they were now involved in Scientology. I had heard of their tactic of "looking for the weak willed", but to witness that I was at my absolute lowest, and that was their perfect time to try and coax me in to their cult... I assume because they saw me as "vulnerable" and "easy to manipulate".
Two of those questions are just asking "are you a good target for a cult?" which is more direct than I expected. Are you suspicious of people who ask to borrow money? Because they're going to ask for money. Do you give in or seek to have your own way? Because they want to know if you can be bullied.
I took over of those tests a few years ago, i was sinking drunk the whole time, and when they talked to me i was drinking cheap beer from a gas station slushie cup. They asked me to leave... i consider that my victory
Back in the 80s I did a scientology test (at the time they didn't say they were scientologists) and you answered the questions while holding a galvanic skin response meter which I recognised from a 100 in 1 electronics toy. After that they tried to sell me a $237 dianetics book so I walked out.
I actually live really close to the "MAIN" head quarters of scientology. They have been trying to buy up all the land around them, to the point they bought a local golf club and made it private for their members only, they are trying to stop people from enjoying themselves in this city, but we're a farming town, we don't have much to do here. We use to dirt bike ride out here, they bought that land to stop everyone, there were other churches near it, they bought that land and are planning to tear it down, there were several homes near them, they bought all the land, miles of it, and destroyed all the homes so no one can live there. from the moment they moved into this city they have been nothing but problems, but the city officials love them cause they bring money in. The people who live here hate the cult being there but our words and complaints are not worth enough money to the city.
In the 80s I saw TV commercials for Dianetics and I kind of negligently accepted it as a fringe religion people joked about like Methodists or Shakers. Back then it was genuinely secretive. In the early “00”s with the internet I read a little about it and I couldn’t believe how nuts it was, I don’t know how it still survives today when anyone can easily find out about it
@@almcdermid9669 I picked them because I don’t know what they are except from the line in Blazing Saddles maligning them. I guess they’re a lot less obscure than Shakers but my point was that there’s so many Christian denominations that nobody can know them all so when the common person hears of another one they tacitly accept it . And really, Christianity as a whole isn’t much less outlandish than Scientology we’re just accustomed to it
@@soyevquirsefron990 That my be true, but Methodists are both mainstream and moderate. If you want denominations that comparably batshit crazy, look at JWs and SDA.
Aren't Methodists one of the major Protestant denominations in the US and the world? Why mention them and not the Mormons, who have had an entire musical mocking them?
@@KyrieFortune I’m not sure if they are. This was in the 80s before the musical. But there were TV commercials for LDS back then too, when they still called themselves Mormons, so I guess that was equally valid.
Its wild how some questions only have one answer: E.g. "do the petty foibles of others make you impatient?" By asking you about foibles you consider petty it is basically asking you if you find annoying things annoying.
When I spent more than two decades working for a large corporation (which shall remain nameless) I found myself assigned to take a similar type of test. And, as you noticed, they often repeated questions but worded differently. The simplest is “I enjoy working with a team” and “I’m more comfortable working alone”. The idea is for you to contradict yourself so they can learn something about you and you can learn something about yourself. As odd as it might seem the important thing was to make sure that you contradicted yourself. On one test, administered by my supervisor, I had a good enough memory to _not_ contradict myself and my supervisor got more and more angry. The instructions for the test told her that there would be contradictions but when there weren’t, well, that didn’t sit well with her. I changed my strategy and deliberately contradicted myself and she was happy.
That was fun! I know two families from my childhood that were utterly destroyed by Scientology. They're so evil! I'm going to go and look at your previous interview with Mr. Rinder.
That was interesting hearing those questions they were asking. It seems that they deliberately made them vague and unclear as to just what they were getting at. Perhaps (if I can just take a wild guess) they were thinking that many people who might be taking that test would also be looking to see what their angle is and by asking such innocuous questions they then could circumvent that process and rouse their curiosity and by pass their innate defense mechanisms by avoiding questions that might be too leading and betray their true intentions. Thus they are here just baiting the hook but will defer to sometime later in setting the hook. The Bible warns that there will be wolves in sheep's clothing. But to me, scientology's has always seem to be more like wolves in wolves clothing that might on occasion say bah.
There are some amazing books on Scientology you can get - in ebook for weird legal reasons - and my favourite is 'Bare-Faced Messiah', which tells Hubbard's actual life story (instead of the insane, contradictory one he and the church made up). Also, my wife and I once found a bunch of Scientology books in a charity shop and we keep them on our bookshelves. Such classics as 'Have You Lived Before This Life?' and 'All About Radiation' (spoiler, Ron did not understand radiation). They're comedy gold. Finally, when the Church say he was a prolific writer, they're not wrong. However, they're mostly referring to his paid-by-the-word pulp sci-fi stories from the thirties. Some of them are apparently quite good.
man so many of these questions would SPECIFICALLY target people who are neurodivergent and/or dealing with mental health issues, which says a lot really.
I'm so pleased I ended up watching this video the day after seeing the Last Night of the Proms, so I could get Emma's rendition of Rule Brittania too! I don't think the big museums of London, Natural History, Science Museum, V&A, the art galleries etc have much to be worried about re visitor numbers. L Ron Hubbard the prolific writer? I guess it helps if you run a cult with its own publishing arm... "Color bar" is like race segregation language from pre civil rights America - I guess, they wrote this in 1960 and it has never been updated since.
Thanks for this one - quite hilarious :) Apparently, Hubbart once said that the only way to get really rich, was to invent a religion. Some years went by and so he did. You should lookup Geir Isene, a Norwegian entrpeneur that climed to level 8 (the top level, that is, Hubbart is level 9) before he exited the scientology church. Obviously he's a persona non grata there, like everyone else that exits. The only problem, thoguh, is that last I heard him talk about it, he still appreciated the help he had cotten from the "church". roy
Thank you Emma, most entertaining. I first encountered them when accosted and offered a free personality test outside the Tottenham Court Road shop in 1975 (I remember the year because I was conscious of signing to say I was 18 when actually 17). Not sure if it was the same test, but the same result - here are you high and low points, and Scientology has the ideal remedies for the low points. Then I came across them around Russell Square shortly after the July 2005 bombs, kindly offering psychological support. It is fun, when one encounters them outside the shop, to ask what they think of the volcano story and whether they are at Operating Thetan III level (I think that is what it is called). They have been programmed not to allow you to pursue that line of conversation.
One afternoon I had time to waste. Walking down the street a young girl stopped me to ask if I would answer a few survey questions. I answered them. I was suspicious when a couple of her colleagues joined us. They suggested I join them for a more in-depth interview. I told them I had an hour to spare. We went to their nearby offices. I answered the questions. How and why they didn't realise I was being extremely sarcastic indeed is beyond me. I got progressively more contemptuous. They really thought they were roping me in. Looking at my watch I said the hour is up I have to go. My indifference towards them evaluated their anger. They shouted at me as I left. They just didn't understand I had no time for their beliefs. I suspect they were upset as I had prevented them from achieving their sales targets. I have a very stubborn trait. Once I have all the empirical facts to hand I do not bend.
Back when I lived in San Jose in the early 2000s, they bought store fronts and opened Scientology shops (or churchs or treatment centers, whatever they want to call them for tax purposes) in every minimall and street corner. There were more Scientology shops than gas stations or convenience stores.
Years ago, I worked for an ISP that provided services for the Church of Scientology. They were the most frequent repeat caller for billing issues as they never wanted t pay their bill. They always wanted to "negotiate a partial payment to get service restored that generally amounted to 1 or 2 % of the amount owed. A few of their reps tried to claim that being a "church" meant they didn't need to pay their bill since they were tax exempt.
I remember a coworker of mine almost got roped into going to an intro meeting with them- she had it booked and everything was telling me how she was gonna go. No one else at my workplace had heard of Scientology which blew my mind. Told her it’s a cult don’t go and thankfully she listened to me.
Mike Rinder used to be a bastard when he was representing the church of scientology, now the guy is a gem. Being a gem is his true self. I just love him and admire what he has done to uncover scientology's schemes. Kudos to you, to Mike and to Leah.
I got roped into this a long time ago, and did the personality test and all that. After they showed me the graph of my personality, and showed me the graph it SHOULD be like, I started asking awkward questions like "Does everybody have to have the same personality?" and I was gently removed and found myself back out on the street, and just went to the pub next door.
Pretty much same for me (in Germany no less). They started on the personality test thing, and I said, "So this is like a psychological profile!" and they wigged out since psychology is taboo in their cult. My response was, "You guys didn't pass your psychology class, did you? 'Cause you clearly don't understand anything about psychology." and I was out on the street.
Them fokes be crazy!
🤣🤣😅😂😅😂🤣😂🤣😅
Church of Pub is also wayyyyy more likeable.
@@matthiasbreiter4177 I like beer!
I just tried this personality test, and I was hoping to go try out the free in person consultation, but the closest is hundreds of miles north.... not that I'm searching for anything. I just rather enjoy the idea of joining their strange fake Navy, as an accidental autistic submarine sailor, just to torture an entire crew of believers. I love my ship's systems.... and beer... and my coffee cup!
Jettison the motion sickness pills, and we'll sail for a lovely Sea-state 5 for a fun house, and then I'm going Full-Pirate, after raiding the wardroom liquor supply! I ain't got nothing else to do.
I'm usually prone to being seen as a target/mark to exploit; I enjoy it, because I play a completely different game.
"She's suing the church of Scientology"
Imagine being that brave. It's basically like suing the mafia
It might not be bravery, it might be lack of choice. It might be the case that if she doesn't sue them, then they're going to do all manner of nasty stuff to her, but if she DOES sue them, then they're limited in the scope of things they can do to her, without being prosecuted by the state...
I don't know any specifics, just that there might be more options than "She must be very brave."
Fortunately, our modern justice system largely protects people who need to do that and gives them a voice (not one that isn't abused, but it's there)
A UFO cult with a mafia lawyer.
@@Raz.C Standing up for yourself and fighting back head on is generally considered a brave thing to do rather than cowering, running or any other easier option. I don't know much about this either, but it appears to me she took the brave path because even if she does have a lack of choice the choice not to fight back probably was an option.
Fun fact about Scientology: they had to blackmail the US gov to get recognized as a religion.
I did like this video and I am subscribed, but would also like it known that I actively do NOT wish for you to go to their museum, nor have any direct contact whatsoever with ANY Scientology location, institution, or known personnel. You are sweet and smart and all-around wonderful, you make very good content that I would like to see continue for a long long while, they are *legitimately dangerous* people, and any content they might fuel is 100% NOT worth the risk.
yer a good egg
@@EmmaThorneVideos no u
+ 1
Yeah, they are not a group that should be messed with casually.
For the love of sanity, never deal with them alone.
My mom once gave me 'Dianetics' by L Ron Hubbard to read, telling me that it was a self-help book and asked me if I thought it would help her stop smoking. I spent a few hours reading it and told her that it was essentually pseudoscientific quasi-religious bullcrap and that it would objectively make her a terrible, judgmental person if she took it to heart. I was 12.
Now I'm 44, she still smokes, but she's also not a Scientologist and I count that as an absolute win.
That's kinda insane that your mom relied on you as a 12 year old to vet her reading materials. I'm sorry you had to shoulder that. No one should have to parent their own parent.
That being said, it's at least better than her becoming a scientologist 🤷♀️
I say that as someone who has parented their own parent. Now if only my mom would let my English Major ass vet her media consumption 🤔
💯💯💯
@@hellfirefox516In context it was more a test of my intelligence at the time than an actual request for me to vet or verify the book. She's a whip-smart (and _very_ Dutch) lady but was never a huge reader, and that book is, off the top of my head, a 700-ish page pill. She tested my smarts regularly - but this was the one instance where she handed me a book to do so. Still changes nothing about the fact that it's full of ham-handed pseudointellectual and pseudophilosophical garbage you have to already (more or less) believe (in), to take seriously.
Then everyone stood and cheered.
Lung cancer can be treated...
Approximately 50 years ago I was a hungry university student. I was wandering around downtown in my small city as there was a blizzard and classes were cancelled. I was walking down a pedestrian mall trying to find shelter from the wind and blowing snow. A two young pleasant people waved me over to a sheltered alcove at the entrance of an office building. They asked me if I wanted to take shelter for a bit and partake in a cup of hot chocolate and a bowl of soup. I eagerly accepted. While I was sipping on the hot chocolate one of them asked me if I would be interested in taking a short aptitude test. I took their test. When I completed it they took my responses into an office. I sat and enjoyed the soup and cocoa they gave me. They came back in a few minutes and gave me their interpretation of the results of my test. They told me my results showed that I needed much work to achieve self-actualization and if I couldn’t afford a small fee I could work with them as a volunteer thereby earning acceptance into the program. I suddenly remembered that I had to catch the bus back to residence on campus and beat a hasty retreat.
You were cold and hungry. They're always on the lookout for people who are vulnerable and in need. They want money, but if you can't give them money, you can give them free labor, which is money they don't have to spend.
@@user-mg5mv2tn8q Really fulfilling that 'Church' title of theirs
Nothing good can happen to anybody who strays into a Scientology ‘Org’.
@@gdutfulkbhh7537 Not once did they say they were from the church of Scientology. It wasn’t until I saw their bookcase in which there were many copies of Dianetics. I was well enough read at 18 to have some knowledge of Hubbard.
now if they couldnt help the homeless etc, for no reward, they arent actually the good guys
I once actually bought L. Ron Hubbard's book on Dianetics from a throw out stall for about $1. I read about 5 pages and put it down intending to come back and try again. It sat around on my bookshelf for about 15 years until I had to move house and I wanted to prune back my books a bit. Many went to second hand book shops but I couldn't bring myself to put Dianetics into a place where some unsuspecting person might read it. It went into the recycling.
It is sad that so many trees died to produce that joke of a book 😕
@@EmersumBigginssadly more with other religions.
@@oldschoolman1444 You seem to mistake Scientology for a religion. It isn't.
Where it belongs
I also got a cheap second hand copy- without doubt it is the most ridiculous "self help" book ever written, full of crazy claims (not supporting evidence or references to outside sources, of course) and badly cobbled together. Most Scientologists cannot really understand it, either, but wouldn't dare say that out loud! Basically, Hubbard took the early (and now debunked) idea of "engrams" and ran with it whilst on a lot of something (pinks and greys, perhaps- based on a letter he wrote to his first wife)! The volcano on the cover is supposed to restimulate you to what you're supposed to process on OT3 (body thetans and Xenu and all that guff)!
My sister went to thier Edinburgh office one day for a laugh, but they followed her around for months afterwards. It got to the point where they would go to her house every day, and, if she wasn't home, they would stand outside her door until she was. Sometimes for hours. Eventually a few of us had to come down with heavy manners to get them to leave for good, but even that took about 3 weeks. Imagine standing outside somebodies house while her family *this part redacted for legal reasons* and soak you with a garden hose for 10 hours a day. They're insane.
As someone who has worked for pepsico, I LOVE your profile pic.
They dont. They don't like it at all. If I wasn't a lawyer, I would have spend quite a lot of money on lawyers telling them to fuck off over the years.@@Where_is_Waldo
Hmmmm. is that a Scientology thing though? I once tried to date a girl from Edinburgh and had much the same experience, when after our second date I told her I was not interested.
@@AB-80X
I'm a Campbell and I tried dating a Macdonald when I was back at university...
My experience was also somewhat similar...
The Scientology victims have no other leads to follow up, because the cult’s dying. They have to report that they’re good little drones, so they will spend hours on completely hopeless tasks. It makes them more 'upstat' and that’s all they can ever be.
Pretty much most of those questions could be summed up as "Are you neurodivergent or otherwise vulnerable to being manipulated by a cult?"
On this subject, I think one of the most interesting Scientology survivors would have to be Kate Bornstein. They joined basically because they were experiencing a lot of internalised homophobia/transphobia, and the idea that we're all internally genderless aliens was appealing to them at the time; once they got out, they transitioned and wrote "Gender Outlaw", one of the best books on practically applying Gender/Queer Theory out there. Interesting stuff!
I was just thinking this felt like some sort of autism assessment test, asking about special interests, not understanding social cues, being excessively honest/naive/trusting, sensory issues, copying people's mannerisms and accents, executive dysfunction, flat affect... This has to be done on purpose right??
Also thank you for the book recommendation :)
As an autistic person, I'm a bit confused as to what you 2 are on about. It seems like you're saying they are identifying ND folks to prey on us, but that makes very little sense to me.
I don't know many autistic folks that do well with highly prescriptive "do this & don't ask questions or look in any other direction" environments. That's scientology.
In my experiences, we aren't tolerated in spaces like that. We're often the last people they want around.
i really really recognized the questions like. “do you easily give your money to your friends” “are you suspicious of what people tell you” and if you say yes to giving money, they prey on you. if you say yes to getting suspicious, they know not to pursue you
I had the exact same feeling. I recently had an ADHD assessment and I helped someone else fill out screeners for autism a few days ago. A good chunk of these questions (maybe 80 %) were suspiciously familiar. I also suspect that they do the test, give basically the same results to everyone and then secretly create a personality profile to see how you could be used for their goals.
@@quinn0517 I see where you're coming from. At the same time, a lot of neurodivergent people have a lot of self-doubt and feel like a "failure" (usually if they don't know they are neurodivergent). Someone telling you they have an easy way to improve your "personality flaws" (that you might already have a deep believe in because you had problems with them all your life) might convince some people to give it a try, especially if they don't know what they are in for. Also, nobody said their methods are particularly effective. It seems most people just get a good laugh out of the personality tests and that's it. We shouldn't forget that this whole system was created in the 1950s. People didn't really have a clue about neurodivergence or what kind of organisation this is. It might have worked better then, which could be responsible for their "success". I could also imagine them preying more on the ADHDers and sorting the autistic people out. I know from experience that ADHDers can be an easy target for emotional manipulation.
When you consider that Scientology is a grift and not a religion, it makes a lot more sense. Hubbard: “You don't get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion.” So yeah, everything he created was fiction.
...and RUBBISH fiction, as well as a RUBBISH "religion"
All religion is a grift, it was created to give answers when science was lacking, but now we have science, so... what are they doing? They're parasitic entities with no goal but no continue their own existence, so they dupe people in to giving them money.
Not to be That Bitch, but you cannot actually point to any evangelical religion and claim it not to be a grift.
Religion is a grift. So Scientology being a grift doesn't negate it from being a religion.
I think his original words were "let's try the religion angle" when he was sued out of his copyright of the books and saw that he wouldn't earn money anymore. Scientology is a cult AND a grift at the same time, effing horrendous.
I’ve known several people who ‘escaped’ from these people. The whole ‘turning families against the one leaving’ is so true. I had a neighbor who had siblings periodically banging on her door, and yell at her for leaving. “You’re destroying this family”, I heard some evenings🫤.
She told me she gave these people so much money she remained impoverished, until she got out. Anyways, we used to refer to them as some ‘Religious AMWAY’ due to their techniques😐😐😐
Scientology is entirely MENTAL😵💫😵💫😵💫
🏳️🌈🥰🏳️🌈 thank you again, for these videos you create!!! Thank you.
(It is a pretty building😂)
Religious Amway fits perfectly.
@@Dither87Scamway :)
I know a few who lost their house, income, marriage etc. All smart people, it's important to remember that anyone can be recruited if at a vulnerable time.
Religious Amway! That’s hysterical.
🤣😂🤣😂
@annenelson5656 Ironically, too, that Amway was heavily using prosperity gospel evangelism as part of it's religious cloaking. The scientology cult use similar tactics, if something goes well, it's thanks to the cult, if it goes badly you "pulled it in" and it's your fault. Highly toxic gaslighting.
In my early 20s I was living in LA and took a scientology audit and survey. At the end of it, I asked if they had anything I could take with me to read. They then tried to sell me a mountain of books. I had been skeptical up to that point, but it was that moment where I realized that it was just a book selling scam.
As I understand it the books improve your status within Scientology. That's why most of these cost a fortune only the rich can afford.
"Churches" like this needs to be taxed out of existence.
Every church should be taxed.
All churches should be taxed.
@@wilhelmvonn9619 Sounds good to me. Cinema chains pay VAT and corporation tax. Why not other forms of make-believe?
If we were to make a list of bad "churches" and the terrible things they do, scientology would be flat bottom.
you cant tax them!! they have PTSD over what xenu did with taxes...
yeah.... honest
Fun fact: one of the first things they say is that their church is 'here' on the 'famed' Tottenham Court Rd (where one is) while showing you an image of Piccadilly Circus (where one isn't). Off to a real trustworthy start there folks.
I still find it weird that Neil Gaiman's father was a prominent scientologist in England, but I guess he has distanced himself from the church and almost never speaks of it
"I still find it weird that Neil Gaiman's father was a prominent scientologist in England, "
i did not know this, but i suspect virtually everything about Neil Gaiman is weird.
he does not strike me as a fellow whose life was normal, considering his output.
ouevre?
My wife graduated with his daughter. We live in the small wi town he lived in for many years. A big part of American Gods takes place here.
He base his world building on Scientology and Catholicism but is an atheist himself. He doesn't speak negatively about any of the beliefs. Only that he's not into them.
I definitely would not have guessed it but actually makes a lot of sense with the way his works often explore religious and philosophical topics
Also, one of my favorite musicians, Beck is a member of Scientology.
The thing I find the most gross about Scientology is that its roots started as a $20 bet between L'Ron and another sci-fi writer to come up with the strangest religion possible... L'Ron got too carried away started creeping the other author out so he conceded that L'Ron won paid him the $20 and then processed to have NOTHING to do with L'Ron ever again... and that was the Birth of Scientology!
I'd heard that, but the person who write a bio on him says there is no evidence for that claim. The other author was, supposedly, Robert A Heinlein.
Scientology engaged in witness intimidation during Danny Masterson's trial - no way they don't ramp up fair game against Leah, her legal team, her witnesses, everyone involved
Their protocols are written in stone by Hubbard decades ago, they literally can not deviate; they don't have any other play to follow. To suggest internally that maybe the rules shouldn't be followed would be Wrongthink and a High Crime and open up the person suggesting to punishment
Doesn't matter in the UK. Nobody gives a shit if you once used the N-word in a Facebook post, slept with a prostitute, etc. As long as you haven't done anything ACTUALLY bad, you have fuck-all to worry about. And they don't enjoy all the protections in the real world, that they enjoy in the US. Hell...even David Beckham was smart enough to turn them down, when Tom Cruise was trying to sucker him into the church. David fucking BECKHAM! If you can't trick him, your scam is pretty weak.
They literally blackmailed the US gov to get tax exempt status.
@@ryanstewart2289 They did indeed. Specifically blackmailed the IRS by snowing them down with so many nuisance lawsuits they couldn't get any work done, then offered to end the suits in exchange for tax exempt status.
They also committed probably the largest ever infiltration of the federal government, in Operation Snow White.
They have always been a criminal organisation first and foremost.
Tom Cruise has personally had at least 12 people killed.
Emma, I appreciate you shining a light on their BS. Please continue doing so from a safe distance. Don't actually show up at one of their buildings.
Before the Pandemic, I walked past the TCR Church of Scientology every day for almost 4 years, and I've never seen anyone go in or come out. In fact, the only people I've ever seen near that place has been people walking past, stopping, doing a double take, and then lose their shit with laughter.
I went in! Got a small free book from it. The book was a picture book and also weeeeeird. The people were friendly though, despite probably telling I was only in it for the laughs.
My experience with the one here in Salt Lake is pretty similar. Walk past it almost daily on my way home from work and it's always dead.
Locals call the Tottenham Court Road branch “The Martian Embassy“.
@@gdutfulkbhh7537🤣
Yea I used to walk past the one in Plymouth, England quite often, there was a couple older people in there every so often, with their weird glazed looks. Almost went in to mess with them so many times but was scared off by the potential harassment.
As a Los Angeles native, I am no stranger to the enormous Church of Scientology in Hollywood. One time I was walking in Hollywood, and there was this unassuming "store" and it looked like an art exhibit. There was a well dressed man outside and he invited me in. I have zero idea why I just walked in without even know what it was, but curiosity got me. The guy gave me the option of taking the personality test or just taking the tour of the center, that would include information on the life of L. Ron. I chose the tour because I felt like a trapped animal and felt like the test would have taken too much time. The entire time the guy was talking to me, he was staring at me like a vampire stares at someone they're trying to mind control. Thankfully I was able to get the heck out of there quickly.
Some years later, I was working telemarketing (worst two weeks of my life) in Glendale, CA. A coworker of mine had accused another coworker of sexual harassment & I was listed as a witness. The day after her filing the accusation, we get called into HR, where they separate us, asked us nothing about the claim but instead start to question each of us about our faith, beliefs and all this nonsense. They gave us an informal personality test. I was asked. Out of a list of about twenty emotions ranging from lowest to highest, where did I feel I landed. I selected the third emotion from the top, which was like "happy" or something similar. I was then told I needed to make changes in my life so that I'd be at the top, which I believe was "elated" - I was told that no matter how I felt, if I just smiled all day, I'd eventually find something to be happy about. I was also told that my support system, my family, was not enough and I needed to look into the church (of scientology) to become the ultimate version of myself. After I said "no, thank you" I was told that my performance at work would never improve with that stare of mind & we were fired.
I stay away from anything having to do with that church.
I cannot express to you how much I share your enthusiasm for Leah Remini's lawsuit. I would love to watch the slow moving trainwreck of Scientology's enevitable downfall. Danny Masterson's recent 30 year jail sentence shows the eroding of their power base with more and more revelations of their abuses. And I almost (but not really) feel bad for the guy as he was probably brainwashed by the churches treatment back then into thinking he could actually get away with his sick urges. They foster thier celebrities to the point of sickness. I.E. Tom Cruise and his VERY dysfunctional family life. Who demands abandonment of family and friends in favor of the, oh yeah, cult. Thats why. Also I love how thier little video doesnt mention Xenu, the ancient alien overlord..... odd as he is very very important to their religious story.
I simply love how, after the judge received character statements from Masterton's co-stars and friends, to weigh up his crimes against the testimonials of his influential pals and decide.... nah, imma give him the full sentence, cya never! I hope this is landmark case against those who think they can hide behind Scientology's gates.
Xenu is a "secret"
You only find out about it when you get high up enough that your investment is so great, you won't just go "WTF??? “and walk out.
Thing is tho, it's been public knowledge for years now.... and it's still bloody hysterically funny. I mean, the great "truth" that they all pay thru the nose for, is the cut price little green men fantasy of a bad SF hack, that the whole world sniggers at them about.
Hi Emma! For more on Scientology in the UK, Apostate Alex would be a good person to interview. He's a former member and does excellent work exposing the inner workings of this cult.
Wasn't Xenu's spaceship described as looking like a 'DC-8 without wings'? Because, nothing dates like bad sci-fi..
One computer in the software test lab at my old job had a label on it reading "DC-8" because it kept behaving in ways that made no sense :^)
So true: think of the enormous computer on the first Star Trek.
Yep - he might as well have said that it runs on a super-futuristic operating system like Windows 98!
Hubbard must have been studying Ed Wood. LOL
We had a Scientology group try and worm their way into giving a talk about the psychology, and treatment of, drug addiction when I was at uni. Some fellow psych student knew who this group was, and raised the alarm. The uni cancelled the talk. They are an insidious bunch.
Edit: this was 2005/6? I was going to go the talk, I didn't know this group was backed by Scientology.
Glad my Thetan levels remain undisturbed.
As a Survivor of Scientology (I was introduced to it at 3 years old) and having gone AWOL from the Sea Org, I can say that I've kept only two things that I learned while there. Study Habits and Communication. When studding keep a dictionary right next to you and when you find your mind wandering, go back to where you last remember being at and then go slowly until you find a word or concept you don't understand. After you learn the word or concept, then continue and you should find yourself able to concentrate again. And when communicating with someone, know your subject, speak clearly, listen politely and make sure they're paying attention when you start. Don't "ambush" them like someone might do their partner when angry.
And Emma, Yes, that was bust of Hubbard, and no, don't go to their museum. You don't need to do that to yourself, unless you are a masochist. Then I say you can find better ways to inflict pain on yourself, like dropping an anvil on your head.
Cheers!
P.S. Hubbard wasn't that good of an author. I'm including his REAL Science Fiction work as well in that comment.
P.P.S. Can I borrow a Fiver? 😁
All of us there were in Scientology can point to a couple of positive things. I agree study tech was one for me too. Overall, if Scientology was entirely the lower bridge with less crazy management it would be a lot more successful
From what I hear, I am getting more and more convinced they are preying on people with ADHD.
I'm glad you survived. Though looking up a word you don't understand in the dictionary is a good thing- "study tech" is used as punishment- (as you probably experienced)- if you don't agree with something Hubbard wrote you then have to define every single word and sometimes whilst on the emeter- it is punishment for having your own opinions on a man who wrote a lot of contradictory claptrap, much of it stolen from other sources. I also find that Scientologist, when communicating with someone outside the cult, use set patterns of talk ("acks") that are purely mechanical and don't really engage with the person they are talking to. I do find their crazy wild stare amusing, though- it looks creepy as hell on youtube!
Philosophy literally means “love of wisdom”. Hubbard hardly qualifies as a lover of wisdom. “Lover of deceit” or “lover of lies” or “lover of bullshit” might apply.
Also "lover of other people's money".
Philomythy
@@RichWoods23Mostly that one, I would say.
There is one thing he _really_ hated in that same measure - paying *any* taxation.
He wanted all of the benefits that he could get from being a US citizen, and he wanted those benefits for free.
My understanding is that his whole intent of creating scientology, and calling the scam a church, was to avoid taxation.
@@John.0z that probably had something to do with it, but all rich people resent paying taxes - The Beatles even wrote a song about it once when they got stung with a tax bill one time.
Scientology is real and here's a detail description and evidence to back up this claim.
Come on everybody
I say now let's play a game
I betcha I can make a rhyme
Out of anybody's name
The first letter of the name
I treat it like it wasn't there
But a "B" or an "F"
Or an "M" will appear
And then I say "Bo" add a "B" then I say the name
Then "Bo-na-na fanna" and "fo"
And then I say the name again with an ""f" very plain
Then "fee fi" and a "mo"
And then I say the name again with an "M" this time
And there isn't any name that I can't rhyme
Arnold!
Arnold, Arnold bo-bar-nold
Bo-na-na, fanna fo-far-nold
Fee-fi-m-mar-mold
Arnold!
But if the first two letters are ever the same
I drop them both, then say the name
Like Bob, Bob, drop the "B's", Bo-ob
Or Fred, Fred, drop the "F's", Fo-red
Or Mary, Mary, drop the "M's", Mo-ary
That's the only rule that is contrary
Okay?
Now say Bo
Now Tony with a B
Then "Bo-na-na fanna" and "fo"
And then you say the name again with an "F" very plain
Then "fee fi" and a "mo"
And then you say the name again with an "M" this time
And there isn't any name that I can't rhyme
Everybody do Tony
Tony, Tony, bo-bo-ney
Bo-na-na fanna, fo-fo-ney
Fee-fi-mo-mo-ney
Tony!
Pretty good
Let's do Billy!
Billy, Billy, bo-gil-ly
Bo-na-na fanna, fo-fil-ly
Fee-fi-mo-mil-ly
Billy!
Very good, let's do Marsha!
Marsha, Marsha, bo-bar-sha
Bo-na-na fanna, fo-far-sha
Fee-fi-mo-ar-sha
Marsha!
A little trick with Nick!
Nick, Nick, bo-bick,
Bo-na-na fanna fo fick
Fee-fi-mo-mick
Nick!
The name game!!
I hope that cleared things up. You're welcome.
You think this personality test is odd, a few years back here in Canada I turned down a job because inbetween interviews 2 and 3 (yeah...) I was asked to do an online assessment which included a personality quiz. No joke, some of the questions were things like "do you often feel hopeless" and "have you ever considered suicide?" What the actual fuck??
I told the recruiter I wasn't doing it. I got phone calls from him, from the company, all saying they really wanted to hire me but I needed to do the quiz. Nope. "But then you won't get the job." Yep, that is literally the point. If you make me do this, you are not people I want to work for.
There's a copier repair/light IT group where I live that uses "personality assessments" as part of their hiring process.
I believe they just use it as an excuse to weed out applicants they don't want to hire.
I have gotten into trouble for refusing to do an MBTI test.
Pretty sure that was also illegal.
I’ve done countless assessments like this while trying to find employment after college - eventually I just stopped trying to get those kinds of jobs
"Personality tests" are bullshit - my guess is that they employed by corporations solely as a means to grant them a justification for placing people in certain positions that they otherwise wouldn't qualify for (like the best buddy of a corporate executive getting the job as "head of security" in spite of having no experience in the field - "Oh, but he has the personality traits we are looking for in such a position! He''ll learn the specifics of the position on the job - it'll be fine!")
Also timely because of the sentencing of r*pist actor Daniel Masterson, a Scientologist. A lot of stars had written to the judge with character references and pleas for lower sentences - all of which were unheeded, as he was handed down 30y to life, the maximum tariff. I suspect a lot of the letter writers are Scientologists. In the end, though, it shows that the Church's influence could well be waning.
I think you're the only one I've seen call him Daniel. Or not mention the absolute worst out of Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis. The horrific support they show DM is beyond normal Hollyweird.
I believe that they have both apologised.
Not that that excuses them, they shouldn’t have done it in the first place, but at least perhaps some self-awareness is creeping in…
@@lidbassit’s damage control / PR, not a genuine apology. they’re seemingly more appalled that people _found out_ about the letters than reflective of the damage they’ve caused
@@AwesometownUSA Unfortunately, knowing human nature, I agree…
How many people involved in That 70s Show were in the cult? Was it just a few of the actors, or were there also Scientologist studio crew and production staff as well? Have any of the non-Scientologists publicly complained about being proselytized?
I once took one of their courses called “Success through Communication” that focused on things like regulating emotions and gaining more self confidence and it was one of the strangest experiences I’ve ever had. All students get paired up with someone else and in one of my first sessions, the two of us were instructed to sit across from each other and stare directly into the others eyes for as long as you could, with a general goal of doing so for more than an hour without feeling uncomfortable. The next session, we did the same thing, except we spouted off completely random numbers in a conversational tone without saying things like, “uh” or “um.” Again, the goal was basically just do this as long as it takes to not feel uncomfortable. Who the hell is comfortable with this random-ass activity? Some of the later lessons got into different areas, but 70% of it just felt like made-up bullshit, almost like they were testing to see if they could brainwash you into doing these things to begin with. Lots of praise for Hubbard left and right and lots of negative comments about psychology or really any other way of trying to help oneself. There was an air of friendliness about everyone there, but also a definite creep factor that I couldn’t shake.
For the record, this was in the U.S. (if that matters). I still have the booklet if anyone is curious about all the wackiness in it.
Yall gotta watch former scientologist Leah Remini's show about Scientology. Shit's actually so brutal and evil it's wild.
Her podcast too!!
Yeah, as much as I dislike Joe Rogan and his podcast, his episodes with Leah Remini, Louis Theroux and other podcasts he's done regarding scientology have been very eye opening (and Joe tends to talk less during those shows which helps).
@@itcat_x2605 those are the only time Joe Rogan podcast actually does well, that 2017 era when he actually talked to people about their lived experience and shit. now just brings on whacko's and conservatives
@@FleatoAren't conservatives just a subset of wackos?
@@Fleato Conservative talking heads don't have the backbone to tackle ACTUAL clandestine groups like Scientology because that means they'd have to fight a REAL fight. They would rather bully easy targets in the progressive community that don't even have political power. They use the same tired tactic I saw used during my youth here in Panama, with Noriega. They pretend these small groups are huge threats so they can fabricate an easy target. What do Americans call it? Strawman? Joe even humours fictional groups that were made up for stories and movies as if they are real, and the - as you say - whackos eat it up. Meanwhile a real global organization that can do real damage, like Scientology never gets brought up in conservative circles. Cowards.
this test really feels like it's designed to catch neurodivergent people, some of these questions sound really similar to tests i've taken for autism and adhd
I thought the same thing. I've taken a few different psychological tests for my depression and ADD, and this had a lot of familiar questions
"Intelligent and friendly people are the targets for cults."
Ah, so that's why I've never been in one. Makes sense.
Vulnerable and gullible people are the targets of cults. Intelligence and friendliness are secondary concerns, probably for publicity and image.
These types (MLM's included) will prey on anyone who seem vulnerable. It's despicable behavior.
That's exactly the profile of a narcissist, which they are really after. lol
I’m always looking for new minions. How do you feel about atheists for the fairy realm?
Yeah - cults like people that put others before themselves because they are easily manipulated into doing things "for the good of all" instead of questioning why the hell they are made to put up with the cult's bullshit.
33:24 OK so maybe the worst thing for me about that whole "test" is the graph. If each dot represents a separate trait, why are they connected by a line? The right way to present that information is for each dot to be separate, or have a bar for each trait
Girl plug yourself all day long! You work hard to put together awesome videos that we have the privilege of watching for free, so be proud and keep letting people know about all the cool shit you do ☺️
"Girl plug yourself all day long! "
err,....
@@vforwombat9915 I mean she can also do that if she wishes but I’m gonna let that stay between her and herself 😂
@@vforwombat9915Hey no kink shaming here!
Considering all the people that scientology bullies have attacked over the years, and all the families they have done their very best to tear apart, should her lawsuit succeed, I would expect a big wave of lawsuits to follow Leah into courts of law around the world. I can only hope that Leah succeeds.
Wouldn't that be beautiful?
Hear hear
Oh my.
About 25 *cough* years ago I had some time to kill while in Washington DC near the Scientology center.
Loving psyche tests, I eagerly agreed to take one of their personality profiling standardized test with its multiple choice answers.
Finished the 30 questions and turned it in after about 10 minutes.... then they said "oh no, you didn't finish the other side"
I flipped over the answer sheet and saw there were about another 100- 150 question spaces.... I didn't stick around to answer.
Some time ago I was staying with a family for about a week whilst my parents went on a week long holiday. We had no idea they were Scientologists and I spent a week fending off the mother and father trying to convince me to become a Scientologist.
I was 10 years old at the time.
from the thumbnail this is like the tomodachi life personality quiz 😭
I applied for a job years ago for a private auto insurance company. It was directly across the street from the main Ron Hubbard Scientology temple in Hollywood. After my second interview I was getting some funny vibes from this company. The called me a few days later and offered me the job. I went in for one final meeting and they asked me to fill out a personality test... Guess which one it was. I told them "no thanks." It may have been a good job as everyone there driver really nice cars but I knew enough that I didn't want to risk getting sucked in.
You should retake the test and try to pick all the “perfect” answers and see what the test does with that
Then take it again, and just put "maybe" for everything.
There is a nice joke about online IQ tests. I can't remember the source. "If you have taken an online IQ test you have failed the test automatically."
Dear Emma,
Bring a lawyer with you when visiting ANYTHING Scientological.
Good advice.
They're litigious, but they also really struggle in any jurisdiction that doesn't treat "religious freedom" as an all-purpose legal wildcard.
And also maybe a bodyguard or two.
actually yeah if there’s any lawyer youtubers in the uk who do cover similar subjects and match emma’a vibe, it could be a fun collab
It almost feels like the personality test is testing for like autism, ADHD, depression, anxiety, and other stuff like that. Weird as fuck.
When I took it several of the questions seemed to basically ask if you had tics so they're screening for people with tourettes and similar disorders as well.
I stopped by the Scientology center in Seattle with my brother, when we were in our teens -- that was 50 years ago, I'm shocked to realize. We both took the BS personality test, which was patent garbage. The thing is, I gave a fake name & address, but my brother gave his real name and address, since he was unaware of the scamminess of the org.
Then he was getting regular email from them for at least 30 years. It may have been longer, but it was all going to my parents house, and I think they just started throwing it out on sight.
My brother has a similar tale, did he personality test, whilst drunk, one night and gave his real name and address.
After years of our mother chucking the (real) mail out, she went to the local post office and spoke to the post master (when they still had them!) And was advised the only thing to try was "return to sender", but no one had ever succeeded in stopping them. After 2 and a half years of returning everything, they must have gotten sick of the returned mail charges, and they gave up!
"I'm just a silly little idiot" is perfect self awareness and is also why we love you so much.
Do children irritate you? Why... yes they do.
Do the petty foibles of others make you impatient? Yes!... yes they do!
WELL HAVE I GOT THE SCIENCE FICTION WRITER RELIGION FOR YOU!
This is surely entrapment in the UK, a country that hates its own children with the venom of a million snakes.
I don't think they'd give you a tour because you're most likely already tagged as a SP.
I will also add that I found it so amusing that they make everything "appointment only" when this is only necessary because these places are all totally empty unless they know to expect someone lol
In terms of picking a religion, I think having one not based on a pulp SciFi novel author (L Rob Hubbard) would be a good thing! Scientology has always sounded like episode(s) from the "Outer Limits" (or some similar old SciFi series) to me. Scientologists don't like psychology because ... people who know about psychology can see right their lack of logic! Keeps some people happy I suppose.
I always thought his name was Elron, not L Ron 😅 If you only listen to people say his name, it just sounds like Elron.
Is the L an initial, or is his name really L Ron?
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard , and they don't like psychology because L. Ron could not pass the psych tests needed to advance in the military.
"@@ivanpetrov5255 "Lyin' Ron Hubbard. To be fair, the writings of ANY religion are often kooks.
"In terms of picking a religion, I think having one not based on a pulp SciFi novel author (L Rob Hubbard) would be a good thing!"
i personally have found having one based on small cute marsupials to be optimal.
or, rather, Giant Space versions of small cute marsupials.
@@vforwombat9915 So good 🤣or REAL small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri as Douglas Adams said in HHGTTG!
Just watched a video on Andrew Gold's channel about Scientology exposing the fact that it's based on witchcraft - as in Alistair Crowley's Golden Dawn, not modern witchcraft - though Crowley didn't like Hubbard
and most witchcraft is based on positive things, contrary to popular opinion (there are witches who are harmful to others, but at this point, we can say the same about any belief system or humanity as a whole, anyway, so it's a moot point).
Love it whenever anyone gives Scientology some well-deserved smackdown! Love your Spider-shirt, too! 👍
I had a brush with $cientology when I was about your age, Emma. (I had to take the "Oxford" tsst for an employer 🚩 🚩.) It started my fascination with cults, abusive groups, conspiracy stuff, woo, and religious fruitcakery. It's a wild world out there. Thanks again for doing what you do.
I guess we are following a cult of personality ourselves by watching Emma's content. We watch her videos, and declare "Hey, let's be cheery and upbeat as a default. Let's see how our neighbours are doing." It's pretty concerning 🤔
As a bishop in the Church of Emma I am authorized to offer you three 'cheery upbeats' for a simple donation of only 59.95. And if you disagree you will be cheerily shunned.
@@mikearchibald744 Do you provide a monthly interest free payment plan? Or is that what the 59.95 is already?
I think I brainwashed myself into that default years ago!
I gotta finish this vid later, but for anyone unsure if a group/relationship they're in is "high control" (i.e., abusive and cultish), please look at the cult BITE model. It's an extremely useful checklist to help figure out if you're in a dangerous situation. The more items that describe your organization/relationship, the worse it is.
Here's to more people like Emma talking about toxic and high control groups, helping to educate and heal 💜
I was 'triggered' by the start of the Scientology nutters video.
I live in London, if anyone asks where I'm from I just say London, nothing more is needed. People know that if you say London it's London, England, UK so when this video says London, England it annoyed me ;o)
Other Londons may need to specify where they are, London, Ontario for example.
It's a good thing they had "Rule Britannia" playing 'cause otherwise I would have assumed they were referring to London, Ontario.
@@alexhajnal107And a red bus!
Comment two:
I did the personality test inside their offices in the late 90's as a teen. Back then they did two tests, an IQ test and the personality test (if I remember correctly). I remember it took ages to do but I wanted to do it properly and I wanted to buy "Dianetics" (I read it and basically the $30 book is all you need to do Scientology on your own. That one book explains the whole "science" so rest is just upsell and cult).
Anyway my main memory is how much they complemented me on my intelligence (which I assume was a transparent sales tactic). And the personality test results instantly exposed the way the test worked. Basically it's designed to make you look "in need of help" no matter what your personality is by not testing traits but using a spectrum where both ends are bad. You literally have to be hypocritical and contradictory to answers on the test to get any one area "perfect". There is more to it's design (back then) and the sales techniques they used but this comment is way too long already. Luv ya Em
7:25 "The famed Tottenham Court Road"? 😂
Definite "New York, Paris, Peckham" energy here.
On her deathbed your mum said to me she said "Del Boy you make sure Rodney gets cleared every fortnight"
Ask the receptionist at the desk if there's any way that a person can pass the test with flying colors and be told, "Holy cow! You are a natural clear!" It won't happen, they will find something wrong with you and only they can help.
What is a "clear"?
@@miriamhavard7621 A clear is a person with no mental problems in their eyes like Tom Cruise.
@@miriamhavard7621Scientology speak for someone who has "cleared their reactive mind". They are perfectly rational, they have perfect memory recall, etc.
Notoriously, the first Clear that was presented to the world didn't remember what color shoes she was wearing. So much for perfect recall.
Because the results are fixed, that the theoretical basis for it are not consistent, and it's not rooted in any practical research.
Basically it's pop-psychology and psychiatry.
Had a run in with scientology when I was 15 in Toronto, Canada. Went thru the "PERSONALITY" test and the results were so crazy that they had get in bosses to try to figure out the results for me. So told them that I will come back again when they get my results sorted out. Never did go back!!!
BTW, have read most of sci-fi books by their god, L. Ron Hubbard. Did enjoy his writing style but never got into all the fuss about Dianetics which formed the part of ads in his books!!!
Would be interesting to see a few randomly answered OCA test scores. And/or ones where they chose the same option for all questions.
Yeah, I'm interested to see what happens if you answer All Yes, All No, and All Maybe.
There were people all over the streets of LA in the 80’s giving out those personality tests. My ex filled one out and ended up subscribing to their magazine. I told him it sounded like a cult. He subscribed for two years but never joined. He ended up agreeing it was too cultish. We had to rely on our instincts pre-internet😂
The Canadian Scientology HQ in Toronto (which is gloomy multi story building on Yonge st, the main downtown street and three blocks from me) has been sitting empty since the 2000's. Officially it's been "under renovations" for about twenty years but you never see workmen and it's all boarded up. Occasionally they will have a table set up in front with books and you can see a few people wander in and out but when you look in it's clearly empty. Reportedly they are in some sort of tax dispute with the city and they want the same kind of tax exempt status that they have in America but they were told to pound sand so they're just letting the building rot. In the 90's the building was always open, or at least it looked that way on the ground floor, what if anything was happening on upper floors is another matter.
I remember back the late 90's going in to the store on Young st and buying Dianetics, I tried reading it, couldn't do it, Nope not for me.
In his autobiography, Issac Asimov talked about his friend L. Ron Hubbard. He had told Asimov that he’d invented the whole Scientology thing for the money. This was in the 50s.
I read Battlefield Earth when I was a teen. I was amazed that Hubbard actually could write anything while patting himself on the back with both hands. I never read a more self aggrandizing "Author's Forward" in my life. There were even inserts in the book advertising the "soundtrack" for the book composed by none other than L. Ron Hubbard himself.
Damn! I shall have to reassess my admiration for Asimov! Anyone who befriends Old Mother Hubbard cannot POSSIBLY be a reasonable and sentient human being!
When asimov says "friend" Im guessing its like saying "co-worker" asimov, clarke, heinlein, all those guys came up at a time when scifi wasn't respected as literature, theyd write short stories for magazines (paid by the word), it was kind of like how comedians starting out all run into each other, working at the same crappy clubs and open mics, etc. So "friend" might just mean "this guy I worked with"
@@Pippins666 Why not? Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia were friends.
Asimov definitely wasn't any kind of friend of Hubbard. He found the guy to be a loudmouth pest, an unbearable whiner (about the low word rates paid by the magazines), and very sleazy. Theodore Sturgeon had the same opinion.
Emma, I have been a fan of yours for a while. So glad to see you taking on Scientology. I was in Scientology for decades, now I am out and working to expose them. I was one of the people interviewed on Leah’s show. Good on you for taking them on!!
This guy is an OG SP.
You're a Smart Cookie, Emma. Keep up the good work. Be careful around these people, you know how litigious they are. I would not go in person, that's not a good idea.
So, using the guide you posted (because mine looked very different than yours), it managed to tell me, *gasp, shock awe*, that a person with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder has, you'll never guess, depression and anxiety! I'd also like to note that it considers shyness or reservation to be "bad", and if you answer in ways that acknowledge that some problems aren't your fault, you're flagged as being irresponsible, without any regard for nuance or consideration for the fact that circumstance is a real thing that affects real people? It also seems to take umbrage with neurodivergence, but that's not exactly new.
The first place I ever heard of 'neurodivergence' was in the Terry Gilliam movie 'twelve monkeys'. Mine said I have a way too high opinion of myself and tend to mentally bludgeon others into following my lead. So they asked me to lead a congregation. The Toyota dealership offered me a better deal.
I got the anti-neurodivergence vibe listening to the questions as Emma read them in the video. Very concerning...
The anti-neurodivergence makes a lot of sense of you remember that they don't actually care about helping a person. They care about recruiting a charismatic person who can influence others and project an image of respectable success.
30:29 either really weird phrasing, or this quiz was written by a very devoted James Bond fan. In On Her Majesty’s Secret Service there is the line “This didn’t happen to the other fellow.” Also a great documentary that came out this year about people who are called James Bond.
I'm sorry, on behalf of the US.
Yes. We sincerely apologize
@@ddavidjeremy ....what's some of your favorite television shows to watch in the US?
I love this quote from Hubbard... "Writing science fiction for a penny a word is ridiculous, if a man really wanted to make a million dollars, he would start his own religion"
When I went to the Scientology place, they showed me a book full of celebrity Scientologists. The voice of Bart Simpson, Nancy Cartwright. The premise was that anyone could get success like these people if they also became a Scientologist.
There is no way to take the test that doesn't result in you having to be audited.
A few years ago I was having some mental health issues, borderline suicidal, and really not doing well (I'm doing better now). Suddenly, one day, someone who I hadn't spoken to in nigh on two decades contacted me out of the blue.... "I've got some books that might help if you're feeling down, they'll really help you find value in life again."
Seemed a bit odd, and I am not knocking people who reach out to help friends, but that would usually involve a "do you want to talk?" type approach, not "here, read this".
I checked and they were now involved in Scientology. I had heard of their tactic of "looking for the weak willed", but to witness that I was at my absolute lowest, and that was their perfect time to try and coax me in to their cult... I assume because they saw me as "vulnerable" and "easy to manipulate".
Yea that's religion for ya
Two of those questions are just asking "are you a good target for a cult?" which is more direct than I expected. Are you suspicious of people who ask to borrow money? Because they're going to ask for money. Do you give in or seek to have your own way? Because they want to know if you can be bullied.
I took over of those tests a few years ago, i was sinking drunk the whole time, and when they talked to me i was drinking cheap beer from a gas station slushie cup. They asked me to leave... i consider that my victory
Back in the 80s I did a scientology test (at the time they didn't say they were scientologists) and you answered the questions while holding a galvanic skin response meter which I recognised from a 100 in 1 electronics toy. After that they tried to sell me a $237 dianetics book so I walked out.
Okay. I laughed out loud at the banana toy and there is no way to explain what just happened to my family. Thumbs up.
I actually live really close to the "MAIN" head quarters of scientology. They have been trying to buy up all the land around them, to the point they bought a local golf club and made it private for their members only, they are trying to stop people from enjoying themselves in this city, but we're a farming town, we don't have much to do here. We use to dirt bike ride out here, they bought that land to stop everyone, there were other churches near it, they bought that land and are planning to tear it down, there were several homes near them, they bought all the land, miles of it, and destroyed all the homes so no one can live there. from the moment they moved into this city they have been nothing but problems, but the city officials love them cause they bring money in. The people who live here hate the cult being there but our words and complaints are not worth enough money to the city.
In the 80s I saw TV commercials for Dianetics and I kind of negligently accepted it as a fringe religion people joked about like Methodists or Shakers. Back then it was genuinely secretive. In the early “00”s with the internet I read a little about it and I couldn’t believe how nuts it was, I don’t know how it still survives today when anyone can easily find out about it
Since when is the Methodist church fringe?
@@almcdermid9669 I picked them because I don’t know what they are except from the line in Blazing Saddles maligning them. I guess they’re a lot less obscure than Shakers but my point was that there’s so many Christian denominations that nobody can know them all so when the common person hears of another one they tacitly accept it .
And really, Christianity as a whole isn’t much less outlandish than Scientology we’re just accustomed to it
@@soyevquirsefron990 That my be true, but Methodists are both mainstream and moderate. If you want denominations that comparably batshit crazy, look at JWs and SDA.
Aren't Methodists one of the major Protestant denominations in the US and the world? Why mention them and not the Mormons, who have had an entire musical mocking them?
@@KyrieFortune I’m not sure if they are. This was in the 80s before the musical. But there were TV commercials for LDS back then too, when they still called themselves Mormons, so I guess that was equally valid.
Its wild how some questions only have one answer:
E.g. "do the petty foibles of others make you impatient?"
By asking you about foibles you consider petty it is basically asking you if you find annoying things annoying.
When I spent more than two decades working for a large corporation (which shall remain nameless) I found myself assigned to take a similar type of test. And, as you noticed, they often repeated questions but worded differently. The simplest is “I enjoy working with a team” and “I’m more comfortable working alone”. The idea is for you to contradict yourself so they can learn something about you and you can learn something about yourself. As odd as it might seem the important thing was to make sure that you contradicted yourself. On one test, administered by my supervisor, I had a good enough memory to _not_ contradict myself and my supervisor got more and more angry. The instructions for the test told her that there would be contradictions but when there weren’t, well, that didn’t sit well with her. I changed my strategy and deliberately contradicted myself and she was happy.
It's so hot where Emma is, the clock on her wall is melting! (yes, I know that's meant to be a reference to a Salvador Dalí painting)
That was fun! I know two families from my childhood that were utterly destroyed by Scientology. They're so evil! I'm going to go and look at your previous interview with Mr. Rinder.
I can't become a scientologist, I'm already a member of Reformed Neo Buddhism. (Guess that reference)
As a person who lives in Plymouth, thanks for bringing this to our attention I'm sure it will be rectified soon
That was interesting hearing those questions they were asking. It seems that they deliberately made them vague and unclear as to just what they were getting at. Perhaps (if I can just take a wild guess) they were thinking that many people who might be taking that test would also be looking to see what their angle is and by asking such innocuous questions they then could circumvent that process and rouse their curiosity and by pass their innate defense mechanisms by avoiding questions that might be too leading and betray their true intentions. Thus they are here just baiting the hook but will defer to sometime later in setting the hook.
The Bible warns that there will be wolves in sheep's clothing. But to me, scientology's has always seem to be more like wolves in wolves clothing that might on occasion say bah.
There are some amazing books on Scientology you can get - in ebook for weird legal reasons - and my favourite is 'Bare-Faced Messiah', which tells Hubbard's actual life story (instead of the insane, contradictory one he and the church made up).
Also, my wife and I once found a bunch of Scientology books in a charity shop and we keep them on our bookshelves. Such classics as 'Have You Lived Before This Life?' and 'All About Radiation' (spoiler, Ron did not understand radiation). They're comedy gold.
Finally, when the Church say he was a prolific writer, they're not wrong. However, they're mostly referring to his paid-by-the-word pulp sci-fi stories from the thirties. Some of them are apparently quite good.
Jon Atack's "A Piece of Blue Sky" is also foundational text in studying Scientology. He also has a superb YT channel that is worth exploring.
Danny Masterson, prominent Scientologist actor (apparently) was just convicted.
“Do you find yourself going off in all directions at once?”
No. I have never exploded.
man so many of these questions would SPECIFICALLY target people who are neurodivergent and/or dealing with mental health issues, which says a lot really.
I'm so pleased I ended up watching this video the day after seeing the Last Night of the Proms, so I could get Emma's rendition of Rule Brittania too!
I don't think the big museums of London, Natural History, Science Museum, V&A, the art galleries etc have much to be worried about re visitor numbers. L Ron Hubbard the prolific writer? I guess it helps if you run a cult with its own publishing arm... "Color bar" is like race segregation language from pre civil rights America - I guess, they wrote this in 1960 and it has never been updated since.
They really broke the mould with this young lady. I hope she goes far and does well.
Thanks for this one - quite hilarious :)
Apparently, Hubbart once said that the only way to get really rich, was to invent a religion. Some years went by and so he did. You should lookup Geir Isene, a Norwegian entrpeneur that climed to level 8 (the top level, that is, Hubbart is level 9) before he exited the scientology church. Obviously he's a persona non grata there, like everyone else that exits. The only problem, thoguh, is that last I heard him talk about it, he still appreciated the help he had cotten from the "church".
roy
Thank you Emma, most entertaining. I first encountered them when accosted and offered a free personality test outside the Tottenham Court Road shop in 1975 (I remember the year because I was conscious of signing to say I was 18 when actually 17). Not sure if it was the same test, but the same result - here are you high and low points, and Scientology has the ideal remedies for the low points. Then I came across them around Russell Square shortly after the July 2005 bombs, kindly offering psychological support.
It is fun, when one encounters them outside the shop, to ask what they think of the volcano story and whether they are at Operating Thetan III level (I think that is what it is called). They have been programmed not to allow you to pursue that line of conversation.
One afternoon I had time to waste. Walking down the street a young girl stopped me to ask if I would answer a few survey questions. I answered them. I was suspicious when a couple of her colleagues joined us. They suggested I join them for a more in-depth interview. I told them I had an hour to spare. We went to their nearby offices. I answered the questions. How and why they didn't realise I was being extremely sarcastic indeed is beyond me. I got progressively more contemptuous. They really thought they were roping me in. Looking at my watch I said the hour is up I have to go. My indifference towards them evaluated their anger. They shouted at me as I left. They just didn't understand I had no time for their beliefs. I suspect they were upset as I had prevented them from achieving their sales targets. I have a very stubborn trait. Once I have all the empirical facts to hand I do not bend.
Back when I lived in San Jose in the early 2000s, they bought store fronts and opened Scientology shops (or churchs or treatment centers, whatever they want to call them for tax purposes) in every minimall and street corner. There were more Scientology shops than gas stations or convenience stores.
Years ago, I worked for an ISP that provided services for the Church of Scientology. They were the most frequent repeat caller for billing issues as they never wanted t pay their bill. They always wanted to "negotiate a partial payment to get service restored that generally amounted to 1 or 2 % of the amount owed. A few of their reps tried to claim that being a "church" meant they didn't need to pay their bill since they were tax exempt.
I remember a coworker of mine almost got roped into going to an intro meeting with them- she had it booked and everything was telling me how she was gonna go. No one else at my workplace had heard of Scientology which blew my mind. Told her it’s a cult don’t go and thankfully she listened to me.
Mike Rinder used to be a bastard when he was representing the church of scientology, now the guy is a gem. Being a gem is his true self. I just love him and admire what he has done to uncover scientology's schemes. Kudos to you, to Mike and to Leah.
Hun, Scientology is a joke EVERYWHERE
Do Scientologists Dream of Electric Sheep? ;)