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

A quadrillion far from being a dance in one
of Hubbard’s favorite Alice books is the number 1,000,000,000,000,000.
Astrophysicists propose that our universe is 14.7 billion arrived at through
analysis of background microwave radiation from the Big Bang. A billion is a
fraction of Hubbard’s quadrillion, at only 1,000,000,000,000.
If you want to upset an OT3, suggest that they look up the word ‘cherub’ in a
dictionary, where they will find that their idea – that it means a baby, or putto – is severely wrong. This is the most common ‘misunderstood word’ among OTs,
and, according to Hubbard’s teachings, means they must go back, and do it
again.

Chapter four
    The Seeds of Dissent
    “This way of life is so devised to snuff
out the mind that moves...”
    —Jeff
Buckley and Mike Tighe
    During 1982, a stream of “Suppressive Person Declares” poured
out from Church management 1 Labeling someone a “Suppressive Person”
(SP) is Scientology’s ultimate condemnation. According to Hubbard, SPs make up
about two and a half percent of the world’s population. Unlike other people,
SPs are intent upon the destruction of everything good, valuable or useful. In
Hubbard’s philosophy, association with SPs is the ultimate explanation for all
illness and failure. Hubbard also called SPs “merchants of chaos” and
“anti-social personalities.” They are synonymous with anti-Scientologists, of
course. 2 I had been involved in Scientology for eight years, and although
occasionally I heard of people being “Declared SP,” no-one I knew was among
them. In 1983, however, a close friend with whom I was working was Declared. I
was summoned to the Ethics Office at Saint Hill, and shown a Scientology Policy
Directive which reintroduced the practice of “Disconnection.”
    Hubbard had introduced the policy of Disconnection in 1965. 3 Once someone was labeled Suppressive, no Scientologist was allowed to
communicate with that person in any way. This policy had caused problems with
several governments and in 1968 Hubbard had acquiesced to demands that the
policy be cancelled. 4
    Now the policy was back. 5 I was told not to
communicate with a friend. I did not have the choice, my friend was still a
“good” Scientologist, and insisted that I disconnect.
    Losing my friend was not the only cause for concern, monthly
price rises were re-introduced in January 1983. At the same time, a newsletter
was broadly distributed, which contained extracts from a conference held in
October 1982, at the San Francisco Hilton. For the first time we heard of David
Miscavige, who seemed to hold a high position in the Sea Org. The newsletter
announced the “get-tough attitude of the ‘new blood in management’.” It also
introduced the “International Finance Dictator.”
    Inside Scientology complaints must only be addressed to the
relevant section of the Organization and mentioning dissatisfaction to anyone
else is frowned upon. I wrote letters complaining about the ridiculous prices
and the Declare of my friend and, by inference all other recent Declares. After
each evasive reply, I wrote to the person on the next rung of the organizational
ladder. The curious titles of these Scientology officials say a great deal: the
“Special Unit Mission In-Charge,” the “International Justice Chief,” the
“Executive Director International.” It took me seven months to climb all the
way to the “Standing Order Number One Line.”
    The Church of Scientology routinely reprinted “Standing
Order Number One.” 6 It gave the idea that anyone could write to Ron
Hubbard, and receive a reply from him. Although I did not believe this, it is
nevertheless the last recourse in Scientology. So I wrote to “Ron,”
fastidiously enclosing my earlier petition to the Executive Director International,
and a copy of his reply.
    At first I believed that my references to the violations of
Hubbard’s Policy Letters would suffice and that the Organization would