On Thu, 28 Nov 2002 22:31:58 GMT, Mark Thorson <nospam@sonic.net> wrote:

>I'm curious whether there are any characteristic ways
>in which an ex-Scientologist would differ in personality
>or behavior from people who had not spent all or most
>of their lives in Scientology?
-- snip --

The only kid I've ever met who'd been raised in the cult was a semi-autistic moron. He was introduced as a 14 year old ("bigger being in a small body") of immense spiritual and intellectual development, an OT V, and an exhibit for the wonderful things that scientology could do for you. He struck me as being extremely socially withdrawn and emotionally unstable. Obviously things hadn't gone as programmed, as my immediate take was that he'd been severely emotionally abused, and this didn't change as the exhibition went on. It was a very unsettling experience for me; probably for all involved. In any case, so much for being "able to communicate with anyone about anything", and others of scientology's god-like super powerful "end phenomena".

In terms of people recruited later in life:

The "Always attack, never defend" thing seems to last for years and years. If the jargon, doesn't give 'em away, this can be a pretty good (but not conclusive) indication. It might take a decade or more to wear off. For some people, it never wears off.

Reasoning ability, or at least how reasoning is communicated. For instance, putting the solution out there, followed immediately by the problem -- forget about any intermediate steps -- and expecting you to buy the whole basket of garbage. That's how Elron did it most of the time and it worked for him, and of course that's how lot of the cult marketing works, so that must be 100% workable scientology tech. This can last at least as long as the attack reflex, and may also never go away. Several times I've wondered if there was actual organic brain reconfiguration/damage involved.

The glassy eyes thing takes a few years to wear off, but it mostly does wear off. Before Krusty Alley was outed as a cult dope, I'd noticed the eye thing and suspected she was one. (And, if the eyes are truly the mirror of the soul, scientology's doing some really nasty shit deep down in there.)

Message-ID: <3DE699B5.F6E1FF04@sonic.net>
From: Mark Thorson <nospam@sonic.net>
Subject: Post-Scientology Syndrome
Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2002 22:31:58 GMT

I'm curious whether there are any characteristic ways in which an ex-Scientologist would differ in personality or behavior from people who had not spent all or most of their lives in Scientology?

Of course, there would be many differences for current members -- they'd always be working to raise money for more courses, taking courses, or doing volunteer (or miserably paid) work for the church. But what about after leaving Scientology? For example, what habits persist in how they relate to people?

I have the impression that someone raised within Scientology would be woefully uneducated -- that anything outside of the tech is treated as useless knowledge. I wonder about the extent to which that would continue to be true.

Do these people continue to have an intense interest in religious or nature-of-Man subjects after leaving Scientology?

Also, are Scientologists always aware when they are using special Scientology words and phrases? Can they stop doing it immediately? Over a few months or years?

Or is it permanent?

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