Scientology's Hard Sell

by Cat Spencer

If you've ever been to any large retail store, you know what it's like to be greeted at the door by a salesperson with a warm smile. They are eager to help meet your needs, and they are grateful you chose their establishment. You may even feel guilty for not purchasing anything, if only because of one employee’s cheerful disposition—after all, they were helpful, weren't they? And they might be upset to lose the commission gained from your purchases. Nevertheless, in this capitalist society, you have a choice where to put your money, and it often makes all the difference in the world.

When fellow Inquirer editor Liz Keenan and I made our way through a chilly Times Square in December, we weren't sure of the exact location of the Scientology center. We knew it was somewhere in the forties, but it wasn't until we spotted a man in a bright red jacket emblazoned with a Church of Scientology advertisement.

Before entering the center, Liz and I made a pact: under no circumstances would we allow ourselves to be separated. Then, like a naïve child entering a doctor’s office, I was alarmed when Liz asked to take the stress test on the Hubbard Electrometer, named after Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, and I was asked to make myself busy elsewhere.

Strolling around the center waiting area, one thought danced around my head: “These people have some serious cash.” Perhaps, it had something to do with the fact that their welcome center is run very much like a retail store.

Not too long after the holidays, I went into a Best Buy to look for an extension cord for my headphones. As I entered, there was a greeter at the door repeating the phrase, “Welcome to Best Buy!” I was asked by countless clerks if I needed help and was given personal (if not perfect) service when trying to locate my desired item. Mesmerizing flat-screens and interesting gadgets were displayed in tantalizing fashion. So it was at the Scientology center, though the only thing for sale seemed to be a belief system.

I adopted the façade of a green, susceptible girl who was in a serious but controlling relationship. When I took my turn at the e-meter, Nicole (the names in this story have been changed) fiddled with the dials—think 1950s science fiction—and asked me to think about something. I did happen to think about my real boyfriend, whom I love dearly, and the needle spiked. “Woah,” said Nicole. “You’re really stressed out! What were you thinking about?”

“My boyfriend,” I replied.

“Are you guys having a lot of problems?”

I asked Nicole what  the e-meter measured exactly. Heart rate? Electromagnetic pulse? “No,” she said, excitedly. “It sends a small current through your body, so it’s actually, like, measuring your thought!” My pulse quickened. I was nervous my disbelief would show and had to use every ounce of strength to stifle my laughter. Nicole concluded that I was having some serious issues with my boyfriend and that I needed Dianetics now. On the survey sheet which I was asked to fill out after viewing the film, I had indicated that I was interested in ridding myself of engrams, so I think Nicole guessed I was full of them, hence her question about my problems with the boyfriend.

Nicole’s solution to my problems was merchandise. She whipped out a package of materials that came to a grand total of $150. I politely declined, saying that my boyfriend and I were on a tight budget and that I was not at liberty to spend more than $10 without consulting him first. I could see Nicole’s eyes gleam with desire: here was a person who could be easily controlled by others. She asked if I wanted to have a private, individual consultation with a Scientology counselor. So much for my pact with Liz.

Nicole introduced me to Carter, a middle-aged man who seemed more like a car salesman than a spiritual advisor. I told Carter that I was interested in learning more about engrams, and he led me into a small office far from the front door of the center, and Liz, and forty-third street, and safety. Would I be questioned? Would I be found out? Would the jig be up? Carter asked me to sit down, and immediately dove into the pitch. “We’d really like you to come to our conference. Would you like to register?”

“How much is that?”

“Fifty dollars for the first session.”

“I really can’t afford that. My boyfriend and I are on a tight budget.”

“Is he home right now? What’s his number? I’m sure he’d understand that this is something you’re doing for yourself and the relationship. Can I give him a call?” Carter reached toward the phone on his desk and picked up the receiver. My eyes widened.

“He’s out to dinner right now”—which was true—“and I really don’t want to bother him.” Just then, my cell phone rang. Ironically, it was my boyfriend calling from his dinner. I casually hit the decline button and slipped my phone back into my bag. “I really can’t afford that right now.” Carter reminded me about the merchandise package (books, a DVD, audio discs of Hubbard giving lectures), and told me that if I couldn’t attend a session, I should consider purchasing these items. I repeated that I could not afford to.

Carter then asked me what time I usually woke up. I said 10:30AM, because the following day was a Sunday. He told me to try to get up early, that he would call first thing in the morning, at 8:30AM, and that he would speak to me and my boyfriend about attending the conference. This was too much. Relenting I gave him a fake telephone number and conceded to registering for the conference without paying. This was the second time I had been asked for my contact information, which made me nervous. Usually, places that ask for your contact info do so in order to bombard you with mailed leaflets, calls, or spam. As it is, I usually don’t give out my contact info, at least my real contact info, to people I don’t know, so I certainly wasn’t going to give it to a member of a religious organization who had already proved to be so aggressive in their handling of me.

I thanked Carter for his help and quickly left the office. At this point, I was more than ready to leave. I’ve experienced aggressive salespeople, activists, and even religious people before, but nothing could have prepared me for that. Something was very wrong, and I could feel my adrenaline surge as Liz and I left the center and walked out into the winter evening.

Money. That’s all it was about as far as I could see. It wasn’t about spiritual enlightenment, helping people, or making my life better. They wanted to take me for my hard-earned dollars through persuasion, aggression, and good old-fashioned guilt tripping. (Don’t you want to get better?  Then buy this book! Attend this conference!) It was Madison Avenue thinly cloaked by religion. At least advertising companies are blatant about what they are trying to do. It’s a known fact that advertisers try to make consumers feel like they are lacking, and that the solution to their problems will come once they purchase that beer/shoe/yogurt/lipstick/cruise/handbag.

You hear about Catholic guilt and Jewish guilt; religious doctrines have relied on the tactic of shaming people into better versions of themselves. With Scientological guilt comes auditing and indoctrination. With auditing comes money—not just hundreds, but thousands of dollars worth of treatment. I’ve had people try to convert me before, so I am familiar with what that feels like. But it never felt like a sale, and I never felt pressure to purchase something. (Usually, people who want to convert you are more eager to shower you with gifts.)

As much of a hard sell as I am, I did end up relenting and spent $8 on L. Ron Hubbard’s famed self-help book, Dianetics. I freely admit that I am ashamed I helped their cause, especially with so many other worthy causes out there that could have used my money, but they were unrelenting in their shilling. I only hope that for those searching for spiritual guidance at the Church of Scientology their checks bounce.

Comments

[Patty Pieniadz]

Thanks for your excellent work on this. I was a member of the Scn cult for 27 years and worked in their "Office of Special Affairs", the branch that investigates and attempts to silence their critics.

All I can say now is: Scientology: it's worse than you think.

Patty Pieniadz
http://www.xenu-directory.net/critics/pieniadz1.html

[Wax-Q]

So, uh, not one but TWO attack pieces on Scientology? I posted a reply to Ms. Keenan's article, but the editor ultimately chose to DELETE almost all pro-Scientology comments from there for some unfathomable reason. I rescued the deleted posts from a cached copy, however, and posted them here.

We'll see how long it takes this post to be censored as well.

[Raymond Hill]

Wax-Q, Again, you confuse 'critical perspective' with 'hate'.

In the current article, the author outlines how selling seems a dominant theme in Scientology. I actually have seen scientologists also complain about Scientology's 'regging', otherwise known as 'hard selling.' Does that also make these scientologists 'hateful' toward Scientology? Well, according to Hubbard's policies, it does... (refer to "Keep Scientology Working")

Here is an example of what I would characterize as hate though: the Church of Scientology leader, David Miscavige, stated to an audience in London that "a woman is safer in a park at midnight than on a psychiatrist's couch," while "backed by savage graphics of psychiatrists being machine-gunned out of existence."

I find this very concerning. My question: Does that make me a 'bigot'?

Reference:
Evening Standard, Oct. 2006, David Cohen.
Full article at:
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4153/is_20061023/ai_n16798948/pg_1

(I posted the above to your blog.)

[JeanneB]

Hey Cat. That's interesting. So the meter actually read when you thought about your ex-boyfriend? That's pretty cool.

[Wax-Q]

Hi Raymond.... in my original reply to Ms. Keenan's article, actually, I expressed my distaste for the "hard sell" approach myself, and added that not all Scientology churches take such an approach. I hear the vibe is mellower at the Buffalo org, and probably at the Harlem one as well.

But you're putting words in my mouth if you think I'm saying the "hate" part had anything to do with criticism of the sales approach of the NYC org. That wasn't the "hate" part. See if you can figure out the part that was.

Psychiatry is not a religion and generally speaking, disdain for it is therefore not called "bigotry". Ridiculing religions like Jews, Catholics and Scientologists is bigotry. Ridiculing vocations like psychiatrists (or plumbers or cab drivers or what have you) isn't. Did I REALLY need to explain that difference?

But you know what? I have no sympathy for anyone, anywhere, who could let anyone talk them into buying something they didn't even want, as Ms. Spencer admits to having done. I do hope she reads the book, though.

[Brian]

My earlier pro-Scientology posts were deleted/censored as well. Thank you, Wax, for making them available on-line.

You guys at NYInquirer.com have lost all credibility.

(Second attempt; first attempt deleted by NYInquirer.com.)

[Stats]

Congratulations, Cat! With your purchase of Dianetics you are now counted as one of Scientology's more than 10 million members! How does that feel???

;-)

By the way, if possession of a book is all it takes to qualify one as a church member, then there are about 20 bazillion Mormons out there courtesy of all those young men on their bicycles...

[JeanneB]

Hi Raymond,

On "...a woman is safer in a park at midnight than on a psychiatrist's couch,'"

Check out this article I found in Google News today:

"RUMOURS had circulated about Michael Haslam and fellow psychiatrist William Kerr for years. Both doctors, it was said, had sexually abused York psychiatric patients in the 1970s and 1980s.

"In 1997, police began a full and formal investigation into some of the claims. Three years later, Kerr was taken to court on charges "that involved four allegations of rape and 15 of indecent assault."
(http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/display.var.1210962.0.tough_rules_are_a_matter_of_trust.php

(Granted that's just one case showing up in the news right now, but there's a lot more where that came from:

http://www.cchr.org/index.cfm/17376)

On "I find this very concerning. My question: Does that make me a 'bigot'?"

According to the definition of bigot in the Encarta: "somebody with strong opinions, especially on politics, religion, or ethnicity, who refuses to accept different views" I think you might consider yourself fitting that definition, but that's up to you. Isn't the "Scientology Critical Information Directory: at __http://xenu-directory.net/__ your web site?

[Brian]

... still waiting ...

[Raymond Hill]

Jeanne: The *leader* of the Church of Scientology promoting machine-gunning out psychiatrists. The audience wildly applauding to this. There are previous accounts of such troubling events as reported by former members.

Are you supporting this? It certainly concerns me to see the promotion of hate (to put it mildly, since promoting the killing of psychiatrists is serious matter) by an organization which calls itself a church.

Incidentally, Scientology's views on the cause of mental illnesses is that individuals are haunted by dead alien spirits -- removed through buying expensive 'auditing' level after level. So, no, I don't accept these views.

[Timmy]

Brian: What are you waiting for?

Jeane: "Hey Cat. That's interesting. So the meter actually read when you thought about your ex-boyfriend? That's pretty cool."

The e-meter is a goofy device used for an antiquated form of psychiatry under Scientologly (although they'd never admit it was so).

The needle can change position based on pressure applied to the cans, surface area changes (like holding it with 4 fingers than changing to 5), or tension changes in the arms. The tension changes are what the auditor is actually going for, since the tension felt in the person might correlate to their active thoughts, or subconscious, in relation to the subjects the auditor is covering in an attempt to treat the auditee under Scientology guidelines. In short, it's a crude lie-detector that can be easily manipulated to the auditors bafflement.

Now, it may be true that the auditor is taught to watch out for these movements, however the entire process for a "correct auditing" makes it suspect of any real benefit to the auditee and ripe for abuse, which is why people call Scientology a pyramid scheme: The auditor charges dearly for this bad service, then turns around and buys more training or e-meters with hopes of rising in rank. E-meters, despite their cheap nature (they can be built with about $20-40 worth of parts) are regularly sold for thousands.

[barbz]

Hey Cat,

Don't apologize for purchasing a copy of Dianetics.
Next time you wake up in the wee hours and can't get to sleep again, try reading the first chapter. I got a copy from the library, and had to return it full of drool that drizzled down on the book around page 20.

It's a soporific AND a superb doorstop. And that wobbly kitchen table? You can't beat it! Scientology has definately helped my table instability problems! Believe it!

[Raymond Hill]

To add to Timmy comment, and to the article on the e-meter, Christopher Reeve and his encounter with the e-meter:

«... But Reeve had "growing skepticism about Scientology." So he decided to run his own test.

He told the auditor a long story supposedly about a past life, but he made it all up, based upon a Greek myth.

However, the auditor didn't detect anything, even with the help of the trusty "E-Meter."

It was then that the "Man of Steel" decided he was done with Scientology. ...»

I personally am not even confortable to call the device a 'crude lie detector', as a real lie detector measure *many more* parameters than just skin resistance, and even then, it is still not considered a perfectly reliable instrument.

http://www.cultnews.com/archives/000129.html

[Scientology is a cult]

I see that the requisite 'Project Psychiatry' is in play by JeanneB. may she should look at Scientologists Gabriel Scott Williams who raped a 16 year old girl repeatedly after she was ordered to live with the pedophile by the church. Maybe jeanne should also look at scientologist Donald Anthony Strawn who raped his 2 under 12 year old step-daughters. Maybe she should also look at scientologist Wally Hanks from Mace Kingsley Ranch who beat and raped children for years?

All the above scientologist child molesters were afforded 'ethics protection policy' because they were up-stat scientologists. The first 2 mentioned went to jail AFTER the church tried very hard to cover up its complicity in the crimes by covering them up.

Maybe Jeanne has something to say about Celebrity scientologist James Stacy Barbour currently on trial for a nine count indictment of sex with a 15 year old girl?

Scientology is a greedy occult cult that wants to rule the world and eradicte anyone not willing to succumb to its rule.

Nice Report on scientology's hard sell!

[JeraldR]

Wax Q,

You are just not telling the whole truth here. The editor took out most of the posts, pro and critical of scientology.

For whatever his/her's reasons were it was done in an even way. My post's were also removed and I don't think you belive I am pro scientology.

You posted this very same half truth on your blog. How can you condemn this paper and writer for what you claim are lie's and half truths when you are not telling the truth yourself?

Just asking.

[JeraldR]

And in the intrest of being honest Wax Q, You only rescued the Pro scientology remarks. Seems if you were really that outraged you would have posted all comments.

The editor made the decision, I wasn't happy about it but I respect the fact it was done in a fair way.