Book Review

Scientology: Abuse at the Top

I just finished reading Scientology: Abuse at the Top by Amy Scobee, my own autographed copy, no less!

Abuse at the Top is a rather even-keeled and somewhat dispassionate account of a large chunk of history of Scientology as seen through the eyes of one of the best Commanders and one of the most competent executives Sea Org ever knew who dedicated 27 years of her life to the service of mankind. It is, in parts, a Knowledge Report, a document of value as it outlines, among other things, the exact mechanism of brainwashing employed by David Miscavige to destroy the best people and Scientology.

The book is about places I’ve been to, about people I know and about life I also lived. It really hit home on a personal level because I lived through or at least witnessed many of the events in the book. Don’t even know how and why, for example, but I was there at MCI when Jim Mortland, a great guy and Amy’s former husband, graduated the RPF and came to see her after four years of separation. I was dumbfounded that instant by the look of resolve on Jim’s face as he started moving toward Amy across the vast space of the dining hall and by the fact that Amy started shaking when she suddenly saw him. A fascinating slice of life. I could sense Jim’s apprehension as he, an absolute nobody right after four years of RPF, was reaching with nothing but love to a beautiful woman with lots of gold bars on her shoulders, closely packed at that moment with the rest of the top brass around a table. Why did he choose that moment to make his approach? It could go either way for Jim there in that life-defining moment—all in front of a couple of hundred people, on top of everything. But Amy held steady and true to herself, the quality that helped mold her into one of the most accomplished executives in Sea Org history.

Amy learned how to make Celebrity Center International into a Saint Hill Size Org, analyze stats, command respect and altitude, investigate, evaluate situations, coordinate and supervise management of all the social betterment programs and all of the orgs internationally long before she learned how to cook or how to drive. Not versed in simple things like opening a bank account, Amy had the ability to preserve enough of her own space and integrity to see the truth without distorting or justifying anything. She was able to rise above the unbearable noise, insanity and distractions and clearly see things as they were. How is that not the defining characteristic of a top executive?

That is a lot more brains, courage and integrity than many of the rest of us had in those circumstances. I, for one, was blissfully confident that David Miscavige was the savior of Scientology—even if a bit of an unpleasant chap in many ways—for minimally two years AFTER I blew the cuckoo nest. What confront of evil? And I was never a wimp, either. My hat is off to Amy for having the confront to recognize the truth, for being true to herself and for speaking out.

Despite the betrayal and horrific crimes perpetrated by the psychopath at the top, the story is not bleak in the final count as it reflects the resilience of the spirit and the power of true affinity and communication in creation of a new reality.

In that regard the book is about the triumph of Scientology over oppression, good over evil, vibrancy of human spirit over the dark and foul depths of the sociopath’s soul. Amy moves away from Scientology, which is at the moment a suppressive and criminal organization, but she remains true to basic Scientology principles as she builds her new life in the big world. Her and Mat’s successes illustrate that postulates are still senior to MEST, intention is still cause, ARC is still the King, production is still the basis of morale, the Code of Honor is still there standing tall and conditions still work starting with non-Existence and on up higher and higher!

People live and love here on the outside, they can play a game and they can win. This is where the over the ramparts charge is happening that LRH was talking about. Scientology is all around us, it is here, it is not out there behind the barbed wire. Let the butchers of Scientology, the creeps like Mark Ingber, Mark Yager and Lisa Schroer play their game of kissing DM’s ass behind the barbed wire where they belong. We are here and we are free!

Thanks a lot Amy for your service in the Sea Org and for writing your book. True to yourself as always, you are still following through with your dream to make life better for others.

Written by Misha Priv