My Life in the Sea Org - The Freewinds | | Print | |
Saturday, 05 December 2009 12:23 | |||||||
Page 3 of 5 THE FREEWINDS One month or so later, I get a call from someone aboard the Freewinds, which is the Cruising ship part of the Scientology organization located in the Caribbean area. I get asked to come aboard to help on some delivery emergency as they had nobody of their own personnel qualified to audit in Italian for their parishioners of the highest level (OT VII and VIIIs) I was indeed in another deciding point for my future, I agreed to help, so providing my own organization was fine with it and my airfare was arranged, I was soon ready to go. I had never been there up to that point so it was like a new adventure and experience. Once on board, I got briefed as to what was needed and wanted so I began to audit again. My predecessor, who was there shortly from FSO, didn't do too well so now I had to patch up some upset and take it from there. It wasn't very difficult, so I did what had to be done and started to like the place, other than having a very little space to sleep it seemed pleasant. Food was good and the whole group was being rather up tone and friendly. I began to conceive of the idea, perhaps I should remain there. However, another call to duty came from the FSO asking for my departure to Scandinavia, to handle some parishioner who was upset with the organization and wanted his money back. I happened to know that person, he was from Sardinia too and I had met him on my very early days in scientology, down in a little group in Nuoro. So with all the logistics sorted out I flew back to the very cold climate of Denmark, where the fellow was living. I had to settle myself in a berthing for which my own org would pay, and it was not a surprise when I got a rather shabby room, overcrowded and filthy. Besides that, I got in contact with the guy, he was ok on seeing me and I arranged for the upset to be addressed and resolved. Much to my shame, in one of our sessions, I didn't do too well, but I managed to smooth it out later on, the same day. Then piece by piece, I was able to sort things out and get the guy's agreement to withdraw his refund request. Then I get another briefing about another fellow up in Stockholm on the same type of deal and had to go try to patch up that too. That didn't really fly the guy had made up his mind and wanted the money he had left unused for years, to be returned to him so he could finance some other sort of help group he had associated with. He was no longer active as a scientologist for several years and had no desire to do anything further, but was by no means hostile. I evaluated that I was just wasting my time with the guy so I returned back to Copenhagen. Then the next project gets worked out which required me go back to Italy and pay a visit to the various areas and organizations with the purpose to revitalize the field by addressing people gone inactive or worse, being upset with their past services with the Organization. I settled myself in Milano, with the help of a couple of friends which allowed me to save a lot of money, which would have vaporized in paying for a place to sleep. I ended up traveling all over Italy except for Sicily and I did about 500 interviews or sessions with some very good results. The best one was with an old friend from Sardinia, she came all the way from Sardinia to Milano just to see me and get sorted out. She was not progressing and not doing well at the time. I did what I had to do and even a little extra, and in a short session we resolved something very important for her and she was shortly after that able to make things go right and continue her services on the advanced levels. I was more than happy to see that change take place in front of my eyes. As the time went on I was running out of business in that project and at one point I get called back to Copenhagen for a promotional event about FSO to which I was still bound as a staff member. They were still issuing my weekly salary even if I was abroad. Then in view of the fact that I wasn't going to return to the US a new plan gets worked out. There was an Italian parishioner who had just completed his OT VII at Flag and was soon going to go to the Freewinds for his OTVIII, however something needed to be resolved for it to happen in due time. I was briefed over the phone and asked to get the matter sorted out on a right now basis. The main problem was due to the fact that this fellow’s wife wasn’t very happy with the local org of Verona and she was disaffected with it claiming she had not been handled correctly. So I went to their house, I knew him well already and a bit about her. I listened to what they had to say, mainly to her upset and gave her advice on how to get it resolved in a way that would make everybody happy. I got promised that she’d think about it and let me know as soon as possible. Next day, to my delight, her husband told me that she had agreed to return to the org and do the recommended course with him. That was just great! I couldn’t have gotten it any better than that. So he got the green light to go to the ship for his next advanced level. I was of course, going to be his auditor, since nobody else could deliver the preparation step in Italian. That earned me another visit to the ship for the Maiden Voyage celebration and contributed to the largest delivery occurring during that occasion. It all went smooth and I was even able to get a full day off once it all was over. Anyway I again returned to Europe and I was being used as a temporary staff member for the advanced organization in Copenhagen pending some decision to trade me for another staff member. I didn't much care at that stage as to where I was going, so long I was able to audit, it’d work out. So I got my own room set up and began to deliver flat out whatever was needed. For about 5 weeks I was the highest producing auditor, and it didn't take much effort from my part at all. Then one day, I get a phone call from the Commanding Officer of the Freewinds briefing me of an alleged agreement between her and the Captain FSO, which would have given her ok for me to be transferred to the ship and I was expected to report on board on a right now basis. On my own evaluation, between the 2 places I'd much prefer the ship, but I was concerned about the production demand on board not being so great as I'm used to perform. I didn't want to get bored, that was a fact! I opted for the ship so I prepared my luggage and was getting ready to go. Apparently the coordination factor wasn't really as I was told and some senior executive was getting rattled if not upset about the whole thing. It wasn't really my problem so I went ahead and left for Barbados where the ship was at the time. At that point I had made up my mind, I was going to stay there and that was it. I began to audit again whatever was necessary and after a few weeks I was informed that my video for the class IX internship was officially passed all the way up to RTC FSO even if the session was done in Copenhagen since I was banned from the US. I was very happy and proud at the same time. At that point due to my fame as auditor having risen to the stars, I get selected to audit some very important people on board and I was honored for it. The very first session went very well and I was complimented by the ship's RTC Rep. Then the demand enlarged into more and more persons to be debugged, and I feel I did my part well as far as I was concerned. I recall a particular person for which I fixed an incomplete level with very nice results much to my satisfaction as well as the interested party. However, another unpleasant experience was about to hit me in the face. During Xmas celebration 2003 I had noticed a female staff member on board for whom I felt an instantaneous liking so I socialized with her and expressed my liking for her person also informing her that I was separated and on my way to terminate my marriage in a short time. The idea was to find out if the affinity (liking of) was mutual and eventually create a new relationship once the divorce was official. I soon found out she was ok with it and was delighted of the idea. We'd spend time together whenever it was possible and increase our affinity but no physical contact or anything else just according to the rules on the matter, which forbid the creation of a new relationship before the previous one is over. I didn't intend to violate that rule, so we both kept our hands clean. It lasted a month or so then after a dinner break when we were down the dock of St. Vincent something odd happens. Next day she'd not accept any communication from me and was rather reluctant to have me around her at all. I also get called to HCO (area of the organization which takes care of the ethics matters) and I get told that I'm off the rails for flirting with that girl and I should knock it off. I was also told she didn't have a very good record as past sentimental experiences and was very likely to get hold of me to have a baby and get both out of the Sea Organization. I thought it was way too far-fetched and completely senseless. I later found out, the girl had been threatened with punishment (being sent to the RPF) if she was continuing to spend time with me. That communication and disgusting menace came from one of the top executives on board posted as the CO CMO ship. It was the very same person who years earlier had cancelled the parent's time during a so called Mission in Copenhagen. What a coincidence! For whatever reason we never liked each other and it was obvious to both of us. So now the girl was in such terror of ever having me around that she withdrew completely and even denied having ever been interested in me to begin with. I had felt great for a month and it was very obvious the contrary, but there was no turning back. Even when the divorce became official, I recall offering a bunch of nice flowers to her; she thanked me for them, but again told me of the snide comment uttered to her by the same person named above. Her real name is Sue Price, so no mistake is made here. Sentimental matters aside, the main thing which kept me going were production demand. The next catastrophe was however on the horizon. In 2003 a new evolution had come about and as a result of it many of the persons having moved to the upper levels had allegedly not made it on an earlier but very important step. I was more than baffled as the very subject had come up already earlier and it was like a pendulum swing. Something didn't make sense to me. So I get to study an alleged new confidential issue on the subject, which had very little new information at all, nothing really confidential and it appeared superseded by later issues on the subject which were written as official Hubbard Bulletins as opposed to this one which was merely an advice written in 1969, much before very important technical breakthroughs which took place in 1978 with the advent of New era Dianetics. Needless to say my own subjective gains get challenged and what was for me the most important realization from my dianetics auditing was being completely invalidated as if it didn't occur. I couldn't care less about status or labels, but I did care and knew what I knew to be true. It was at that exact point when I realized that there was something awfully wrong with whoever was running the show. I felt I could only express to LRH himself how bad it all was, but him being gone, I had nobody I could trust and if I were a public receiving that auditing, I'd have stepped out the door never to come back until someone was going to prove they knew what they were doing. I'd put all of that aside because when you are an auditor you have “no case” (word which indicates anything that can be upsetting and disturbing to you spiritually) and continued my production. On the other side I became so upset to write for my own folder to please cease my auditing as that was no longer meant to be for me but for the satisfaction of somebody else. I would be much better off it. That was the beginning of a steep decline in my sea organization career. Even if 2004 was the year I won the award as the best auditor on board, with over 200 hours of gain on my next colleague, I was also pulling in so much shit on my lines, more than I could handle. In one occasion I get a critique by an RTC rep who came on board as replacement for the existing one at the time, she managed to convince also the other of an handling of mine done in a session as being wrong and overwhelming for the parishioner being audited, neither of them knew I had used a very specific example LRH had mentioned in a lecture I had studied on my class VI course, which was designed to handle that particular situation. I get rather invalidated by them, yet none on the two had done that training, but had to be right just because they are the RTC reps. I had to handle my upset which was completely useless. Another point was again being invalidated by the couple and being accused of having done something I had not done. When I tried to point out the wrongness of the accusation, I got told I was delusionary and had to shut up. Later, out of wanting to be absolutely right and not delusionary as I could have gone, I reviewed the written records of the events and my memory proved to be accurate. But for the RTC rep I was delusionary. VISITS BY TOM CRUISE A few more points worth mentioning about that same time period was the first visit of Tom Cruise on board. We all got briefed up about the event and part of it was that we were not supposed to tell anybody else about it, not even to close relatives. It seemed odd to me, but followed that instruction. When I finally sow him at a very close distance, he seemed an alright fellow and being already a fan of him was more than happy to see him aboard. He came with his then girlfriend Penelope Cruz, who was also on scientology lines at the time and she had a personal auditor that came on board to take care of her. His second visit was in summer 2004 for his birthday. The ship was in Barbados at the time and again we get briefed about his imminent visit with the usual don't say a word to anybody or you'll get Comm-Eved (slang term for the highest justice action one can incur within the church policies). Once again I couldn't quite get the point of all this secrecy. As a matter of fact, I had made a hint of it to my ex-wife, who had already seen him at the Clearwater base; I didn't get punished, but got told she was not an exception to the rule. I still think it was ridiculous, she knew more about Tom Cruise than me. This time he came alone, Penelope had disappeared from the scene, but I had no clue as to what had happened and it wasn't much of my concern. She too seemed a very nice person for the little I knew about her. Back to the preparation for Tom's arrival, a huge set up was being arranged in the space on board used for the main events. A large troupe of Golden Era staff members, were on board preparing for the birthday party. We even had to drill welcoming him on board with a parade. When the moment came, COB was down the dock waiting for the limousine to arrive and a long red carpet to welcome the VIP. It was a nice moment seeing the arrival to the dock and all the rest of the greetings with us all welcoming Tom on board. Few days later the actual party took place and I heard it was quite a big one. I didn't get invited, but a friend of mine did and she even had the chance to dance with the star according to her statement. At the time, I was still a very strong fan of Tom being a scientologist and of his dissemination activities, I was also a dedicated Sea Org member and COB was in my eyes a very good example of how to run the show, so he too was a much respected figure in my books. Little that I knew then, it didn't occur to me that the party was being financed with church's money and it must have been a very expensive one as far as I could see. I don't know how such expense would be okay according to LRH policies, where extravagance has no part in any of them. The event was even recorded in audio video format and beside these who were invited, nobody else on board was allowed to see the party. I found out a little piece of it on the Internet 4 years after and I was baffled as to how it managed to get posted there. I even found a short video made on board which shows COB talking with Tom without them having a clue of the video being secretly recorded by someone very close within the RTC people. Much to my surprise, someone on board was being an intruder and nobody of the super security personnel had figured it out. Yes I'd forgot to mention about the security aspect of COB being on board, he brings with him many security guards who are on duty 24 hours a day on a double shift basis. He never eats with the crew, but has his own quarters with his very close entourage. I recall a couple of occasions while being in Bonaire, he'd go out to spend some time diving and when the boat came back for him to return on board, nobody was allowed to be in close proximity except the security personnel, this went as far as me having to wait at the gate of the dock just for the above reason. I wondered what would be the point of it all; can't you trust your own people? The year 2004 was really full of odd events, as far as I was concerned. During the Maiden Voyage, I had known a Spanish female public and upon suggestion of a colleague I got in communication with her to find out if she was qualified for the sea organization and if so I'd recruit her. She was also a good looking person and that would make her also a potential prospect for a new relationship, providing all the previous steps were in place. At first she appeared to have no interest at all in joining the team, but shortly after she started to reach for it. We became friends and gradually without much effort I was able to get her to truly envision the idea of getting started on the sea org in a very short time. I worked out with her how to make it happen step by step and I was monitoring her progress on it. Our friendship was growing into a mutual interest for each other as a future couple if all would have worked out. Her qualifications seemed okay at that stage and I was very optimistic about it all. When the maiden voyage was over, after 4 weeks in a row producing over 52 hours in the chair as average, I got my day off. I mentioned it to her and she originated of her own volition about wanting to spend some time together. I had e very definite passion for water sports such as snorkeling and diving and in few occasions I had gone snorkeling with her early in the morning. It was just beautiful; I'd dive and hold my breath as long as I could, while some big Tarpon fish would come about me at a very close distance. I went out in the morning and we had met outside the dock where the nearby Bus station was and from there we went to a nice part of the coast I had previously spotted on my own. We spent a nice day together, swimming, snorkeling and communicating about various themes. We even took underwater pictures. Mind you, no physical contact took place. So as the daylight was about to end, we decided to return aboard and did so. I had nothing to hide really, but she felt uncomfortable about getting back on the gangway together, so I went first by myself. I recall another odd experience that took place during that Maiden voyage celebration 2004. During the speech of David Miscavige, something went wrong with the ventilation system, as a result the place where the speaker was, under many spotlights, became rather warm, to a point that he was visibly sweating. I was watching the event live on a remote screen and could notice the sweat coming more and more into view. Shortly after I heard that the in charge of the ventilation, a veteran sea org member, the Chief Engineer, got in trouble for the above flop and was being investigated for sabotage. A colleague of mine was taking care of him with a tailored made security check to get to the bottom of the guy’s crimes. My colleague failed badly at it and I get named to take over. The poor guy was feeling terrible for whatever happened and was rather cooperative, but the preconceived idea from RTC was that he sabotaged COB thus he has crimes and it was all intentionally done. I did what I was trained to do, with the intent to assist the guy figure out what exactly went wrong and how to remedy the huge catastrophe. Honestly, I didn’t believe for a minute that the guy did it all on purpose for some alleged purpose to destroy or harm anybody around him. I took up whatever was to be addressed and the guy experienced some relief. TOP EXECUTIVES UNDER GUARD Another very odd situation was happening during that time. There were all major top International executives on the ship and they were on a very intense disciplinary action doing heavy and dirty work all over the ship. I recognized the ED int, Mike Rinder, the president of scientology International, Mark Yager and many others. It was obvious they were under heavy disciplinary action. One time the RTC rep on board referred to them as: “The bilge’s team” In one occasion I was even told that she was auditing them, very likely to find their crimes and at one point with one of them she didn’t know how to apply an advanced procedure. I thought it’d be gross since no auditor audits anybody on processes he’s not trained for, yet that was exactly what had occurred. Had I done anything of that nature I’d be executed on the spot sort of speak. I had found out from a roommate who was a security guy that the international statistics weren’t doing well, thus the whole troupe was undergoing heavy ethics handlings. None of this would be mentioned during the events; to the contrary, it was the usual: “All is great and we are expanding like never before” The worse part still had to come. The Spanish girl made up her mind and decided to join the ranks of the crew on board. She wanted me present when she signed the famous billion year contract for the sea organization. Once gone back to Spain, I was in contact with her by e-mail and/or phone, monitoring her progress on the set up project to return. It all seemed to move along well. Then an unexpected tragedy occurs, a fellow staff member, committed suicide while on board. I had seen him few days earlier on the dock and didn’t notice anything particularly wrong with him, I’ve no idea as to why he took his life. Meanwhile, the guy in charge of the security on board, ends up in trouble due to the above and gets demoted from his post, much to his disappointment. The reason I’m mentioning this is that he’ll soon end up on my lines. For whatever reason, I didn’t like the guy, he was at times arrogant and seemed to enjoy needling me whenever he could. Sometime after his removal, while being security checked by a fellow auditor, he blew (left unauthorized) the ship. That was a serious emergency so the search party gets out for finding him. Luckily, with the help of his sister, he agreed to talk to her and some other person. From that I get briefed that he has made a firm decision never to return on board, but was willing to do his leaving security check with me as the auditor. I told right away I didn’t like the guy so why do I get chosen for that duty? The answer was that his previous auditor wasn’t up for the job and the guy knew I was a much experienced practitioner and was fine with that. The first thing I told him when we’ve met in a hotel of Curacao was that I had a personal dislike for him, but if he was going to cooperate, I was willing to help smooth out the procedure. He agreed and we began with the project. It wasn’t very difficult as he did cooperate, so we completed the action, he was fine and we gave each other a friendly hug as we saluted for the last time. I recommended him to stay out of trouble and he agreed. Few weeks later the Spanish girl had gone to Florida to get started on the sea org. Another surprise was rising at the horizon. A fellow staff member from Italy had routed out of the sea org together with his wife and kid and there seemed to be some upset from his part. The idea was for me to go to his place, handle the upset and if feasible recover him on staff. I wasn’t very excited at all. He was a completion of the highest advanced level delivered on board and that meant I had to bring with me highly confidential issues in a briefcase and keep them secure at all times. It’s not funny at all I can assure you. I left from Aruba to Milano and met there with another fellow staff member who came with another flight. From there we called the guy and arranged for him to come meet us at the train station of his home town. He wasn’t particularly happy to see us, but out of courtesy greeted us and drove to some place where we could spend the night. A couple of friends in the local area were assisting us with the berthing place. I had a very tight schedule for the whole project: 3 days! So I arranged with him and his wife to be available at certain times of the day to do whatever I was instructed to do. Some upset got cleaned up for both, they were more relaxed, however neither of them intended to rejoin the ranks and he made a point of his having taken LSD, which made him unqualified to begin with. However, it also came up that his wife was not satisfied with the experience and had no desire to stay on staff. My commanding officer was not happy at all, she was sure he lied about the LSD and used it as a reason to route out. She however missed the point that if someone doesn’t want to stay in the sea org there is no way around it. It was as if he had to be recovered at all costs. When I finished my part, I greeted the couple good bye; they were thankful about what I did with them and told me so. Next day I took my scheduled flight and returned to the ship. I did my debrief, returned the materials for their safety and went to sleep. Next day I resumed my post. Meanwhile, while I was gone for few days, the overall production wasn’t going too good yet I was the one making the most of it. Because of the area not turning around, production wise, we had very few people on board and it didn’t look very good at all for the weeks to come. Then I end up being disciplined for missing one morning muster and from there it went from bad to worse. Despite being the one producing the most, the disciplinary actions were so stupid and pointless that I had no intention whatsoever to comply with them. That didn’t help me at all. I became more and more the target for trouble and as the production of the area didn’t improve the hurricane was getting ready to hit me in the face. The Italian fellow I had seen few weeks earlier was now very upset, following the high pressure from my colleague’s part to get him back on board despite the guy’s refusal to do so. It became more and more a threat to the guy more than anything else, sort of “You better come back to the ship or else!” Needless to say, he never came back to my knowledge. Then it came the IAS celebration and Tom Cruise got his very special award medal as it can be seen on the internet. A video interview was edited with him promoting scientology. TOM CRUISE: MODEL SCIENTOLOGY STAFF MEMBER The video seemed great from an insider’s viewpoint however, it got used as a model of what a scientologist should be like and every staff and public all over the world was required to watch it five times! It seemed a bit too much even for me who used to be one of the best fans of Cruise. And if that was not enough, following that event every staff member was to do a rote pink sheet (slang for a corrective assignment given to a student when he did not fully grasp some material previously studied) it began with word clearing method 9 the very famous HCOPL: “Keeping scientology working”; the irony of it all was that it was meant to stress the importance of correct use of the technology, yet it got implemented in a way that couldn’t be any farther than that. If you start a method 9 word clearing on the whole crew at 22.00 hours you are asking for trouble, that’s exactly what ensued. |
Comments
Thank you for sharing your story.
I will admit that I was hoping that this was not also happening on the ship (naive I know) and that Sharon and Mike would not stand for it. A very sad disappointment.
My heart aches for those I dearly love who are ship staff and have to fight against this inhumane treatment - even if only the potential of such treatment.
I can attest you were a good and caring auditor. You audited me at the FSO and it went very well.
It's funny that while I was on my way out of the church you did gave me a C/S 53 by indication in Milan (arc x session) and you indicated something that was actually happening to me: "Feel attacked". At the time I was under attack by the C. of S... Shortly thereafter I got declared...
I wish you well my friend and good luck on reuniting your family.
Best Paolo
I ended up saying things which I didn't even believe because I'd be asked what I'm thinking and I'd say whatever I imagined after the question. I wasn't thinking anything besides how messed up this is. The Sec checker had something in his ear and he'd not want to take a "read" up, but this guy in the other room would talk to him in his ear and he'd take it up with me.
There's got to be some out tech if the sec check leaves you spinned in.
04' at Flag.
sono Caspar appena letto la tua storia incredible, but on the other hand I have indeed read similar stories and my own has some similarity as well.
I would like to talk to you in person some time or other. I intend to take some action in the socalled Freezone to clean up the squirreling that is going on and possible unite the field.
There is another person whom I would like you to meet as well.
Let me know if you are interested and otherwise I wish you well.
m. love,
Caspar
Remember one thing, you are now free to AUDIT, big time, man!!! Ha ha!
Welcome Back, mate!!!
ML, Theo Sismanides
On your long journey as auditor, did you ever learn to audit in German ?
Hey Caspar,
any chances to deliver SHSBC and class VIII ?
just wondering.
Arc
anything the church delivers can be delivered in the Freezone except the blows :-)
Caspar
Thanks for your story, which is a great read.
I have recently read several long articles and full-length books about life in the Sea Org by former scientologists, including descriptions of life at Hemet, Clearwater, Saint Hill, and the Los Angeles Complex. Your account of life on the Freewinds is a valuable contribution to the picture puzzle of Scientology that is now emerging in all its nefarious glory. The more people know about all facets of this organization, the better. Your account of your experience is a real public service. Thanks.
thank you for sharing your story.
When I read it yesterday I forgot all my life around me and could see those things happen before my eyes.
Though not having been myself in the Sea Org, in the '70s and '80s I have been in the SO-quarters in the Nordland-Hotel in Copenhagen, as well as those in St. Hill in the UK and I have supervised a short time in the Flag Crew Course room in Clearwater.
Each of these experiences was a shock. But after I was through that initial shock I felt complete admiration for these staffmembers who had so much Affinity that such circumstances could not stop them to help their fellow beings.
Afterwards I was in awe, when I saw them acting on their posts. I have no other words for that.
Thank you for what you have done - while being on staff and after. And thanks again for sharing your adventures. It has raised my confront.
Love
Alice
I read every word of your detailed write up. I do not doubt one word. Your tenacity in applying standard tech, even when half starved and sleep deprived is more than admirable, it's miraculous...
Now you need to continue to apply your skills as a Cl XII auditor to clean up the C of S's overt products. Good luck, my friend. I will be coming out soon...
ML,
Songbird
Yours is a cruel yet familiar story. How ironic that the Organization established for "removing the ills of man" harbors a management whose highest leaders are committing those very ills--- and in numbers.
I admire both your courage and tenacity in your experience and subsequent release.
I experienced similar suppressive treatment while an SO crew at ASHO-D back in the earlier days. I routed out after months of jumping through the off-policy flaming hoops and other suppressive obstacles. They play a very low toned game and really didn't care about keeping me around as I challenged their phony authority with gusto. I would have pulled them upscale and they weren't having any of that.
What a shame that they pervert the way out for so many? We'll all make it, I know that. But what a colossal cost in needlessly suffering individuals.
Imagine for a moment a Religion created to save mankind and offer sanity.
But who will save us from the highjacking of this Religion? Anyone interested? I am.
Rob
Highest affinity, Anita Warren
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