I have been involved with Scientology dissemination for many years.
I wrote the old Dianetics website in use from 2002 to 2008. I wrote the sales materials for Dianetics and a host of other LRH books, lectures and services back before the Church lost every shred of decency. To date, I have some 300,000 words published as a Scientology writer for every single Scientology product and service, and two dozen related corporations, including some 150 brochures and fliers, almost all the tech film ads, dozens of TV spots, and more. I have written so many fantastic and successful campaigns that sold LRH products on their MERIT, not based on putting a gun to people’s foreheads and telling them “If you don’t buy it we’re going to put you on the meter and find out why!”
Many Independents, in confronting the existing state of Scientology, have despaired. As Idle Org wrote recently, “What we probably aren’t confronting fully yet is the fact that Miscavige has ruined the names Scientology, Dianetics, L. Ron Hubbard, E-Meter, OT, Clear, etc, etc, etc, permanently in the eyes of the non-Scientology world.”
True, but the damage is not permanent.
In my experience with dissemination, I have found there still IS one effective way to disseminate Scientology.
In 2007 I started working to disseminate to a friend. Nothing I said worked. Yet this person was very spiritual, and very interested in anything that approached Scientology technology. But when it crossed the line into actual Scientology, forget it. Nothing could interest her. And so I started to use my attempts to disseminate to her as a learning experience, a sort of dissemination laboratory to find out what really would work. It took a year and a half, but I finally cracked the problem right down the middle and got that person started on the Bridge the next day. Here’s what I did.
Step One of HCO PL 23 October 1965, DISSEMINATION DRILL is “Contact”:
1 . Contact the individual: This is plain and simple. It just means making a personal contact with someone, whether you approach them or they approach you.
Step Two “Handle” is where it all seemed to break down:
2. Handle: If the person is wide open to Scientology, and reaching, this step can be omitted as there is nothing to handle. Handle is to handle any attacks, antagonism, challenge or hostility that the individual might express towards you and/or Scientology. Definition of "handle": to control, direct. "Handle" implies directing an acquired skill to the accomplishment of immediate ends.
But I was schooled in a David Miscavige version of the Dissem Drill whereby the “Handle” step was altered into “Handle the person’s Black PR.” Well, I finally reviewed the policy and that’s not what LRH wrote. I had false data.
The problem today is NOT black PR but genuine, on-going, ruthless criminality saturating the entirety of the Scientology network, and most definitely emanating from the top down... from the leader of the Church himself, David Miscavige -- a self-appointed dictator who has subverted Scientology.
LRH says : “‘Handle’ implies directing an acquired skill to the accomplishment of immediate ends.”
The question was, what “acquired skill” would handle the person’s challenge and or antagonism toward Scientology? Here’s what worked for me.
First off I asked myself one day, “Why the hell am I covering up for David Miscavige and condoning his crimes and abuses?” That’s crazy! I decided, “You know what? I support Truth. Scientology is supposed to be all about Truth. So let’s go with that: back to the philosophic roots --Truth, whether good, bad or ugly. People who support truth, that's who matters!”
I had literally been working on this person for a year and a half and had gotten nowhere. I could not interest this person in Scientology for the life of me. Yet through my writings on the old Dianetics website I've probably sold more Dianetics Self Improvement Kits than anyone on the planet. I certainly didn’t have anything to lose.
With my new stable datum, I sat down for a big feast and ate crow. I exposed what I knew about on-going and past criminality. I was honest about it. Instead of denying and getting angry if asked certain questions, I just came clean and admitted everything freely without withholding anything. I handled questions about LRH the same way. I told them all about the Int base and what went on there.
I found out the person had been curious for a long time but everytime they had asked questions, instead of answering properly, I got mad. So actually, I had never properly and calmly answered their questions. They were fascinated with the tale of criminality and abuse. Privately, I was thinking "This person will never be interested in the tech now."
Then I said what I was doing about the situation, i.e., planning a website to blow the whistle on such abuses. Like a lightbulb flipping on, instantly my prospect and I were in full communication and she reached for the tech. Not only was the truth accepted, but she allowed the tech to come into her life and started auditing the next day. She is still on the Bridge today.
What did I really do here?
It was the Liability formula on the Third Dynamic. It wasn’t my personal Liability. It wasn’t me who has been receiving a six figure income as a Sea Org member when everyone else gets $0.50 cents an hour. It wasn’t me busting up families and marriages, ordering Sea Org parents to murder their unborn children, abusing staff and torturing them through intense sleep deprivation like what went on at Flag for years. But I was a group member.
If you know about abuses, the human race expects you to come clean on it and get it out on the table so it can be addressed.
So what acquired skill did I use? Ethics, specifically, the Liabilty Formula. 1. Decide who are one’s friends.
2. Deliver an effective blow to the enemies of the group one has been pretending to be a part of despite personal danger.
3. Make up the damage one has done by personal contribution far beyond the ordinary demands of a group member.
4. Apply for reentry to the group by asking the permission of each member of it to rejoin and rejoining only by majority permission. And if refused, repeating (2) and (3) and (4) until one is allowed to be a group member again.
So to the DM-bots who say by attacking the Church we will destroy Dissemination, no... No. Exposing DM’s crimes is the best thing that could happened to the Church.
Scientology-cult.com, Marty's website and others have restored real and genuine interest for the Tech. It has rehabilitated countless waning Scientologists. It is reviving the Scientology field that was all but killed off by Derelict Miscavige.
The Liability formula will “handle any attacks, antagonism, challenge or hostility that the individual might express towards you and/or Scientology.”
Now that the person is handled, steps Three and Four are easy.
“Once the individual has been handled you then --
3. Salvage: Definition of salvage: "to save from ruin". Before you can save someone from ruin, you must find out what their own personal ruin is. This is basically -- What is ruining them? What is messing them up? It must be a condition that is real to the individual as an unwanted condition, or one that can be made real to him.
4. Bring to understanding: Once the person is aware of the ruin, you bring about an understanding that Scientology can handle the condition found in 3. This is done by simply stating Scientology can, or by using data to show how it can. It's at the right moment on this step that one hands the person a selection slip, or one's professional card, and directs him to the service that will best handle what he needs handled.
I have created heavy reaches for the tech in this way because it is the correct handling.
The truth MAKES SENSE TO PEOPLE. They say, “Well, no wonder. I thought something was going on. It had to be.” And they are relieved to hear that the leader of the Church is a crook and no Scientologist.
Unilaterally the next response is "Wow! So what IS Scientology anyway?" Now they are reaching for the tech. They are HANDLED.
At least in my case, the reason for past failures with the Dissem Drill was False Data. You can’t handle antagonism by dismissing all rumors as “Lies, lies -- all lies!” There IS out ethics. One non-Scientologist who only read my site and Marty's said, "Scientology is the most misunderstood subject on the planet! I get it. There's a wolf in the hen house."
Here is the de facto "formula" SP Miscavige is following -- nothing but pure criminality:
1. Force others to decide that he is their only true friend.
2. Attack and ruthlessly destroy everyone who refuses to realize that "he is Scientology!"
3. Take every last penny they’ve got and keep them so pinned down by debt and so busy running from Ethics officers that they have no time to catch him, much less organize any real resistance. And if they won’t heed the wrong conditions, buy their silence with cash.
4. Only permit those who do his bidding the way he wants without question to carry on up the Bridge. Tie up the rest in interrogations, sec checks and needless review actions.
Thoughtful
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Comments
I hadn't thought of disseminating ever again due to all that I'd have to withhold about the church's abuse.
But then, we aren't talking about disseminating for the church anymore, are we.
We're talking about telling the truth and getting somebody onto a service in the Indie field.
Thanks for the insight. Now the big test is, can we muster up the courage to do what you've described above?
Why not. Afterall, despite what Tommy Davis says, we're Scientologists!
ARC,
Idle Org
You inspired this article. Thanks for that.
And as for exactly what Tommy Davis IS, here is the applicable reference from Wikipedia: "A Dementor is a Dark creature, considered the foulest that inhabit the world. Dementors feed off human happiness, and thus cause depression and despair to any who are in close proximity to them. They are also capable of consuming a person's soul, leaving their victims in a permanent vegetative state, and thus are often referred to as soul-sucking fiends."
If you're in a sillier mood and willing to grant him significantly less power, you can think of him as Snidely Whiplash.
It's amazing what can happen when you're actually straight with people. And there is another point: treating people with respect, intelligence and granting them beingness. DM completely demolished this in the dissemination of Dianetics. I got 'drilled' on his horrible and demeaning 'New York' book sales patter, which was designed to treat people like circuits -- quite literally. It was drummed into the book sellers that prospective buyers were just circuits and you needed to overpower that circuit to get them to buy the book. No dissem drill (of course, since DM knows best!). I hated it and refused to apply it (and sold more books by just listening to people than others did while trying to cram Dianetics DM-style down the throats of the person they were talking to).
You did a masterful job on the handle step. While I was a reg for years that particular step always would trip me up. And at that time, scn didn't have bad pr - just no pr.
Question though -- you mentioned your friend getting on the bridge once you figured out the bug -- did she go into an org/mission OR "on the bridge" out in the field.
If she went into an org/mission -- how are you goin' to get her out? :-)
I couldn't tell --
Love,
WH
I can verify this. I had long been out of Scientology, and I hated the church, and I hated every single celebrity who represented the church. Absolutely despised the organization for all the lies and abuses. Even though I knew many members were honest and decent, I also knew they were supporting a monster. Had the whole church collapsed and the entire executive strata been thrown into prison for life I would have been leaping around the living room in ecstasy.
But though I often thought of throwing all my Scientology books and tapes and other material in the trash, I never did. Some part of me said wait.
Not until I started reading the authors on your web site and reading Marty's blog did I even entertain giving Scientology another chance. I've gotten out those books gathering dust, started listening to lectures again, and re-acknowledged the value of Ron's work.
I've read the worst and no longer use any of that against the subject or LRH. I've moved from being an enemy of scientology to being a friend. To claim that I will hereafter and forever be a KSW Scientologist would just be another lie, I've seen too much, experienced too much. But if moving an opponent into supporter status can be classified as a win, then you and Haydn and Jeff and Marty and David can count me as a success.
And all because of the courage to release Truth's drummer.
Much love,
Michael
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." -- Henry David Thoreau
Years later I remarked on the gift because to me it was profound. He was like, "What poem?" lol. To him, to him it had no more significant than the phone book or an interesting postage stamp. But it got me interested in philosophy. :-)
Glad to have you on board in any capacity.
I've been off staff and out of the church for quite some time now, and even though since my leaving I'd have very little to do with it, for the longest time I always took a very defensive posture when the church, Scientology, or LRH's name was challenged. This is despite the fact I had my own disagreements and that I was was glad to be out. Simply put, I'd have to say I was still brainwashed; so to speak.
However, Marty's writings, the current media expose, and most specifically insistence from my wife (a non-scientologist) to open my eyes, caused me to fully see the truth and stop defending the lies...
I would not have thought my wife would entertain the idea of spiritual enhancement for herself (and frankly I thought she had cut herself off from it), but recently a very interesting thing happened: she originated a strong interest for me to help her address some past issues with Dianetic auditing. Now this is from someone with no direct experience with the subject, and has been dead against the church and anything Scientology since we first met.
Amazing...dissemination is effortless once the BS and lies are off the line.
This post has just helped unlock this block I've had with dissemination over many years.
As you stated "The truth MAKES SENSE TO PEOPLE" yes and they see it when they come in. So to go about and avoiding or covering up for the outpoint itself counters the effort. And the truth becomes understandable.
Thanks, for being here.
When I first got into Scientology many years ago, I got 6 of my friends/family to do the comm course. All finished the course, although most did not continue; one did for at least a couple of decades. I disseminated to these people using only sheer enthusiasm about what I had discovered, and the desire for others to have similar wins.
A couple of months later, I was introduced to the dissem drill PL and that was that as far as me having any success with dissemination.
This was several years before DM, and I have to say that idea of "handling the black PR of Scientology" was around well before him.
However, my biggest problem with dissemination was never a lack of any tech of dissemination, as much as the fact that I am an honest person. I've only recently realized this.
I always felt I was putting something over on my potential selectee(s). For example, I was taught in a seminar given by Michael Silverman that you weren't supposed to answer people when they asked "What IS scientology?" but instead attempt to find their ruin, and then after you get it, assure them that Scientology will handle that ruin. In my case, this assurance came not from being tech trained, or understanding, really, which particular bit of tech would be used to address the ruin, but from the belief I'd adopted that Scientology can handle anything.
As well as being taught not to answer questions about certain aspects of Scientology when talking to a new person, I also had my own reticence. I mean, if I were to be completely truthful, I would have to reveal things such as:
You will be hounded to pay tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars for services
Most Scientologist have gotten accustomed to the idea that it is perfectly normal to be tens of thousands of dollars in debt on credit cards
Etc etc. Many of these ideas well pre-date David Miscavaige.
So how does one maintain one's own sense of honesty and still get people interested in Scientology, or, even answer an innocuous questions such as, "What has been a your experience being a Scientologist?"
As to your question and experience I'll offer up something. Scientology is a means of knowing. You have within you the ability to know which includes an innate ability to resolve how to communicate to someone what you want to about Scientology. I was very much like you initially and sold hundreds of books and got hundreds of people in the front door of a mission or church just by sheer enthusiasm and intention. Who cares if Mike Silverman thinks that's OK or it follows the Dissem Drill?
Talk to people. Most of them are pretty much either 'in session' or on the verge of it. I listen and originate and in a two-way comm it becomes an effort NOT to disseminate.
Now, here's an idea, never mind the dissem drill, next person you talk to, run whatever it is they are in with lock scanning.
Nothing like live, genuine, unfilter communication about something that one is truly enthusiastic about. For the most part, all the "techniques" of dissemination, for me, added up to yet another "now you're supposed to".
I am printing this post out. Goodness, just printed out Haydn's from yesterday. Need to read these more than once.
Incredible, Steve and well done!!
This data about your friend reaching after hearing the truth is really important.
What a freedom, to just be able to communicate what IS. Simplicity itself! Thanks - laughing and very keyed out!
With that in mind, and with the emergence of a rational independent field, I recognize the need to expose as many people to the information as possible. Auditing is good. Training is good. The lectures and books are good. So what if someone studies the subject and decides not to become a Scientologist; at least they've been exposed to a new view on life. People read about Buddhism, Christianity and other philosophies without converting, yet walk away a bit wiser.
Too often I see on the internet where someone has disagreed with the Church of Scientology and decided to start a new subject around the same basic philosophy. Maybe legal issues prompted some of this. Maybe emotions. But, their successes seem always to trace back to and be based upon the basic tech of Scientology. I don't disagree with the right of a person to do as they wish with their ideas. But truth is truth and when you borrow someone's work you should show a bit of gratitude.
Anyways, even though you could probably not call me a Scientologist, I firmly believe that you should study the basics without the alter-isness. After all, if you are to disagree with a subject you should understand exactly what you are disagreeing with. And, in studying the subject, you may find more agreements than disagreements.
As for your dad and the poem, I'm a father now. Sometimes I'm acutely aware of how the tiniest things will greatly influence my kids. You never know how much you can love another person until you have a child. But, as with a great river, that flow moves forward and encompasses.
Much love,
Michael
Interesting that you mentioned about disseminating with truth.
That is exactly what I have been doing since I left the church of Miscavology.
All my coworkers, friends and people in general who were not willing to accept Scientology, are now open to talk to me about the philosophy. Because I am truly listening to them and answering their questions and concerns about the church. I am no longer covering up for the leader's (DM) abuses and misconduct. I just deliver the truth,which as a result people's affinity for Scientology as a subject is increasing and are more willing to learn about Scientology,but stay away from the church of Miscavology.
Truth always wins!
Thank you for being there and communicating the truth.
CHORUS
Truth,
We support the truth
The good, the bad, the ugly
We support the truth
VERSE
We come back
To blow the whistle
Reveal the lies
In the light of truth
Hello we're back
And we are legion
No place to hide
In the light of truth
CHORUS
Truth,
We support the truth
The good, the bad, the ugly
We support the truth
you know, every morning starts with checking your site and Marty's for any new "news". Without going into it, I also work on "making" new news too - but that is only a comment on the side. When I don't see new posts I look for some that I haven't read yet on your site and so came across this one.
Without going into detail, I had the SAME experience - and didn't realize how very much I WAS doing the Liability formula with my environment.
I told my brothers and sister what ACTUALLY happened in my own family (disconnection wise - even though I have been strictly LYING to them for years about it) - when I let the cat out of the sack (made up of "protecting the Scientology by concealing what really goes on" - I was VERY concerned they would blow up (not so much "into my face" but "going public" - which, at that time was of concern to me, today I would (and will!) welcome it. What was the reaction: UNDERSTANDING AND ARC! Not an "oh you poor thing" reaction but "aha, I get it" - AND telling me that one of them was actually about to search for a lost family member because she simply didn't buy the false story - as my family was too good a family before for it to make any sense whatsoever to suddenly split up.
My girl friend kept telling me over the years (before becoming honest with her on what it was to be in the SO) that she understands and loves the man I am but that I seemed to be "another man" when it comes to the subject of Scientology. She just couldn't understand how I would defend or somehow justify ABUSE, DESTRUCTION OF MY O-W-N FAMILY etc. I was deeply concerned she would simply go to town on destroying Scientology should I tell the truth. Same "miracle" - UNDERSTANDING and, for the first time, GENUINELY accepting that I LOVE ACTUAL SCIENTOLOGY. AND, being very helpful in righting the wrongs.
While I do want her to reach and use actual Scientology I am at the same time truly relaxed about it if she doesn't jump at it - it really is HER choice, not mine. But the process - TRUTH - works!
Thanks for the spot-on LRH reference!
Love, George
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