The weekly show where I answer viewer questions from the comments to my Q&A episodes or sent to me by email at AskChrisShelton@gmail.com. This week, the questions answered are:
(1) As a military veteran, I am versed in the rank structure of all the branches of the US military. I am also aware of what the different insignias represent, what the different levels of responsibility come with those particular grades or ranks, and what is required to be promoted to the next higher grade (each branch of the military having their own special type of requirements such as physical fitness, decorations, and testing procedures). What is typically required to be promoted from the lowest rank to the highest in the Sea Org? Does a new Sea Org member start off with the rank of seaman and progressively make their way up the chain?
(2) I am currently in the process of unravelling an array of spirituals ideas that I have taken on board over the last couple of decades. I realised that one big idea that I accepted without really looking into it was: “Advances in quantum physics are bringing science and spirituality together. We are seeing how consciousness creates the world around us.” I can find lots of spiritual information about this online, and we all liked to quote the double-slit experiment as ‘proof’, I cannot find anything to debunk it. I have, on several occasions, pulled this one on scientists, and then shaken my head at them when they got angry. They were so close-minded, they just didn’t get it man, LOL. Does Scientology use this line too? I would love to see you have a discussion with a scientist and take critical thinking to this.
(3) I think about the Sea Org members and wonder if each one was sat down one-on-one and asked if they could leave this minute with a severence package that would give them 6 months living expenses and if there were absolutely no repercussion to family and friends still in the Church, what percentage do you think would leave? Also, just how many Sea Org members are there around the world? The leader of the church says people want to be there; do you think this is true?
(4) Hi Chris, it is well known that Scientology hates psychiatry including medicine for psychiatric conditions. Back in the early 2000s I was interested in joining until I found out that medicine for epilepsy was also not allowed, or at least that’s what I was told. Is there any particular reason why Scientologists view seizure medication the same as psychiatric medication?
(5) I have been diagnosed with bipolar after 20 years of instability. During that time, I have been warmly welcomed into three different spiritual groups only to find I became less welcome and extremely unstable once they started poking around with my mind and engaging in activities designed to instigate my ‘surrender’. This would generally just re-traumatise me, causing me to freeze, become psychotic or just run away. Although these groups were comparatively patient with my ‘reactive mind’, eventually some excuse would be made, such as ‘your resistance was too great’, ‘this path isn’t for the faint of heart’, ‘maybe you not quite ready for this’. There was a broad mix of personal responses, from annoyance, anger, bemusement and pity. But ultimately, nobody ever said “We aren’t what you need”, nor does anyone senior ever apologise. That was unthinkable. How would Scientology respond to this situation, i.e. everything they do seems to make it worse rather than better? Do they sweep it under the carpet? How about in the Sea Org? Would they be quietly routed out? How would a family of Scientologists cope if one of theirs was losing their mind?
(6) How were you able to read LRH’s horrible handwriting?
(7) Is it common knowledge how much money Scientology has? If not do you think it would have an effect on how much people would donate?
(8) Leah Remini says that when she asked where Shelly was, part of the reply was “that’s the leader’s wife. You shouldn’t be asking about her.” Germans during the Nazi era called Hitler “Fuhrer”, which means “leader”. Do Scientologists also refer to David Miscavige as “the Leader?”
Hi Chris, I just wanted to point out that as an SO member of 13 years I was NOT interested in promotion in rank. I thought it was like a theta trap fooling staff into thinking they were special and loved by mgmt. The truth is you were more likely to be chosen for extra unwanted duties beyond your post duties. There never was any actual reward such as higher pay, better berthing, etc. In any other activity you would get rewards of some kind at being promoted, never happened in the SO. So since I was the type of person who worked well all alone and left to my own devices, I shunned any attempts to promote me in rank. I did get promoted on post, once from Dir income to Purser PBC by WDC Reserves Nigel Oaks, after which in my new position of authority I oversaw the reduction of PBC debts into complete solvency, and again after that with the arrival of the new CLO WUS command team in Mar 1996 I was Promoted to Treasury Chief CLO WUS. These promotions were validating and meant something to me. But rank promotions were meaningless to me and something to avoided. Anyway I left the SO in May 1996 as a swamper never to return.