Let's Sell These People a Piece of Blue Sky: Hubbard, Dianetics and Scientology (2 page)

BOOK: Let's Sell These People a Piece of Blue Sky: Hubbard, Dianetics and Scientology
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—Professor
Khapta Akhmedova, expert on terrorism

 

“I have had a long and rare relationship with
A
Piece of Blue Sky
– with its author, subject, content and its knockers. I
even relate significantly to its distribution, because I’ve bought copies,
given them away, referred hundreds of people to it, dealt with questions about
it, and used it countless times in my defense against the predations of the
Scientologists and their collaborators. It is an excellent resource for anyone
Hubbard or his followers or agents have ever touched. Jon did a very good
thing, which has stood the test of Scientology. Honestly written, amazingly
accurate, and beautifully assembled, which is why it stood the test. And it
doesn’t rely on stolen materials!”

—Gerry
Armstrong, former Hubbard aide,

creator of the
Hubbard Archive

 

“This incredible book made me want to track down the
author, Jon Atack, in person – and so I did, and interviewed him for my latest
documentary project. His incredible breadth and knowledge of religions and
belief systems turned my three-hour interrogation into one of the most
fascinating discussions I've ever had. I recommend you find Jon Atack and buy
him a drink and get him talking, but in the meantime, start with this book”

—Roger Nygard, Director,
The Nature of Existence

 

“This book is fascinating.... & fresh. There's
something interesting on every page. I've read every expose and this one is on
the top of my list.”

—Paulette
Cooper, author
The Scandal of Scientology

 


A Piece of Blue Sky
was my first
introduction to the real truth about L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. And some
15 years after I first read it, it's still the most reliable of the many books
on the subject, as far as I'm concerned. No one seems to have worked harder to
get things right by relying so carefully on rare and crucial documents that
spell out the history of Scientology's abuses. As much attention as there is
for more recent attempts to expose the church, I find myself repeatedly wishing
that Jon Atack's book was in the hands of anyone curious about this subject.”

—Tony Ortega,
former editor,
Village Voice
– tonyortega.org

“I appreciate the staggering amount of research
material that Mr. Atack had to assimilate and present. He demonstrated
impeccable judgment concerning his sources, and similarly he showed artistic
skill in his ability to present complex … material in graceful and clear prose.
Had his book been offered by a doctoral candidate … it would far exceed
necessary standards … an unrivalled piece of superb scholarship. Quickly his
book has become one of the classic studies of sectarianism and deviant belief
systems. All future scholarship on Scientology will build upon his
contribution.”

—Professor
Stephen Kent, Sociology and History of Religion, University of Alberta

 

“It is rare that a book can have such far-reaching
effects for such a long time. When I first read
A Piece of Blue Sky
, it
became more than instrumental in helping me to understand my experiences as a
former member and put them into a meaningful context that changed my life. I
know from my own painful experiences the courage and the cost it took to write
it. In the years that followed, my husband, Richard, and I have recommended the
book to hundreds of families seeking the same understanding. For many years, it
has been difficult to find a copy of the book.
A Piece of Blue Sky
needs
to be easy to find, so that everyone can discover the truth about Scientology
for themselves and for those they love.”

—Bonnie Woods,
ex-OT3, Escape UK

 

“In writing
A Piece of Blue Sky
, Jon Atack
has gone beyond chronology to produce the most comprehensive history of
Scientology available.”

—Christian
Szurko, Dialog Centre UK

 

“I was greatly impressed with the thoroughness of
his research, the quality of his writing, and the timeliness of his exposition.
His book is now the definitive text on L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology.”

—Professor
Louis Jolyon West, late Chairman of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA
School of Medicine

 

“Jon Atack took his life in his hands when he wrote
A
Piece of Blue Sky
. His compellingly readable account of the life and times
of L Ron Hubbard and his Scientologists tells things that they would rather
keep secret. Atack risked everything to set the record straight and I look forward
to reading the unexpurgated version.”

—Ivan Pope,
author and entrepreneur

 

 

“Atack’s book displays mastery of his material and
subtlety of analysis and discussion that would be praised at the typical final
doctoral examination.”

—Richard de
Mille, ghost author of Hubbard’s
Science of Survival
,

former
professor of psychology at UCSB and author of

Castenada’s
Journey: The Power and the Allegory

 

“Jon Atack has written a fascinating and rather
damning biography of L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. All the material that Jon
delved up and diligently delivered in
A Piece of Blue Sky
, was properly
researched and duly backed up. Scientology managed to sue the author into
bankruptcy after the publication, disputing a myriad of minor details in
various courts. But even the cult itself never challenged the main points of
Atack's book: Scientology is a scam, Hubbard is a plagiarist, and the organization
has turned the violation of basic human rights into a daily practice.”

—Karin Spaink,
writer, persecuted by Scientology for

ten years, in
the courts and beyond – spaink.net

 

“At a time when any criticism of Scientology
resulted in a predictable onslaught of surveillance and harassment campaigns
against the critic, designed to force them to their knees, Jon Atack, himself a
former Scientologist, wrote and published his seminal Scientology expose,
A
Piece of Blue Sky
. True to its nature, the Office of Special Affairs, still
to this day Scientology’s ‘Gestapo’ arm, launched a massive campaign against
Atack that destroyed his livelihood, his marriage, his home, and almost wrecked
his health. This book delivers like none other. We used it extensively during
the fifteen years we helped families retrieve their loved ones from the cult of
Scientology, and we still recommend it today to those who want to know the
truth about Scientology. Thank you, Jon, for all you have done to expose the
true nature of this manipulative and vindictive group. We look forward to Jon’s
unexpurgated version!”

—Jerry
Whitfield and Hana Eltringham Whitfield

 

“Nobody explains more clearly how a normal, rational
person can succumb to the power of group thought and control. Luckily, Jon
Atack also explains how to spot undue influence and escape from its clutches,
wherever it may come from.”

—Jill Robinson,
producer & director,
The Secret Life of L. Ron Hubbard

 

“I have just finished your book, and must
congratulate you on such a clear and readable account of such a complex and
complicated group. Being a non-intellectual I find most books of that type
overwhelming, but once I had got well into yours, I was pleased to find I could
cope with a minimum of strain! I am quite sure that many people will be glad
that you persisted through the years of hassle and frustration and I hope the
book gets into the hands of influential people in every sphere of our society.
With heartfelt congratulations.”

—Joy Caton, Deo
Gloria Outreach

 

“Many times over the years while serving as a
director at Factnet.org I have referred former Scientology members to
A
Piece of Blue Sky
as their first recommended post-Scientology reading. It
is one of the best written and researched books on Scientology that I have ever
seen.”

—Lawrence
Wollersheim, who received $9.1 million

in
court-ordered damages from the cult

 

“This is a great book because it’s a cautionary
tale. It shows how easily we can be seduced into following teachings that draw
from other disciplines and do have some truth to them. But don’t believe any
organization that says it has all the answers. Jon went back and investigated
the real intentions of Scientology. It’s about power and money, not a compassionate
quest to free mankind. What I love about Jon’s book is that he went back and
reflected upon his experience and investigated. They market their story very
well, but Jon exposed what’s really happening behind that image.”

—Carlos A.
Cornier, member 1974 to 1982, New York Org; Sea Org Member, Clearwater; trained
at Guardians Office UK;

award winning
documentary film-maker

 

“The public is fortunate some Brit Scientologists
are writers. For over two decades, Jon's
A Piece of Blue Sky
has been on
the short list of best books written on Scientology. It's less of an ex member
book, and instead is one of the best early history research books on the
movement. From my expert eye, Jon gets an A+, and special credit and
recognition, for daring to use the “e” word, exorcism, when discussing OT 3
(the Scientology level where the members learn about the “4th Dynamic Engram”
and the “Wall of Fire” and the horrendous impact the space alien Xenu caused
all of us earthlings). This book will always be a classic must read for would
be Scientology experts.”

—Chuck Beatty,
member 1975-2003

Contrary to
The New Yorker
, no stolen materials were
used in the preparation of this book.

Before the Beginning

It was 1950, in the early, heady days of Dianetics, soon
after L. Ron Hubbard opened the doors of his first organization to the clamoring
crowd. Up until then, Hubbard was known only to readers of pulp fiction, but
now he had an instant best-seller with a book which promised to solve every
problem of the human mind, and the cash was pouring in. Hubbard found it easy
to create new schemes to part his new following from their money.

One of the first tasks was to arrange ‘grades’ of
membership, offering supposedly greater rewards, at increasingly higher prices.
Over thirty years later, an associate wryly remembered Hubbard turning to him
and confiding, no doubt with a smile, “Let’s sell these people a piece of blue sky.”

 

“Truth blows the lies away.”

—Lafayette Ronald Hubbard.

 

“Believe nothing on the faith of traditions, even though
they have been held in honor for many generations, in many places. Do not believe
a thing because many people speak it. Do not believe on the faith of the sages
of the past. Do not believe what you yourself have imagined, persuading
yourself that some god inspires you. Believe nothing on the sole authority of
your masters or priests. After examination, believe what you yourself have
tested and found to be rational, and conform your conduct thereto.”

—The Buddha,
Kalama
Sutta
.

 

 

Introduction

Must read! This book is the definitive, factual,
all-inclusive exposé on the real L. Ron Hubbard and the true story behind
Scientology. If you read one book on Scientology, make it this one.

Jon Atack has an extraordinary, razor-like mind and
indefatigable memory. In my opinion, he is by far the greatest expert on L. Ron
Hubbard, having digested every idea Hubbard ever had and everything written
about Hubbard, as well as his countless interviews of former officials. He is
my “go-to” man when I have a factual question concerning anything Scientology.

Jon is truly a rare human being. Yes, he was in Scientology
nine years and was OT-5. Unlike most former members, he went on to research in
such extraordinary depth and detail that he became the resource for governments
around the world wanting to understand what Hubbard and Scientology were all
about. He was mercilessly harassed for sixteen years harming his personal life
tremendously to the point that he “retired” from speaking publicly about
Scientology, and spent the next sixteen years developing his exceptional
talents as an artist, drummer and novelist.

In 2012, I visited Jon and we talked in great depth about
all of the positive developments around Scientology, the flood of top officials
and other long-term operatives writing books and exposés, and I urged him to
consider coming out of retirement. I was delighted to find that he had
reconstructed the unexpurgated, never before published original Piece of Blue
Sky. We sat down and did a video interview together in the hope that he might
re-release
A Piece of Blue Sky
.

 Scientology did everything within its power to stop the
publication of
A Piece of Blue Sky
the first time, making it only the
second book to be banned in the US. The manuscript was published without
alteration, because it was factually accurate. This new release includes 60
direct Hubbard quotations that are the essential heart of Scientology. These
statements from Hubbard’s journals and letters, and his secret orders to his
intelligence agency, the Guardian’s Office reveal Hubbard’s true intentions and
his insane delusions.

 Scientology is the quintessential destructive mind-control
cult. It’s an authoritarian, pyramid-structured group that uses deception and
mind control to make its followers dependent and obedient. I define mind
control as four overlapping components known as the BITE model which stands for
control of behavior, information, thoughts and emotions. Hubbard was a master
manipulator who employed all four components to reduce followers to an almost
childlike devotion.

Hubbard was a stage hypnotist, and in my professional
opinion, Hubbard’s “technology” is a series of hypnotic methods. Hubbard openly
called his system “indoctrination”. Even though Scientologists are taught to
believe that the
technology
de-hypnotizes people, the opposite is true.
Critical faculties are dismantled, thought-stopping techniques taught, phobias
installed. Indeed, the whole “study technology” is designed to install the
Scientology belief system of Hubbard, the self-styled “commodore” of this
paramilitary organization.

BOOK: Let's Sell These People a Piece of Blue Sky: Hubbard, Dianetics and Scientology
7.28Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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