The famous “duck test,” attributed to “Hoosier Poet” James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916), goes something like this: “When I see a bird that walks like a duck and swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, I call that bird a duck.”
The Church of Scientology likes to style itself as a “religion.” But does it walk and talk like a religion?
Over the last year, revelations by former insiders indicate that Scientology is acting like anything but a religion. But lately, it’s not just former staff who are revealing some very un-religious behavior, it’s the Church itself. They are so busy denying everything that they perhaps haven’t noticed what they’ve admitted to.
Case in point: when former RTC insider John Brousseau blew the Int Base, he took with him his own personal photographs, taken with his own camera, of David Miscavige’s private gym, his personal tanning table, and his custom motorcycle. So Church minion Warren McShane swore out a complaint to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office. The Church is now denying that McShane ever made such a complaint (despite it being public record). And no wonder. Here are some of the gems.
The complaint stated that photos of Tom Cruise’s and David Miscavige’s lavish custom motorcycles were “proprietary in nature related to the internal operations and projects of the Church of Scientology.” So making custom motorcycles for the Church leader and for its biggest contributor is a Church project? Really? And that is a religious project because…?
The complaint goes on: “JB’s internet computer was different from other employees, in that it did not have any filters and JB could search the internet without restrictions.” Ah. So other employees of the Church cannot search the internet without restriction and have filters on them. Sounds very religious to me.
And this: “His ability to come and go from the facility is in contrast to other church members/employees, who do not enjoy the same freedom of movement.” Which is a nice way, I guess, of saying that they are on lockdown and cannot leave the Base without permission or come and go as they please. Sure, religions lock people up all the time.
And there’s more: “Mr. McShane told me RTC had previously contracted with a private security firm in the State of Texas, to monitor Mr. Rathbun’s activities.” Sure, using parishioner donations to hire private detectives to follow errant members. Very religious.
And here’s the famous “blow drill” verified: “Mr. McShane summoned (4) church members/employees who know JB the best and sent them to Texas to attempt to contact him and perhaps persuade him to return to the facility in Hemet, CA.”
Then there was the so-called legal “victory” in the Headley case, well summarized in this article
The article notes that “the alleged abuses themselves, which the church once tried to hide, have again become a matter of public record.”
“Most organizations would consider the practices themselves to be a failure, and they would take steps to persuade the world that real change was taking place to prevent further abuses. For Scientology, winning the right to continue these behaviors is considered ‘victory.’”
“Other practices that made it into court records include:
- Sleep and food deprivation of Sea Org employees;
- Heavy and demeaning manual labor as punishment;
- Screening and censorship of employee communications;
- Threats of job loss for those who refuse abortions;
- Physical and procedural restrictions on the ability of Sea Org employees to leave;
- Church-enforced “Disconnection” (utter rejection) of former Sea Org employees by their families; and
- Harsh discipline against Sea Org employees who voice a desire to leave.”
And let’s not forget the Church rebuttal to the first of the Saint Petersburg Times exposés.
The article notes that “Davis said his own internal investigation found that Rathbun attacked 22 Sea Org members in the years before he left the church — 50 instances in all.
“The violence played out at the church “base” outside Los Angeles in 2003 and 2004, the church says….Back at the base, the church said, Rathbun instituted a ‘reign of terror.’”
So while denying that Miscavige ever beat anyone (despite dozens of eyewitnesses coming forward), they do admit that the Church tolerates an environment of physical abuse.
So its not just detractors accusing the Church of bad behavior. In a desperate attempt to stem the tide of truth, Church spokespeople are losing track of who has told what lies, and are starting to inadvertently admit the truth about what goes on.
So let’s summarize. Have you ever heard of a religion that:
- Physically and emotionally abuses its staff?
- Imprisons staff in re-education camps?
- Uses heavy and demeaning manual labor as punishment?
- Uses parishioner donations to support the leader’s lavish lifestyle?
- Enforces abortions and divorces on its staff?
- Screens and censors employee communications?
- Deprives its staff of food and sleep?
- Restricts the freedom of movement of staff, and chases after them if they leave?
- Spies on whistleblowing ex-members with private investigators hired with Church funds?
- Disconnects families?
Does that sound like a religion?
Or does that sound like a cult?
“If it walks like a duck…”
The subject of Floating Needles has undergone some “fine drubbings” in the Church of Miscavige. Much like “disconnection”, “security checking” and “fair game”. However, the drubbing of this one meter phenomenon, the “free needle” is an egregious attack on the technology of auditing that in some ways outstrips any other single alteration, perversion and outright reversal of L. Ron Hubbard’s body of work that has been perpetrated by David Miscavige in the past three decades. That is because this hits at the heart of results. For any person familiar (or not) with the policy Keeping Scientology Working, this assault on results is essential to subvert the entire subject.
I am not attempting in this article to present every single piece of information on the meter or its manifestations and their use in Dianetics and Scientology. This is not a substitute for a full study of and practice with the meter.
I will present the several issues that define and describe the manifestation of a Floating Needle. They are few and the topic was completely covered by LRH with no need of interpretation or refinement by David Miscavige.
L. RON HUBBARD’S DEFINITIONS AND DESCRIPTIONS OF A FLOATING NEEDLE
The first thing I’d like to do is provide some clear definitions of terms used to describe the meter manifestation of an FN.
Float: to drift on or through or as on or through a fluid. Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary.
Drift: to move or float smoothly and effortlessly. Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary.
The first instance I have found where this term appears in a Hubbard authored issue is HCOB 30 June 1960 CREATE AGAIN with this section of that Bulletin: “I would advise help and not help on creations until the needle is floating with no reaction to questions of any kind on them.”
Prior to this occurrence of the term “floating” and subsequent to it, to this day in fact, the needle manifestation of a “float” was referred to as “free” and the earliest description of it was “idle”.
Free: not obstructed, restricted or impeded; not hampered or restricted in its normal operation. Merriam Webster’s Online.
Idle: as an adjective; not filled with activity. As a verb; to move slowly or aimlessly. Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. And in context from the original E-Meter Essentials of 1961; “The needle just idles around and yawns at your questions on the subject.”
The first description I found of this type of needle phenomena is from Journal of Scn Issue 1-G ca. mid-Aug 1952, Electronics Gives Life to Freud’s Theory:
“An idle needle, one which is drifting slightly to the right and slightly to the left very easily and gently, denotes a comfortable status of mind on the part of the patient, and tells the practitioner that he is nowhere near any subject that distresses him, or, if it follows an emotional outburst, tells him that the outburst itself is spent, and that the subject now can be abandoned for the moment.”
15 Oct 58 ACC CLEAR PROCEDURE
“If the meter is “Stage Four” [idle swing, not clear but pc can’t affect meter, which only swings up, sticks, falls and so forth on same pattern—a Stage Four needle has a stick in the top of its oscillation, a clear needle doesn’t]…”
(Note: this is an instance of a “free” needle being referred to as a “clear” needle. LRH compares a Stage 4 needle to a free needle again in HCOB 19 July 62 CLEARING – FREE NEEDLES “A free needle is not a stage 4 needle or an inverted stage 4. It is floating and free.”)
On 21 October 1968 the Hubbard Communications Office Bulletin (the main means of communication in written form of technical data authored or approved by LRH) FLOATING NEEDLES was published. This bulletin was revised on 9 July 1977 however the revision did not include any changes to the description of a Floating Needle. In fact, that description is completely valid to this day, having never been changed, cancelled, limited or altered, by any LRH authored or approved bulletin up until his death in January 1986. A brief excerpt, to include the description of the needle in a “float” is as follows:
“It is the idle uninfluenced movement of the needle on the dial without any patterns or reactions in it. It can be as small as 1” or as large as dial wide. It does not fall or drop to the right of the dial. It moves to the left at the same speed as it moves to the right.”
One year later, on 21 July 1978 another issue describing and defining a Floating Needle was issued over LRH’s name, with the title WHAT IS A FLOATING NEEDLE? This was two paragraphs long, consisting in its entirety as follows:
“A floating needle is a rhythmic sweep of the dial at a slow, even pace of the needle.
“That’s what an F/N is. No other definition is correct.”
Eight months later, on 21 Feb 1979, with the final correction and re-issue on 6 May 79, E-Meter Essentials Errata, an HCO Bulletin over LRH’s name added more description to a the section on Free Needles:
“RE: FREE NEEDLES:
Page 17, Section 41:
Delete: “It means an idle, uninfluenced motion, no matter what you say about the goal or terminal. It isn’t just null, it’s uninfluenced by anything (except body reactions).”
The entire section is replaced by: “It means the same as a Floating Needle, which is a rhythmic sweep of the dial at a slow, even pace of the needle, back and forth, back and forth, without change in the width of the swing except perhaps to widen as the pc gets off the last small bits of charge. Note that it can get so wide that you have to shift the Tone Arm back and forth, back and forth, to keep the needle on the dial in which case you have a floating tone arm.”
In case it appears that the description “idle, uninfluenced” for a Floating Needle is somehow or other “cancelled” or nullified by the above E-Meter Essentials Errata, it is to be noted that an LRH HCOB written on 3 May 1980, titled PC INDICATORS, refers to HCOB 21 October 1968R (revised on 9 July 77) FLOATING NEEDLES, mentioned above, and that the Oct 68 definition of an FN, Floating Needle, Free Needle, is still valid. THE DESCRIPTION HAS NEVER BEEN CANCELLED OR ANNULLED BY L. RON HUBBARD.
A subsequent issue, HCOB 2 Dec 80 FLOATING NEEDLE AND TA POSITION, reiterates the validity of the Oct 68 issue as follows:
“modifies but does not cancel all HCOBs that mention having to have the TA between 2.0 and 3.0 before the F/N can be considered valid, including: HCOB 21 Oct. 68R FLOATING NEEDLE”
(Note: for non-Scientologists or those unfamiliar with a meter, “TA” refers to the “Tone Arm” one of the operational parts of the meter, on its face, that is a small “arm” or lever, that is adjusted by the auditor to move the needle when it is displaced from a “set” position by a reaction, body or mental, of the preclear. A reading between the marked numbers between which this Tone Arm is moved, of between 2.0 and 3.0 was up to that time thought to be necessary for a valid Floating Needle. That was found to be an arbitrary requirement and hence is changed in all issues that mentioned it).
There are many issues that have “definitions” of a Floating Needle in them, none of which are cancelled, and all of which describe in various ways, the needle manifestation of a “free” or “floating” needle. For example, one issue HCOB 10 AUGUST 1976R REVISED 5 SEPTEMBER 1978, R/Ses, WHAT THEY MEAN states the following:
“…the ‘slam’ is a description of the needle violence, meaning it ‘slams’ back and forth. For a time all left-right motions of the needle were considered and called ‘rock slams’ until it was found that a smooth left-right flow was a symptom of release or key-out and this became the ‘floating needle’.”
By defining clearly in the 21 July 78 issue WHAT IS A FLOATING NEEDLE?, a Floating Needle, LRH did not state that every other description or piece of valid data relative to the needle manifestation was cancelled or invalid. Indeed, he refers to various other references, describing the Floating Needle, following this 21 July definition and none of these valid LRH issues cancel or nullify these various descriptions. They remain valid. They ARE valid. In fact, LRH wrote every one of them.
There is however one issue he DID NOT WRITE on this subject.
DAVID MISCAVIGE’S DEFINITION OF A FLOATING NEEDLE
“HCOB” 21 July 78R, (revised and rewritten) was compiled by Sue Koon of LRH Research and Compilations, a division of the senior management organization of Scientology, Commodore’s Messenger Organization International, for David Miscavige, who was the final authorization for its publication. This issue was put out on 8 October 2000, some 14 years after LRH died, and some 9 years after the same David Miscavige issued the final collection of all LRH authored bulletins, the Technical Volumes of 1991.
This issue, NOT WRITTEN AND NOT APPROVED by L. Ron Hubbard, is prefaced with the following:
“(Revised 8 October 2000 to include the full LRH definition of floating needle. LRH originally wrote this HCOB on 21 July 1978. In February of 1979, when updating the book, E-Meter Essentials, he augmented the definition with additional text. The full text, as it appears in E-Meter Essentials, is hereby issued in this HCOB. Revisions in script.)
The text from E-Meter Essentials that is interpolated by Sue Koon/DM, is the description of the needle as it widens in its float during the attainment of what is technically referred to as an End Phenomena of a process or the running of an Engram chain in Dianetics. It is however only part of that specific End Phenomena, and the remainder of the EPs (there are several items to look for when determining a valid EP, and for various processes or actions taken in an auditing session), are covered fully in several applicable LRH authored bulletins.
In other words, a description of an EP is interpolated in a definition of a Floating Needle. These are two distinct technical points that are NOT the same. Else, LRH himself would have said so, and he would have written the original HCOB to state as much. He didn’t.
(LRH did write HCOB 20 Feb 1970 FLOATING NEEDLES AND END PHENOMENA which describes in full the complete End Phenomena in Dianetics and Scientology processes along with HCOB 21 March 1974 END PHENOMENA, which further clarifies these EPs and distinguishes clearly the various different EPs of the various actions taken in Dianetics and Scientology. For instance, the EP of handling an ARC break or Present Time Problem, as addressed at the beginning of an auditing session, or in a Cramming session, is specific and different than the EP of a major Grades process or the running of a Dianetic engram, as is the manifestation of the Floating Needle for each one of these actions relative to its intended result and EP.)
L. Ron Hubbard DID NOT write HCOB 21 July 78R. He DID NOT ADD the material he wrote to replace the material of the 1961 edition of E-Meter Essentials to the issue he did write and then state: “That’s what an F/N is. No other definition is correct.”
By doing so, placing this data OUT OF CONTEXT, David Miscavige has re-defined a Floating Needle in an issue David Miscavige directed to be written, and approved over L. Ron Hubbard’s name. LRH did not direct, nor approve any such issue dated 21 July 78, revised/rewritten on 8 Oct 2000. L. Ron Hubbard NEVER defined a Floating Needle as described in this fraudulent 8 October rewrite of his bulletin. IT IS NOT LRH’S DEFINITION OF A FLOATING NEEDLE.
It is therefore, by definition, NOT A PART OF VALID SCIENTOLOGY TECHNOLOGY. To qualify for that it would have to have been written and/or personally approved by LRH. He categorically did neither on the 8 Oct 2000 issue David Miscavige ordered and approved.
WHY DOES THE NEEDLE FLOAT?
To appreciate just how potentially catastrophic this non-LRH definition of a Floating Needle is it will help to understand WHY the needle floats in terms of mental/spiritual phenomena AND technically in terms of electro-magnetic manifestations. That is, what is happening with the person on the cans and the meter that results in the manifestation of a Floating/Free needle?
HCOB 17 March 1960 STANDARDIZED SESSIONS
“The basic freeing action of auditing depends upon the separation of thought from form, matter, energy, space and time and other life.
“We see in “science” as currently practised a nearly total identification by the “scientist” of mass with thought. “Man from mud” is a natural conclusion by anyone
who has all his thought bound up in mass.
“The reason a clear’s needle is so free (and you’ve seen, certainly, how an E-Meter needle gets sticky, then freer and freer) is that his thought is separated from a matter,
energy, space, time consequence.
“The “dead-in-’is-’ead” case is totally associating all thought with mass. Thus he reads peculiarly on the meter. As he is audited he frees his thinkingness so that he can
think without mass connotations.
“What auditing is doing is making the preclear think key thoughts until they can be thought without creating or disturbing matter, energy, space and time.”
HCOB 30 April 1960 ACC TRs, which states:
“6. Free Needle: A needle which shows none of the reactions described above. It floats back and forth easily, registering only the body, its breathing, heartbeats, etc. While needle free, no facsimiles are being impinged on the body.
“Note: All movements may vary in amplitude (width of reaction on dial at given sensitivity) and velocity (speed of needle movement — units if dial/instant of time) from pc to pc, or from time to time on the same pc, particularly under processing.”
The above clearly describes what occurs with the person on the cans and the meter when the needle “floats” or is “free”. Read it again. THAT IS WHY THE NEEDLE FLOATS.
(NOTE: Why does an ARC Break needle float? HCOB 5 OCTOBER 68 ARC BREAK NEEDLES: “A real F/N means the pc is out the top, an ARC Br needle means he’s out the bottom. He ceases to mock up, through grief.”)
THE FALLACY OF AN ARBITRARY NUMBER OF MOTIONS OF A FLOATING NEEDLE
If you have clearly understood the foregoing, in particular, why the needle floats, then adding the following LRH authored HCOB should help to point out the fallacy of requiring a specific number of swings back and forth, or any arbitrary number of oscillations of the needle to have a “real FN”.
HCO BULLETIN OF 21 MARCH 1974 END PHENOMENA (Ref: HCO B 20 Feb 1970,“Floating Needles and End Phenomena”):
“Different types of auditing call for different handlings of End Phenomena.
“End Phenomena will also vary depending on what you’re running.
“The definition of END PHENOMENA is “those indicators in the pc and meter which show that a chain or process is ended”. Misapplication of this definition can
result in underrun and overrun processes or actions and the pc snarled up with BPC.”
(BPC; by-passed charge. Charge that has been restimulated but not disclosed.)
The issue goes on to state:
“In Dianetics, the EP of a chain is erasure, accompanied by an F/N, cognition and good indicators. You wouldn’t necessarily expect rave indicators on a pc in the middle
of an assist, under emotional or physical stress until the full assist was completed though. What you would expect is the chain blown with an F/N. Those two things
themselves are good indicators. The cognition could simply be “the chain blew”.
“In Scientology, End Phenomena vary with what you’re auditing. An ARC Broken pc on an L-1C will peel off charge and come uptone gradually as each reading
line is handled. Sometimes it comes in a spectacular huge cog and VVGIs and dial F/N, but that’s usually after charge has been taken off on a gradient. What’s expected is an
F/N as that charge being handled moves off.
“In Ruds it’s the same idea. When you’ve got your F/N and that charge has moved off, indicate it. Don’t push the pc on and on for some “EP”. You’ve got it.
“Now a major grade process will run to F/N, Cog, VGIs and release. You’ll have An ability regained. But that’s a grade process on a set up flying pc.”
Further the issue says:
“OTs and EPs
“An OT is particularly subject to F/N abuse as he can blow things quite rapidly. If the auditor misses the F/N due to too high a sensitivity setting or doesn’t call it as he’s
waiting for an “EP”, overrun occurs. It invalidates an OT’s ability to as-is and causes severe upsets.
“This error can also stem from auditor speed. The auditor, used to auditing lower level pcs or never trained to audit OTs, can’t keep up with the OT and misses his F/Ns
or reads.
“Thus overruns occur and charged areas are bypassed.
“This could account for those cases who were flying then fell on their heads with the same problems that blew back again.”
(Note: L1C is a prepared list to handle preclear upsets. Also note, the meaning of “fly” as in “fly a rudiment” is covered in the Tech Dictionary under “flying needle”; “So it’s just a colloquialism; fly a needle, float a needle, F/N, that’s all.” LRH, Class VIII tape #2.)
From HCOB 20 Feb 1970, Floating Needles and End Phenomena, referred to in the above issue one will read:
“The reason this subject of floating needles gets into trouble is that the auditor has not understood a subject called END PHENOMENA.
“END PHENOMENA is defined as “those indicators m the pc and meter which show that a chain or process is ended”. It shows in Dianetics that basic on that chain
and flow has been erased, and in Scientology that the pc has been released on that process being run. A new flow or a new process can be embarked upon, of course,
when the END PHENOMENA of the previous process is attained.”
“Floating needles are only ONE FOURTH OF THE END PHENOMENA in all Dianetic auditing.”
“If you watch a needle with care and say nothing but your R3R commands, as it begins to float you will find:
1. It starts to float narrowly.
2. The pc cognites (What do you know—so that’s . . .) and the float widens.
3. Very good indicators come in. And the float gets almost full dial, and
4. The picture, if you inquired, has erased and the needle goes full dial.
That is the full End Phenomena of Dianetics.”
NOTE: now compare the above description of the End Phenomena of Dianetics with the materialfrom E-Meter Essentials Errata of Feb 79:
“It means the same as a Floating Needle, which is a rhythmic sweep of the dial at a slow, even pace of the needle, back and forth, back and forth, without change in the width of the swing except perhaps to widen as the pc gets off the last small bits of charge. Note that it can get so wide that you have to shift the Tone Arm back and forth, back and forth, to keep the needle on the dial in which case you have a floating tone arm.”
AND this additional data, from that exact same section of E-Meter Essentials Errata:
“It can occur after a cognition, blowdown of the Tone Arm, at a release point, or on the erasure of a Dianetic chain.”
Each action has its own result. Not all actions have the same result. Not all actions have the same EP. To define a Floating Needle as David Miscavige has defined it in his 8 October 2000 “HCOB” he has collapsed all EPs with all EPs in an A=A=A.
How many swings back and forth does a Floating Needle have to have to be an FN on “flying” or “FNing” a Rudiment such as an ARC Break? Does it have to go “back and forth, back and forth” and “widen as the pc gets off the last small bits of charge”, as described in the LRH authored HCOB of 20 Feb 70 FLOATING NEEDLES AND END PHENOMENA and the EP of a Dianetic chain?
Is a Rudiment the same as a Dianetic chain? Is it the same as a Grade Process in Scientology? Is a Cleared Word, which has an FN that indicates it is clear to the person, the same as a Dianetic chain, a Scientology Grade or a rudiment?
Is there an arbitrary minimum number of back and forths or swings that an FN has to have to be a real Floating Needle? Can this be “derived” from any statement such as “back and forth” as LRH writes in the issue R/Ses, What They Mean above or “back and forth, back and forth” as he describes in the section replaced in E-Meter Essentials and the CONTEXT of that section itself and what it actually replaced? (and that’s a direct suggestion to read the ENTIRE issue E-Meter Essentials Errata to see exactly what it did replace).
Is it possible to have a one swing FN?
To answer that question one must consider ALL the data on the meaning and significance of an FN including what happens electronically as described above and all the parts of the specific End Phenomena of the specific action being accomplished.
A person could have a “fleeting FN” as per HCOB 23 Nov 73RA DRY AND WET HANDS MAKE FALSE TA.
He could have an FN that was so brief that whatever charge there was there moved off, the needle floated, and almost as quickly another charge/thought/mock-up that results in “creating or disturbing matter, energy, space and time” and thus affects the FN so that it quits after one swing.
How would one know this was an FN and not a clean needle? WELL? To answer this, I will invoke the Supervisor’s Code, HCO PL 15 September 1967, Issue II, point 19:
“The Supervisor will never give a student opinions about Scientology without labeling them thoroughly as such; otherwise, he is to direct only to tested and proven data concerning Scientology.”
It is MY opinion that it would be difficult to tell a one swing FN from a clean needle, moving left or right, however it is not impossible and one would have to pay attention to the person’s indicators, state of case, and the exact result one is seeking to achieve on whatever action one is taking, considering the HCOBs on End Phenomena.
Other than that, I have not found and there does not exist any LRH data or reference in any materials that assigns an arbitrary number of “back and forth” for an FN to BE an FN.
I won’t venture to guess how some people came up with a “three swing” arbitrary minimum for an FN to be an FN any more than I will venture to guess what exact incident David Miscavige is stuck in to qualify him as a Suppressive Person.
FURTHER READING
There are several references that I did find in my study of FNs that are of interest. These are by no means all of the references that refer to this needle manifestation
HCOB 5 May 1960 HELP
“The first thing to do is to put the preclear on a meter. If you don’t have a good meter, and you don’t know what a meter does, order one fast and get instruction. Discuss help with the preclear, and note the needle reactions. If the needle tended to stiffen and stick on any discussion of help, then you have your work set out for you. If the needle remains free and continues to be free on the subject of help, no matter what you run or how you discuss it, of course the button remains free.”
HCOB 30 June 1960 CREATE AGAIN
“I would advise help and not help on creations until the needle is floating with no reaction to questions of any kind on them.”
HCOB 29 June 64 CENTRAL ORG AND FIELD AUDITOR TARGETS
“And a person’s Cause Level will rise. Their psychosomatics key out (for what is a psychosomatic but an inability to hold life off?). They feel better. They begin to live. Their needles get floppy.”
HCOB 2 Apr 65 THE ROAD TO CLEAR
“People have been unable to define release to their own satisfaction. I find now a RELEASE is a person who has been able to back out of his “bank”. The bank is still there but the person isn’t sunk into it with all its somatics and depressions. The E-Meter reads at the Clear read! The needle of the meter is floppy. This is a simulated clear. We called it a “keyed out clear” quite properly. But it isn’t a clear I know now, it’s a RELEASE. The person has been released from his reactive mind. He still has that reactive mind but he’s not in it. He is just released from it.”
HCOB 2 Aug 65 RELEASE GOOFS
“1. Overrun
The first goof relating to Releases is the one done for 15 years—running past a free, floating needle on any type of process. THIS is the goof that held back all Scientology. And if it continues to be done, known as well as it is now that you mustn’t, one can only consider it suppressive—not just ignorant—as who now doesn’t know you wreck a Release by running past the floating needle?
“5. Not Recognizing a Floating Needle
Floating needle, free needle are the same thing. What does one look like? Once you’ve seen one you’ll never make a mistake on one again. For it floats. It ceases to register on the pc’s bank. It just idly floats about or won’t stand up even at low sensitivity.”
HCOB 4 DEC 78, HOW TO READ THROUGH AN FN
“An F/N speeds up or slows down or does different things while still remaining an F/N…”
FINAL THOUGHT
I suppose I couldn’t leave this topic without a comment or two on the apparent interpretation that abounds of the LRH definition of a Floating Needle. Again, this simple statement is one sentence long: “A floating needle is a rhythmic sweep of the dial at a slow, even pace of the needle.”
What about this meaning of “rhythmic”?
The American Heritage Dictionary online defines “rhythm” as: Movement or variation characterized by the regular recurrence or alternation of different quantities or conditions.
“Rhythmic” is defined as: Of, relating to, or having rhythm.
If the needle moves in one direction and alternates its direction, it, by the above definition has “rhythm” and is “rhythmic”. The direction is a “quantity or condition”.
I have offered my OPINION, and labelled it thoroughly as such, on the potential difficulty, but not impossibility of a “one swing FN”. In order to grasp this fully, one would have to study and understand the references given herein. Other than that instance, I can’t for the life of me understand how anybody can interpret the above definition to require an arbitrary number of swings to be “rhythmic”.
In that light, the following reference by L. Ron Hubbard, in full.
Saint Hill Manor, East Grinstead, Sussex
HCO BULLETIN OF 23 AUGUST 1968
Class VIII
ARBITRARIES
Any arbitrary entered into any line is a way to stop that line.
An auditor doing a job of auditing suddenly enters an arbitrary such as “The pc now has a grief charge so he must have a withhold as I’ve just cleaned up ARC breaks.” Or any such wild think. This arbitrary would stop that pc’s case right now.
You get all there is to know about tech from HCOBs, tapes, books.
This is all.
Here’s one—when the needle on an E-Meter read in the response to an auditor’s question, all you know is that the needle on the E-Meter read. That’s all you know. Now in the next few seconds you will prove out, as to whether the read was to the question or to something else like a protest. To assume anything else in regard to meter reads is an arbitrary and will close up that pc with a bang.
That’s the data. Knock off all the arbitraries NOW.
Punch in hard standard tech. Standard tech is that tech which has absolutely no arbitraries.
L. RON HUBBARD
Founder
DRILLS
Using a section from HCO POLICY LETTER OF l0 FEBRUARY 1966R, ISSUE II, REVISED 22 FEBRUARY 1979 TECH RECOVERY revisions in script, (Ref: HCOB 7 Feb 79R, E-METER DRILL 5RA—CAN SQUEEZE), there is a drill any person can do to aid them to see the character of the needle when it is floating.
“Note that a meter run with too high a sensitivity setting does not give a marked change when the needle floats. A meter cranked up to 128 sensitivity looks like a floating needle all of the time at a casual glance on most pcs. On the other hand, if the sensitivity is set too low then the free needle may not be seen. Thus the sensitivity must be set for 1/3 of a dial drop on the can squeeze for each session. Then a free needle will be plainly visible.”
The Book of E-Meter Drills also has material on applicable drilling to ‘spot an FN’.
ALSO, as mentioned by LRH in HCOB 2 Aug 65 RELEASE GOOFS : “Floating needle, free needle are the same thing. What does one look like? Once you’ve seen one you’ll never make a mistake on one again. For it floats. It ceases to register on the pc’s bank. It just idly floats about or won’t stand up even at low sensitivity.”
Jim Logan
The following was written by LRH in 1970 and published in the Auditor Magazine No. 51. In fact, my friend Jeff Hawkins was the Assistant Editor at the time. In it, LRH explains that donations for training and processing is supposed to pay for ALL legal activities, ALL expansion activites, ALL operations activities, and ALL building projects, in other words the “IAS” is an off-policy racketeering scam invented by David Miscavige to rip off Scientology parishioners. You can download a pdf copy of LRH’s original article here. Of course this is not the entire magazine, just a small excerpt of it. – Thoughtful

I wonder if you’ve ever estimated how much it costs to launch a new subject into the world, keep it pure, keep it going right, make progress and defend it.
For that matter, what do you suppose it costs an organization to deliver an hour of processing?
I know that Dianetic and Scientology services should be free and I wish they were.
Personally I have tried to do my part in this. None of the researches of Dianetics and Scientology were ever actually paid for out of organizational fees. With my typewriter I paid for the research myself. Occasionally orgs were supposed to but they never did.
Independent of research costs, the 13 1/2 million dollars that orgs owed me for services rendered, 10% (the usual author’s royalties), lectures, loans, things paid out of my own pocket I never collected.
As even the royalties of the first book were given to orgs for their work, I didn’t even make anything out of that best seller. Its paperback is again a newsstand best seller in the U.S. but I don’t collect those royalties either. Even today I draw less than an org staff member and they draw very little.
So the fees you pay for service do not go to me.
A Sea Org member draws only about four pounds a week and his room and board. We run our ships and stations at a cost that would make a cost accountant disbelieve it. So not much of your fee goes to them even though they bear a full burden of management of pure services.
Org staff members over the world work for so little that Execs occasionally get letters from their landladies demanding orgs increase their pay level so staff members can pay their rent.
So not much of your fees goes to them.
Occasionally some org or franchise goes on a big kick of high pay. We very soon pull the rug out from under that. So if your fee went that way for a brief period we corrected the outness fast as we frown on money-motivation like a thundercloud.
Some fringe fellows know that if you had a complete monopoly on the only workable mental technology on the planet you could make billions. That’s why they’re on the “fringe”. So we prevent your fee from going in that direction.
Then were does your fee go?
Since 1950. So-called “mental health” groups have fought to discredit and decrease the power of Dianetics and Scientology.
For 19 years, using their press control, government stooges and puppets, these psychiatric front groups have conducted a continuous suppressive covert operation against us.
Why? They feared that as our power increased they would lose their easy appropriations and fail in their plans for a 1984 World.
We were not even in their line of country – the insane. Yet such was their fear, they have spent untold sums to bring about our destruction.
We not only know who why and where with full documentation we also know their sordid intentions for the world. Some of your fee made the work to collect that evidence possible.
Bad press, inquiries, bans, these are the surface you see. Those are their fingerprints.
Below that level it’s a rough fight and has been for 18 years.
Our press consultants tell us we must never mention it as it “frightens the public.”
We are in the weird position of being perhaps the only really effective Western security force. We wouldn’t give five pence for the rest of them combined.
If a definition of governing is maintaining an orderly peace in which business can be conducted, then there sure isn’t any real government.
So a portion of your fee is spent on patching up the damage done, keeping going in spite of attacks and nullifying the actions against the West of a very choice lot of bad hats. If we didn’t have the documentary evidence I wouldn’t dare mention it.
It costs money to bring cases up to US Supreme Court level as we have. The legal defense expenses we have in a dozen countries is not small.
So a portion of your fees goes to keeping the subject available to you and to the world.
We work very hard to keep tech being done well. It is nothing for us to put two people on a fast plane and send them half around the world to straighten up the Case Supervision and auditing in an area so you can have confidence in the service you get.
It is routine to send the highest class people we have to handle “ARC Breaks of Long Duration” in the field or on admin lines or to see they get handled.
Your fee supports a long and complex set of communication lines by which tech and admin can be cared for rapidly.
A portion of your fee just the other day began a survey of a backward country to introduce high speed educational processes to bring their people quickly from the stone age up to present time. The “Peace Corps” was also there on cushy government funds building houses for a big construction company at a nice profit. But we, unsupported, began the effective work actually needed there to help the people.
A tiny bit of your fee neated up an area ruined for Americans by the American Navy.
Small parts of your fee heal up a lot of things over the world.
But the biggest part of your fee stays right in your area. It is used to make training and processing and data available to the next fellow first by keeping the org there and second by letting him know about it and third by making as sure as possible that the training and processing he gets is standard and effective.
Your fee keeps the nearest org alive and functioning and the environment safe.
It is not easy to do, hit repeatedly as we are.
Gradually little by little we are taking the pressure off our orgs. Gradually surely and certainly the bad hats and losing their own power in the world.
If we had the fantastic sums appropriated to “mental health” (and put largely in their own pockets or used to try to crush anyone else) we would make a lot lot lot more progress. As we wouldn’t also have to fight the lies that money buys into press and government.
But we don’t have appropriations. They are given only to those who deal in death, it seems.
So little by little, using the fees you give us for your service, your training and your processing, we create little by little areas of sanity.
And as these areas spread out, releasing and Clearing the community, if we continue to be alert and competent, perhaps those areas will meet one country, one continent to the next and we will have a cleaner, saner world.
Your fee is supporting and continuing the greatest hope that man had ever had and the orgs and people vital to its survival and increase.
Your fee does what it takes to get the job done.
Thank you.
L. Ron Hubbard
by JB
One of the items of “evidence” collected is “Apple I-Phone, #G, Model 16 GIG, Serial #82011479A3NP with charger and headphones.” However, I took my iPhone with me when I blew and absolutely did not leave it behind. What does this mean? Are they saying they have my iPhone? Did they load it with some “manufactured evidence”?
It is described in more than one place that the “RTC Administration Building” is a locked building. Sorry, not true. I was the RTC Estates Manager and I would have known if the building was ever kept locked. Never. Maybe now, but never while I was there.
It says I departed at approximately 0730 hrs on 22 April, 2010. That is approximately correct, but I think it was earlier. However it states that I then returned at around 0900, attended a roll call, and then exited again at approximately 1030 hrs. Never happened! I left early and never returned for any roll call. There was a morning roll call regularly at 0930 hrs. I never went to this ever. Is Warren McShane trying to cover his ass with DM by saying I was being somewhat controlled? Why would he lie about this?
Warren McShane also states the motorcycle picture was taken by Yvonne Gonzalvez, using my personal camera. Sorry, I took the photo. See the attached photo from the same series where I (oops!) caught my reflection in the motorcycle mirror.
Why all these lies?
Miscavige and his minions are painting themselves into the lower corner of the RTC bunker by virtue of being forced to make sworn representations; a slippery slope for a pack of liars.
Warren McShane swore out a complaint to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office. A copy of the resultant Sheriff’s report was obtained by the Headleys’ lawyers and it was filed in their cases in support of their opposition to the church’s motion for summary judgment. A link to the document, along with the Church’s urgent motion to strike it from the record, is at the bottom of this report. Note in the motion that the church denies Warren made any such report to the Sheriff.
The complaint was filed based on a photo of Tom Cruise’s and David Miscavige’s motorcycles appearing on my blog. (words in italics are quotations from the official documents.)
“Mr McShane handed me a colored copy of a digital photograph that had been posted on Mr. Rathbun’s web site on April 23, 2010. The site information is listed as follows: http://markrathbun.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/bikesbuilding50.jpg
Warren really did wonders for the church’s future tax exemption and for ongoing criminal investigations into his boss. He made it very clear to the Sheriff that the hundreds of hours of work performed on those personal bikes of his and Tom Cruise were “operations and projects of the Church of Scientology”:
“It appears that much, if not all, the information and images contained in the two computers are proprietary in nature related to the internal operations and projects of the Church of Scientology.”
“The projects and all the material, data, and images associated with these projects were described as not for public consumption, and proprietary to the Church of Scientology.”
Warren has undermined any future dead agent packs that try to attack JB’s credentials for future appearances:
“JB was an employee of Religious Technology Center (RTC), which is under the supervision of Mr. McShane. JB did not have an official title within RTC, however, due to his tenure with the church and his unique skill set he was an integral part or the lead on many high profile internal church projects.”
Warren confirmed that all base personnel (with the exception of JB, and of course he is now gone) had no access to the internet absent restricting filters:
“JB’s internet computer was different from other employees, in that it did not have any filters and JB could search the internet without restrictions.”
McShane swears to the Sheriff, that with the exception of JB – and of course he’s gone – no “church members/employees…enjoy…freedom of movement”:
“On April 22, 2010 (Thursday) at approximately 0730 hours JB left the main facility driving his privately owned vehicle. It was not clear where he was going, or the nature of the trip, however it was not unusual for JB to come and go due to his work projects. His ability to come and go from the facility is in contrast to other church members/employees, who do not enjoy the same freedom of movement.”
McShane has established that RTC hired professionals to put my home and family under constant surveillance for an indefinite – but clearly lengthy, general – period of time. Hence it should go a long way in proving that RTC, Dave’s org, is utterly responsible for every invasion of privacy and harassment they have committed to date :
“Mr. McShane told me RTC had previously contracted with a private security firm in the State of Texas, to monitor Mr. Rathbun’s activities.”
Now, a little back story before I continue. Miscavige told me on several occasions that there was one reason and one reason alone that Warren McShane remained in RTC after the 1987 take over. That is, “Warren is such a good liar, who else is going to handle RTC depositions and declarations?” Miscavige told McShane to his face that if it weren’t for his lying abilities he’d be busted to Gold to do MEST work the rest of his life.
Now, check this out:
“According to Mr. McShane, JB was spotted by the security detail on April 24, 2010 meeting with Mr. Rathbun at a restaurant in the City of Ingleside, Texas.”
Interesting, since by April 24th JB had not even entered the state of Texas since his 22 April departure from the Int base. Obviously, JB had not set foot in the city of Ingleside, had not met with me and had not dined with me by April 24.
“The security detail reported that at the conclusion of the meeting they followed JB to a “Best Western” motel in the City of Ingleside. The security detail called Mr. McShane and advised him of JB’s arrival and the meeting.”
JB never stayed at a motel in the city of Ingleside, ever – not to this day. JB never ventured within 22 miles of Ingleside by the time he was ambushed by Tommy Davis, Angie Blanenship, Laurance Barram Stumpke, and Bob Wright – which as we shall see McShane admitted to later.
“Mr. McShane summoned (4) church members/employees who know JB the best and sent them to Texas to attempt to contact him and perhaps persuade him to return to the facility in Hemet, CA.”
“According to Mr. McShane the four dispatched employees were able to contact JB in the lobby of the Best Western motel on April 26th or 27th 2010. The group tried to persuade JB to return with them. JB retreated to his room and refused to come out or speak with the group.” (For the record, Warren, it was 28 April)
That’s funny, Tommy Davis (Tommy, of course, needs no introduction as to his history and proclivity for lying) has told at least two reporters that I know of that the Texas Op never happened and he never set foot in Texas. Yet, he testified under oath (in the Headley case) that he went to Texas. But, he again lied claiming that he went there to fetch JB on his own determinism and specifically was not “summoned” by McShane (as McShane told the Sheriff), nor by his female “supervisor” nor Miscavige.
Q: Did your supervisor tell you to go see him?
A: No, she did not.
Q: So, why did you go to Texas to see John?
A: Because he is a very good friend of mine.
…
Q: So no one sent you to see Mr. Brousseau?
A: No.
And so, I suppose in aid of David Miscavige’s ongoing efforts to lose the church’s tax exemption, Tommy testified that the private jet charter (no doubt paid by the church) that sent 20 people to Texas was a wholly “personal affair.”
Q: And you were visiting him as part of your job duties for the Church of Scientology?
A: No, I was not.
Of course, McShane failed to mention the other sixteen people that accompanied Tommy, went to my home, blocking the street with four cars in order to prevent me from rescuing JB from Tommy’s gang of four. Let’s see what Tommy had to say about that under oath:
Q: And at the time that you were visiting Mr. Brousseau, is it true that there also were a number of vehicles that were sent to the home of Marty Rathbun?
A: I don’t know of anybody that sent them. Nobody sent anybody anywhere.
Now, back to more McShane lying.
“There are three motorcycles parked in front of a fountain with the structure behind the fountain. Mr. McShane told me the motorcycles are privately owned by members of the church. According to Mr. McShane the photo was taken in 2005 by employee Yvonne Gonzalvez, using JB’s personal digital camera.”
The church’s lawyers raised a hue and cry that the report from which I quote could not possibly be publicly available because it could compromise an ongoing investigation. Well, I wonder whether these pricey legal Einsteins bothered to read the report. If they’d read it, they’d have found out why it couldn’t possibly be an “ongoing investigation”. The damn pictures in question were taken with JB’s personal camera as McShane himself acknowledges to the Sheriff.
I wonder whether those legal beagles thought through how they would ever explain to a judge that the “proprietary “products” that the church claims are in danger of duplication and undercut are a couple of custom motorcycles and a space age tanning booth produced with slave labor.
Not to mention the fact that everything JB took with him is relevant and credible evidence of felonies committed by David Miscavige.
The insertion of Gonzalvez was another McShane lie.
Finally, McShane had this to say to the investigators:
“Mr McShane told me the structure in the digital image is the front of the RTC Administration building, located across the street from us.” (Note the present tense – indicating the Sheriff’s deputies taking the report were sitting across the street from Temple Miscavige while taking the report, no doubt being doted upon by Cathy Frasier and Muriel D).
And in the photo at issue – taken in 2005 – there is an RTC symbol etched in the expensive, bullet proof glass entrance to prove it is the RTC building. One little problem: Warren said “is”, not “was.” And thus, Warren accidentally told a truth.
Did you know that Jenny Linsen, and a host of other Miscavige insiders, supplied sworn declarations to the St Pete Times (the ones designed to bury Mike Rinder, Amy Scobee, Tom Devocht and I) claiming that the RTC 70 million dollar palace in question was never RTC, was never intended to be for RTC, but instead was always planned to be CSI’s HQ and has been since its construction? While ordering that perjury, Miscavige also ordered, and obtained compliance, that the 30 foot by 20 foot bullet proof glass over the front entrance be replaced. Why? To replace the multi-thousand dollar RTC symbol etched into the glass with a multi-thousand dollar etching of the CSI symbol. All done as part of his cover-up that he spent 70 million dollars for his own personal, 55,000 square foot office palace. All measures taken after I called him out on it.
It is the same building Miscavige and his personal staff occupy to this day.
You know what it is like to live a lie? You gotta remember the lie and all the subsequent cover up lies all the time so as not to get caught out in another lie. I reckon you all know that because you broke that cycle for good on Grade II and/or OT II.
Imagine for a moment the personal hell that Miscavige lives day in and day out. Not only does he live a lie and lies habitually, he orders his inner circle to lie continuously; and under oath. He even spends tens of thousands of dollars altering MEST to conform with his lies.
Memo to Warren, Jenny and Tommy:
I know that you had to learn to remorselessly lie to remain close to the top. It is a survival requirement. Regardless of the manner in which I have reported facts here, I want you to know that there are many people out here who will receive you with open arms and help you get rapidly onto your feet to live honest, productive, and happy lives. Scientology actually works. Clean hands actually do make a happy life.
Memo to Dave:
You have apparently fully accomplished what you are so fond of accusing others of, buying your own bullshit. You have surrounded yourself with liars you created and so your mocked up universe continues on its dwindling spiral unabated. But, don’t worry, your one source of accurate information on the true state of affairs concerning Scientology is still broadcasting daily strong and clear, Moving On Up A Little Higher.
One last word of advice, borrowed from Nas:
Use the two holes
above your nose
to see the truth yo.
full Sheriff’s report: jbcomplainta
A while ago, a friend sent me an interesting speech by Krishnamurti. I found it fascinating. Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 –1986) was an Indian writer and speaker on philosophical and spiritual issues. As a young man, he attracted a following, and an organization called the Order of the Star grew up around him. In 1929, he decided to dissolve the organization and gave a speech giving his reasons. The speech is titled “Truth is a Pathless Land.”
I decided to post a few excerpts as food for thought. It applies to the current discussion about Scientology and whether or not one needs an organization, or a leader, to follow a spiritual path.
“You may remember the story of how the devil and a friend of his were walking down the street, when they saw ahead of them a man stoop down and pick up something from the ground, look at it, and put it away in his pocket. The friend said to the devil, ‘What did that man pick up?’ ‘He picked up a piece of Truth,’ said the devil. ‘That is a very bad business for you, then,’ said his friend. ‘Oh, not at all,’ the devil replied, ‘I am going to let him organize it.’
“I maintain that Truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect. That is my point of view, and I adhere to that absolutely and unconditionally. Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized; nor should any organization be formed to lead or to coerce people along any particular path. If you first understand that, then you will see how impossible it is to organize a belief. A belief is purely an individual matter, and you cannot and must not organize it. If you do, it becomes dead, crystallized; it becomes a creed, a sect, a religion, to be imposed on others. This is what everyone throughout the world is attempting to do. Truth is narrowed down and made a plaything for those who are weak, for those who are only momentarily discontented. Truth cannot be brought down, rather the individual must make the effort to ascend to it. You cannot bring the mountain-top to the valley. If you would attain to the mountain-top you must pass through the valley, climb the steeps, unafraid of the dangerous precipices.”
…
“The moment you follow someone you cease to follow Truth.”
…
“You are accustomed to authority, or to the atmosphere of authority, which you think will lead you to spirituality. You think and hope that another can, by his extraordinary powers — a miracle — transport you to this realm of eternal freedom which is Happiness. Your whole outlook on life is based on that authority.”
…
“When you look for an authority to lead you to spirituality, you are bound automatically to build an organization around that authority. By the very creation of that organization, which, you think, will help this authority to lead you to spirituality, you are held in a cage.”
…
“Organizations cannot make you free. No man from outside can make you free; nor can organized worship, nor the immolation of yourselves for a cause, make you free; nor can forming yourselves into an organization, nor throwing yourselves into works, make you free. You use a typewriter to write letters, but you do not put it on an altar and worship it. But that is what you are doing when organizations become your chief concern.”
…
“Again, you have the idea that only certain people hold the key to the Kingdom of Happiness. No one holds it. No one has the authority to hold that key. That key is your own self, and in the development and the purification and in the incorruptibility of that self alone is the Kingdom of Eternity.”
…
“You are accustomed to being told how far you have advanced, what is your spiritual status. How childish! Who but yourself can tell you if you are beautiful or ugly within?”




