Change
I’m changing the format of Leaving Scientology a bit to put more emphasis on information and less on discussion. The truth is, I have little time for a Scientology blog these days: my business is booming and requires a lot of my attention, and I have many other interests that I would rather be spending my time on.
Scientology, in my opinion, has many ways to trap you, and one of them is to mire you in endless blog discussions after you have left. The discussions on this blog have been good, even therapeutic, but more and more I feel like I am simply repeating myself, and listening to others repeat themselves. At one time I thoroughly enjoyed the discussions, but of late maintaining the blog has become a tedious chore, one that I do not enjoy and have no time for. I am not one to continue doing things I have lost interest in.
And I have little to no interest in Scientology these days. I have written extensive critiques, I have said what I want to say about it. Those essays are preserved here for anyone to read. As to further discussion, I have little interest in it. I have much more exciting things to do with my time than to continue to discuss Scientology.
Scientology, to me, is a dead issue. The Church may be able to prop up a facade for some years to come, but it is gone. It is a minor oppressive cult scrabbling to control its shrinking membership. Others may want to try to revive the subject in the independent field. Good luck with that, but I have no interest in it. I have little interest in commenting on the Church’sย desperate antics. For me, Scientology is, to quote from Macbeth, “but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
I will, of course, continue to speak out against the Church’s abuses when needed. And I continue to be available to anyone who needs help or advice in leaving the Church.
And I am always here for my friends.
But lets talk about other things, shall we?
Comments are closed.
Leaving Scientology 
Damn straight, starting with: when is your next trip to the Bay Area? We would like to have one more visit before we blow, er, emigrate to Sweden.
I’m looking forward to seeing you in June, if not sooner. I’ll be in touch.
Wow, I was coming to a simlar conclusion myself about some of these discussions. (I hope it’s true that great minds think alike!)
Looking forward to your coming articles.
P.S. I probably should have said “great minds think alike – at times.” ๐ But even though I’ve expressed some different viewpoints from yours (taking advantage of your big-hearted “big tent”), I have also had some shifts of viewpoint here too! And even though, like you, I was thinking maybe it’s all been said many times over and it’s enough already, I wanted you to know that I am feeling a loss at the thought that this wonderful, unique and invaluable “place” will be no more! And I”m a relative newcomer, so I”m pretty sure that many others feel this way too but are probably more gracious and granting of beingness than I may be, to say so. But I am granting you the beingness of someone who could have this communication for whatever it’s worth.
So what I really want to say is that I’m glad you’ll be continuing “some” discussion, maybe after you “recharge the batteries” a bit. Again, looking forward! ๐
Ah, Jeff. As usual you are at least one step ahead of me.
I have always read with great interest whatever you are moved to write, and will continue to do so, I’m sure, as long as writing interests you. I’ve gotten more from your blog than I can say here, and for the first several month after I decided I was out, this blog and the discussions it sparked were my therapy. And it was very, very good therapy, indeed. I’ve said it before, but here it is again: Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
But that period of interest is over for a lot of us, as is the stunned confusion, the anger, indignation and the fear. I can tell by the predominance of new names in the comment section here that many of my LeavingScientology friends are not that interested in discussing it anymore, either. But I am always interested in what you’re thinking, and what your viewpoint is on a subject, and what you’re doing now. Glad to hear you’ll continue to post. Even better if you can make it down to L.A. sometime soon and we can have a face to face conversation again. You are always welcome!
love
lunamoth
Yipppeeee Jeff! I know that I myself have come to find the subject boring to no end and have no interest in continuing to say the same things over and over, or hear those same things, over and over, from others. Lots of other more fulfilling games to play.
At this point, if someone has not “come to their senses” and has chosen to continue on as a member of “the Church”, then they have sealed their unfortunate fate. And while I feel bad for my many friends who still remain “loyal” to David Miscavage, there is simply no excuse for doing so. Not at this point. What with the wealth of information that can be found all over the web, and the obvious continuous departures in tech and admin that any fool would see, well, I have to just let it and them go.
Onward and forward my friend,
Sher
Big YES!!!!!
Looking forward to the “other things”.
Thank you very much so far for your book and this formidable blog!
Fidelio
Dear Jeff,
Your message echoes how I feel as well. Thank you!
I can always count on your sanity and your huge heart. It has been more comforting than you know.
I too have learned a lot had have been able to grow and spread wings as a result of your writings and of the contributions of many of the people who have posted here.
You are a treasure of a being and I look forward to sharing life with you in all its wonderful and surprising ways.
So here is a toast to celebrate all you have done and what is yet to come! Cheers!
With love and respect-
Mary Jo
Thank you, Jeff. Ditto, Lunamoth.
Once glad as an Indie to be free of the “church”, now happy as an Ex to have shed the “religion”. Taking and using what I’ve learned in and with the subject as I have and do with many others. Supporting in friendship all those against the abuses.
To the future!
To all those of you who I’ve yet to meet, who have posted here for so many months, with whom I’ve had wonderful discussions, enjoyed jokes, shared experiences: I hope to meet each of you face to face one day. You’ve meant a lot to me, and you’ve helped me immensely, even when we didn’t agree. Thank you for your friendship. I wish wonderful lives for all of you.
love
lunamoth
Lunamoth,
marta.willson@gmail.com
PS. be sure to put both L’ in Willson ๐
I feel EXACTLY the same way! Thank you for helping me so very, very much. I am done with the subject as well. Enjoy your beautiful life to the fullest.
Love, Sindy
Jeff, thank you for all that you have done to show others the way to regain their lives.
We ended cycle on our participation in the cult and now it’s time to end our discussion of cultish things and upsets of the past.
We have a bright future ahead of us and many new directions to pursue.
Separation from the cult brings about such a rebirth of energy that I feel
we will see great things from those whose life and energy were trapped
in cult-driven pursuits.
I am spending as much time as possible helping others achieve the goals they
put aside during their church years. It is the activity I enjoy the most.
I wish you success in every endeavor.
David St Lawrence
YES! There are so many, many other things to talk about!
Thanks much for the journey Jeff. Your blog posts coupled with all the wonderfully brilliant and provocative commenters that they have attracted have been enormously helpful to me.
Hey Jeff,
I totally understand.
Anyway I’ll always consider you a friend.
Take care of yourself and good luck.
Ml
Robin
Understood. Completely. In fact, it was after your OT abilities/phenomena post that I realized I wasn’t controlling certain things I wanted to control. So, that’s what I’m doing now and it takes time and energy – away from a computer screen! ๐
Best of luck in everything you do, Jeff.
Of all the critics, Jeff, you’ve always been my favourite. I never read the discussions here, just your posts. And never could figure out why so many fallen-away $cinos wanted to spend so much time rehashing the past. I was raised in a cult-like form of catholicism, and I don’t waste a single second arguing with people about how effed up it is… I assume that is obvious.
Good luck in all your future endeavours, and I look forward to reading anything else you might write, on any topic.
Happy Retirement from Leaving Scientology blog! You deserve it!
Glad things are booming. No surprise there ๐ You deserve that, too.
~ Mary
aka AnonyMary
Fair enough, Jeff.
I, too, understand completely and am at more or less the same point in my journey.
Your writing of Counterfeit Dreams helped me tremendously when I was breaking free of scientology and for that I am eternally grateful.
You have my best wishes for a wonderful life.
“So long and thanks for all the fish.”
Love, Panda
Jeff, thanks for the insightful contributions you’ve made via this blog and your occasional visits elsewhere. I’ll miss them.
But good luck with your life and all the best for the future. I agree the cult is all but dead but I’m personally waiting for the autopsy before I take my foot from the throat. ๐ But that’s the sort of guy I am.
If you’re ever in Oz and want to see the sights, look me up.
Paul
A huge thank you for everything Jeff. I will certainly miss your blog as it was my favourite spot on the web. Take care and loads of good wishes to you.
Jeff, Thank you for your efforts- you have been a help to many. One thing that I drew from your writings was your lack of bitterness in your life, despite all that happened. One of my favorite quotes is along the lines of “Your character is your fate”. I trust that your future will be bright as you certainly a person of character. Best wishes to you and yours.
I’ve really learned a lot. The “OT Abilities” post was a major one for me, and I am very glad that you did it, Jeff.
I know this has been a lot of work, and I was wondering how you found the time, especially with some of the more heavily commented blog posts; and you did this without complaining.
So thank-you, Jeff, for everything you provided for us here.
This has not only been a helpful blog, but also a chance to become part of a community that has grown here.
I also agree, there has not been too much else that I would have wanted to read about. Most of it has been covered. So it makes sense for you to free up your time, for other things in your life which interest and excite you. If you still post here, I will come by to read. ๐
Jeff,
Thanks very much for your very creative and great job in arriving at the truths of the matter despite all the fog and mirrors. It’s been a great run & best of luck with your new endeavors!
Change is definitely one certainty :).
Always good to see someone moving on. It’s an important step for those who leave.
Whatever you do, the Church will continue to prey on “raw meat” while the Indies will continue to try to sidetrack those following your trek outwards. I hope you will continue to speak out.
From time to time I ask myself why I bother – I feel like I’m saying the same thing to the same people, and those who need to hear it most won’t listen. But then I see or read some new piece of BS and I find myself picking up the keyboard again. I suppose if I’m going to have a compulsion, this is a good one.
Whichever direction the blog goes, I’ll be here reading it!
Much respect,
Caliwog
If you and a handful of others had not had the courage to speak out when you did, I would have had very little with which to launch my own blog. Both your book and the blog remain invaluable resources. Good luck with your future projects.
Best, Jonny
Jeff, I’m glad to hear that living “real life” is taking you away from these endless circular discussions! It sounds like things are going well, and may they continue to do so!
You did an awesome job in breaking away and writing your book, and then doing this blog as a safe place to discuss issues . I’m sure it has helped a lot of people clarify things for themselves, for me it has for sure.
Thanks a bunch and “May the road rise to meet you, and the wind be ever at your back!”
SF, I recommend you checkout http://www.scnforum.org/ if you’re interested in continuing to discuss scn related topics. Just start a thread there. It’s a good environment for discussing it all from a pro or con POV, both are accepted there.
ok, wait a sec Jeff ! we LIKE your blog !
you can talk about other junk ! How
about the environmental crisis ! How
about the impending end of the oil age.
how about English Literature ? ๐
when you can you know, like once
a month instead of once a week.
don’t go away altogether, we are
jeff-junkies don’t ya know ! this doesn’t mean
i agree with everything you said about
scientology being worthless. i think
and breathe with the basic stuff like
ARC and the 8Dynamics and btw
i found the concept of “greatest good
for the greatest number” in a
philosophy book with the source
pre 1900s approx. Anyway, i
haven’t read your blog for long,
but i was wishing you’d discuss
current issues and such. Do you
have any areas of activism
that you plan to address your
talents to in the future ???
i’m not saying you shouldn’t
get the heck out of town and
go see the world or whatever,
i’m just saying, feel free to come
back and blog on this handy dandy
site you have created, cuz we
like to hear what you have to
say. you say, go make your own
blog. nobody wants to go to my
blog, bud, be realistic here.
in any case, blessings.
vaya con dios.
Jeff,
thanks for all the help you gave us with you writings.
I wish you the best.
Jeff,
I second Lunamoth, Mary Jo and many others here when I say that discovering you and your blog were the absolute right meeting at the right time in my life. It truly was a turning point for me on this particular journey and I’m very happy to hear that now you too are moving on. — And I haven’t forgotten, I still owe you and Sherry a dinner the next time I’m in Portland. ๐
Jeff,
I agree with Mary Jo and Sindy! Thank you for your insightful posts I have enjoyed reading them.
Good luck with all of your endeavors =)
Lv, Chrissie
Jeff,
Thank-you so much for everything you have done. You have provided much insight to those who needed it the most.
Your move onward is much deserved.
May the road rise to meet you…May the wind always be at your back…
Take care, Jeff.
Jeff,
Thank you for your book (which I stayed up all night reading over a year ago), your excellent blog and your good intentions. I wish you much success and happiness. You certainly deserve it.
Very best regards,
Just Me
Thank you, Jeff. I agree with you about the state of the organization and understand your decision to step away. You are a very talented guy and I wish you all the best in life.
So long, and thanks for all the fish, Fishdaddy!
….. and thanks for all the OTHER fish, you knew to fry so virtuosoly!! ๐
Fidelio
Thank you for your revealing blog that has helped me to sever the final string to all the Hubbard B.S. and his circus performers the COS (Carnival Of Suckers).
Having and enjoying the life one has is what it’s all about.
Here’s to full attention and all energies forward to enjoying life and no looking back!
I wish you much happiness, success and good health.
Live life & enjoy! You have more than earned it.
Best wishes
Jeff,
there has always been this Quality of HOW you communicated in this blog (and your Conterfeit Dreams as well) – about Miscavige, about CoS, about Scientology (as philosophy, technology, subject are concerned).
You have never been too pushy or assertive in your statements (which also suggests to me that your views are such as well). – I really appreciate that. I believe others as well.
Life goes on.
You’ve created great reference point for those (last ones) to leave the cult of Scientology.
I don’t just hope, I am completely certain that you are and will be doing well in life, without any Scientology. ๐
Have a great life!
You’ve EARNED great friends here and there (just by you being you).
Good luck in any and all of your endeavors.
P.S. May I suggest: travel more around the world! – It’s all for you around here and there!
And, if you decide to visit Russia, be my guest. ๐
So well said, VaD!!
And Jeff, since Berlin lies on the way to Moscow (if you don’t take the route over the pole) – hop off here and be my guest, too, (Berlin being currently the hottest point on the globe next to Istanbul ๐ )
Fidelio
Hey Jeff, thanks for your exposure of the abuses of the church, and for making Scientologists think about it, and rethink what they are supporting. Live long and prosper!
I am feeling very much like you. I don’t visit the boards any nire (cept for yours), I speak with the people that have read my book and have further questions and comments, but for the most part, my life has a very different direction. I got accepted to Graduate School, and am in enrolled to get my Masters in Religious Studies. I need to do 1600 hours of training (internship/Residency) prior to full certification. But in the end I will be a certified interfaith chaplain. I will not be preaching to them anything, I will be helping others in times of trauma through the lens of their belief system.
It truly takes up a LOT of my time. But I am happier than I have been in years.
Bless,
nancy
Nancy,
that is wonderful!!
I embarked on my music studies again and I feel enhanced and beriched beyond imagination.
During the time in SCN I had let myself to be shrunk to a peanut compared to what I feel currently without any sight of any limits yet.
Thank you for your book – my respect for your way has no limits, too.
Fidelio
Thanks for an interesting and analytical blog.
May the force be with you.
Jeff,
after all thos heartfelt goodbuys yove’ve heard you might want to statั a couple of points straight. Especially, after you’ve seen these discussions on Marty’s blog about David Mayo.
Sorry, I have no interest in Marty’s opinion of Mayo, or Mayo’s opinion of Marty. Haven’t even read it.
The Indies will continue to “religiously” apply Hubbard’s technology until they are all gone. It might be interesting in a slow-motion-train-wreck kind of way, but it is of importance only to the Indies. I’ve lost interest as well. Soooo boring.
Jeff – thanks for all your efforts to expose the abuses of Scientology.
Many former members were inspired by you Jeff, and left in part through reading your blog, or your book, or hearing you on TV or radio.
You could have run away from the subject when you left, which might have been easier, but instead your hard work has saved lives (mentally, spiritually and probably even physically).
I hope that those who were inspired by you also stay to help those still stuck inside.
When you’re hauled by the arms from a raging river, it might be tempting to stagger off into the jungle never to return. The right thing to do however, is take a moment, catch your breath, gather your thoughts, then go back to the river bank to see who needs your help.
Amen to that! Love you Jeff, thanks for your contributions and willingness to help ๐ Much continued success to you!!
Hi Jeff,
Great writing is always inspiring and lends focus, and yours is no exception. In the early days of shucking my blinders, when pressing Enter signified crossing THE line into “them” territory, your lucid insights calmed me down. So, thanks many, many times over for that. I am happy to hear that you are doing so well! And am looking forward to your future posts. And hope that we meet someday.
Best always.