Indoctrination. Betrayal. Escape. Freedom. This blog's got it all!
Actual, unretouched picture of me yelling at my TV screen the other morning. I’m doing pretty well these days. I’ve worked on my triggers. I no longer react to many things that used to upset me. So why was I yelling “F- you!” at the TV the other morning — while firmly holding up two … Continue reading At least he’s not invading my nightmares anymore.
Gratitude. Some people think it's trite. Not me. I'm incredibly grateful. That's what happens when you leave a life of deprivation, indoctrination, and control and discover the world isn't nearly as horrible as they led you to believe. This world is amazing. Life is amazing. It's a far cry from where I was in the … Continue reading My gratitude isn’t a platitude
Honestly, I'm getting so tired of looking at photos like this. But as Yoda would say, "Confront it, I must." (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) UPDATE: Well, it's two years later, and much has changed — though much has not. I reread this post today, and it still rings true. I wanted to share it again … Continue reading My thoughts about this week’s events in the USA
Buh-bye. “If you move in with him, consider yourself disowned. We’ll have nothing more to do with you.” Sounds like something out of a soap opera. Or a crappy romance novel. But it isn’t. Victor and I met and fell in love while I was still in college. A summer romance turned into something much … Continue reading What NOT to do as a Parent.
I don’t know anyone who isn’t dealing with some degree of existential angst these days. It’s pretty much par for the course with all the shenanigans going on around the world. If you’re unsure of what the hell is happening right now, well, join the club. Most of us are having a tough time figuring … Continue reading In an existential crisis? Join the club. Just don’t join a cult.
There's a big, beautiful universe out there, and I'm finally getting to know it. (No, that's not me—but it's a great image!) Open-minded. Defined as "willing to consider new ideas; unprejudiced." Synonyms include approachable, impartial, observant, and tolerant. Sounds good, right? Well, I'd consider myself open-minded these days. I do a lot of impartial observing. And … Continue reading Being open-minded isn’t a bad thing. Who knew?
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww... If you've read a few posts in this blog already, you know some of what I went through in my years as a Scientology staff member. You'd be right if you said I was a cult survivor. I got out of the cult — and the cult mindset — and have moved on to … Continue reading Instead of channeling my inner cult victim, I’ve decided to channel my inner Canadian.
Who's a good boy? This dog has it way better than I did. I'll bet he didn't get sent to break rocks for a bad article. As I'm editing (OK, rewriting) sections of my book, I'm taking out anecdotes that don't really work. Instead of relinquishing them to the junk pile, I'm resurrecting them for … Continue reading Stuff that won’t make it into my book #1: That time I wrote a magazine article Miscavige didn’t like.
Yeah, this isn't me — but isn't it cute? All props go to @cookiethepom. Who's a good boy? Yeah, I'll admit it. When I first started writing this blog a little over a year ago, I was a mess. I was so stuck in my trauma I couldn't move forward. I had big dreams, but … Continue reading How writing a book about scientology chilled me the f*** out.
No, really—BITE me, as in, come along with me as I tell you about the BITE Model. This is how I learned what high control groups, like Scientology, have in common. NOTE: I've decided to stop using the "c" word in my writing (ok, just one more time: CULT). It brings up bad memories. There's … Continue reading Wanna know what it’s like to be in a high control group? BITE me.
My Scientology Story 