staticreflex
Well-known member
I decided to go the local church of scientology (for me is the one near times square) to check it out and because I thought the act of going there would help my social skills since I wasn't worried about anyone judging me because I didn't really care what they thought
I also don't mean to step on anyones toes but I was not a fan of scientology before I went and I'm still not now.
When I went in I was directed upstairs where I watched several videos about scientology and its infamous founder. Not surprisingly since they cast it in a favorable light. While I was sitting on the chair watching, a person whom I can only describe as a hot chick was sent over and she sat down directly next to me literally as close as she could get. She had a smile permanently fixated on her face and while talking to me never once broke eye contact. After asking what I had heard about scientology, which I stated was the south park episode, aliens, and how they chased down and harrassed former members she asked if I wanted to take a personality test, which of course I wanted.
The personality test asked a lot of random questions (I think you can find examples on wikipedia) and I tried to answer them as negatively as possible in order to get the worse possible response. They also gave me an IQ test.
When the "results" were processed she let me to her office where she took a very motherly concerned tone and showed me the graph on which I had obviously scored very low. She kept asking why I was depressed, why I had no direction in my life, why I had trouble making decisions and telling me repeatedly that "scientology could help me with that" and bring up the scores on my graph. I was then transfereed to a gentleman who began what I can only describe as a high pressure sales pitch for a seminar the next day which would only cost $100. Since I had no intention of ever taking a seminar that cost anything and since my little experiment was drawing to a close I excused myself after 20min of being told that my life would drastically improve after the seminar and that he wasn't going to let me be directionless in my life anymore by making a firm decision to attend the seminar. As I was leaving after trying to politely decline, another member asked if he could also speak to me, so I went to his office while he asked why i didn't want the seminar. after explaining that I was interesed but had other things going on, he told me that this seminar was life changing and that I should cancel any other engagements that I had to in order to attend. I again declined and left the building.
Results: 1) I did force myself to interact with people in an environment where I was sure not to get rejected
2) I did feel terrible when my life was picked apart and I was told I needed serious help that scientology could provide
3) I also felt bad because I can see how people who are lonely could easily be sucked into it (for a second it did sound like it might help me also)
Anyone else have experience with these guys? I just wanted to post my experience because it was a big accomplishment for me to go out and expose myself while also learning about what I personally view as a cult operates.
I also don't mean to step on anyones toes but I was not a fan of scientology before I went and I'm still not now.
When I went in I was directed upstairs where I watched several videos about scientology and its infamous founder. Not surprisingly since they cast it in a favorable light. While I was sitting on the chair watching, a person whom I can only describe as a hot chick was sent over and she sat down directly next to me literally as close as she could get. She had a smile permanently fixated on her face and while talking to me never once broke eye contact. After asking what I had heard about scientology, which I stated was the south park episode, aliens, and how they chased down and harrassed former members she asked if I wanted to take a personality test, which of course I wanted.
The personality test asked a lot of random questions (I think you can find examples on wikipedia) and I tried to answer them as negatively as possible in order to get the worse possible response. They also gave me an IQ test.
When the "results" were processed she let me to her office where she took a very motherly concerned tone and showed me the graph on which I had obviously scored very low. She kept asking why I was depressed, why I had no direction in my life, why I had trouble making decisions and telling me repeatedly that "scientology could help me with that" and bring up the scores on my graph. I was then transfereed to a gentleman who began what I can only describe as a high pressure sales pitch for a seminar the next day which would only cost $100. Since I had no intention of ever taking a seminar that cost anything and since my little experiment was drawing to a close I excused myself after 20min of being told that my life would drastically improve after the seminar and that he wasn't going to let me be directionless in my life anymore by making a firm decision to attend the seminar. As I was leaving after trying to politely decline, another member asked if he could also speak to me, so I went to his office while he asked why i didn't want the seminar. after explaining that I was interesed but had other things going on, he told me that this seminar was life changing and that I should cancel any other engagements that I had to in order to attend. I again declined and left the building.
Results: 1) I did force myself to interact with people in an environment where I was sure not to get rejected
2) I did feel terrible when my life was picked apart and I was told I needed serious help that scientology could provide
3) I also felt bad because I can see how people who are lonely could easily be sucked into it (for a second it did sound like it might help me also)
Anyone else have experience with these guys? I just wanted to post my experience because it was a big accomplishment for me to go out and expose myself while also learning about what I personally view as a cult operates.
