STORY #10 (french)
STORY# 10
Jean-Paul Dubreuil
Mon histoire d’ex scientologue (Texte pour Blown for good)
J’ai adhéré à la scientologie en 1984 sous l’insistance de mon ex épouse qui en était membre depuis quelque temps. Je suis devenu auditeur de dianétique. Ensuite, j’ai amené mes trois enfants à joindre les rangs de la secte.
En 1989, toute la famille est entrée dans la Sea Org à Toronto, Canada. Jean-François avait 22 ans, Philippe en avait 20 et Anne-Marie seulement 14 ans.
Personnellement, je suis arrivé à la Sea Org de Toronto en juillet 1989 et j’en suis revenu en janvier 1990.
Ce qui était promis :
Pour me convaincre de joindre les rangs de la Sea Org, on m’avait promis de me faire poursuivre mes études d’auditeur à temps plein jusqu’à classe 8, tout en recevant un salaire de 90$ par semaine, logé nourri et habillé.
Ce qui est arrivé :
En arrivant là-bas, J’ai dû faire le EPF pendant six semaines, ce qui consiste à laver les planchers, charrier la nourriture de tout le personnel de l’organisation dans le métro, des cuisines d’une maison à l’édifice de la Sea Org, laver les toilettes, et toute autre tâches d’entretien ménager, ce, en augmentant le rendement d’une journée à l’autre, pour prouver que je pouvais m’améliorer. En plus, il fallait suivre trois heures de cours avec la méthode de lavage de cerveau inventée par Hubbard.
Pendant toute la duré de mon séjour, je n’ai été payé que deux fois : une fois 32$ et l’autre 35$.
Après mon EPF, j’ai voulu poursuivre mes études pour devenir auditeur classe 8, mais on m’a dit que l’organisme avait besoin de moi dans un autre domaine et que je pourrais plus tard reprendre mes études d’auditeur.
Je suis devenu le Ace team in charge pour le compte de SMI CAN. Le travail consistait à visiter les missions de scientologie canadiennes et à en fonder d’autre. Je devais générer suffisamment de revenu de mon travail pour payer mes dépenses, mais c’était impossible : j’étais un tech et non un admin. Hubbard lui-même avait écrit que c’est un crime de mettre un tech en admi . Ça ne peut pas fonctionner. J’ai donc dû utiliser mes 18 000 $ d’économies jusqu’à presque épuisement.
Pendant mon EPF, j’ai pu voir les enfants des membres gardés par le cuisinier qui devait aussi préparer la nourriture pour les 70 membres de la secte torontoise. Ils étaient sales, négligés et mal habillés. Il est même arrivé qu’un des plus âgés se fasse arrêté pour vol à l’étalage.
Ma fille, Anne-Marie, qui n’avait que 14 ans, fut retirée de l’école publique pour travailler à temps plein à la division du télex. Malgré son jeune âge, elle devait travailler autant d’heure que les adultes, soit de 8h à 23h, parfois jusqu’à trois heures du matin.
Mon fils Philippe fut chargé de la salle de cours et Jean-François a été enrôlé dans le CMO, au service du CO CMO CAN.
Nous étions logés dans une maison insalubre, à 30 minutes de métro du lieu de travail. Mon ex et moi avions une chambre pour nous deux, mais comme seul meuble, un matelas sur le sol. Anne-Marie avait un lit au sous-sol dont le plancher était inondé de 10 centimètres d’eau.
Nous étions 20 dans cette maison avec une seule salle de bain, de sorte qu’il fallait se lever très tôt pour prendre une douche.
Les repas et la nourriture :
Les repas, la plupart du temps composé de riz et de bines, devait être pris en 30 minutes.
Un jour, tous les membres du personnel furent contaminés par la salmonelle, une bactérie qui provoque des diarrhées et de la fièvre. Nous n’avons eu la visite d’aucun médecin. Nous nous sommes soignés entre nous.
Six mois après mon entrée dans la Sea Org, je me suis rendu compte que j’étais tombé dans une organisation insoutenable. J’ai donc blowé pour de bon, me disant que j’essaierais de reprendre la vie normale.
Depuis, j’ai écrit deux livres sur le sujet : L’Église de scientologie, facile d’y entrer, difficile d’en sortir, publié à compte d’auteur en 1994 et Les Coulisses de la scientologie, encore à compte d’auteur, en 2008.
J’ai aussi fait plusieurs conférences dans les écoles de ma région afin de prévenir les jeunes des dangers des sectes.
Je suis souvent invité par les médias, autant québécois que français, pour donner des entrevues au sujet de la scientologie. On peut voir les entrevues à partir du lien suivant :
http://www.metacafe.com/tags/jean_paul_dubreuil/
Et voilà, translation. Probably rather amateur, sorry.
“My Ex-Scientologist Story
I became a Scientologist in 1984 at the insistence of my ex-wife, who had been a member of the CoS for some time. I became a Dianetics auditor. After that, I brought my three children to join the ranks of the cult.
In 1989, my whole family joined the Sea Org in Toronto, Canada. Jean-Francois was 22 at the time, Philippe was 20 and Anne-Marie just 14. As for me, I arrived at the Toronto Sea Org in July 1989 and came back in January 1990.
What I was promised: To convince me to join the ranks of the Sea Org, I was promised that I could pursue my auditing studies on a full-time basis up to the eighth level, while still being paid a salary of $90 a week, and provided with lodgings, food and clothing.
This is what really happened:
On my arrival, I was obliged to do the EPF for six weeks, which consisted of washing floors, fetching food for everyone in the organisation by metro from the kitchen at a Sea Org building, cleaning toilets, and all kinds of other menial household tasks– this, by increasing my efficiency from day to day, was supposed to show that I was capable of improving myself. On top of all this, I had to take three hours of Hubbard’s patented brainwashing courses.
During the time I spent there, I was only paid twice: $32 on one occasion and $35 the other.
After my EPF, I wanted to pursue my studies and become an eighth-level auditor, but I was told that I was needed elsewhere in the system, and that I would be able to pick up my auditing studies at a later date.
I became the “Ace Team In Charge” for the SMI CAN account. My job consisted of visiting Canadian Scientology missions and setting up new ones. I should have been making enough money from my work to pay my expenses, but this proved impossible, as I was a Tech and not an Admin. Hubbard himself had written that it was a crime to count a Tech as an Admin. It just couldn’t work out. So my $18,000 savings were practically exhausted.
During my EPF, I saw the members’ children being looked after by the cook, who at the same time had to prepare meals for the 70 Toronto staff. The children were dirty, neglected and insufficiently clothed. One of the older ones was even arrested for theft.
My daughter, Anne-Marie, who was still just 14 years old, was pulled out of public school to work full-time on the telex team. Although she was young, she had to work just as many hours as the adults, whether that meant from 8am to 11pm or even until three in the morning.
My son, Philippe, was given responsibility for the teaching room; Jean-Francois was enrolled into the CMO working for CO CMO CAN.
We were housed in an insalubrious house half an hour from our workplace by metro. My ex and I had a bedroom between us, but the only furnishing was a mattress on the floor. Anne-Marie had a bed in the basement, where the floor was submerged under 10cm of floodwater.
There were twenty people in the building with a single bathroom between us, so you had to get up very early in the morning if you wanted to take a shower.
Most of our meals were made of rice or beans, and we had to finish them within 30 minutes. One day, all the staffers came down with salmonella, a germ that causes diarrhoea and feverishness. We were never visited by a doctor; we had to nurse one another.
Six months after my entry into the Sea Org, I realised that I had got myself into an insupportable organisation. That realisation made me blow for good, telling myself that I’d do my best to return to normal life.”
The remainder of the story deals with French-language publications and events.
STORY # 10 (English translation)
Jean-Paul Dubreuil
My ex-Scientologist story (Full Blown to for good)
I joined Scientology in 1984 at the insistence of my former wife, who had been a member for some time. I became a Dianetics suditor. Later, I brought my three children into the cult.
In 1989, the whole family joined the Sea Org in Toronto, Canada. Jean-François was 22 years old, Philip was 20, and Anne-Marie only 14.
Personally, I joined the Sea Org in Toronto in July 1989 and I left in January 1990.
What was promised:
To convince me to join the Sea Org, I was promised I could pursue auditor training full time up to class 8 while receiving a salary of $90 Canadian per week, plus food and clothing.
What happened:
On arrival, I was assigned the EPF (Estates Project Force) for six weeks, which meant washing floors, carting food to all staff members of the organization on the subway from the kitchen of a house to the Sea Org building, washing toilets and all other housekeeping chores. I was to increase production day-to-day to demonstrate that I could improve. In addition, work was followed by three hours of courses in the brainwashing method invented by Hubbard.
Throughout the duration of my stay, I was paid twice: once 32 and another time $35 Canadian.
After the EPF, I wanted to continue my studies to become a Class 8 auditor, but was told that the organization needed me in another area, and that I could later resume my studies listener.
I joined the Ace team in charge on behalf of SMI CAN. The job was to visit the missions of Scientology in Canada and set up new ones. I had to generate enough income from my work to pay my expenses, but that was impossible: I was a tech, not an admin person. Hubbard himself had written that it was a crime to put a tech into admin; it doesn’t work. So I had to use almost all my $18,000 in savings.
During my EPF, I had seen the children of members watched by the cook, who also prepared food for the 70 Toronto cult members. They were dirty, neglected and poorly dressed. An older one was even arrested for shoplifting.
My daughter, Anne-Marie, who was 14, was removed from public school to work full-time in the telex division. Despite her young age, she had to work as many hours as the adults — from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., sometimes until three a.m.
My son Philippe was put in charge of the classroom, and Jean-François was enrolled in the CMO (Commodore’s Messenger Office), the CAN CO CMO service .
We were housed in an unsanitary house that was 30 minutes by subway from our workplace. My ex and I had our own room but a mattress on the floor was the only furniture. Anne-Marie had a bed in the basement where the floor was flooded with 10 centimeters of water.
There were 20 people in this house sharing one bathroom, so you had to get up very early to take a shower.
Meals and food:
Meals, mostly consisting of rice and beans, had to be eaten in 30 minutes.
One day, all the staff were contaminated by salmonella, a bacteria that causes diarrhea and fever. We were visited by a doctor who treated us.
Six months after I joined the Sea Org, I realized that I had gotten into an unworkable organization. So I blew for good, telling myself I would try to resume normal life.
I have since written two books on the subject: The Church of Scientology, easy to enter, difficult to leave, self-published in 1994; and Behind the Scenes in Scientology, also self-published in 2008.
I have organized several presentations in schools in my area to warn youth about the dangers of cults.
I am often asked by the French media in Quebec to give interviews about Scientology. You can see the interview at this link:
http://www.metacafe.com/tags/jean_paul_dubreuil/