Since some of the materials which describe the $cientology cult could be
considered to be copywritten materials, I have censored myself and The
Skeptic Tank by deleting any and all possible text files which describes
the cult's hidden mythologies. I have elected to quote just a bit of the
questionable text according to the "Fair Use" legal findings afforded to
those who report. - Fredric L. Rice, The Skeptic Tank, 09/Sep/95
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From: sheaffer@netcom.com (Robert Sheaffer)
Subject: Re: Dr Hal Puthoff is an OTIII? Yes, he is!
Message-ID: <sheafferDBozrC.Lt7@netcom.com>
Organization: The School of Hartnacks
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Date: Fri, 14 Jul 1995 06:09:12 GMT
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Xref: news.interserv.net alt.religion.scientology:75434 sci.skeptic:59956
Some excerpts from _The Search for Superman_ by John L. Wilhelm
(NY: Pocket Books, 1976).
[This book tells the story of the "scientific
investigation" of "psychics" like Uri Geller, Ingo Swann, Pat
Price, etc. by Targ, Puthoff, and friends. They supposedly did
"remote viewing", akin to "clairvoyance". Mr. Swann even took
celebrated astral voyages to Jupiter and Mercury.].
Chapter 13: World of the Thetans
(Gives brief intro & history of Dianetics, Scientology. Describes
"suppressive persons" and "fair game.")
Tells how Michael Murphy,
founder of the Esalen Institute, awoke late at night with in a
panic attack. Murphy "strongly believes that covens of high-ranking
Scientologists actually attempt [psychic] influences over suspected
enemies", i.e. 'psychic attack'. [p. 231]
" Harold Puthoff is a Class-III Operational Thetan (OT-III).
Ingo Swann is a Class-VII Operational Thetan (OT-VII).
Pat Price [now deceased-RS] is a Class-IV Operational Thetan (OT-IV).
Bill Church, the man who established Science Unlimited Research
Foundation (SURF) "at Hal Puthoff's suggestion," is a Scientologist.
While these words are being written, Church is in Los Angeles at the
Scientology "Celebrity Center" undergoing the final rites of "going
clear."
Even [ex-astronaut] Edgar Mitchell has tinkered with Scientology,
but he now says he rejected it as a "trap"...
Eli Primrose, a Scientologist married to one of the Scientology
ministers in Palo Alto, served as a lab assistant to Puthoff and
Targ during many of the Geller experiments, and was responsible
for film reloading and other technical tasks. She is no longer
at SRI, having moved to Los Angeles for "additional Courses" in
Scientology.
Ingo Swann, who helped establish the Scientology "Celebrity
Center" in Los Angeles, which continues to process numerous
Hollywood movie people, thereby adding luster to the movement,
claims that there are "fourteen Clears, more than I would
suspect, working at SRI." [pp. 232-3].
Russ Targ, however, is not a Scientologist.
Puthoff and the others insist that their Scientological beliefs
will not interfere with their scientific objectivity or integrity.
" Suspicions of collusion aside, could the SRI program be an
attempt by Scientologists to further their own cause by having
legitimate scientists verify psychic abilities in practicing
Scientologists? The situation is vaguely analagous to dispatching
Christian wise men to verify the miracle of the loaves, or the
raising of Lazarus. Is the SRI research nothing but an ad campaign
to sell L. Ron Hubbard to the uncleared millions?" [p. 237. If so,
the effort was resoundingly unsuccessful! The Targ and Puthoff
"psychic experiments" are now generally viewed as an embarrassing
episode for all concerned.]
--
Robert Sheaffer - sheaffer@netcom.com - Skeptical to the Max!
"If I became a philosopher, if I have so keenly sought this fame for which
I'm still waiting, it's all been to seduce women basically."
- Jean Paul Sartre (quoted in _Harpers_, Jan. 1995 p. 25)