The Sad Fate of Lisa McPherson
If the full Lisa McPherson story can teach us something, it is not so much what can happen if someone applies a Technology harmfully, but rather what happens when a group of otherwise well-meaning people becomes the adverse effect of a self-appointed Elite whose goal has solely become to maintain their Power through Terror.
Synopsis
I have limited my study of the McPherson case to first hand reports, namely from Interviews and Hearings conducted by the Florida State Attorneys, subpoenaed records and "daily watch reports" that are publicly available. I have read them in their entirety.
The most crucial piece of evidence (Lisa's Pc folders) is lacking due to having been reportedly "lost". If Lisa's folders had indeed been lost in what turns out to be one of the most high profile case in the entire Church History, RTC would have ordered a literal army of Sea Org members and even public to work around the clock for an entire week, if needed.
Such a loss would have never been accepted if RTC had been at the unwilling end of it. Therefore the fact that Lisa's folder loss was anything but deliberate and calculated is by far the most plausible explanation.
While I have not been involved with that case nor possess any first hand knowledge of what took place on her last day, my thorough knowledge of Scientology Technology and Procedures and great familiarity with that type of case condition (which I have been called dozens of times to handle personally as one of the very few experienced Introspection Rundown Specialists on the planet), allows me to make a surprising number of conclusions with the data that is available. Further I know all technical personnel involved very well.
The "Who" (according to RTC)
Only a Class XII is fully capable of grasping the irony of Web sites dedicated to Lisa McPherson showing her holding her L-11 Certificate signed by Peter Buttery and David Gellie.
In Scientologese, the Who is the Individual or individuals found to be responsible for any situation adversely affecting the Church. The unfortunate individuals found to be the who by RTC were both Class XIIs, who C/Sed and audited Lisa through her "L-11 completion" , a mere 3 weeks before her Psychotic Break, They were promptly ordered "PERMANENTLY OFF Tech Lines" by RTC. They are currently working, the former as a janitor, the later as a Bus Driver and are explicitly forbidden to be transferred out of their menial jobs unless so ordered by RTC. "They may never hold a Technical Post again".
It is said that in a confidential Memo a Senior Management individual stated: "They caused Lisa McPherson to die, so they deserve the same fate as Auditors." So they are considered "dead" as Auditors and as long as they pledge allegiance to the Mother Church they will be forbidden to ever audit again. Their long tracks of several decades of dedicated service and Technical accomplishments, some of it directly under LRH, was according to RTC, the only thing that prevent their savage expulsion, prosecution or an imaginative way to degrade and humiliate them further.
The "How"
The irony of Lisa holding her L11 Certificate, all smiling is that L11 was originally designed to resolve and prevent the very condition she soon after fell in, This can only be fully appreciated by someone who has done the Class XI course.
Shortly after completing L11, Lisa was put on a lengthy O/W write up that went on for weeks, and without getting any corrective sessions in spite of her bad indicators increasing.
O/W write-ups are a routinely short term action to be done as part of a condition handling. One spends hours writing O/W Write-ups, not days or weeks. Making someone spend weeks on it, is merely an invitation for the pc to chew on bank and to Introvert, as the individual is continually made to look inwards at his guilt feelings without any direction or guidance. Severe Introversion and feelings of guilt is very evident in her write up. It used to be routine to send a person to the examiner after each O/W write-up, to ensure they feel good. This apparently is no longer being done at Flag. Apparently the deep guilt someone or introversion someone may feel after a mishandled or overrun O/W write is no longer a concern in COS any longer, but on the contrary, expected to occur.
Unfortunately such offbeat Ethics Handlings (which are actually not part of Scientology technology, contrarily to the teachings of RTC who claim otherwise) have become common place in the current COS. These are not the product of LRH tech, but are solely RTC own brand of Tech alteration, based on the case Manifestations of its promoters and their frantic desire to maintain their power.. (It is a technical fact that people will instinctively seek to program others for the very action that they themselves need).
The Current Bridge as currently promoted by RTC has degenerated in nothing else than a Huge and Monstrous Grade 2 (Overt and Withhold Technology) where Dianetics, Clear and OT levels has become mere interruptions and side-trips on the overall program.
Technical Data
According to Scientology Technology, an illness (covered in the Assist Bulletins) or even a psychotic Break (covered in the Introspection Rundown Bulletin are both preceded by a "predisposition" and a "precipitation".
A predisposition is defined as a susceptibility or propensity for something. It is what makes the mind liable or likely to be affected by some particular thing. Being tired, living in an invalidative environment, recent flagrant auditing errors, are examples of predisposition. By precipitation is meant the occurrence of an incident where what was being predisposed now comes to fruition. In the case of an illness it is generally the incident that brings about the infection. In the case of a psychotic break, it is the moment of introversion where the person actually looses control.
One sees this type of phenomenon in the expression: "The straw that broke the camel back".
Adding straws, one after the other is the predisposition. The actual straw that breaks the camel's back is the precipitation.
In the case of Lisa McPherson, it looks like a virtual certainty for all available data that L-11 was the predisposition. L11 is designed to resolve and even prevent the very condition in which she sank! In addition there are a number of originations that are telltale signs of specific unflat L11 steps.
During the early days of her "non-sequitur talk": she was in actual fact talking directly out of restimulated and unflat L11 steps.
This is an expected phenomenon. It is possible for the well trained individual to sieve through the apparent babble of natter, screams or "non-sequitur talk" to track down the root cause of the condition. It is actually the first step done by an auditor in the introspection rundown. By making the "correct indication", it is entirely possible, as I have done it dozens of times, to miraculously turn off the insane babble and restore, at least temporarily and slightly sanity to the individual. The offbeat O/W Write up was the precipitation. This is completely obvious from a number of her comments and actions.
In the actual psychotic Break Episode, she says he needs help. She should have been red tagged right then and there, as she obviously had immediate BPC on her current action (O/W write ups and most likely others as well).
By going through her pc folders and recent reports and write up, an indication should have been made to her. This should have been made within hours of the Psychotic Break, not days later. This was never done.
A Botched L-11 Rundown
If a trained Class XII examines some of her "early non-sense" he can actually see that it actually makes perfect sense and give vital clue as to what is wrong, even though she didn't know it.
1. On the 18th (the psychotic Break episode), she says she needs help.
2. Once in isolation she says the following things (meaningless babble to the average person, but extremely meaningful a Class XI auditor in the light of the fact she only recently did L-11). "I created time 3 billion years ago and now I am dramatizing it since than." This is a Clear indication of a specific unflat L-11 step meant to handle the key dramatization on the whole track in a case. "I am LRH and I didn't confront it because I didn't confront that power." This is an identity or valence problem, a typical sign of a list error on L-11 as some lists will give exact valences. There is an unblown Valence/Identity.
Her statement: "I can't confront force. I am dramatizing it." More signs of Unflat L-11 which is meant to handle the key aberration on a case. "I was 1.1. What my chronic tone level is." This is a Clear sign of introversion, and guilt, which became quite apparent on her O/W Write up. "I disseminated my mother, but she didn't get handled. As I didn't confront force."
Either a wrong item from L-11 or from Ethics or she is PTS to her Mother. (in which case she should have handled it BEFORE L-11)" I need my auditor..." "Needing auditing" is the typical manifestation of auditing error, most specifically out-lists which cause the most case deterioration on a case. I need to confront my mom. PTS to her Mother (among other things).
Next report : "You have to follow the light as Light is life". This is a textbook Whole Track Implant description. A Key implant on the case is one of the key steps of L-11. This is yet another indicator that her L11 was botched.
The Real Reason. The "Why"
Sadly, RTC policy toward the prevention of disaffection and dissent has been to instill a regime of Terror.
This was originally done through assignment to the RPF and expulsion from the Church. As time went on, cruel and long lasting cruel and humiliating punishment became the norm. People who work at the Flag land Base and have joined the Sea Org, have typically donated all their assets to the Church and are already working in excess of 60 hours a week for little or no pay. In cases of "Down statistics" and emergencies" hours grow even longer and what little benefit one would get even becomes smaller. Deprivation of Food, sleep, and privacy, cancellation of right to meet one's spouse or underage children are among the first penalties enforced to all group members.
Already hardened by these harsh conditions, the RPF has slowly become, through the years, in many aspects, an actual improvement over the average condition a Sea Org member, to the point that a the threat of an RPF assignment is no longer carry the weight that it once did. RTC answer has been to remove from the group of unfortunates who work for them in a state more akin to slavery than ever prison would offer the only asset they still possess: their Dignity and their Integrity.
Dignity is removed by broad publication of unilateral findings against an individual. Whereas Scientology Policy dictates a sort of Justice Hearing or Court called a Committee of Evidence, those are very seldom done. Justice being served by pronouncing people based on evidence the individual has not be allowed to confront or dispute. In other words the Accuser, Judge, Jury and Executioner is one and the same individual or group of individuals. In RTC vision of "Justice" the Accusation, Judgment and Sentencing are now performed as a single step and in most cases no appeal is possible.
There seems to be no limit to RTC's imagination in creating new forms of Torments calculated to degrade and debase the individual receiving their brand of Justice.
New posts with degraded titles get created and the people are assigned to it. People are forced to make public confessions eerily reminiscent of the Stalinist Purges, Marriage are ordered broken, children in actual fact become wards of Church and are raised in a manner entirely consistent with Germany's infamous "Hitler's Youths. of the 1930s"
Therefore the prime motivation of most staff, though none would dare admitting it, in an organization where merely having such thoughts is a punishable act, is to "AVOID DRAWING RTC's NOTICE".
This eerie duplication of George Orwell' "Thought Police" comes as a result of RTC's obsession with implementing the "False Purpose Rundown Technology" at every level and its widespread and frequent use.
A Society Composed of Mindless Robots
The False Purpose Rundown seeks not only confessions of any "reprehensible acts", but will demand the admission of any and all negative or critical thoughts about the Church Leadership and Policies. The idea is to nip any such disagreements in the bud, by inferring that any disagreement with the current Leadership or Policies is an Overt and that it can only exist in the presence of unrevealed "crimes" against the Church. For that purpose the word crime has been redefined in Scientology to no longer mean such things as Murder and Rape, but rather "omissions" and "failures to take all the necessary actions" that would have been required to prevent any downfall or "lowering of statistics" within the Church. The fact that in most cases, the downfalls and down statistics could only have been prevented by someone with the psychic abilities to foretell the Future as in "20/20 Hindsight" is of no concern to RTC.
To the experienced staff member the only way to salvage oneself is by "Not disagreeing" with anything and to not even form within his mind even the shadow of a Doubt.
The end result is "utter robotism". Creative thought has become so suppressed and even "Dangerous" that individuals no longer dare making them.. LRH amply describes the characteristics of Robotism in the Expanded Dianetics Materials and a Number of other Bulletins. People suffering from Robotism and Slaves share a lot in common. Both will avoid taking responsibility and can no longer think clearly. they can no longer confront the environment that surrounds them and they instinctively tend to ignore or "forget" their prior knowledge. They will disregard any moral choices or "common sense" but rather adhere to "safe" if unproductive protocols. They have isolated themselves from the painful and terrifying environment by allowing circuitry to take over.
By understanding the above, one can now clearly understand the actions of people who were either trained in some way in the medical field, or should have known that they should be "doing something" more.
What Should Have Been Done
The first thing that should have been done when the C/S and Snr C/S heard of Lisa's psychotic reaction, would have been to do an "Folder Error Summary" of her applicable recent auditing. This would have taken at most a few hours.
Then an auditor with the correct training Level and experienced with the Introspection Rundown and L-11 should have made the right indication to Lisa McPherson, whether she could be put on the meter or not, until some type of relief took place.
When I left the in 1992, I was the only auditor fully trained in both Rundowns. It is quite likely with all auditors having been put shortly after, onto "Golden age of Tech training", that by the time Lisa needed it, there was still no auditor qualified to do both Rundowns.
A small note in a one of the report, actually indicates the true viewpoint of all people involved. It should have been to care for the person in front of them, to truly help her. Unfortunately the note said that that the purpose of "Watching" Lisa was to take care (or prevent) a Flap. This is the sordid true purpose that Sea Org have degenerated to.
Staff no longer wishes to Help people of make them free as their prime purpose. Preventing flaps (Flaps are a virtual guarantee that RTC would descend on those it pronounced guilty with all the expected savagery of a sharpened guillotine) are now considered the paramount desire of Staff members.
Individuals exhibiting the symptoms described above are clearly PTS themselves. PTS individuals make mistakes. It seems to have never dawned on RTC that by creating the dangerous environment they have, that previously flubless auditors have now lost their skills and would make major blunders in Lisa McPherson's case.
The invention of the "Golden Age of Tech" is just another unusual solution to handle auditors who flub due to their exposure to a dangerous (suppressive) environment. De-PTSing them would have been the answer, but it would also mean loosing control. The most easily controlled people are PTS. Robotism is merely a manifestation of PTSness. This is no coincidence that countless battered spouses will neither complain nor leave their partner. They are utterly PTS and hence utterly controlled. Robots are the perfect example of something that is utterly controlled. Therefore, RTC share a far greater responsibility than David Gellie and Peter Buttery in causing Lisa's condition. David and Peter's error was primarily to become PTS and ignoring it. (RTC made that handling impossible).
The Off-beat Technology of Watching
In Lisa McPherson case, a number of inept watchers are being brought one after the other into her room. Many show very little ARC for Lisa (it takes truly exceptional TRs to show genuine affinity to a person in that condition- something one cannot expect from anybody but a veteran auditor.
These watchers became a major source of disruption for Lisa. She became increasingly violent with them, and it is obvious in some reports that some of them felt animosity toward her. Of interest is that the only person with whom Lisa never became violent was the only one who showed great ARC. Paradoxically, it was the youngest and less experienced of all watchers, a 17 year old girl called Heather.
Unfortunately the concept of 8C has become perverted over the years. 8c simply means smooth and effective control.
Dianetics 55 clearly demonstrates that 8C can only really exist in the presence of ARC. In fact it is a key component of the Two Key interacting Triangles in Scientology ARC (Affinity, Reality, Communication) and KRC (Knowledge, Responsibility, Control). Unfortunately in the Sea Org , 8C has become all too often synonym with coerced or manipulative control, which a perversion of the term. There continual reports of doing 8C on Lisa which in this context simply means to force her to do something.
According to an early report, Lisa had trouble swallowing. As time went on, she would either refuse or reject any food. The answer of the watchers were to force feed her (not with a syringe but with the crude medieval method of shoving it into her mouth. A PTS Type III individual sees suppressives everywhere. How can a person in that condition react, when faced with people who attempt some sort of violence (force feeding, prevented from leaving or from pacing). The watchers soon became, as far as Lisa was concerned, active Suppressives in the present time environment. On that standpoint alone, one could not expect anything, but severe deterioration to take place. AS far as Lisa case was concerned, New "Present Time Suppressives" had been added to her environment. and it became that much more unsafe.
LRH states that the ultimate result of Suppression is Death. Therefore from the point the coercive environment in which Lisa lived became firmly established, her fate was sealed.
It does not require a PhD in Medicine to conclude that a person who has trouble swallowing has either some disease or infection or at the very least requires immediate Medical attention. Wouldn't any normal, or even uneducated parent seeing their child in that state, not seek instant medical attention? Even any Dog lover would have rushed his pet to the Vet if he had exhibited Lisa's symptoms.
In addition to the disruption caused by low ARC people and a continual change of watchers (each watcher inevitably sees the watch as a penalty as she must endure significant hardship without any compensation). Typically watchers are assigned to people who are doing lower condition and therefore are already in some form of "Robotic state" Obviously a person who holds an unrealistically long watch (16 hours will start to show impatience, lack of alertness), This can only result in harming the person being watched.
Sleeping in the company of the psychotic is yet another form of disruption. Since one is completely vulnerable when he sleeps, the person who is deeply PTS will perceive anyone, especially a stranger as threat and a reason to remain awake. Making watchers sleep with a person in a psychotic is a complete Violation of all LRH materials on the Subject of PTS and Psychotics.
The watchers have the false data, that as long as they do not verbally talk to the person, other forms of communication is OK. This is invented Technology and is contrary to all LRH data on Psychotics. This is based on a misunderstanding of the original bulletins that deal with the subject. One keeps absolute silence around a person in the middle of a psychotic break episode. This is the actual incident where the psychotic break manifest itself. This is not the whole duration of the isolation period! The reason for the silence is that on a normal person the incident is a lock, but on the psychotic this incident is actually an engram and anything uttered will become part of its content and a command to be later dramatized.
In the book "The Creation of Human Ability" there is an utterly silent process. One get a pc to comply with a non verbal command.
This process is seldom run, as it is not part of any standard Rundown or grade, though I have run it on a number of people, including Flag public.
A typical manifestation occurring during the process is the person becoming upset by the auditor utter lack of verbal communication. This eventually blows off, as the process is brought to its rightful conclusion (EP).
This clearly illustrates the fact that any individual in a prolonged condition where is being denied verbal communication can find the episode to be rather unsettling.. Technically, one could argue that the "process of No Verbal Communication" is an actual New case action or process undertaken on a case which needs to complete incomplete cycles, not start new ones.
How would YOU feel, if a group of people would forcibly bring you into a poorly lighted room and would maintain utter silence in your presence, answering any verbal queries through sign language with their insincere smiles. You would most probably think that they feel you have gone mad and that you are being treated like a complete loon.
Indeed this type of actions have been used around the world to unsettle people or even make them feel crazy when they were sane, For the one who has already lost his Mind, one may put the person beyond the reach of any type of help. If I would expect anything to occur in the presence of these factors (disruptive or indifferent watchers, artificial silence, denial of freedom of movement, it is simply the restimulation of incidents on the tracks about being confined or incarcerated (or in other words: being tapped) There many such incidents on the track. Being trapped is not only one of the key buttons of the bank, but a prolonged enforced confinement could even develop into out-Int phenomenon or restimulation. The only person who keeps bringing up suggestion to do something different is Heather, a 17 year old girl. This is ignored.
EPILOGUE
The regime of terror instilled by RTC ruthless reinterpretation of Scientology Tech and Policy has created an organization of robots and automatons. The only thing RTC has truly achieved is in recent years in gaining blind loyalty from a horde of unthinking individuals.
Even a Medically trained Doctor (Laura Arrunada) took no action on the numerous and flagrant physical ailments symptoms when they seemed completely obvious to the eye of an untrained teenager (Heather). Most of the other "watchers" appear more concerned about their own problems and only see Lisa as a "DEV-T (unwanted) particle".
When one realizes the impossible hours, work and demands put on those people for little or no compensation, one can actually understand their behavior, even if one doesn't condone it. It is not the misapplication of Scientology that killed Lisa, but rather the blatant refusal to utilize any one of many elements that forms the vast array of available technology by people who have been trained to no longer form self-determined thoughts.
Except for one person, Heather, everyone involved was more interested in pleasing RTC by "preventing a Flap" than helping the person who was begging for help in front of their very eyes.
By Pierre Ethier
Class XII
