Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath

Is that right? Yes.

Well, you... all right, you do it.

Go ahead.

That when LRH

discarded the body that had served his being well

for almost 75 years

in this lifetime.

Still rolling, let's settle.

We're rolling and speeding.

Okay, quiet, please.

Tonight we're gonna be

discussing the life of L. Ron Hubbard.

You know, when we talk about Scientology,

and the mystery of L. Ron Hubbard

sort of lurks in the background.

Who was this guy?

How did he come to do what he did?

And I hope that we can give some perspective on

him as a person and what he was doing

and how he went about doing it.

I do remember as a child seeing

this man as some form of deity.

And I was young, but I was already very early on

indoctrinated to believe

that this man had all the answers.

- Did you have a similar... - Oh, me too.

My goal when I was growing up

was to join the Sea Organization

as soon as I could

and go work with L. Ron Hubbard.

Right.

That was like the ultimate objective

that I could attain in life

was to be right with him,

working with him to save the planet.

You get the idea that here is the source

of all the answers to everything.

Right, and that's what your parents are teaching you.

- Absolutely. - Your parents are saying,

"Hey, little Mike, little Leah,

"and to all Scientology children,

"this man is so important to me

"and should be very important to you

"because that's why we're giving up our lives

because this man is saving mankind".

Scientology is totally a workable science.

It is only workable.

We're interested in what produces results,

and if you know certain things and you apply them

and that then increases a man's IQ,

increases his ability to handle the world around him.

Why, he naturally then is able to... to do better

and to do more, to make more money,

to be more... to be happier in his environment and so forth.

He had the ability to convince people

that he knew what was doing

and, "If you just listen to me, this is where I will take you".

- Right. - He's like the Pied Piper.

"I will take you here if you just listen to what I'm saying

because I have solved the problems of how to get there".

But you have to give it to the man.

People flocked to him, dedicated their lives to him.

People currently are giving up

their lives, their money, their families

- for this man. - Right.

And the promises that this man made.

In his book "Dianetics," it says that it cures things.

Immortality and spiritual freedom

and breaking the cycle of life and death,

these are all things that are described

as "this is what Scientology will accomplish for you".

Thank you.

Over the past six years, LRH has indeed been intensively

researching the upper bands OT.

Approximately two weeks ago,

he completed all of his research

as he had set out to do.

He's now moved on to his next level of OT research.

This level is in fact done

completely exterior from the body.

At this level of OT,

the body is nothing more than an impediment

and encumbrance to any further gain as an OT.

Thus...

Thus at 2000 hours Friday,

the 24th of January A.D. 36,

L. Ron Hubbard discarded the body

he had used in this lifetime for 74 years,

ten months, and 11 days.

L. Ron Hubbard has decided to leave his body...

- Discard his body. - Discarded his body.

What would be the risk of being honest?

If L. Ron Hubbard hadn't been able to eat the carrot,

then no Scientologist would

be able to attain the carrot

that is being dangled in front of them

of immortality, et cetera, et cetera.

And the lawyer for Scientology

comes out, and I do remember

very clearly this man saying,

you know, he wasn't sick.

They made the point to say that he made a decision

to leave his body because the work that he needed to do

needed to be outside of his body.

By the decision

to continue his work outside the confines of his body

and by the decision to do it now,

it is not surprising.

The body of L. Ron Hubbard

was sound and strong

and fully capable of serving this mighty thetan

for many years had that suited his purposes.

The lawyer said he was of sound mind and body.

- Exactly. - And what's the truth?

He was not at all in good shape

when he finally died.

He had pancreatitis and various other ailments and illnesses

for some period of time.

This was a briefing to keep Scientologists in,

to not give up and say, "Well, screw it.

"If this man died, if he's just an average human

"who died of a stroke and sickness

"then everything... the first book that we read,

"which is 'Dianetics,'

- is a lie". - Right.

Starting with the fact that

he died not having accomplished what he had said so often,

"I have found the path to achieve this

"and this is scientific fact

and it's... case histories prove, et cetera, et cetera".

It's sort of a big overview

that sets the stage for "how did he get to that".

And so you have to look at this man and go,

"He was a genius in certain aspects

and quite diabolical in another".

And we're gonna meet Hana Whitfield,

who worked very closely with L. Ron Hubbard

and was one of the first Sea Org members

in the history of the Sea Org.

So we'll be talking to her.

And we're also going to be talking to Russell Miller,

the biographer who wrote the definitive biography

on L. Ron Hubbard and who researched his life

beyond what anybody else has ever done.

Now, Hana, how did you come to Scientology?

It was a long route

through an abusive family.

So, I was searching.

Searching for the answers.

I was searching for the answers.

I had become a registered nurse

in Johannesburg, graduated,

and I met a medical student

who said, "You might be interested in this book".

And he handed me "Dianetics:

The Modern Science of Mental Health".

And what was fascinating to you about that?

When I saw the title,

"Modern Science of Mental Health,"

I went, "Ding.

"If there is such a thing

"as a modern science of mental health,

I have to find out".

- Right. - I mean, if he took the time

to write a book, do all this research,

and find out all this about the mind,

he must know what he's talking about.

- Right. - When I got "Dianetics"

and walked into the local housie

and saw a picture of Hubbard on the wall,

that convinced me that Hubbard was the returned messiah.

So you went immediately full on into Scientology?

Absolutely.

I read the book all the way through,

and even though I thought some parts were totally ridiculous,

there was so much else in the book that captivated me.

And what did you think of it?

Did you have a similar fascination?

No, no, I'm afraid it didn't.

I was completely dumbfounded

that anybody could take it seriously.

I mean, I thought the whole thing was a joke, to be honest.

I mean, forgive me Hana for saying this,

but you approach from very different perspectives.

- Sure. - You know, I was a journalist

and working on the biography of Hubbard.

When I was researching the book,

I became aware very quickly, actually,

that I had to check everything.

I couldn't take a single thing at face value.

He was incapable of telling the truth about himself.

Everything about him was a lie.

Hubbard was constantly embellishing his life.

I couldn't take a single thing at face value.

I had to check everything.

He said he was top sergeant in the Marines.

He said he was a doctor.

He said he was a nuclear physicist.

None of it was true.

So what was he?