Scientology: The Ex-Files

Scientology: The Ex-Files

2010, Religion  -   28 Comments
8.20
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Ratings: 8.20/10 from 119 users.

Former rugby star Joe Reaiche was recruited into Scientology when he was just 19 years of age. He was hungry for any opportunity to realize his full potential, and found himself seduced by the religion's promise to deliver on that desire. Reaiche dedicated himself fully to the religion, and eventually married and raised a family within the church. Intensely driven, he quickly climbed the ranks of the organization, but his ascension came at a profound cost, both literally and figuratively.

Reaiche began to question the church to which he had paid nearly a half a million dollars since first becoming a member. As a result, he was deemed a suppressive presence and quickly expelled. The most profound injury would occur shortly thereafter when the church prevented Reaiche from indulging in any form of communication with his own children. This is just one of the harrowing accounts depicted in Scientology: The Ex-Files, a revealing look behind the curtain of the religious organization that has courted unprecedented controversy in recent times.

Underneath its appealing facade of self-empowerment and celebrity endorsements, the film argues that Scientology actually represents a troubling culture of painstaking indoctrination, brainwash tactics and physical and psychological abuse. These sentiments are echoed by several of the film's compelling subjects, including Hana Eltringham Whitfield, one of the organization's earliest high ranking members, and Claire Headley, a former follower who has filed a lawsuit accusing the church of indulging in human trafficking, violating labor laws, and coercing forced abortions within its membership.

At the center of this controversy lies L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology who passed away in 1986. The enigmatic Hubbard is viewed by many as a mythological figure of salvation, yet others regard him as the ultimate cult-like conman. "The one man in the world who never believes he's mad is a madman," Hubbard sneers in an archived clip which opens the film. As portrayed in Scientology: The Ex-Files, the ever-resourceful Hubbard was likely the benefactor of a world gone mad and in search of meaning and stability. Whether he managed to father his religious empire through a genuine sense of enlightenment or sheerly by crooked imagination and moxie, Scientology unquestionably remains one of the most provocative and scandal-ridden religions in the world today.

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Anonymous
Anonymous
2 years ago

These allegations and court hearings have been going on for at least 20 years. How much evidence do they need? How many more films like this will have to be made before something is done?

Pavlov's Bitch
Pavlov's Bitch
2 years ago

46:42 forced abortions seem to have been a hobby for hubbard as hubby to his long suffering wife, his son survived one of his coat-hanger experiments to reveal his father in a Playboy interview and another on video from TV. Same as them all: suppression of life, nature, wombman. Telling insight into re-legions, including atheism/bolshevism.

Pavlov's Bitch
Pavlov's Bitch
2 years ago

16:50 where the psycho driller explains the church's stance on those maintaining contact with the expelled or 'condemned' is taken literally from the Vatican Catholic Jesuit cult regards an unwed woman being with child: the child was shunned by her family else they'd be shunned by the church community - same way from the bastard branch of protestant churchianity. As for Aism or Slamism, doesn't need elaboration. Scientology is far from an 'exception' to the Rule of 'Satan' - the Dystopic. However, these people are short of a couple of tools in their box.

Ray Fowler
Ray Fowler
7 years ago

how people can be dumb enough to get tangled up with this ridiculous cult is beyond me.
a fruitcake organisation established by a lunatic, run by another lunatic. just how much are people going to put up with before governments take steps to thoroughly investigate this cult, with a view to totally banning it

Alex Eik
Alex Eik
8 years ago

Documentary : Scientology, the Ex-Files
Filmed by Four Corners, Australian Broadcasting Channel

When I first decided to watch a documentary on Scientology, I didn't know anything about it, like its beliefs, philosophy, and other core aspects. I only knew that they had a god called Lord Xenu, and Tom Cruise was a member. I also didn't know what their religion was about, and what were its activities in the day to day life. So, I just expected to see how Scientology was run and managed from "behind-the-scenes" and also, I expected to learn more about Scientology.

This documentary focuses on the dark side of Scientology. They touch here and there on the philisophy and history of Scientology, but this documentary is mainly interviews with people, talking about their dark past in Scientology. The documentary talks about how Scientology broke families apart and how they abused people. The events go in chronological order. So, the movie starts with the abuse that was happening during L. Ron Hubbard's time, and then later it talks about how today, people are suing Scientology for what it has done to them.

The actual filming was good, but the resolution was not as clear as it could have been. The narrator was excellent, speaking well and not faltering. They used more of a interview style of documenting the film, and had lots of mini interviews joined up. For example, there was an interview on a woman who accused Scientology for having forced abortions. Then, there is a following mini-interview with a spokesperson for Scientology, stating his reply. The entire film goes back and forth from one interview to another. I feel that this was a great way to display information and organize the film.

After watching the documentary, I was shocked to see and hear that Scientology is not actually what it is. Despite having a religous philisophy, the Church is strictly business. For example, Scientology charged the famous rugby player Joe Reaiche stated that he and his wife spent a total of $500,000 just to go clear. After he got clear, they asked him to do a further course on getting rid of your thetans, which are spirits which inhabit your body. A course on that is around $1000. This is an unbelievable eamount just to participate in a religion. I learned that Scientology uses a lot of abusive techniques on their followers, does not pay its staff members minimum wage. For example, one ex-member said that she would work 16 hours a day for seven days a week. She was so exhausted at one point, she fell asleep at the job. She was later then forced to clean out a dumpster with a tooth-brush. Also, a woman had a baby while with Scientology's Sea Organization. She accussed Scientology for forcing her to have an abortion. Also, according to Joe Reaiche, he was paid only $20 a week, way below minimum wage considering the hours one had to put in. However, I this documentary is a bit biased, and king of puts Scientology in too much of a bad light. However, I feel that the documentary would be very enlightening, and I would recommend it for people who are interested in learning, and also who are above the age of 12. So, after watching this documentary, I think it deserves a 9/10.

tamsyn
tamsyn
8 years ago

You know, I've watched a few of these Scientology docs and after starting in, stopped at 5 mins into this one. Listen carefully to what they are saying. NOTHING. IF people want to work for free/give their hard earned away/believe in fairies, there's the Catholic Church for starters. Why do they keep picking on this one? A rat I do smell ..

wtf
wtf
8 years ago

I have no love for scientology(or any religion for that matter) but all of these people never once mentioned getting physical with these scientology people. If someone drove me to an abortion clinic and I didnt want to do it , trust that it wouldnt happen. That person who drove me would end up "dissapearing".THESE PEOPLE CHOSE TO KILL THEIR UNBORN KIDS! its not scientology's fault they are morons...

misscellaneous
misscellaneous
8 years ago

Good luck finding a pay phone btw.

misscellaneous
misscellaneous
8 years ago

Founded by a lunatic, currently run by a lunatic. How long are we going to put up with this CULT?

FollowTheFacts
FollowTheFacts
9 years ago

...fascinating... I found it interesting in learning about the methods used to enforce "compliance" and how similar, if not identical, they are, to what the US government and other authoritarian (and illegitimate) power structures employ....classic stuff...and now I'm curious about the operation in Hemet, California...did not know about that.....

Kansas Devil
Kansas Devil
9 years ago

It's amazing how much people will put up with for an ideology. P.T. Barnum was an amateur compared to religion.

Kris Kisbulck
Kris Kisbulck
9 years ago

Scientology is a sectarian criminal organisation under investigation for tax evasion, racketeering and human trafficking even and is already prohibited in a lot of EU countries. Why is it that retardnes like that is considered "just another religion" in redneck country? It sure explains a lot of the other idiocy that goes on there.

Dan Courtney
Dan Courtney
9 years ago

It was fun watching Scientology's spokesman, Tommy Davis. When he would say no, he'd nod his head up and down. When he'd say yes, he'd shake his head back and forth. Classic deception give aways. And my favorite was at 40:52 when he was asked if Scientology hired a private investigator to follow them, he starts to say "I wouldn't tell you", then catches himself and says "I have no knowledge of that", then smirks and nods his head yes. Psychologists call that "duping delight", because he thinks he just pulled a fast one.

In fairness to Tommy, it's really hard being a good liar. That's why he was kicked out of Scientology by it's dictator Miscavige, and the "church" hasn't had a spokesperson for years.

lex lexich
lex lexich
9 years ago

like all things everything has its good and its bad side, if person is smart enough (like me, ah ah) then it takes good things from scientology and goes home a happy man, a i can seriously tell that some of procedures and auditing and session and courses HELPED ME A LOT, i was contemplating to stay as a staff, but when i saw the church (and i hate that word but sadly it is just that) i mean the central european church with crosses and stuff i said -this is not Scient or ology, this is brainwashing for fools, none the less some techniques used are really superb and quite advanced from anything the modern medicine or alternative medicine offers today, so like with anything else, it's really up to you to think with your head and to let go (cause you cant receive a proper session if your cognitive part of the brain is on) only when you see something is good for you... with a 'little' moderation i think scientology would have a great potential, but it is not for fools, so 'dont try that at home' ahahahahaha

Paul Mitchell
Paul Mitchell
9 years ago

Mmmm, this actually sounds like a replica in miniature of current government policies from around the world...

dmxi
dmxi
9 years ago

the 'crux' of scientology lies within it's 'birth':l.ron.'bluebirds' motive derives from his sci-fi author years where he pondered with a like-minded soul how to create money with the utmost tax-free sensation.....et voila:religion!...................the rest is history!
f+ck off in (shredded) peace,me says!

Martin Ellacott
Martin Ellacott
9 years ago

I would opine that the spokesman who appears on the video for Scientology is nothing short of a liar. There are just too many ex members of that questionable organization that would refute everything that he says in defense of Scientology.