Escaping Scientology: Interview with Jason Barclay

Scientology is one of the most controversial groups in modern history.  With an estimated membership of less than 100,000 members worldwide, its detractors might actually outnumber its membership base (that is, unless the church’s claim of having 8 million members turns out to be accurate).

With well-known members and former members such as Neil Gaiman, John Travolta, Tom Cruise, Juliette Lewis, Peaches Geldof, William S. Burroughs, Earthlink Founder Sky Dayton; it’s no wonder that our society has become fascinated with this group.

I interviewed film director and former scientologist Jason Barclay about his experiences growing up in the Church of Scientology, what it was like to leave the church and his upcoming film: Escape from Scientology.

Cat Doss: Tell me about your experience growing up in the Church of Scientology.

Jason Barclay: 
Well, to say the least, it was interesting. I always believed in aliens and was glad it seemed to provide some answers. I didn’t really get involved with Scientology until I was 13. Up ‘till then it was nice that people would remain quiet when I got hurt, and I’d get basic ‘Touch Assists1’ that would help me feel better.

But then I went to ‘Flag’ (Scientology headquarters in Florida) at 13 years old. I’ve always had a big heart and always wanted to help save the world since I could remember. Well, I was there with my mom. She had paid $20,000 to do a ‘6 Month Check2‘ for her ‘OT 73‘ service. And while she was locked away in session some recruiters asked me to help save the world and I agreed…

It was tough. I began working 14-hour days. I had to do mostly physical labor work like moving cement, painting, cleaning toilets–you name it.

I didn’t like the work but believed it would make more of a man out of me. Every day, the leader of my troop of kids held me behind to scream in my face. I got the most production done, and I was a good kid, so I never understood that man. Since he seemed insane, I wasn’t really bothered by him, and I think that pissed him off the most.

Then, finally, after 6-9 months, for 14-hour days, I thought I could finally see my family back in California, but they would only let me go for a week. I couldn’t believe the recruiters who brought me on board had lied about this to a 13 year old. I didn’t know what I was doing but I had my mom withdraw her permission for me to be in the Sea Org. They tried to stop me from leaving by forcing a ‘Meter Check’ (Part of the ‘Auditing’ process (described later-on in the article)) on me. Luckily, I had a big crush on the girl that did the check on me and she thought my ‘Free Needle4‘ meant I had nothing to hide, and I was allowed to leave.

Otherwise, they would have detained me and caused to me miss my flight. My mom was poor so she wouldn’t have been able to buy another flight. And then they would have had 12 adults “’Handle5’ me” and force me to mentally change my mind forever. Scary stuff! I didn’t know my mom was already struggling with a $250,000 debt from trying to go up the bridge6 either.

When I got back my mom had to sell her house, and we had to dramatically leave our dog behind – I didn’t know the church had forced my mom to take out a “Home Improvement Loan” to do SC (Sec Check7) services. She got in trouble and couldn’t pay the money back, so we lost our house thanks to our lifetime commitment to Scientology. Good start. For the next couple years we were dirt poor…

My mom got a good job while my twin sister and I went to Beverly Hills High, but the family was torn, and there was no repairing the severed bonds between my sister and my mom.

When I was close to turning 18, my sister officially left ‘the family,’ even though she and I remained close. My mom was an emotional wreck and couldn’t work, so I got a GED, left school, and started working to support my mom at 17 years old.

At first, I worked as an Electrical Journeyman and went through many odd jobs. During this time, we got 3 evictions in our name. Then, I started doing extra work and began making 3k a month for 3 nice years. In summary, it sucked growing up in Scientology as I watched my parents divorce at 13 years old with all of my mom’s money having been sucked dry, leaving her in a poor emotional state at a price of a quarter of a million.

CD: So, your dad wasn’t a scientologist?

JB: Well he was the first to get involved and got my mom into it. She saw the vision of becoming “OT7″= full control over matter energy space and time, and she went on a no holds bared, borrow from everyone, sacrifice anything lust to get there. By the time I was 10, she was spending most of her time trying to go the bridge “to total freedom,” and not with my sister and me. My dad had a big problem with that. He officially left Scientology during ‘the golden age of tech’ when the current leader of Scientology “fixed” all of LRH’s (L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology) basic books.

CD: Do you feel like you were brainwashed?

JB: They do forbid you to go onto the Internet and look up the religion – they convince you that critical posts about scientology are done by SP8’s only trying to attack all religions of the world, and they constantly bombard you with propaganda at events to tell you how awesome they are. So yeah, I guess I was pretty brainwashed.

CD: What happens during an audit?

JB: Sure, They say, “Let’s talk Self Analysis” that they ironically don’t let you do to yourself. You’d sit down, take off your shoes and socks and wrap a blanket around your feet (Cold feet can give bad “reads”) — And they make sure you’re well fed and rested in order to continue. Then, they’d say they weren’t auditing you (I never got that part). They’d ask you something like “Recall the last time you felt happy” and they would help you remember as much of that moment as you can. Then, they’d go earlier etc. That was nice. In Dianetics9, they do the same thing, but they look for pain, and they have you go over the incident you think of over and over until you are finally cheerful with it. I haven’t gotten any Dianetics auditing myself, but I know many people who both say they felt diving into moments of pain hurt them mentally and other who said it cured serious chronic illnesses and other things that would be best described as miracles.

L. Ron Hubbard (LRH) had believed that once a person goes over most of their moments of serious pain, trauma and unconsciousness, their “pain filled mind” would “clear” and they would become somewhat of a superhuman. However he never really seemed to be able to find the absolute he was looking for in his tapes and books.

CD: So, what about the Sea Org? That’s their navy, right? What kind of ship were you on? What was your mission?

JB: I guess you could say they are they navy, but most never actually set foot on a ship. The Sea Org was formed literally on the sea but it’s the most inner, trusted and powerful group in Scientology, charged with keeping Scientology running.

Unfortunately, it is currently dominated by a yelling chain of command where each leader mostly berates and punishes those below them. As many people’s spirits are crushed they become unable to look around, make their own opinions and see if this is really the church LRH had envisioned.

CD: Where did you go, then? You said you weren’t in California.

JB: Oh, at 13 I was in Florida. I mostly worked in the Fort Harrison and other nearby buildings. When I was 25 in the Sea Org, I was working in the Los Angeles LA Org at Sunset and LRH Way.

CD: How do you feel now that you’ve left Scientology? Are you happier?

JB: Relatively. I feel like I’m in heaven, lol.

But when I left I lost all of my lifetime friends and had to start getting my health back, (I had almost died in the church to Candida at 28 since the medical officer didn’t know “what the white stuff on my tongue was,” lol). And making new friends in L.A. when you’re broke seems tough, but I’d say I’m finally starting to gain some cool new friends.

I’m the kind of person that works for others and having few friends had really sucked.

I knew I could get a day job and be able to hang out and make friends easier but since I got out, I’ve been determined to only work on things that pay nothing immediately but can pay the most in the long term like the movies I’m trying to make.

CD: Tell us about your upcoming film Escape From Scientology.

JB: Gladly, lol.

Yeah, I wanted to make a movie that was from the heart — a heart pounding honest view of what it’s really like behind the scenes. I think the general idea is fascinating and important for people to know about. I want it to show people why others get so hooked and the best ways to talk to any loved ones still “in.”

CD: So, how do you feel about L. Ron Hubbard?

JB: I think he was a courageous man trying to answer the riddles of war, crime and insanity. I think he was quite the character, but it’s what he was trying to do that I admire. I don’t think he ever perfected his bridge as much as he had wanted due to his relatively early death.

CD: Do you believe in the “Bridge?”
Or do you think it’s just a spiritual concept?

JB: Not really. I don’t think a person can become powerful by looking so much into the past. I think a bridge based on the positive sides of life and ones being would have the best long-term results.
I may or may not one day try to walk it, though, to see for myself. But for now it’s just a cool concept to me.

CD: Thank you, Jason, is there anything else you’d like to add?

JB: 
I guess I say in closing my life has been pretty rough and I’m mostly glad to be alive — and finally at a place in life where I feel like I’m about to fly. Thank you!