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The Free Zone, also called Independent Scientologists or Scientology Freezone, comprises a variety of non-affiliated independent groups and individuals who practice Scientology beliefs and techniques independently of the Church of Scientology (CoS). Such practitioners range from those who closely adhere to the original teachings of Scientology's founder, L. Ron Hubbard, to those who have adapted their practices so far that they are almost unrecognizable as Scientology.
Contents
- Origin of the term Free Zone
- Germany
- The Church of Scientology and the Free Zone
- Alternative auditing practices
- The word Scientology
- References
The term Free Zone was originally only used by a single organization, but the term is now commonly applied to all non-CoS Scientologists, although many dispute the application of the term to themselves. The International Freezone Association, the group whose name became adopted as a generic term for independent Scientology, was not the first independent Scientologist group; the California Association of Dianetic Auditors, the oldest breakaway group still in existence, claims a founding date of December 1950, predating the Church of Scientology itself.
A November 2004 press release published by the International Freezone Association cited what it says was a command written by L. Ron Hubbard himself: "... before you go, whisper this to your sons and their sons: 'THE WORK WAS FREE. KEEP IT SO.'"
Skeptic Magazine described the Free Zone as: "a group founded by ex-Scientologists to promote L. Ron Hubbard's ideas independent of the Church of Scientology." A Miami Herald article wrote that ex-Scientologists joined the Free Zone because they felt that Church of Scientology leadership had "strayed from Hubbard's original teachings."
Origin of the term Free Zone
The first group to use the term Free Zone was in the organization founded by the captain of the Apollo Flagship and Second-Deputy Commodore of the Sea Org, Captain Bill Robertson, in mid-1982, which is now known as "Ron's Org" in several countries.
The name came from the "space opera" beliefs of L.Ron Hubbard, which Robertson later expressed in the "Free Zone Decree", which he said was an Official Decree of the "Galactic Grand Council" which was "relayed from Mainship, Ashtar Command, Sector 9":
- The planet known as Teegeeack - local dialect "Earth" or Terra - Sun 12, Sector 9, is hereby declared a Free Zone.
- No political interference in its affairs from any other part of the Sector or Galaxy will be tolerated.
- No economic interference in its affairs will be tolerated from any non-planetary agency or power.
- All of its inhabitants are hereby declared Free Zone Citizens and free of external political or economic interference.
The name "Teegeeack" had already been established as a name for Earth by Hubbard in the materials known as OT III, which tell the story of Xenu.
Germany
Scientology Commissioner Ursula Caberta in Hamburg said that the Free Zone is a type of "methadone program for Scientologists," and, in any case, "the lesser evil". The Free Zone group RON's Org says that the Verfassungsschutz Baden-Württemberg (State Office for the Protection of the Constitution) has stated that there is no need to keep RON's Org under observation "as the RON’s Org has no anti-constitutional goals." RON's Org says that some of its members have in fact cooperated in the efforts of state authorities to observe and investigate the Church of Scientology.
The Church of Scientology and the Free Zone
The Church labels all practitioners of and believers in Scientology without its sanction "squirrels"—a term Hubbard coined to describe those who alter Scientology technology or practice it in a nonstandard fashion. Among Scientologists, the term is pejorative, and comparable in meaning to "heretic". In practice, the hierarchy of the Church of Scientology uses it to describe all of those who practice Scientology outside the Church.
The Church of Scientology has used copyright and trademark laws against various Free Zone groups. Accordingly, most of the Free Zone avoids the use of officially trademarked Scientology words, including Scientology itself. In 2000, the Religious Technology Center unsuccessfully attempted to gain the Internet domain name scientologie.org from the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization; one of the 16 specialized agencies of the United Nations), in a legal action against the Free Zone.
Many Free Zone advocates say that everyone has the right to freely practice the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard, whether sanctioned by the Church or not. In support of this they cite Hubbard himself:
Dianetics is not in any way covered by legislation anywhere, for no law can prevent one man sitting down and telling another man his troubles, and if anyone wants a monopoly on dianetics, be assured that he wants it for reasons which have to do not with dianetics but with profit.
If I have fought for a quarter of a century, most of it alone, to keep this work from serving to uphold the enslavers of Man, to keep it free from some destructive "pitch" or slant, then you certainly can carry that motif a little further. [...] But before you go, whisper this to your sons, and their sons – "The work was free. Keep it so."
Other Free Zoners assert basic human rights protections in order to freely follow their chosen religion.
One Free Zone Scientologist identified as "Safe", was quoted in Salon as saying: "The Church of Scientology does not want its control over its members to be found out by the public and it doesn't want its members to know that they can get Scientology outside of the Church of Scientology".
A 2006 Channel 4 documentary presented by Sikh comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli, The Beginner's Guide to L. Ron Hubbard, explored Scientology with a Free Zone group after the Church of Scientology declined to take part.
Alternative auditing practices
Several alternatives to Dianetics were developed in the early years of the Free Zone.
Synergetics is a self-help system developed by Art Coulter in 1954. American businessman, Don A.Purcell (Junior), founded an early Dianetics organization which had a tentative claim on the Dianetics trademark, joined Synergetics and allegedly returned the Dianetics and HASI trademarks ownership to Hubbard when Hubbard was forced by Purcell's Lawyers to close the failed Wichita Dianetics Foundation in a civil legal dispute over unpaid organisational bills and lawyers fees was settled 'out of court' amicably in 1954 in the US.
In 1976, Coulter published Synergetics: An Adventure in Human Development; he later founded the Synergetic Society, which published a journal through 1996.
Idenics is a personal counseling method not affiliated with any religion, that was developed by John Galusha beginning in 1987. Mr. Galusha researched for L. Ron Hubbard during the 1950s, and was one of the founders of the first Church of Scientology in 1953. Galusha claimed that all personal issues can be addressed by thoroughly looking over the problem at hand, without judgment. The counselor asks a series of questions until the solution is considered found, by the client. Mike Goldstein, the owner of Idenics methodology and author of the book, "Idenics, an alternative to therapy", claims that the method is as effective over the telephone as in person.
Most claims by any and all parties in the debate over (Hubbard's) clearing therapy technology stem back to the earliest days of Hubbard's researches, into pseudo-clinical / non-medical therapy models and technique, where Hubbard 'came across' the first written clinical research notes on PTSD that were being conducted in the psychiatry department at Oak Knoll Naval Hospital in 1945. (Witness Testimony by Oak Knoll Navy Nurse Margaret Toll given to Bill Robertson in 1986). Hubbard used much of this 'borrowed' early PTSD research material in his manuscript The Original Thesis (1946). Hubbard sent a copy to science fiction/fact writer Joseph Augustus Winter, in an attempt to interest the AMA and medical professionals. Winter wrote the original foreword in DMSMH (1950). However Hubbard was more interested in the hypnotherapeutic techniques taught to him by Dr. Winter in 1947-1948. Winter and Hubbard soon parted company in 1953 with the commercial failure of the original Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation. Winter was not happy that Hubbard was not using correct clinical methodology before publishing research data in his clinical lectures and public demonstrations. (A Doctor's Report on Dianetics) (1954).
Likewise, in 1954, the renowned Fritz Perls (Gestalt Therapy Founder) was briefly involved with the Board of The Hubbard Dianetics Research Foundation (in Kansas with Hubbard, Winter, Van Vogh, De Mille, Cameron, etc...) until they fell out with each other over the same lack of Hubbard's proven clinical excellence. Hubbard used many of the techniques of Gestalt and Freudian and Jungian Therapies to 'bolster' his own discoveries. Hubbard's proven past associations with The OTO and Jack Parsons were a continual rumour that plagued registered dianetics and scientology practitioners ever since. OTO Magus, Aleister Crowley, personally wrote a letter to Jack Parsons in 1946 complaining about Hubbard's recklessness.When Jack Parsons was subsequently killed by an explosion in his home laboratory, Hubbard was allegedly interviewed by the Santa Barbara Police, due to Hubbard's and Parson's recent acrimonious domestic dispute over Hubbard stealing Marjorie Cameron away from Parsons, after a brief affair of the heart. By 1954 Hubbard started to use the term 'OT' in relation to advanced scientology theory research material. Hubbard soon began to 'pastiche' or emulate some of Crowley's earlier researches and metaphysical ideology in private as evidenced by several of the self-portrait photographs by LRH. Hubbard had a long association with Occult Mysticism as mentioned in his autobiographical work My Philosophy and The Phoenix Lectures. Hubbard seemed to be reworking himself to be the successor to Crowley's occult research heritage. By 1967 Hubbard was publicly distancing himself from his past connections to Mysticism and the Occult (as related in the original unedited 'Ron's Journals').
The word "Scientology"
Disagreement over the origins of the word Scientology has been used by Free Zone groups to contest Scientology's trademarks. A German book entitled Scientologie, Wissenschaft von der Beschaffenheit und der Tauglichkeit des Wissens was published in 1934 by Anastasius Nordenholz. The groups have argued that because Scientologie was not written by Hubbard, the Church is unfairly monopolizing control over its practice. The trademark rights to the use of DIANETICS and the E-Meter (invented and created by Volney Mathieson) was allowed to lapse into the public domain in 1976 by Hubbard. This is discreetly ignored by the RTC/ CSI Body Corporate.