jon atack, family and friends

Latest Episodes:

culty geek: Encanto – when good families do culty things, or, why don’t we talk about Bruno? Apr 18, 2022

Show notes

Everyone's talking about not talking about Bruno, and with all this family dysfunction, there's bound to be something culty going on, right? Spike and Monia take a look at this charming Disney offering and talk about not only Bruno, but also the high expectations of a "perfect" magical family, the unhealthy repression of feelings kept under the surface, and exactly why Abuela Alma is NOT a cult leader. They also discuss some of the theories floating around the internet, and rave about just how wonderful the music and animation is, with a few tangents thrown in for good measure.

cults and the authoritarian spectrum - with Hoyt Richards Apr 17, 2022

Show notes

there are many forms of authoritarian relationship - from the reverence given to a dictator to submission to an intimate partner. Documentarian and actor Hoyt Richards talks with Jon about the intricacies of these relationships.

Jon talks about Scientology (and the perils of investigating it) at Eton College Apr 10, 2022

Show notes

Eton College is perhaps the world's most prestigious school. The college's journalism society invited Jon to give a full and frank talk on the perils of investigating scientology, the 16 years of harassment he suffered in consequence, and the immense amount of pre-internet research for Let's Sell These People a Piece of Blue Sky, Bare-faced Messiah, and Cult of Greed.

links: the shrinking world of L. Ron Hubbard https://youtu.be/L_w-YWwC1lI

possible origins for Scientology and Dianetics: r

ead the paper https://home.snafu.de/tilman/j/origins6.htmlor

watch the video part one: https://youtu.be/VGQXQaiLa2A

part two: https://youtu.be/0wzlxBiAQtc

Scientology erodes love and destroys family – with Karen De La Carriere Apr 09, 2022

Show notes

Hubbard taught nothing about love or compassion. Just as Mao transformed traditional family loyalty into devotion of the Communist Party, Hubbard demanded loyalty to Scientology and even shattered the natural bond between parents and their children. Conversation about the 'genetic entity' showing how Hubbard actually despised family relationship and showed neither love nor compassion for his own wives and children.

links:

Jon's paper "possible origins of Dianetics and Scientology" : http://home.snafu.de/tilman/j/origins...

or watch the video:

part 1: https://youtu.be/VGQXQaiLa2A

part 2: https://youtu.be/0wzlxBiAQtc

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is it really complex PTSD? - with Jessica Terwiel Mar 20, 2022

Show notes

psychotherapist Jessica Terwiel talks with Jon about Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and her perception from significant clinical experience that the symptoms attributed to CPTSD are not necessarily caused by trauma. This becomes extremely important in cases where therapists have insisted that there must be a trauma, so have at times led clients to generate false memories. This is relevant to the nascent Satanic Panic that is once again taking hold in the West.

help support our channel!

paypal (for one-time donations) : https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jonatackandfriends

patreon (for a monthly subscription - also for goodies like early access and a monthly Q&A with Jon!): https://www.patreon.com/jonatack

Scientology Sells Selfishness! with Jeffrey Augustine Mar 13, 2022

Show notes

Despite its many claims, Scientology is the opposite of Buddhism because it encourages selfishness and erodes compassion. Scientology enslaves its followers mentally and physically by selling dreams of liberation. Jeffrey talks with Jon about the 1st dynamic - the urge to survive for yourself - which is at the heart of Hubbard's doctrine. Why are there so many suicides in Scientology and why do so many Scientologists - even high-level Scientologists - die before their time, often from curable diseases?

links: the 1982 Clearwater hearings: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB8A8C6C0BFB607D1

Jeff's Scientology Money project: https://scientologymoneyproject.com

Scientology deaths:

https://phoenyxrose.wordpress.com/those-who-died/

https://theyshouldnothavedied.wordpress.com

http://www.xenu-directory.net/mirrors/www.whyaretheydead.net/

final song: "the names on the wall" written & performed by Karin "Spike" Robinson -originally composed for the "Enough is enough" conference, Dublin 2015 - copyright released in the hopes that other, better singers might take the song and sing it to spread the word.

bookmarks:

2:22 what is your “case”?

9:29 Scientology – the “ME” religion

11:21 the Death of a Sea Org member and how the Sea Org is denied their individuality

16:06 living life “free and clear”? Scientology’s true god is money

24:01 What is the suicide rate in Scientology?

27:53 the ephemerality of faith healing and the deaths in Scn from cancer

37:30 Those who have died 49:20 Scientology gives its retired staff NOTHING for a pension!

54:37 how Scn strips its members of compassion for others

1:01:56 Scientology does not allow for individualism 1:08:01 conclusion – there is no real “first dynamic” in Scientology

1:14:26 Scientology as Hubbard’s personal “immortality” project, his way of making himself into a god

Scientology 101 on implants: explaining their core doctrine - with Karen De La Carriere Mar 06, 2022

Show notes

This video describes the core doctrine of Scientology which is IMPLANTS. OT 2 to OT 8 is excorcism which is ritual and procedures to get rid of the spirits attached to the body or the host spirit of a body. When a person goes criminal after achieving OT 7 and OT 8 they are labelled "by-passed case" which means they did not REALLY do the procedures and they are ordered to redo everything over again AT THEIR EXPENSE. This is Scientology 101 on IMPLANTS.

links: The meeting at the Crown Hotel: https://youtu.be/tvfioivtY6c (part one only; all the internets points to whoever can find part two)

Never believe a hypnotist:

the video: https://youtu.be/tUMwJgCGBOA

the paper: http://home.snafu.de/tilman/j/hypnosi...

Hubbard describes OTIII: https://youtu.be/FnRY75LThqw

read more here about the death of Lisa McPherson: http://lisamcpherson.org

the list of implant "incidents" : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inciden...)

the ballad of Captain Bill: https://youtu.be/A5qOxlC61Xo

Cults and culture - with Mark Laxer Feb 28, 2022

Show notes

author and cult expert Mark Laxer talks with Jon about cult education. We tend to see our own culture as normal and reject other people's as cultic. Mark talks about his travels to Indonesia and the notion that some people are 'chaots' - and accept chaos - but many are 'certs' - and demand certainty. Mark and Jon talk about the dangers of believing and certainties and the advantages of accepting chaos. Rajneesh, Paul Theroux, the awful film Holy Smoke and the excellent Kumare are all mentioned.

Culty Geek - the Gilmore Girls, or, copiously caffeinated culture Feb 24, 2022

Show notes

Monia has got Spike watching the "Gilmore Girls," and, boy, is there a lot to rant on about! Even in this delightful, wholesome, witty masterpiece there's a couple of tropes on our "culty" list here, principally the human predator posing as the "bad boy who can be fixed by your love (tm)", but also triangulation, emotional manipulation, gaslighting, and even an authoritarian town selectman who feels it's his duty to legislate the main characters' relationships. Spike and Monia pick it all apart, while having a super-caffeinated good time.

Links:

You can read/download our predator poster here: https://jonatacksopeningourminds.files.wordpress.com/2021/09/predator-poster-a2.jpg?w=1448

(left-click on image and select "save image.")

Harrison Kowiak's death (his mother's account): https://grownandflown.com/hazing-death-mom-tells-story/

Program notes (by Spike): The Hays Code (yes, I misspelled it in the video; I also misspelled "caffeinated" on the title card) was a set of industry guidelines set up by US filmmakers of the mid-20th century to self-censor and keep movies in line with the accepted social mores of the time; the section I'm referring to is the proviso that all "wrongdoers" are seen to be punished adequately by the end of the film.

According to the plot synopses I've found, Michel is married to a man in the revival "Year in the Life" episodes. Also, Sookie was originally supposed to be gay but it was considered too risky at the time, at least for the WB. All the Internets points go to whoever can tell me what Sookie's actual first name is; I've looked and looked and can find it nowhere.

According to the Gilmore Girls Wiki, the actress who plays wJess’ dad’s girlfriend plays Luke's season 6 girlfriend/baby-mama Anna Nardini; Kirk’s girlfriend is played by Rini Bell.

false friendship in cults & post-traumatic growth – with Hoyt Richards Feb 20, 2022

Show notes

Director and documentarian Hoyt Richards talks with Jon about the growth made possible by traumatic cult experiences and the false friendships found in authoritarian cults.

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