A Cadet's Life in the Sea Org w/Claire Headley

IndoctriNation

Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 566 Ratings

🗓️ 20 October 2021

⏱️ 77 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week's guest, Claire Headley was born and raised in Scientology and joined Scientology's "Sea Organization" at 16, including signing a billion-year contract. In the Sea Org, Claire was quickly promoted to Scientology's international headquarters in Hemet, California, where she worked for 14 years, including working as an executive in their Religious Technology Center under David Miscavige, Scientology's current leader. Claire escaped in 2005 at the age of 30, and since that time Claire and her husband Marc (author of Blown for Good: Behind the Iron Curtain of Scientology) have been speaking out against Scientology's abusive practices. Claire appeared in 3 seasons of Leah Remini: Scientology & The Aftermath and has contributed to many other documentaries, articles, and radio shows, educating the general public on Scientology. Claire also now serves on the board of The Aftermath Foundation, a non-profit organization that assists people leaving Scientology to start new lives. In this first part of a two-part conversation, Claire recounts for Rachel the damaging neglect of her childhood in Scientology, and together they survey the multiple practices the organization used on"cadets" that can leave children scarred for life. Claire speaks about her traumatic time in the Sea Org starting from the age of 16, she tells the story of meeting her husband Marc there and how their love was the catalyst for her eventual escape. Throughout the conversation, Claire paints a grim picture of life in a secured Scientology compound as she rose to the top of David Miscavige's Religious Technology Center and the indignities she suffered along the way. Before You Go: Rachel explains how Scientology manipulates victimhood into a shameful failure of their followers, so as to not have to take responsibility for their abusive culture. She talks about the courage it takes to follow your instincts and fight against the Church's abuse despite personal harassment. More info on the Headley's lawsuit against Scientology here: https://www.tampabay.com/news/scientology/defectors-claire-and-marc-headley-say-church-of-scientology-tried-to/1250163/ More info on Marc Headley's book here: http://blownforgood.com/ Thanks to our newest Patreon supporter Malia Michiko Gallegos!! To help support the show monthly and sign up for cool Indoctrination stickers and tote bags, please visit: www.patreon.com/indoctrination Want to support the IndoctriNation show with a one-time donation? Use this link: www.paypal.me/indoctriNATION You can help the show for free by leaving a review on Apple/ iTunes. It really helps the visibility of the show! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to indoctrination, a weekly conversation series about protecting yourself from
0:09.6	systems of control. I'm your host, Rachel Bernstein.
0:14.1	Hi, everyone. Before I introduce our guest for this week, I wanted to be able to remind you that I have a support
0:23.5	group for former cult members, for families and friends of those in cults, and also people
0:30.8	who have been in relationships with controllers and who are breaking free and have been in what
0:37.4	feels to them like what we call
0:39.8	a one-on-one cult, a two-person cult. It meets every other Wednesday night online. You can find out
0:47.4	more about it through emailing me at indoctrination show at gmail.com or at Bernstein LMFT at gmail.com. There's also been some
0:58.9	interest that's been expressed to me about starting a support group for former cult members and
1:05.0	families and people who have been in systems of control who are living in the UK, which will mean that I would shift the time that
1:14.7	the group is offered, but I'm more than happy to offer support wherever it's needed. So if you are in
1:22.1	an area where you know there are others who are looking for the same resource as it needs to be at least a number
1:28.4	of people to make it a group, then please let me know and I'll set something up with you.
1:42.2	For today, we have Claire Headley, who is a former high-ranking member of the C organization,
1:50.8	the fraternal religious order comprised of Scientology's most dedicated members.
1:56.4	Claire, like her husband, Mark, was raised in Scientology from an early age,
2:00.7	and worked at the infamous
2:03.0	Scientology compound known as Gold Base from where they both eventually escaped. In the aftermath
2:12.8	of their escape, Mark and Claire fought Scientology in state and federal court in California for three
2:19.5	and a half years over unfair labor practices, forced abortion, and human trafficking.
2:26.7	Their incredible story and harrowing escape were depicted in Mark's book, Blown for Good,
2:32.9	behind the Iron Curtain of Scientology.
	...

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