At long last, the Classification & Gradation Chart has been approved by the Technical Standards Committee (TSC) for the First Independent Church of Scientology (FICofS).
To see the full sized pdf, Click here.
Feel free to give your thoughts, criticism and praise in the comments below.
And now to catch up.
Breaking the Church Monopoly
The church did not respond to the FICofS request for a license to use Scientology copyrights and incidental trademarks. This means that FICofS has perfected its legal rights to use LRH materials and incidental trademarks and its defenses against a potential infringement lawsuit brought by the church after FICofS openly uses and practices the religion of Scientology.
Simply stated, FICofS, and any of its missions, churches or affiliated practitioners can safely exercise their First Amendment right to practice the religion. This does not mean that the church will not sue, but FICofS is locked and loaded, and fully prepared to defend and counter any such action.
FICofS – RLL Distinction
Religious Liberty League (RLL) is apart and separate from FICofS, and always has been. The line between the two was blurred when RLL assisted in the establishment of FICofS as part of RLL’s project to break the church’s monopoly over the copyrights and trademarks of Scientology. And more so when RLL’s proprietor became a trustee and officer of FICofS.
Those positions were taken on by request and out of necessity since a legal entity had to be formed and legally constituted in order to retain the law firms and request a license to use Scientology materials. Having satisfied that need, and accomplished that stop-gap purpose those positions have been relinquished, giving a clear break between these two organizations.
FICofS Website
FICofS is in the process of building its own website. It owns two domains, one with the name spelled out and the other abbreviated. .org and .com for both.
For future news about FICofS please visit those web sites.
CNN Series Believer Scientology Episode
For the first time, a fair and accurate depiction of Scientology has aired on a major television network. Reza Aslan, a religious studies scholar, tackled the subject as part of his Believer series that aired on CNN.
Because the church refused to participate, Aslan sought out members of the independent field and in the process discovered a theme we have discussed on this blog, namely that Scientology is undergoing its own reformation.
Aslan made a key point that so many people in our society are incapable of recognizing in other religions not their own, especially in minority religions:
There is a difference between a religious philosophy and the institutions that propagate it. The church of Scientology does not equal the religion of Scientology, in other words.
At the beginning of the Scientology episode a statement from the church was shown in white script on a black background:
“[T]he individuals featured in this show were expelled from the Church and can therefore no longer be considered TRUE Scientologists.”
Ah, the arrogance. Apparently, church leader David Miscavige has not studied history. The Christians have already proven that popes and churches cannot dictate who is and who is not a true religious adherent. It’s in your heart, your soul, and your conduct, none of which others can control.
We applaud Reza Aslan for his courage and professional integrity as well as the persons who contributed to this documentary. Well done, all.
If you missed the show, you can view it here: Believer, Scientology Episode
Nice work!
If one is going to add the original OT VII at the top, the earlier original OT IV, V, and VI were meant to come prior to that level, as one builds upon another gradiently. The original OT VII perfects a beings intention and was originally used (per reports) to be done prior to NOTS for those who were having trouble doing NOTS in it’s earlier form as a corrective rundown, prior to it’s inception as an actual OT level later to replace the original OT VII. With that in mind, it would make more sense to have this done as an audited action prior to doing the NOTS OT VII level and not after, along with the original OT levels of IV-VI, which are quite literally the only positive gain levels in the OT band created by LRH. The wins are phenomenal and in my opinion would be a glaring omission to the public at large. If they haven’t been done by all, they are truly missing out, IMHO.
Old OT 7 (alone) was done after OT 3 and before OT 3 Expanded. NOTs was supposed to make the old upper OT levels effective. OT 4 involves mocking up and unmocking the Clearing Course implants, so would not be appropriate for a Dianetic Clear. The old upper OT levels would come after NOTs. Old OT 7 (drills) could be done again at the top.
Zort,
Original OT IV is covered in the Class VIII materials and is an audited rundown. The section you are referring to is a Solo Action.
Also like OT IV above OT VII has a audited and solo step. The audited step is usually done before doing OT IIIX and is known as “OT VII EP” and the Solo Steps can be done later which is known as full OT VII.
This is explained in the following except from the following HCOB which is BPI:
SOLO PROGRAM The Ideal Solo Program is as follows:
1. Set-up done and all items on the checklist okay.
2. Good training as a Solo Auditor. Can include the Professional Route of Class VI. Or the Social Counselor Course plus Solo. Or (at this time) the Solo Course only. One Solo Audits as well as he is trained and no better.
3. R6EW Solo Auditing to End Phenomena and attest.
4. Clearing Course Solo to CLEAR.
5. Operating Thetan I to attest.
6. Operating Thetan II to attest.
7. Operating Thetan III to attest.
8. Operating Thetan VII (audited by an auditor level) to attest.
9. OT III Expanded to attest.
10. OTIV.
11. OTV.
12. OT VI.
13. OT VIII as released.
After 7 above (OT III) or after 9 above (OT III Expanded) one can run more Dianetics, Expanded Grades, GF40, the famous L10 or do any other case action. One cannot profitably do these actions between Solo R6 and OT III. That’s just the way the bank is.
22
You will note that “OT VII” is apparently out of sequence. It originally went OT III, OT IV, OT V, OT VI, OT VII. Then it was found that there was a level OT III Expanded. So it can go OT III, OT VII, OT IIIX, OT IV, OT V, OT VI or it can go OT III, OT IV, OT V, OT VI, OT VII, OT IIIX. One gets the most out of it by taking VII after OT III and then OT IV, OT V and OT VI really bite. Many persons were too nervous of OT III to do it well until a drug rundown and OT VII were done. Others thought OT III was endless and OT VII handled that.
The actual materials of these levels are held under tight security at Advanced Orgs because when they are shown to persons who haven’t moved up the grades, they usually cave in. Thus the materials are only available in Advanced Orgs.
HCO BULLETIN OF 3 FEBRUARY 1972
Remimeo
Franchise
Registrars IMPORTANT BPI
Advance Mag
R6EW—OT III NO INTERFERENCE AREA
Also a Dianetic Clear is as Clear as anyone who has done the CC and besides one is not actually running R6GPMI as part of Solo IV. So I don’t see a problem.
That said my only problem with the new ICS Grade Chart is that it doesn’t include VII and IIIX as above since it would probably save time on Audited and Solo NOTs FKA “New” OT V and VII particularly VII which seems to run endlessly in the so called Church of “Scientology”.
Well done, Merrell.
Scientology and Dianetics will persist as originally intended by L Ron Hubbard.
The Church of Scientology (CoS) on the other hand, exists as a money-making racket whilst failing to deliver Scientology and Dianetics to its members. The CoS has long ago abandoned the principles of KSW, and instead, opted to go on an abberrated course to oblivion. The product of the CoS is broken people, and insult to LRH’s legacy.
Therefore, this new initiative is heartily welcomed.
Richard Kaminski
Independent Scientologist UK
Yes, Jonathan, the wins are phenomenal, and quite beyond adequate description. There really is a spiritual world inhabited by spirits who are not encumbered by the physical universe.
Some people may not like it, but the pursuit of genuine spiritual integrity is well worth undertaking.
Tremendous news! The strangle hold on the copyrights and trademarks has to be broken so actual Scientology can be applied without harassment by a corrupt church, and Scientology can do what it was meant to do from the start, improve peoples lives. Many thanks Merrell!!
Jonathan (and any others reading this), the FICofS Grade Chart does include the earlier original OT IV, V, and VI levels on the Grade Chart. The levels on this Grade Chart are NOT the “New OT Levels” of the CoS, but the original LRH OT Levels. Possibly you’ve mis-read it. As to the the progression of OT Levels, they follow LRH’s intention as outlined in LRH 301 Int, 17 December 1978, and the 1974, 1978 & 1983 grade charts, as indicated at the bottom of the FICoS Grade Chart. One can read those issues for further reference and understanding.
I appreciate and admire the work you are doing.
Please disregard if this has already been addressed I didn’t see the Scn. Drug RD listed under Processing and in the Awareness Characteristics column there is a typo just above #21. “Power on All & Dynamics” should be “Power on All Dynamics” .
Thanks you
Thanks for pointing out the typo. On Scn Drug RD, I don’t recall the TSC deliberations on this except generally that the issue was addressed.
Very Well Done!
My only critique on the Grade Chart is in my response to Zort.
Otherwise I think you’ve all done a great job.
Anyway it is not Miscavige who redefined who a “Scientologist” is but actually the IRS under the former “Secret” Closing Agreement of October 1993 making only members of the Church of the “Scientology Religion” , “Scientologists” under a group trademark of some kind.
Most of the literature coming from the Church these days makes this distinction.
So what!
The definition of who is a Scientologist was given by Ron. A more respected source on the subject than the IRS or Miscavige and is as follows:
SCIENTOLOGIST, 1. one who betters the conditions of himself and the conditions of others by using Scn technology. (Aud 73 UK) 2 . one who controls persons, environments and situations. A Scientologist operates within the boundaries of the Auditor’s Code and the Code of a Scientologist. (PAB 137) 3 . one who understands life. His technical skill is devoted to the resolution of the problems of life. (COHA, p. 12) 4 . a specialist in spiritual and human affairs. (Abil Ma 1)
See nothing there about having to be a member of the IAS or the organizations related to Scientology that have a “Government stamp of approval”.
So the question is who are the real Scientologists? The ones building idle edifices they call “Idea Orgs”. Ideal that is if one were an SP or those of us who actually apply the tech?
To me the answer’s obvious. No matter what the flacks at the Church say.
Again great job guys. Looking forward to the new Independent Church’s launch.
Time to party down 🙂
Freedom And Truth
10 Aug., 2016
SCIENTOLOGY means only, “knowing how to know”. Madmen have attacked Earth’s
Culture for eons undermining Churches bringing Mankind to ruin. Merrell Vannier and the First
Independent Church of Scientology restore hope to Man with L. Ron Hubbard’s original
Ethics, Tech and Admin of Scientology, a precisely taped route to spiritual freedom.
No-one honestly came up this route without recovering abilities far beyond their expectations.
To walk Ron’s Bridge To Total Freedom is to recover one’s full spiritual capabilities.
One may study to become an *auditor and help others overcome the problems of
Life. With only Ron’s book, “Dianetics The Modern Science of Mental Health”
One can help friends and family restore sanity and well being. Start a Dianetics Counseling
Group. Become the best auditor you can be. Look to Independent Scientology as Ron’s gift to
You . . . and the truth shall set you free.
From Scientology Technical Dictionary,
*AUDITOR, 1. one who listens and computes; a Scn (Scientology) practitioner. 2 . one who has been trained in the technology of Scn. An auditor applies standard technology to *preclears. 4 . Scn processing is done on the principle of making an individual look at his own existence, and improve his ability to confront what he is and where he is. An auditor is the person trained in the technology and whose job it is to ask the person to look, and get him to do so. The word auditor is used because it means one who listens, and a Scn auditor does listen. 5 . the word auditor is used, not “operator” or “therapist,” because auditing is a cooperative effort between the auditor and the patient, and the law of affinity is at work. (Dianetics The Modern Science of Mental Health, p. 175) Abbr. Aud.
*PRECLEAR, 1. a person who, through Scn processing, is finding out more about himself and life.
2 . a spiritual being who is now on the road to becoming Clear, hence preclear.
3 . one who is discovering things about himself and who is becoming clearer. Abbr. pc.
CL IV Auditor
Probably a lot of people will not believe me when I say this, but I know as surely as I know how to find my kitchen, or tell whether it is raining or not, that this original master C/S did in fact produce fully exterior at will with perceptics. A being thinks no more of “going exterior” than you would of walking across the street. I get kind of tired of saying that, because I usually get either a dull blank kind of reaction, or a bunch of garbage straight from the R6 Bank. The “exterior” OT might ask “Exterior? Exterior to what? What do you mean?” He knows what you mean, but the use of “exterior” doesn’t have much relevance. However, being “exterior” is only the tip of the iceberg, as the saying goes, not even the frosting on the cake. It is all thought, ethics, and correct consideration, a correct view of “the world”, a correct view of life. It all has to be done correctly, just as one has to do anything correctly to get the expected results.
The new official Scientology TV channel on YouTube and DirectTV is so incredibly boring. Is it supposed to be that way? Can’t imagine anyone being able to watch for longer than a minute.