Re: Mind Controlled Celebrities
Having a bit of experience with Scientology myself when I first set on the path, my experience was that it only validated one aspect of our nature, the masculine and specifically the mind, as useful or relevant to growth and healing, or rather "success" in life. Any and every other resource within the self, besides the controlled mind, was required to meet the controlled mental standards set forth by L. Ron Hubbard or they were considered ... well, anything but relevant or valid, we'll say. (Instantly taps in to the low self-esteem/worth issues of most human beings looking for a way to feel better about themselves)
This in itself subjugates all followers to one man's mental ideations. If they refrain from joining officially and simply follow the book, perhaps these things are not quite the issue they were by setting foot in their facility, as I did.
The feminine aspect, i.e. feelings, intuition, "spirit", instinct, receptivity without mental censor as well as awareness without necessary, rigorous mental censor and/or mentally structured measure... was relegated to a "useless, trouble-producing, monster-like chaotic influence of a negative nature" that should be eliminated if at all possible, controlled by all means, and "used" for the purposes of serving the mind's mastery, always. Some people agree with this. 
I did not. 
There was a lot of implied shame at being anything but one of them.
There was also a required bunch of events before I would be considered worthy (just how it was presented) for their hierarchical internal structure. I had the opportunity to become an auditor myself, woohoo, or there was another branch of growth I might qualify for, if I recall, though it all got too complicated and "rule-ridden" for me too quickly, so that I felt caged and ready to leave fairly quickly.
BUT, since I entered their facility, there was some pressure for me to give over money right at the beginning of this interview, or I would not be allowed to enjoy the benefits of their program... all in all, I was young and naive, and it was exploited from moment-one. Before knowing anything about them, a monetary gift is required, essentially locking the less-aware into obligatory servitude through giving power away blindly. I complied in order to learn about them. I'm here to tell about it so it was ok, but barely, really. If I had one less iota of wherewithal, I might have been sucked in permanently.
The events required for my potential worthiness entailed watching films of testimonials, as well as proving that I had the mental capacity to read and comprehend the words I read - and here was a most bizarre scenario, btw.
FIRST... read an excerpt from the book. THEN... (there were others being indoctrinated too, though I was zeroed in on for reasons I wasn't, and am still not, aware of) all stand in a circle in a small room, and a medicine ball was thrown at me while someone yelled a word at me which I was required to define. If I could not, exactly as it was defined in the "official dictionary" (which I didn't own and never ran across, mind you, before that day), I was pummeled with this ball by all in the circle, one after the other, and then had to return to the "official dictionary" and memorize the definition, then return to "the game", until I passed. Most bizarre for me at that age (18, I think), though I did my best to take it in fun. I thought it abusive, however, and even said as much which made things much worse for me. Ahhh... youth. LOL!
The films had a great many testimonials on them in fact, with mostly celebrities praising Hubbard and Scientology as the only way to live, or you might as well die, essentially. I remember being incredibly surprised that Chick Corea (sp? jazz musician) was one of "them".
In this way, there is a "brain-washing" of a sort, in that the only valid measures for any self mastery were strictly determined by Hubbard's mental standards alone, and any varying from the rules set forth were strictly disciplined out of the individual. In sometimes quite abusive ways. This may not take another's free will because they willingly submit themselves to the belief structure and disciplined protocol, but remember that's often obtained blindly up front, and it has the result of no free will for the individual in the end, I'd imagine. If they stick with it, or feel compelled or forced to, which was quite feasible, from what I experienced.
In my own experience, an "audit" produced a belief in the auditor that I had issues where I did not, and because this was the auditor's belief, I was locked in a small room with her unless and until I submitted to her belief. I did not for quite some time, being made to go over and over and over a single event from my past that I unwittingly first offered as a possible source of emotional pain. Because I was asked to, frankly. DOH! At the point in my recalled experience where the auditor felt a negative program was installed in me, she would insist loudly, each time, that I see it her way and rewrite the scene to her desired "better" result. I refused, over and over.
While it was a source of emotional pain for me, what was not accurate in any way was this auditor's take on it or how to deal with it. In other words, because of a twist of perception on the auditor's part, she saw my experience one way, I felt and experienced and understood it in another way, but it wasn't permitted. I had to agree with her interpretation of my experience or I was abused further.
I eventually realized I would not "be permitted to leave" until I agreed with the auditor (the door was locked, incidentally, with a key), so I did so... verbally only. I then placated her and the rest of them I encountered with the required lip-service enough so that I was allowed out the door I kept navigating my way toward, literally. I made up a reason why I had to leave that was plausible and acceptable, to secure my exit. And of course I never returned.
They harassed me via mail and phone calls for quite some time after that, attempting to extract money for "services rendered" because I entered their facility at all, though I had given them a check for I believe $35 so that I could participate for the day! Anyway, I never responded and eventually they went away. *heehee* Took about a year or so, however.
So, in my experience (which is the only way I ever feel I know anything for myself), this is a program of mind-control, set forth by a rather disturbed individual. However, another person may find great use from the tactics and information, and even feel their life is much better having availed themselves of it all. I think it depends on where you are on your path, how much will you've developed for yourself (soul-wise), and what you're here for in this life. As with anything, really.
After all, the military is the "right choice" for a great many folks too, you know? And this was a militant type experience. It seemed very much like that type of thing: strip you down to bare bones and build you up "our way".
Not for me, but hey... I learned a heckuva lot from the experience, regardless. And because I was fairly young when this happened, it woke me up to a lot of the more negatively slanted possibilities in this paradigm early on, so I navigated my way better than I might have otherwise. And I FOUND MY WILL during the experience, which is pretty invaluable at that age, I'd say. So while I don't wish it on anyone, I am nevertheless grateful for the experience myself.
Hadn't planned on spewing all that, actually. Ah well, go with the flow, eh?
~Sowelu
~ Albert Einstein
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. ~Marcel Proust
The evolution of humanity is an evolution of the heart. The path is through the heart.
My perspective is, if you have something to say, then just say it. Stop being so dodgy. Asking me to "email you" instead of just being upfront and posting what you have to say on the forum for all to read is a lure, it's game playing. Which seems to be a popular tactic in Scientology. I don't have time for that. Just say what you have to say. Don't be all trying to lure people to email you instead of just saying what you have to say. That whole Scientology tactic of "Weeeeelllll....if you want _______ then you have to do ______ first." That's b.s.