The Expert Witness: My Life at the Top of Scientology

by Jesse Prince

A memoir of a life that became involved in a secret society masquerading as a religion in Hollywood that practices magic and domination. This body of work could have been about you if you were contacted or chosen like I was. Buckle up and get ready to be changed in your thinking forever.

Genres: Cults, Memoir, Nonfiction

433 pages, Paperback

Published September 13, 2018

About the author

Formerly the 2nd highest ranking officer in Scientology's Sea Organization. A former Scientologist and Sea Org member of 16 years, Jesse was a senior executive in the Religious Technology Center, Scientology's top management and trademark organization. In 1992, Jesse left the Sea Org and for six years remained silent about his experiences in Scientology under the threat of a lawsuit by the organization. He now actively assists former and current Scientologists to recover from their experiences in Scientology.

Reviews

[Mark Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening revelations about Hubbard

Great book for anyone interested in Scientology and what happened to Hubbard. Also detailed information regarding the attacks Scientology carry’s out to harass and silence anyone who tries to escape and speak out. Written in an easy to read way.

[Reade · Rating 3 out of 5]

$cientology From the Top Down

It never fails to astonish me that David Miscavage isn't in prison for crimes against humanity, along with the other greedy criminals who run the organization. Prince's account of his time with the cult follows what I've read in other books written by other ex- $cientologists, with the exception that he was the number three man in the organization and was privy to the plans and plots to elevate $cientology to world status in whatever way possible, including criminal activity. He knows the organization inside and out and uses that knowledge to testify against it as an expert witness in cases at trial.

The book could have used a better editor to catch misspellings, poor grammar, and other annoying departures from good English. But the read was so compelling, I overlooked those things and sped through the pages.

I have a 70-year-oldfamily member in the cult who will probably be put out on the street soon when he is too old and frail to complete his assigned duties. I hope this book will be widely read and its message taken seriously. $cientology is a criminal, evil cult that ruthlessly pursues its followers for thousands and thousands of dollars worth of dubious "services" intended to make the world a better, safer, healthier place to live. Instead, staff are treated with grievous disrespect and cruelty and are continuously told lies, lies, and more lies.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A FORMER SCIENTOLOGY OFFICIAL PROVIDES AN ‘INSIDER’ PORTRAIT

Author Jesse Prince wrote in the Introduction to this 2018 book, “This story is of my time as a member of the Church of Scientology. I joined the movement in the summer of 1976 … and walked out for the last time in the fall of 1992. Recently, Scientology had made headlines internationally due to a wave of high profile celebrities that have left the movement on bad terms and made this known to the media… Before that, there was a wave of people who were corporate executives within the top levels of Scientology who had defected from the movement. They were telling horror stories of the abuse and degradation that happened routinely within Scientology, behind closed doors, out of sight to the print and news media… there are always those lingering questions: Why do people of above average intelligence get caught up in Scientology in the first place?...

“From the outside, Scientology clearly makes no sense to most people with an average intelligence or street smarts, so how are they recruiting these people? The answer is Scientology Technology or ‘Tech’ for short… I was a member of Scientology for 16 years and rose to its highest ranks. I completed many, if not all of the Scientology training courses, and every one of the auditing/counseling levels… the single most important title I earned is that of ‘Expert witness.’ I was authorized by Scientology Church Management to represent the interest of Scientology in a civil court of law as an expert on the Technology of Scientology… I became an expert witness while serving as a corporate director of the Religious Technology Center (RTC).” (Pg. 1-3)

He continues, “This story of Scientology is different than most that have come before, because it … deals with the Technology and how it seems to affect people… The Technology seems to attract high-powered Hollywood celebrities and executives like flies to candy. The Tech is purported to be able to give individuals god-like powers over matter, energy, space and time through the occult wisdom as rendered exclusively by L. Ron Hubbard… I’ll also describe the process of moving up the magic levels within Scientology… I became a ‘higher-up’ in the inner circle of L. Ron’s Sea Organization.” (Pg. 8)

He recounts that “I signed a 5-year staff contract to work as a Foundation Staff member for Scientology… Even though the pay was horrible, approx. $30 a week, the organization was a fun place to work… One day a group of people arrived wearing Naval Officer uniforms… They referred to themselves as an elite class of Scientologist known as Sea Organization Members. The lead person … was a guy named Gary Epstein… He pumped me up and said only the best are accepted… I felt like I was signing up for the Navy Seal Team … but I wasn’t. Signing a symbolic contract in exchange for a chance to learn superhuman abilities seemed like a good idea at the time… I signed the Sea Organization contract that night.” (Pg. 29-31)

After he committed an ‘offense,’ “Commander Wayne Marple… said I was disrespectful to a Sea Organization officer which was a high crime. My instant sentence was assignment to the RPF [Rehabilitation Project Force] or leave the Sea Organization. I told Wayne… I was out… Wayne told me it wasn’t that simple. I had to leave by way of the RPF… As if on cue, the male RPF members encircled me, physically laid hands on me and guided me to a room… I was constantly being reminded of the contract I’d signed and my lack of ethnic and integrity for not wanting to honor my commitment… After a while, I gave in and decided to try it out… I only wanted to learn the secret, upper level training they offered.” (Pg. 37-38)

When he was back in the organization’s good graces, “I completed the OT 1 course. The only notable difference I noticed was this time it was me standing in front of the staff and public claiming new abilities that were not entirely true. The whole act was more of a show for the others. There was an unspoken agreement among us newly produced ultra-humans that we would not demonstrate our abilities in front of others because that would be a gross display of power and an unethical act.” (Pg. 46)

Before long, “I enrolled for the next advance course OT 3… The story is about an evil galactic overlord named Xenu who solved overpopulation on his planet … [By] When the people showed up to pay their taxes they were taken in and had false memories implanted into their spirits… all the spirits were bundled up and flown on an airplane to earth where they were dropped on volcanos which then exploded. After the explosions, ribbons flew up in the sky and captured the Spirits and took them to see a movie that went on for 36 days… This level is super-secret and highly touted as the superhuman maker! My exact reaction after reading this science fiction nonsense was to close the course book and leave…. My enthusiasm for my quest of attaining superhuman abilities was rapidly fading.” (Pg. 48-49)

But he stayed, and not too long after, “I was now a big boss in training… I was a sort of overnight sensation. I was instantly a big boss over 95% of the staff at the Gold Base…. That euphoria didn’t last very long.” (Pg. 79)

He recounts a meeting “to hear what the attorney had to say about his conversations with L. Ron [Hubbard] and the probate case by [Hubbard’s son] L. Ron junior… David [Miscavage] explained how it was up to us to get L. Ron and our church corporation out of legal trouble… He mentioned that L. Ron had been told that if there was ever any hope of corporate Scientology surviving and legal attacks we were under, he had to agree … that on paper he had to be financially and administratively separate from his other church entities or he could be legally … liable for any criminal or civil lawsuit brought against any church organization, because he was their managing agent… With L. Ron being advised to take a break from issuing orders to Scientology corporations by his lawyer, he decided it was a good time to finish what would be his final science fiction work the ‘Mission Earth’ series. David also informed… [us] that L. Ron was in failing health. The stress of pending court decisions only added to his increasingly bad attitude. This was another reason to qualify the information sent to him.” (Pg. 109-110)

He records, “John Nelson… had been the Commanding Officer for L. Ron’s Messenger Organization before he left the Church… We hired private investigators to track his movements… John was trying to set up businesses outside of the subject of Scientology, and we learned that he would soon be making a trip to Taiwan. An operation was put together to have John put in jail while he was in Taiwan… The idea was to report John as drug dealer to the Taiwan police after they set him up… [being] caught with the illegal drug heroin in Taiwan meant an immediate death sentence. The private investigator [said] he wanted no part of getting someone killed… At that point, the operation was called off… Until that point, the Fair Game activities we were doing against former members hadn’t risen to a level of actually getting someone killed… This was the beginning of a turning point for me. Never in my wildest imagination did I think I would be involved in a murder scheme…. I felt sick on the inside… [John Nelson] was someone I had personally known, and I knew he was not a government agent or spy or evil person. He was just a person trying to make a living after the devastation of losing his religion and career.” (Pg. 151-153)

He recalls, “L. Ron was very upset that he could not immediately move into the home being prepared for him at the Gold Base… L. Ron was so upset that he was disconnecting from his new management and the Gold Base… We ended the year 1984 unable to secure an All-Clear for L. Ron, and he was having a complete meltdown over it.” (Pg. 173)

When a $39 million judgment against Scientology was possible, “David did something he’d never done before that contradicted his expressed views about God. We all knew and believed that Scientology was a Godless religion. Minutes before the hearing was to start David had all of us … to join hands. He then said he wasn’t sure if there was a God in heaven, but he prayed if there was a God … would he please show mercy on Scientology and let us prevail with our motion for a mistrial. I couldn’t believe I was seeing and hearing David lead a prayer, and he was serious about it, so we took it seriously even though L. Ron said there is no God… God was just an idea falsely put in humanoids’ minds during a process known as an implant… In this instance, David Miscavage directly contravened L. Ron and chose to call on the Lord anyway.” (Pg. 197-198)

He wondered, “My question is how long was it known and by who, that L. Ron was mentally disabled and not able to care for himself?” (Pg. 223-224) Later, he adds, “L. Ron’s medically documented history of chronic pancreatitis was more than likely due to heavy alcohol consumption… More than likely, L. Ron drank alcohol on a daily basis as did his caretakers… In December of 1985, L. Ron had his first stroke. There is no record or mention of anyone ever taking him toa hospital after this stroke.” (Pg. 227-228) He suggests, “In my opinion, L. Ron was in no state of mind to sign a will or make any decisions for himself… I’ve concluded that there is no way L. Ron knew what he was doing after he had that first stroke… L. Ron never once asked to see or talk to David Miscavage prior to his death. L. Ron was in the process of getting rid of David … for begin incompetent for not getting him an All Clear to come to the Gold Base… L. Ron could have lived is he had gotten treatment after he’s had two strokes. L. Ron didn’t mind going to the hospital. He’d recently gone to a hospital for treatment of his chronic pancreatitis… Miscavage had his own ambitions to take control of all Scientology. Miscavage connived his way to the top anyway he could…” (Pg. 232-233)

He records, “[Hubbard’s wife] Mary Sue Hubbard was forced to sign an agreement in which she transferred her rights to L. Ron Hubbard’s works to various Scientology entities… David Miscavage also personally informed me that he obtained similarly signed agreements from L. Ron’s other children, from prior to his marriage to Mary Sue.” (Pg. 236) He adds, “I don’t believe Mary Sue or her family knew that L. Ron’s estate was worth between 200 and 400 million…. I do not believe that Mary Sue would have signed the agreement had she been advised of her own legal rights…” (Pg. 239)

He points out, “I discovered that the super-secret version of OT 8 they had released had a special super-secret post-mortem message from L. Ron concerning certain prophecies from the Book fo Revelation in the Christian Bible… He goes on to disclose … that his identity, L. Ron Hubbard was, in fact, the reincarnated Buddha… I remember sitting in Ray’s office reading over this document and wondering why he had allowed this to see the light of day… Ray reported that OT 8 was not very well received by the public at all, and it would need a total rework.” (Pg. 244-246) He concludes, “OT 8 [was] incomprehensible nonsense.” (Pg. 257) Ultimately, of course, Jesse Prince left the Church.

This book will be of very great interest to those seeking critiques of Scientology.

[Jeff Levine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

If you ever wanted to find out about the inner workings of a secretive cult from the viewpoint of an adherent and then a detractor, Read this book! I could not put the thing down.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every book i've ever read on Scientology practically read itself, and this is no exception a real page turner. Though i expected more from this book, it doesn't really disclose that much which is really new, given that you have some expertise on the subject.

It did really bring to light though just how insane a slavemaster LRH must have been to work under, as he seemed to suspect every 2nd person was a covert government infiltrator knowingly or unknowingly and would expel people at whim at sentence them to barbarous punishments.

What i did not like about this book were some of the formating errors and typos, mispellings, i found that a bit unprofessional. And it doesn't contain enough juicy insights to give you much to talk about it after reading . I feel like this book could almost be covered in about 4 blog posts. And i also get the idea that the only reason Jess left was out of self interest because he was about to be sentenced to the scientology prison again, which would have been a major step back for him at that stage of his scientology career.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very very interesting! It’s a great book, but it does get repetitive towards the end.

[Barbara Bales · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read book for anyone seeking to learn the history of scientology. Jesse Prince was in the room while the skeletons were being stuck in the closet. He was there when Mary Sue Hubbard was stripped of her position in the cult, ripped off, and tucked away in a house in LA, never to see or speak to her husband again. He was there when Diana, Hubbard's daughter, signed her daughter over to her father so that she would be able to pursue a life outside of scientology. He was there when the missions were destroyed by David Miscavige on the orders of a pathologically paranoid would-be messiah. He was there for the rise and fall of the Lisa McPherson Trust. These events bring clarity and remove some of the guesswork for students of the cult.

All of these episodes and many more illustrate once again that scientology is a destructive and criminally insane cult. Prince got out and shares his story here. He doesn't mince words, or spare himself while relating his story. As with so many self published books, it would benefit from a QC of spelling and grammar, etc. But it is so important in my opinion that no reader should be put off by the errors.

The history of scientology is murky. Criminal acts tend to go on in the dark. People inside the cult are siloed and information is censored; it is disseminated on a strict need to know basis. Even peoples' thoughts are censored. They censor themselves because they know the punishment that is meted out to anyone LRH or DM believes is disaffected or harboring negative feelings about them. People who leave the cult are fair gamed to distraction per LRH's instructions. This truth needs to be known by more people, by lawmakers and judges and law enforcement. Scientology has continued to get richer by exploiting US tax exemption and making a mockery of the First Amendment, and it needs to end.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where all the skeletons of Scientology are hidden.

Jesse Prince had made it to the rope of Scientology. He along with David Miscavige, COB, and one other person sat on the top committee that controlled the Church of Scientology especially after the death of L. Ron Hubbard. As the senior officer over Tech, Scientology speech for policies and procedures, so great was his expertise that he was certified an expert witness during legal cases against the Church. But as is typical in the Church, he got on the wrong side of COB, and despite his attempt to leave, blow, he ended up in thec RPF, the penal camp for anyone Miscavige has a problem with. Eventually he was able to leave and, ironically he became an expert witness against Scientology in the Lisa McPerson death case.

Well written and and a great read if you want to real story of the cult.

[Goth Gone Grey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book, partially because of all the hubbub about Hubbard, and partly to see what the beliefs of this "religion" are.

Shortly into it, the author explained what an expert witness was, in case the reader wasn't aware, complete with definitions. Ummm... Not a reassuring sign.

While I have no doubt about the passion of the author, an editor missed working with this one. It's a difficult, rambling read that has a lot of "I'll tell you about that later" and "I don't remember" that makes one question the validity of the information within. Though trauma can easily change a person's brain and allow gaps, it did not make for an easy to follow book.

I DNF'ed with disappointment at 16%.

[Ingrid · Rating 1 out of 5]

Should be called False Witness

This book is written by someone who pretends to but was actually never a Scientology practitioner. One of the most basic and beginner tenets of Scientology is the Dynamics, which includes God as an integral part of Scientology. In the book, Jesse says that there is no God in Scientology. This is like a pretended priest saying the Bible contains no reference to God. This book is based on a sham and he admits but takes no responsibility for his own many criminal acts and cannot claim being brainwashed as he was never a real practitioner.

[julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but ....

I enjoyed reading this book but felt like a lot has been left out . I feel some of the mistreatment of others was skimmed over. This book puts Marty rathbone in a bad light which I think is very believable. I feel a follow-up book would do the story justice. On the whole a very well written book and a must read for anyone with an interest in scientology.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Better books available

While he left the organization and realized that it is a cult at best, he seems to believe a little too much in his self importance to the group at the time. Makes for a rather schizoid " they're a destructive cult but I really did great work when I was with them. " There are better books on the subject.

[Alex Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful, Honest and Complete

I was also deceived by this cult and exposed to some of the activities described in the book. Jesse's account and analysis of the rituals has helped me better understand, heal, and move on.
The account of events given here cuts through the myriad of versions of the time period.
I highly recommend it to anyone recovering from this experience.

[Crickett Lancaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent story, great insight, desperately in need of an editor.

It is fantastic that Jesse was brave enough to speak out in this book. Add it to the growing stack of those who will own their own mistakes and expose the seedy underbelly of this foul, money-hungry, abusive cult. I only think that it could have been made SO MUCH better with the use of a solid editor.

[Jennifer Applegate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Great book! If you are interested in the history of scientology during the eighties and it's inner workings during that time this book is for you. Prince is a excellent storyteller and writer.

[Priscilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page turner

The Expert Witness was definitely a page turner. It provided exquisite details into the day to day operations in the World of Scientology.

[Marion Edmonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling.

For anyone who is interested in contemporary fringe religions and Scientology in particular, this account has the ring of truth.

[Mark H Duprey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book

I read it cover to cover in one day. It was well written and easy to understand. Will read again!