A Billion Years: My Escape from a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology

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Scientologists believe that you live more than one lifetime, and a billion-year contract [means] I am committing myself to achieving the aims of Scientology not just in this lifetime, but for all eternity,” he explains.

And Rinder was not only a witness. Few people have been in a better position to observe current leader David Miscavige take over Scientology after Hubbard’s 1986 death and then mold it into his own merciless and totalitarian force, for the simple reason that, as Rinder explains in some detail, he was often the person carrying out those merciless plans for his diminutive boss.You could never predict whether you would be in or out with Misavige. I think this was deliberate. It was a tactic famously used by Stalin - keep your subordinates divided, fearful, confused, and off-balance. No cabal to overthrow the king can form if no one at court is certain of their position. One minute I was digging ditches and the next I was heading up external affairs for all of scientology." (p. 147) Few people understand Scientology like Mike Rinder does. In A Billion Years, he tells the gripping, harrowing account of growing up in Scientology, serving founder L. Ron Hubbard, and rising to the top of its ranks. Mike has found purpose in his pain and his book offers not only a cautionary tale but also an inspiring story of resilience.”—LEAH REMINI, New York Times bestselling author of Troublemaker I was originally going to give this book 3 stars. It was a good book, but did not really provide me with any new details. But then I saw this book: Mike's narration is superb – engaging and captivating. His voice conveys both emotion and clarity with great precision, allowing listeners to truly feel what he went through during this difficult chapter in his life. Each chapter paints a vivid picture of his experiences as he recounts every detail with accuracy – from the psychological pressures put on him by the organisation to the impact being inside had on his relationships with family, friends, and even himself. The anecdotes interspersed throughout make for a powerful listen that will stay with you long after you've finished listening.

More interesting to us, for example, was Rinder’s description of the operations run by the organization he oversaw, the Office of Special Affairs, Scientology’s secret police and PR wing, which went after enemies and pursued scorched-earth litigation with an army of lawyers. In addition to being extremely fascinating (I really didn't know much about Scientology before this), this audiobook is also rather educational. Not only does it provide insights into how Scientology works from an insider's perspective but it also explains how difficult it can be for those who become entrenched within its ranks to leave unscathed. Overall, this book paints a vivid portrait of what it's like for someone trying to escape from one of the most secretive organizations in modern history.

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Quote from the book: There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again. ~SOMETIMES ATTRIBUTED TO F. SCOTT FITSGERALD. I think that the internet has had a huge impact on not just Scientology, but any organization that relies on keeping people in the dark, both those who are still within the organization, and also those who are outside,” Rinder observes. “That has shifted the dynamic, moved the balance of power, and the reporting by Larry Wright and the film by Alex Gibney, changed things dramatically, in my view.” Nevertheless, the read taught me a couple of things about Rinder which helps to put him into accurate perspective. That is useful in the process of letting go. And so I thank Mike for his effort. Before the internet, it was harder for defectors to speak out against Scientology, and the organization’s doctrines were kept pretty much secret. Now former members are more public and have created a supportive community.

Of course, when in New York, there are people I need to see. Dinner with Tony Ortega is a tradition. He continues to fight the good fight and has been around for longer than anyone else in exposing scientology abuses. The Underground Bunker is the wikipedia of scientology — the greatest source of information on the subject available anywhere. Plus, we always compare notes about the trials and tribulations of raising our kids…

We’ve had so much fun over that time, live-blogging court cases, for example, in California, Texas, Florida, and New York. Those days are always milestones. But we’re especially fortunate to have such a great commenting community. It’s what keeps us going. Now I was the emperor of my own kingdom. It was intoxicating. It gave me a sense of invincibility." Thus, Rinder carefully deep sixes any pesky facts that might contradict what Rinder would like to fancy about his history. And that paves the way for the creation of a brand-new then-Rinder: a super hero (the narcissist leg of victim narcissist). To demonstrate the depth of outright fact At the outset, I was enthusiastic and determined to get the truth out to counteract what I believed were lies about Hubbard perpetuated by those who sought to take him down. Ultimately, however, the task of writing a church-authorized biography of L. Ron Hubbard was a fool's errand. There were too many things that could not be ignored or explained in the man's life. If everything that was a lie, embellishment, or embarrassment was omitted, the biography would be so full of holes that even scientologists wouldn't buy it. Furthermore, if we published a book that full of lies, we opened ourselves up to being dissected by reviewers and critics...So instead of publishing a biography that risked opening scientology up to criticism, we followed the example of the LRH Life Exhibition and published issues of Ron magazine that covered carefully selected stories about Hubbard's life, such as 'Master Mariner' and 'The Humanitarian.' Each included convenient facts but left huge gaps." (p. 136-37) I was effectively being held prisoner with a lot of other people, and that was first really depicted in ‘Going Clear,’ in Larry Wright's book and then Alex Gibney’s wonderful documentary on HBO, which [is a] summary of the reality of Scientology.”