Katie Holmes: “Scientology Marriage Counselling,” “Sec Checking,” Cults, & More

July 5, 2012 by Hollywoodite

There has been much, much more conjecture today about why Katie Holmes left her husband and the Church of Scientology. What will be covered below is for the purpose of context in the divorce case.

Firstly, there’s a new theory that Scientology leader David Miscavage was a “third person” in the marriage; less so a third-wheel, than a confidant to Tom Cruise, a close friend, some say too close. A source tells British newspaper The Sun (poor source but still interesting): “Miscavige and Tom are joined at the hip. Tom runs every important decision in his life by him. Tom really values his opinion and Katie often felt like she came in second place. When it became clear how much influence he had over her husband she knew she had to get away.”

The Village Voice has a great piece on what would have happened if Holmes had opted for Scientology Marriage Counselling rather than divorce: after a lot of protracted pomp, theoretically, Holmes would have been asked: “What have you done to Tom?” and “What have you withheld from Tom?” Over and over again, perhaps for hours, days even, until the counselor was satisfied that everything relevant had been revealed. The couple would have switched seats and Cruise would have been asked the same questions but using Holmes’ name. The idea appears to be revealing transgressions and revealing suppressed emotions: accumulated “withholds” and “overts,” as they’re known.

Another theory from The Village Voice (later parroted and watered down by TMZ.com and others) is that Holmes “feared” Suri Cruise, 6, would soon be “sec checked” as part of the child’s religious indoctrination. The Village Voice’s report on sec checks for kids is better in context (also highly recommend you read its archives on Fair Game and Scientology in general).

The list of sec check questions for children reads almost like, to paraphrase, “What bad things have you done and why?” and “Are mommy and daddy bad or hiding secrets?” Moreover, some of the questions could illicit horrid responses; for example, “What has somebody told you not to tell?” “Have you ever remembered something about yourself and not told anybody, because you thought they wouldn’t believe you, or be angry at you?” “Do you have a secret?” that are especially leading and you can only imagine the responses from children “ages 6-12″ as explicitly detailed in what founder L. Ron Hubbard called the “Children’s Security Check.” Yes, this is the tame version written especially for children.

Here is one example of what would comprise the adult’s version of the sec check (watch about 10-20 seconds, starting at 57 mins 44 seconds in, and you’ll get the idea). This is a 2006 film called The Bridge which is illustrative of what is believed to be daily life for new and lower ranking members of the church.

Tangentially, for a little more context, this next video shows examples of basic Scientology “drills,” religious training exercises, that one might do when entering the church or mastering its entry level courses (the examples are abridged to give the idea but the drills can last for hours or even days).

Lastly, here is a video entitled Mind Control Made Easy: Or How To Become A Cult Leader. Do the video’s themes feel familiar? Below that is 1981 movie The Wave. Both illustrate how cults, specifically rigid and conformist groups formed by charismatic leaders, exert power and also demand conformity.