March 16, 2010
Interview: Rick Wall
Scenario: Mr. Rick Wall, who is the head of Visitor Operations at the Church of Scientology of Stevens Creek, was kind enough to give us a comprehensive tour of the San Jose church. As far as interview purposes are concerned, we asked him basic questions about his choice to become such a committed member and volunteer at the church. While giving us a tour of the church, he answered various questions concerning his involvement in the church as well as provided us with a plethora of helpful knowledge about the practices and beliefs of Scientologists.
Responses: Mr. Wall told us that he was raised Catholic, but grew up very discouraged about religion, especially since his mother was somewhat shunned from the church for getting a divorce from her husband. Now 50 years of age, Mr. Wall said he has been an active member of the church for 10 years, and a volunteer in charge of visitor operations for almost 5 years. He claimed that Scientology has really turned his life around and led him to become a much happier and ethically inclined person today. He also claimed that through Dianetics and auditing sessions, his IQ has significantly increased, and his body has been rid of many impurities that were holding him back from being a spiritually free person. Furthermore, Mr. Wall admitted to have been a prior drug-user when he was young, and that Dianetics helped “cleanse” his system completely. Mr. Wall even had the rare opportunity to study with the Scientology’s Sea Organization on a large vessel in international waters, where he said he learned about various books that were essential to Scientology’s history and belief system. This interview and tour was a very helpful experience for our project.
Notes on the interview:
Brian DeVoto:
I enjoyed the time we spent talking with Rick Wall. He was a nice, interesting man that was more than happy to share his experience with the religion and tour us around the Church of Scientology of Stevens Creek. Wall was the “head of visitor’s operations” and worked seven days a week. He was a volunteer! This amazed me. Clearly, the man was more than dedicated to spreading the message of his faith. He spoke with sincerity and a true understanding of the religion’s meanings.
His tour around the church was interesting as well. The building was new, clean, and very modern. I noticed that around every corner there were books and videos about dianetics and Scientology that could be purchased. This was very different to my experiences growing up as a Roman Catholic. There are no bookstores or memorabilia shops in the church I attend in New York. The actual chapel at the Church of Scientology was smaller than the bookstore. I didn’t like this. How can a ‘church’ have less room for ceremonies at its most holy center than it has for selling books and movies?
Another part of the interview that stuck out in my mind was when Wall talked about drugs. He said that since being in Scientology, he has stopped taking any mind altering substances, including alcohol. This is in accordance to the rules of the religion. Nicotine is an addictive, mind altering drug. Wall smelt strongly of cigarettes the entire time. I found this a little ironic but didn’t say anything about it.
Overall I was pretty happy with the interview and tour of the church. To be honest, I was a little intimidated going to the church because of all the crazy stories about scientologists. After walking freely in and out (without being brainwashed) and getting a chance to talk face-to-face with a real scientologist, my initial anxieties dissipated. I’m sure if many more people visit a Scientology Church or ask questions to scientologist, they wouldn’t say all of the negative things about it that the media does now.
Catherine Nally:
My experience interviewing Rick Wall was very interesting. I was initially rather hesitant about going to the Church of Scientology in San Jose. The media and rumors about this particular religion portray it as a cult and as something that should be “feared” and avoided. My partners and I all giggled nervously as we were pulling into the parking lot; we joked about our fear that we might never be able to leave. Immediately upon walking through the doors, however, we were greeted by a friendly man who promptly introduced himself as the secretary of visitor operations.
We explained to Mr. Wall that we were students from Santa Clara University and were taking a religious course that encouraged us to research and explore new and unfamiliar religions. He seemed very excited to have us and offered to take us on a tour of the building.
While walking around the building, Mr. Wall told us a lot about the history and the science behind Scientology. He explained the church in a way that made its teachings a lot clearer for me. All throughout the church were informational posters and books that both described L. Ron Hubbard’s life and career, his interests in the body and the mind, and also his findings on how one’s spirit is affected by pain and hardships in life. Mr. Wall explained these posters in depth.
Throughout the interview, he made it very clear that the Church is there merely to help you achieve happiness and spiritual freedom through training, auditing (another concept he went in depth about) and knowledge. He spoke about his Catholic upbringing and his lack of enthusiasm for the religion. He was discontented as a child and thus found himself searching for something different as an adult. Scientology became the answer he was looking for.
Mr. Wall said that he, like many others who have since joined the church, came to it with great skepticism at first. The media, he said, had influenced his thoughts on what the church was doing and what it valued. As he spent time studying its teachings and ideals, however, he found it to be a place that he could call home. He then said something that I found really fascinating; none of the negativity in the media bothered him. He told us that spirituality and knowledge are things that are always questioned, so just because he KNOWS something to be true doesn’t mean everyone else will be able to do so.
Paul Sanchez:
When I first entered the Church of Scientology of Stevens Creek, I admit I was a little intimidated walking through the front door. This nervousness stemmed from what I heard about Scientologists through word of mouth. I feared I might be pressured to join the tradition or verbally harassed. These pre-conceived notions were silly and impractical though, for a very personable and nice receptionist greeted us when we entered the church. Soon after entering the beautiful and grand church we were greeted by a man by the name of Rick Wall whose title was head of Visitor Operations. He, like all the employees of the church, are purely volunteers who devote time nearly everyday to keep the church running. He informed us about the basic beliefs and practices of Scientology as well as informed us about his personal experience with the religious tradition.
My experience with Mr. Wall really changed my view on Scientologists, for he was an extremely down-to-earth individual who explained how Scientology has had a great impact on his life. Previous to joining the church, Mr. Wall briefly mentioned that he was a somewhat regular drug user, and really didn’t enjoy his life. Scientology helped him to become a drug-free person, and really set him on a quest for higher knowledge and ethical practices. When asked about what he thinks about the negative press and criticisms of Scientology, Mr. Wall assured us that he wasn’t concerned with it whatsoever. Moreover, he made it apparent that his main focus was striving to become a better citizen and worshiper of Scientology. When asked about auditing sessions and Dianetics, Mr. Wall told us he attends auditing sessions every month on a varying schedule. He informed us that the church recommends 12.5 hours of auditing per month, which cost money each time, but he wasn’t concerned with the cost, for he claims the effects of clearing one’s mind is very beneficial to him.
Another interesting aspect of Scientology that Mr. Wall relayed to us was the lack of significance placed upon Sunday chapel services. He told us that services are usually only about 20 minutes long, and only a small number of followers attend these services. Scientologists instead focus more upon the Dianetics aspect of the religion as well as the pursuit of true spiritual freedom. Finally, Mr. Wall explained the role L. Ron Hubbard plays within Scientology. Instead of some messiah-like individual that Hubbard sometimes is portrayed as, Mr. Wall described him simply as an ordinary man who discovered Dianetics and Scientology. Mr. Wall was very helpful in learning about the more personal side of Scientology, which was a nice change of pace.
Responses: Mr. Wall told us that he was raised Catholic, but grew up very discouraged about religion, especially since his mother was somewhat shunned from the church for getting a divorce from her husband. Now 50 years of age, Mr. Wall said he has been an active member of the church for 10 years, and a volunteer in charge of visitor operations for almost 5 years. He claimed that Scientology has really turned his life around and led him to become a much happier and ethically inclined person today. He also claimed that through Dianetics and auditing sessions, his IQ has significantly increased, and his body has been rid of many impurities that were holding him back from being a spiritually free person. Furthermore, Mr. Wall admitted to have been a prior drug-user when he was young, and that Dianetics helped “cleanse” his system completely. Mr. Wall even had the rare opportunity to study with the Scientology’s Sea Organization on a large vessel in international waters, where he said he learned about various books that were essential to Scientology’s history and belief system. This interview and tour was a very helpful experience for our project.
Notes on the interview:
Brian DeVoto:
I enjoyed the time we spent talking with Rick Wall. He was a nice, interesting man that was more than happy to share his experience with the religion and tour us around the Church of Scientology of Stevens Creek. Wall was the “head of visitor’s operations” and worked seven days a week. He was a volunteer! This amazed me. Clearly, the man was more than dedicated to spreading the message of his faith. He spoke with sincerity and a true understanding of the religion’s meanings.
His tour around the church was interesting as well. The building was new, clean, and very modern. I noticed that around every corner there were books and videos about dianetics and Scientology that could be purchased. This was very different to my experiences growing up as a Roman Catholic. There are no bookstores or memorabilia shops in the church I attend in New York. The actual chapel at the Church of Scientology was smaller than the bookstore. I didn’t like this. How can a ‘church’ have less room for ceremonies at its most holy center than it has for selling books and movies?
Another part of the interview that stuck out in my mind was when Wall talked about drugs. He said that since being in Scientology, he has stopped taking any mind altering substances, including alcohol. This is in accordance to the rules of the religion. Nicotine is an addictive, mind altering drug. Wall smelt strongly of cigarettes the entire time. I found this a little ironic but didn’t say anything about it.
Overall I was pretty happy with the interview and tour of the church. To be honest, I was a little intimidated going to the church because of all the crazy stories about scientologists. After walking freely in and out (without being brainwashed) and getting a chance to talk face-to-face with a real scientologist, my initial anxieties dissipated. I’m sure if many more people visit a Scientology Church or ask questions to scientologist, they wouldn’t say all of the negative things about it that the media does now.
Catherine Nally:
My experience interviewing Rick Wall was very interesting. I was initially rather hesitant about going to the Church of Scientology in San Jose. The media and rumors about this particular religion portray it as a cult and as something that should be “feared” and avoided. My partners and I all giggled nervously as we were pulling into the parking lot; we joked about our fear that we might never be able to leave. Immediately upon walking through the doors, however, we were greeted by a friendly man who promptly introduced himself as the secretary of visitor operations.
We explained to Mr. Wall that we were students from Santa Clara University and were taking a religious course that encouraged us to research and explore new and unfamiliar religions. He seemed very excited to have us and offered to take us on a tour of the building.
While walking around the building, Mr. Wall told us a lot about the history and the science behind Scientology. He explained the church in a way that made its teachings a lot clearer for me. All throughout the church were informational posters and books that both described L. Ron Hubbard’s life and career, his interests in the body and the mind, and also his findings on how one’s spirit is affected by pain and hardships in life. Mr. Wall explained these posters in depth.
Throughout the interview, he made it very clear that the Church is there merely to help you achieve happiness and spiritual freedom through training, auditing (another concept he went in depth about) and knowledge. He spoke about his Catholic upbringing and his lack of enthusiasm for the religion. He was discontented as a child and thus found himself searching for something different as an adult. Scientology became the answer he was looking for.
Mr. Wall said that he, like many others who have since joined the church, came to it with great skepticism at first. The media, he said, had influenced his thoughts on what the church was doing and what it valued. As he spent time studying its teachings and ideals, however, he found it to be a place that he could call home. He then said something that I found really fascinating; none of the negativity in the media bothered him. He told us that spirituality and knowledge are things that are always questioned, so just because he KNOWS something to be true doesn’t mean everyone else will be able to do so.
Paul Sanchez:
When I first entered the Church of Scientology of Stevens Creek, I admit I was a little intimidated walking through the front door. This nervousness stemmed from what I heard about Scientologists through word of mouth. I feared I might be pressured to join the tradition or verbally harassed. These pre-conceived notions were silly and impractical though, for a very personable and nice receptionist greeted us when we entered the church. Soon after entering the beautiful and grand church we were greeted by a man by the name of Rick Wall whose title was head of Visitor Operations. He, like all the employees of the church, are purely volunteers who devote time nearly everyday to keep the church running. He informed us about the basic beliefs and practices of Scientology as well as informed us about his personal experience with the religious tradition.
My experience with Mr. Wall really changed my view on Scientologists, for he was an extremely down-to-earth individual who explained how Scientology has had a great impact on his life. Previous to joining the church, Mr. Wall briefly mentioned that he was a somewhat regular drug user, and really didn’t enjoy his life. Scientology helped him to become a drug-free person, and really set him on a quest for higher knowledge and ethical practices. When asked about what he thinks about the negative press and criticisms of Scientology, Mr. Wall assured us that he wasn’t concerned with it whatsoever. Moreover, he made it apparent that his main focus was striving to become a better citizen and worshiper of Scientology. When asked about auditing sessions and Dianetics, Mr. Wall told us he attends auditing sessions every month on a varying schedule. He informed us that the church recommends 12.5 hours of auditing per month, which cost money each time, but he wasn’t concerned with the cost, for he claims the effects of clearing one’s mind is very beneficial to him.
Another interesting aspect of Scientology that Mr. Wall relayed to us was the lack of significance placed upon Sunday chapel services. He told us that services are usually only about 20 minutes long, and only a small number of followers attend these services. Scientologists instead focus more upon the Dianetics aspect of the religion as well as the pursuit of true spiritual freedom. Finally, Mr. Wall explained the role L. Ron Hubbard plays within Scientology. Instead of some messiah-like individual that Hubbard sometimes is portrayed as, Mr. Wall described him simply as an ordinary man who discovered Dianetics and Scientology. Mr. Wall was very helpful in learning about the more personal side of Scientology, which was a nice change of pace.
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