Auditing hours are calculated on the basis of an average case. It _could_ cost a lot more. Read on for the full price breakdown.
These prices are taken directly from the latest Flag price list and, in the case of OT8, the Freewinds donation rate list.
Wherever there was missing data on the list, I have estimated the cost based on current prices at Saint Hill organization, England, and indicated this with an asterisk symbol (*). Saint Hill prices come from an insert that accompanies "The Auditor" monthly journal.
Processing is sold by the Church of Scientology in blocks of 12.5 hours at a time. A block of 12.5 hours is known as an "intensive." The second column in the following price table gives a broad but realistic estimate of the number of intensives required to complete each Processing step, for Joe Average. No estimate can be perfect, but it should add up to a good idea of the overall amount of time and money required. It gets more difficult to estimate the time required for the upper OT levels, as this appears to be quite variable. I know several OTVIIs who have been on that level for many years.
Note that these prices are for the "Processing Route" up the "Bridge." Most people get interested in Scientology because they want to attain the results promised - problems handled, greater abilities, OT powers etc etc. And they don't really want to wait for ages to attain these. This requires them to receive Processing. However, as you will see, the price of CoS Processing is astronomically prohibitive.
So what is the alternative? The alternative is to opt for the "Training Route." The idea is that you study how to become an "Auditor" (practitioner), and, working with another student you process each other up the Bridge. This is called "co-auditing" and takes a VERY much longer time to reach eg Clear - you could be talking 7-10 years studying flat out every weekend. The irony of it is that it is still incredibly expensive to do it this way ! It's not until you actually set foot on this route that you begin to see the costs mounting up - you are obliged to buy book after book, tape set after tape set, an "E-meter" costing up to $3,780, (some registrars will try to sell you two - seriously! There is an LRH policy which specifies that a student must have a back up meter in case the first one develops a fault), a full set of "Technical Volumes" ($2,025), Review Auditing - by the intensive - when you and your fellow student run into difficulties, etc etc. For the new recruit, the Training Route cost to Clear is likely to be around a minimum of $50,000. And that's for essential purchases only!
So you couldn't afford the Processing Route, and you soon discover that you can't afford the Training Route either. Anyway, you can't wait that long to go "Clear", and your weekends have all but disappeared. So what can you do now ?
Well, it finally comes down to this. You'll be offered a job working for the organization as a staff member. Wages are virtually non-existent, you work almost ceaselessly morning 'til night with half a day off a week if you meet your 'targets', but you get the offer of free processing (assuming you are somehow able to make the time to get it.) If you bail out before the end of your (2.5 to 5 year) contract, you'll have to pay for any such free auditing received. I know people who were stuck on staff for 10 years who NEVER MOVED on the Bridge, they were too busy working working working. Having said that, some orgs are now pushing to get new people signed up onto the "Tech Training Corps" in an effort to create more auditors. Same conditions as above I'm afraid, but you should *eventually* get trained on the Training Route up to the lower OT levels. It SHOULD work a bit like the co-audit mentioned above, but expect to have your new found auditing abilities FULLY exploited by your new bosses in auditing the public. Your PCs will be paying a fortune, but you won't be seeing any of the money!
So really, in the end, there is only one conclusion to be drawn. There is something seriously flawed in the way Scientology is administered by the Church, when it creates these structures that prohibit the majority from attaining what they sought and were promised. On average, the Church creates "hopeless hopefuls", always trying to find more credit for that elusive next step on the Bridge. At worst, it creates worn out working machines with great chunks of their lives missing. People eventually give up. If you're not a celebrity or a very rich businessman, you'll be in for a few surprises.
However, all is not lost! The benefits of Scientology processing are still there to be had, at sensible prices and from experienced clearing practitioners, many of whom worked directly with LRH for years. You'll find them all around the globe, and they will help you achieve your goals, using both traditional techniques and new advances in technology. Welcome to the Free Zone. To find out more, your best bet is to subscribe to the Free Zone's own USENET NewsGroup - alt.clearing.technology - and introduce yourself when you feel ready.
Okay. Here is the long awaited CoS (Flag) processing price list, from "Raw Meat" to OT8, with a glimpse beyond even that.
========== ========== ========= ===== Processing Intensives Cost per Total Step Required Intensive Cost or Course (IAS) ========== ========== ========= ===== Life Repair 2 x 12.5 hr $5,600 $11,200 Purification RD ----------- $2,560 $2,560 TRs & Objectives 2 x 12.5 hr $5,600 $11,200 Scn Drug Rundown 2 x 12.5 hr $5,600 $11,200 ARC Straightwire 2 x 12.5 hr $5,600 $11,200 Grade 0 3 x 12.5 hr $5,600 $16,800 Grade 1 2 x 12.5 hr $5,600 $11,200 Grade 2 2 x 12.5 hr $5,600 $11,200 Grade 3 2 x 12.5 hr $5,600 $11,200 Grade 4 2 x 12.5 hr $5,600 $11,200 New Era Dianetics 3 x 12.5 hr $5,600 $16,800 Clear Certainty RD 1 x 5 hr $2,800 $2,800 SUB-TOTAL TO CLEAR $128,560 *Solo Course Part 1 ----------- $3,200 $3,200 *OT Preparations 2 x 12.5 hr $3,300 $6,600 *Solo Course Part 2 ----------- $1,900 $1,900 *OT Eligibility 2 x 12.5 hr $3,300 $6,600 *OT I ----------- $2,000 $2,000 *OT II ----------- $3,800 $3,800 *OT III ----------- $6,500 $6,500 OT IV ?2 x 12.5 hr $6,500 $13,000 OT V 4 x 12.5 hr $7,400 $29,600 OT VI set-ups 2 x 12.5 hr $9,250 $18,500 OT VI ----------- $12,800 $12,800 Pledge Intensive 1 x 12.5 hr $9,250 $9,250 OT VII ----------- $3,500 $3,500 OT VII C/Sing (per year) over 2 years $3,200 $6,400 OT VIII ----------- $10,000 $10,000 OT VIII auditing ?2 x 12.5 hr $7,400 $14,800 TOTAL BILL FROM RAW MEAT TO OT VIII $277,010 ========
Now that assumes you don't run into any significant trouble along the way. Better round it up to at least $290,000 to allow for review auditing when things go wrong.These prices have already had the IAS (International Association of Scientologists) discount deducted. Of course, there are other discounts to consider, usually given for buying up as much as you can in advance. Let's be very generous and knock it down to $250,000 (16% discount over the whole bridge)
While you have been progressing up the OT levels, you have increasingly been expected to "disemminate" - ie get other people interested and signed up for CoS services.
This reached a peak when you hit OT VIII - here's the catch: OT IX and X will not be released until all organizations wordwide have reached the size of "Old Saint Hill" (Saint Hill organization, England, which did very well during the time LRH was there in the 1960s.) You are expected to get very active in the field of dissemination to try to make the release of these next OT levels a reality. I have to say that I don't see it happening, given the poor state that many organizations are currently in, coupled with the prohibitive CoS management policies!
Further, all of a sudden the Processing and Training Routes have merged at the (current CoS) "top" of the Bridge. Before you can qualify for OT IX, you will have to take the mammoth "Saint Hill Special Briefing Course" - training to become an Auditor - and buy its associated course materials. Alternatively, you must take all the lower-level training courses from Level 0 to Level V Graduate plus five other "specialist" courses.
Chances are high that, on your way from Clear to OT8, you will have succumbed to the temptation to do the three most expensive and "prestigious" rundowns in the CoS arsenal - the "L Rundowns" (there are plenty of extra rundowns for you to take that are not specifically "on the Bridge".) You will very probably have done the "Key to Life" and "Life Orientation Course" too.
So to bring you right up to date, let's add these on to the $250,000 which you have spent so far:
========== ========== ========= ===== Step/Course/ Intensives Cost per Total Materials Required Intensive Cost required or Course (IAS) ========== ========== ========= ===== To OT VIII (with mass discounts) $250,000 Saint Hill Special Briefing Course ------------ $25,600 *Briefing Course materials (including 30% discount when all bought at once - if you can afford to)------------ $18,390 SHSBC Total $43,990 ======= [ALTERNATIVE: Lower "Levels" and Specialist Training Courses. (see below for price breakdown) $56,000] ======= Key to Life and Life Orientation Courses ------------ $11,500 $11,500 L10 min. 2 x 12.5 hrs $10,000 $20,000 L11 min. 2 x 12.5 hrs $10,000 $20,000 L12 min. 2 x 12.5 hrs $10,000 $20,000 REVISED TOTAL - NOW READY FOR OT IX (if/when) $364,490 - $376,500 ============ Let's just say $365K - 380K ============ ================================================================== Lower Bridge "Levels" and "Specialist" training if taken instead of Saint Hill Special Briefing Course ================================================================== Yearly IAS membership, say seven years at $300 per annum (or Lifetime membership) $2,100 Mark Super VII E-meter $3,780 Student Hat Course $960 * The Study Tapes $425 New Hubbard Professional TR Course $2,400 * Clay Table Processing Picture Book $100 * Dianetics 55! Book $40 * Technical Dictionary $90 * PRO TR Course Lectures (on cassette) $240 Hubbard Professional Upper Indoc TR Course $1,000 * Freedom Congress Lectures (on cassette) $590 Academy Level 0 Course $2,400 * Level 0 Lectures (on cassette) $240 * Self Analysis Book $18 [Full Set of Tech Volumes] $2,025 Academy Level I Course $2,400 * Level I Lectures (on cassette) $375 * Problems of Work Book $18 Academy Level II Course $2,400 * Level II Lectures (on cassette) $590 * Fundamentals of Thought Book $18 Academy Level III Course $2,400 * Level III Lectures (on cassette) $240 * Scientology 0-8 Book $18 Academy Level IV Course $2,400 * Level IV Lectures (on cassette) $240 * Handbook for Pre-Clears Book $40 * Advance Procedures & Axioms Book $40 Academy Level IV Internship $1,600 Class V Hubbard New Era Dianetics Course $3,600 * NED Lectures (on cassette) $180 * Dianetics Book $21 Class V NED Auditor Internship $1,600 Hubbard Class V Graduate Auditor Course $3,600 * Class V Graduate Auditor Lectures $300 * Science of Survival Book $52 * Case Remedies Book $40 * The Troubleshooter $700 Class V Graduate Auditor Internship $1,600 Sub Total $40,880 =======
(Special note: Those taking the co-audit Training Route to Clear to avoid the prohibitive processing costs, note that in addition to the above you will have to purchase 1) Purification Rundown, 2) Method One Co-audit, 3) E-meter Course, 4) TRs and Objectives, 5) Scientology Drug Rundown Co-audit Course, and all associated materials. You will also need to fork out for expensive Review Auditing to correct any mistakes made in your co-audit. Approximate total additional cost = $10,000)
Required Specialist courses --------------------------- Hubbard Happiness Rundown Auditor Course $1,200 PTS/SP Course $1,200 PTS/SP Auditor Course $2,000 Hubbard Senior Security Checker Course $2,400 Hubbard Senior Security Checker Auditor Internship $1,600 Hubbard False Purpose Rundown Auditor Course $2,400 Hubbard False Purpose Rundown Auditor Internship $1,600 PDH Detection and Handling Course $1,200 Tapes, books etc for above (estimated) $1,500 Total for Lower Levels and Specialist Training $55,980 That's $56,000 =======