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My Billion Year Contract
To a young, teenage girl, Scientology seemed to be just what the author was looking a way to improve herself and attain spiritual enlightenment. But it was only after she joined Scientology's elite inner circle, the Sea Organization, and signed a Billion Year contract that she she discovered the dark world of fanaticism and abuse at the center of Scientology's vast empire.
For more than two decades she worked at all levels of the organization, from serving as a personal aide to the founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, who placed her in charge of the religion's worldwide expansion to becoming the head of Celebrity Center in Los Angeles, the organization that caters to Scientology's celebrity members.
Early in her Scientology career, she spent five years as a covert agent engaged in espionage activities for the Church's shadowy Guardian's Office. After leaving the Sea Org, she spent an additional two years as an undercover operative for the "reformed" Guardian's Office, the Office of Special Affairs which continued the same pattern of covert intelligence and dirty tricks against the Church's perceived enemies while using intense legal attacks and bolstered by hired private investigators. She personally experienced the Sea Organization's Rehabilitation Project Force; a labor camp where erring members are "reeducated".
When her loyalty came into question she was subjected to weeks of grueling interrogation, ending up in restraints after being rushed to a hospital by ambulance, unable to even recognize her own husband.
It is a shocking story of abuse, imprisonment, espionage, lies, mental torture and suicide-vital reading for anyone who wants to know what goes on behind Scientology's curtain.
For more than two decades she worked at all levels of the organization, from serving as a personal aide to the founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, who placed her in charge of the religion's worldwide expansion to becoming the head of Celebrity Center in Los Angeles, the organization that caters to Scientology's celebrity members.
Early in her Scientology career, she spent five years as a covert agent engaged in espionage activities for the Church's shadowy Guardian's Office. After leaving the Sea Org, she spent an additional two years as an undercover operative for the "reformed" Guardian's Office, the Office of Special Affairs which continued the same pattern of covert intelligence and dirty tricks against the Church's perceived enemies while using intense legal attacks and bolstered by hired private investigators. She personally experienced the Sea Organization's Rehabilitation Project Force; a labor camp where erring members are "reeducated".
When her loyalty came into question she was subjected to weeks of grueling interrogation, ending up in restraints after being rushed to a hospital by ambulance, unable to even recognize her own husband.
It is a shocking story of abuse, imprisonment, espionage, lies, mental torture and suicide-vital reading for anyone who wants to know what goes on behind Scientology's curtain.
358 pages, Hardcover
First published September 12, 2009
31 people are currently reading
320 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Many
1 book3 followersNancy Many was a Scientologist for over 20 years. Many worked as a covert agent for Scientology’s investigative division called the Guardian’s Office. She later worked for its replacement division called the Office of Special Affairs or OSA.
Nancy Many also experienced the horrors of the Sea Organization’s Rehabilitation Project Force. The RPF is a program designed by L. Ron Hubbard that degrades and punishes Sea Org members. Sea Org members can spend years on the RPF trying to make amends.
Many has written a book about her time in Scientology called My Billion Year Contract: Memoir of a Scientologist.
Nancy Many also experienced the horrors of the Sea Organization’s Rehabilitation Project Force. The RPF is a program designed by L. Ron Hubbard that degrades and punishes Sea Org members. Sea Org members can spend years on the RPF trying to make amends.
Many has written a book about her time in Scientology called My Billion Year Contract: Memoir of a Scientologist.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 27, 2013
If every last allegation that Church of Scientology (CoS) defector Nancy Many charges in My Billion Year Contract is true, then her book should inspire several FBI raids and a Lifetime mini-series to rival any Charles Manson documentary. But even if just some of her trials really happened — we'll leave that debate to Many and her ex-cronies — her new memoir might still be the most shocking nonfiction work featured at this week's American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in Boston.
The title of Many's tell-all refers to a pledge that the Greater Boston native signed in 1972, when she was an impressionable Salem State sophomore. As a perfect personal and spiritual storm flooded her life, she found in Scientology a refuge offering sympathetic friends with sensible advice. Better yet, since ringleader L. Ron Hubbard was recruiting servants in New England at that time, Many earned an opportunity to join his inner-circle Sea Organization (thus making her a high-ranking church official) at the onset of her involvement. It felt natural; she left college and eventually moved to CoS headquarters in Clearwater, Florida.
Having agreed to "fully and without reservation subscribe to the discipline" dictated by superiors, Many says she performed duties ranging from the mundane to the malicious. As a registrar, she lured in new recruits — including celebrities who she does not name — and sold hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of courses, books, and services. Later, as a spy for Hubbard's secret-intelligence unit, she claims to have infiltrated the mental-health-care community (a perceived enemy of Scientology's) in Boston. (Many claims that one of her associates — another mole involved in the now-infamous Operation Snow White reconnaissance missions, for which several CoS honchos were jailed — found janitorial employment with Boston Globe attorneys in order to steal files regarding that newspaper's developing exposé on Scientology.)
My Billion Year Contract is a horror story. At one juncture, seemingly overnight, Many is extracted from her leadership role, separated from family members, and forced to perform hard labor and live in a parking garage. She was five-months pregnant at the time; the experience steered her toward a complete mental meltdown, and onto a trajectory that ultimately led to her deserting the church in 1996 and testifying against former associates.
Many will be joined by foes and allies at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center this week. The anti-Scientology group Anonymous is expected to demonstrate outside the ALA conference, while representatives from the CoS-related Galaxy Press and Bridge Publications will also be onsite (though the latter will not be exhibiting). It took a journey to Clearwater and back for her to realize it, but Many says her years as a Dianetics pitch girl prepped her well for a new, much happier life away from Scientology.
"I started in Boston, selling books, so this is going to be full circle," says Many, who used to average 30 sales a day in Copley Square and the Logan Airport terminals. "I have no real idea what to expect. Basically, I just want this book out there so it gets read. I'm not in it for the money. This is about the psychosis and mental abuse that I suffered. I'm in it to help people."
From my Boston Phoenix review: http://thephoenix.com/boston/arts/955...
The title of Many's tell-all refers to a pledge that the Greater Boston native signed in 1972, when she was an impressionable Salem State sophomore. As a perfect personal and spiritual storm flooded her life, she found in Scientology a refuge offering sympathetic friends with sensible advice. Better yet, since ringleader L. Ron Hubbard was recruiting servants in New England at that time, Many earned an opportunity to join his inner-circle Sea Organization (thus making her a high-ranking church official) at the onset of her involvement. It felt natural; she left college and eventually moved to CoS headquarters in Clearwater, Florida.
Having agreed to "fully and without reservation subscribe to the discipline" dictated by superiors, Many says she performed duties ranging from the mundane to the malicious. As a registrar, she lured in new recruits — including celebrities who she does not name — and sold hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of courses, books, and services. Later, as a spy for Hubbard's secret-intelligence unit, she claims to have infiltrated the mental-health-care community (a perceived enemy of Scientology's) in Boston. (Many claims that one of her associates — another mole involved in the now-infamous Operation Snow White reconnaissance missions, for which several CoS honchos were jailed — found janitorial employment with Boston Globe attorneys in order to steal files regarding that newspaper's developing exposé on Scientology.)
My Billion Year Contract is a horror story. At one juncture, seemingly overnight, Many is extracted from her leadership role, separated from family members, and forced to perform hard labor and live in a parking garage. She was five-months pregnant at the time; the experience steered her toward a complete mental meltdown, and onto a trajectory that ultimately led to her deserting the church in 1996 and testifying against former associates.
Many will be joined by foes and allies at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center this week. The anti-Scientology group Anonymous is expected to demonstrate outside the ALA conference, while representatives from the CoS-related Galaxy Press and Bridge Publications will also be onsite (though the latter will not be exhibiting). It took a journey to Clearwater and back for her to realize it, but Many says her years as a Dianetics pitch girl prepped her well for a new, much happier life away from Scientology.
"I started in Boston, selling books, so this is going to be full circle," says Many, who used to average 30 sales a day in Copley Square and the Logan Airport terminals. "I have no real idea what to expect. Basically, I just want this book out there so it gets read. I'm not in it for the money. This is about the psychosis and mental abuse that I suffered. I'm in it to help people."
From my Boston Phoenix review: http://thephoenix.com/boston/arts/955...
November 4, 2014
After reading this for a second time, I began to notice some inconsistencies in Nancy Many's narrative. It could be nothing more but the standard exaggerations many of us will make when describing an experience to make a more specific point about its effects on our emotional state of being; but, it did make me a little more skeptical about some of the more outrageous behavior she claimed she saw at the top of Scientology's ecclesiastic heights.
There's an interesting contradiction between Nancy's personality, experiences, and beliefs. She struggles with reconciling these different facets of her experiences within Scientology; and I think that's the real unspoken focus of the book itself.
Treat it more like a memoir than a cultural study, and it is more enjoyable.
There's an interesting contradiction between Nancy's personality, experiences, and beliefs. She struggles with reconciling these different facets of her experiences within Scientology; and I think that's the real unspoken focus of the book itself.
Treat it more like a memoir than a cultural study, and it is more enjoyable.
August 6, 2017
Memoir by Nancy Many
Interesting book, however Ms Many expresses herself in a very kind fashion, while she was treated like a criminal--a pregnant criminal, and I believe the book would have been far more interesting had she expressed herself in a more human way. Scientology is a vicious cult and should be noted as such.
Interesting book, however Ms Many expresses herself in a very kind fashion, while she was treated like a criminal--a pregnant criminal, and I believe the book would have been far more interesting had she expressed herself in a more human way. Scientology is a vicious cult and should be noted as such.
September 23, 2012
Had an interst in learning about Scientology. This book was written by a former member and was very "scary" to say the least.
May 8, 2024
Among ex scientologist memoirs, this one stands out. Nancy Many was in this destructive cult for decades. She worked for the Guardian's Office, of Operation Snow White fame. She worked directly with L Ron Hubbard. She spent part of her first pregnancy in the RPF, scientology's version of a gulag. She worked for OSA.
When Hubbard died, things changed for Sea Org Members. David Miscavige, the absolute dictator of the cult, needed to cull the executive strata in order to cement his position, which he had assumed upon LRH's death. As with so many others, Many became desperately unhappy in scientology. At this point she was audited into psychosis.
What makes her book so special is that she describes the experience of losing her mind in such exquisite detail. As I have fortunately never suffered such a break, her words taught me a lot. She is a writer with a fine turn of phrase, memorable imagery, poetry if you will, within her words. I learned as near as possible how it feels to suffer a psychotic break.
Though out of her mind, Many always knew and never forgot that it was caused by "bad tech" - direct damage had been done to her by her auditor. Initially, she thought they could rectify it by applying correct tech. What they did instead was to abandon her. Left her to her fate. She was saved by her own intelligence and the love of her husband, who held her throughout.
Nancy Many went on to help others who had suffered as she had. Based on my year long plus study of the cult, including about 20 books thus far and countless SPTV videos, her experience is not unique. Scientology drives people out of their minds and to suicide. In spite of it all, Nancy Many has achieved a successful and reasonably happy life, well deserved. I highly recommend her book.
When Hubbard died, things changed for Sea Org Members. David Miscavige, the absolute dictator of the cult, needed to cull the executive strata in order to cement his position, which he had assumed upon LRH's death. As with so many others, Many became desperately unhappy in scientology. At this point she was audited into psychosis.
What makes her book so special is that she describes the experience of losing her mind in such exquisite detail. As I have fortunately never suffered such a break, her words taught me a lot. She is a writer with a fine turn of phrase, memorable imagery, poetry if you will, within her words. I learned as near as possible how it feels to suffer a psychotic break.
Though out of her mind, Many always knew and never forgot that it was caused by "bad tech" - direct damage had been done to her by her auditor. Initially, she thought they could rectify it by applying correct tech. What they did instead was to abandon her. Left her to her fate. She was saved by her own intelligence and the love of her husband, who held her throughout.
Nancy Many went on to help others who had suffered as she had. Based on my year long plus study of the cult, including about 20 books thus far and countless SPTV videos, her experience is not unique. Scientology drives people out of their minds and to suicide. In spite of it all, Nancy Many has achieved a successful and reasonably happy life, well deserved. I highly recommend her book.
June 17, 2017
Excellent expose of a fraudulent business calling itself a religion
Another very necessary expose of the evil spirited business masquerading as a religion. The fact that they have tax exempt status is a disgrace to every tax paying business in the helping field and that the so called church practices medicine without any recognized training or license. Long story but worth the time and effort.
Another very necessary expose of the evil spirited business masquerading as a religion. The fact that they have tax exempt status is a disgrace to every tax paying business in the helping field and that the so called church practices medicine without any recognized training or license. Long story but worth the time and effort.
March 23, 2019
This book was interesting as an expose of the inside of some of Scientology's deeper and more secret crevices. However, the memoir format, and the poor editing (it seems to have been self-published and to not have been professionally edited) definitely hurt it a bit. I'm still glad I read it, though.
July 30, 2021
Non fiction - Scientology horror story
July 20, 2020
Great read
It takes alot of bravery to speak up and out. I've heard other stories of people in this organization and I'm glad they are telling their stories. It could encourage others to be brave and hopefully save more lives from ruin.
It takes alot of bravery to speak up and out. I've heard other stories of people in this organization and I'm glad they are telling their stories. It could encourage others to be brave and hopefully save more lives from ruin.
September 27, 2014
Nancy Many's story is not dissimilar to may Scientology survivors: As a curious young college student she was sucked in with the organization's sales pitch, not realizing what was happening as she was fleeced of her money and freedom until she found herself working feverishly for pennies hard-selling the organization's products. One of the lowest points actually comes very early on in the book as she is assigned the dreaded RPF, or Rehabilitation Task Force, a kind of hard-labor prison program where she has to sleep in a hastily constructed shed in a parking garage and is only allowed to eat leftovers. This occurs while she is five months pregnant.
Not surprisingly, she decides to get out, or "blow", and escapes not only the RPF but Scientology completely. Imagine my surprise to note that all of this occurs about a third of the way through the book. So what's the rest, you ask? Kind of a confused mess, I hate to say. Nancy escapes actually having to live in the Scientology centers, but she stays affiliated with Scientology, even doing undercover spy work for the OSA (Office of Special Affairs, basically the dirty tricks division). The first third of the book is tightly written and easy to understand, but the last two thirds is kind of a mess; I went from thinking she'd just escaped Scientology entirely to her working as a sales rep and spying for the OSA. Eventually during a "Security check", what sounds like basically going into a small room and having someone yell at you for hours on end, she has a complete mental break. This is harrowingly written and genuinely scary. After this she kind of just rambles for a while until the book ends.
This isn't a bad book, but I feel like the author got more from writing it than you may from reading it, if you get my drift. I don't know if it was really that disjointed and muddled or if it seemed that way because I was reading it on my ipod. Either way, I don't feel like reading the book was a waste of time, but unless you're really interested in the genre you may want to take a pass.
Not surprisingly, she decides to get out, or "blow", and escapes not only the RPF but Scientology completely. Imagine my surprise to note that all of this occurs about a third of the way through the book. So what's the rest, you ask? Kind of a confused mess, I hate to say. Nancy escapes actually having to live in the Scientology centers, but she stays affiliated with Scientology, even doing undercover spy work for the OSA (Office of Special Affairs, basically the dirty tricks division). The first third of the book is tightly written and easy to understand, but the last two thirds is kind of a mess; I went from thinking she'd just escaped Scientology entirely to her working as a sales rep and spying for the OSA. Eventually during a "Security check", what sounds like basically going into a small room and having someone yell at you for hours on end, she has a complete mental break. This is harrowingly written and genuinely scary. After this she kind of just rambles for a while until the book ends.
This isn't a bad book, but I feel like the author got more from writing it than you may from reading it, if you get my drift. I don't know if it was really that disjointed and muddled or if it seemed that way because I was reading it on my ipod. Either way, I don't feel like reading the book was a waste of time, but unless you're really interested in the genre you may want to take a pass.
April 15, 2010
Nancy Many writes about her personal experiences as a ranking member of Scientology's "Sea Org" and how she came to leave Scientology. A moving story detailing some of the horrible practices used by Scientology's leadership to keep the membership in line and to milk money from those 'believers' and followers of L. Ron Hubbard.
June 30, 2011
Lots of interesting insight into Scientology and their cult, but I had a hard time following some of it. There was a little too much about her mental ups and downs that appeared to come from her personal journal. I got it...and didn't really need a play by play of how she was feeling.
Yay for her for recognizing and acknowledging what they were doing to her and getting out.
Yay for her for recognizing and acknowledging what they were doing to her and getting out.
March 4, 2015
I did not care for the book. Needed to educate myself on the subject of Scientology. I felt I did accomplish that. How people let themselves fall under that kind of mind control is amazing to me. Cults that hide behind political and and religious ideology will always be around, unfortunately, continuing to brainwash and control anyone that Is open to it.
July 25, 2012
A shocking look behind the facade of Scientology. I read this book out of pure curiosity. It was honestly one of the craziest things I have ever read. You wouldn't believe what is hidden beneath the guise of "becoming a better person."
January 8, 2016
Touching and fascinating, the €hurch of $cientology has in the last few years begun to lose many of its historic - sea org - administrative staff members, Nancy Many is one of them. Her story is mind blowing. A must for those of you who really want to understand the truth.
January 29, 2016
This was really interesting as this was written by someone who saw both the good and bad in her choice to follow Scientology and it was a well written and balanced account of her journey.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews