Cults steal many things from their members, including happy childhoods. Our early years should be filled with freedom and fun. However, for children raised in cults, childhood can be filled with hard labor and indoctrination. This was the case for Michael Brown. His parents’ involvement with Scientology marked Mike’s childhood in many negative ways. His parents joined Scientology when Mike was seven, following his father, a former US Marine who was wounded in Vietnam, buying a copy of “Dianetics.” Mike’s dad was searching for ways to heal from PTSD when he joined Scientology. Mike moved to California with his mom after his parents’ divorce, and Mike was made to join the Sea Organization or “Sea Org,” a paramilitary section of Scientology.
