
The Advanced Ability Center was a breakaway organization from the
Church of Scientology established by former Scientologist David Mayo after he left the Church in February 1983, a time when most of
Scientology's upper and middle management was removed following the formation of the
Religious Technology Center (RTC) and RTC head
David Miscavige's restructuring of the church.
David Mayo had been Hubbard's own
auditor
An auditor is a person or a firm appointed by a company to execute an audit.Practical Auditing, Kul Narsingh Shrestha, 2012, Nabin Prakashan, Nepal To act as an auditor, a person should be certified by the regulatory authority of accounting an ...
.
The Advanced Ability Center later became the Theta International movement and was also known as the Church of the New Civilization.
Mayo taught material from the
upper part of The Bridge of the Scientology organization in the Advanced Ability Center. A division of the Advanced Ability Center was closed down again in 1984 under pressure from the main organization.
According to ''Perspectives on the New Age'' edited by
James R. Lewis and
J. Gordon Melton and published in 1992, the Advanced Ability Center formed in
Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
was in competition with the Scientology organization in
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
.
David Mayo
Mayo joined Scientology in 1957 as a staff member, and joined the
Sea Org in 1968. He trained with
L. Ron Hubbard up to the level of Class XII auditor and worked with Hubbard on the
OT levels 5 to 7. Mayo had been L. Ron Hubbard's auditor and rose to the position of Senior Case Supervisor International in the Church of Scientology. He was ousted during
David Miscavige's struggle for power,
declared suppressive and sentenced to the "
running program" (physical punishment) in 1982. Mayo escaped and founded the Advanced Ability Center.
Religious Technology Center sued Mayo in Los Angeles federal court claiming intellectual property infringement, filed a
RICO
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization.
RICO was ...
suit, and started an extensive
harassment campaign against him and AAC. Mayo countersued, and RTC was sanctioned millions of dollars. In 1985, Scientology successfully enjoined Mayo from selling Scientology services and AAC was bankrupted and closed by 1986.
See also
*
Free Zone (Scientology)
References
Free Zone (Scientology)
Scientology
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