The following is an excerpt from a Boston Globe article on cults by Sally Jacobs, published in the edition of Tuesday, May 23, 1995. ----- Begin Boston Globe excerpt ---- Few have allegedly bridged the gap between the spiritual and the commercial better than the Church of Scientology. For more than 15 years, its nonprofit World Institute of Scientology Enterprises has been marketing church founder L. Ron Hubbard's management technology to businesses, including some of the nation's largest. Between 1988 and 1991, for example, hundreds of Allstate workers received Scientology management training from an outside consultant and church member hired by the company. Allstate spokesman ASl Orendorf says that the company was unaware of the Scientology link for several years, adding, "The truth of the matter is we did drop the ball several years ago as regards to this training." Church spokesmen stress that WISE training is not used to recruit people into the church, but some participants harshly disagree. Peter Farrell, a veterinarian in Burnt Hills, N.Y., says that within days of signing up for a Hubbard management course offered by Sterling Management Inc., he was being urged to participate in a Church of Scientology program to work out some personal issues. Inspired by the trainer's upbeat attitude, Farrell said yes. For days, Farrell sat with his eyes closed performing training routines over and over. He drifted into a trance-like state and had visions of former lives. At the program's end, Farrell had spent $25,000 and handed over an advance payment of $34,000 for future classes. His wife promptly called a cult exit counselor and Farrell never took another class. It's a very effective marketing strategy," said Farrell. "They have identified an area where people need help, in their business and in their personal lives, and they promote themselves as providers of the answers to all those problems. I mean, it's one-stop shopping and who doesn't want that?" ---- end Boston Globe excerpt -------