The Church of Scientology

The Church of Scientology

RELS 225Cults and New Religious Movements

RELS 225Cults and New Religious Movements

Slide 2.

ScientologyScientology

• Probably the most controversial NRM in the world

• Legal actions against them• Ontario search warrant in the 1970’s• In Europe for direct government interference.

• Can’t get a German contract• Security can open their mail, wire-tap, investigate bank

records• Why controversial?• Successful• Highly bureaucratic ($300 million / year in the US)

Slide 3.

NRMs in the NewsNRMs in the News• Scientology leader's niece to

reveal 'strange and disturbing' details about life inside church in tell-all memoir

• Jenna Miscavige Hill, 28, is the daughter of Scientology leader David Miscavige's older brother Ron

• She left the church in 2005 and set up a support group for other Scientology deserters

• Ms Miscavige Hill: 'My experience in growing up in Scientology is that it is both mentally and at times physically abusive'

• Book will reveal 'strange and disturbing' details about growing up in the church and will provide a firsthand account of Scientology's 'upper ranks', say publishers (DailyMail)

The Church of Scientology (40:31)

The Church of Scientology (40:31)

Religion or Cult?

Slide 5.

ControversyControversy

• tax-exempt status• claim to be a religion• perceived threats to traditional medicine• Refusing medical help• Lisa McPherson case in the 1990’s

• http://www.lisamcpherson.org/ • First criminal charges

Slide 6.

Lafayette Ronald HubbardLafayette Ronald Hubbard• Born in Tilden, Nebraska• Conventional life, except father was in

Navy.• Bright, eclectic guy; sailor, explorer, charter,

photographer, glider pilot, Navy, roving lost intellect, restless.

• G.W. university – Nuclear physics. Dropped out.

• Wounded in WW2. hospitalized (shell-shocked).

• Veterans admin not helping.• Indiana Jones? Or Fantasy world?

• “You can’t make money writing” You need to start a religion.

Slide 7.

Lafayette Ronald HubbardLafayette Ronald Hubbard• Influenced by Jack Parsons, disciple of

occultist Aleister Crowley• Observing things on the astral plane?• Rituals. As govemment agent? Or not?

• Had read Freud, developed interest in subconscious, and learned psychoanalysis in the Navy.

• First non-fiction book was 1950 Dianetics.• Claimed a cure for anything. All illness is

psychosomatic.• In 1954, asserted legal control over the

movement’s technology.• In 1956, Scientology: The foundations of

thought was published.

Slide 8.

Lafayette Ronald HubbardLafayette Ronald Hubbard

• 1966: Guardian’s Office (GO) founded, to protect the church

• 1970s: illegal activities, leading to:

• 1977 FBI raid. Hubbard’s wife went to jail

• 1980s: restructured• 1986: Hubbard died

Slide 9.

David MiscavigeDavid Miscavige

• 1987-• 1991: major exposé by Time magazine• 1993: IRS tax exemption• 1995: Lisa McPherson died• 2005: Tom Cruse attacks psychiatry

Slide 10.

The WorldThe World

• Thetans got bored and created universes.• Xenu (the head of a galactic federation of

planets) caused thetans to be implanted in humans about 95 million years ago

• Enthralled by their games, they were absorbed into them, and became lost in MEST. They forgot who they were.

Slide 11.

Doctrine of HumansDoctrine of Humans

• humans are essentially spiritual beings• More than mind and body

• Lost thetans• immortal

• “the bridge to freedom” Anti-virus to get rid of encumbrances and recover hidden capacity

• Objective: Become cause, not effect.• Go exterior (not limited by body)

Slide 12.

EngramsEngrams

• Engram: unconscious sensory impressions• Reactive Mind = Unconscious mind; has

corrupted files.• Analytical Mind = conscious mind. Doesn’t make

mistakes.• Unlike psychotherapy, Scientology is

pragmatic; the analytical mind can dispel engrams.

• Each person has 100’s of past lives, yielding engrams.

Slide 13.

AuditingAuditing

• Hubbard’s true genius• Structured form of questioning and

listening• Hundreds of exercises / tests to break

down your basic understanding of who you are and how you can change them.

• Very first self-help• Simultaneously patient and practiser• Helping others.

Slide 14.

StatusStatus

1. Clear• The status of “clear” means having no basic engrams.

2. Operating Thetan (OT)• A Thetan is a static immortal.• Escaping from MEST (reminiscent of Q from Star

Trek) is the quest of the OT.• 8 levels of OT

• Higher levels• Pay-per-use organization:• To reach these, one can pay for courses, or render

services in lieu of payment.

Slide 15.

PromisesPromises

• Freedom from fears• New creative capacity• Improved physical health• Improved appearance• Peace of mind

Slide 16.

Concept of divineConcept of divine

• No doctrine of God.• 8 dynamics.• Urge to exist as

• Self• Sex• Group• Humankind• Animal• Universe• Spiritual• Infinity = God

• Gnostic divine spark

Slide 17.

DeathDeath

• Thetan will be reincarnated

Slide 18.

Good lifeGood life

• Non-prescriptive• No ethics• Extremely litigious; not open to being

studied.• 30-year legal case with IRS• War with psychiatry; medicine, IRS.