The Dianetics book was a jump-off point for Scientology. As the religion has aged, many more beliefs and rituals have been incorporated. These often involve large donations to the church and its administrators. The high price tag of Scientology has made the religion especially attractive to elite celebrities, who may feel that they can buy their way to serenity through Scientology. (More on Scientology's most notable members here.)
On their website, The Church of Scientology describes itself as "a religion that offers a precise path leading to a complete and certain understanding of one's true spiritual nature and one's relationship to self, family, groups, Mankind, all life forms, the material universe, the spiritual universe, and the Supreme Being." It states its goal as "true spiritual enlightenment and freedom for all."(1) This is astoundingly ambiguous, likely due to the church's strict confidentiality and privacy policies. In some areas, church-goers are required to sign a contract before they may participate in an orientation. Thanks to the internet and websites like YouTube, some Scientology orientations have been leaked to the public against the church's wishes. The following video is part 1 of a leaked Scientology orientation film from 1996, and contains (uncredited) testimonials from popular Scientologists such as John Travolta and Kirstie Alley(2).
The version of Scientology the church portrays to the public barely scratches its surface, largely due to its confidentiality agreements. However, like any popular phenomenon in the age of the internet, there is always someone willing to share. I will attempt to shed some light on some of the specific aspects of Scientology, using information from the church's descriptions in combination with Scientology defectors' versions of the truth.
1. What is Scientology? Scientology. Retrieved from http://www.scientology.ca/what-is-scientology.html
2. Church of Scientology (Producer). (1996). Orientation: A Scientology information film [Film]. United States" Golden Era Productions.
The version of Scientology the church portrays to the public barely scratches its surface, largely due to its confidentiality agreements. However, like any popular phenomenon in the age of the internet, there is always someone willing to share. I will attempt to shed some light on some of the specific aspects of Scientology, using information from the church's descriptions in combination with Scientology defectors' versions of the truth.
The Cross
The Church of Scientology utilizes a cross that appears suspiciously similar to the Christian cross. However, the ideas it represents are very different from those of the crucifixion of Christianity. On their website, The Church of Scientology claims that "the horizontal bar represents the material universe, and the vertical bar represents the spirit. Thus, the spirit is seen to be rising triumphantly, ultimately transcending the turmoil of the physical universe to achieve salvation."(1)
The cross representing The Church of Scientology.
Auditing
The Scientological practice of auditing bears some resemblance to the Catholic practice of confession. However, the Church of Scientology believes that this practice will aid an individual in realizing a set of "hidden abilities," which can range from increasing one's body weight, to healing through touch, to telepathy(3).
Thetans
The name given to human souls. Scientologists believe that thetans are immortal beings (of alien descent, see the description of Xenu below) that inhabit human bodies. When a person dies, or rather when a thetan abandons its human capsule, it travels to a "landing station" on the planet Venus. Here, the local Venusians capsule the thetan and send it back to earth (specifically, into the ocean off the coast of California). Hubbard is quoted by Joel Sappell and Robert Welkos as describing the process of "re-implantation," that is, finding a new human capsule, as "wander[ing] through the cities [to] find some girl who looks like she's going to get married or have a baby or something like that," or "find[ing] the maternity ward to a hospital or something . . . [and] just eventually pick[ing] up a baby."(4)
Xenu
Xenu was the dictator responsible for transporting billions of his kind (Teegeeack, an alien race) to earth, and subsequently killing them all off with hydrogen bombs. The souls of these aliens were to become the thetans.
These stories make it poignantly clear, even without prior knowledge, that Hubbard got his start in the science fiction industry. The frequent tales of interstellar travel and aliens would fit in seamlessly with some of his fictional works. He has even termed the collective adventures of Xenu and the thetans "The Space Opera."
References:1. What is Scientology? Scientology. Retrieved from http://www.scientology.ca/what-is-scientology.html
2. Church of Scientology (Producer). (1996). Orientation: A Scientology information film [Film]. United States" Golden Era Productions.
3. Hubbard, L. R. (1968). Introduction to Scientology ethics. United States: Bridge Publications
4. Sappell, J & Welkos, R. W. (1990, June 24). Defining the theology. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/local/la-scientologysidea062490-story.html
4. Sappell, J & Welkos, R. W. (1990, June 24). Defining the theology. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/local/la-scientologysidea062490-story.html
Touretzky, D. S. (2003). Scientology's abusive release forms. Retrieved from http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Scientology/ReleaseForms/