Scientology is a religion characterized by controversy. The images that will be conjured in one’s mind by the very mention of this religion will differ drastically from person to person, depending on where they stand in relation to it. These differences are more pronounced in Scientology, I would argue, than in any of the other religions will we encounter this year. Most either see it as an empowering and practical religious philosophy, or as a blood-sucking, money-grubbing, important-noun-being-verbed cult. Or at the very least, a suspicious bunch of people who seem really keen on helping you out.

I’ll admit I have spent a lot of time in the later camp, with most of my information having come from secondary sources who definitely had their own opinion on the matter. I figured now would be a good opportunity to investigate this religion myself, to do what Scientologists seem to recommend every time they are met with criticisms and accusations- to read the material and make my own conclusions.

This introduction, while making mention of the conflict of source materials and perspectives on Scientology, will not be overly concerned with the perspective of those critical to the religion. I seek only to give an overview of the teachings and practices of Scientology and Dianetics, and to make mention of the rather large body of resistance that has spring up over the years which tends to bring Scientology in and out of the public eye.

With that said, let’s get to it.

L. Ron Hubbard

Right away we come to a figure that has two very distinct faces, depending on your point of view. The founder of Scientology is often characterized as a messiah by his followers and a madman by his critics. One side piles on accolades and claims that he was a humanitarian and generally one of the good guys. The other points out an often hysterical and unreasonable attitude, and in his later years an increasing dependency on prescription pills. Again, I will do my best to give the bare facts with a nod to the very different interpretations.

Before his work on Dianetics and the founding of the Church of Scientology, Lafayette Ronald Hubbard was a science fiction writer, and an American naval officer during World War 2. As his father was also employed in the Naval service, he spent most of his youth traveling around the world with his family. This gave young L. Ron the chance to explore other cultures and philosophies, which some claim he then used to great effect in creating Dianetics and Scientology.

His literary work was not made up solely of science fiction, as can be misconstrued by how often his critics bring it up in order to cast doubt on the veracity of his religion. I myself was surprised to find that he had many different genres of novellas and stories published in pulp magazines and such. He was even the Guinness World Record holder in 2006 for most works published and translated. L. Ron certainly accomplished a lot in his life, even before he started Dianetics.

Dianetics

After much study and practice, L. Ron Hubbard came up with what he called a ‘new science of mental health.’ Dianetics is a method by which one can rid themselves of their limitations and frustrations, and allow them to achieve greater insight into themselves, as well as better their behavior and even raise their IQ. Although Scientologists and perhaps some practitioners of Dianetics may disagree with the comparison, you could liken Dianetics as an alternative to psychology and psychiatry. They both profess to solve more or less the same problems, though Dianetics posits that all mental ills and many physical ailments can be cured simply by clearing what Hubbard called the reactive mind.

The reactive mind refers to our unconscious mind, the things that get recorded when we don’t realize it. The reactive mind contains negative, hurtful memories called engrams. These are little mental pictures of traumatic events in our past that influence the rest of our analytical, conscious mind. Everything from what happens around us at birth, to the music playing when our car crashes, to what we hear when we during surgery when we are under general anesthetic. It all gets recorded in our minds which then can negatively effect our behavior and hold back our true potential.

Dianetics then gives us the means to treat our reactive minds, to clear it of all traumatic thought so that we can live freely. L. Ron claimed that most of our physical ills are in fact psychosomatic, that everything from arthritis, asthma, ulcers, and the common cold could be cured by reaching the state of ‘Clear’. This is done through a process called ‘auditing’, during which the patient or ‘pre-clear’ is put into a state which seems similar to hypnosis, called “dianetic reverie”. The pre-clear is directed by the auditor to recall a past event, and is encouraged to go through it again and again until he or she can do so happily and without difficulty. By undergoing this therapy, the pre-clear will eventually cycle through all of his or her memories stored in the reactive mind, until it is emptied and no longer a concern. They can then look forward to a life free of psychological and physical troubles.

Dianetics, like the religious movement that followed it, has been met with ridicule from professionals and the public alike. It isn’t included in the brilliant white towers of accepted scientific theory, as many point out that the process just seems to be a series of hypnotic suggestions, while not really curing or helping with anything within the pre-clear.

Scientology

Through L. Ron Hubbard’s experiments and studies with Dianetics grew the “applied religious philosophy” of Scientology. Dianetics is still very much a part of the Scientology religion, helping people overcome their reactive minds, but it includes new ideas and dsicoveres that L. Ron made during his experience with Dianetics. He found that underneath the mind with it’s reactive and conscious parts, there is something special and unique and everlasting, something all religions had discovered. He identified this thing as the ‘thetan’ or soul, that which makes us us. The thetan is who we are, and it is that which became the focus of L. Ron’s new teachings.

Scientologists believe that humans are basically good, that we shouldn’t usually go out of our ways to commit crimes or make life difficult for one another. The reason we are so troubled is because of past trauma which we incur unconsciously in our reactive mind, and also because of past trauma our thetans have undergone in past lives. In order to right ourselves we have to deal with these traumas and get back to doing what we do best- being spiritual beings.

In Scientology the goal in life is to get back to that state of total freedom, to become an ‘Operational Thetan’. This is the state of being one occupies when they have passed the level of Clear, when they no longer have a reactive mind and are just pure, conscious thetan. But we don’t remember how to be a good spiritual being, as we have been so lost within our own troubles and chaotic compulsions brought on by engrams. Scientology offers additional counsellings at the OT level to help us bring out of latent spiritual being and finally be free of all past constraints.

These upper level teachings are kept in the strictest confidence, and are only given up to those who have been reviewed and invited to do so. For example, the last of the courses, OTVIII, is only given on the Scientology owned and operated cruise ship, the Freewinds.

Scientology is a fundamentally practical religion. It doesn’t spend any time in the company of familiar allegories or metaphors. There does seem to be a nod to a God as the author of the universe, but it is pretty much just a backdrop, a desk job, a sideline that requires no more explanation. There is no time wasted on theology, instead it is all about trying to help you become a better, more competent person. For a price. The Church is run by purchases of books and course ware needed to progress through the teachings of Dianetics and Scientology. It is the only religion we have encountered so far that does this, that doesn’t just give away it’s wisdom or has teachings that are easily accessible and practically free to use. Much of the actual meat Scientology is kept behind secrecy or money.

So What’s All This, Then?

This kind of practical bent makes Scientology a rather hard religion to practice… oddly enough. If we want to get anywhere with it, we’ll need to do auditing and take some of their pre-packaged courses. Problem is that these both cost money, and as we aren’t especially sold on the proposition that Scientology isn’t out to just bleed us dry, we won’t be doing any of these unless we can do it for free. It doesn’t seem like an odd proposition, but I’ve been met with a bit of resistance in acquiring any of their copyrighted, secret material. Funny, that.

It’s an interesting aspect of the religion that certainly warrants more thought, but it doesn’t really help us poor sods, does it? To be a practicing Scientologist, or to at least have some kind of daily or weekly practice, implies you are willing to invest the time and money necessary to achieve results. No meditation, no prayer, no theological exercises. Just a straight path from here to total freedom.

So the first order of business is- get auditing or course ware for free.  Right now we have copies of their famed personality test, which we shall all be filling out.  Our results will tell us how the Church can help us, and what exactly is wrong with us in the first place.  There is also a weekly Sunday service which we will do our best to attend.

Right, here we go!