Can anyone give me a brief account of what scientology is all about?

Answer 1

Yes I can.

Scientology is an applied religious philosophy. When I say "applied" I mean you actually use it in your life to change or improve existing conditions. This is different from a religious practice. All religions if you learn about them have a basic philosphy, but they also have certain dogma, rituals and observances, and a certain faith or belief is required. There is nothing wrong with this, but Scientology is not that kind of religion. It does not intrude on anyones faiths of beliefs particularly in the area of God , the Supreme Being, or the Infinite. This area is left totally up to the indivdual, which is why you can be a practicing Jew,for example and still use and apply the priniciples of Scientology in your life. It does not conflict. If anything it will enhance your understanding of your chosen religious practice.
You can have no specific religious beliefs and still benefit from using it.
And it is only true for you according to your own observation and experience with it.
It is a non denominational religion . The dictionary definition that applies:
Religion: The spiritual or emotional attitude of one who recognises the existence of superhuman power or powers.

The most basic principle of Scientology is that YOU are your own immortal soul, that this is not a "thing" you HAVE but what YOU actually are.
The whole purpose of Scientology is to increase an individual's understanding and awareness of himself. And thereby his native abilities .
When you do this the sphere and zone of his positive influence increases and moves outward into his life, his family ,his friends, his groups and mankind which he is part of.

How this result is achieved is the "technology" of Scientology, which was developed by L.Ron Hubbard after his extensive research and the discoveries he made, about the human spirit. The basic religious philosophy and knowledge of Scientology is very old, going back 10,000 years at least to the Veda or Vedic Hymns from the East. The developement of the technology is new.
He completed his research before his death in 1986 and left all of his results and copyrights
to the Church of Scientology along with most of his considerable estate., when he died.

He published a book in 1951 to communicate the basic principles he discovered called: " Scientology The Fundementals of Thought"
There are currently over 8 million Scientologists in more that 150 countries world wide. However we are a new religion, only 53 years old.
The true story of Scientology as a religion goes like this:
1. A philosopher developes a philosophy about life and death.
2. People find it interesting.
3. People find it works.
4. People pass it along to others.
5. It grows.

Answer 2

They teach courses on many subjects that were researched by a writer back in the '50s. Back then to be self-help you had to be a doctor or a priest.

Communications, studying practices, memory, shaking peer pressure, getting off drugs, getting past the blocks to your goals. They believe that the things which make you achieve or not achieve are in you so its no good to blame or turn to another source (kinda different for a religion).

I took one and a half courses back when I was a minimum wage messed up young person. I feel it helped me alot. I dont know that I would recommend going to the top of it all but then I wouldnt recommend that in any religion.

There are also many groups which have broken off and do the trainining without the religion (now that alternative healing is cool)

Answer 3

Scientology is about the individual man or woman. Its goal is to bring an individual to a sufficient understanding of himself and his life and free him to improve conditions in the way that he sees fit.

The Scientology religious philosophy contains a precise system of axioms, laws and techniques, exhaustively researched and documented as workable. As such, it provides the individual with the ability to dramatically improve conditions, not only in his own life but in the world around him.

In a word, Scientology works.

And this is why millions of people the world over use its principles in their daily lives, why a growing number of people find such relevance in Scientology for themselves, their families, their organizations, their nations and this entire civilization.

All Scientologists are drug-free, and spearhead effective actions in countries around the world to get others off drugs. Scientologists have helped millions of underprivileged children to dramatically improve their reading level, vocabulary and comprehension, and the record of Scientology’s fight for human rights is unparalleled. Scientology’s commitment to social betterment activities also includes rehabilitating criminals and teaching people right from wrong.

The aims of Scientology are a civilization without war, without insanity and without criminals, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights and where man is free to rise to greater heights.

Scientology is not authoritarian. There is no enforced belief. Rather, a maxim in Scientology is that only those things which one finds true for himself are true. In Scientology one learns to think for himself – it is a voyage of self-discovery.

Answer 4

They are way out there. They believe that we are not really here. We are some type of space aliens called thetans who got bored and created the idea of this world and these bodies to entertain ourselves. Sort of a holodeck if you've seen star trek. Anyway they think that we got confused and forgot that it was only an imaginary existence. They think our mistaken identity has been reinforced by (unreal)experiences such as scraping your knee.

Anyway they say that after you have paid them enough money you will achieve a level of understanding that will free you from your limitations of reality.
It may be good science fiction but it is a pretty crazy religion.

Answer 5

Alien Beings...also, Thetan isn't found in the dictionary, L. Ron Hubbard made up the word trying to explain it to his wife...

Scientology claims that humans are essentially spiritual beings. This is expressed in the belief that we are more than mind and body. Scientology teaches that human beings are really thetans, a term that expresses belief that humans are immortal. Our knowledge of our true identity as thetans has been blocked by a complex set of causes.

Becoming “clear” the process of freeing spirit / thetan of it’s encumbrances and reaching its true potential “the bridge of freedom.”
This state is reached through a dual process of taking Scientology classes and engaging in a process of counseling called “auditing.” In these auditing sessions Scientologists use a device known as an e-meter, which they believe keeps track of the workings in the inner spirit (or thetan), to assist the individual to attain the ultimate goal – to become an operating thetan, or OT. There are eight levels of OT’s.

Though Scientologist claim no incompatibility with Christian faith, this new religion essentially offers an alternate understanding of reality. For example, the Scientology story about Xenu (the head of a galactic federation of planets) causing thetans to be implanted in humans about 95 million years ago is distinct from the Christian narrative of creation and the Fall. Most important, the lack of focus in Scientology on Jesus Christ is proof that Scientology views and practices offers a different frame of reference than does Christian faith.
·A "thetan is an immortal spiritual being; the human soul."[1]
·"The being who is the individual and who handles and lives in the body."[2]
·"A thetan is not a thing, a thetan is the creator of things."[2]
·A thetan is "the person himself -- not his body or his name, the physical universe, his mind, or anything else; that which is aware of being aware; the identity which is the individual. The thetan is most familiar to one and all as you."
Body thetan
A Body Thetan is an alien thetan who is 'stuck' in, on or near a human body, and all human bodies are said to be covered in these misplaced thetans, or clusters of them. This information is not divulged until a Scientologist reaches the third Operating Thetan level (or OT III). Most Body Thetans were said by Hubbard to be a result of the Xenu incident. [1]
Further still, by the time the subject reaches the level of OT VII, it is revealed to him that his physical body is not just covered with Body Thetans, but is literally composed of them. The ultimate goal of getting rid of one's Body Thetans, then, becomes getting rid of one's body, and "exteriorizing" as an all-powerful disembodied spirit that no longer needs a physical body. [2]

Answer 6

Tread with caution on the Scientology website. They ask you for an email address when you ask for more info on this site. That is the mistake I made...........they SPAM you several times a day for weeks. Trying to cancel with them is worse than trying to cancel a subscription with the Readers Digest.............be warned.

Answer 7

science beliefs on religion. shall i say their study. get the book by l. ron hubbard. it explains it totally. not that i agree. just was introduced to it and .....

Answer 8

its about science and its relations to religinion..check inthe net to get more credible answer

Answer 9

You can go to www.scientology.com and read about it. Pretty freaky in my book.

Answer 10

Scientology is a system of beliefs and practices created by American pulp fiction[1][2] and science fiction [3] author L. Ron Hubbard in 1952 as a self-help philosophy.”
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/scientology

See here for a critic’s view:
http://www.clambake.org/roland-intro.html

See here for scientology’s own view:
http://www.scientology.org/en_US/religion/index.html

Scientology is considered a religion in some countries, a profitable organisation in others, and in some it is considered a cult whose practises have been banned. For example, the US gives Scientology tax exempt status, whereas Germany and Belgium have called it a “totalitarian cult” and a “commercial enterprise”. France in 1995 classified it as a dangerous cult. The UK refused charitable status in 1999. Russia has a pending court trial over their refusal to register scientology as a religion.

I personally believe scientology to be a dangerous cult that lies to and tricks adherents into believing they are improving themselves and the world around them, while they are for the most part doing the exact opposite. It is made up of good people with good intentions that have been unfortunately deceived just because they do want to help others and themselves live better lives. It appeals to a person’s good intentions, and therein lies the trap.

Scientologists’ beliefs differ depending on how long they have been in the church, as the higher levels are considered secret and even dangerous to the initiated or unprepared. This is part of why I believe it to be a cult, it hides its true teachings from new members in order to gain & keep adherents.

Scientologists believe that L Ron Hubbard came up with the only workable technology/practises/teachings to help and unlock mankind’s potential. It is believed that by taking part in scientology auditing and learning all the various ‘tech’ a person will become more capable, becoming firstly a ‘Clear’ and then an ‘OT’. Various spurious claims have been made about the state of a ‘clear’ and ‘OT’ amongst which are immunity to illness, removal of physical ailments, perfect memory, increased IQ, increased health & fitness (and thus longevity), and then moving on to the more strange such as being able to exteriorse at will (out of body experiences) and control of MEST (ability to change matter, energy, space and time at will). Needless to say scientology has never successfully demonstrated any of the claims they make about their ‘tech’.

Scientologists believe:
- Man has an immortal soul called a thetan.
- You have a primitive reactive mind which is the source of much of man's problems, which collects "engrams" from traumatic times or when you are unconscious.
- A lot of physical illnesses/problems are psychosomatic caused by "Engrams".
- You can 'audit' engrams out and this will solve your issues and clear up your health. They also believe it makes you a more intelligent, aware and reasoned individual.
- Reincarnation and the ability to know these past lives and get to more engrams this way.
- Paying lots of money to scientology for there tech, courses, and auditing.
- Getting more people into scientology so they too can become ‘clear’ and thus save the world…

If they have got to OTIII, then the belief changes slightly. Most scientologists are not at this level but for the majority this is thier goal and what they will pay an awful lot of money to achieve, the bridge to total freedom...
- The universe is quadrillions years old.
- Xenu the Intergalactic Space Lord ruled a confederation of overpopulated planets.
- Xenu took a load of these aliens from each planet and brought them to earth.
- They were then exploded in volcanoes 75 million yrs ago.
- Their souls were then caught on ribbons and taken to implant stations, where Xenu brainwashed & confused them so they wouldn't leave the planet. This includes implanting all the world religions.
- These Alien souls called Body Thetans have attached to humans, and are infact the real cause of your problems and why you get and retain engrams...
- You audit these body thetans out by auditing there engrams and taking them back to the Xenu incidents I & II.
- People have jaw aches from when they were a clam in human evolution....hence the name of the main critical site Operation Clambake.
http://www.clambake.org
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/xenu

The church often claims it is unjustly persecuted, and to show such files normally countless of libels every year and other such court cases to silence criticism; no other religion hounds and harasses its critics. I believe that scientology is different from other religions, the main one being that potential members are lied to when they start. See below, under ‘Why it is often described as a cult’ for all the reasons.

Why are they often described as a cult?

They lie to members to gain and keep them.
Try to find the story of Xenu at the scientology site for example.

They say it has been thoroughly researched using the scientific method when it hasn’t.
http://www.clambake.org/archive/techniques/
http://www.clambake.org/archive/lrhbare/

They hound and harass critics:
http://www.suppressiveperson.org/

I believe that their practices are a form of mind control:
http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/documents/scientology/pignotti

They limit outside information via censoring, condemning it the work of criminals, as well as via disconnection with family.
http://www.clambake.org/archive/events/censorship/
http://www.xenu.net/archive/infopack/15.htm

It has caused, or contributed to the actual deaths in some rare cases.
http://www.whyaretheydead.net

Some policy from Hubbard
http://www.clambake.org/archive/co_pls.html

For some in-depth research (critical) I recommend reading some books written by ex-members.
http://www.clambake.org/archive/books

"Scientology is both immoral and socially obnoxious...It is corrupt sinister and dangerous. It is corrupt because it is based on lies and deceit and has its real objective money and power for Mr. Hubbard... It is sinister because it indulges in infamous practices both to its adherents who do not toe the line unquestionably and to those who criticize it or oppose it. It is dangerous because it is out to capture people and to indoctrinate and brainwash them so they become the unquestioning captives and tools of the cult, withdrawn from ordinary thought, living, and relationships with others."
Justice Latey, ruling in the High Court of London:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/judge_quotes.html

Here you can see scientologists in action:
http://www.xenutv.com

An active critic and ex-member Arnie Lerma's site:
http://www.lermanet.com

A lot of ex-member testimonials, affidavit's, etc..
http://www.whyaretheydead.net/krasel/
http://www.clambake.org/archive/personal_story/tory/
http://www.clambake.org/archive/personal_story/kathryn.html
http://www.clambake.org/archive/personal_story/cheryl_s/

I am presenting the critical side of the Church of Scientology, I won't deny it. For some people they have apparantly got benefit out of some aspects or courses of scientology. While I don't think Hubbard is the true source of any workable 'technology' in scientology, I guess you have to listen to both sides of the story, do the research and make your own mind up. There is literally years, probably decades, worth of reading material on the internet about scientology pro & con in varying degrees, or a life time (+ many more) in the Church of course...

My advice, do something else, and sorry that wasn't very brief!