what's the deal with scientology?

Question

does anyone know what they really believe?

(what brought on the question: i was just reading about how john travolta and kelly preston's son probably has autism, but scientologist don't "believe" in autism, so they're not treating him)

Answer 1

Scientology, which questionably calls itself a new "religion", is the brainchild of science fiction writer & occult enthusiast L. Ron Hubbard. The organization, by means of Hubbard’s self created psychotherapy technique called “Dianetics”, claims to be able to help rid members of any & all mental constraints including but not limited to emotional scarring (from this & "past" lives) due to "engrams" (past negative experiences stored in our unconscious mind), psychological disorders & chemical imbalances (the solution is to convince members that these things don't actually exist) & drug dependence (including legally prescribed psychopharmaceuticals which counteract the effects of psychological disorders Scientologists believe to be nonexistent).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianetics#Scientific_evaluations
Dianetics review: http://dir.salon.com/story/books/review/2005/06/28/dianetics/index.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,812852,00.html

The official Scientology organization is composed of a number of “levels”. One begins as a “preclear” & works their way up. One must purchase virtually every service crucial to advancement directly from the "church" & at staggering prices. "Auditing", for example, is purchased in 12½ hour blocks, costing anywhere from $750 for introductory sessions to between $8,000 & $9,000 for advanced sessions. Visit this link to see how $380,000 is a conservative estimate for the total cost of moving all the way up the Scientology hierarchal ladder: http://www.xenu.net/archive/prices.html
These are the total costs for auditing alone: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology_as_a_business#Costs
Here’s an explanation of what “auditing” is: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061224182319AA2nnd6

At level OT III (Operating Thetan 3), some very strange & fiercely guarded secrets are imparted upon worthy members who have paid enough money to advance to such a level (and no, this isn't a joke): the evil alien ruler Xenu killed millions of aliens (Thetans) from around the universe by kidnapping them, bringing them to earth in golden DC-8 “space-planes” & blowing them up inside volcanoes with hydrogen bombs. Scientologists believe the souls of these aliens (these souls are "Body Thetans") were captured, brainwashed & released; they then attached themselves to our ancestors (who passed them all the way down to us) & cause many of our mental & physical ills to this day. Auditing is said to “clear” us of these Body Thetans as well as the “mental implants” they supposedly impose on our minds. http://sf.irk.ru/www/ot3/spaink-ot3.html http://xenu.net/archive/leaflet/Xenu-Letter.pdf

Scientology has taken a very hostile stance towards psychiatry & psychiatric drugs irrespective of the fact that some people require medication to remain adequately functional during everyday life. They don’t recognize legitimate conditions like autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etc, and the “church” has been known to withhold prescription pharmaceuticals from member (often with harmful & deadly results). Suspiciously, it was discovered upon Hubbard’s death that the anti-anxiety drug hydroxyzine (Vistaril™) was present in his body, which several of his assistants would later attest was only one of many psychiatric & pain medications Hubbard ingested over the years. http://www.clambake.org/archive/ronthenut/16.gif
(visit this link to read about the uses of hydroxyzine: http://www.drugs.com/mtm/v/vistaril.html )

To be blunt, Scientology is a cult. It employs semi-legitimate psychotherapy & self-help methods to keep people loyal & convinced of its merit while it simultaneously sucks them dry financially & attempts to keep them far away from ANYONE, even friends & family, who would dissuade them from remaining in such a harmful situation. It’s a particularly greedy as well as manipulative & dangerous cult that takes its anti-psychiatry fanaticism to deadly limits. See this link for more information: http://www.lisamcpherson.org/

Answer 2

Hubbard a God? Hardly. At best they consider him a researcher. At worst he ripped off self-help methods from a hundred sources. Science Fiction writer? Actually he wrote all kinds of stuff. Westerns, Romances, Documentary. According to wikipedia "Guinness World Records declared Hubbard the world's most published and most translated author, having published 1,084 fiction and non-fiction works that have been translated into 71 languages." I think you mean Lisa McPherson. She was a scientoligst from the age of 18 to 39? She had a car wreck, and the cause of death was a blood clot? That isnt likely to happen now because hospitals allow you to refuse non-medicine drugs without having to refuse all hospital care. Besides which, that was one person since their start in the 1950s. Most religions beat that in only a couple of years. Why does everyone mention one person and make it sound like thousands? Now go ahead. Start the standard accusations about me. :)

Answer 3

Scientology teaches that mankind is an immortal being (called a Thetan) not originally from this planet that is trapped by matter, energy, space, and time (MEST). Salvation for a Scientologist comes through a process called 'auditing,' whereby 'engrams' (basically, memories of past pain and unconsciousness that create energy blockage) are removed. Auditing is a very lengthy process and can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. When all engrams are finally removed, the Thetan can once again control MEST instead of being controlled by it. Until salvation, each Thetan is constantly reincarnated.

Answer 4

The really scary part of the whole Scientology thing is that they have managed to attract so many people with all kinds of money, power and public exposure. It only serves to further make this cult seem legitimate and to add a sense of glamour and prestige to the whole thing. This only serves to attract more people into potentially dangerous affiliation with this so called "church".

Good job Zero very informative.

Answer 5

I agree with Zero...(gave you a thumbs up!)

I was in Scientology for several years in the 70's and actually worked for them as an "Auditor".

You can get a lot of the same results by buying the book Dianetics and doing the drills with your partner.

Some.. not all.. do work.

Thanks Zero for a well done report!

Answer 6

Hey! No one bad mouth Scientology, lest the zombie of L. Ron Hubbard comes after them and tries to stick an e-meter up their ***! he'll bring along a couple of Psychlo's dressed in their draggie outfits and platforms too!

Answer 7

that's a joke the poor child. It is good to believe in something but you should also be open to other ideas as autism is real

Answer 8

Scientology is so over-rated. We can thank Tom Cruise for the start of all the B.S. It DOESNT matter what kind of religion you are, if you go to church every sunday, pray to god every night before bed, or believe in heaven/hell. If there is a God/Jesus he will love you for who you are and accept you into Heaven....PERIOD.

Answer 9

science v.s. faith...hmmm what does anyone really believe...that is only known at the time of their death really...As for the star's son well do not take him back to that quack, there are clinnics that specializes in AUTISM, as well as doctors...

Answer 10

scientology is the most stupid thing i have ever heard of--next to kabala. those people in hollywood are so stupid to ever follow this crap. i mean it's totally a cult and not a real religion. they're all brainwashed and if they could, they'd brainwash you, too, into joining.