What the hell is scientology?

Question

You hear loads of stuff about it, like how they stalk people who go against them, and how it's cult like, people who go in stop talking to their family etc. but no one actually ever says what it's actually all about. I mean, what do they believe in?

Answer 1

It's a cult. Here's a basic overview for you:

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 members (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 these links for more information: http://www.lisamcpherson.org/
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/06/24/Tampabay/The_unperson.shtml
http://www.factnet.org/Books/SocialControl/scs.html#toc http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/s/scientology/pignotti/

Answer 2

After reading these responses,I was curious if anyone was aware that L.Ron.Hubbard was actually a nuclear physicist as well as a science fiction writer?
Shock horror!
You did not know that did you?
As the man was aware of rock bottom energy,dont you think he deserves more of a read than invalidations from people who have probably never stepped into an org. probably because they are scared of confronting what they really are and what they can be?
After all, if you believe that all the nonsense about creation that is instilled upon us from day one is valid,like the world being made in 7 days and blowing yourself up is going to get you to paradise then maybe you might want to take a look?
I would start with Dianetics,if that does not convince you tell me something better that works,I would love to hear it.
Also,how many of you actually know Scientology rather than hyperlinks on the net?
It is not my fault you cant afford it,after all if you are skint it must be somebody else's fault right?
How about you are skint because your survival rate is very low?
I wonder why!

Answer 3

Very good point.... I noticed folks in general seem much more interested in rumor and "dishing dirt" than any actual facts.

Here's a factual description for you:

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. It is a very practical religion.
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 in the area of God , the Supreme Being, or the Infinite. This area is left totally up to the indivdual as pasrt of his life. It does not conflict.
You can have no specific religious beliefs and still benefit from it.
And it is only true for you according to your own observation and experience with it.
It is also not a messianic religion. This means there is no worship of messiahs in Scientology. There are no “beliefs” as such because a truth should be according to ones own observation and experience.
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 lifeAnd 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. L. Ron Hubbard researched and made new discoveries about the human spirit. He developed technology from these discoveries to apply to increase spiritual awareness and ability.
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 personal 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 10 million Scientologists in more than 163 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.

This is just an overview.
L. Ron Hubbard explained fully the theology and technologies of Scientology in more than 500,000 pages of writings, including dozens of books and over 2,000 tape-recorded public lectures. So it's not possible to fully answer your question on this forum, but I hope this gives you some idea.

Answer 4

I think its based on a work of science fiction written by their founder. they keep all lectures writing etc in their mountain vault.

It is based on the arrival of some space aliens who where killed by some evil overlord, thier spirits still remain and can imbue people with super powers?
A lot of the original beliefs have now been denied and any coroborating evidence of aliens (e.g. desert symbol of late) have been rubished to the media by the "church".
Its interesting to folow the happenings of scientology (from an observers point of view) as it seems to be quite shady.
Oh and btw they dont refer to it as a cult as running a cult is illegal.

Answer 5

began by using L. Ron Hubbard as 'self help approach' called Dianetics (he began out writing SiFi books and then wrote self help books) ...it right into a grew to become "faith".....many human beings (Christians, atheist, agnostics, former individuals, ect) say this is the acceptable 'text cloth-e book' occasion of a non-violent Cult (concept some individuals have reported actual and emotional abuse) the undemanding concept is: for the duration of your and previous lives you have had detrimental reviews which you will no longer bear in mind, those repressed reviews 'carry you back'.... by using particular counseling called "Dianetics" (presented by using the CoS. for a nominal value) you may 'technique/take care of' those undesirable reviews....as quickly as there all dealt with, you may go beyond to a "intense straight forward of existence" ....the top....

Answer 6

A Cult - Just like any other Religion!

Other e.g's - Christians, Mormons, JW's, Jews, Muslims, Cult, Cult, Cult, Cult, Cult, etc............

GOD gave Man Free Will - Religion removes it!

Answer 7

Scientology works.

Answer 8

L. Ron Hubbard was a sci-fi writer,as was his friend Isaac Asimov. The two made a gentlemen's bet regarding which of them could concoct,from scratch,a new religion more popular than the other's made-up religion.
Match,Mr. Hubbard.

Answer 9

A cult

Answer 10

All they do is go for the mega rich, then con em!!!

They don't realize following people is one of the most anti-social, creepy and damn right wrong things you could do.

If they are really a Religion then they should live and let live....


Is it just me or are they like a james bond villan organisation, with plans for world domination?

Answer 11

It's a movie star cult