What is Scientology?

Answer 1

Here's a comprehensive overview (in my own words):

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). Their “treatment” of substance abuse includes little more than massive doses of vitamins and extended sessions in a sauna.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianetics#Scientific_evaluation_and_criticisms
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
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Narconon/detox.htm
http://www.nypress.com/20/22/news&columns/feature.cfm

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 $200-$750 for introductory sessions to between $8,000 & $9,000 for advanced sessions. Basically, Scientology claims to possess exclusive knowledge of the path to religious redemption & then charges obscene amounts of money for every tiny incremental step towards this end. 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”, stacking them around volcanoes & blowing them up by dropping “h-bombs” into the volcanoes. Scientologists believe the souls of these aliens (these souls are "Body Thetans") were captured, brainwashed & released; they then attached themselves to our ancestors (and according to Scientology’s belief in Thetan immortality, they also attached to us during “past lives”) & 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://www.spaink.net/cos/essays/atack_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. It doesn’t recognize legitimate conditions like autism, epilepsy, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or ANY neurological disorder / chemical imbalance at all, & the “church” has been known to withhold prescription pharmaceuticals from members (often with harmful & deadly results). The “Church” blames psychiatry for the Holocaust, as well as school shootings & even September 11th. It’s been suggested that Hubbard’s vehement opposition was born of the psychiatric community’s rejection of his “tech” as a valid treatment method, but it’s also possible that Hubbard chose psychiatry as a scapegoat. Organizations like Scientology are notorious for villainizing a specific out-group because their “stand against the enemy” fosters cohesion within said organization, & psychiatry was an effective rallying point considering many people already distrust & oppose the mental health profession.
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/usa-scientology.htm
http://www.lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=3137&IssueNum=136
http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/07/01/sci_psy/index_np.html?pn=1
http://perkinstragedy.org

L. Ron Hubbard, the man behind the creation of Scientology, was & still is a controversial figure. Biographies & lists of personal accomplishments differ greatly between Scientology & non-Scientology publications as the “church” tends to exaggerate & outright lie about his early life, his education, his travels, his achievements etc, preferring to paint a distorted, flattering picture. Several books & articles present facts which flatly contradict these church-published accounts (links to free online copies of these books & articles are provided below), showing conclusively that he was NOT the brilliant, accomplished figure revered by Scientologists. During his autopsy, the sedative 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. It had also been said by many who knew Hubbard personally that at the end of his life he was “a psychopathic insane person screaming about BT's [Body Thetans]…”
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/Bare%20Faced%20Messiah.pdf
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/atack/contents.htm
http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/mom/Messiah_or_Madman.txt
http://skull.piratehaven.org/~atman/factnet/lrhbare.txt

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 bullies all known critics, opponents, “enemies”, etc, often through malicious litigation & character assassination. It’s a particularly greedy as well as manipulative & dangerous cult that takes its anti-psychiatry fanaticism to deadly limits.
http://www.solitarytrees.net/racism/harass.htm#start
http://www.factnet.org/Books/SocialControl/scs.html#toc
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/06/24/Tampabay/The_unperson.shtml
http://www.xenu.net/archive/personal_story/funkydonny.html

Answer 2

Scientology was started as a therapy called 'Dianetics' by a science fiction writer called L Ron Hubbard. The subject goes over traumatic events in their life while holding a meter similar to a lie detector. An 'auditor' watches the needle on the meter to see if they've 'handled' the event correctly.

Once they've finished this course, they go through another series of courses where they talk about pre-birth traumatic events, again with the meter and the auditor watching. They will be expected to talk about their parents having sex and being squashed in the womb while their mother was straining for a crap. If you don't believe me it's in their book 'Dianetics'. Often there's a split between the Scientologist and their family about this point.

After the final dissection of pre-birth traumas, they have reached the stage of 'Clear' and move onto all the traumas they experienced in previous lives. This is where many of them go mad. It is also where all the stories about aliens start. By this time the Scientologist has been so brainwashed they'll usually accept anything.

All this costs money of course and to get to the highest available level you'll be lucky not to have to part with $70,000.

My advice? Not a good deal.

Answer 3

Scientology means “knowing how to know” and it is the study of the spirit in relationship to the universe. In accordance Scientology existence is divided in two areas: spiritual and physical. Spiritual existence is represented with the Greek letter Theta (that means thought). All life is theta including God. Theta or life creates and controls space, energy and matter.
Life or theta is senior to the material universe. So Scientology is about thought over matter.
Scientology asserts “all that all your problems are in you mind” and that you are fully responsible for your existence.
Scientology is a practical religious philosophy, is not a believe system, in Scientology you can believe in anything you want. But the practice of Scientology is an exact and precise practice that requires years of training to master. It is believed that through this practice a better life can be achieved and all the riddles of the universe are solved.

Answer 4

The word Scientology literally means "the study of truth." It comes from the Latin word "scio" meaning "knowing in the fullest sense of the word" and the Greek word "logos" meaning "study of."

Scientology is the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, others and all of life. The religion comprises a body of knowledge extending from certain fundamental truths. Prime among these:

Man is an immortal, spiritual being. His experience extends well beyond a single lifetime. His capabilities are unlimited, even if not presently realized — and those capabilities can be realized. He is able to not only solve his own problems, accomplish his goals and gain lasting happiness, but also achieve new, higher states of awareness and ability.

In Scientology no one is asked to accept anything as belief or on faith. That which is true for you is what you have observed to be true. An individual discovers for himself that Scientology works by personally applying its principles and observing or experiencing results.

Through Scientology, people all over the world are achieving the long-sought goal of true spiritual release and freedom.

Answer 5

Mostly it seems to be alot of strange posts on the internet about how its all aliens but thats supposed to be secret info that only the toppest members know. And how its supposed to take all your money and not let you leave. All of which is recorded on such knowledgeable sites as clambake, or youtube, or south park to be posted by people who admit they never met one or visited a center.

I hung around a center on and off for a couple of years, took a couple of the cheaper courses on communication and studying, and met alot of scientologists. I had no trouble leaving, I liked all of the ones I met, and I still use the stuff from the courses. So from my point of view its just another non-denominational church with some above average course offerings.

Answer 6

I should know the answer to this question...

I have a project on Scientology due Friday. =/

Answer 7

Aaauugghh! This question again?

Go here to read answers from the last couple of hundred times the question was asked:

http://answers.yahoo.com/search/search_result;_ylt=?p=%22what+is+scientology%22

Answer 8

A pretend religion created by a sucessful Science Fiction writer, L. Ron Hubbard.
It's like Stephen King creating his own religion for a book and people taking it serious and then him saying "hey, I can make more money this way, lol, and then promoting it as if it were real.

Answer 9

Delusional

Answer 10

its a cult that believes that there is an alien (a bad one) inside your body and you need to harness it and turn it into a good one. there are 9 or 10 different levels. to get to the highest one means that you have harnessed the alien within and that much closer to God.


its rubbish

Answer 11

scientology is the belief in scientific facts proofs rules andtheorems and notheing else