Founded in the late 1940s by American L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology is a system of religious beliefs based on the seeking of spiritual fulfilment through self-study. It claims to be based on a kind of science, developed by the founder himself. Hubbard was an author who wrote books mainly within the genre of science fiction, but he also spent a lot of time doing research. In 1938, he wrote a script which included the thesis that the primary goal of all life is survival. This script, which was never published, was the first step towards the founding of Scientology. During the course of his research, he developed different techniques for the treatment of traumas, which he called dianetics. He wrote an essay, called Dianetics: The Original Thesis, in which he described the background and usage of dianetics. Not long after, he published a follow-up in the form of a book, called Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, which became a large success in the United States. He continued his research, and came to the conclusion that it is possible to measure the human soul. It was this "discovery", together with the theory of dianetics, that led to the founding of Scientology. Hubbard died in 1986, but the Church of Scientology has continued to live on, with a couple of thousand churches world-wide today.
The word scientology was made up by Hubbard, and consists of the Latin word scio, which means “to know”, and the Greek word logos, which means “study of”. Thus, scientology means ”knowing how to know”. A wider definition of Scientology is ”the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, universes and other life”. Scientology is based on certain fundamental truths, the most important of them being “Man [sic] is an immortal spiritual being”, “His [sic] experience extends well beyond a single lifetime” and “His [sic] capabilities are unlimited, even if not presently realized”. Scientologists believe that life is divided into eight different urges, or drives, toward survival, according to Hubbard's thesis that the goal of all life is to survive. These urges or drives are called dynamics, and are often named after their numbers (the First Dynamic, the Second Dynamic and so on). The eight dynamics form the basis of Scientology, and describe how different aspects of life all have the shared goal of surviving. They range from the First Dynamic, which is the urge toward existence as one's self, to the Eight Dynamic, which is the urge toward existence as infinity. The eight dynamic is also referred to as the Supreme Being, or God Dynamic. The Church of Scientology does not promote a certain idea of a god to its members; on the contrary, it encourages scientologists to discover the “Supreme Being” themselves by working toward spiritual awareness.
An important part of the practice of Scientology is education, that is, studying literature and listening to recordings of Hubbard's lectures. The books have to be read in a certain order, which is marked on a “checksheet” - a list of all the material one has to study. There are several different courses to study, ranging from beginner's courses to courses on an advanced level, which may take several years to complete. Another important part of Scientology is auditing, which is a technique derived from dianetics which purpose is to improve a person's spiritual state. The point of auditing is to understand oneself better in order to improve one's life. During an auditing session, an auditor will ask the person being audited specific questions in order to help the person attain spiritual freedom. To assist in auditing, a device, called E-meter, is used to measure electric currents. The person being audited is supposed to hold one electrode (which looks like a metal can) in each hand while a small current passes through them. The idea behind it is similar to that of a lie detector: depending on what the person says or is thinking about, the device is supposed to give different results, which are shown on a small screen. The auditor's job is to interpret these and help the person deal with them. An important term is the reactive mind, which Hubbard claimed was the part of the mind that stores pain and emotional trauma, as opposed to the analytical or conscious mind. The goal of auditing is to be freed of the harmful reactive mind, or, in scientologic terms, to become “clear”. Once one has reached the state of clear, it is possible to reach even higher levels, called Operating Thetans. Thetan is the scientologic word for soul. If one manages to attain the level of Operating Thetan, one becomes the fullest version of oneself: someone who can transcend the confines of existing as a physical being.
Scientology has been and still is the source of much controversy. Described by many as a cult, the religion is problematic in several ways. First of all, while the religion claims to be open for everyone, in actual fact it takes a lot of money to be able to reach the higher levels. One needs to purchase several expensive books and other material in order to be able to attain the level of clear, and to reach the level of OT VIII, which is the highest level, one needs to spend even more. It has been estimated that it costs $128 000 (€113 000) to reach clear, and another $100 000 (€88 000) to $130000 (€115 000) to reach OT VIII. Claims have been made that Hubbard founded the religion only as a way to earn money - a statement that has been heavily refuted by the Church.
Scientology has also been subject to wide-spread criticism for its views on mental health issues. While Scientology claims to be based on a kind of science, it actively rejects psychology and psychiatry as legitimate forms of science. Believing instead that different types of mental conditions are best treated with alternative methods based on spiritual healing, the Church of Scientology actively discourages its members from seeking professional help when needed. The most far-reaching consequence of this policy has been the murders committed by, as well as the deaths of, members who were prevented from seeking the psychiatric help they needed.
Furthermore, the Church of Scientology has been accused of conducting extensive brainwashing of its members. Former scientologists have described the cultic brainwashing and the abuse they suffered during their time as members of the Church. This abuse has been especially prevalent in Sea Org, a special organisation for the most devoted members of the Church. Former scientologists have stated that the Church actively discouraged its members from having children, and coerced them into having abortions. Several reports of the usage of beatings and starvation as disciplinary techniques have also been made. A former Swedish scientologist who was a member of the Sea Org has described how everything within the organisation revolved around labour, and that she never had even one day off during her last 12 years in the organisation. The Church of Scientology has also been known to resort to organised harassment of “enemies”, that is, people who actively oppose the Church. Moreover, those who leave the church are shunned by remaining members, and are forced to “disconnect” (cut contact) with friends and family members who are still part of the church.
In spite of all this controversy, Scientology is still practiced by tens of thousands of members around the world today. As with any other type of cultic religion, Scientology will probably continue to draw people searching for some kind of purpose in life. Scientologists actively engage in the spreading of their religion, so you should not be surprised if you see a characteristic yellow Scientology-tent next time you hit the town.
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