These days, Scientology is perhaps the most controversial religion in the United States. Some call it a cult, others consider it a moneymaking racket, and others tout it as lifesaving. I remember the Dianetics book from childhood, when it seemed it was sitting on every bookstore front counter, but I didn’t know much about the religion. As it turns out, there’s a reason for that.
Unlike other religions, whose teachings, practices, and historical fundamentals are transparent and open to all wishing to embrace or critique them, the Church of Scientology retains an air of secrecy. This has led some to call it a cult, though few of its teachings seem sinister. It blends management techniques, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity beliefs with self-help and science fiction. Scientology believes that our experiences extend beyond a single lifetime and that we are only temporarily in our current bodies. It stresses capability and realizing potential; by realizing their own potential, people have practical tools they can apply to everyday life, helping them accomplish goals and gain higher states of awareness. Through a series of rigorous processes, we can be put in touch with this higher state of awareness.
In Scientology, man is thought to consist of three parts: spirit, which Scientologists call “thetan,” and which they consider to be millions of year old, similar to the idea of reincarnation. The mind is what the thetan uses as a “communication and control system between himself and the environment,” and the body. While none of this seems too far-fetched, some of the other teachings of Scientology seem a little goofy, if not totally irrational. Scientologists consider many diseases to be psychosomatic and frown on using medicines to treat them. While certainly we do have a mind-body connection, some diseases really benefit from drugs and modern medicine. Hello, vaccines?
In addition, when Scientologists reach the higher level of their religious process and are “operating thetans” (Tom Cruise is one), they can do some pretty outrageous stuff. According to a 2006 article in Rolling Stone, this includes moving inanimate objects with their minds, having out-of-body experiences at will, and being able to control the behavior of animals and human beings. Remember, Hubbard was a science fiction writer.
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