Psychoanalytical Essay: The Church Of Scientology

Scientologists do not believe that people are inherently bad; we are all just seeking to survive and have been marred by contact with the physical universe. At the core of a Scientologist's beliefs are the eight dynamics. They outline the stages of life and one's tendencies as they grow older and become influenced by outside forces. The first dynamic is simply to survive as an individual, and the last is the urge toward Infinity. What's "Infinity" you ask? It's not God, per say, well... unless you want it to be. Before you understand Infinity, you have to understand yourself. The three part of man are the physical body, the mind, and the thetan, or soul. The thetan is on a journey, and your body simply the room it's renting for the duration of its stay in your life. Your thetan has resided in all of your past bodies, and during those lives has accumulated hurt from traumatic experiences and poor choices you made. Through Scientology, you can confront these transgressions, take responsibility for them, and experience truth again. This truth is Infinity. It might be a Supreme Being, or it might be the key to all available knowledge. Hubbard was never really clear about that, but he probably knew what he was doing, so why ask questions? In Scientology, you don't have to accept anything on faith alone. You are able to define your beliefs through your experiences, auditing,

It’s not unknown that The Church of Scientology has been a contentious subject of conversation for decades. The controversial religion was originally discovered by a gentleman named L. Ron Hubbard in 1954 through the establishment of ideas in which he believed would act as an antidote to mental health concerns called Dianetics. After an unsuccessful attempt resulting in bankruptcy, Hubbard branched his ideas into the basis of a new found religion called Scientology ("The Beliefs and Teachings of Scientology”). To Hubbard’s advantage, Scientology expeditiously accelerated in growth, becoming one of the fastest expanding religions in the 20th century. Scientology pledged a “light at the end of the tunnel” to those wandering through dark times, and created a pathway to a faultless understanding of one’s true spiritual fulfillment through a system of self-knowledge in relation to one’s own life, community, and mankind. Due to the Scientology’s controversial beliefs, abnormal practices, and aberrant church-member relationships, the religion poses as a superlative model of church rebelling against society’s social norms.

According to Remini, people want to join the Church of Scientology because they think that they are “helping mankind.” However, she said

“Maybe it’s an insanity test, Haggis thought- if you believe it, you’re automatically kicked out. He considered that possibility, but when he read it again, he decided ‘This is madness’.” Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright (copyright 2013 ) takes an inside look at Scientology, with interviews and accounts from former Scientologists such as Paul Haggis and Mark Rathbun, important church officials such as David Miscavige and Tom Cruise, and the founder: Ron L. Hubbard. Scientology is a religion which claims to lead one’s spirit on a path to eventual enlightenment and understanding of one’s spiritual nature.Going Clear details the horrors and unveils the mysteries surrounding this church. Going Clear is separated into three parts: Part One- which divulges the story of the founder L. Ron Hubbard, and the organization he creates, Part Two- Hollywood- which deals with the important celebrity connections and how important the celebrities are to the church, and Part Three- The Prison of Belief : an exposé on the harsh conditions many members face, the bullying and corruption within the organization, and the sense of helplessness and entrapment one feels when trying to leave the church. The author makes an very effective argument and achieves his goal of exposing the corruption within the church by providing first-hand accounts and legal records, contrasting views and official statements from the church, various rhetorical strategies as

The church of Scientology has been the subject of controversy since its inception. Its methods and beliefs have attracted the attention of scholars from around the world. The church has been under government investigation and has endured a countless amount of lawsuits (Reitman 14). It is also a hot topic by the media with several endorsements by some of the most recognized Hollywood celebrities. However, the main topic of debate regarding the Church of Scientology is its status as a religion. Some members claim that the church has helped them overcome their struggles and that they are happier people, while others condemn it as a dangerous cult (Sweeney). The church of Scientology is a religious group whose purpose is to retain their

Scientologists also view life much differently than the average, traditional religions do. Life, from a Scientologist perspective, is a game in which everyone has the ability to win and there is no need for anyone to loose (Scientology 2014). Unlike other religions, where faith is all one has to go on for un answered questions, Scientology prides itself on not just having questions, but answers and practical solutions to real life problems. Though Scientology has its main differences from main stream, traditional religions, there are some similarities. Ceremonies and services within the Scientology church are conducted by ministers and are very similar to the types of ceremonies and services that ministers, rabbis and priests of other religions perform (Scientology 2014).

Usually former members are uneasy about speaking out and voicing how the behind the scenes are because they have always been told what to and how to act by the organization. This also causes members to be submissive to the real world when the depart from scientology. A former member and Hollywood actor known as, Carmen Llywelyn claims that “But there are no choices in Scientology. There never were. It is all a ruse. In truth, after I left Scientology, I had to learn how to think for myself again, to speak for myself again.” In essence this religion controlled every function your body made, over time the body wouldn’t think it would just do. Once disconnected from scientology ex-members have an everlasting physical and emotional impact from always adhering to a command and now have forgotten how to create a command or think from themselves. This is a prime example of the cult brainwashing members to live in a militarized way. According to the film, members would only be allowed to promote life but death couldn’t be expressed or else repercussions would be pursued. This would allow believers to feel controlled by

“The foundation upon which scientology rests is deeply and ineluctably religious - the resolution of man’s ancient, persistent quest to understand himself, the universe, and the Supreme Being”. L. Ron Hubbard came to found the Scientology religion to deliver freedom for the spirit. It is a religion that has created an exact path to complete and definite accepting of ones true spiritual nature. The main fundamental truths, which scientology beliefs stem from are: “Man is an immortal spiritual being; His experience extends well beyond a single lifetime; His capabilities are unlimited, even if not presently realized”. Scientology does not ask for followers to accept the truths on pure faith but to affirm the religion by applying its principles and experiencing the outcomes.

Scientology is different from the normal view of a religion. As with most churches, money will be collected or donated by the parishioners. To illustrate the illusion Scientology possesses, Margery Wakefield states, “Scientology is an unusual and dangerous kind of money-making machine. That is why this money-making enterprise was setup as a “religion”.” The Catholic church collects donations from parishioners, but the religion has existed for far longer than Scientology. Scientology charges their members for audits to be considered “clear”, but once complete the person must work their way up the pyramid in

This article is about the belief system and practices. For the organization, see Church of Scientology. For other uses, see Scientology (disambiguation).

Scientology is a cult, or at least, as I would understand it to be in my mind. So, yes. However, the faculty and followers of the Church

The documentary ‘Going Clear’ is focused on the Church of Scientology. Some of the important figures in the documentary included Paul Haggis, Lawrence Wright, Sara Goldberg, Spanky Taylor, and Marthy Rathbun (Going Clear). In this documentary, these former scientologists were interviewed about their personal experiences, where they revealed information about what actually happened behind the doors of the Church. The documentary was based on Lawrence Wright’s book, ‘Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief’ and was a compilation of the opinions of several former scientologists about the true colors of Scientology and Hubbard’s history (Going Clear).

Many people have heard of the revolutionary new religious practice called Scientology. However, the majority of people who have heard of it, have little knowledge of the principles and practices behind the religion. In fact, there is a dark side behind Scientology, and much speculation that the religion is a brainwashing cult. Many people are opposed to the religion because of its secretiveness, its extreme methods of teaching and its alleged use of mind control.

Cults in my opinion are authoritarian, enigmatic, and often exclusive with an “us versus them” mentality. They may ostracize and shun members that fail to accept their claims exclusively or they may force members to conform through threats or coercion. I had to reflect long and hard in order to determine which side of the line in which Becky Fischer’s congregation fell. I concluded that Fischer and her followers remained on the side of religion. I based this conclusion on the point that their convictions failed to possess all the elements that I identify with cult status. For example, although they favored strict rules, obedience to the ruling person or group was not strongly enforced. I had the sense that if one disagreed with their philosophy they were free to decide not to participate and to leave. Additionally, there seemed to be transparency about their beliefs and way of life, as there were no hidden secrets. Finally, I was unable to discern any obvious evidence of coercive or threatening tactics to enforce obedience. The only element that caused them to lean in a cult direction was the “us versus them” mentality; however, I felt that it was very

Cults can be classified as destructive, considering the methods used and how membership affects individuals. According to the International Cultic Studies Association or ICSA, cults can be considered destructive to its members. Reports form former cult member’s reveals that they have trouble trusting others, problems forming and maintaining relationships, and feel disconnected with the world. In addition, former cult members report being diagnosed with depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD often having flashbacks of events that occurred while they were in the cult. Finally, it is important to mention that cults also cause injuries or death. Considering these reports cults can be classified as destructive because members may have a difficult time adjusting to life outside the cult, difficulties in living life