Scientology Janie Williamson Annie Hathaway. What is Scientology? The study of truth Study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, others,

Scientology

Janie Williamson

Annie Hathaway

What is Scientology?

• “The study of truth”• Study and handling of the spirit in

relationship to itself, others, and all of life

• L. Ron Hubbard – founder 1952– “a religion by its basic tenets, practice,

historical background, and by the definition of the word ‘religion’ itself.”

– “It is fundamentally an applied religious philosophy.”

• More than 6,000 churches worldwide• The ultimate goal is "a civilization

without insanity, without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights.”

Man

• Man is basically good and his experiences have led him to evil

• Man consists of three parts:1. Spirit (thetan) – the

individual himself; the most important part of man

2. Mind – used as a communication and control system between himself and his environment

3. Body – is NOT the person

The Dynamics of Existence

1. SELF – the individual2. FAMILY – children and all other creativity3. GROUP SURVIVAL – friends, a club, company, nation

or race4. MANKIND 5. LIFE FORMS – including plants and animals6. PHYSICAL UNIVERSE – matter, energy, space and

time7. SPIRITUAL – anything spiritual with or without identity,

life source8. INFINITY – also called God, the Supreme Being or

creator

States of Existence

1. Communication

2. Problems

3. Relief

4. Freedom

5. Ability

6. Power

7. Clear

8. Operating Thetan

Morals & Ethics

• “The Way to Happiness”– Defines morals as, "a code of good conduct laid down out of the

experience of the race to serve as a uniform yardstick for the conduct of individuals and groups"

– Morals can, over time, become outmoded, burdensome, and can invite revolt

• No absolute right or wrong– Actually a gradient from right to wrong– Good = an action that brings the greatest construction to the

greatest number of dynamics– Absolute wrongness = the extinction of the universe and all

energy– Absolute rightness = the immortality of the individual himself

Salvation

• Realize one’s true nature as an immortal spirit

• Path to salvation includes different states of mental awareness:– Pre-Clear– Clear– Operating Thetan

• Controls matter, energy, space, time, thought and life

• Practitioners assist in achieving self-enlightenment

Past Lives

• Immortal spirit combined with the acceptance of past lives

• Hubbard has written about past life experiences– Different stages of human evolution– Other lines of development (the clam)– Lives on past planets as other life forms

• Past lives can be recalled during an audit– Anything that has happened is the responsibility of the

individual and they must take responsibility for it in order to be free of its burden

Xenu

• Part of Scientologist teachings on extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in Earthly events (space opera)

• Believed to be the dictator of the “Galactic Confederacy” – 75 million years ago brought

billions of his people to Earth on his spacecraft and stacked them around volcanoes and killed them with a hydrogen bomb

– Scientologists believe that their essences remained and they form around modern-day people and cause them spiritual harm

Xenu cont.

• Members of the Church of Scientology greatly try to deny or hide the story of Xenu

• Hubbard gave the story in Operating Thetan level III– This is only taught to

members of the church that have donated large amounts of money to the organization

Controversy

• Has come into conflict with governments and police– United States– United Kingdom– Canada– Germany

• Many critics accuse the Church of brainwashing its members into donating large amounts of money

Controversial Practices

• Patter Drills– Added in mid-1995– While sitting, facing a wall, repeat

a section of course material verbatim to the wall until it can be done without reference to the material

• Verbal Tech– Verbally discussing Scientology

processes– Believed to interfere with proper

understanding of the Tech– It is forbidden among anyone

• People should learn about Scientology through the proper channels with close supervision

• It is to prevent misunderstanding among students

The Auditing Session

• The primary way that the principles of Scientology are applied

• “to listen”• The auditor assists the

individual in examining specific areas of their existence– To rid themselves of

unwanted spiritual conditions and increase awareness and ability

The E-Meter

• The Electropsychometer – Measures mental state

or change of state of a person

– Helps auditor pinpoint areas of spiritual distress

– Highly sensitive instrument that reacts to changes in mental activity

Silent Birth

• Birth room should be as silent as possible

• Words should be avoided– Might be associated

by adults w/ earlier birth experiences

• Use as little anesthetics as possible

Celebrities

• John Travolta• Kirstie Alley• Lisa Marie Presley• Jason Lee• Isaac Hayes• Tom Cruise• Katie Holmes• James Packer• Priscilla Presley

Bibliography

http://www.scientology.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology

http://www.religioustolerance.org/scientol.htm

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/80/story_8057_1.html