A Scientology Center on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

Scientology is a new religious movement established in 1951 and intended as an alternative to psychotherapy by science-fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, then recharacterized in 1953 as an "applied religious philosophy". Non-Scientologists, however, view his ideas about psychotherapy as pseudoscientific. Download high resolution version (531x800, 77 KB)One of several Scientology buildings in Los Angeles, California. ... Download high resolution version (531x800, 77 KB)One of several Scientology buildings in Los Angeles, California. ... Hollywood Boulevard as taken from the Kodak Theatre Hollywood Boulevard is an avenue in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States, beginning at Sunset Boulevard in the east and running northwest to Vermont Avenue, where it straightens out and runs due west to Laurel Canyon Boulevard. ... Greetings from Hollywood Hollywood is a district of the city of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., situated northwest of Downtown. ... A new religious movement or NRM is a religious, ethical, or spiritual grouping of fairly recent origin which is not part of an established religion and has not yet become recognised as a standard denomination, church, or religious body. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Psychotherapy is a set of techniques intended to improve mental health, emotional or behavioral issues in individuals, who are often called clients. These issues often make it hard for people to manage their lives and achieve their goals. ... A collection of well-known science-fiction novels and magazines Science fiction is a genre of fiction in which advances in science, or contact with more scientifically advanced civilizations, create situations different from those of both the present day and the known past. ... L. Ron Hubbard, circa 1970 Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (March 13, 1911 – January 24, 1986), better known as L. Ron Hubbard, was a prolific American author and the controversial founder of Dianetics and Scientology. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Phrenology is seen today as a classic example of pseudoscience. ...

The term Scientology is a trademark of the Religious Technology Center, which licenses its use and the copyrighted works of Hubbard to the controversial Church of Scientology. The Church presents itself as a religious non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging development of the human spirit, and providing counseling and rehabilitation programs as an alternative to psychiatry, which Scientologists believe is a barbaric and corrupt profession [1]. Church spokespeople attest that Hubbard's teachings (called "technology" or "tech" in Scientology terminology) have freed them from addictions, depression, learning disabilities, mental illness and other problems. A trademark (Commonwealth English: trade mark) is a distinctive sign of some kind which is used by a business to uniquely identify itself and its products and services to consumers, and to distinguish the business and its products or services from those of other businesses. ... The Religious Technology Center (RTC) is a non-profit organization established in 1982 by the Church of Scientology to control and oversee the uses of all of the trademarks, symbols and sacred texts of Scientology and Dianetics, including the copyrighted works of the religions founder, L. Ron Hubbard. ... It has been suggested that Licensing (strategic alliance) be merged into this article or section. ... For copyright issues in relation to Wikipedia itself, see Wikipedia:Copyrights. ... Official Scientology Cross Symbol The Church of Scientology is a new religious movement founded by late science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard as an organization dedicated to the practice of Scientology, an applied religious philosophy formulated by Hubbard. ... A non-profit organization (sometimes abbreviated to not-for-profit, non-profit or NPO) is an organization whose primary objective is to support some issue or matter of private interest or public concern for non-commercial purposes. ... Psychiatry is the branch of medicine that diagnoses, treats, and studies mental illness and behavioral conditions. ... Scientology terminology consists of a complex assortment of jargon used by Scientologists in conjunction with the practice of Scientology and in their everyday lives. ... Addiction is a compulsion to repeat a behavior regardless of its consequences. ... Clinical depression is a health condition of depression with mental and physical components reaching criteria generally accepted by clinicians. ... The Scream, the famous painting commonly thought of as depicting the experience of mental illness. ...

However, the Church of Scientology has attracted much controversy and criticism. Critics—including government officials of various countries—have characterized the Church as an unscrupulous commercial organization, and it is often described as a cult that harasses critics and exploits members. Critics also argue many of the Church's controversial actions are a direct reflection of Hubbard's teachings. In religion and sociology, a cult is a cohesive group of people (often a relatively small and new religious movement) devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture or society considers to be far outside the mainstream. ...

Despite the similarity between their names, there is no connection between Scientology and the Church of Christ, Scientist, better known as "Christian Science". The Church of Christ, Scientist, often known as The Christian Science Church or simply Christian Science, is a religious body held by its members to be a Christian denomination, with about 2,000 branches (local churches) in over 70 countries. ...

Beliefs and practices

Main article: Scientology beliefs and practices

L. Ron Hubbard, circa 1970.

Scientology's doctrines were established by Hubbard over a period of about 33 years, from 1952 until his death in January 1986. Most of its basic principles were set out during the 1950s and 1960s. // Beliefs Core beliefs and central tenets of Scientology The core beliefs of Scientology are centered on: The spiritual nature of men and mankind. ... L. Ron Hubbard This work is copyrighted. ... L. Ron Hubbard, circa 1970 Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (March 13, 1911 – January 24, 1986), better known as L. Ron Hubbard, was a prolific American author and the controversial founder of Dianetics and Scientology. ...

Scientology was expanded and reworked from Dianetics, an earlier system of self-improvement techniques set out by Hubbard in his 1950 book, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. By the mid-1950s, Hubbard had relegated Dianetics to a sub-study of Scientology. The chief difference between Dianetics and Scientology is that Dianetics focuses on the individual's present life and dealing with physical, mental or emotional problems, and teaches that most problems in a person's life are caused by reactions to past trauma. Scientology adopts a more overtly religious approach, dealing with spiritual issues such as past lives in addition to present-day issues [2]. Scientology also covers topics such as ethics and morality (The Way to Happiness), physical health as it relates to spiritual wellbeing (Purification Rundown), communication, marriage, raising children, dealing with work-related problems, study technology, and the very nature of life (The Dynamics). It has been suggested that Reactive mind be merged into this article or section. ... Personal development (also known as self-development or personal growth) comprises the development of the self. ... Psychological trauma may accompany physical trauma, or exist independently. ... Past Lives redirects here. ... A Scientology Center in Los Angeles, California. ... The Purification Rundown, known as The Purif within Scientology, is a program of detoxification developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, involving the use of saunas, vitamins, and the drinking of oils. ... Study tech is a Scientology method which helps students overcome the barriers which keep them from successfully studying a subject. ... // Beliefs Core beliefs and central tenets of Scientology The core beliefs of Scientology are centered on: The spiritual nature of men and mankind. ...

Scientology beliefs are structured in a series of levels leading to the more advanced strata of esoteric knowledge. This is described as the passage up "the Bridge to Total Freedom", or simply "the Bridge". Esotericism refers to knowledge suitable only for the advanced, privileged, or initiated, as opposed to exoteric knowledge, which is public. ...

The central beliefs of Scientology are:

• A person is an immortal spiritual being (termed a thetan) who possesses a mind and a body.
• The thetan has lived through many past lives and will continue to live beyond the death of the body.
• A person is basically good, but becomes "aberrated" by moments of pain and unconsciousness in his life.
• What is true is what is true for you. No beliefs should be forced as "true" on anyone. Rather, the tenets of Scientology are expected to be tested and seen to be true, or not, by its practitioners.
• Scientology can help the world on a large scale with problems such as drugs, crime, illiteracy, human rights, et cetera.

Scientology claims to offer an exact methodology to help a person achieve improved spiritual and ethical education, so that he or she may achieve a greater level of spiritual awareness and effectiveness in the physical world. Exact methods of spiritual counseling are proposed to enable this change. The ultimate goal of Scientology is to rehabilitate the soul back to its native state of total freedom, thus gaining control over matter, energy, space, time, thoughts, form, and life. This state is called Operating Thetan, or OT for short. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The mind is the term most commonly used to describe the higher functions of the human brain, particularly those of which humans are subjectivel // holaMedia:Example. ... With regard to living things, a body is the integral physical material of an individual, and contrasts with soul, personality and behavior. ... Past Lives redirects here. ... The soul, according to many religious and philosophical traditions, is the ethereal substance — spirit (Hebrew:rooah or nefesh) — particular to a unique living being. ... In Scientology, the state of Operating Thetan is a spiritual state above Clear. ...

The structure of the mind

Scientology holds that the human mind consists of two parts: the "analytical mind" and the "reactive mind". Hubbard described the analytical mind as the positive, rational, computing portion, while the "reactive mind" operates on responses to pain and unconsciousness stimuli. Scientologists believe that the reactive mind has malignant effects, causing irrational behavior and leading to individual degradation, as well as undermining efforts to create lasting, prosperous, and sane societies. The "analytical mind" and the "reactive mind" have been compared to Freud's superego and id, or the conscious and subconscious minds, respectively, although the functionality is not the same. In his theory of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud sought to explain how the unconscious mind operates by proposing that it has a particular structure. ... The initialisms ID or id, or the word id, may refer to: identification (popular-speech abbreviation) identity card (I.D. or ID) medical id in computing, and particularly in the context of databases: an identifier Idaho (state code ID or abbreviation Id. ... Consciousness is a quality of the mind generally regarded to comprise qualities such as subjectivity, self-awareness, sentience, sapience, and the ability to perceive the relationship between oneself and ones environment. ... At a simple and informal level, the notion of an unconscious mind (or subconscious) would seem a usefully straightforward way of accounting for aspects of the mind of which we are not directly conscious or aware. ...

Auditing

A Scientology recruiter introduces an E-meter to a potential convert. Such introductory audits are typically presented as "free stress tests".

The central practice of Scientology is called "auditing" (from the Latin audire,"to listen"), which is one-on-one communication with a Scientology counselor or "auditor". The auditor follows an exact sequence of instructions, set out by Hubbard, to "clear" the reactive mind. Auditing utilizes a biofeedback device known in Scientology as the E-meter (a galvanic skin response measuring device), which reportedly monitors the neural pathways and the nerves of the brain and body of the auditee as influenced by the thetan. Parallels have been made to neurofeedback techniques; however, Scientology does not itself use this terminology in discussing auditing theory or practice. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2087 KB) Photographer: Tom Harpel from Seattle, Washington, United States Title: Scientology Recruiter Taken on: 2004-12-18 14:54:35 Original source: Flickr. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2087 KB) Photographer: Tom Harpel from Seattle, Washington, United States Title: Scientology Recruiter Taken on: 2004-12-18 14:54:35 Original source: Flickr. ... Mark Super VII Quantum E-meter The E-Meter, properly called the Hubbard Electropsychometer, is a skin galvanometer, similar to those used in giving lie detector tests. ... Religious conversion is the adoption of new religious beliefs that differ from the converts previous beliefs; in some cultures (e. ... Stress (roughly the opposite of relaxa) is a medical term for a wide range of strong external stimuli, both physiological and psychological, which can cause a physiological response called the general adaptation syndrome, first described in 1936 by Hans Selye in the journal Nature. ... // Beliefs Core beliefs and central tenets of Scientology The core beliefs of Scientology are centered on: The spiritual nature of men and mankind. ... Latin is an Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Mark Super VII Quantum E-meter The E-Meter, properly called the Hubbard Electropsychometer, is a skin galvanometer, similar to those used in giving lie detector tests. ... Galvanic skin response (or GSR), also known as electrodermal response (EDR) or psychogalvanic reflex (PGR), is a method of measuring the electrical resistance of the skin and interpreting it as an image of activity in certain parts of the body. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

The auditing process is intended to help people to unburden themselves of specific traumatic incidents, prior ethical transgressions and bad decisions, which are said to collectively restrict the person from achieving his goals and lead to the development of a "reactive mind". The auditor asks the auditee to respond to a list of questions which are designed for specific purposes and given to the auditee in a strictly regulated way. Auditing requires that the auditee understand the questions, and goes more smoothly when he or she understands what is going on. As per Church policy, auditors are trained not to "evaluate" their auditees, i.e. they are forbidden from suggesting, degrading or invalidating the auditee's answers. The E-meter is used to help locate an area of concern.

The Church has claimed that auditing can raise IQ, improve memory, alleviate dyslexia and attention deficit problems, and lead to relaxation; however, no scientific studies have verified these claims. Licensed psychotherapists have alleged that the Church's auditing sessions amount to mental health treatment without a license, but the Church vehemently disputes these allegations, claiming that it is merely conducting spiritual healing.

During the auditing process, the auditor may collect personal information from the person being audited in a manner similar to a psychotherapy session. Unlike the professions of psychology and psychiatry, the Church is under no legal obligation to uphold the privacy of any such information; however, the Church maintains that its confessional records are kept confidential. In some instances, former members have claimed the Church used information obtained in auditing sessions against them, but their complaints are legally unenforceable.

The ARC Triangle

Another basic tenet of Scientology is that there are three interrelated (and intrinsically spiritual) components that make up successful "livingness": affinity (emotional responses), reality (an agreement on what is real) and communication (the exchange of ideas). Hubbard called this the "ARC Triangle". Scientologists utilize ARC as a central organizing principle in their lives, primarily based upon the belief that improving one aspect of the triangle increases the level of the other two. ARC is a fundamental concept in Scientology doctrine. ...

The tone scale

The tone scale is a characterization of human mood and behavior by various positions on a scale, originally developed for auditors. Positions on the tone scale are usually designated by an emotion, but Hubbard also describes many other things that can be indicated by the tone scale levels, such as aspects of an individual's health, sexual behavior, survival potential, or ability to deal with truth. The tone scale is used by Scientologists in everyday life to evaluate people. According to Scientology, the lower the person is on the tone scale, the more complex and involved his or her day-to-day problems tend to be, and the more care and judgement should be exercised regarding how involved to become. The tone scale in Scientology is a characterization of human mood and behaviour by various positions on a scale from +40 to -40. ...

Past lives

In Dianetics, Hubbard proposed that the cause of "aberrations" in the human mind was the accumulated unconscious memories of traumatic incidents and guilty feelings, some of which predated the life of the individual remembering them. He extended this view further in Scientology, declaring that thetans have existed for tens of trillions of years. During that time, Hubbard explains, they have been exposed to a vast number of traumatic incidents, and have made a great many decisions that influence their present state. According to an early lecture of Hubbard's, it is both impossible and undesirable to recall each and every such event. As a result, Hubbard's 30-year development of Scientology focused on streamlining of the process of addressing only key memories. It has been suggested that Reactive mind be merged into this article or section. ...

According to Hubbard, some of the past traumas may have been deliberately inflicted in the form of "implants" used by extraterrestrial dictatorships to brainwash and control people. Scientology doctrine includes a wide variety of beliefs in extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in Earthly events, collectively described by Hubbard as "space opera". In Scientology doctrine, space opera was the term used by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard to describe extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions. ...

Operating Thetan levels and the Xenu incident

Artist's recreation of one of Xenu's space-planes, as described by Hubbard.

The "Hidden Truth" about the nature of the universe is taught to the most advanced Scientologists in a series of courses known as the Advanced Levels. These are the levels above "Clear", and their contents are held in strict confidence within Scientology. The most advanced of all are the eight Operating Thetan levels, for which the initiate needs to be thoroughly prepared. The highest level, OT VIII, is only disclosed at sea, on the Scientology cruise ship Freewinds. World renowned Scientologist Eden Shiferaw is reported to be the one and only Scientologist to attain the mythical OT IX, and, at the age of 18, is also the youngest. Her feats have inspired many Scientologists including Tom Cruise and John Travolta. Since being entered into evidence in several court cases beginning in the 1980s, synopses and excerpts of these secret teachings have appeared in numerous publications. Image File history File links Xenu-space-plane-2. ... Image File history File links Xenu-space-plane-2. ... In Scientology doctrine, Xenu (also Xemu) is a galactic ruler who, 75 million years ago, brought billions of people to Earth, stacked them around volcanoes and blew them up with hydrogen bombs. ... In Scientology, the state of Operating Thetan is a spiritual state above Clear. ... Freewinds is a cruise ship operated by the Church of Scientology. ...

In the OT levels, Hubbard describes a variety of traumas commonly experienced in past lives. He explains how to reverse the effects of such traumas by "running" various Scientology processes. Among these advanced teachings, one episode that is revealed to those who reach OT level III has been widely remarked upon in the press: the story of Xenu, the galactic tyrant who first kidnapped certain individuals who were deemed "excess population" and loaded these individuals into space planes for transport to the site of extermination, the planet of Teegeeack (Earth). These space planes were supposedly exact copies of Douglas DC-8s except with rocket engines. He then stacked hundreds of billions of these frozen victims around Earth's volcanoes 75 million years ago before blowing them up with hydrogen bombs and brainwashing them with a "three-D, super colossal motion picture" for 36 days, telling them lies of what they are and what the universe should be like and telling them that they are 3 different things: 'Jesus, God, and The Devil. The traumatized thetans subsequently clustered around human bodies because they watched the motion picture together, making them think they are all the same thing, in effect acting as invisible spiritual parasites known as "body thetans" that can only be removed using advanced Scientology techniques. Xenu is allegedly imprisoned in a mountain by a force field powered by an eternal battery. He is said to be still alive today. In Scientology doctrine, Xenu (also Xemu) is a galactic ruler who, 75 million years ago, brought billions of people to Earth, stacked them around volcanoes and blew them up with hydrogen bombs. ... The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined jet airliner, manufactured between 1959 and 1972. ... Eruption redirects here. ... Films are produced by recording actual people and objects with cameras, or by creating them using animation techniques and/or special effects. ... In Scientology doctrine, body thetans or BTs are the ghosts of the victims of a genocide perpetrated 75 million years ago by Xenu. ... In science fiction and fantasy literature, a force field is a physical barrier made up of energy to protect a person or object from attacks or intrusions. ...

Scientologists argue that published accounts of the Xenu story and other colorful teachings are pulled out of context for the purpose of ridiculing their religion. Journalists and critics of Scientology counter that Xenu is part of a much wider Scientology belief in past lives on other planets, some of which has been public knowledge for decades. For instance, Hubbard's 1958 book Have You Lived Before This Life documents past lives described by individual Scientologists during auditing sessions. These included memories of being "deceived into a love affair with a robot decked out as a beautiful red-haired girl", being run over by a Martian bishop driving a steamroller, being transformed into an intergalactic walrus that perished after falling out of a flying saucer, and recalling life as "a very happy being who strayed to the planet Nostra 23,064,000,000 years ago". Girl dessed as Hajime Sorayamas Sexy Robot. ... The name Martian is given to the hypothetical native inhabitants of the planet Mars. ... A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who, in certain Christian churches, holds a position of authority. ... Antique steam powered steamroller A steamroller is a type of heavy machinery which consists of a large tractor and a heavy cylinder that sits in front of it and functions as the front wheel. ... Binomial name Odobenus rosmarus (Linnaeus, 1758) Subspecies Walruses are large semi-aquatic mammals that live in the cold Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. ...

Although reliable statistics are not available, it is fair to say that most Scientologists are not at a sufficiently high level on "the bridge" to learn about Xenu. Therefore, while knowledge of Xenu and Body Thetans is crucial to the highest level church teachings, it cannot be regarded as a core belief of rank and file Scientologists. On the other hand, Scientology literature does include many references to extraterrestrial past lives, and internal Scientology publications are often illustrated with pictures of spaceships and oblique references to catastrophic events that happened "75 million years ago" (e.g. the Xenu incident).

Scientology and other religions

Scientology teaches entry-level recruits that it is fully compatible with all existing major religions. The Church of Scientology has publicly stated:

"Scientology respects all religions. Scientology does not conflict with other religions or other religious practices." (What is Scientology? 1992, p.544)

However, the Church of Scientology has clashed with other religious groups, such as the Church of England, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Lutheran Church, all of which have at times criticized Scientology's activities and doctrines. That said, it has also worked closely with other religious groups on community outreach projects and campaigns against perceived persecution by governments around the world. The Church of England is the officially gimp established Christian church in England and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... Christ the Redeemer, a well-known Russian Orthodox icon from Zvenigorod. ... Lutheranism is a Christian tradition committed to the main theological insights of Martin Luther. ...

Scientology's claim of religious compatibility to entry-level Scientologists is soon added to by the additional teaching that the various levels of spiritual prowess which can be reached through Scientology are much more advanced than the spiritual levels which can be reached by all other religions. Critics maintain that, within Scientology, "spiritual abilities" tends to be more synonymous with "mystical powers" than with "inner peace". Hubbard himself cautioned against the unwise or improper use of powers in the book History of Man.

Because Scientology is a mystery religion, its more esoteric teachings, which are only made available to its most advanced practitioners and which the Church goes to great lengths to maintain the secrecy of, may not always be entirely consistent with its entry-level teachings. Should a practitioner succeed in advancing to a high enough "level" to access the more esoteric teachings of Scientology (which only a minority do), they will then learn a variety of secret doctrines. As a sort of a confirmation of the Church's position that it is superior to other religions, in its application for tax exempt status in the United States, the Church of Scientology International states: A mystery religion is any religion with an arcanum, or body of secret wisdom. ... Esotericism refers to knowledge suitable only for the advanced, privileged, or initiated, as opposed to exoteric knowledge, which is public. ... A tax exemption is an exemption to the tax law of a state or nation in which part of the taxes that would normally be collected from an individual or an organization are instead forgone. ...

"Although there is no policy or Scriptural mandate expressly requiring Scientologists to renounce other religious beliefs or membership in other churches, as a practical matter Scientologists are expected to and do become fully devoted to Scientology to the exclusion of other faiths. As Scientologists, they are required to look only to Scientology Scriptures for the answers to the fundamental questions of their existence and to seek enlightenment only from Scientology." (Response to Final Series of IRS Questions Prior to Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(c)(3) As a Church, October 1, 1993)

Critics claim that a select group of advanced practitioners eventually discovered that Hubbard had left little doubt in his writings and lectures about the dim view he took towards existing major religions. In some of the teachings Hubbard had intended only for this select group, he claimed that Jesus had never existed, but was implanted in humanity's collective memory by Xenu 75 million years ago, and that Christianity was an "entheta [evil] operation" mounted by beings called Targs (Hubbard, "Electropsychometric Scouting: Battle of the Universes", April 1952). Thus, critics claim, Hubbard makes clear his belief that advanced Scientologists are to identify Jesus and Christianity more as a force of evil than as a force for good. Again, it should be emphasized that only a minority have been taught this advanced teaching. October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in Leap years). ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Jesus, also known as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ, is the central figure of Christianity and an important prophet in Islam. ... Collective memory is a term coined by Maurice Halbwachs, separating the notion from the individual memory. ...

Hubbard claimed that Islam was also the result of an extraterrestrial memory implant, called the Emanator, of which the Kaaba is supposedly an artifact. Mainstream religions, in his view, had failed to realize their objectives: "It is all very well to idealise poverty and associate wisdom with begging bowls, or virtue with low estate. However, those who have done this (Buddhists, Christians, Communists and other fanatics) have dead ended or are dead ending." (Hubbard, HCOPL of January 21, 1965) Islām is described as a dīn, meaning way of life and/or guidance. ... The Kaaba (Kaabah), (Arabic: الكعبة) also Bait ul Ateeq (Arabic: البيت العتيق ) and Bait ul Haram (Arabic: البيت الحرام ), is a building located inside the mosque known as Masjid al Haram in Mecca (Makkah). ... January 21 is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ...

Based on an interpretation of Buddhist writings which described, among other things, a man from the west with hair like flames around his head who was said to be due to return some 2,500 years after the first Buddha, the red-haired Hubbard sometimes identified himself with Maitreya, the Buddha of the future. (Hubbard, Hymn of Asia, 1952). A replica of an ancient statue of Gautama Buddha, found from Sarnath, near Varanasi Buddhism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. Buddhism gradually spread from India... A stone image of the Buddha. ... In Buddhism, Maitreya Bodhisattva is the future Buddha. ...

Origins

Immediately prior to his first Dianetics publications, Hubbard was involved with occultist Jack Parsons in performing rites developed by Aleister Crowley. Some investigators have noted similarities in Hubbard's writings to the doctrines of Crowley,[3] though the Church of Scientology denies any such connection. An influence that Hubbard did acknowledge is the system of General Semantics developed by Alfred Korzybski in the 1930s. [4] Scientology also reflects the influence of the Hindu concept of karma, as well as the less metaphysical theories of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and William Sargant. John Whiteside (Jack) Parsons (October 2, 1914–June 17, 1952), born Marvel Whiteside Parsons, was a rocket propulsion researcher at the California Institute of Technology and co-founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Aerojet Corporation. ... Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley (12 October 1875 - 1 December 1947) was an occultist, mystic, sexual revolutionary, and drug user (especially heroin). ... General Semantics is a school of thought founded by Alfred Korzybski in about 1933 in response to his observations that most people had difficulty defining human and social discussions and problems and could almost never predictably resolve them into elements that were responsive to successful intervention or correction. ... Alfred Korzybski Alfred Korzybski was born on July 3, 1879 in Warsaw, Poland, and died on March 1, 1950) in Lakeville, Connecticut, USA. He came from an aristocratic family which had worked as mathematicians, scientists, and engineers for generations, and he chose to train as an engineer. ... Karma or Karm(Sanskrit: कर्म from the root kri, to do, meaning deed) or Kamma (Pali: meaning action, effect, destiny) is a term in several eastern religions that comprises the entire cycle of cause and effect. ... Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud (May 6, 1856 – September 23, 1939; ) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of the psychoanalytic school of psychology, based on his theory that unconscious motives determine much behavior, that particular kinds of unconscious thoughts and memories, especially sexual and aggressive ones, are the source... William Walters Sargant (24 April 1907 - August 27, 1988), psychiatrist, Founder and Director of the Department of Psychological Medicine at St Thomas Hospital in London, where he established a laboratory for mind control experiments. ...

Hubbard was repeatedly accused of adopting a religious facade for Scientology in order for the organization to maintain tax-exempt status and avoid prosecution for false medical claims. These accusations continue to the present day, bolstered by numerous accounts from Hubbard's fellow science-fiction authors that on various occasions he stated that the way to get rich was to start a religion. [5] A tax exemption is an exemption to the tax law of a state or nation in which part of the taxes that would normally be collected from an individual or an organization are instead forgone. ...

The word scientology has a history of its own. Although today associated almost exclusively with Hubbard's work, it was coined by philologist Allen Upward in 1907 as a synonym for "pseudoscience". [6] In 1934, the Argentine-German writer Anastasius Nordenholz published a book using the word positively: Scientologie, Wißenschaft von der Beschaffenheit und der Tauglichkeit des Wißens ("Scientology, Science of the Constitution and Usefulness of Knowledge"). [7] Nordenholz's book is a study of consciousness, and its usage of the word is not greatly different from Hubbard's definition, "knowing how to know". However, it is not clear to what extent Hubbard was aware of these earlier uses. The word itself is a pairing of the Latin word scientia ("knowledge", "skill"), which comes from the verb scire ("to know"), and the Greek λογος lógos ("reason" or "inward thought" or "logic"). In a lecture given on July 19, 1962 entitled "The E-meter", Hubbard said: Philology is the study of ancient texts and languages. ... Allen Upward (1863 - 1920) was a poet, lawyer, politician and teacher. ... Phrenology is seen today as a classic example of pseudoscience. ... Latin is an Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... July 19 is the 200th day (201st in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 165 days remaining. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

"So Suzie and I went down to the library, and we started hauling books out and looking for words. And we finally found 'scio' and we find 'ology'. And there was the founding of that word. Now, that word had been used to some degree before. There had been some thought of this. Actually the earliest studies on these didn't have any name to them until a little bit along the line and then I called it anything you could think of. But we found that this word Scientology, you see—and it could have been any other word that had also been used—was the best-fitted word for exactly what we wanted."

There are also claims that Scientology was started as a result of a wager between science fiction authors. Some versions of this story have the other participant as Kurt Vonnegut, while other versions name Robert A. Heinlein. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. ... Heinlein autographing at the 1976 Worldcon Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was one of the most influential and controversial authors in science fiction. ...

The Church of Scientology

Main article: Church of Scientology

The official symbol of the Church of Scientology.

The Church of Scientology was first incorporated in Camden, New Jersey as a non-profit organization in 1953. Today it forms the center of a complex worldwide network of corporations dedicated to the promotion of L. Ron Hubbard's philosophies in all areas of life. This includes: Official Scientology Cross Symbol The Church of Scientology is a new religious movement founded by late science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard as an organization dedicated to the practice of Scientology, an applied religious philosophy formulated by Hubbard. ... Scientology Cross This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... Scientology Cross This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... Official Scientology Cross Symbol The Church of Scientology is a new religious movement founded by late science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard as an organization dedicated to the practice of Scientology, an applied religious philosophy formulated by Hubbard. ... A corporation is a legal entity (distinct from a natural person) that often has similar rights in law to those of a Civil law systems may refer to corporations as moral persons; they may also go by the name AS (anonymous society) or something similar, depending on language (see below). ... Tweeter Center The City of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey in the United States. ... A non-profit organization (sometimes abbreviated to not-for-profit, non-profit or NPO) is an organization whose primary objective is to support some issue or matter of private interest or public concern for non-commercial purposes. ...

• drug treatment centers (Narconon);
• criminal rehab programs (Criminon);
• activities to reform the field of mental health (Citizens Commission on Human Rights);
• projects to implement workable and effective educational methods in schools (Applied Scholastics);
• a campaign to return moral values to living (The Way to Happiness);
• an organization to educate and assist businesses in the use of Scientology management techniques (World Institute of Scientology Enterprises, or WISE);
• a consulting firm based on Hubbard's management techniques (Sterling Management Systems);
• a publishing company, e-Republic, which publishes Government Technology and Converge magazines and coordinates the Center for Digital Government;
• and a campaign directed to world leaders, as well as the general public, to implement the 1948 United Nations document "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights" (with particular emphasis on the religious freedom elements).

The Church of Scientology has been, and remains, a controversial organization. Different countries have taken markedly different approaches to Scientology. In the United States, Scientology declares itself to be a religion and regularly cites religious protection under the First Amendment. In Canada the Church of Scientology is legal, but has the unique distinction of being criminally convicted as a corporation on two counts of breach of the public trust (for an organized conspiracy to break into government offices) following a trial by jury. Scientologys Narconon purports to deliver a rehabilitation program for drug abusers in several dozen treatment centers worldwide, chiefly in the United States and western Europe. ... Criminon is an element of the Scientology movement directed at rehabilitating prisoners, in particular those with mental illnesses. ... The international headquarters of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. ... Applied Scholastics is a non-profit corporation founded in 1972 to promote the use of the study technology created by L. Ron Hubbard, a science fiction author and the founder of Scientology. ... A Scientology Center in Los Angeles, California. ... World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE) is an organization that educates and assists businesses in the use of Scientology management techniques. ... Sterling Management Systems is a consulting firm based on the management techniques of L. Ron Hubbard. ... The first ten Amendments to the U.S. Constitution make up the Bill of Rights. ...

Other countries, notably in Europe, have regarded Scientology as a potentially dangerous cult and have significantly restricted its activities at various times, or at least have not considered the branches of the Church of Scientology to meet the legal criteria for being considered religion-supporting organizations. In Germany, for instance, Scientology is not seen as a religion by the government, but as a commercial business with potentially anti-democratic tendencies, and has been subjected to state surveillance as a result. The United Kingdom government does not recognize Scientology as a bona fide religion, and it has been subjected to considerable pressure from the state in Russia. A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... In religion and sociology, a cult is a cohesive group of people (often a relatively small and new religious movement) devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture or society considers to be far outside the mainstream. ... Religious activities generally need some infrastructure to be conducted. ...

Scientology has also been the focus of criticism by anti-cult campaigners and has aroused controversy for its high-profile campaigns against psychiatry and psychiatric medication. Opposition to cults and new religious movements (NRMs) comes from several sources with diverse concerns: family members of adherents, former members, psychiatrists, psychologists and sociologists, adherents from established religions, cult watchers and skeptics. ...

The many legal battles fought by the Church of Scientology since its inception have given it a reputation as an extremely litigious organization. The Church of Scientology has made extensive use of the legal system to defend itself and attack its perceived enemies, including both critics and those who apply the teachings of Scientology outside of the Church (such as the Free Zone). ...

However, a notable number of countries around the world have apparently embraced Scientology, including Italy, Spain and Thailand. Also, the overall number of legal battles the Church has engaged in seemed to peak in the early-to-mid-1990s, and have been declining since then. Since that time, many Scientologists have adopted a more relaxed view toward minor criticism. The overall attitude in the Scientology community has partially shifted to spreading Scientology through direct application to communities, rather than combating those who attempt to stop or belittle it.

Independent Scientology groups

Main article: Free Zone

Although "Scientology" is most often used as shorthand for the Church of Scientology, a number of groups practice Scientology and Dianetics outside of the official Church. Such groups are invariably breakaways from the original Church, and usually argue that it has corrupted L. Ron Hubbard's principles or otherwise become overly domineering. The Church takes an extremely hard line on breakaway groups, labeling them "apostates" (or "squirrels" in Scientology jargon) and often subjecting them to considerable legal and social pressure. Breakaway groups avoid the name "Scientology" so as to keep from being sued, instead referring to themselves collectively as the Free Zone. The Free Zone is various groups and individuals who practice Scientology beliefs and techniques free from the control of the official Church of Scientology. ... Official Scientology Cross Symbol The Church of Scientology is a new religious movement founded by late science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard as an organization dedicated to the practice of Scientology, an applied religious philosophy formulated by Hubbard. ... Apostasy (αποστασις, in classical Greek a defection or revolt from a military commander, from απο, apo, away, apart, στασις, stasis, standing) is a term generally employed to describe the formal renunciation of ones religion, especially if... A lawsuit is a civil action brought before a court in order to recover a right, obtain damages for an injury, obtain an injunction to prevent an injury, or obtain a declaratory judgment to prevent future legal disputes. ... The Free Zone is various groups and individuals who practice Scientology beliefs and techniques free from the control of the official Church of Scientology. ...

Free Zone groups are extremely heterogeneous in terms of doctrine—unlike the official Church. Some Free Zoners practice a form of Scientology that adheres to Hubbard's original (Church-published) texts and principles, but without the supervision or fee system of the official Church. Others have developed Hubbard's ideas into radically new forms, some barely recognizable as being related to Scientology.

Controversy and criticism

Main article: Scientology controversy

Of the many new religious movements to appear during the 20th century, Scientology has from its inception been the most controversial. The Church has come into conflict with the governments and police forces of several countries (including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany) numerous times over the years, though supporters note that many major world religions have found themselves in conflict with civil government in their early years. This article examines controversial issues involving Scientology and its affiliated organizations. ... A new religious movement or NRM is a religious, ethical, or spiritual grouping of fairly recent origin which is not part of an established religion and has not yet become recognised as a standard denomination, church, or religious body. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

The ongoing controversies involving the Church and its critics include:

• The Gabriel Williams sexual abuse case.
• Scientology's harassing and litigious actions against its critics and enemies.
• Differing accounts of L. Ron Hubbard's life. Some critics charge Scientology with being a cult of personality, with much emphasis placed on the alleged accomplishments of its founder. Scientologists claim that government files, such as those from the FBI, are loaded with forgeries and other false documents detrimental to Scientology, but have never substantiated this accusation.
• Deaths of Scientologists, most notably Lisa McPherson, due to mistreatment by other members.
• Scientology's disconnection policy, in which members are encouraged to cut off all contact with friends or family members critical of the Church.
• Criminal activities by Scientologists, both those committed for personal gain (Reed Slatkin, others) and those committed on behalf of the Church and directed by Church officials (Operation Snow White, Operation Freakout, Fair Game, and others).
• Claims of brainwashing and mind control.
• Use of high-pressure sales tactics to obtain money from members.
• Accounts of L. Ron Hubbard discussing his intent to start a religion for profit.

This last criticism is referenced, among other places, in a May 1980 Reader's Digest article, which quotes Hubbard, "If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion." Gabriel Scott Williams was a chief supervisor at the Scientology center in Mountain View, California who made worldwide headlines during his trial in which he was found guilty of statutory rape and sexual battery of Jennifer Stewart. ... Joseph Stalin, the subject of a massive Communist Party campaign to rename locations in his honor (see List of places named after Stalin). ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a Federal police force which is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... Lisa McPherson (born Lisa Skonetski, February 10, 1959–December 5, 1995) was a Scientologist who died while in the care of the Church of Scientology (CoS). ... Disconnection is a practice in Scientology, in which a Scientologist severs all ties between themselves and friends, colleagues, or family members who criticize Scientology practices. ... Reed Slatkin is the perpetrator of the largest Ponzi scheme in the United States since that conducted by Ponzi himself. ... Operation Snow White was the name given internally by the Church of Scientology to a program which included the largest incident of domestic espionage in the history of the United States. ... The Church of Scientology planned Operation Freakout in 1976, to frame writer Paulette Cooper for bomb threats against the Church, Henry Kissinger, Arab nations and a laundromat. ... Fair Game is a status assigned to those whom the Church of Scientology has officially declared to be Suppressive Persons or Suppressive Persons are those whose actions are deemed to suppress or damage Scientology or a Scientologist. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Mind control. ... Mind control (or thought control) has the premise that an outside source can control an individuals thinking, behavior or consciousness (either directly or more subtly). ... The cover of the May 2004 issue of Readers Digest. ...

The nature of Scientology is hotly debated in many countries. Scientology is considered a religion in the United States and Australia, and thus enjoys the constitutional protections afforded to religious practice (First Amendment to the United States Constitution; Australian Constitution, s 116). In the United States, the church obtained "public charity" status (IRS Code 501(c)(3)) and the associated preferential tax treatment after extended litigation. Some European governments (including Germany) do not consider the Church to be a bona fide religious organization, but instead a commercial enterprise or totalitarian cult. The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (in full, An Act to constitute the Commonwealth of Australia) is the primary constitutional text of the Commonwealth of Australia. ... IRS is short for U.S. Internal Revenue Service short for Indian Revenue Service short for Independent rear suspension, used in automobiles. ... 501C3 refers to section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code that exempts payment of federal income taxes for groups that are organized for charitable, religious, scientific, literary or educational purposes. ... Religious activities generally need some infrastructure to be conducted. ... This list of reported cults indexes a number of groups that have been referred to: as a cult directly by specific listed sources; as a sect directly by specific listed French-language or United Kingdom sources; as such within the last 50 years; Disclaimer: Inclusion of a group within this...

The Church pursues an extensive public relations campaign arguing Scientology is a bona fide religion. The organization cites numerous scholarly sources supporting its position, many of which can be found on a website the Church has established for this purpose. [8] Public relations is, simply-stated, the art and science of building relationships between an organization and its key audiences. ...

Scientology critics

Scientology critics come from a variety of sources, including former members, family, various members of the Internet community, practitioners of other faiths, and governments.

Not all critics have had sincere disputes with the organization; some have sought to make money through allegations, hoping for settlements. The lawsuits in the late 1970s and early 1980s involving Boston lawyer Michael Flynn were notorious in this regard. ^{Citation needed} Michael Flynn, (born 1947), sometimes published as Michael F. Flynn, worked full time as a statistician and wrote science fiction as a sideline for several years. ...

Certain members of the Internet community resent the Church for trying to enforce copyright law with regard to its materials, and are skeptical of Scientology.

Critics dismiss many of the studies cited previously as biased, contending that they were commissioned by the Church to produce the results Scientology desired. Academic papers which conclude that Scientology is not a legitimate religion have also been published, and some are available online in the Marburg Journal of Religion. [9] It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with bias (disambiguation). ...

In the United States in October of 1993, the Internal Revenue Service, after reviewing voluminous information on the Church's financial and other operations, recognized the Church as an "organization operated exclusively for religious and charitable purposes." [10] The Church uses this tax exemption to support its claim that it is a religion. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the United States government agency that collects taxes and enforces the tax laws. ...

Many critics assert that Scientologist paid private investigators to obtain compromising material on the IRS commissioner and blackmailed the IRS into submission, NYT article costing taxpayers 1-2 billion dollars. [11] Six levels of indents down in the eventually leaked "closing agreement", [12] the IRS is contractually required to discriminate in their treatment of Scientology to the exclusion of all other groups:

"The following actions will be considered to be a material breach by the Service: ... The issuance of a Regulation, Revenue Ruling or other pronouncement of general applicability providing that fixed donations to a religious organization other than a church of Scientology are fully deductible."

The Sklars, in the case MICHAEL SKLAR; MARLA SKLAR v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL No. 00-70753, attempted to obtain the same deduction for their payments to a Jewish school. On January 29, 2002 the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the IRS's opposition. Judge Silverman concurred, [13] saying: January 29 is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2002 (MMII) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

"An IRS closing agreement cannot overrule Congress and the Supreme Court.

If the IRS does, in fact, give preferential treatment to members of the Church of Scientology—allowing them a special right to claim deductions that are contrary to law and rightly disallowed to everybody else—then the proper course of action is a lawsuit to put a stop to that policy."

To date, such a suit is not known to have been filed.

Another source of controversy was Scientology's infiltration of the United States Internal Revenue Service in what Scientology termed "Operation Snow White". Eleven high-ranking Scientologists, including Hubbard's wife Mary Sue Hubbard, served time in federal prison for their involvement in this infiltration. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the United States government agency that collects taxes and enforces the tax laws. ... Operation Snow White was the name given internally by the Church of Scientology to a program which included the largest incident of domestic espionage in the history of the United States. ...

In Australia, critics point to a certain passage in a 1982 ruling by the High Court of Australia. They claim that in the course of litigation between the Church and the government of Victoria, even though the government of the state found that the Church practiced charlatanism, (Church of the New Faith v. Commissioner Of Pay-roll Tax) due to certain legal technicalities, the government of Victoria nevertheless could not deny the Church the right to operate in Victoria under the legal status of "religion". High Court entrance The High Court of Australia is the court of last resort for the jurisdiction of Australia. ... Motto: Peace and Prosperity Nickname: Garden State Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Government Governor Premier Const. ... The Australian States and Territories comprise the Commonwealth of Australia under a federal system of government. ... A charlatan is a person practicing quackery or some similar confidence trick in order to obtain money or advantage by false pretenses. ...

Also in Australia, the Church of Scientology has received criticism of its auditing conduct. An Australian report stated that auditing involved a kind of command hypnosis that could lead to potentially damaging delusional dissociative states.

Scientology and psychiatry

Scientologists regularly hold anti-psychiatry demonstrations they call "Psychbusts"

Main article: Scientology and psychiatry

Scientology is publicly and vehemently opposed to psychiatry and psychology. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1266x693, 178 KB)Church of Scientology anti-psychiatry demonstration in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 2005 By Legolam File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1266x693, 178 KB)Church of Scientology anti-psychiatry demonstration in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 2005 By Legolam File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Psychiatry is the branch of medicine that diagnoses, treats, and studies mental illness and behavioral conditions. ... Scientologists regularly hold anti-psychiatry demonstrations, which they call Psychbusts Scientology is publicly, and often vehemently, opposed to psychiatry and psychology and offers itself as an alternative to psychiatry, which Scientologists believe to be a barbaric and corrupt profession. ... Psychiatry is the branch of medicine that diagnoses, treats, and studies mental illness and behavioral conditions. ... Psychology (ancient Greek: psyche = soul or mind, logos/-ology = study of) is an academic and applied field involving the study of mind and behavior. ...

This theme appears in some of Hubbard's literary works. In Hubbard's Mission Earth series, various characters praise and criticize these methods, and the antagonists in his novel Battlefield Earth are called Psychlos, a similar allusion. Cover of Mission Earth volume 1: The Invaders Plan Mission Earth is a ten-volume science fiction novel by L. Ron Hubbard, more famous as the founder of the Church of Scientology. ... Cover of the novel Battlefield Earth intended to promote the movie Battlefield Earth is the name of both a science fiction novel written by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard as well as a film adaptation of said novel produced by and starring John Travolta. ...

What the Church opposes are brutal, inhumane psychiatric treatments. It does so for three principal reasons: 1) procedures such as electro-shock, drugs and lobotomy injure, maim and destroy people in the guise of help; 2) psychiatry is not a science and has no proven methods to justify the billions of dollars of government funds that are poured into it; and 3) psychiatric theories that man is a mere animal have been used to rationalize, for example, the wholesale slaughter of human beings in World Wars I and II. [14]

L. Ron Hubbard was bitterly critical of psychiatry's citation of physical causes for mental disorders, for instance chemical imbalances in the brain. Although there are many questions remaining, the statements by Hubbard deny that psychiatry through the scientific method has shown some psychiatric disorders are related to anatomical and chemical cerebral anomalies. Furthermore, it is evident much of his criticism is based upon old and flawed information regarding psychiatry [15]. He regarded psychiatrists as denying human spirituality and peddling fake cures. He was also convinced psychiatrists were themselves deeply unethical individuals, committing "extortion, mayhem and murder. Our files are full of evidence on them." [16] The Church claims that psychiatry was responsible for World War I [17], the rise of Hitler and Stalin [18], the decline in education standards in the United States [19], the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo [20], and even the September 11th attacks [21]. However, for all these statements, Hubbard failed to present any evidence supporting his view of psychiatry. Electroconvulsive therapy, also known as electroshock or ECT, is a controversial type of psychiatric shock therapy involving the induction of an artificial seizure in a patient by passing electricity through the brain. ... Psychopharmacology is the study of the effects of any psychoactive drug that acts upon the mind by affecting brain chemistry. ... Psychosurgery is the practice of performing surgery on the brain to treat or alleviate severe mental disease. ... // What is science? There are various understandings of the word science. According to empiricism, scientific theories are objective, empirically testable, and predictive — they predict empirical results that can be checked and possibly contradicted. ... World War I was primarily a European conflict with many facets: immense human sacrifice, stalemate trench warfare, and the use of new, devastating weapons - tanks, aircraft, machine guns, and poison gas World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War, the War of the Nations and... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb. ... Chemical imbalance is a simplification of the language sometimes used by drug companies [1] in the United States in advertising and consumer literature for psychoactive drugs after deregulation of pharmaceutical advertising. ... The characterization element can require extended and extensive study, even centuries. ... Bosnia and Herzegovina (officially Bosna i Hercegovina, shortened to BiH, also in English variously written Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Bosnia-Hercegovina) is a mountainous country in the western Balkans. ... The term Kosovo War or Kosovo Conflict is often used to describe two sequential and at times parallel armed conflicts (a civil war followed by an international war) in the southern Serbian province called Kosovo (officially Kosovo and Metohia), part of the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. ... The World Trade Center on fire The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. ...

Scientology's opposition to psychiatry has also undoubtedly been influenced by the fact that a number of psychiatrists have strongly spoken out against the Church, resulting in pressure from the media and governments. Additionally, after Hubbard's book on Dianetics was published, in which he tried to present a new form of psychotherapy, the American Psychological Association advised its members against using Hubbard's techniques with their patients until its effectiveness could be proven. Because of this critique Hubbard came to believe psychiatrists were behind a worldwide conspiracy to attack Scientology and create a "world government" run by psychiatrists on behalf of Soviet Russia: It has been suggested that Reactive mind be merged into this article or section. ... Psychotherapy is a set of techniques intended to improve mental health, emotional or behavioral issues in individuals, who are often called clients. These issues often make it hard for people to manage their lives and achieve their goals. ... The American Psychological Association (APA) is a professional organization representing psychology in the US. It has around 150,000 members and an annual budget of around $70m. ... Soviet redirects here. ...

Our enemies are less than twelve men. They are members of the Bank of England and other higher financial circles. They own and control newspaper chains and they, oddly enough, run all the mental health groups in the world that had sprung up ...

Their apparent programme was to use mental health, which is to say psychiatric electric shock and pre-frontal lobotomy, to remove from their path any political dissenters ... These fellows have gotten nearly every government in the world to owe them considerable quantities of money through various chicaneries and they control, of course, income tax, government finance — (Harold) Wilson, for instance, the current Premier of England, is totally involved with these fellows and talks about nothing else actually. (Hubbard, Ron's Journal 67 [22])

In 1966, Hubbard declared war on psychiatry, telling Scientologists "We want at least one bad mark on every psychiatrist in England, a murder, an assault, or a rape or more than one." He committed the Church to eradicating psychiatry in 1969, announcing "Our war has been forced to become 'To take over absolutely the field of mental healing on this planet in all forms.'" [23] Not coincidentally, the Church founded the Citizens Commission on Human Rights that same year as its primary vehicle for attacking psychiatry. The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom, sometimes known as The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street or The Old Lady. The Bank of England // Functions of the Bank It performs all the recognized functions of a central bank -- to maintain price stability, and subject to... This article is about the British politician. ... The international headquarters of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. ...

Around the same time, Hubbard decided psychiatrists were an ancient evil that had been a problem for billions of years. He cast them in the role of assisting Xenu's genocide of 75 million years ago. In a 1982 bulletin entitled "Pain and Sex", Hubbard declares that "pain and sex were the INVENTED TOOLS of degradation", having been devised eons ago by psychiatrists "who have been on the [time] track a long time and are the sole cause of decline in this universe." (Hubbard, HCO Bulletin of August 26, 1982) August 26 is the 238th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (239th in leap years). ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Celebrity Scientologists, notably Tom Cruise, have been extremely vocal in attacking the use of psychiatric medication. [24] Their position has attracted considerable criticism from psychiatrists, physicians, and mentally ill individuals who cite numerous scientific studies showing benefit from psychiatry. On top of that there is evidence Scientology adherents destroyed scientific data in a lengthy campaign to discredit research. [25] Nevertheless, it is still being defended and promoted by Scientologists. [26] Tom Cruise as seen on a poster for the 2001 film Vanilla Sky Tom Cruise is the stage name of Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, an American actor, producer, and Scientologist who has starred in a number of top-grossing movies and remains one of the biggest movie stars in the...

Scientology vs. the Internet

Main Article: Scientology vs. the Internet Scientology versus the Internet is the colloquial term for a long-running online dispute between the Church of Scientology and a number of the Churchs online critics. ...

Scientology leaders have undertaken extensive operations on the Internet to deal with growing allegations of fraud and exposure of unscrupulousness within Scientology. The organization states that it is taking actions to prevent distribution of copyrighted Scientology documents and publications online by people whom it has called "copyright terrorists". Critics claim the organization's true motive is an attempt to suppress free speech and legitimate criticism. For copyright issues in relation to Wikipedia itself, see Wikipedia:Copyrights. ...

In January 1995, Church lawyer Helena Kobrin attempted to shut down the Usenet discussion group alt.religion.scientology by sending a control message instructing Usenet servers to delete the group on the grounds that Helena Kobrin is an American Scientologist and lawyer, working for the Religious Technology Center, which controls the trademarks of Scientology and the copyright of the works of L. Ron Hubbard. ... Usenet is a distributed Internet discussion system that evolved from a general purpose UUCP network of the same name. ... A newsgroup is a repository, usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users at different locations. ... The newsgroup alt. ...

(1) It was started with a forged message; (2) not discussed on alt.config; (3) it has the name "scientology" in its title which is a trademark and is misleading, as a.r.s. is mainly used for flamers to attack the Scientology religion; (4) it has been and continues to be heavily abused with copyright and trade secret violations and serves no purpose other than condoning these illegal practices. [27]

In practice, this rmgroup message had little effect, since most Usenet servers are configured to disregard such messages when applied to groups that receive substantial traffic, and newsgroup messages were quickly issued for those servers that did not do so. However, the issuance of the message led to a great deal of public criticism by free-speech advocates. alt. ... A rmgroup message is a Usenet control message which, according to RFC 1036, removes a newsgroup with the given name. Category: Computer network stubs ... A newsgroup is a repository, usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users at different locations. ...

The Church also started suing people for posting copies of its copyrighted scriptures on the newsgroup and the World Wide Web, and pressed for tighter restrictions on copyrights in general. This effort was spearheaded by Sonny Bono, a Scientologist, who introduced the controversial Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act. The even more controversial Digital Millennium Copyright Act was also strongly promoted by the Church and some of its provisions (notably the Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act) were heavily influenced by Church litigation against US Internet service providers over copyrighted Scientology materials that had been posted or uploaded through their servers. Graphic representation of the World Wide Web around Wikipedia The World Wide Web (WWW, W3, or simply the Web) is an information space in which the items of interest, referred to as resources, are identified by global identifiers called Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998 extended copyright terms in the United States by 20 years. ... The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a controversial United States copyright law. ... The Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act (OCILLA), a portion of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act known as DMCA 512 or the DMCA takedown provisions, is a 1998 US law that provided a safe harbor to online service providers (OSPs, including ISPs) that promptly take down content if someone alleges... An Internet Service Provider (ISP) is a business or organization that offers users access to the Internet and related services. ...

Beginning in the middle of 1996 and for several years after, the newsgroup was attacked by anonymous parties using a tactic dubbed "sporgery" by some, in the form of hundreds of thousands of forged spam messages posted on the group. Although the Church neither confirmed nor denied that it was behind the spam, some investigators claimed that some of the spam had been traced to Church members. Sporgery is the disruptive act of posting a flood of articles to a Usenet newsgroup, with the article headers falsified so that they appear to have been posted by others. ...

Scientology in popular culture

On November 16, 2005, Comedy Central aired a South Park episode called Trapped in the Closet about Scientology [28]. In the episode, Scientologists decide Stan is the reincarnation of L. Ron Hubbard. The story included some of the "secrets" cited above, regarding aliens being frozen and dumped in volcanos so their souls could be brainwashed and confuse future generations of human beings, seventy million years later. These were presented with the caption "This is what Scientologists actually believe". November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Comedy Centrals old logo Comedy Central is a cable television channel in the United States. ... South Park is an animated series created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. ... Trapped in the Closet is episode 912 of the Comedy Central series South Park. ... Stan Marsh Stanley Stan Marsh, voiced by Trey Parker, is a fictional character in United States television series South Park. ... L. Ron Hubbard, circa 1970 Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (March 13, 1911 – January 24, 1986), better known as L. Ron Hubbard, was a prolific American author and the controversial founder of Dianetics and Scientology. ...

The credits of the show were entirely populated by "John Smith," and "Jane Smith," a reference to the impression Scientologists sue or otherwise harass anyone who refers to their organization or its beliefs in an unflattering light. In fact, the show concludes with a group of Scientologists threatening to sue Stan.

A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant, a live satire targeting Scientology, as presented by children, was awarded an Obie in 2004. The Obie Awards, short for Off-Broadway Theater Awards, are annual awards bestowed by the newspaper The Village Voice on theater artists performing in New York City. ...

View the South Park Church of Scientology Episode http://www.scientomogy.com/southpark_scientology.php

Frank Zappa also spoofed the religion in his satirical rock opera "Joe's Garage." The main character, Joe, is coerced into joining L. Ron Hoover and The Church of Appliantology. Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American composer, guitarist, singer and satirist. ... The Whos Tommy, the first album explicitly billed as a rock opera A rock opera or rock musical is a musical production in the form of an opera or a musical in a modern rock and roll style rather than more traditional forms. ... Joes Garage is a 1979 triple LP by Frank Zappa, featuring such memorably offensive tunes as Catholic Girls, a sequel to Jewish Princess. ...

Celebrity practitioners

The Church of Scientology has concertedly attempted to convert artists and entertainers -- they have special recruitment facilities for public figures designated "celebrity centers." They can be found in Hollywood, New York, Nashville, Las Vegas, London, Paris, and Vienna, though Hollywood is the largest and most important. Scientologists give this description: A Scientologist is a follower of Scientology. ... ... State nickname: The Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York City Governor George Pataki (R) Senators Charles Schumer (D) Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) Official languages None (English is de facto) Area 141,205 km² or 54,556 square miles (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water... For other cities named Nashville, see Nashville (disambiguation). ... This article is about the city of Las Vegas in Nevada. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,421,328 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... Vienna (German: Wien [viːn]; Hungarian: Bécs, Czech: Vídeň, Slovak: Viedeň, Romany Vidnya; Serbian: Beč) is the capital of Austria, and also one of Austrias nine states (Land Wien). ...

L. Ron Hubbard recognized the importance of the artist to society. Thus he created Celebrity Centre International — a Church of Scientology that specializes in delivering Dianetics and Scientology services to celebrities, professionals, leaders and promising new-comers in the fields of the arts, sports, management and government.[29]

Publicity has been generated by Scientologists in the entertainment industry such as John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Kirstie Alley, Jerry Seinfeld (former), Jason Lee, Tom Cruise, and Cruise's converted fiancée Katie Holmes. Cruise became known as an outspoken Scientologist in 2005, publicly criticizing Brooke Shields on national television for her use of anti-depressants in recovering from postpartum depression. John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954 in Englewood, New Jersey) is an American actor. ... Kelly Preston (born Kelly Kamalelehua Palzis on October 13, 1962 in Honolulu, Hawaii) is an American actress. ... Kirstie Alley Kirstie Alley (born on January 12, 1951, in Wichita, Kansas) is an American actress. ... Jerry Seinfeld Jerome Jerry Seinfeld (born April 29, 1954 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American actor, writer and observational comedian from Massapequa, New York, a Long Island, New York town. ... Jason Lee (born April 25, 1970, in Huntington Beach, California) is an American actor. ... Tom Cruise as seen on a poster for the 2001 film Vanilla Sky Tom Cruise is the stage name of Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, an American actor, producer, and Scientologist who has starred in a number of top-grossing movies and remains one of the biggest movie stars in the... Katie Holmes in the 2005 film, Batman Begins. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Brooke Shields on the cover of Marie Claire Brooke Christa Camille Shields (born May 31, 1965 in New York City, New York, USA) is an American actress. ... ... After giving birth, about 70-80% of women experience an episode of baby blues, feelings of depression, anger, anxiety and guilt lasting for several days. ...

On June 24, 2005, Cruise spoke to Today Show host Matt Lauer on the dangers of psychiatry and antidepressants during a promotional interview for his film War of the Worlds. His intent may have backfired as late night comedians and morning radio programs frequently commented about Cruise's passionate frustration at Lauer's perceived lack of knowledge and respect for the topic's severity and mocked him as a radical celebrity. Despite the public backlash received, Cruise certainly rallied the faithful and exposed Scientology in a way that would have been difficult to attain otherwise. Katie Couric later interviewed two psychologists as to the validity of Tom Cruise’s statements. One agreed that it is still unknown if drugs can really correct chemical imbalances while the other stated that antidepressants may be over-prescribed. June 24 is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 190 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Today Show (officially called Today) is currently, a long-running morning news show airing on the NBC television network in the United States. ... Matt Lauer on WNBCs Live at Five in 1994. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

See also

• Alt.religion.scientology
• Cult checklist
• List of purported cults
• List of religious organizations
• List of Scientology references in popular culture
• Narconon
• Scientology controversy
• Scientology vs. the Internet
• Scientology and Homosexuality
• Scientology and psychiatry
• Symbols of Scientology
• Pyramid Scheme

The newsgroup alt. ... Several cult checklists of cult behavior have been circulated by members of the anti-cult movement. ... This list of reported cults indexes a number of groups that have been referred to: as a cult directly by specific listed sources; as a sect directly by specific listed French-language or United Kingdom sources; as such within the last 50 years; Disclaimer: Inclusion of a group within this... This is a list of religious organizations. ... List of Scientology references in popular culture: The 1999 satirical film Bowfinger includes an organisation called Mindhead as a thinly-veiled parody of the Scientology movement. ... Scientologys Narconon purports to deliver a rehabilitation program for drug abusers in several dozen treatment centers worldwide, chiefly in the United States and western Europe. ... This article examines controversial issues involving Scientology and its affiliated organizations. ... Scientology versus the Internet is the colloquial term for a long-running online dispute between the Church of Scientology and a number of the Churchs online critics. ... The Church of Scientology is based upon the writings of author L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986). ... Scientologists regularly hold anti-psychiatry demonstrations, which they call Psychbusts Scientology is publicly, and often vehemently, opposed to psychiatry and psychology and offers itself as an alternative to psychiatry, which Scientologists believe to be a barbaric and corrupt profession. ... The symbols of Scientology represent the religious identification of Scientology. ... A pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves the exchange of money primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, usually without any product or service being delivered. ...

References

• Frenschkowski, Marco (1999). "L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology: An annotated bibliographical survey of primary and selected secondary literature"
• Spaink, Karin. The Fishman Affidavit. I write therefore I am.  URL accessed on August 12, 2005. Includes details of some of Scientology's high-level "Operating Thetan" teachings.
• Miller, Russell (1987). Bare-faced Messiah, The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard, Henry Holt & Co. ISBN 0-8050-0654-0.
• Atack, Jon (1990). A Piece of Blue Sky, Lyle Stuart. ISBN 081840499X. A critical history of Scientology, by a Scientology archivist and former Scientologist
• Kent, Stephen A. (1996). "Scientology's Relationship With Eastern Religious Traditions"

August 12 is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Official Scientology sites

• Scientology.org
• Flag Service Organization
• Religious Technology Center
• "The Key To Life"
• theta.com
• Freedom magazine
• Fort Harrison

Unofficial sites

• InternationalFreeZone - An association of individuals, auditors and groups who believe they should be free to practice the original philosophy of Lafayette Ron Hubbard
• Ron's Organisation and Network for Standard Tech - Delivers auditing and training outside the CoS worldwide, founded 1984

This page is about the year 1984. ...

Critical sites

• Operation Clambake
• Scientology Watch
• Scientology Kills
• Scientology Lies
• The Secrets of Scientology
• Xenu TV
• Scientology: Follow the Money
• Stop Scientology!
• Boycott The Church of Scientology
• What is Scientology?

Parodies

• scienTOMogy- Tom Cruise's NEW and IMPROVED "friendlier" cult
• South Park Church of Scientology Episode