The 5 Most Heinous Things I’ve Learned About Scientology
You may have heard about Scientology before because of that one South Park (Season 9 episode 12), "Trapped the Closet," or, depending on your generation, the 2000s Tom Cruise including the interview where he jumped on the couch and almost kicked Opera in the face.
In talking to my best friend last night, I realized not many people know what Scientology really is or even that there's a movement trying to stop it.
"I honestly thought they were about science," she responded after I dropped the alien bombshell.
What is Scientology?
Scientology's core beliefs have never been straightforward; even in the many interviews with the founder, L. Ron Hubbard, and his successor, David Miscavige, we never quite knew what it was. When I walked into an organization, I was told Scientology was about making your life better by using technology, but everyone must first take a personality test containing 200 questions. Spoiler alert: you’re depressed, and Scientology can help you, if you pay.
LRH was a mediocre science fiction writer so it should come to no surprise that Scientology's origin story is about an alien overlord in the outskirts of the Milky Way who tried to annihilate half of the species by freezing them, then flying them to Earth, and dumping them into a volcano. Now the disembodied alien spirits are floating around attaching themselves to us and the only way to clear them is Scientology, for a low price of $100,000.
Any belief, regardless of how wild they may be to others, is protected under the First Amendment right to religious freedom, and Scientology has often claimed any criticism is due to religious persecution.
Below are the 5 most heinous things I've learned about Scientology in my time covering the movement against it:
Auditing, spiritual awakening, or cash mill?
Scientology is muddled with hierarchies and levels on getting to enlightenment, or, as they put it, “going clear.” The road involves heavy coursework of LRH books and interview-like audits utilizing an “E-meter” (invented by another science fiction Writer) to measure emotional responses from the person holding it.
Super-7 Quantum E-Meter. Source: YouTube @PlaywithJunkThese audits have been compared to light hypnosis due to the repetition of questions attempting to induce or illicit a memory and record the reaction, often leaving the person in a euphoric trance lasting a couple of days and known as the beginning steps to indoctrination. The introductory courses will start mildly low, from $35 to $100, but can turn into $6,000 sessions. An article from the Tampa Bay Times written in 2016 reported,
“ Church workers push parishioners to exhaust every financial resource to purchase Scientology services and make donations. Got a credit card? Max it out. Have a mortgage? Take out a second one. The 401(k)? Drain it. The savings account, the inheritance — the church wants it all.”
Although many have criticized the use of E-meters as pseudoscience, never having been tested in clinical trials, the Church of Scientology has declared they are used only for spiritual purposes. The methods aren’t the cause for alarm, but it’s the questions asked meant to elicit responses.
Questions about, “things nobody would calmly talk about in mixed company,” like embarrassing experiences, criminal acts, sexuality, and pedophilia, repeated for hours at a time, while the person being audited is told to stay completely still, holding the ends of the E-meter. They are unable to end the session until the standard is met - all while being watched and recorded.
No such thing as children
On March 3rd, 2024, former Scientologists showed up and marched on L Ron Hubbard Way in Hollywood, CA, holding a 75-foot scroll with 150 names of second and third-generation children who escaped the institution. Many recounting stories of forced child labor and emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.
“There are no protections in Scientology for children.”
Laura Anderson, a second generation survivor of Scientology, recalled growing up at a Scientology base with other children, subjected to long working hours and physical abuse. She tried running away several times, but the secluded area made it nearly impossible to get far. When she mustered the courage to disclose to her mom, the higher org members demanded silence. Relocation of children was common and meant one of two things - attempted suicide or sexual abuse. They were often not seen again.
Speaking of L Ron Hubbard Way, I learned children built the red brick road as part of the many missions completed by children. Marriam Francis recounts being sent to Los Angeles at the ripe age of 8 and placed brick by brick on what would later be the street housing three major Scientology organizations.
In a recent live interview with Aaron Smith Levin and Serge Del Mar, both recounted their childhood audit training. Smith Levin referenced a Scientology belief that everyone on earth is an immortal spiritual being over 60 trillion years old basically trapped inside a human. He says, “ They actually believe there is no such thing as a child - there’s only a child body, but inside that child’s body is a spiritual being that’s 60 some trillion years old.” This belief renders children unprotected inside Scientology.
Children are subjected to audit training, later auditing other children and adults, with the use of sexually explicit language practically being required. If a child does not understand the question or the word, it must be explained to them until they can say it or demonstrate it correctly, and as Smith Levin described, the more degrading, the better.
The Abuse of R-1 Visas
Scientology has relied heavily on bringing people from other countries under the guise of religious visas. Many people are coached on what to say during the immigration interview to ensure they pass the screening. They have their passports and documents taken and are forced to work labor-intensive jobs for inhumane hours unrelated to any real ministry work.
Scientologists are more often than not encouraged to join the Sea Organization, a religious order meant for the most dedicated. Those who join, sign a billion-year contract, reflecting a symbolic commitment to clearing the planet, work seven days a week, 14-hour days, and are paid roughly $70 per week. Some remember signing the billion-year contract with a crayon.
Attacks on any and all critics of Scientology are fair game
Have you heard of a religion stalking or threatening its critics or members choosing to leave the religion? Most famously, Leah Remini spoke about her experience with fair game when she left Scientology and spoke against its practices.
“ENEMY: SP Order. Fair game. May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.”
Former members have told their stories of being constantly monitored with little interaction with the outside world, and their identification cards, including passports, are taken from them. During a 60-minute Australia special titled “Scientology’s devious tricks to hold its members hostage for life,” one member recalls escaping by hiding in the back of someone's trunk.
It is hard to bring these crimes to the proper authorities as high-ranking members do their best to keep victims from coming forward. Such allegations came to light during the Danny Masterson trial in which the three Jane Does were said to have been threatened to keep quiet and intimidated throughout the years. After Masterson was convicted on two counts of forcible rape, a civil case was filed against Scientology's leader, David Miscavige, and Danny Masterson, and plaintiffs are asking for RICO charges to be included.
Former members have gone to court against Scientology for their experiences in the organization, only to have the judge rule it is an internal matter within the religion and must be settled by the established policies the victims signed when they were a member. They were forced back to the place where they suffered years of abuse.
Los Angeles Police Department’s close relationship with Scientology
This is one that came out of left field and is a tad bit in the conspiracy theory realm, but after my second article, more evidence of police relationships emerged. The livestream protests against Scientology have been a means to document police activity. I always knew of unfavorable police interactions, but witnessing corruption in real time was unexpected and vastly infuriating.
Police officers have detained protesters over fake 911 calls, arrested protesters over bogus charges, and failed to arrest those who assaulted the protesters. The most notable day within the protest timeline was on Friday when live streamer DOA was SWATted for the second time, another protester was arrested for attempted theft and added hate crime (charges were rejected the following Monday), and another protester was assaulted. Even though the attack was caught on multiple live streams, officers refused to arrest the assailant.
