Scientology begins

• IDENTIFICATION Religious organization
• DATE Established in 1954

Scientology is a religion founded in the 1950s, based on the teachings of American writer L. Ron Hubbard.

Since American author L. Ron Hubbard founded the Church of Scientology in 1954, the movement has been described as incorporating elements of religion, psychology, and science, though it does not fit neatly into any of these categories. Its organizational structure includes multiple layers of commitment and is difficult to define. Estimates of its size vary, but some scholars have noted that its cultural influence appears greater than its membership numbers might suggest. 

The basic text of Scientology is Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, a book written by Hubbard in 1950. The text describes a concept called “engram,” a term Hubbard coined to refer to unconscious memories of pain. According to Hubbard, engrams are forms of “wrong awareness” that cause people to act in irrational, self-defeating ways.

Engrams

Hubbard’s writings describe a therapeutic technique called “auditing,” a form of counseling intended to identify and address engrams. This therapeutic technique requires trained human auditors and may involve the use of a machine called the Hubbard Electrometer, or E-meter. The human auditors act as therapists, and the machine functions as a kind of lie detector for registering emotional reactions to particular words. Scientologists believe that through auditing, individuals can achieve a state known as “clear.” All physical and emotional pain is then released from the individual.

A more advanced state known as Operating Thetan (OT) appeared in Scientology as early as the mid-1950s. Individuals who attain this level are believed, within Scientology, to achieve a form of spiritual independence from the physical body and supernatural abilities. The OT framework also serves as a hierarchical structure within the organization, with members progressing through successive levels. In other words, the status of individual followers in the organization is defined by the levels of OT they have attained.

Criticism

Scientology has been the subject of significant criticism since its early years. Its relation with society has always been in tension. Critics, including former members and scholars, have raised concerns about practices such as the “Table of Conditions” that prescribes desirable and undesirable interpersonal relationships. Two categories of people are defined as offenders. They are those who attempt to suppress Scientology and those who maintain contact with the suppressors. Scholars have commented that the Conditions have been used as a means to defend its organization and demand loyalty from its followers.

Scientology does not accuse longer-established religious traditions of having incomplete revelations or inadequate theologies. In contrast to most religious cults, Scientology allows its members to be involved in any of the established religious traditions and thus maintain dual memberships. Despite this stance, controversy has always been a part of the history and identity of Scientology.

Members of the medical and scientific professions have criticized Scientology's claim that psychiatry and psychology are inherently harmful and that the principles of Scientology are more helpful for overcoming mental illness and addiction. Many believe that this is preventing members from receiving medical help that they may need, leading to the possibility of hurting themselves or others. Critics have also noted that members of the church are charged for auditing sessions and study materials and often must pay thousands of dollars to advance through the OT levels. At the same time, the organization has been granted tax-exempt status as a religious entity in several countries, including the US, which has contributed to ongoing debate about its financial structure. The church's pursuit of wealthy celebrities and popularity in Hollywood further contributes to Scientology's image of being financially demanding.

Furthermore, some of Scientology's more advanced teachings, such as the idea that people's souls come from other planets and that members can eventually gain psychic powers, were not revealed to members until they reached a high OT level (at which point they had already paid the church a significant amount of money). Some felt that hiding these fairly central tenets of the religion from new and prospective members was deceptive. However, with the advent of the internet, the church has had greater difficulty maintaining secrecy about these beliefs.

Many former Scientologists have been publicly critical of the church. High-profile ex-Scientologists such as director, screenwriter, and producer Paul Haggis and actor Jason Beghe have given numerous interviews about their reasons for leaving the organization, both citing Scientology's policy of "disconnection" from non-Scientologist friends and family as a major issue; Haggis also criticized the church's support of California's Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in the state. Others, such as Kate Bornstein, a writer and activist, and Jenna Miscavige Hill, niece of church leader David Miscavige, have written memoirs about their time in the church and the alleged exploitation and abuse they witnessed or experienced. In a high-profile lawsuit filed in August 2023, actor Leah Remini claimed she was subjected to harassment by the church following her departure in 2013. Subsequent court rulings allowed some claims in that case to move forward while dismissing others on constitutional grounds. 

The 2015 documentary Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief interviewed eight former Scientologists, who alleged that the church had harassed and spied on former members, imprisoned and abused current members, and prevented celebrity members from leaving the organization by threatening blackmail. The church disputed these claims and criticized the film's accuracy. Some non-Scientologist critics also commented that the film provided a one-sided view coming from a small number of people, although it was generally well received.

Impact

Despite ongoing controversy, Scientology has persisted for more than seven decades and remains active in the twenty-first century, with a number of high-profile members and official recognition as a religion in several countries. 

Bibliography

Corydon, Bent. L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman. Rev. ed. Barricade, 1996. 

Garrison, Omar V. The Hidden Story of Scientology. Citadel, 1974. 

Hill, Jenna Miscavige, and Lisa Pulitzer. Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape. Morrow, 2013. 

Lamont, Stewart. Religion Inc.: The Church of Scientology. Harrap, 1986.

Reitman, Janet. Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion. Houghton, 2011.

Urban, Hugh B. The Church of Scientology: A History of a New Religion. Princeton UP, 2011.

"What Is Scientology?" Church of Scientology, www.scientology.org/what-is-scientology/. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

Wright, Lawrence. Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief. Vintage, 2013.