Other Sects and Teachers

Scientology

In 1952, American author, L. Ron Hubbard founded the Scientology religion. The first Church of Scientology was established by several of Mr. Hubbard’s students in February of 1954. The main emphasis is on ‘clearing’ a person of ‘engrams’ (negative perceptions in the subconscious mind) by a pastoral counseling process called “Dianetics” (a word meaning “through the soul”). Fundamentally, the goal of Scientology is to empower an individual to experience a greater understanding of life and to improve himself and the world in which he lives. There are many laws, axioms and techniques that the Scientologist applies to his day-to-day living to achieve this goal. Scientologists believe that truth is a subjective experience, a voyage of self-discovery. Scientology claims to draw wisdom from all the great religions of this world, although its closest spiritual “cousin” is Buddhism.

Doctrinal Stance on the Seven Pillars of Wisdom

The Origin and Nature of the Universe

Scientology: Foundationally, the cosmogony of Scientology is similar to Buddhism-“Before the beginning was a Cause and the entire purpose of the Cause was the creation of effect.”¹ However, the full explanation of this ‘cause’ goes beyond the boundaries of the Buddhist worldview.

Human beings are comprised of three parts: mind, body and thetan. The thetan is the real person, “the continuing and persisting identity which transcends the body which it inhabits. It is said to be immaterial and immortal, or at least to have the capacity to be immortal, and to have an infinite creative potential.”² Thetans originally existed in a pre-creation, spiritual state with unhindered, divine, godlike abilities and attributes. For their own pleasure, they brought the material world into existence. However, in the distant past, once creating MEST (Material-Energy-Space-Time), thetans became entrapped by it, and lost the awareness of their initial, transcendent state.

The Nature of God  

Scientology: The Church of Scientology has “no set dogma concerning God that it imposes on its members.”¹ Such a practice is not meant to imply an atheistic, agnostic or non-caring attitude about this vital subject. Quite the contrary, L. Ron Hubbard taught that men “without a strong and lasting faith in a Supreme Being are less capable, less ethical and less valuable to themselves and society… A man without an abiding faith is, by observation alone, more a thing than a man.”² As adherents expand their spirituality and awareness, they will come to their own realizations concerning the “Allness of all.” who is commonly called God. The Supreme Being or Creator is more correctly and simply defined as “infinity.”

The origin and Nature of Man

Scientology: Teaches that man is innately good. He is made up of three main parts: the body, the mind and the thetan. This term, unique to this religion, is drawn from the Greek letter theta, used traditionally to represent “thought” or “life.” Theta is the spiritual essence or life force of all living things. Human beings are thetans, possessing a mind and inhabiting a body. Thetans originally existed in a pre-creation, supernatural state with unhindered, godlike abilities and attributes. Through a long association with the physical universe these beings became trapped in MEST (Material-Energy-Space-Time), descending from a spiritual, divine-like state to the present limitations of human existence. Because of this tragic “fall from perfection,” men and women, in their earthly state, normally fail to realize both their former estate and their present potential. So the thetan is the ‘higher Self,’ and, though often neglected, it is the seniormost, spiritual essence of a person. The body and the mind are only temporary vehicles used by the thetan in the “handling of life and the physical universe.” It is described as “the source of all creation and life itself.”¹

Very important to the Scientologist worldview is the belief that each person possesses two distinctly different minds: the reactive mind (which is negative) and the analytical mind (which is positive). The reactive mind works on a “stimulus-response basis,” is not under the control of human will, and subconsciously exerts adverse influence over a person’s “awareness, purposes, thoughts, body and actions.”² This mind is full of negative data resulting from the emotionally and mentally damaging experiences of all earthly existences, both past and present. The analytical mind is “the mind which thinks, observes data, remembers it and resolves problems.”³ Conquering the reactive mind frees the analytical mind, enabling a person to make positive choices about how he or she will act and react in life.

The Nature of Salvation, Liberation or Enlightenment

Scientology: Promotes the belief that man is basically good, and that his spiritual salvation is dependent upon: (1) Himself, (2) Relationships with others (family, friends, co-workers, other church members, etc.), and (3) Relationship to the universe as a whole.

“The road to spiritual freedom” is that process by which an adherent becomes a “Clear.” This is the objective of every Scientologist, accomplished by the removal of “engrams.” This last term refers to the negative, subconscious perceptions, held in the memory bank of the reactive mind, that continually prevent a person from making healthy, right, good decisions in the analytical mind. (See “Scientology” under The Nature of Man.) By removing these “engrams,” these repressed negative memories that create emotional and mental blocks, a person can live a more fulfilling, happy, stable, creative, powerful life. The thetan (the ‘higher Self’) is then in a place of ascendancy and control.

Very precise techniques have been developed, called “Dianetics” (lit. through the soul), aimed at accomplishing this goal. It involves aspirants participating in “auditing sessions” in which the “auditor” analyzes the reactions of the preclear to various questions that are posed while the latter is holding an “electropsychometer” or E-meter. Once areas of “charge” or upset are located and examined, the auditor and the preclear work together to “erase” those engrams, thus lifting the preclear to a higher state of awareness. During the auditing sessions, preclears experience many realizations about life called “cognitions.” Once cleared of engrams, a person can embark on a spiritual journey of increased awareness and enlightenment, the ultimate goal of which is freedom from the endless chain of physical birth-death and personal, spiritual immortality.

A further defining of existence by the “Eight Dynamics” brings order and harmony in life. These “dynamics” concern man’s passion to survive as and through: (1) Self, (2) Family, (3) Groups, (4) Mankind, (5) All living things, (6) The physical universe, (7) The spiritual universe, and (8) God (Infinity). Scientologists seek optimum survival along all eight of these dynamic urges. Evil can be defined as that which is destructive to the “Eight Dynamics”’; good can be defined as that which is constructive to the “Eight Dynamics.” Scientologists believe that the spiritual freedom attainable through this approach has been “sought throughout history but never attainable before Dianetics.”¹

1 Church of Scientology International, What is Scientology? (Los Angeles, California: Bridge Publications, Inc., 1993, 1998) p. 66.

Dimensions or Planes of Existence

Scientology: Offers no set doctrinal stance on dimensions of existence after death (heavens and/or hells). Scientology is primarily concerned with the betterment of life here and now, as well as helping to produce a more sane civilization worldwide.

The Spiritual Journey and Ultimate Destiny of Man

Scientology: Accepts the idea of past lives, recurring embodiments that determine a person’s spiritual evolution. They do not subscribe to some beliefs that are sometimes associated with reincarnation (such as regression into a life form other than human). Man must progress spiritually in order to achieve his own salvation.

Cycles, Ages and the Ultimate State of the Universe

Scientology: Promotes, first, an objective of helping individuals attain and maintain a state of spiritual freedom. This, in turn, should lead to the ultimate objective of “clearing the planet”-in other words, ridding the earth of negative things like: selfishness, dishonesty, violence, crime, insanity and war. Thus, a more enduring civilization results.

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