169-555: The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination of Scientology , which is variously defined as a cult , a business , or a new religious movement . The movement has been the subject of a number of controversies , and the Church of Scientology has been described by government inquiries, international parliamentary bodies, scholars, law lords , and numerous superior court judgements as both
338-560: A DIRECTV broadcast and OTT streaming service, on March 12, 2018, with Miscavige introducing its inaugural broadcast in a rare on-camera appearance. The network is produced by Scientology Media Productions in Los Angeles, a facility opened by the organization in May 2016. Addressing the crowd at the SMP opening, Miscavige called the channel "our uncorrupted communication line to the billions. Because as
507-450: A 1982 probate case, Ronald DeWolf , Hubbard's estranged son, accused Miscavige of embezzling from and manipulating his father. Hubbard denied this in a written statement, saying that his business affairs were being well managed by Author Services Inc., of which Miscavige was also chairman of the board. In the same document, Hubbard called Miscavige a "trusted associate" and "good friend" who had kept his affairs in good order. A judge ruled
676-427: A 1992 interview with Barbara Walters . According to the book Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion by Janet Reitman , seven years after Cruise started studying Scientology, the organization's leaders promised to share Scientology secrets, such as the story of the extraterrestrial ruler Xenu . According to Reitman's book, Cruise "freaked out" and took a step back. He removed himself from
845-419: A basis for subsequent journalistic investigations, including a weeklong series hosted on CNN by Anderson Cooper . Jeff Hawkins , a former marketing guru for Scientology, reported attending a meeting where Miscavige "jumped up on the conference room table, like with his feet right on the conference room table, launched himself across the table at me – I was standing – battered my face, and then shoved me down on
1014-488: A breast implant, and one that passed through the left lung and fractured a rib), and there were superficial slash marks on her wrists that were identified in the autopsy report as possibly having been several days old. Despite the admittedly "very, very, very unusual" circumstances of multiple gunshot wounds and the unwieldy nature of the weapon, her death was ruled as consistent with suicide. David Miscavige strongly denied any part in his mother-in-law's death in an affidavit on
1183-537: A building at Gold Base known as " The Hole ." The series included interviews with Mike Rinder , former spokesperson for Scientology and director of the organization's Office of Special Affairs , and Mark Rathbun , the former Inspector General of the RTC. Rinder has said that he was physically assaulted by Miscavige on about fifty occasions. These allegations have been supported by other former Scientologists. Lawrence Wright , author of Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and
1352-568: A bust or large framed photograph of him on display. The Church of Scientology is headquartered at " Gold Base " in Riverside County, California , where the highest Sea Org officials work, and at "Flag Land Base" in Clearwater, Florida . The organization operates on a hierarchical and top-down basis, being largely bureaucratic in structure. It claims to be the only true voice of Scientology. The internal structure of Scientology organizations
1521-421: A calendar in which 1950, the year in which Hubbard's book Dianetics was published, is considered year zero, the beginning of an era. Years after that date are referred to as "AD" for "After Dianetics ". They have also buried copies of his writings preserved on stainless steel disks in a secure underground vault in the hope of preserving them against major catastrophes. The Church of Scientology's view of Hubbard
1690-520: A centralized bureaucracy and hierarchical structure. ... [Religious Technology Center] is the most powerful executive organization within the Scientology empire, and its current chairman, David Miscavige , is widely recognized as the effective head of the church. The main types of organizations within the Scientology network are: Church of Scientology organizations that are public-facing are called "service orgs". The two main types of services offered to
1859-506: A child, Miscavige played baseball and football, but he suffered from asthma and severe allergies . His father, a trumpet player, became interested in Scientology and sent the younger Miscavige to see a Scientologist. According to both father and son, a 45-minute Dianetics session cured Miscavige's ailments. Miscavige's family joined the Church of Scientology in 1971 and eventually moved to
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#17330851335942028-603: A commercial company. Each franchise sends part of its earnings, which have been generated through beginner-level auditing, to the International Management. Bromley observed that an entrepreneurial incentive system pervades the organization, with individual members and organisations receiving payment for bringing in new people or for signing them up for more advanced services. The individual and collective performances of different members and missions are gathered, being called "stats". Performances that are an improvement on
2197-537: A confidence trick to obtain money from its targets. The scholar Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi observes that "the majority of activities conducted by Scientology and its many fronts and subsidiaries involve the marketing of secular products." In a report by the European Parliament , it is observed that the group "is a cool, cynical, manipulating business and nothing else." Scholars and journalists note that profit
2366-400: A congregation that believes in and helps spread its teachings. Allan W. Black analysed Scientology through the seven "dimensions of religion" set forward by the scholar Ninian Smart and also decided that Scientology met those criteria for being a religion. The sociologist David V. Barrett noted that there was a "strong body of evidence to suggest that it makes sense to regard Scientology as
2535-474: A corporate-style office set aside for Hubbard's reincarnation, with a plaque on the desk bearing his name, and a pad of paper with a pen for him to continue writing. All Scientology management organizations are controlled exclusively by members of the Sea Org —which is not a corporation—consisting of the "elite, innermost dedicated core of Scientologists" run as a paramilitary organization : David Miscavige
2704-421: A dangerous cult and as a manipulative profit-making business . These institutions and scholars state that Scientology is not a religion. Scientology has experienced multiple schisms during its history. While the Church of Scientology was the original promoter of the movement, various independent groups have split off to form independent Scientology groups. Referring to the "different types of Scientology",
2873-461: A dangerous cult . In some countries, it has attained legal recognition as a religion . The Church of Scientology International (CSI) is officially the "Mother Church", and is responsible for guiding the other Scientology centers. Its international headquarters are located at the Gold Base in Riverside County, California . The Church of Spiritual Technology (CST) is the organization that owns all
3042-456: A dangerous cult and a manipulative profit-making business . In 1979, several executives of the organization were convicted and imprisoned for multiple offenses by a U.S. Federal Court. The Church of Scientology itself was convicted of fraud by a French court in 2009, a decision upheld by the supreme Court of Cassation in 2013. The German government classifies Scientology as an unconstitutional sect . In France , it has been classified as
3211-425: A day, and physical and sexual abuse of minors. Jenna Miscavige Hill , niece of David Miscavige and author of Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape , stated that as a child she often worked 14 hours a day and only got to see her parents once a week, if that. The highest authority in the Church of Scientology network is Religious Technology Center (RTC). The RTC claims to only be
3380-569: A deity. They regard him as the preeminent Operating Thetan who remained on Earth in order to show others the way to spiritual liberation, the man who discovered the source of human misery and a technology allowing everyone to achieve their true potential. Church of Scientology management frames Hubbard's physical death as "dropping his body" to pursue higher levels of research not possible with an Earth-bound body. Scientologists often refer to Hubbard affectionately as "Ron", and many refer to him as their "friend". The Scientology organization operates
3549-552: A forced labour and re-education program against reputedly delinquent members of the Sea Org, which involves long days of hard labor, restricted food, and substandard living conditions. Ex-members have reported physical abuse and that members are prevented from leaving with threats and coercion. Teenagers as young as twelve years old have been assigned to the RPF, and there have been reports of children laboring for considerably longer than eight hours
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#17330851335943718-523: A healthy living discombobulated many observers when it first started. Dericquebourg comments that the same things can be found in established churches. The word Scientology , as coined by Hubbard, is a derivation from the Latin word scientia ("knowledge", "skill"), which comes from the verb scīre ("to know"), with the suffix -ology , from the Greek λόγος lógos ("word" or "account [of]"). Hubbard claimed that
3887-528: A judge to move the case to internal church arbitration in January 2020. Miscavige is named in a lawsuit involving a series of rapes by Scientologist Danny Masterson , and subsequent efforts by the Scientology organization to harass Masterson's victims. Scientology's lawyers had tried to force the case into internal church arbitration, similar to the case in 2020, but this failed following a three-judge ruling in January 2022. Three former Scientology workers filed
4056-464: A lawsuit for human trafficking, and peonage of children as young as six years old, against Miscavige and Scientology in April 2022. The lawsuit also alleges repeated sexual assault of children by senior members of the Sea Org, of which Miscavige was leader at the time and remains so to the present. The court overseeing the case was told by counsel for the plaintiffs that Miscavige was evading service in
4225-426: A letter to Scientologists confirming her decision – all without ever talking to L. Ron Hubbard." She subsequently changed her mind, believing that she had been tricked. Despite this, Miscavige claims he and Mary Sue remained friends thereafter. In 1982, Miscavige set up a new organizational structure to insulate Hubbard from personal liability and to handle his personal wealth through a corporate entity outside of
4394-620: A long-term project of issuing unreleased and corrected editions of Hubbard's books and restoring Hubbard's lectures, including translating many works into other languages. Another initiative by Miscavige, launched in 2003, is to build new or remodeled Scientology locations, called "Ideal Orgs," in every major city worldwide. Since then, over seventy new or remodeled locations have been opened, including facilities in Washington, D.C., Madrid , New York City, London, Berlin, Mexico City , Rome , Tel Aviv , Atlanta , Miami, and San Diego . Until
4563-492: A minimum of payments to the Scientology organization of $ 350,000 to $ 400,000 (equivalent to $ 542,000 in 2023). OT levels six and seven are only available at Clearwater. The highest level, OT eight, is disclosed only at sea on the Scientology ship Freewinds , operated by the Flag Ship Service Org. Scholar of religion Aled Thomas suggested that the status of a person's level creates an internal class system within
4732-481: A mission wherever they wish but must fund it themselves; the missions are not financially supported by the central organization. Mission holders must purchase all of the necessary material from the central Church of Scientology; as of 2001, the Mission Starter Pack cost $ 35,000 (equivalent to $ 60,200 in 2023). Each mission or Org is a corporate entity, established as a licensed franchise, and operating as
4901-480: A nonprofit charitable organization. Before this meeting, Scientology had filed more than fifty lawsuits against the IRS and, according to The New York Times : Scientology's lawyers hired private investigators to dig into the private lives of IRS officials and to conduct surveillance operations to uncover potential vulnerabilities... [and] taken documents from an I.R.S. conference and sent them to church officials and created
5070-400: A phony news bureau in Washington to gather information on church critics. The church also financed an organization of I.R.S. whistle-blowers that attacked the agency publicly. At the meeting with Goldberg, Miscavige offered to cease Scientology's suits against the IRS in exchange for tax exemptions . This led to a two-year negotiating process, in which IRS tax analysts were ordered to ignore
5239-625: A planetary ruler 70 million years ago who brought billions of aliens to Earth and killed them with thermonuclear weapons . Despite being kept secret from most followers, this forms the central mythological framework of Scientology's ostensible soteriology . These aspects have become the subject of popular ridicule. Since its formation, Scientology groups have generated considerable opposition and controversy. This includes deaths of practitioners while under Church of Scientology care, several instances of extensive criminal activities, and allegations by former adherents of exploitation and forced abortions. In
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5408-436: A religion is strongly opposed by the anti-cult movement . Its claims to a religious identity have been particularly rejected in continental Europe. Grünschloß writes that labelling Scientology a religion does not mean that it is "automatically promoted as harmless, nice, good, and humane". . The multi-faceted nature of the Church of Scientology that includes pedagogy, communication theories, management principles and methods for
5577-430: A religion", while scholar of religion James R. Lewis comments that "it is obvious that Scientology is a religion". The scholar Mikael Rothstein observes that the Scientology "is best understood as a devotional cult aimed at revering the mythologized founder of the organization". Numerous religious studies scholars have described Scientology as a new religious movement . Various scholars have also considered it within
5746-467: A religion, but the early history of the Scientology organization, and Hubbard's policy directives, letters, and instructions to subordinates, indicate that his motivation for doing so was as a legally pragmatic move to minimize his tax burden and escape the possibility of prosecution. In many countries, the Church of Scientology has engaged in extensive litigation to secure recognition as a tax-exempt religious organization, and it has managed to obtain such
5915-561: A religion, likely for tax purposes, and renamed them Scientology. By 1954, he had regained the rights to Dianetics and founded the Church of Scientology , which remains the largest organization promoting Scientology. There are practitioners independent of the Church, in what is referred to as the Free Zone . Estimates put the number of Scientologists at under 40,000 worldwide. Key Scientology beliefs include reincarnation , and that traumatic events cause subconscious command-like recordings in
6084-413: A religion. The sociologist Bryan R. Wilson compares Scientology with 20 criteria that he associated with religion and concludes that the movement could be characterised as such. Wilson's criteria include: a cosmology that describes a human reality beyond terrestrial existence; ethics and behavior teachings that are based on this cosmology; prescribed ways for followers to connect with spiritual beings; and
6253-673: A religion: "We don't want a clinic. We want one in operation but not in name...It is a problem of practical business. I await your reaction on the religion angle". In reaction to a series of arrests of his followers, and the prosecution of Hubbard's Dianetics foundation for teaching medicine without a license, in December 1953 Hubbard incorporated three organizations – Church of American Science, Church of Scientology, and Church of Spiritual Engineering. In 1959, Hubbard purchased Saint Hill Manor in East Grinstead, Sussex, United Kingdom, which became
6422-527: A request by Eli Lilly , because of "the damage we had caused to their killer drug Prozac ". Scientology filed a suit against Eli Lilly , J. Walter Thompson , Hill & Knowlton and the WPP Group . Scientology agreed to settle the case shortly before it went to trial. The Scientology organization also brought a libel lawsuit against the piece's publisher Time Warner and its author Richard Behar , seeking damages of $ 416 million. All counts of
6591-509: A staff member: It was about 15 of us. We went out and rented three limos, drove up to an organization in San Francisco and did a practice beat-'em-up kind of meeting, you know. We took the CDB Org—the commanding officer of that org, organization. He got thrown into the filing cabinets, he was sec-checked on the meter and, um, you—that's where you, what, you have to tell the truth. And there's
6760-405: A staff of nineteen and urged others to join. On September 14, 1959, he wrote: "Here, on half a hundred acres of lovely grounds in a mansion where we have not yet found all the bedrooms, we are handling the problems of administration and service for the world of Scientology. We are not very many here and as the sun never sets on Scientology we are very busy thetans." The most important achievement of
6929-603: A status in a few jurisdictions, including the United States, Italy, and Australia. The organization has not received recognition as a religious institution in the majority of countries in which it operates. An article in the magazine TIME , " The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power ", describes Scientology as a ruthless global scam . The Church of Scientology's attempts to sue the publishers for libel and to prevent republication abroad were dismissed. Scholarship in psychology and skepticism supports this view of Scientology as
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7098-494: A supernatural source. He published hundreds of articles and books over the course of his life. Scientologists regard his writings on Scientology as scripture . Much basic information about the Scientology belief system is kept secret from most practitioners. The scholar and historian of Scientology Hugh Urban observes that: A great many aspects of Scientology are shrouded in layers of secrecy, concealment, obfuscation , and/or dissimulation . In Scientology Hubbard's work
7267-472: A top executive for the Clearwater-based company Digital Lightwave, where she was linked to an accounting scandal . Shelly Miscavige's mother, Mary Florence "Flo" Fike Barnett, was a long-time Scientologist who later resigned, taking with her copies of "confidential upper-level materials." She joined David Mayo's Advanced Ability Center , an independent Scientology organization considered heterodox by
7436-544: A two-year inquiry and voluminous documents that, they said, showed the organization was qualified for the exemptions. To announce the settlement with the IRS, Miscavige gathered a reported 10,000 members of Scientology in the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena , where he delivered a two-and-a-half-hour address and proclaimed, "The war is over!" The crowd gave Miscavige an ovation that lasted more than ten minutes. According to Scientology, Miscavige initiated
7605-423: A way to participate in community outreach projects. Volunteer Ministers travel to the scenes of major disasters to provide assistance with relief efforts. According to critics, these relief efforts consist of passing out copies of a pamphlet authored by Hubbard entitled The Way to Happiness , and engaging in a method said to calm panicked or injured individuals known in Scientology as a " touch assist ". Accounts of
7774-407: A whole row of people around the guy, right? And he's sitting there hanging onto the cans and—this is nothing to do with religion any more, right? This is, 'Where's the money, Jack? I want the money! Where did you put the money?' And he said, 'I, you—I don't know! I don't have the money.' David Miscavige comes up, grabs him by the tie and starts bashing him into the filing cabinet. And he's thrown out in
7943-501: Is a person with a job completely unrelated to the mission network.) Golden Era Productions is a 500+ acre property in California also known as Gold Base , occupied by the Church of Scientology since 1979. It is where they make Scientology films, reproduce audio recordings of Hubbard's lectures, and assemble E-meters . In 2011, the Church of Scientology purchased KCET-TV's studio facilities . After five years of renovations and upgrades,
8112-528: Is a set of beliefs and practices invented by the American author L. Ron Hubbard , and an associated movement. It is variously defined as a cult , a business , a religion , or a scam . Hubbard initially developed a set of ideas that he called Dianetics , which he represented as a form of therapy. An organization that he established in 1950 to promote it went bankrupt, and Hubbard lost the rights to his book Dianetics in 1952. He then recharacterized his ideas as
8281-510: Is an anti-psychiatry lobby organization whose stated mission is to "eradicate abuses committed under the guise of mental health." It operates the Psychiatry: An Industry of Death exhibit which is open to the public in CCHR's building on Sunset Boulevard. It has been described by critics as a Scientology front group . The Church of Scientology began its " Volunteer Ministers " program as
8450-535: Is an American Scientologist who is serving as the second and current leader of the Church of Scientology . His official title within the organization is Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center (COB RTC). RTC is a corporation that controls the trademarks and copyrights of Dianetics and Scientology . He is also referred to within the Scientology organization as "DM", "COB", and "Captain of
8619-464: Is an activity known as " auditing ". It takes place with two Scientologists — one is the "auditor" who asks questions, and the subject is termed the "preclear". The stated purpose is to help the subject to remove their mental traumas (ostensible recordings in the mind which Hubbard termed "engrams"). Scholarship in clinical psychology demonstrates that the purpose of auditing is to induce a light hypnotic state and to create dependency and obedience in
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#17330851335948788-529: Is being held against her will at the compound of the Scientologist's Church of Spiritual Technology corporation near the mountain town of Running Springs in San Bernardino County . In 2012, after gaining access to the full Internet via Kindle , Ron Miscavige discovered new information about the church and subsequently left the Church of Scientology. The Los Angeles Times reported that he
8957-403: Is considered an immortal being who has been reincarnated many times over. Someone who has died is said to have "dropped the body". Scientology refers to the existence of a Supreme Being , but practitioners are not expected to worship it. No intercessions are made to seek this being's assistance in daily life. The mythological framework which forms the basis for what Scientologists view as
9126-478: Is described by the Scientology organization as the highest-ranking Sea Org officer, and is referred to by the organization as its captain. The Church of Scientology International (CSI) is officially the "Mother Church", and is responsible for guiding the other Scientology centers. The Church of Spiritual Technology (CST) is the organization that owns all the copyrights of the estate of L. Ron Hubbard . There are numerous other management organizations, including
9295-411: Is often criticized for the prices it charges for auditing, and examinations of the group have indicated that profit is the group's primary purpose. Hubbard stated that charging for auditing was necessary because the practice required an exchange, and should the auditor not receive something for their services it could harm both parties. During auditing, a device called an electropsychometer ( E-meter )
9464-420: Is portrayed within Scientology as "a servant of Hubbard's message, not an agent in his own right." Official Scientology websites describe him as Hubbard's "trusted friend." Miscavige uses Scientology publications as well as professionally produced videos of gala events, at which he acts as master of ceremonies , to communicate with Scientologists worldwide. According to the organization, as the RTC's chairman of
9633-425: Is posited as complete spiritual freedom in which one is able to do anything one chooses, create anything, go anywhere — an idea which has appealed to many. The scholar Hugh Urban describes the supernatural powers promoted as being gained by an Operating Thetan as: The liberated thetan could even freely create a personal paradise, populating it with heavenly beings and infinite pleasures at will. ... As such,
9802-407: Is presented in their hagiographical biography of him, seeking to present him as "a person of exceptional character, morals and intelligence". Critics of Hubbard and his organization claim that many of the details of his life as he presented it were false. Every Scientology Org maintains an office set aside for Hubbard in perpetuity, set out to imitate those he used in life, and will typically have
9971-449: Is regarded as perfect, and no elaboration or alteration is permitted. Hubbard described Scientology as an "applied religious philosophy", because, according to him, it consists of a metaphysical doctrine, a theory of psychology, and teachings in morality. Hubbard incorporated a variety of hypnotic techniques in Scientology auditing and courses. These are used as a means to create dependency and obedience in followers. Hubbard said of
10140-466: Is reportedly outfitted with custom-built equipment designed to administer the supposedly perception-enhancing " Super Power Rundown " to high-level Scientologists. The building was scheduled for completion in 2003, but underwent ten years of delays and re-designs as Scientology completed two other major construction and restoration projects in the same area ahead of it, the Fort Harrison Hotel and
10309-527: Is strongly bureaucratic with a focus on statistics-based management. Organizational operating budgets are performance-related and subject to frequent reviews. By 2011, the organization was claiming over 700 centres in 65 countries. Smaller centres are called "missions". The largest number of these are in the U.S., with the second largest number being in Europe. Missions are established by missionaries, who are referred to as "mission holders". Members can establish
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#173308513359410478-424: Is the head of RTC; officially Chairman of the Board, or COB. RTC employs lawyers and has pursued individuals and groups who have legally attacked Scientology or who are deemed to be a legal threat to Scientology. This has included breakaway Scientologists who practice Scientology outside the central organization, and critics, as well as numerous government and media organizations. Scientology Missions International
10647-525: Is the management organization over the mission network. Missions are small Scientology organizations which recruit new people and deliver basic services and auditing . These were the feeder organizations which sent people into the main Scientology orgs. Previously called franchises and running semi-autonomously under the wing of the Guardian's Office , they were considered "Scientology's life blood" until David Miscavige and his International Finance Police gutted
10816-554: Is the primary motivating goal of Hubbard's Scientology groups. Those making this observation have often referred to a governing financial policy issued by Hubbard that is to be obeyed by all Scientology organization staff members, which includes the following [uppercase in original]: Make sure that lots of bodies move through the shop...A. MAKE MONEY. ... J. MAKE MONEY. K. MAKE MORE MONEY. L. MAKE OTHER PEOPLE PRODUCE SO AS TO MAKE MONEY...However you get them in or why, just do it. Some scholars of religion have referred to Scientology as
10985-449: Is the primary motivating goal of the Scientology organization. Following extensive litigation in numerous countries, the organization has managed to attain a legal recognition as a religious institution in some jurisdictions, including Australia, Italy, and the United States. Germany classifies Scientology groups as an anti-constitutional sect , while the French government classifies
11154-570: Is the publisher for Scientology books and magazines in the United States, and New Era Publications International, Aps is the publisher in Europe. Past publications organizations include Distribution Center Inc. (Maryland 1955), Publications Organization United States (California 1971), and Scientology Publications Limited (UK 1991). As of 2023, the Bridge Publications print and distribution center, located at 5600 E Olympic Blvd, Commerce, California, occupies 185,000 square feet and prints
11323-419: Is used. Scientology's primary road map for guiding a person through the sequential steps to attain Scientology's concepts of "clear" and OT is The Bridge to Total Freedom , a large chart enumerating every step in sequence. The steps past "clear" are kept secret from most Scientologists and include the founding myth that seeks to explain Scientology doctrine. Hubbard taught that there were three parts of man:
11492-430: Is very important not to go past a word one does not understand. A person should instead consult a dictionary as to the meaning of the word before progressing, something Scientology calls "word clearing". According to Scientology texts, its beliefs and practices are based on rigorous research, and its doctrines are accorded a significance equivalent to scientific laws. Blind belief is held to be of lesser significance than
11661-564: The Los Angeles Times reported that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) had closed their investigation following a missing persons report filed by former Scientologist and actress Leah Remini , having "located and spoke[n]" to Shelly Miscavige. The LAPD declined to answer questions about the details of the report. Author Lawrence Wright reports that "former Sea Org members" claim that they believe Shelly Miscavige
11830-569: The Advanced Ability Center led by David Mayo , a former RTC board member who had also been Hubbard's personal auditor. The Advanced Ability Center closed in 1984, two years after opening. When Hubbard died in 1986, Miscavige announced his death to Scientologists at the Hollywood Palladium . Shortly before his death, an apparent order from Hubbard circulated in the Sea Org that promoted Scientologist Pat Broeker and his wife to
11999-441: The Church of Scientology in the 2000s. Around the same time Cruise was beginning his relationship with Rogers, Miscavige made an announcement at a Church of Scientology rally, "The most important recruit ever is in the process of being secured. His arrival will change the face of Scientology forever." His involvement in the organization was leaked by the tabloid Star in 1990, and he publicly admitted to following Scientology in
12168-537: The Commodore's Messenger Organization , Watchdog Committee , Continental Liaison Offices, and the organizations that manage the dissemination and outreach activities . In the 1950s and 1960s, management was operated from the Hubbard Association of Scientologists International (HASI), and from 1966 until the 1980s it was the Church of Scientology of California (CSC). Critics of Scientology have spoken out against
12337-467: The Introspection Rundown , a brutal and inhumane method to allegedly solve psychotic episodes. The rundown came under public scrutiny when in 1995 Scientologist Lisa McPherson suffered a mental breakdown and was removed from the hospital and held in isolation at a Church of Scientology for 17 days before she died. Scientologists view Hubbard as an extraordinary man, but do not worship him as
12506-525: The Ontario Court of Appeal . The Church of Scientology was convicted of fraud by a French court in 2009, a judgment upheld by the supreme Court of Cassation in 2013. The Church of Scientology has been described by government inquiries, international parliamentary bodies, scholars, law lords, and numerous superior court judgments as both a dangerous cult and a manipulative profit-making business . Numerous scholars and journalists have observed that profit
12675-588: The Operating Thetan levels, which require further payments. The Operating Thetan texts are kept secret from most followers; they are revealed only after adherents have typically given hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Scientology organization. Despite its efforts to maintain the secrecy of the texts, they are freely available on various websites, including at the media organization WikiLeaks . These texts say past lives took place in extraterrestrial cultures . They involve an alien called Xenu , described as
12844-558: The Sea Org during Miscavige's leadership. The case also involves allegations of human trafficking, forced labor, and other forms of child abuse. David Miscavige was born in Bristol , Pennsylvania on April 30, 1960. His parents, Ronald Thomas "Ron" Miscavige Sr. and Loretta Gidaro, were Catholics of Polish-Italian heritage. Miscavige and his twin sister, Denise, were raised primarily in Willingboro Township, New Jersey . As
13013-543: The Sea Org , a Scientologist organization established in 1968 by founder L. Ron Hubbard . Some of his earliest jobs in the Sea Org included delivering telexes , groundskeeping, food service and taking photographs for Scientology brochures. Miscavige was appointed to an elite group of young Scientologists within the Sea Org called the Commodore's Messenger Organization (CMO), which Hubbard had established to carry out his personal errands and deliver executive directives to Scientology management. As they grew into adolescence,
13182-480: The "holder of Scientology and Dianetics trademarks", but is in fact the main Scientology executive organization. RTC chairman David Miscavige is widely seen as the effective head of Scientology. Religious Technology Center is the organization at the top of the Scientology hierarchy. RTC was established in 1982, and controls the Dianetics and Scientology trademarks. In 1987, David Miscavige took over control of RTC and
13351-561: The 1950s. In 1959, he bought Saint Hill Manor , a Georgian manor house near the Sussex town of East Grinstead . During Hubbard's years at Saint Hill, he traveled extensively, providing lectures and training in Australia, South Africa in the United States, and developing materials that would eventually become Scientology's "core systematic theology and praxis". While in Saint Hill, Hubbard worked with
13520-636: The 1970s, Hubbard's followers engaged in a program of criminal infiltration of the U.S. government , resulting in several executives of the organization being convicted and imprisoned for multiple offenses by a U.S. federal court. Hubbard himself was convicted of fraud in absentia by a French court in 1978 and sentenced to four years in prison. In 1992, a court in Canada convicted the Scientology organization in Toronto of spying on law enforcement and government agencies and criminal breach of trust, later upheld by
13689-562: The 4.5-acre property was reopened in 2016 as "Scientology Media Productions". The facilities included "three soundstages, postproduction tools, control rooms, music studios, mixing rooms, art departments, scene shops, radio booths, screening rooms, a magazine production space, a live-events hub" and 136,000 square feet of space. In 2018, they launched the Scientology Network . Bridge Publications, Inc. (incorporated 1981 in California)
13858-627: The All Clear Unit which he announced was now senior to CMO International. In the late 1970s, after the public relations disaster of the criminal convictions of eleven leaders of the Guardian's Office , including Hubbard's wife Mary Sue , Hubbard had to maintain his distance from Church management since he had formally resigned in 1966. Hubbard further distanced himself from the Guardian's Office, his wife, and CMO—which stood for Commodore Messengers Org where "Commodore" had been Hubbard's title as leader of
14027-416: The Church and by Miscavige himself. A 1991 Time magazine cover story, " The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power ," described Miscavige as "ringleader" of a "hugely profitable global racket that survives by intimidating members and critics in a Mafia -like manner." Miscavige stated in a 1992 interview on Nightline —his only live televised interview to date—that the publication of the article resulted from
14196-473: The Church and worked on the film Eyes Wide Shut until 1999 when Miscavige sent Marty Rathbun to successfully "retrieve" Cruise and convince him to continue training. Lawrence Wright 's 2013 book Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief and Alex Gibney 's 2015 television documentary adaptation of the same name cast a spotlight on Cruise's role in Scientology. The book and the film both allege that
14365-426: The Church of Scientology. According to testimony by former high-ranking church executive Vicki Aznaran : "The fact that David Miscavige was linked to [Barnett] by familial ties was extremely repugnant to him and to his wife." On September 8, 1985, Barnett was found dead at age 52 from a shot to the head from a Ruger 10/22 rifle. The body also had three rifle shot wounds to the chest (one surface wound, one through
14534-558: The Commodore's Messenger Organization full legal control over Scientology while at the same time insulating both Hubbard and the CMO from any legal liability for running the organizations of Scientology by lying about the level of control they really had." In 1986, after the death of L. Ron Hubbard, Pat and Annie Broeker presented documents from Hubbard showing they had been promoted to "Loyal Officers" and were named as Hubbard's successors in managing
14703-483: The Constitution and Usefulness of Knowledge , which used the term to mean the science of science . It is unknown whether Hubbard was aware of either prior usage of the word. As the 1950s developed, Hubbard saw the advantages of having his Scientology movement legally recognised as a religion. In an April 1953 letter to Helen O'Brien, his US business manager, he proposed that Scientology should be transformed into
14872-652: The GO infiltrated the IRS and numerous other government departments and stole tens of thousands of documents pertaining to the Church, politicians, and celebrities. In July 1977, the FBI raided Church premises in Washington, DC, and Los Angeles, revealing the extent of the GO's infiltration into government departments and other groups. Eleven officials and agents of the Church were indicted; in December 1979, they were sentenced to between 4 and 5 years each and individually fined $ 10,000 (equivalent to $ 42,000 in 2023). Among those found guilty
15041-587: The Messengers' power and influence within the Sea Org increased. By 1977, Miscavige was living in La Quinta, California , working directly under Hubbard as a cameraman for Scientology training films at CMO Cine Org. In 1981 David Miscavige had begun the year as a cameraman at Gilman Hot Springs and a junior member of the Commodore's Messenger Organization. He ended it in charge of the Watchdog Committee and
15210-521: The National Affairs Office was built "to oversee programs around the country and the world dealing with human rights, drug addiction, literacy and disaster response." In his role as the leader of Scientology, Miscavige has been the subject of law enforcement investigations, including by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), into suspected human trafficking and slavery . He is also
15379-516: The Nazis into mass murderers, and the Holocaust. The Scientology organization operates the anti-psychiatry group Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), which operates Psychiatry: An Industry of Death , an anti-psychiatry museum. Though Hubbard had stated psychosis was not something Scientology dealt with, after noticing many Scientologists were suffering breakdowns after using his techniques he created
15548-605: The Oak Cove Hotel. Miscavige inaugurated the Flag Building on November 17, 2013. He reportedly took up permanent residence at the Flag Building in the late-2010s. In 2009, the St. Petersburg Times published a series titled "The Truth Rundown," which featured allegations by former Scientology executives that Miscavige had repeatedly humiliated and physically beaten his staff, and had confined Scientologists in degrading conditions in
15717-461: The Prison of Belief , interviewed twelve individuals who reported having been personally attacked by Miscavige and twenty-one people who say they witnessed such attacks. Scientology denies all of these reports. "The Truth Rundown" was recognized with journalistic honors, including the 2010 Gold Medal for Public Service award from the Florida Society of News Editors. The series was cited as
15886-538: The Saint Hill period was Hubbard's execution of the Saint Hill Special Briefing Course (SHBC). It was delivered by Hubbard from March 1951 to December 1966 and, within the Church of Scientology, is considered the best training course for budding "auditors" in the organization. Scientology groups called "Saint Hill Organizations" located in Los Angeles, Clearwater (Florida), Copenhagen and Sydney still teach this course. Scientology Scientology
16055-456: The Scientology network. He established the Religious Technology Center (RTC), an entity responsible for licensing Scientology's intellectual property, and Author Services Inc. to manage the proceeds. Miscavige has held the title of Chairman of the Board of the RTC since the organization's founding. The Church of Spiritual Technology (CST) was created at the same time with an option to repurchase all of RTC's intellectual property rights. In
16224-537: The Scientology organization deny the majority of such statements, often making derogatory comments about and attacking the character of those who make them. Miscavige has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation due to allegations of criminal activities within the Scientology organization. He is named as a defendant in numerous lawsuits involving his role in the organization. One such recent lawsuit, filed in April 2022, refers to repeated sexual assault of children by senior Scientology executives in
16393-461: The Scientology organization stated that OT levels nine and ten would only be released when certain benchmarks in its expansion had been achieved. The Church of Scientology has gone to considerable length to try to maintain the secrecy of the texts, but they remain widely available on the internet. This is partly due to litigation involving Scientology, whereby the Fishman Affidavit was leaked to
16562-497: The Scientology organization. The Scientology organization claims that the material taught in the OT levels can only be comprehended once its previous material has been mastered and is therefore kept confidential until a person reaches the requisite level. Higher-level members typically refuse to talk about the contents of these OT levels. Those progressing through the OT levels are taught additional, more advanced auditing techniques; one of
16731-440: The Sea Org for a time, but left Scientology in 2000. Jenna Miscavige Hill , Ronnie Miscavige's daughter and David Miscavige's niece, remained in the Sea Org until 2005; she subsequently became an outspoken critic of Scientology and published a book in 2013 titled Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology And My Harrowing Escape . Denise Licciardi, Miscavige's twin sister, was hired by major Scientology donor Bryan Zwan as
16900-414: The Sea Org". Miscavige was a deputy to Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard as a teenager. He joined the Sea Org , a management group for the Scientology organization, then later joined the Commodore's Messenger Organization , a group within the Sea Org that carried Hubbard's orders to subordinates. He rose to a leadership role by the early 1980s and was named "Chairman of the Board" of RTC in 1987,
17069-795: The Sea Org, rose to prominence. Hubbard died at his ranch in Creston, California, on January 24, 1986, and David Miscavige succeeded Hubbard as head of the Church. In 1993, the Internal Revenue Service dropped all litigation against the Scientology organization and recognized it as a religious institution. Hubbard lies at the core of Scientology and his writings remain the source of its ideas and practices. Sociologist of religion David G. Bromley describes Scientology as Hubbard's "personal synthesis of philosophy, physics, and psychology". Hubbard claimed that he developed his ideas through research and experimentation, rather than through revelation from
17238-513: The Sea Org. In April 1979, the Watchdog Committee was formed, consisting of the senior executives of CMO Int, with Miscavige assuming a prominent role. When Hubbard went into hiding with Pat and Annie Broeker in 1980, Miscavige became the sole link between Hubbard and church leaders, secretly relaying Hubbard's orders from the Broekers. In early 1981, Miscavige set up the All Clear Unit "which
17407-495: The Sea Org. However, a year later David Miscavige had wrested power from the Broekers and became the leader of the Scientology organization. The Church of Scientology network operates as a multinational conglomerate of companies with personnel, executives , organizational charts , chains of command , policies and orders: Today, what we call "Scientology" is in reality a remarkably complex network of ostensibly independent but clearly interconnected corporate entities. ... with
17576-646: The US. Until the 1990s, few people opened new missions and the push was directed towards celebrities to open missions: Kirstie Alley opened a mission in Wichita, Kansas in 1995, Isaac Hayes and Lisa Marie Presley opened one in Memphis in 1997, and Jenna Elfman opened one in San Francisco in 2001. According to the Church of Scientology, by 2002 there were 197 missions in the US, and by 2008 there were internationally 3,200 missions across 129 countries. (Note: A Sea Org missionaire
17745-695: The Volunteer Ministers' effectiveness have been mixed, and touch assists are not supported by scientific evidence. Many other Scientologist-run businesses and organizations belong to the umbrella organization World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE), which licenses the use of Hubbard's management doctrines, and circulates directories of WISE-affiliated businesses. WISE requires those who wish to become Hubbard management consults to complete training in Hubbard's administrative systems; this training can be undertaken at any Church of Scientology, or at one of
17914-497: The Xenu myth can be harmful for those unprepared for it, and the documents discussing Xenu are kept secret from most members. The teachings about Xenu were later leaked by ex-members, becoming a matter of public record after being submitted as evidence in court cases. They are now widely available online. Members who have been given the teachings routinely deny these teachings exist. Hubbard however talked about Xenu on several occasions,
18083-457: The Xenu story bears similarities with some of the science-fiction stories Hubbard published, and substantial themes from the Xenu story are in Hubbard's book Scientology – A History of Man . The degrees above the level of Clear are called "Operating Thetan" or OT. Hubbard described there being 15 OT levels, although he had only completed eight of these during his lifetime. OT levels nine to 15 have not been reached by any Scientologist. In 1988
18252-597: The aftermath of the September 11 attacks , David Miscavige published a message to all Scientologists entitled "Wake Up Call", urging them to redouble their efforts to use Scientology. Miscavige asserted that World War II , Hitler , Pearl Harbor , the Cold War , the 9/11 attacks , and "endless world conflicts can be traced to a lack of real technology of the mind and reliance on false mental therapies of psychiatry and psychology." Miscavige declared that Scientology "work[s] to reform
18421-446: The beliefs that: A civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war; where the world can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights, are the aims of Scientology. Hubbard developed thousands of neologisms during his lifetime. The nomenclature used by the movement is termed "Scientologese" by members. Scientologists are expected to learn this specialist terminology,
18590-403: The board his primary task is to "preserve, maintain and protect" the Scientology organization. In 2012, Miscavige opened Scientology's "National Affairs Office" in Washington, D.C., which he declared to be, "an office designed to give back to a United States government that steadfastly guaranteed our religious rights, the very freedom that allows us to do what we are doing today." Scientology says
18759-526: The book, writing that the author "describ[es] his son as a tyrant who has turned the organization into a destructive influence." Tobin wrote that Ron Miscavige said the church had "morphed into an immoral organization that hides a long list of abuses behind First Amendment protections, spends millions to investigate and harass its critics, and has destroyed families—including his own—through its practice of disconnection." Ronald "Ronnie" Miscavige Jr., David Miscavige's older brother by seven years, served in CMO in
18928-636: The campuses of the Hubbard College of Administration , which offers an Associate of Applied Science Degree: The church owns a staggering array of properties, from a college on 55 acres in England to a luxury cruise ship. The church often buys historic buildings and refurbishes them in grand fashion. — St. Petersburg Times , 2009 Hubbard moved to England shortly after founding Scientology, where he oversaw its worldwide development from an office in London for most of
19097-565: The case over a period of months, with at least fourteen attempts being made to serve the summons . The evasion included Miscavige ordering the security team at his house to prevent the summons from being delivered. The court found the allegations sufficiently credible that it ordered that Miscavige be served through the office of the Secretary of State of Florida . Miscavige is married to fellow Sea Org member Michele Diane "Shelly" Miscavige , who has not been seen in public since August 2007 when she
19266-402: The case, calling it a "personal tragedy in my family's life." However, in the presence of other witnesses he was reported to exclaim: "That bitch got what she deserved." Miscavige is a close friend of actor Tom Cruise and served as best man at Cruise's wedding to Katie Holmes . Cruise was converted to Scientology by his first wife Mimi Rogers in 1986, becoming an outspoken advocate for
19435-618: The category of Western esotericism , while the scholar of religion Andreas Grünschloß noted that it was "closely linked" to UFO religions , as science-fiction themes are evident in its theology. Scholars have also varyingly described it as a "psychotherapeutically oriented religion", a "secularized religion", a "postmodern religion", a "privatized religion", and a "progressive-knowledge" religion. According to scholar of religion Mary Farrell Bednarowski, Scientology describes itself as drawing on science, religion, psychology and philosophy but "has been claimed by none of them and repudiated, for
19604-518: The copyrights of the estate of L. Ron Hubbard . All Scientology management organizations are controlled exclusively by members of the Sea Org , which is a paramilitary organization for the "elite, innermost dedicated core of Scientologists". David Miscavige is described by the Scientology organization as the highest-ranking Sea Org officer, and is referred to by the organization as its captain. In 1950, L. Ron Hubbard established organizations to manage activities related to his invention of Dianetics ;
19773-476: The disciplinary procedures and policies of the Sea Org, which have been a source of controversy since its inception and variously described as abusive and illegal. Former Sea Org members have stated that punishments in the late 1960s and early 1970s included confinement in hazardous conditions such as the ship's chain locker. In 1974, Hubbard established the Rehabilitation Project Force (or RPF),
19942-402: The early 1950s. Hubbard and his early Dianetics organization were prosecuted for practicing medicine without a license in the early 1950s. Hubbard taught that psychiatrists were responsible for a great many wrongs in the world, saying that psychiatry has at various times offered itself as a tool of political suppression and that psychiatry was responsible for the ideology of Hitler, for turning
20111-463: The early 1980s to avoid further government scrutiny and to limit and compartmentalize liabilities. The Guardian's Office was replaced with the Office of Special Affairs; Religious Technology Center (RTC) was created, and numerous other corporations sprang up during this period, which acquired the name "corporate sort out" (CSO). The idea was to "create a legally defensible structure that would give Hubbard and
20280-613: The eight dynamics , the ARC and KRC triangles , the "S and double triangle" symbol, the Scientology cross , and many others . Scientology celebrates seven calendar events including L. Ron Hubbard's birthday, Auditor's Day, and New Year's. There is a Sunday service which is primarily of interest for non-members and beginners. Weddings and funerals are also held. Scientology is vehemently opposed to psychiatry and psychology, and wants to replace them with its own methods. The clinical and academic psychiatry community rejected Hubbard's theories in
20449-467: The entirety of Scientology's "Bridge to Total Freedom" (equivalent to $ 542,000 in 2023). In a 1964 letter, Hubbard stated that a 25-hour block of auditing should cost the equivalent of "three months' pay for the average middle class working individual." In 2007, the fee for a 12 and a half hour block of auditing at the Tampa Org was $ 4000 (equivalent to $ 5,880 in 2023). The Scientology organization
20618-442: The field of mental health" and "we have the technology and organization to overcome any obstacle facing this planet today" and "we have the technology to pull it off." In 1991, Miscavige, together with Marty Rathbun , visited the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) headquarters in Washington, D.C. to arrange a meeting with Commissioner Fred T. Goldberg, Jr. For more than two decades, the IRS had refused to recognize Scientology as
20787-537: The floor." Amy Scobee, another ex-Scientologist, corroborated Hawkins' account. Scientology representatives have consistently denied abuse by Miscavige, insisting that the allegations come from apostates motivated by bitterness or attempting to extort money from the organization. Hawkins' claims were responded to by Scientology when he reiterated them in a documentary, saying they were "fabricated" and referring to him as "a discredited anti-Scientology media source." Scientology executive David Bloomberg said that it
20956-480: The group as a dangerous cult. The sociologist Stephen A. Kent views the Church of Scientology as "a multifaceted transnational corporation , only one element of which is religious". In his history of the Church of Scientology, the scholar Hugh Urban describes Scientology as a "huge, complex, and multifaceted movement". Government inquiries, international parliamentary bodies, scholars, law lords, and numerous superior court judgments describe Scientology both as
21125-451: The larger and more powerful Guardian's Office, Miscavige strong-armed Hubbard's wife Mary Sue to resign from her post as Guardians' controller, removed several other GO officials, and purged several more through Comm Evs including David Gaiman , Duke Snider , Mo Budlong and Henning Heldt . The St. Petersburg Times later reported: "During two heated encounters, Miscavige persuaded Mary Sue Hubbard to resign. Together they composed
21294-461: The late 2010s, Miscavige worked primarily from Scientology's Gold Base near Hemet, California . One of the largest projects of Miscavige's career is the Flag Building , originally called the "Super Power Building," which is described as the spiritual headquarters of Scientology. The largest of Scientology's properties in Clearwater, Florida , the 377,000-square-foot (35,000 m ) structure
21463-574: The literary, theatrical and musical works of L. Ron Hubbard. It is wholly owned by Church of Spiritual Technology . Author Services runs the contests Writers of the Future and Illustrators of the Future . Galaxy Press is an imprint of Author Services, spun off from Bridge Publications in 2002. Author Services and Galaxy Press are located at 7051 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028 . There are many independently chartered organizations and groups which are staffed by Scientologists, and pay license fees for
21632-536: The massacre, several of the officers in Xenu's service rebelled against him, ultimately capturing and imprisoning him. Hubbard claimed to have discovered the Xenu myth in December 1967, having taken the "plunge" deep into his "time track". Scientology teaches that attempting to recover this information from the "time track" typically results in an individual's death, caused by the presence of Xenu's implants, but that because of Hubbard's "technology" this death can be avoided. The Scientology organization says that learning
21801-502: The mind (termed " engrams ") that can be removed only through an activity called " auditing ". A fee is charged for each session of "auditing". Once an "auditor" deems an individual free of "engrams" they are given the status of " clear ". Scholarship differs on the interpretation of these beliefs: some academics regard them as religious in nature; other scholars regard them as merely a means of extracting money from Scientology recruits. After attaining "clear" status, adherents can take part in
21970-456: The most part, by all". Government bodies and other institutions maintain that the Scientology organization is a commercial business that falsely claims to be religious, or alternatively a form of therapy masquerading as religion. The French government characterises the movement as a dangerous cult, and the German government monitors it as an anti-democratic sect. The notion of Scientology as
22139-505: The network in the early 1980s. Missions were operated by a mission holder who paid 10% license fees to the Church of Scientology but kept the bulk of their income to themselves. The new policy was that missions paid a higher percentage to the new Scientology Missions International (SMI), established 1981, and anyone who objected was declared suppressive and their bank accounts seized. Hundreds of mission holders lost or closed their missions and in 1983 there were just forty missions left in
22308-617: The new rank of Loyal Officer, making them the highest-ranking members; Miscavige asserted this order had been forged . After Hubbard's death, Miscavige assumed the position of head of the Church of Scientology and, according to the organization, "ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion." Within the Sea Org, Miscavige holds the title of "Captain of the Sea Organization" and is its highest-ranking member. Since Miscavige assumed his leadership role in Scientology, there have been numerous accounts of illegal and unethical practices by
22477-498: The organization's magazines and other Scientology materials. The center's press has the capacity to print 55,000 pages per hour. The warehousing and shipping department is fully automated, with the capability of handling half a million items per week. There are several imprints from across the entire Scientology network which are printed at the main print center, including Effective Education Publishing , Freedom Publishing, and Galaxy Press . Author Services Inc. (ASI) represents
22646-585: The organization's world headquarters at Saint Hill Manor in West Sussex, England . Saint Hill served as Miscavige's training ground as an auditor , and he is remembered by the Scientology organization as a "12-year-old prodigy " who became its youngest professional auditor. The family returned to Philadelphia within a few years, where Miscavige attended Marple Newtown High School . In 1976, with his father's permission, Miscavige left high school on his sixteenth birthday and moved to Clearwater , Florida, to join
22815-519: The organizations went bankrupt and Hubbard moved to Arizona where he started Scientology . In 1952, Hubbard established the Hubbard Association of Scientologists (HAS), a secular organization, and in 1953 the first Church of Scientology organization was incorporated in Camden, New Jersey . The HAS was dissolved and the Hubbard Association of Scientologists International (HASI), a religious fellowship,
22984-531: The practical application of Scientologist methods. Adherents are encouraged to validate the practices through their personal experience. Hubbard put it this way: "For a Scientologist, the final test of any knowledge he has gained is, 'did the data and the use of it in life actually improve conditions or didn't it? ' " Many Scientologists avoid using the words "belief" or "faith" to describe how Hubbard's teachings impacts their lives, preferring to say that they "know" it to be true. The central practice of Scientology
23153-447: The prayers, and minister attire suggested by Hubbard reflect his own Protestant traditions. Hubbard claimed that Scientology was "all-denominational", and members of the Scientology organization are not prohibited from active involvement in religions. Scholar of religion Donald Westbrook encountered members who also practiced Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism , and the Nation of Islam ; one
23322-423: The previous week are termed "up stats"; those that show a decline are "down stats". According to leaked tax documents, the Church of Scientology International and Church of Spiritual Technology in the US had a combined $ 1.7 billion in assets in 2012, in addition to annual revenues estimated at $ 200 million a year. David Miscavige David Miscavige ( / m ɪ ˈ s k æ v ɪ dʒ / ; born April 30, 1960)
23491-448: The public are auditing and auditor training. Auditing is the 'counseling', and training teaches how to audit. The levels of auditing and training are charted and described on The Bridge to Total Freedom . All service organizations are separate corporate entities, are licensed as franchises, and pay a percentage of their gross revenues to International Management. Hubbard's image and writing are ubiquitous in service orgs, and each maintains
23660-476: The public. Materials have also been passed on to other sources and made available by publishers such as the media organization WikiLeaks . To gain the OT levels of training, a member must go to one of the Advanced Organisations or Orgs, which are based in Los Angeles, Clearwater, East Grinstead, Copenhagen, Sydney, and Johannesburg. Conservative estimates indicate that getting to OT VIII would require
23829-449: The saying goes, if you don't write your own story, someone else will." In 2019, a then-unnamed female individual, who was raised as a Scientologist and joined the Sea Org as Miscavige's steward at age 15, filed suit against Miscavige and Scientology. The lawsuit also alleged kidnapping , stalking , libel, slander , constructive invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Lawyers for Scientology convinced
23998-400: The scholar of religion Aled Thomas suggests it was appropriate to talk about "Scientologies". Urban describes Scientology as representing a "rich syncretistic blend" of sources, including elements from Hinduism and Buddhism , Thelema , new scientific ideas, science-fiction, and from psychology and popular self-help literature available by the mid-20th century. The ceremonies, structure of
24167-523: The spirit, mind, and body. The first of these is a person's inner self which he calls a " thetan ". It is akin to the idea of the soul or spirit found in religious traditions. Hubbard stated that "the thetan is the person. You are YOU in a body." Hubbard referred to the physical universe as the MEST universe , meaning "Matter, Energy, Space and Time", which includes your body. Scientologists believe that thetans can exteriorize ; leave their body. The thetan
24336-477: The staff." Though Miscavige and Scientology have been the subject of much press attention, he has rarely spoken directly to the press. Exceptions include the 1992 interview on Nightline , a 1994 print interview with weekly Austrian news magazine Profil , a 1998 newspaper interview with the St. Petersburg Times , and a 1998 appearance in an A&E Investigative Reports installment called "Inside Scientology." In
24505-465: The statement was authentic. The case was dismissed on June 27, 1983. In October 1982, Miscavige required Scientology Missions to enter new trademark usage contracts which established stricter policies on the use of Scientology materials. Over the two years following the formation of the RTC, Miscavige and his team replaced most of Scientology's upper and middle management. A number of those ousted attempted to establish breakaway organizations including
24674-441: The street; his tie is ripped off. Um, this is just a warm-up kind of bash. In a 1995 interview for ITV , Stacy Young , Miscavige's former secretary and the ex-wife of Hubbard's former spokesman, Robert Vaughn Young , asserted that Miscavige emotionally tormented staff members on a regular basis. "His viciousness and his cruelty to staff was unlike anything that I had ever experienced in my life," she said. "He just loved to degrade
24843-450: The subject of ongoing lawsuits involving child abuse , human trafficking and forced labor. Miscavige was investigated as part of wide-ranging investigation into Scientology by the FBI in 2009 and 2010, which focused particularly on criminal activities at Gold Base, against which the FBI had planned a raid before the investigation was discontinued. Scientology launched the Scientology Network ,
25012-408: The subject. When deemed free of engrams they are given the status of "clear", and then continue doing further auditing until they are deemed to have reached the level Operating Thetan . Hubbard assigns vitality, good health and increased intelligence to those who are given the status of " clear ", having removed the source of their "psychosomatic illnesses". The further status of Operating Thetan (OT)
25181-408: The substantive issues because they had been resolved prior to review. In 1992 Scientology was granted recognition as a nonprofit organization in the U.S., which creates a tax exemption for the Church of Scientology International and its subsidiaries, and tax deductions for those who contribute to their programs. Scientology officials and the IRS later issued a statement that the ruling was based on
25350-619: The suit were dismissed by the court, and the dismissal upheld when Scientology appealed. Similar lawsuits in Switzerland, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Germany were dismissed as groundless. In 1987, the BBC Panorama program Scientology: The Road to Total Freedom? featured an interview with former member Don Larson, who served as the church's $ 25-per-week "finance ethics officer" and who described Miscavige's physical violence towards
25519-428: The system's path to salvation is the story of Xenu . Reflecting a strong science-fiction theme within its theology, Scientology's teachings make reference to " space opera ", a term denoting events in the distant past in which "spaceships, spacemen, [and] intergalactic travel" all feature. Hubbard wrote about a great catastrophe that took place 75 million years ago. According to this story, 75 million years ago there
25688-578: The techniques taught is a method of auditing oneself, which is the necessary procedure for reaching OT level seven. Scientology has its own unique definitions for ethics and procedures for justice . According to scholar Stephen Kent, "The purpose of Scientology ethics is to eliminate opponents, then eliminate people's interests in things other than Scientology. In this 'ethical' environment, Scientology would be able to impose its courses, philosophy, and 'justice system' – its so-called technology—onto society." Hubbard created many symbolism concepts, including
25857-430: The thetan who truly realized his power to create and destroy universes would in effect be "beyond God". ... The thetan has been deceived into worshipping such a God by mainstream religion and so forgotten its own godlike power to create and destroy universes. The prices to undertake a full course of auditing with the Church of Scientology are not often advertised publicly. As of 2011 it can easily cost $ 400,000 to do
26026-491: The top ranking staff, including Hubbard's wife, were indicted for infiltrating the US government in their actions of Operation Snow White , Hubbard went into deep hiding though continued to manage control over the organizations but this time through intermediaries—predominantly Pat Broeker and David Miscavige . After the convictions in United States v. Hubbard , there was a flurry of activity creating new corporations in
26195-471: The use of Scientology technology and trademarks under the control of Scientology management. In some cases, these organizations do not publicize their affiliation with Scientology and operate as front groups . Founded in 1989, the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE) is an umbrella organization that administers six of Scientology's social programs: The Citizens Commission on Human Rights
26364-424: The use of which separates followers from non-Scientologists. The Scientology organization refers to its practices as "technology", a term often shortened to "Tech". Scientologists stress the "standardness" of this "tech", by which they express belief in its infallibility. The Church's system of pedagogy is called "Study Tech" and is presented as the best method for learning. Scientology teaches that when reading, it
26533-797: The word "Scientology" meant " knowing about knowing or science of knowledge ". The name "Scientology" deliberately makes use of the word "science", seeking to benefit from the "prestige and perceived legitimacy" of natural science in the public imagination. In doing so, Scientology has been compared to religious groups like Christian Science and the Science of Mind , which employed similar tactics. The term "Scientology" had been used in published works at least twice before Hubbard. In The New Word (1901), poet and lawyer Allen Upward first used scientology to mean blind, unthinking acceptance of scientific doctrine (compare scientism ). In 1934, philosopher Anastasius Nordenholz published Scientology: Science of
26702-500: The worldwide headquarters of the Church of Scientology and his personal residence. With the organization often under heavy criticism, it adopted strong measures of attack in dealing with its critics. In 1966, the organization established the Guardian's Office (GO), a department devoted to undermining those hostile towards Scientology. The GO launched an extensive program of countering negative publicity, gathering intelligence, and infiltrating organizations. In " Operation Snow White ",
26871-554: The year after Hubbard's death. Official Church of Scientology biographies describe Miscavige as "the ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion". Since he assumed his leadership position, there have been a number of allegations made against Miscavige. These include claims of human trafficking , child abuse , slavery , forced separation of family members , coercive fundraising practices, harassment of journalists and Scientology critics , and emotional and physical abuse of subordinates by Miscavige. Miscavige and spokespersons for
27040-527: Was Hawkins who attacked Miscavige. Miscavige sent an open letter to the newspaper challenging the integrity of the reporters and labeling their sources as "lying," after the persons in question had been removed from the Scientology organization for what Miscavige described as "fundamental crimes against the Scientology religion." Scientology also commissioned an independent review of the Times ' reporting, but has not, to date, released those findings. Miscavige
27209-462: Was Hubbard's then-wife, Mary Sue Hubbard. Public revelation of the GO's activities brought widespread condemnation of the Church. In 1967, Hubbard established a new group, the Sea Organization or "Sea Org", the membership of which was drawn from the most committed members of the Scientology organization. By 1981, the 21-year-old David Miscavige , who had been one of Hubbard's closest aides in
27378-481: Was a Baptist minister. In practice, however, Westbrook noted that most Church members consider Scientology to be their only commitment, and the deeper their involvement became, the less likely they were to continue practicing other traditions. Debate as to whether Scientology should be regarded as a cult, a business, a scam, or a religion has continued over many years. Many Scientologists consider it to be their religion. Its founder, L. Ron Hubbard , presented it as
27547-428: Was a Galactic Confederacy of 76 planets ruled over by a leader called Xenu . The Confederacy was overpopulated and Xenu transported millions of aliens to earth and killed them with hydrogen bombs . The thetans of those killed were then clustered together and implants were inserted into them, designed to kill any body that these thetans would subsequently inhabit should they recall the event of their destruction. After
27716-509: Was allegedly designed to work towards a situation when Hubbard could come back on lines"; to be "All Clear" for Hubbard to emerge from hiding. By the end of 1981, Miscavige was in charge of the Watchdog Committee and the All Clear Unit, as well as Author Services Inc. , a for-profit entity established in 1981 to manage Hubbard's literary and financial affairs. As head of the CMO, Miscavige sent out teams to investigate problem areas within Scientology. Next, setting his sights on dismantling
27885-457: Was established to be the managing umbrella organization over all other organizations. In late 1954, Hubbard made the official announcement that Scientology was a religion. In 1954, the first Church of Scientology was incorporated in California, which in 1956 was renamed to the Church of Scientology of California. That organization was to become the 'mother church' over hundreds of smaller churches and missions of Scientology until 1981 when that status
28054-458: Was having a heart attack and were allegedly told not to intervene: "If it was Ron's time to die, to let him die and not intervene in any way." David Miscavige denied having ordered the surveillance or speaking to one of the investigators. Subsequently, Ron published a book in 2016, titled Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me . Thomas Tobin of the Tampa Bay Times reviewed
28223-485: Was passed to the Church of Scientology International . Hubbard had official control of the organizations until 1966 when he publicly resigned, though he continued to give orders to executives, secretly running the organizations. Although Hubbard maintained no formal position within Scientology's management structure, he remained firmly in control of the organization and its affiliated organizations, often using code names and code words to obscure his involvement. When some of
28392-415: Was put under surveillance by the Church, which was said to have paid two private investigators to watch him around the clock for 18 months for $ 10,000 a week. The surveillance was said to have been "all because [David] Miscavige feared that his father would divulge too much about the organisation's activities." At one point, the investigators were said to have phoned David Miscavige when they thought his father
28561-436: Was spotted being escorted to her father's funeral. Multiple sources have alleged she disappeared from Gold Base shortly after she "filled several job vacancies without her husband's permission." In July 2012, responding to press speculation on Shelly's whereabouts, lawyers who said they represented her informed two UK newspapers that "she is not missing and devotes her time to the work of the Church of Scientology." In 2013,
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