130-801: The Flag Building , also referred to as the Super Power Building , is the largest building in Clearwater, Florida . It is owned by the Church of Scientology and was built principally to deliver the Super Power Rundown , a high-level Scientology training course intended to train Scientologists to use what Scientology describes as all of their 57 "perceptics" or senses. The interior of the building contains training suites, course rooms, theaters and various devices intended to test these "perceptics," including
260-436: A common series of past-life events . Scientology describes itself as the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, others, and all of life. Scientologists also believe that people have innate, yet suppressed, power and ability, which can be regained if cleared of unwanted behavioral patterns and discomforts. Believers reach their full potential "when they understand themselves in their true relationship to
390-484: A humid subtropical climate . Clearwater is far enough south that it lies in the broad transition zone from subtropical to tropical climates. As such, Clearwater is mostly warm to hot year round, with few nights of frost. Most of the annual rainfall comes in the wet season (June through September), when daily thundershowers erupt due to the strong solar heating. The dry season starts in October and runs through May, at which time
520-444: A self-improvement and therapy program created by Alfred Korzybski to cure personal and social issues. Scientologists believe that Hubbard "discovered the existential truths that form their doctrine through research," thus leading to the idea that Scientology is science. Hubbard created what the church would call a "spiritual technology" to advance the goals of Scientology. According to the church, "Scientology works 100 percent of
650-510: A "paramilitary operation by a terrorist group". The Church of Scientology targeted Cazares, attempting to entrap him in a sex scandal. Scientology also staged a phony hit-and-run accident with Cazares in an attempt to discredit him. Cazares and his wife sued the Church of Scientology for $ 1.5 million. The church settled with Cazares in 1986. Clearwater has city partnerships with the following cities: Emotional tone scale Followers of
780-447: A "time machine", an anti-gravity simulator, an "infinite" pit, and a pain station. The complex occupies a city block at 215 South Fort Harrison Avenue. It includes a 15-story tower topped by a bronze Scientology cross visible from much of Clearwater. Construction began in 1998, was halted in 2003, and was ultimately resumed to reach substantial completion during 2011. The long delay in construction led to substantial fines being levied by
910-639: A 40 percent discount and that their names will be engraved on a plaque inside the building. A 2011 investigation by the St. Petersburg Times newspaper found that the Church of Scientology had raised at least $ 145 million from its members for the Super Power Building project, vastly more than the building's ostensible cost. In one week alone, $ 23 million was raised – almost half the entire cost that had been stated in 2009. Ex-members have complained of being subjected to intensive demands for funds and have suggested that
1040-534: A bandstand stood at 405 Cleveland Street in Downtown Clearwater, where the community gathered to listen to music. The names of locals serving in World War I were etched on the wall of the adjacent Clearwater Sun building; this "Panel of Honor" was obscured when the original Capitol Theatre was built but uncovered when the newspaper building was torn down in 2013. The Capitol Theatre opened March 21, 1921. It
1170-543: A barbaric and corrupt profession and consider mental illness a fraud. They allege that psychiatrists were responsible for the Holocaust , apartheid and 9/11 . Scientology established the anti-psychiatry lobby group Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) which operates an exhibit Psychiatry: An Industry of Death . CCHR has helped legislators draft bills, though bills in Florida and Utah failed which would have made it
1300-495: A bridge was built across Clearwater Harbor, joining the city with Clearwater Beach to the west. Clearwater Beach, although located on a separate barrier island, belongs to the city of Clearwater and fronts the Gulf of Mexico. A new, much higher bridge now arcs over the bay, replacing the former drawbridge ; the connecting road is part of State Road 60 and is called Clearwater Memorial Causeway . During World War II , Clearwater became
1430-407: A ceremony presided over by Scientology leader David Miscavige . The number of Scientologists attending the ceremony was reported by the local media to have been far lower than the Church had forecast in advance, perhaps below 6,000 people, though the Church asserted in a press release that it had been "slightly over the expected 10,000 people". Clearwater, Florida Clearwater is a city and
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#17328813934061560-406: A crab trap. The aquarium is also home to other dolphins, otters, pelicans, nurse sharks, and turtles among several species of fish and other marine life. CMA also assists in animal strandings and other emergencies regarding sea life. Animals that have stranded are rehabilitated, and if possible, released back into the wild once they have made a full recovery. It has been featured as the main setting of
1690-526: A crime for school teachers to suggest to parents that their child might be suffering from a mental health condition. The church makes it clear that Hubbard is considered the sole source of Dianetics and Scientology: "The Scientology religion is based exclusively upon L. Ron Hubbard's research, writings and recorded lectures – all of which constitute the Scriptures of the religion." His work, recorded in 500,000 pages of writings, 6,500 reels of tape and 42 films,
1820-441: A dedication ceremony expected to draw in an estimated 10,000 Scientologists in attendance. Only a month later, however, the Church told city authorities that it had decided to cancel the ceremony and postpone the opening of the building to an unspecified date, for undisclosed reasons. The building was finally opened on November 17, 2013, with Scientologist stars such as Tom Cruise , John Travolta and Kelly Preston in attendance for
1950-644: A four-year term. The council is responsible for setting policies and making decisions on local government issues including tax rates, annexations, property code variances and large contract awards. The city manager and city council are supported by the various city departments. Tampa International Airport serves Clearwater and the rest of the Tampa Bay Area as the primary means of air travel. St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport has also seen its usage increase. The city owns Clearwater Air Park . The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) bus service
2080-493: A fresh water spring flowing from near where the old City Hall building was located. There were many other freshwater springs that dotted the bluff, many in the bay or harbor itself. Originally part of Hillsborough County , the first road joining Clearwater and Tampa was built in 1849, which dramatically reduced the prior day-long commute between the cities. During the American Civil War , Union gunboats repeatedly raided
2210-525: A household in the city was $ 47,070, and the median income for a family was $ 46,228. 15.9% of the population fell below the poverty line. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 107,685 people, 46,264 households, and 26,317 families residing in the city. As of 2000, speakers of English as their first language were 84.43% of residents, Spanish as a mother tongue was 8.55%, Greek accounted for 1.16%, French made up 1.00% of speakers, German at 0.97%, and Italian speakers comprised 0.85% of
2340-582: A major training base for US troops destined for Europe and the Pacific. Virtually every hotel in the area, including the Belleview Biltmore and the Fort Harrison Hotel , was used as a barracks for new recruits. Vehicle traffic was regularly stopped for companies of soldiers marching through downtown, and nighttime blackouts to confuse potential enemy bombers were common practice. Pre-development Sand Key
2470-411: A means of controlling the body. Scientology teaches that the thetan usually resides within the human skull but can also leave the body, either remaining in close contact with it or being separated altogether. According to Scientology, a person's thetan has existed for trillions of years, having lived countless lifetimes, long before entering a physical body it may now inhabit. In their original form,
2600-501: A non-human animal on Earth. In Have You Lived Before This Life? , Hubbard recounted accounts of past lives stretching back 55 billion years, often on other planets. At death, the spirit will leave the body: "Life and personality go on. The physical part of the organism ceases to function." Scientology believes in the "immortality of each individual's spirit," therefore making death not a significant worry. The spirit acquires another body necessary for growth and survival. The primary goal
2730-472: A proven ability in the skills they have been trained in. Auditors often practice their auditing with each other, as well as friends or family. Church members sometimes pair up during training, doing the same course simultaneously so that they can audit each other up through the various Scientology levels. According to scholar Harriet Whitehead, the Church of Scientology "has developed a fine-tooled hierarchically organized system of audit (training) sessions where
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#17328813934062860-446: A responsibility for what goes on today since he will experience it tomorrow." According to Scientology beliefs, Scientology itself is a blend of science and spirituality, with a belief in an immortal spirit and in improving that spirit here on Earth using Scientology's methods. Scientologists do not typically dwell on Heaven or Hell or the afterlife, instead focusing on the spirit. Many Scientologists also belong to other churches. In
2990-403: A ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony there later in 2011. It asked the city to reduce its fine by 90 percent, to reflect its "good faith" effort in bringing the building to code, but the city's resident-led Code Enforcement Board, which has a record of leniency and decimating fines, voted unanimously to keep the fines mostly untouched, saying the Church had long ignored the city's rules. The fine
3120-590: A safe and distraction-free session environment. The term clear derives from a calculator button that deletes previous calculations. According to Scientology beliefs, Clears are "optimal individuals", and "they have been cleared of false information and memories of traumatic experiences that prevent them from adapting to the world around them in a natural and appropriate fashion." Scientologists believe that clears become more successful in their daily lives and are "healthier, experience less stress, and possess better communication skills than non-Scientologists." "Auditing"
3250-512: A series of "universal incidents" have undermined the thetans' ability to recall their origins. Hubbard taught that thetans brought the material universe into being largely for their own pleasure. The universe has no independent reality but derives its apparent reality from the fact that thetans agree it exists. Thetans fell from grace when they began to identify with their creation rather than their original state of spiritual purity. Eventually they lost their memory of their true nature, along with
3380-546: A sprawling Victorian resort hotel named Belleview Biltmore just south of Clearwater in 1897. By the early 1900s, Clearwater's population had grown to around 400, ballooning to nearly 1,000 in the winter. Clearwater's oldest existing newspaper, the Clearwater Sun , was first published on March 14, 1914. Clearwater was reincorporated, this time as a city, on May 27, 1915, and was designated the county seat for Pinellas County, which broke from Hillsborough County in 1912. In 1915,
3510-627: A total of just under $ 89 million; by 2007, the total had risen to over $ 142 million. Some individual Scientologists have given up to $ 5 million each. Scientologists contributing to the project are given a number of benefits depending on the level of their contributions, including "gold validation pins" and "Super Power rings", "exclusive membership to the Key Contributor Lounge in the new mecca building created specially for these stellar contributors", and fee reductions or priority status for Super Power courses. "Cornerstone Members" have been promised
3640-538: A tree in his yard. The area's population grew after the Federal Armed Occupation Act of 1842 offered 160 acres (0.65 km ) to anyone who would bear arms and cultivate the land. Early settlers included the Stevens, Stevenson, Sever and McMullen families, who claimed and farmed large tracts of land. Prior to 1906, the area was known as Clear Water Harbor. The name "Clear Water" is thought to have come from
3770-423: A vial. Some of the smells were very similar, like oranges, tangerines, orange peel, orange juice, you had to tell the difference and until you could name each and every one correctly, you did not finish this perceptic." Leaked blueprints of the building's interior include facilities such as a "time machine", an "oiliness table", a "pain station" and an "infinite pit". Scientologists undergoing Super Power training in
3900-462: A video screen that moves forward and backward while flashing images to hone a viewer's ability to identify subliminal messages. According to Marc Headley, who worked on developing the "perceptics", Scientologists will have to undergo testing on each of them. For Smell, for example, there are "hundreds and hundreds of vials of distinct smells that did not evaporate. You name it, bananas, peppermint, sunflowers, any smell that you can think of, they had it in
4030-400: Is 0.0, labelled "body death". From 0.0 upward is the emotional tone scale, where points such as apathy, grief, fear, anger, boredom, contentment, cheerfulness, enthusiasm, and serenity of beingness at the top are labeled. Points below 0.0 are mental concepts rather than emotions, such as shame, blame, regret, sacrifice, hiding, and total failure. In common Scientology parlance, a person high on
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4160-450: Is Communication: improving one's ability to communicate raises at the same time his affinity for others and life, as well as expands the scope of his agreements. —L. Ron Hubbard The Scientology symbol is made up of two triangles with an "S" connecting them. The top triangle is called the KRC triangle, symbolizing the related concepts of knowledge, responsibility, and control. The lower triangle
4290-539: Is Scientology's basic goal. Dianetic auditing is one way by which the Scientologist may progress toward the ' Clear ' state, winning gradual freedom from the reactive mind's engrams, and acquiring certainty of their reality as a thetan. Hubbard's differentiation of the reactive mind and the analytical mind forms one of the basic tenets of Dianetics. The analytical mind is similar to the conscious mind, which processes daily information and events. The reactive mind produces
4420-489: Is an example of the phenomenon of both the "scientification of religion" and the "sacralization" of science. Donald A. Westbrook argues that there is an "ongoing and dialectical relationship" between religion and science in Hubbard's teachings. The psychiatric establishment rejected Hubbard's theories in the early 1950s. Since then, Hubbard was vehemently opposed to psychiatry and psychology . Scientologists view psychiatry as
4550-469: Is archived for posterity. The Religious Technology Center holds "the ultimate ecclesiastical authority and the pure application of L. Ron Hubbard's religious technologies." Individuals applying Hubbard's techniques who are not officially connected to the Church of Scientology are considered part of the " Free Zone ". Some of these individuals were litigated against for using and modifying the practices for their own use and that of others, thereby infringing
4680-511: Is below the average for both the United States as well as the state of Florida. In 2012, the city was listed among the 10 best places to retire in the U.S. by CBS Money Watch. The Clearwater Public Art and Design Program, adopted by City Council in 2005, is funded through a 1% allocation on all city capital improvement projects valued at more than $ 500,000. The program commissions an average of 2–3 new projects per year. Pre-Capitol Theatre,
4810-455: Is called the "Thetan". Scientology teaches that "a thetan is the person himself, not his body or his name or the physical universe, his mind or anything else." According to the doctrine, "one does not have a thetan, he is a thetan." Hubbard referred to the physical universe as the MEST universe , meaning "Matter, Energy, Space and Time". In Scientology's teaching, this MEST universe is separate from
4940-463: Is called the ARC triangle, symbolizing the related concepts of affinity, reality, and communication, and all three together represent understanding. The large connecting "S" stands for "Scientology". Scientology teaches that improving one of the three aspects of the KRC or ARC triangle will increase the other two. In the ARC triangle, communication is held to be the most important. Among Scientologists,
5070-597: Is currently Pinellas County's only general public transit. The service offers approximately 35 local routes, two express routes which cross Tampa Bay to the east, and a beach trolley that runs north and south along the county's roughly 25-mile-long (40 km) chain of barrier islands . The city was formerly served by Amtrak at Clearwater station . The Church of Scientology 's "spiritual headquarters" are located in downtown Clearwater. The Church refers to Clearwater as its "Flag Land Base". The Church of Scientology owns several historical landmark buildings including
5200-506: Is given to the godlike nature of the [individual] and to the workings of the human mind than to the nature of God." Hubbard did not clearly define God in Scientology. When pressed about their belief, Scientologists mention the " eighth dynamic " which they say is the "God dynamic". Scientologists affirm the existence of a deity without defining or describing its nature. L. Ron Hubbard wrote in his book Science of Survival , "No culture in
5330-434: Is land and 13.7 square miles (35.4 km ) (34.86%) is water. Clearwater's downtown has been undergoing major redevelopment in recent years. General beautification has been done along with completion of several high-rise condos and a large marina. New bars, restaurants, and other amenities are coming to the area, renamed the "Cleveland Street District". Royalty Theatre is also slated to be renovated. Clearwater has
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5460-435: Is not encumbered by the physical universe and exists in its original state. Scientology aims to "exteriorize" the thetan from the body so that the thetan remains close to the body and capable of controlling its actions, but not inside of it, where it can confuse "beingness with mass" and the body. In this way, it seeks to ensure the thetan is unaffected by the trauma of the physical universe while still retaining full control of
5590-531: Is part of the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative which seeks to provide patrons with access to information and programs to benefit the community. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a small non-profit aquarium . Opening in 1972 on Clearwater Beach, the aquarium is most famous for Winter the dolphin. Rescued as a calf in 2005, Winter was one of the first dolphins to have been fitted with a prosthetic tail after losing it due to entanglement in
5720-673: Is sometimes considered controversial, because auditing sessions are permanently recorded and stored within "preclear folders". Scientologists believe that the practice of auditing helps them overcome the debilitating effects of traumatic experiences, most of which have accumulated over a multitude of lifetimes. The folders are kept in accordance with the Priest/Penitent legal parameters which do not allow these folders to be seen or used for any other purpose or seen by any others who are not directly involved in supervising that person's auditing progress. Auditors are required to become proficient with
5850-497: Is the one that brings the greatest benefit to the greatest number of dynamics. The eight dynamics are: Hubbard introduced the Scientology cross in the mid-1950s as a religious symbol for Scientology. The eight points of the cross symbolize the eight dynamics. The Church of Scientology states that it has no set dogma on God and allows individuals to come to their own understanding of God. In Scientology, "vastly more emphasis
5980-480: Is to achieve an individual's true identity. According to Scientology doctrine, salvation is achieved through "clearing" engrams and implants , the source of human misery, through the auditing process. Salvation is limited to the current life and there is no "final salvation or damnation", author Richard Holloway writes. "Life is not a one-shot deal. There is only the eternal return of life after life." According to Scientology beliefs, "the individual comes back. He has
6110-560: The Village Voice published leaked blueprints of the Super Power Building that revealed architectural features including a recreation of a deck on the Apollo , L. Ron Hubbard's flagship in the 1960s. The building was financed through a fundraising effort called the "Super Power Expansion Project." A fundraising letter sent to Scientologists in March 2002 described the purpose of the project: With
6240-550: The Belleview Hotel . Groundbreaking was December 6, 1920. The "New Capitol Theatre" was damaged in a storm on October 26, 1921 (so it had been completed). A theatre organ was installed in 1922, to accompany silent films with music. The organ was made and installed by the Robert Morton Organ Company . Donald Roebling was a frequent patron, having his own double seat installed at the theatre. The theatre
6370-534: The Fort Harrison Hotel and the Clearwater Bank Building. As of 2019, Scientology had purchased so much property in downtown Clearwater that it owned most of the commercial buildings in the downtown core, many of which remained vacant. According to an investigation by the Tampa Bay Times , "The [Church of Scientology], its members and companies they control now own 185 properties that cover 101 acres in
6500-610: The Purification Rundown detoxification program. The Mediterranean Revival -style building will also contain a bookstore, a library, and hundreds of course and study rooms; with a total of 889 rooms, 447 windows, and 42 bathrooms, plus an 1,140-seat dining room and two kitchens. A 124-foot (38 m) bridge connects the Super Power Building to the Scientology-owned Fort Harrison Hotel on the other side of S. Fort Harrison Avenue. In January 2012, Tony Ortega of
6630-480: The Scientology movement maintain a wide variety of beliefs and practices. The core belief holds that a human is an immortal , spiritual being ( thetan ) that is resident in a physical body. The thetan has had innumerable past lives , some of which, preceding the thetan's arrival on Earth, were lived in extraterrestrial cultures . Based on case studies at advanced levels, it is predicted that any Scientologist undergoing auditing will eventually come across and recount
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#17328813934066760-574: The Tampa Bay area . Clearwater Beach is part of the city of Clearwater, but is separated from it by the Intracoastal Waterway . Cleveland Street is one of the city's historic avenues, and the city includes BayCare Ballpark and Coachman Park. The Church of Scientology owns the majority of property in the Clearwater downtown core district. Present-day Clearwater was originally the home of
6890-650: The Tocobaga people. Around 1835, the United States Army began construction of Fort Harrison , named after William Henry Harrison , as an outpost during the Seminole Wars . The fort was located on a bluff overlooking Clearwater Harbor, which later became part of an early 20th-century residential development called Harbor Oaks. University of South Florida archaeologists excavated the site in 1962 after Mark Wyllie discovered an underground ammunition bunker while planting
7020-525: The Yogachara school of Buddhism , saying that both have been described as "the most scientific" among new and traditional religions, respectively. They cite technical language and claims that teachings were developed through observation and experimentation. They also emphasize that many investigators and researchers consider Scientology to be a pseudoscience because of its absolute and meta- empirical goals. Scholar Kocku von Stuckrad stated that Scientology
7150-499: The county seat of Pinellas County, Florida , United States, west of Tampa and north of St. Petersburg . To the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and to the southeast lies Tampa Bay . As of the 2020 census , the city had a population of 117,292. It is the smallest of the three principal cities in the Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater metropolitan area, most commonly referred to as
7280-399: The reactive mind . The practice is one wherein a counselor called an "auditor" addresses a series of questions to a preclear , observes and records the preclear's responses, and acknowledges them. An essential element in all forms of auditing is not to suggest answers to the preclear or invalidate or degrade what the preclear says in response. It is of utmost importance that the auditor create
7410-414: The subcultures of science fiction and "harmony" with scientific cosmology . Science fiction, viewed to work for and against the purposes of science, has contributed to the birth of new religions , including Scientology. While it promotes science, it distorts it as well. Science fiction writer A.E. van Vogt based the early development of Dianetics and Scientology on a novel based on General Semantics ,
7540-581: The tone scale ; Affinity (self and others); Communication (self and others); Reality (self and others); Emotional state of groups; Compass direction; Level of consciousness; Pain; Perception of conclusions (past and present); Perception of computation (past and present); Perception of imagination (past and present); Perception of having perceived (past and present); Awareness of not knowing; Awareness of importance, unimportance; Awareness of others; Awareness of location and placement (masses, spaces and location itself); Perception of appetite; Kinesthesia. According to
7670-532: The "Legion of OT Meritorious" ($ 7,500,000). According to a Scientology magazine published in September 2007, Scientologist actress Kirstie Alley is ranked as a "Founding Member" of the project, indicating a $ 250,000 donation. The actress Catherine Bell has also contributed and is ranked as a "Double Cornerstone Member" (twice the normal "cornerstone" donation of $ 35,000 - i.e., $ 70,000). The project's July 2004 "Cornerstone Newsletter", lists 1,218 members contributing
7800-619: The 1950s was limited, Scientological literature has presented its teachings as the continuation and fulfillment of The Buddha 's ideas. In one publication, Hubbard claimed to be both Maitreya , the future enlightened being prophesied in some forms of Mahayana Buddhism , and the Antichrist . Some Scientologists regard Hubbard as Maitreya. The concept of the thetan has also been observed as being very similar to those promulgated in various mid-20th century UFO religions. According to Lawrence Wright , author of Going Clear , exteriorization "is
7930-415: The 1970s under the code-name Project Normandy , the Church of Scientology began targeting Clearwater in order to "establish area control" of the city and county. The operations were exposed in a Pulitzer Prize winning series of articles in the Clearwater Sun . Gabe Cazares , who was the mayor of Clearwater at the time, went so far as to call it "the occupation of Clearwater" and later characterized it as
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#17328813934068060-618: The American family movie series Dolphin Tale . BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater is the spring training home of Major League Baseball 's Philadelphia Phillies , as well as their Low-A affiliate, the Clearwater Threshers . Moccasin Lake Nature Park is a 51-acre nature preserve (21 ha) with a 5-acre lake (2.0 ha) owned and operated by the city. The preserve also features
8190-408: The Church of Scientology, the building will contain specially developed equipment which "expand[s] on technology developed by NASA to train astronauts" designed to exercise and enhance an individual's "perceptics". These machines will include such things as an antigravity simulator, a gyroscope-like apparatus that spins a person around while blindfolded to improve perception of compass direction, and
8320-414: The Church of Scientology. A thetan is the person himself, not his body or his name or the physical universe, his mind or anything else. It is that which is aware of being aware; the identity which IS the individual. One does not have a thetan, something one keeps somewhere apart from oneself; he is a thetan. — The Church of Scientology, 1992 Hubbard taught that there were three "Parts of Man",
8450-425: The Church purposefully delayed completing the project so that it would remain a "cash cow", though church spokesmen have strongly denied this. In January 2013, a Californian couple who had donated more than $ 420,000 to the project sued the Church of Scientology for fraud and deception, charging that the Church had kept the building incomplete "to use it as a shill to induce further payments from members, just as they did
8580-607: The City Commission for additional space. As a result of segregation , the Clearwater Public Library was for White patrons only from its founding in 1911 to the mid-twentieth century. In 1950, the City Commission agreed to the building of the North Greenwood library. Designed by Architect Eugene Beach, the new library allowed access for the city's African American population to many information sources. This library
8710-618: The Clearwater Library Association opened a subscription library on the second floor of the local People's Bank. Its popularity and support led to the request of $ 10,000 from the Carnegie Foundation to build a public library . The building was designed by Tampa architect F.J. Kennard. In its first year, the library had over 1,277 visitors and 2,792 books borrowed. As a vacation town, the library provided free access to materials for all residents and winter visitors. During
8840-557: The Depression, the Clearwater Public Library faced many of the same threats seen at other libraries seen throughout the United States. This includes increased patron usage and dwindling budget. In the 1940s, the Clearwater library increased its staff from three assistants to five assistants. The library's collection also grew from 18,047 to over 100,000. To account for this increase, the Librarian and Board President Traver Bayly made an appeal to
8970-563: The Moccasin Lake Environmental Education Center, which offers environmental education classes, programs and camps. The Center features live rehabilitated birds of prey, reptiles, amphibians and aquatic wildlife. It opened in 1982. The City of Clearwater contains five pools: Ross Norton, North Greenwood, Morningside, the Long Center, and Clearwater Beach. Swim lessons are offered throughout the year to patrons, and
9100-508: The New Civilization so vitally needed. The rapid completion of the funding and construction of the new building, guarantees this Cleared Earth. Contributions to the project are on a sliding scale with "titles" that are fancied among adherents awarded as prizes according to the level of donations. These range from the starting level, "Flag Supporter" (a $ 1,000 donation), to the mid-ranking "Master Builder of Merit" ($ 500,000) and so on up to
9230-405: The Scientology book, A History of Man , Hubbard discusses that a human's past experiences make up that person's present identity. These include experiences such as atoms, seaweed, plankton, and clams, pointing to the belief in recurring lives. Scientology emphasizes the importance of "survival", subdividing into eight classifications called "the eight dynamics". The optimum solution to any problem
9360-553: The Super Power Building would be ready for occupancy by fall of 2010. This date passed without the building opening, though the exterior was completed by 2011. In June 2011, the St. Petersburg Times reported that the building had passed inspection and its Certificate of Occupancy had been obtained. The Church sought to seek a reduction in the fine levied by the city at the Code Enforcement Board's July or August meeting. Church spokeswoman Pat Harney said, "We are simply following
9490-479: The Supreme Being. The tone scale is a key construct throughout Scientology and is used to gauge someone's value in society or determine how best to control or communicate with someone. Hubbard introduced the tone scale with his 1951 book Science of Survival and expanded it since then. The concept is a vertical scale of points from −40.0 to +40.0, each representing an emotion or other mental concept. The midpoint
9620-518: The Thetan has been trapped by the engrams formed at various stages of embodiment." Scientology training is aimed at clearing the person of all engrams , thus creating an " Operating Thetan ". "Among the abilities of the Operating Thetan is the soul's capacity to leave and operate apart from the body." People are viewed as spiritual beings that have minds and bodies, and a person's "spiritual essence"
9750-479: The associated spiritual and creative powers. As a result, thetans came to think of themselves as nothing but embodied beings. According to L. Ron Hubbard's 1952 book A History of Man , published in 1952, there are two entities housed by the human body: a genetic entity (whose purpose is to carry on the evolutionary line) and a "Thetan" or consciousness "that has the capacity to separate from body and mind." According to Hubbard, "In man's long evolutionary development
9880-442: The auditor is trained to observe the client's emotional state using the tone scale, to raise an individual on the tone scale and improve his abilities. Without reality or some agreement, affinity and communication are absent. Without communication, there can be no affinity or reality. It is only necessary to improve one corner of this very valuable triangle in order to improve the remaining two corners. The easiest corner to improve
10010-551: The barrier between scientific (objective, external) and religious (subjective, internal) forms of knowledge." Hubbard describes Scientology's epistemology as "radically subjective: Nothing in Scientology is true for you unless you have observed it and it is true according to your observation." This is a type of self-legitimation through science which is also found in other religions such as Christian Science , Religious Science , and Moorish Science Temple of America . Sociologist William Sims Bainbridge cites Scientology's origins in
10140-413: The building had undergone two major redesigns due to its requirement to "keep pace with the quality of construction at other new facilities". In mid-February 2006, the Church hired Gensler , the world's largest architectural firm, to take over the project. The erratic progress of the project prompted criticism from local government officials and residents. In 2005, the city's code enforcement board ordered
10270-405: The building will be "spun on a gyroscope-like wheel, spend time in a sound chamber, sniff vials emitting fragrances and experience changes in gravitational pull." According to Headley, the "insanely loud" anti-gravity simulator was nicknamed the "Barfitron". At 127,000 square feet (11,800 m), the building is the largest property in Clearwater. It was originally budgeted to cost $ 24 million, but
10400-427: The center of downtown. Half the properties were bought since January 2017. ...Seventy-three percent of the property is [now] tax-exempt for religious purposes." By 2024, the count was up to 210 parcels purchased since 2017, including the office tower where city government offices were located, and leaving only seven remaining commercial property owners who are not associated with Scientology or government. Beginning in
10530-615: The church . The church's stance on same-sex sexuality has drawn criticism from gay rights activists. The church considers itself scientific, although this belief has no basis in institutional science . According to religious scholar Mikael Rothstein Scientologists believe that "all religious claims can be verified through experimentation". Scientologists believe that their religion was derived through scientific methods, that Hubbard found knowledge through studying and thinking, not through revelation . The "science" of Dianetics , however,
10660-517: The church estimated would attract approximately 10,000 Scientologists. However, a month later it emerged that the Church had canceled the ceremony and postponed the opening of the building. The building finally opened on November 17, 2013. The Church states the Super Power Building provides a dedicated center for delivering the Super Power Rundown, a high-level Scientology training course that has not yet been released. The Super Power Rundown
10790-454: The church ranks in the same manner as men. Hubbard's writing makes androcentric assumptions through its use of language. Critics of Scientology say that Hubbard was a misogynist. Hubbard's use of language was also heteronormative . He described same-sex attraction as a perversion and physical illness, rendering homosexuals "extremely dangerous to society". Various Free Zone Scientologists have alleged that they encountered homophobia within
10920-528: The city authorities. The building is valued at $ 80 million and at least $ 145 million was raised by Church fundraising towards the project. The church denies accusations that the Flag Building's completion was deliberately delayed so that it could serve as a cash cow . The Church of Scientology announced in August 2013 that the building would be opened to the public on October 6, 2013, with a dedication ceremony that
11050-504: The community's supplies, as most of the able-bodied men were away fighting for the Confederate Army . The town began developing in the late nineteenth century, prompted by Peter Demens ' completion of the first passenger railroad line into the city in 1888. Clearwater was incorporated in 1891, with James E. Crane becoming the first mayor. The area's popularity as a vacation destination grew after railroad magnate Henry B. Plant built
11180-415: The completion of renovation of the nearby Fort Harrison Hotel. Scientology officials stated that the building had cost about $ 40 million up to that point and that completing the interior was expected to increase the total cost to $ 50 million. No new completion dates were announced, but "as soon as we get the go-ahead from the city, we'll begin". In September 2009, Church spokesperson Peter Mansell estimated
11310-522: The cost has more than doubled to an estimated $ 50 million after repeated redesigns of the interior. According to the building plans, the Super Power Building will feature a grand lobby lined with sculptures depicting aspects of Scientology; theaters for training and introductory films; a museum honoring the Sea Org ; and a separate museum honoring Scientology's founder, L. Ron Hubbard . The sixth floor will house an indoor running track for Scientologists undergoing
11440-556: The dead." A Church of Scientology statement says that "Super Power is a series of spiritual counseling processes designed to give a person back his own viewpoint, increase his perception, exercise his power of choice, and greatly enhance other spiritual abilities." The St. Petersburg Times reports that Scientologist Matt Feshbach, a multimillion-dollar donor who is one of the few who has done Super Power, now feels that he "senses danger faster than most people. He appreciates beauty more deeply than he used to. He says he outperforms his peers in
11570-1020: The drilling stations of the Perceptic Rundown. And when it comes to the future, here's the likes of which has never even been conceived of on this planet." The 57 "perceptics" (senses) covered by the rundown are: Time, Sight; Taste, Color, Depth; Solidity (barriers); Relative sizes (external); Sound; Pitch; Tone; Volume; Rhythm; Smell; Touch (pressure, friction, heat or cold and oiliness); Personal emotion; Endocrine states; Awareness of awareness; Personal size; Organic sensation (including hunger); Heartbeat; Blood circulation; Cellular and bacterial position; Gravitic (self and other weights); Motion of self; Motion (exterior); Body position; Joint position; Internal temperature; External temperature; Balance; Muscular tension; Saline content of self (body); Fields/magnetic; Time track motion; Physical energy (personal weariness, etc.); Self-determinism; Moisture (self); Sound direction; Emotional state of other organs; Personal position on
11700-509: The end of 2007 but this date has slipped repeatedly. Press reports at the time indicated that the Church was aiming to complete the building by March 2008. In November 2006 the city of Clearwater served the Church with a development order to complete the exterior of the building. but by December 2006 construction had not yet resumed and Church officials indicated that "mid 2008" was now the target date. The prolonged delay has adversely impacted other proposed developments that intended to capitalize on
11830-523: The exterior, including landscaping and sidewalks, to be completed by early summer. Frank Hibbard, the Mayor of Clearwater, noted that "the building had become an eyesore, surrounded by dirt and a chain-link fence." The deadline was not met and daily fines of $ 250 — totalling over $ 40,000 by the end of 2006 — were levied against the Church. A Church spokesman announced in April 2006 that the building would be completed by
11960-581: The future. This is a parallel rundown to Power in Saint Hill which is taken by the Dn Clear. It consists of 12 separate high power rundowns which are brand new and enter realms of the tech never before approached. Power is still very much in use on the Grade Chart but is for those who didn't go Clear on Dn. Hubbard wrote that "Super Power is the answer to a sick, a dying and dead society. With it, we literally revive
12090-422: The history of the world, save the thoroughly depraved and expiring ones, has failed to affirm the existence of a Supreme Being. It is an empirical observation that men without a strong and lasting faith in a Supreme Being are less capable, less ethical and less valuable." Instead of defining God, members assert that reaching higher states of enlightenment will enable individuals to make their own conclusions about
12220-486: The land in 1991 after it had been purchased by local property developer Terence J. McCarthy, the owner of T.J.M. Holding and president of Graymoss, Inc. The architectural firm HOK was hired to deliver the project. Construction officially began by Skanska USA in November 1998 and was slated for completion by late 2003. However, work was reported to have fallen well behind schedule and stopped in 2003. The cost of construction
12350-408: The law on patent , trademarks , or trade secrets . The Church of Scientology requires that all members sign a legal waiver which covers their relationship with the Church of Scientology before engaging in Scientology services. The central practice of Scientology is an activity known as auditing , which seeks to elevate an adherent to a state of Clear , one of freedom from the influences of
12480-530: The letters ARC are used as an affectionate greeting in personal communication, for example, at the end of a letter. Social problems are ascribed to breakdowns in ARC ;– in other words, a lack of agreement on reality, a failure to communicate effectively, or a failure to develop affinity. These can take the form of overts – harmful acts against another, either intentionally or by omission – which are usually followed by withholds – efforts to conceal
12610-407: The mind and body. Some Scientologists claim that they experienced exteriorization while auditing. One of Scientology's goals is to free the thetan from the confines of the physical MEST universe , thus returning it to its original state. This idea of liberating the spiritual self from the physical universe has drawn comparisons with Buddhism . Although Hubbard's understanding of Buddhism during
12740-453: The mind. The " reactive mind " is thought to absorb all pain and emotional trauma, while the "analytical mind" is a rational mechanism which is responsible for consciousness. The reactive mind stores mental images which are not readily available to the analytical (conscious) mind; these are referred to as " engrams ". Engrams are painful and debilitating; as they accumulate, people move further away from their true identity. Avoiding this fate
12870-520: The money management industry." Feshbach says that he has become "a more competent spiritual being. I'm not dependent on my physical body to perceive things." The Church of Scientology's in-house magazine Source has promoted the program as being aimed "to shift the creation of a new civilization into overdrive". According to Source , "this is the powerful series of rundowns that will move every Scientologist, at any level of The Bridge, into an entirely new realm of ability. It's here one will progress through
13000-449: The physical universe and the Supreme Being." There have been many scholarly studies of Scientology, and the books are freely available in bookshops, churches, and most libraries. The Church of Scientology believes that "Man is basically good, that he is seeking to survive, (and) that his survival depends on himself and his attainment of brotherhood with the universe", as stated in the Creed of
13130-592: The plaintiffs." Plans for the Super Power Building project were unveiled in 1993 by the Los Angeles -based Church of Scientology Religious Trust. The site was formerly occupied by the Gray Moss Inn, a turn-of-the-century building across the street from the Scientology-owned Fort Harrison Hotel. The inn had stood empty since being damaged in a 1989 arson fire and the Church of Scientology acquired
13260-540: The pools have both a recreation summer pool league and the Clearwater Aquatics Team. These pools have participated in the World's Largest Swim Lesson. The City of Clearwater is administered by a council-manager form of government, and the city manager serves as the chief executive and administrative officer of the city. The Clearwater City Council comprises the mayor and four council members, each of whom serves
13390-402: The population. Clearwater's economy employs nearly 50,400 people. Major employers include Morton Plant Hospital , Tech Data , and Honeywell . Employment in Clearwater grew 1.84% from 2015 to 2016 with 50,345 people in the workforce. The most common job groups include Service, Sales & Office, Science, and Business. As of 2020, the median household income for Clearwater was $ 50,335, which
13520-464: The promised increased economic activity from Scientologists visiting Clearwater. Church officials have offered no public explanation of the delays other than "a recurring need to revise interior design schemes in an effort to get it just right." Work on the building was still at a standstill by March 2009; the daily fines levied by the city then totaled $ 245,000. Construction work was restarted in July 2009 after
13650-413: 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." Gender and sexuality have been controversial issues in Scientology's history. Women may become ministers and rise through
13780-419: The sense that one has actually left his physical being behind". Scientology teaches the existence of reincarnation ; Hubbard taught that each individual has experienced "past lives", although generally avoided using the term "reincarnation" itself. The movement claims that once a body dies, the thetan enters another body which is preparing to be born. It rejects the idea that the thetan will be born into
13910-405: The spirit, mind, and body. The first of these is a person's "true" inner self, a "theta being" or "thetan". While the thetan is akin to the idea of the soul or spirit found in other traditions, Hubbard avoided terms like "soul" or "spirit" because of their cultural baggage. Hubbard stated that "the thetan is the person. You are YOU in a body." According to Hubbard, the thetan uses the mind as
14040-472: The standard procedures to close out any remaining permit issues." According to city assistant planning director Gina Clayton, since 2000 the Church has paid the city, county and state $ 2.2 million in permit, plan review, impact and other fees. The Church said its redesigns needed time. "We build for eternity," former spokesman Ben Shaw told the Times . "When we do that, we want it perfect." The Church said it would host
14170-424: The technology of these sessions, in fact, is the treatment leading to processes of renunciation and eventually reformulation in the individual," which is similar to psychoanalysis. Among Scientology's basic tenets are the belief that human beings are immortal, that a person's life experience transcends a single lifetime, and that human beings possess infinite capabilities. Scientology presents two major divisions of
14300-595: The theatre with film classics and reduced prices. However, the theatre closed its doors on October 28, 1980. Royalty Theater Company signed leases with the Taylor family in February 1981, when it then became known as the Royalty Theater (Clearwater, Florida). The building was renovated with Ron Winter of Winter Associates as the contractor and Scott Musheff as the architect. During the renovations, Bill Neville's murdered body
14430-474: The theta universe, which consists of life, spirituality, and thought. Scientology teaches that the MEST universe is fabricated through the agreement of all thetans (souls or spirits) that it exists, and is therefore an illusion that is only given reality through the actions of thetans themselves. In Scientology, "exteriorization" refers to the thetan leaving the physical body, if only for a short time, during which it
14560-408: The thetans were simply energy, separate from the physical universe. Each thetan had its own "Home Universe", and it was through the collision of these that the physical MEST universe emerged. Once MEST was created, Scientology teaches, the thetans began experimenting with human form, ultimately losing knowledge of their origins and becoming trapped in physical bodies. Scientology also maintains that
14690-503: The time when it is properly applied to a person who sincerely desires to improve his life." The underlying claims are that Scientology is "exact" and "certain". Michael Shermer , writing for Scientific American in 2011, said that Scientology's methods lacked enough study to qualify as a science, but that the story of Xenu and Scientology's other creation myths were no less tenable than other religions. B. Hubbard, J. Hatfield, and J. Santucci compare Scientology's view of humanity to
14820-411: The tone scale is called uptone or high toned , and one low on the tone scale is called downtone or low toned . According to Hubbard, one's tone affects a person's attitude, their ability to relate with others, and even body odors. The higher on the scale, the more emotionally alive someone would be. Lower tones, Hubbard asserted, should be exiled from society. During the auditing process ,
14950-403: The use of their E-meters. The device measures the subject's galvanic skin response like a polygraph (lie detector), but with only one electrode per hand rather than multiple sensors. The E-meter is primarily used in auditing, which "aims to remove (engrams) to produce a state of 'clear.'" Auditors do not receive final certification until they have completed an internship, and have demonstrated
15080-412: The weather is sunny, dry, and there is little change in daily weather. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 117,292 people, 48,211 households, and 27,233 families residing in the city. In 2019, the city's population was spread out, with 18.7% under the age of 18, 59.4% between the age of 18 and 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. Between 2014 and 2018, the median income for
15210-461: The world in such a state of degradation and dismay, the only hope to reverse the dwindling spiral on Earth is to speed the release of Super Power. As you know, the 12 Rundowns of Super Power were designed to handle the barriers to this planet's Clearing. By releasing this technology, we will unleash the Super Power of every being who completes these rundowns and they will built [ sic ]
15340-620: The wrongdoing, which further increase the level of tension in the relationship. Scientology teaches that progress on The Bridge to Total Freedom requires and enables attaining high moral and ethical standards. According to Hubbard, the goal of ethics is to remove impediments to survival, and ethics is essentially a tool to "get technology in", meaning Scientology's use of the term technology. Stephen A. Kent describes Scientology ethics as "a peculiar brand of morality that uniquely benefitted [the Church of Scientology] [...] In plain English,
15470-619: Was never accepted by the scientific community . Rothstein also writes that there is a possibility that Scientology partly owes its existence to the conflict with the conventional scientific community, which hindered Hubbard's original intention. Religious scholar Dorthe Refslund Christensen notes that Scientology differs from the scientific method in that Scientology has become increasingly self-referential , while true science normally compares competing theories and observed facts . Hubbard initially claimed and insisted that Dianetics
15600-482: Was based on the scientific method. He taught that "the scientific sensibilities [carry] over into the spiritual realities one encounters via auditing on the e-meter ." Scientologists commonly prefer to describe Hubbard's teachings with words such as knowledge, technology, and workability rather than belief or faith. Hubbard described Dianetics and Scientology as "technologies" based on his claim of their "scientific precision and workability." Hubbard attempted to "break down
15730-783: Was built by Senator-elect John Stansel Taylor . The theater's architect was Lester Avery and the contractor was John D. Phillipoff. Avery is known for his architecture in Miami . Philipoff also built the Coachman Building (1916), the Donald Roebling Estate in Belleair (added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979), the old Pinellas County Courthouse (added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992), other historical homes which have been saved, and did work at
15860-405: Was described by Scientology's founder, L. Ron Hubbard , as A super fantastic, but confidential series of rundowns that can be done on anybody whether Dn [Dianetics] Clear or not that puts the person into fantastic shape unleashing Super Power of a thetan . This means that puts Scientologists into a new realm of ability enabling them to create a new world. It puts world Clearing within reach of
15990-491: Was found in the balcony. The theatre remained in the Taylor family estate until it was sold in 1996. In July 2008, the building went into foreclosure. In January 2009, the City of Clearwater and Ruth Eckerd Hall joined forces to purchase the theatre (renamed Capitol Theatre) as well as the neighboring Pat Lokey building as part of a renovation and revitalization of the historic Capitol Theater . Fowler Associates Architects, Inc.
16120-572: Was made possible by the Greater Clearwater Public Library Foundation, Inc. which formed in 1984. As a part of the library's Centennial Celebration, a project is commencing to add makerspaces to the libraries. The Main library's makerspace is the "Studios at Main" and targets creative arts making. The Clearwater Public Library System is a contributor to the Pinellas Memory Project. This system of libraries
16250-532: Was managed by various movie companies (EJ Sparks, Paramount, ABC-Southeastern Theatres, and Plitt Southern) and played the most recent movies of the day. The theatre also offered vaudeville on Friday nights in the 1930s. Headliners included Sally Rand , Fred Stone and his daughter, and Lum and Abner (of radio). The theatre was renovated in 1962. The Morton theatre organ was most likely removed during this renovation. When Plitt Southern did not renew their contract in 1979, Bill Neville and Jerry Strain tried to save
16380-653: Was renovated in 1984. The new Main library was rebuilt beginning in 2000. It opened in May 2004. As the population continued to increase throughout the late twentieth century, the library system continued to grow. The Clearwater Public Library System now includes five libraries: Clearwater Main, Countryside, North Greenwood, Beach, and East. In recent years, the Clearwater Public Library System has become increasingly digital, providing patrons with access to computers, online databases, and an online library catalog. This
16510-404: Was reported to have more than doubled due to rises in the price of steel and labor, with the Church repeatedly issuing fundraising requests to its members. The revised cost was not disclosed but in 2000 it was reported that the cost had risen from the initial estimate of $ 24 million to $ 45 million, and a doubling of this figure would put the total cost at over $ 90 million. The Church also stated that
16640-526: Was selected for the renovation of the Capitol Theatre. The $ 10 million renovation and expansion began in 2012 and was completed in 2013. In 2019, a $ 2.5 million donation renamed the building the Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre. In 1911, the city of Clearwater witnessed a vast population increase as well as acquiring telephones, electricity, paved streets and an ice factory. It is during this time that
16770-426: Was set at $ 413,500, allowing for a reduction to account for months when the Church's plans were paused by city review. Over 14 years after construction began and nearly a decade after it had been supposed to open, the Super Power Building had still not been opened. It has been valued at $ 80 million by county assessors. In August 2013 the Church disclosed that it was planning to open the building on October 6, 2013, with
16900-513: Was used as a target by U.S. Army Air Corps fighter-bombers for strafing and bombing practice. The approximate coordinate for the City of Clearwater is located at 27°58′25″N 82°45′51″W / 27.973644°N 82.764271°W / 27.973644; -82.764271 . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 39.2 square miles (101.6 km ), of which 25.6 square miles (66.2 km )
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