Presented By: Alex Haro, Yvette Becerra, Brandon Cook, Jose
Mendoza, and Armando Martinez
Defined as. . .
Scientology is a religious system based on the seeking of
self knowledge and spiritual fulfillment through graded
courses of study and training.
❏ Scientology is also considered an “applied religious
philosophy”
❏ According to the founder of scientology, it is possible to
be a scientologist as well as part of another religion
Background History
❏
Created by L. Ron Hubbard
❏
The Modern Science of Mental Health
❏
Appeared in New York Times bestseller list for 26
consecutive weeks
❏
Interest in Hubbard’s teachings
❏
Los Angeles base of scientology
Demographics
❏ Estimate of 10 million scientologists worldwide
❏ US most accurate estimate
❏ 8,000 churches
❏ over 20,000 staff
❏ 159 countries
Where are they located?
Who are they?
Six Steps
❏ Go online/yellow pages
❏ Make appointment or walk in
❏ Orientation
❏ Buy a book (find some books)
❏ Ask about Dianetics
❏ “Clear”
Ontological Beliefs
Categories of Reality:
-Physical World
-Spirituality
-reincarnation
-A divine entity:
INFINITY
Religious or Spiritual Beliefs
Belief in reincarnation
-Counseling auditing: helps eliminate pain from within
their mind from past lives or current life.
CLEAR
-Clear the mind in order to receive enlightenment called CLEAR where harmful thoughts have been
wiped out and dealt with
-One can reach infinity only after enlightenment/CLEAR has been received.
Fun Fact
-Members of the church have confessed to have signed One million year contracts with the church,
this shows how devoted to the idea of reincarnation the affiliates are.
Ethical Teachings
❏ “Ethics are the reason and the contemplation for optimal survival.”
❏ Ethics may be further defined as “the actions an individual takes on himself to
ensure his continued survival across the dynamics”
❏ Change The World
❏ Remain True to Yourself
❏ Use auditing to cleanse the mind
“No man who is not himself honest can be free—he is his own trap. When his own deeds
cannot be disclosed then he is a prisoner; he must withhold himself from his fellows and
is a slave to his own conscience.”
-L. Ron Hubbard
http://www.scientology.org/
Epistemological Beliefs
-All their beliefs and practices
are based on rigorous
research.
-Doctrine is in accordance
with scientific law.
-Empirical Evidence
The secrets of scientology BBC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwPMHM3qC9w
Core Values
Scientologists believe that every individual action is driven
by our urge to survive.
The 8 Dynamics of Survival: one can only reach the next
level in a satisfactory way if the previous level is taken
care of.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Self
Creativity: the family unit, reproduction
Group: survival as part of a group
Species: survival as a species
Life Forms: the urge to survive with the help of all life forms
Matter Energy Space:
Spiritual: urge to survive as spiritual beings
Infinity: The allness of all, The creator
8 Dynamics Video
Social Beliefs
Freeing society of today’s worst problems
❏ War
❏ Drug abuse
❏ Illiteracy
❏ Materialistic philosophy
❏ Immorality
❏ Crime
Scientology and the World
❏ Excluded from the world and very private(secretive)
❏ They feel like they are responsible for helping out society
❏ Very anti-media and very secretive when it comes to the information that is being
taught to its members
Sacred Texts
❏ No sacred texts
❏ Follow teachings of L Ron
Hubbard
Dianetics: The Modern Science of
Mental Health
Cultural Practices
•
•
•
•
Scientology some members work for the
church and live in compounds
If you leave the group/religion you are
completely cut off from the group
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4PDZt74
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Religious Artifacts
Electropsychometer
→ "religious artifact" the e-meter can measure
person's mental state.
→ historically it was believed to knock out the
engrams, cure blindness and even improve a
person's intelligence and appearance.
→ Auditing: it is used to “clear” the individual
of negativity
→ In order to clear the persons negative
conscious
Average Education Range
Range of the average member:
→ Higher education: bachelors, masters postdoctoral and
beyond
→ Scientology is a literate faith that requires the reading of
numerous texts
→ It is common for members to pursue scientology studies
with in the church at levels that are compared to a
postdoctoral degrees
Educational Programs
❏ Ron Hubbard’s Study Technology is now available to educators
and students through over 1,000 Applied Scholastics groups, in
72 nations
Peace and Stability
❏ Ultimate goal is to reach absolute freedom and
happiness.
→ accomplished through coursework, activities,
and auditing
❏ Their vision is to have a world free from war, crime,
drug abuse, illiteracy, and the materialism, which is
typically the norm in western cultures.
Minority and Majority
Status
❏ Attempt to reach out to all
individuals regardless of race or
gender
❏ Their hope is to become a
dominant world view
Forms of Oppression
Case Studies:
❏ New York: Noah Lottick
jumped off a hotel the 10th
floor of a hotel and died
❏ Spend thousands of dollars
on counseling, and
“donations”
❏ His family believes his
affiliation to the church drove
him to his death
Integration with Society
The scientology community is welcoming of all interested individuals
Issues
❏ L Ron Hubbard &
❏ “Rip off”
❏ “Fair Game”
❏ Secretivity
Current Issues
❏ Human Trafficking
❏ Sea Organization- religious order
❏ Members are leaving
❏ unhappy bloggers
❏ “Independent Scientology”
❏ tired of David Miscavige’s leadership
❏ “Guaranteeing Scientology as a Force For Good”
Works Cited
"FBI's Scientology Investigation: Balancing the First Amendment with Charges of Abuse and Forced Labor."
N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
"Library." Gender and Sexuality. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
"Millions of Members?" Scientology. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
"Top 10 Problems With Scientology - Listverse." Listverse. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
<http://listverse.com/2007/08/17/top-10-problems-with-scientology/>.
"Welcome to the IScientology Blog (click the Ticket)." Independent Scientology Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr.
2014.
"WHAT IS SCIENTOLOGY?" Scientology, Demographic and Statistical Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.