Scientology An Overview by Scott Shiffer1

Founder: L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986)

Began: 1950

Writings: Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, The Fundamentals of Thought, Scientology 8-80, Scientology 8-8008, The Creation of the Human Ability, Scientology: A New Slant On Life, Science and Survival, Advanced Procedures and Axioms, Dianetics '55

Beliefs and Practice:

  1. Man is a soul (thetan).
  2. Man has two parts
    1. Analytical mind - senses, remembers, reasons, recalls
    2. Reactive mind - unconscious mind, stores troubling and painful events from past lives, both physical and psychological
  3. Engrams - what these troubled painful events are recorded on in the mind, they develop into psychic scars, their accumulation hinders human potential
  4. Once engrams are cleared the person becomes an Operating Thetan (someone who receives freedom from the cycle of birth and death)
  5. Eight Dynamics (urges, drives, impulses) that someone must traverse through in order to become clear (free of engrams)
    1. Survive as Self
    2. Survive as Creativity (through family and sex)
    3. Survive as Group (company/friends)
    4. Survive as Species (mankind)
    5. Survive as Life Forms (animal)
    6. Survive as Physical Universe
    7. Survive as Spiritual Dynamic
    8. Survive as Infinity, or God
  6. An Auditor is someone who counsels one on one with a Preclear (someone who needs to be freed from the engrams).  The Auditor serves as a minister and uses an E-meter which measures the mental state and its change of the Preclear while he or she is recalling engrams.  When the process is complete (usually after several sessions), the person becomes Clear.

Worldview: Humans are basically good.  Their problem comes from the accumulation of engrams in past lives.  These engrams keep people from reaching their full potential as individuals.  The solution is to remove the ingrams.  If everyone becomes clear it will solve the problems of the world.  (Basically, Scientologists deny that humans live in a fallen state.  They look inside themselves for salvation instead of to God.)

1Based on notes from World Religions by Dr. Joseph Matos