Scientology - "The Study of Truth"

Scientology - "The Study of Truth"

Religion is a pervasive influence that suffuses all levels of society. Its many sects and diversions resonate throughout our history and shape decisions for the future. The sense of purpose religious beliefs bestow upon the individual are thus considered sacred; and even those with alternate beliefs respect an ability for faith despite conflicting ideals. That was, of course, until the introduction of "the study of truth", commonly known as Scientology. This pseudo-religious organization is a destructive presence in our society. It was unveiled in 1953 to an apathetic world by its founder, science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, and appeared as an extension to his self-help system of Dianetics. However, the darker machinations of the world of Scientology have been revealed over time. It is a world of misplaced blame, mistrust, and sardonic appeals to the innate ego. It is also a world of hypocrisy, where circumstances progress in a way that is new to religion; in which the faithful are betrayed and humiliated.

Scientology is centered on a bizarre account of historic events. L. Ron Hubbard based all of his "religions" ideals and beliefs on a self-spun tale that involves an oppressive alien ruler named Xenu, and is set seventy-five million years ago. It tells of a time when all of Xenu's seventy six planets were perilously over-populated. The ruler required a solution, and in short, lured billions of people into his clutches where he planned to systematically murder them. These people were paralyzed by injections administered by psychiatrists, and transported to Teegeack, known now as Earth. The paralyzed were stacked around volcanoes, and Hydrogen bombs were put inside the volcanoes and detonated at exactly the same time. The souls of this misshapen race were then collected as they escaped their mortal bodies, and told of many false phenomenons. After their release the spirits clustered into groups and possessed those who were left on Earth, and still reside in humans today. These spirits are known to Scientologists as Body Thetans and are a primary focus for Scientollogical exercises.

This tale woven by Hubbard gives birth to all beliefs that encompass his religion. The intense irony that ingrains this cannot be ignored. Upon admission to the Church of Scientology, followers are unaware of the above tale. It is only after several years of devotion and faith, and thousands of dollars for practicing costs, that the true story of Scientology is revealed. Thus, potential devotees are attracted to a socially prominent religion that boasts knowledge of the deeper devices of man. Yet when one progresses behind the veil of ambiguity a rude shock is awaiting, that all of their time, effort and capital have been funneled to endorse a tale about poor aliens and their death at the hands of Hydrogen bombs. The followers have been betrayed and inwardly humiliated when such revelations are revealed. However, to gain a true scope on the hypocrisy that envelopes Scientology as a whole, the practices and principles of this religion must first be examined.

The basic principle of Scientology is that man comprises of three parts; the mind, the body, and the Thetan. The most important of these is the Thetan. The mind and the body are possessed by the Thetan, which manipulates them so that it has a vessel to exchange ideas and interact with others. It is an eternal spirit which inhabits ones body until its cells die, in which case it will move on to possess another. Although these revelations appear almost rational and emulate many pre-existing beliefs, the deeper implications of the basic principle are cruelly detrimental. It is said that the Thetan has been tainted by the putrescence that envelopes its demise at the hands of Xenu. It is also corrupted by ethical transgressions and abhorred decisions during other past lifetimes. This is said to inhibit the individual's ability to function; that because of the tainted spirit they have had a limited capability to achieve their potential. This belief is highly injurious. It promotes misplaced blame for our own innate inadequacies; that one is not responsible for the flaws that cause their lives to be challenging and that they have no responsibility for their mistakes. They believe the Thetan has caused them to diverge from the straight path; that it has limited them in life thus far. This notion would be highly appealing because it justifies for many the reasons behind the futility or notoriety of their existence. Not only does this view delude ones perception of reality, it also essentially blocks the path for atonement, as we can only progress when we recognize our mistakes. Thus the followers of this religion can be likened to drug addicts that are blocked by all means to centers for rehabilitation. However, such a projection of romantic self perception recurs throughout Scientollogical ideals. The crux of Scientology is aimed to appeal to ones innate ego to veil the true purposes of the corporation that is their church.

Scientology promotes selfish attitude and appeals heavily to the innate ego. As human beings we are naturally self absorbed and our basic instincts are centralized around survival. The Church of Scientology takes advantage of this ancient characteristic to lure potential followers. The official website of Scientology portrays a heightened image of man; that "his capabilities are unlimited and those capabilities can be realized." This is a deliberate device to convince people that they are somehow destined for a higher plain of enlightenment, and that this religion is their ultimate path. The website proceeds to boast an extensive knowledge of our "unlimited" capabilities, as not only is one "able to solve his own problems, accomplish his goals and gain lasting happiness," but we can "achieve new, higher states of awareness and ability." Scientologists seek power over their "capabilities" so that they can gain control over matter, energy, space, time, thoughts, form, and life. This extensive list of incentives is merely jargon that creates a heightened sense of oneself. It conveys the view that Scientologists are in contact with untapped powers only available because of their faith; that they posses new ethereal abilities exclusive to their religion. Thus, it is no wonder that high profile celebrities are drawn inexorably toward this church, and it is cruelly fitting that Tom Cruise has been labeled as the "messiah" of Scientology. Although the terrible irony of their attraction is that it causes them to endorse individual gain by directly suppressing the value of things that benefit human beings as a whole.

The Church of Scientology undermines aspects of society which could compromise their pursuit of enlightenment. Scientologists are paranoid that our ever-developing practices, such as psychiatry, will inhibit their ability to connect with masqueraded potential. This religion states that psychology and psychiatry are pointless and abusive exercises. It opposes the use of psychiatric drugs in particular, which is evoked by the mortal fear for the accomplices of Xenu in the terrible historic tale mentioned above. However this is intensely hypocritical, as L. Ron Hubbard was using the psychiatric drug Vistaril at the time of his death. The malevolent attitude towards pharmaceutical drugs is also ispired by the fact that such medications leave chemical residues in our bodily tissues. It is alleged that these remnants of a chemical presence are a barrier to spiritual enlightenment; that they are a negative energy like the Thetan's past aberrations. However, this ideal is clearly unrealistic. In March of 2003, a paranoid schizophrenic was left untreated due to Scientollogical beliefs. His mother followed religious doctrines to counter her son's fatal mental illness, with the futile administration vitamin tablets. Jeremy Perkins subsequently murdered his mother by stabbing her seventy seven times, and the court found that he had no control over his actions, albeit his mother instigated her own demise by such blatant ignorance. Scientology's disdain for psychology is also greatly unjustified. The chief Scientollogical process is an exercise known as auditing. It involves a follower being asked a series of questions by an auditor, who is a fellow Scientologist. The questions are designed to elucidate the individual's troubles and give a profile of their characteristics. This process appears to mirror psychological counseling, yet their church openly opposes psychology. The surreal nature of this religion seems to posses only an ambivalent connection with reality. Although when the true aims and purposes of the corporation that is Scientology are considered, an astute understanding of society is exposed.

Scientology is an organization with the pervasive purpose to proliferate capital and avenues for its hastened acquisition. This is implicated by various well obtained feats. The single greatest achievement for the Church of Scientology was the acquisition of tax exempt status in 1993. After a strenuous legal battle, in which all energy was funneled towards wealth rather than Scientollogical wisdom, the "church" emerged as victors. All funds are exclusively their own and can thus proliferate neglect of unwanted influences. This is a trait of many well established religions; however others do not arouse such suspicion simply because they prospered before tax exempt status was implicated, whereas Scientology only came to concrete fruition once its financial bases were covered. The profile for the Church of Scientology can thus be attributed to being more like an opportunistic enterprise rather than a guild for self enlightenment.

The perfection of this corporation is its ability to veil its true purposes. The invention of a pseudo-religious group provides the perfect guise for the proliferation of funds and simultaneously contributes to the cause directly. This is hidden securely by the development of Scientology the religion. The ingrained appeals to our ego that are interwoven into essential ideals, remove the focus from the implications of their actions. The official website of the Church of Scientology states that, "other efforts of man have been surpassed', that the "combined truths of fifty thousand years of thinking men...have made for this success." This statement is a device to contextualize the significance of Scientology and thus amplify its importance to the individual. The site also portrays "The Aims of Scientology" from Hubbard himself. It states that Scientologists desire, "a civilization...where man is free to reach greater heights," and to "seek evolution to higher states of being for the individual and for society." This is a terrible irony, as they pretend to encourage a connection with surreal phenomenon, such as eternal spirits, and yet they secretly seek gain in the most material way available to man.

Scientology is a pseudo-religious organization that has an astute understanding of the flaws and futilities of human nature. Its principles are masterfully woven to entrap the individual's innate emotions and desires, such as a justification for their inadequacies or a reason for their inability to reach the ever-elusive full potential. Its ideals are sewn with the seed of irony, and the bizarre revelations that envelop its historic truths mock the trust followers express. Its hypocrisy and nature of moral degradation also diminish social perception of all religions, especially those that are innocent of repugnant motives. Thus it is a maligned presence in our society; the rotting fruit at the core of our collective desire for progression. Scientology should not be accepted, nor tolerated, if we wish to pursue positive development.