Scientology: Its goal is to help practitioners achieve spiritual freedom

ditor’s note: This is the first installment in a series.
Scientology is prominent in today’s media, but its history and beliefs are rarely discussed. Since its beginnings in the 1950s, Scientology has been labeled a religion, a self-help philosophy, and a dangerous cult. The following article is the first installment in a three-part series that describes Scientology’s beliefs, its history in the United States, and its presence in the world.

Before writing this piece, I interviewed Jarrett Pulis, a spokesperson for Scientology. Pulis is an instructor at the Dallas chapter of Scientology, which is currently located in East Dallas, though it will be moving into a new location in downtown Las Colinas. He has been a member of Scientology for more than a decade and explained the finer points of Scientology.

The creator of Scientology was a pulp fiction writer named L. Ron Hubbard. The religion of Scientology began as the science of Dianetics. Hubbard created Dianetics by applying the scientific method to the humanities. In the 1950 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, Hubbard introduced his book version of Dianetics, which was proclaimed by the magazine’s editor as “a milestone for Man comparable to his discovery of fire and superior to his invention of the wheel.” The science of Dianetics soon morphed into the religion of Scientology. For the next three decades, Hubbard took a break from writing science fiction and concentrated on organizing and fine-tuning the religion.

According to Pulis, The Church of Scientology believes that the universe was originally populated by a race of aliens called Thetans. They created the physical universe for their own uses but were eventually overcome with amnesia and forgot their past exploits. Scientology teaches that humans are reincarnated throughout the millennia because they possess Thetans.

Pulis said that Scientology teaches that the modern world is full of toxins poisonous to Thetans. These contaminants hinder one’s physical, mental, and emotional health. In order to begin the trek of a Scientologist, one much first undergo a form of detox called “The Purification Program,” he said. The pre-clear undergoes what some call a grueling program of exercise, saunas and megavitamins designed to purify the body. Some experts denounce the reigme as quackery and potentially harmful. After cleansing their systems, Scientologists avoid all forms of toxins – cleaning solutions, prescription medicines and artificial foods. It is ironic that the break room for the auditors is stocked with pallets of soft drinks and other snacks.

The goal of Scientology is to help its practitioners achieve total spiritual freedom. Unsure of what “total spiritual freedom” meant, I consulted Professor Kelly Carter, a world religions professor at North Lake. Carter said that he, too, was “not sure. This vague, ambiguous language doesn’t allow one to pin down what this is,” he said. “It is one of those catchy phrases that sounds attractive, but I am not sure it holds much content. In the late 60s, total spiritual freedom may have been what people strived to reach by doing LSD or by being sexually uninhibited. These both move a long ways in the direction away from traditional religion.”

To achieve spiritual freedom, a practitioner follows a 20-step process. These steps are guaranteed with absolute certainty to bring about spiritual freedom. The first five levels are called pre-OT (pre-operating Thetan) levels and are designed to erase any engrams the individual might have. Pulis described engrams as moments of pain and unconsciousness in an individual’s mind. An engram can occur during a severe injury or an emotional loss. To erase an engram, one undergoes a process called auditing. Auditing is a one-on-one session with a Scientology-trained mentor, like Pulis. A device called an e-meter, which is a simplified lie detector, detects increases in the body’s electrical current called galvanized skin responses, which represent engrams. After erasing all engrams, the individual is called clear and can proceed with the rest of the 15 steps of the OT levels.

According to Pulis, the two things needed to succeed as a Scientologist are “time and money.” Members are expected to pay a certain amount of “donations” for their auditing sessions. The highest current OT level attained is Level VIII, but the materials for the remaining eight levels are locked away in a filing cabinet in Scientology’s Los Angeles-based headquarters.

— The next installment of this series will further address Scientology’s presence in the United States. The article will further elaborate on:

• Scientology’s founder L. Ron Hubbard and his wife.

• Physical presence in the United States – churches and worshippers.

• Lawsuits filed by Scientology against the United States government

• Scientology’s diversification into financial consulting, health care and drug rehabilitation.