Scientology: Rise of a Distinctive Religion: Birth of the Dianetic Movement

Production Team Statement and Introduction

It is almost impossible to find someone in the United States who has not heard about the Church of Scientology. Whether good or bad press, the church is constantly a topic of interest throughout the various media outlets at our fingertips today. Why is the church so captivating and interesting today? Well, the Church of Scientology claims to have nearly 8 million followers worldwide, and also claims to have been the only new major religion started in the 20th century. If these figures are correct, than Scientology is one of the fastest growing religions in the world today! Furthermore, Scientology has captured the hearts and minds of a plethora of celebrities of various backgrounds, including actors Tom Cruise, John Travolta, and popular singer/recording artist Beck.

Scientology is constantly under a microscope of scrutiny, and often straddles the line between religion and cult. While Scientology has a definite set of religious beliefs, practices, churches, and non-profit organizations, the church is often criticized for supposedly “brain washing” its followers, as well as extorting ridiculous sums of money as donations to the church. Many church officials themselves have been accused of stealing millions of dollars from the church for personal gain. Nevertheless, the church continues to push forward and expand across the globe, spreading its message of pursuing higher knowledge and attaining spiritual freedom.

Within this website you will find an abundance of information about the Church of Scientology. Available through the various links on this page, you will be able to learn about:

The various important directors and founder of the church
Recommended book resources concerning Scientology
An assortment of images representing the church
A virtual tour of a local Scientology church
Research articles from credited scholarly journals
Expert interviews and testimonials concerning the church
Resources for further learning and research

Hopefully after exploring this comprehensive website, you the viewer will be able to make your own educated decision about the Church of Scientology. We strive to bring you credible information and resources in an unbiased manner. Our analysis of this faith tradition remains strictly educational, and in no way intends to be promotional or derogatory. We hope you find our website interesting and informative, thank you for visiting!

March 16, 2010

Birth of the Dianetic Movement

During the late 1940s, Hubbard began to synthesize concepts from Eastern religions and modern psychology into a new system for mental health.

Called Dianetics, after the Greek word for thought, this system promised to cure all mental disorders and psycho-somatic physical ailments.

Dianetics sees the human mind as "blocked" by traumatic emotional memories called engrams.

By talking over these emotional memories in a process similar to conventional psychoanalysis, a patient can remove the engrams and "clear" his or her mind.

This Dianetics process of removing engrams is called “auditing”

Auditing is a process whereby a series of questions are asked by the Scientology auditor, in an attempt to rid the auditee of the painful experiences of the past which scientologists believe to be the cause of the "reactive mind.”

Hubbard claimed that Dianetics can increase intelligence, eliminate unwanted emotions and alleviate a wide range of illnesses he believed to be psychosomatic. Among the conditions reportedly treated against are arthritis, allergies, asthma, some coronary difficulties, eye trouble, ulcers, migraine headaches, and sex deviations.