Scientology’s allurement is its complex beliefs and narratives which have caused many debates on what is true and what is just speculation about the religion. Founded in 1950 by L. Ron Hubbard when serving in World War II, Hubbard published a book called Dianetics in which he describes a novel approach to mental health. It aims to relieve disorders by cleansing the mind of harmful images with the ability to increase intelligence, eliminate unwanted emotions, and alleviate a wide range of illnesses believed to be psychosomatic. Hubbard’s central thesis is that the basic principle of human existence is survival. 

Scientology, seen as a cult or a business, is a belief system that has many aspects and can be interrupted in different ways. It is based on the idea that each human has a reactive mind that responds to life’s traumas, clouding the analytic mind and keeping us from experiencing reality. One of the crucial parts of being involved in this community is submitting yourself to be audited in order to identify the source of a member’s trauma. The process uses a device called an E-meter, which supposedly measures the body’s electric flow as a member is asked a series of questions. The point of auditing is to r​elive those experiences in an attempt to neutralize them and to work toward a spiritual state called “clear.” Scientologists believe each person is an immortal being, a force that believers call a thetan. Scholars believe that the church promotes the idea of an ancient intergalactic civilization where millions of beings were destroyed and became what are known as “body thetans,” which continue to latch onto humans and cause more trauma. According to the Church of Scientology, only advanced scientologists can confront body thetans through auditing and know about this history. 

 Since the Church of Scientology was founded, higher status individuals have joined, helping fulfill their goal of recruiting  high-ranking celebrities. This new engagement brought attention to the church, which in turn caused many controversies and suspicions to arise around the religion’s legitimacy. One in particular is Tom Cruise, a prominent American actor whose involvement and commandment of Scientology had almost destroyed his career as he publicly spiraled more into the church’s beliefs. 

Leah Remini is an American actress known for leaving the church due to the abuse and corruption she witnessed. After her departure, she released a docu-series  exposing Scientology and its exploitation of people. According to Remini, the church created a detention center known as “the hole” where high-ranking members are sent when they displease their leader. It was described as a horrible environment where members are beaten until they confess to their alleged wrongdoings. Members are also banned from seeking legal justice against other members even if it involves abuse. All cases would be ‘solved’ within the church because they don’t believe in any other judicial process that is outside the church.  Remini also revealed that they deny the existence of mental illness saying , “ The church doctrine thinks that fields of psychology and psychiatry are a sham” and that all members are “responsible for what they feel.” 

Since the death of Hubbard in 1986, David Miscavige has been the leader of the church. There are many disturbing allegations surrounding Miscavige, such as the alleged suicide of his mother-in-law, which many believe was not a suicide at all due to the fact that she ‘shot herself’ three times. Her daughter and Miscavige’s wife, Shelly, has been rumored to be a victim of domestic violence, and she has not been seen in public since 2007. This had worried Remini to the point where she filed a missing persons report with the LAPD in 2013, which the police categorized as “unfounded.” There have also been multiple former members who have come out and stated that Miscavige  physically attacked them. One person describes, “If you said something that didn’t please him, he would go off on you. If you were a man, he would likely hit you, punch you, knock you down, and choke you.”  

Recently, Danny Masterson, a star on That ‘70s Show, was accused of rape by three women. The women and Masterson were members of the church during the years of assault. Prosecutors accused the church of encouraging the victims to not report Masterson to the police. Masterson has now been found guilty and is sentenced to 30 years in prison. This created an uproar around Scientology and the allegations surrounding it. The complex and controversial nature that surrounds the Church of Scientology continues to haunt former members and victims of the Church.