![]() Thetans must be confronted through auditing, the doctrine holds. ![]() These spirits, “thetans” in Scientology-speak, inhabited human bodies and continue to traumatize their human hosts today. Are you an alien ‘theta’ inhabiting your own body?įor example, dogma includes the idea that Earth was populated in ancient times by the spirits of intergalactic aliens whose bodies were previously destroyed. Scientology also claims its most advanced believers can acquire supernatural powers, like mind reading and mind control of others-and the deeper one dives into the faith, the more utterly bizarre it gets.īut, unsurprisingly, even the most advanced members say they remain completely non-supernatural even when they complete the organization’s massive array of practiced study and requirements. These required, hugely expensive, and punishing sessions over many years ostensibly counter unhappiness, personal problems, and stress but actually lay personal privacy and the subconscious bare and make those audited extremely vulnerable to mind control, according to former members. Scientology uses intensive, Freud-inspired confessional sessions called “auditing,” employing an “e-meter” device. It’s all razzle-dazzle and bait-and-switch.īut the core activities are brutally unglamorous. Like mega movie star and well-known Scientologist Tom Cruise. Those who eventually leave find a catch-22 in policy that blocks their ability to have unused fees refunded (celebrity members often pay millions and have outsized influence in the Scientology community). Remini’s series reveals that rank-and-file members routinely spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on in-house pseudo-psychoanalysis as well as on Scientology literature, donations, and programs, and are often coerced into maxing-out credit cards, taking out second mortgages on theirt homes, and making other detrimental financial sacrifices to pay for it. Reading Time: 7 minutesĪfter I recently finished watching the Emmy-winning 2016-2019 A&E docuseries, “Leah Remini: Scientology and The Aftermath,” I was further convinced of how supremely dangerous the concept of “religious freedom” can be as practiced in America, as I stressed in my 2018 book, Holy Smoke: How Christianity Smothered the True American Dream. Scientology’s attempts to undermine its critics, however, run into a public-relations buzz saw in Remini – who was brought into the church by her mother as a teenager – and those she has assembled, who deliver pretty credible-sounding testimony.'Scientology, The Aftermath' makes it very clear that the concept of religious freedom can actually be dangerous as practiced in the US. “The Church disputes many of the statements made by those appearing in this program,” reads the disclaimer that repeatedly appears on the screen, directing viewers to a website to see its full rebuttals after trying to quash the show entirely. That includes Scobee’s tale about being a victim of statutory rape as a teenager – while church officials looked the other way – and allegations of physical abuse against members by Scientology’s leader, David Miscavige. They also detail how the church has consciously leveraged celebrities – most prominent among them Tom Cruise, but also John Travolta and others – to “sell” its product, in the same way corporations use high-profile endorsements as a marketing tool.įor those who have studied Scientology, very little discussed here will come as a shock. In the premiere, Remini and her fellow producers feature strong indictments from other past Scientologists, Mike Rinder and Amy Scobee. ![]() ![]() Since then, she has expressed regret and a commitment to discredit, as she puts it, “A church that I promoted, defended and believed in most of my life.” Nevertheless, Remini comes to this process with a good deal of standing, having been an outspoken proponent of Scientology (there’s video in the show of her singing its praises) before a public falling out in 2013. That includes Alex Gibney’s 2015 documentary “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief,” which, like most criticisms of the church, yielded fierce and orchestrated blowback. Ron Hubbard, and populated by several Hollywood luminaries – have been well documented. Through the years, the bizarre excesses of Scientology – the sort-of religion, kind-of cult created by author L. That explains the disclaimer that runs during each act break of this A&E series, in which the former “King of Queens” star details abusive practices with help from other former church members. Beyond the usual producers and editors, it clearly required a legion of lawyers to get “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath” on the air.
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