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scientology
---
title: "Scientology"
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology
retrieved: 2026-06-28
---
Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices created by the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard initially presented his ideas in 1950 as a form of talk therapy called Dianetics. He later expanded and reframed those ideas as a religion, which he named Scientology. In 1953, he founded the Church of Scientology, which, by one 2014 estimate, had around 30,000 members.
A core Scientology belief is that traumatic events cause subconscious command-like recordings in the mind, which may have occurred in past lives, and which can only be relieved through an activity called "auditing". Auditing and training to audit are the two primary activities in a Scientology organization and are outlined in a structured progression chart called The Bridge to Total Freedom, with the two main achievement levels being the status of "Clear" (the goal of the original Dianetics) and "Operating Thetan" (Scientology's version of spiritual freedom). Fees are charged for auditing and training.
The upper‑level teachings of the Operating Thetan levels are considered confidential and are only revealed to Scientologists when they reach each level. The texts, which involve a past life cosmology narrative, have been leaked and publicized, despite the Church of Scientology litigating to keep them confidential.
The Church has been involved in numerous controversies, legal disputes, and even criminal convictions. It has been variously described as a religion, a cult, a business, and a scam. Scientology is classified differently around the world, with some countries granting it religious status, while others treat it as a non-religious belief system, a commercial enterprise, or a suspicious activity subject to government monitoring. Its practices and leadership have been the subject of sustained investigative reporting, academic study, government inquiries, and popular media portrayals.
== History ==
Scientology emerged in the early 1950s from L. Ron Hubbard's earlier system of Dianetics, which he promoted as a form of mental therapy. After the initial Dianetics organizations collapsed, Hubbard reframed his ideas as a religion and began establishing Scientology organizations in the United States and abroad. By the late 1950s and early 1960s, Scientology had developed its own doctrines, practices, and organizational structure, with Hubbard directing the movement from Saint Hill Manor in England.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Scientology expanded internationally but also faced increasing scrutiny from governments and regulatory agencies. In response, the organization created the Guardian's Office, an internal unit devoted to managing criticism and legal challenges, leading to several high-profile confrontations with authorities. These events shaped Scientology's reputation and contributed to its complex legal and social status in different countries.
In 1967, Hubbard established the Sea Organization (Sea Org), an elite management group that became central to Scientology's administration. After Hubbard's death in 1986, leadership passed to David Miscavige, who consolidated control over the Church of Scientology and oversaw its continued pursuit of legal recognition and institutional expansion.
== Church of Scientology ==
The Church of Scientology is the organization that administers, governs, and promotes Scientology. It operates on a centralized hierarchical structure, running a global network of organizations and affiliated groups, and owns numerous properties including large campuses in California and Florida. The Church is managed by the Sea Org, an elite group of staff who sign billion-year contracts and hold senior positions within the network. Scholars describe the Church as highly bureaucratic with a heavy emphasis on statistics and performance targets.
The Church promotes Scientology through books and magazines, media productions, and advertising campaigns. It also operates Celebrity Centres, which cultivate celebrity involvement as a means of public outreach. The organization runs a variety of social programs—including drug rehabilitation, educational initiatives, business training, and disaster-response teams—that critics and some scholars describe as front groups used for recruitment and public relations.
The Church is widely known for its extensive litigation, aggressive responses to criticism, intelligence-gathering operations, and heavy disciplinary practices. These practices have been the subject of significant controversy and legal scrutiny.
== Scientologists ==
== Hubbard as source ==
Scientology is based entirely on the thousands of writings and lectures of L. Ron Hubbard, which Scientologists regard as the authoritative source of its ideas and practices. Hubbard claimed that he developed his ideas through research and experimentation rather than through revelation from a supernatural source.
Hubbard developed thousands of neologisms, and Scientology's specialized vocabulary (Scientologese) is expected to be learned by members. The use of this terminology functions to separate Scientologists from non-Scientologists. The organization refers to its practices as "technology", or "tech", and emphasizes a strict "standard" application of the tech as infallible.