Book Report: Going Clear

     Going Clear is a complete analysis of the Church of Scientology, its doctrine, history, and response to criticism. Like any religion, the story of Scientology begins with its founder, L. Ron Hubbard. After serving in WWII, Hubbard became one of the most prolific science-fiction writers in the United States. He then published Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health as his great leap into the field of psychology and psychiatry, and middle class white people at it up. It breaks down the brain into the 'analytical' and 'unconscious reactive' mind (where all your problems originated), and Hubbard claims that the information and techniques in the book could cure all mental and physical ailments, and even increase IQ. Dianetics clubs opened across the country that were aimed at clearing members of their 'engrams' (problems) through a series of self-hypnosis. But it's success didn't last, as people weren't getting the relief they were promised and the APA rejected what Hubbard had to say. Faced with disgrace and debt from several Dianetics-related lawsuits, Hubbard distanced himself as far as he could from psychology and psychiatry (he even went so far as to call them 'the enemy') and rebranded his work as what we recognize it today: a religion. 

    You may recognize the famous depiction of Scientology's creation myth from South Park, and after reading Wright's book, I can say it really isn't inaccurate, outlandish though it may be. Wright does a great job of explaining how a relatively believable self-help club became the bizarre, secretive religion we know it as today. Self-guided hypnosis sessions ('dianetic reveries') were replaced with 'auditors' reading 'e-meters', a machine that measures how sweaty your hand is. Scientology introduced the concept that humans are three separate entities: mind, body, and spirit (called a "thetan"). Thetans are immortal beings who have lived many lives. Hubbard incorporated the idea of past lives into Scientology after followers reported engrams from historical periods during auditing. Hubbard developed the OT levels, which represent "cause over matter, energy, space, and time". These levels mark the shift from self-help and therapy to religion. The most expensive and secretive part of Scientology, revealed at Operating Thetan level three (OT3), is the story of Xenu, an evil galactic lord who 75 million years ago brought aliens to Earth (Teegeeack) and disposed of them in volcanoes. The disembodied "body thetans" then attached themselves to humans and are the source of all human problems. This story is a major point of differentiation from earlier Dianetics concepts.

    My favorite part of the book is how Wright outlines the differences between the structure of scientology and traditional religions, and highlights how cult-like it becomes. The most important difference, which is why Scientology has any following at all, is that information is revealed to members piecewise over a period of years. The creation myth was leaked by an ex-member, and prior to the leak was not available until one had sunk in several years and several thousand dollars into the church. It preys on the sunk-cost fallacy, which states that the more invested (beit in time, money, or energy) you are in something, the more likely you are to believe it. One of the hallmarks of a true cult is that they make it nearly impossible to leave. They ostracize you from your friends and family, make every aspect of your life centered around the group, and even in come cases physically trap you on their premises. Scientology does all of these things, and the further you get in, the harder it is to get out. The church has famously been dogmatic in its takedown of its critics and defectors, most notably the IRS. Wright details the constant legal battles between the church, journalists, and tax auditors, as well as discusses why and how the church maintains its tax exempt status. 

    This book covers several topics we covered in class. It uses the sunk-cost fallacy that I mentioned before, and the concepts of dualism with their belief in thetans, but the concept I think is the most prevalent is Hubbard's use of mass hysteria. Hubbard published Dianetics shortly after WWII. The 50's and 60's saw a massive religious revival in the west, and a newfound interest in eastern religion, alternative medicine, and self-help movements. Hubbard was a writer, not a psychologist, and he took advantage of what he knew would sell. He made people think they could find the source of their problems in a 'scientific' way, and then scared them into thinking they couldn't be cured without him or his many, many products. He kept people hooked on what he had to say by slowly and methodically revealing more and more religious texts only to those he deemed 'ready'. He (and his predecessor) brutally went after anyone who questioned or investigated them. At the end of the day, he created a community of paranoia and obsession to make a quick buck. And it worked. 

Here's a great video of a history teacher's breakdown of scientology and its foundation: 

https://youtu.be/xSlYVGNQiFs?si=1yhpNJKBnhYAeufM