What is Scientology?

"In Scientology I have found several tools that I can apply to my daily life and they have allowed me to help myself and to help others to better the conditions of my life and of society." 

--Tom Cruise, actor and Scientologist - See more at: 

What is Scientology?

Many people want to know: Is Scientology a cult? Is Scientology a religion? Or is Scientology something else? And why do so many celebrities subcribe to Scientology beliefs and what makes Scientology beliefs so controversial?
It's easy to understand why people want to know more about the belief system when celebrities such as John Travolta and Tom Cruise belong to the Church of Scientology. Yet Scientology also has a reputation for being secretive, which feeds people's curiosity and sometimes drives the controversy.
The Church of Scientology was founded in 1954 by L. Ron Hubbard, a former science fiction writer. Scientology doesn't present itself as a "religion," but as a "technology" that leads people to "true spiritual release and freedom." It does not emphasize particular beliefs about God or other traditional religious topics, yet it calls itself "The Church of Scientology" and presents many of its teachings in spiritual and religious terms. Scientology is also highly controversial, with many regarding it as a dangerous religious cult or financial scam.
It is not the job of ReligionFacts to present our own opinion on these issues, but only to provide facts about the group's history, beliefs and practices. We have included Scientology on ReligionFacts simply because it meets our basic criteria of including teachings about the meaning of life and some set of rituals.


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Fast Facts on Scientology

Date founded: 1954 

Place founded: California, USA 

Founder: L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986), an American science-fiction author 

Adherents: 77,000 (adherents.com) or "millions" (official Scientology figures) 

Main location: Western United States 

Texts: Dianetics and Scientology by L. Ron Hubbard 

Original language: English 

Spiritual leader: auditor 

Place of meeting: church 

Theism: not specified 

Ultimate reality: The Eighth Dynamic or Infinity

Human nature: consists of body, mind and thetan; capable of great things Purpose of life: gain spiritual freedom by ridding one's mind of engrams 

Afterlife: reincarnation 

Symbols: Double "S"; shining cross

Special days: March 13 - Hubbard's birthday (in 1911) May 9 - publication of Dianetics (in 1950) 2nd Sunday in September - Auditor's Day October 7 - annual meeting of International Association of Scientologists 

Eight Dynamics: 

1. Self (the urge to survive as an individual) 

2. Creativity (the urge to survive through family). 

3. Group survival (the urge to survive through a group such as a nation, team, community, race, etc.) 

4. Species (the urge to survive through the survival of the human species) 

5. Life forms (the urge for life itself) 

6. Physical universe (the urge of the universe to survive) 

7. Spiritual dynamic (the urge for the survival of the life source) 

8. Infinity (the urge to exist as infinity or God)