In this history of Scientology, the devil is in the details

BOOK REVIEW

July 05, 2011|By Eric Liebetrau

INSIDE SCIENTOLOGY: The Story of America’s Most Secretive Religion By Janet Reitman

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 444 pp., $28

‘Try to define Scientology, and even those who understand its basic concepts will inevitably come up with a multiplicity of descriptions: alternative to psychotherapy, social movement, transnational corporation, cult, religion.’’

So writes Rolling Stone contributing editor Janet Reitman in “Inside Scientology,’’ her meticulously researched history and revealing exposé, a frightening portrait of a religion that many find not just controversial, but dangerous.

The author claims no agenda, but her impressively sourced text provides ample damning details. After more than 400 pages of startling revelations, most readers will be hard-pressed to seriously consider Scientology as anything other than a powerful, profit-driven corporation with only the most tenuous connection to “religion.’’

Today’s Byzantine organization bears little resemblance to its precursor, Dianetics, the self-help system designed in the 1950s by sci-fi hack and wildly confident dreamer L. Ron Hubbard. Dianetics quickly found widespread success, due largely to Hubbard’s knack for persuading people to share in the significance of his convictions. When Dianetics’ influence waned, Hubbard reframed his self-betterment program as an actual religion in deference to the prominence of faith in American society.

The ’60s provided the perfect atmosphere, as the rebellious, anti-establishment currents coincided with the free-your-mind-and-soul promises of Scientology. Spiritual seekers flocked to the new religion, paying thousands of dollars for “auditing sessions,’’ in which individuals received one-on-one attention in an effort to achieve higher levels of spiritual clarity. As the converts grew, so, too, did the organization’s hierarchy, real estate holdings, and revenue.

The increasing public visibility came at a price, however, as Scientologists across the world came forward with disturbing accusations of abuse, exploitation, and human-rights violations. Withdrawing first to one of his massive oceangoing vessels, and then to secret locations known only to Scientology’s elite, Hubbard disappeared completely and was not seen publicly after 1980 until his death in 1986.