This document provides an overview of Scientology, including its history, beliefs, practices, and demographics. It notes that Scientology was founded in 1950 and portrayed itself as non-religious at first, focusing on self-help. The core belief is that a person's spirit called a "thetan" experiences past lives that cause mental and physical problems, which can be resolved through counseling sessions called "auditing." Scientologists aim to achieve different levels on the "Bridge to Total Freedom" by removing traumatic memories through auditing. However, the highest levels have never actually been achieved and much about Scientology's beliefs and practices remains secretive or unproven.

1. S C I E N T O L O G Y
C R O S S I N G T H E B R I D G E T O T O T A L F R E E D O M
L uke Harding, Mya Haskins, and Jayke n Be al
INT -2 4 4

2. Demographics
Numbers are difficult to validate
• In 2007, 3.5 million members were claimed to exist (Collison, 2007).
• U.S. census does not collect data on Scientology’s head count (Lewis, 2009).
• Unofficial sites estimate Scientology to have less than $25,000 members
worldwide.
• Scientology “churches” exist also in Germany and Australia.
Scientific findings 2

3. History and Biography
• In the 1940's portrayed itself as "not religious" focused more on self help
• Officially founded by L. Ron Hubbard in 1950
• Had a proverbial ladder that the followers could climb
• Claimed people at higher tiers could gain super-powers
• By the 1980’s was heavily practiced by the zeitgeist
• Membership peaked in the 1990’s with numbers in the hundred thousands
• Started to fall off due to failure to adapt to the modern world
• The final blow was a combination of people turning against its beliefs aswell as poor
leadership
Anderson, J. (2023). A brief history of scientology. 3

4. Beliefs
Dianetics for Dummiez
• Your brain has two parts:
• The reactive mind
• The analytical mind
• The reactive mind stores
“engrams” (traumatic
experiences and pain)
• The analytical mind is a
perfect computer, logical,
and rational
• Engrams are the reason for all
of your hardships, bad
experiences, sicknesses, and
insanity.
• The goal of Dianetics and
Scientology is to rid somebody
of engrams.
• None of this has ever been
scientifically proven.
Luke Harding 4

5. “Source: Trust me!”
-L Ron Hubbard
Luke Harding 5

6. Beliefs
What they tell you: there’s a difference!
• Man is an immortal
spiritual being.
• His experience extends
well beyond a single
lifetime.
• His capabilities are
unlimited, even if not
presently realized.
• Scientology further holds Man
to be basically good, and that
his spiritual salvation depends
upon himself, his fellows and
his attainment of brotherhood
with the universe.
• The ultimate goal of
Scientology is true spiritual
enlightenment and freedom
for all (Scientology.com, What
is Scientology?).
Luke Harding 6

7. Beliefs
What Scientologists actually believe.
• Each person has a spirit,
or a “thetan”.
• This Thetan has
possessed many bodies
before yours!
• All of the trauma and
agony your Thetan has
experienced in past lives
affects your daily life.
• These traumas are called
“engrams”
Luke Harding 7

8. Beliefs
What Scientologists actually believe.
• The only way to get rid of
engrams is through
counseling in the form of
“auditing” (Lewis, 2009,
p.188)
• As one travels across “The
Bridge to Total Freedom”,
one becomes freer and
freer of engrams.
• When all of one’s engrams
are gone, one is said to
be “Clear”.
Luke Harding 8
Scientology.com

9. What is a Clear?
No more engrams
• One achieves “Clear” when
all of one’s engrams are
driven out in the process
of auditing.
• Some that go Clear can
move objects with their
minds only and can be
cured of lifelong
diseases.
• One gets officially
recognized by the
“church” when he/she
goes Clear.
• Clear is a permanent
state.
Luke Harding 9
History.com (Scientology)

10. Once you’re Clear, you’re
done… right?
Luke Harding 10

11. Luke Harding 11
Silly mortal!
You must travel onwards and
upwards to the “Operating
Thetan” levels (OT Levels).
Pass “GO” and pay $150k 

12. Operating Thetan Levels
The path to ascension
• There are officially 15 OT
levels as per Mr. Hubbard.
• Levels 9 through 15 have
never been achieved by any
Scientologist.
• High level Operating Thetans
are taught advanced auditing
techniques like “self auditing”.
• Some OT’s could read your
mind and move objects
without touching them.
• Once OT3 is achieved, you are
shown some “secret materials”
(Lewis, ,2009, p.367)
Luke Harding 12
Source Unknown

13. Let’s see these secret materials
Luke Harding 13
Click me to access secret materials
40:00 to 42:40

14. Practices
• Auditing
• Process of riding oneself
of engrams
• Done with an auditor
which means "one who
listens"
• The use of an e-meter
• Sunday services
• Scientology creed is
read
• Sermon
• Group auditing
• Ends in prayer
Mya Haskins 14
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA.

15. Practices
Celebration of important holidays such as
• March 13th: Ron L. Hubbards birthday
• May 9th: the day Dianetics came out
• Ceremonies
• Wedding
• Similar to a wedding in other churches
• Focuses on important factors to make
the relationship successful
• Affinity, reality, communication
• Naming
• They get their new identity and reminds
family of responsibilities to the child
• It's important because children can be super
disoriented from the beginning and so its
important that they are in good community
and surrounded by family
• Funeral
• Si mi lar to a funeral most of us used to a
cel ebration of l i fe
• There's a speech given by Ron similar to the
birth one
Mya Haskins
15
"By witnessing his naming
you do signify that you
do welcome here the person
of (baby’s name)
as he now is called
into our recognition
and our group.
So now in final act
all present
say “Hello,” and bid a
welcome to (baby’s name).
Good.
Mother, take your child
now recognized and
welcomed
here.
And let us all go each our
separate way remembering
that when we see
(baby’s name) again,
we have welcomed him
this day."
"Today, come wiser now
The chains gone weak
And tyranny of cult
Gone tired with the years,
We look
We find we live
Not once
But on and on
From body’s birth to
Body’s grave and then
To birth again
And yea to grave again
So to dispose possessions
Oft come undone
With livingness.
From century to century
From age to age and on
We go in march along
The path that leads
Forever up the countless
Ticks of time.
We crawl, we walk, we fly
We win
From here and evermore
The heritage of all our lives
And spend it once again."

16. Reflection
16

17. References
Anderson, J. (2023). A brief history of scientology. A Brief History of Scientology. Retrieved April 19, 2023, from
https://jacobin.com/2016/08/scientology-hubbard-miscavige-tom-cruise-tax-exempt/
Official Church of scientology (2023). Scientology beliefs & practices. https://www.scientology.org/what-is-
scientology/
Lewis, James R. (2009). Scientology. Retrieved from:
https://web-p-ebscohost-
com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzI2OTY0Nl9fQU41?sid=8123f234-c2af-
4599-8a84-765a4227c879@redis&vid=0&format=EB&rid=1
17
Kevin Collison, Kevin (2007-03-17). "Scientology center heads downtown", Kansas City Star