Founded by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s, scientology has never been universally accepted. Both ridiculed and helped by the comments of Tom Cruise, what can it offer?
Based largely on Freud’s idea surrounding the powers of cumulative unconscious thoughts, L. Ron Hubbard came up with the idea of dianetics which is the founding stone of scientology.
Dianetics is a set of ideas and practices regarding the relationship between mind and body, or in crude layman’s terms, it is about mind over matter. Hubbard put forth the view that most mental and physical problems are caused by traumatic memories (which he called "engrams") that are stored in the unconscious mind (the idea which Freud had proposed nearly half a century earlier). The goal of Dianetics is to help the individual become free of this part of their mind.
According to dianetics, it is this build-up of the “reactive mind” which causes, or at least contributes to, the pains, negative emotions and unhappiness in life. By getting rid of it, we can effectively restore our mind-body balance and be miraculously healed.
Scientology shot into the news when Hollywood megastar, Tom Cruise, spoke out about his friend, Brooke Shields. When Shields bravely spoke about being on anti-depressants for post-natal depression, Cruise attacked her use of medical intervention, something which is frowned upon by scientologists. He said that there is no such thing as a chemical imbalance and called psychiatric medicine a “pseudo science”. Instead, scientology promotes good nutrition and rest to help get back into shape.
How much scientology can be classed as a religion is debatable. It is still regarded as a cult in many countries and has no God, but does talk of a spirituality which is separate from the mind and the body. It recognises some sort of higher life form or existence. Cruise has said that scientology has helped him overcome his dyslexia and there are stories of other miraculous cures when scientologists have intervened. In this respect, scientology is optimistic and sees life as a game in which everyone can win. As Hubbard once wrote, "All life is directed by one command and one command only – SURVIVE!"
However, medics, scientists, historians and academics refuse to accept that scientology has any valid points about it. Deemed some sort of pseudo religion or quackery, few professions have given it the time of day and will give it no higher status than a cult or a passing phase. Its claim to be in search of spiritual identity does little to appease the “real” religions either. Justice Anderson of the Supreme Court in Adelaide, Australia, described “scientology [as] evil; its techniques are evil; its practice is a serious threat to the community, medically, morally, and socially; and its adherents are sadly deluded and often mentally ill... [Scientology is] the world's largest organisation of unqualified persons engaged in the practice of dangerous techniques which masquerade as mental therapy.”
Yet eating well and resting, getting rid of negative thoughts and being optimistic seems like a good idea. Although it can’t really be classed as a religion, maybe it does have something to offer. Whatever the real status of scientology, in a world of ever-increasing technology and scientific dependence it could be here to stay in some form. But maybe the debate should be a case of separating the wheat from the chaff.
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