Some excerpts:
Those seeking spiritual release must pass through five levels of liberation; in addition to lectures on the glories of Scientology, initiates must answer a long series of questions, often highly personal, while clutching two tin cans wired to an 'E-meter,' an electrical gadget reputed to be also capable of communicating with inanimate objects (in one such experiment Hubbard was in touch with tomatoes).
From Meddling with Minds
Aug. 23, 1968
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A brilliant and eccentric man, who, despite disclaimers, still controls the cult, Hubbard was once a successful science-fiction writer. In 1949, he seemed to predict his own future in a jocular speech to a convention of fellow authors: 'Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wanted to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion.'
From A Sci-Fi Faith
Apr. 5, 1976
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As proclaimed by Hubbard, Scientology is a religion that sees life as a relentless struggle to erase painful mental images (called 'engrams' in the cult's jargon) that block a person from achieving his full potential and that may accumulate through his successive incarnations. Hubbard has insisted that he lived through a series of incarnations and that he was in fact 74 trillion years old.
From Mystery of the Vanished Ruler
Jan. 31, 1983
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Now, the founder of still another cult, he [Hubbard] claims to have discovered the ultimate secrets of life and the universe, and to be able to cure everything, including cancer. For the cult, L. (for Lafayette) Ron (for Ronald) Hubbard has whipped up the bastard word 'Scientology,' which he defines as 'knowing about knowing' or 'the science of knowledge.' His latest ology is compounded of equal parts of science fiction, dianetics (with 'auditing,' 'preclears' and engrams), and plain jabberwocky.
From Remember Venus?
Dec. 22, 1952
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A cult that makes its faithful pay thru the nose to advance in its levels and achieve a type of 'enlightenment' by paying for very expensive sessions to 'clear' their personal blockages. Imagine, paying to clutch a few cans while answering insipid questions. However, the stars don't pay and are pampered to further promote the agenda. But if Tom must claim it, it must be so. He's been 'cured' of even dyslexia by clutching tin cans and answering questions until he got a 'clear'.
Those seeking spiritual release must pass through five levels of liberation; in addition to lectures on the glories of Scientology, initiates must answer a long series of questions, often highly personal, while clutching two tin cans wired to an 'E-meter,' an electrical gadget reputed to be also capable of communicating with inanimate objects (in one such experiment Hubbard was in touch with tomatoes).
From Meddling with Minds
Aug. 23, 1968
------------------------------------------------
A brilliant and eccentric man, who, despite disclaimers, still controls the cult, Hubbard was once a successful science-fiction writer. In 1949, he seemed to predict his own future in a jocular speech to a convention of fellow authors: 'Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wanted to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion.'
From A Sci-Fi Faith
Apr. 5, 1976
-------------------------------------------------
As proclaimed by Hubbard, Scientology is a religion that sees life as a relentless struggle to erase painful mental images (called 'engrams' in the cult's jargon) that block a person from achieving his full potential and that may accumulate through his successive incarnations. Hubbard has insisted that he lived through a series of incarnations and that he was in fact 74 trillion years old.
From Mystery of the Vanished Ruler
Jan. 31, 1983
-------------------------------------------------
Now, the founder of still another cult, he [Hubbard] claims to have discovered the ultimate secrets of life and the universe, and to be able to cure everything, including cancer. For the cult, L. (for Lafayette) Ron (for Ronald) Hubbard has whipped up the bastard word 'Scientology,' which he defines as 'knowing about knowing' or 'the science of knowledge.' His latest ology is compounded of equal parts of science fiction, dianetics (with 'auditing,' 'preclears' and engrams), and plain jabberwocky.
From Remember Venus?
Dec. 22, 1952
-------------------------------------------------
A cult that makes its faithful pay thru the nose to advance in its levels and achieve a type of 'enlightenment' by paying for very expensive sessions to 'clear' their personal blockages. Imagine, paying to clutch a few cans while answering insipid questions. However, the stars don't pay and are pampered to further promote the agenda. But if Tom must claim it, it must be so. He's been 'cured' of even dyslexia by clutching tin cans and answering questions until he got a 'clear'.
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