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Re:Is Scientology a Cult? /Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism

Monday, May 26, 2008
Is Scientology a Cult?

http://askthescientologist.blogspot.com/2008/05/is-scientology-cult_26.html

The question as to whether Scientology is a cult or not is the subject
of intense debate. Basically, Scientology adamantly insists that it
isn't, and many others declare that it is, or that it certainly seems
to be.

And, for probably a majority of people, they just don't know and may
not even care.

Scientology insists that it is not a cult, primarily because of the
negative connotations of the word. The Church of Scientology is very,
very careful with its image. It works very hard to present itself as a
not-at-all-wacky-very-normal religion.

Critics insist that the Church of Scientology is a cult, because they
feel it is an important part of understanding the church, and because
it is a key factor in helping people recover from membership in the
church.

But why is this open to debate? Isn't there a definition of cult that
is authoritative and conclusive?

Yes and no. The definitions for cult range from the benign:

The formal means of expressing religious reverence; religious
ceremony and ritual.

through the common:

Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a
person, principle, or thing.

to the extreme:

A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist
or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner
under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.

(All definitions from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the
English Language, Fourth Edition.)

It is this last definition that is intended when talking about the
Church of Scientology. But it isn't very helpful. What is meant by
"sect", "extremist", "unconventional",
"charismatic"? The debate gets
bogged down in minutiae.

A better description, specific to that last definition of cult, can be
found in Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism by well-
respected author Robert Jay Lifton, M.D., who studied the psychology
of extremism for decades.

In his book, Lifton outlines the "Eight Criteria for Thought Reform":

1. Milieu Control. This involves the control of information and
communication both within the environment and, ultimately, within the
individual, resulting in a significant degree of isolation from
society at large.
2. Mystical Manipulation. There is manipulation of experiences that
appear spontaneous but in fact were planned and orchestrated by the
group or its leaders in order to demonstrate divine authority or
spiritual advancement or some special gift or talent that will then
allow the leader to reinterpret events, scripture, and experiences as
he or she wishes.
3. Demand for Purity. The world is viewed as black and white and
the members are constantly exhorted to conform to the ideology of the
group and strive for perfection. The induction of guilt and/or shame
is a powerful control device used here.
4. Confession. Sins, as defined by the group, are to be confessed
either to a personal monitor or publicly to the group. There is no
confidentiality; members' "sins," "attitudes," and "faults"
are
discussed and exploited by the leaders.
5. Sacred Science. The group's doctrine or ideology is considered
to be the ultimate Truth, beyond all questioning or dispute. Truth is
not to be found outside the group. The leader, as the spokesperson for
God or for all humanity, is likewise above criticism.
6. Loading the Language. The group interprets or uses words and
phrases in new ways so that often the outside world does not
understand. This jargon consists of thought-terminating clichés, which
serve to alter members' thought processes to conform to the group's
way of thinking.
7. Doctrine over person. Member's personal experiences are
subordinated to the sacred science and any contrary experiences must
be denied or reinterpreted to fit the ideology of the group.
8. Dispensing of existence. The group has the prerogative to decide
who has the right to exist and who does not. This is usually not
literal but means that those in the outside world are not saved,
unenlightened, unconscious and they must be converted to the group's
ideology. If they do not join the group or are critical of the group,
then they must be rejected by the members. Thus, the outside world
loses all credibility. In conjunction, should any member leave the
group, he or she must be rejected also.

Anyone can see how these criteria constitute a good yardstick for
evaluating a group or organization. The more criteria a group meets,
the more that group is operating as a cult.

So how does the Church of Scientology fare against these criteria?

Milieu Control

This is information control. The Church of Scientology is very
strict in attempting to control all information that Scientologists
have access to. Internet access is controlled with a Scientology-
developed "net-nanny", Scientologists are forbidden from reading,
watching, listening to any negative information about the church. They
are required to "disconnect" from anyone, including family, even their
own children and spouses, if those people express any negative
attitudes about the church.

Mystical Manipulation

Everything that happens to you is predicted by Hubbard's
discoveries. Whatever happens to you, Hubbard has already determined
exactly why it happened and has the exact solution for all your
problems.

Demand for Purity

Yup! Got that! Scientologists are homo novis, the superior group.
They are "more ethical", "more responsible". More is demanded of them
because the "fate of every man, woman and child in this universe"
rests on their shoulders.

Confession

Everyone must confess in Scientology. Every auditing session
begins with questions designed to uncover "overts and
witholds" (crimes and secrets). Many sessions are devoted exclusively
to such things. If the church determines you've strayed from their
narrow path, you can spend a lot of time confessing, for which you
will pay big bucks. All crimes and secrets are written down, some are
even video-taped. These records are never destroyed.

At the Int. Base of Scientology (top management), staff member's
confessions are often read aloud at staff musters.

Those who leave the church and speak out against the church's
abuses often have their "confidential" confessional material exposed
to the public.

Sacred Science

Hubbard's words and his technologies are considered, by the Church
of Scientology and by all Scientologists, as perfect, the ultimate
answer to every mystery in the universe.

Whatever Hubbard said is considered complete and unquestionable.
The greatest crime you can commit in Scientology is to doubt Hubbard's
technology.

If the technology fails, it is the fault of the person applying it
or the recipient, never the fault of the technology.

Loading the Language

Hubbard created brand new terms for everything. Scientologists
have a very difficult time translating Scientology ideas into real
words. The concepts are not that different from ideas expressed many
other ways by many other people, but, because of the unique terms used
to define these ideas, they seem new and unique.

Scientologists have Hubbard's canned, strongly enforced, verbatim
reasons and solutions to all difficulties. For any problem there is a
specific remedy from Hubbard. This certainly terminates any thought
outside of Hubbard's dogma.

Doctrine over person

Scientologists are never supposed to see any cause and effect
outside of what is set out by Hubbard. If a person sees something that
disproves Hubbard's assertions, it must be forgotten or reinterpreted
so as to agree with Hubbard. Life's difficulties can have no other
solution. If, by accident, something else solves a Scientologist's
problems, it must be carefully framed in a context of Hubbard's
doctrine. No solutions outside of Scientology are valid.

Dispensing of existence

This is so very true of Scientology. Those inside of Scientology
are in a special world, with special requirements, special justice.
Those outside of Scientology are the focus of much activity. All non-
Scientologists must be brought into the church to create a
"Scientology World". All non-Scientologists are called "wogs" or
"raw
meat" by Scientologists, until they are "enlightened".

Those who have left Scientology and, of course, all who criticize
Scientology are "fair game". While the actual term "fair game" is now
avoided, the attitude and actions are still embraced fully. These
"enemies" of Scientology may be literally "deprived of property or
injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of
the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed."

The Church of Scientology and all Scientologists believe that they
have the right to unilaterally destroy anyone they determine is an
enemy.

So, those are the criteria that measure if a group is a cult. And that
is the analysis of how the Church of Scientology measures up to those
criteria.

What do you think? Is Scientology a cult?

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