Scientological Visit
Brian Paavo - 19 August 2024
On a recent visit to Honolulu I found myself with 45 minutes to kill in front of an inviting sign “Free Movie starting every hour. Visitors are welcome. Church of Scientology.” Yes, please.
The silent Japanese elder stuffing envelopes seemed surprised when I asked about the movie rather than directions to the bus stop, but he gestured to either of two seats. The screen showed a marketing loop promoting Scientology centres’ fashionable lobbies, and was merely the appetiser for the ‘viewing room’ beyond. My bum hitting the seat clearly activated the Xenu alert, because five staffers bustling behind the scenes went quiet. Troy (pictured above), possibly drawing a short straw, cheerfully came out to greet me. Sadly I never got into the movie room nor - dare to dream - got my Thetan audited for free. I did, however, have a wonderful chat with Troy as he tried to answer my genuine questions, and helped develop my own views of the organisation and how critical thinking is clearly used to help folks (many without critical thinking skills) follow the path to personal success laid out by L. Ron Hubbard.
Troy was left spiritually wanting by the major religions in a time of personal upheaval in his early twenties, and was ‘more grounded in reality’ than they seemed to accept. ‘Doing his own research’ he found that his questions about the world were answered in a cohesive, consistent way that made sense to him in Dianetics at first, then Scientology as a whole. In each of the 23 intervening years, his conviction - he explicitly avoided ‘belief’ and ‘faith’ intentionally - only grew. Discovery is individually earned through personal experience at each stage. His initial attempt to sell me a copy of Dianetics for US$50 fell flat (I had read some of it before), but our discussion became my search for finding deeper meaning as a scientifically-oriented person. That, he said, means I’d fit right in. He saw himself as a skeptic seeking answers and ‘real results.’
The small chapter office had an impressive library of about 300 texts, as well as about 120 multi-media course packs. When I asked about the volume of texts compared to Hubbard’s actual bibliography, he switched to using ‘words.’ “Our records have over 65 million original words from him. We don’t revise and reinterpret them like other religions [I contrasted with the Catholic’s Nicene Creed], but extract and combine them as they relate to particular topics - we are educators. Each book and course relates to a specific aspect of life and the challenges we each face.”
Troy saw Hubbard’s early science-fiction writing as a way to support him travelling the world while conducting research and gathering the wisdom of both the West and the East into a deep, reasonable understanding of the world’s inner workings. So the similarities between the fiction and the religion were understandable. Having a fleet, and liking to be called ‘Admiral’, was merely a human quirk celebrating Hubbard’s ‘decorated’ days in the US Navy - Troy avoided saying the diminutive ‘Reserves’, somewhat contrasting other accounts.
As discussion dove deeper, he fetched references (he is a scholar after all), each with a modest price tag from US$50-400. A 3-4 day course (a student was studying behind the closed door) was about $500. Diving deeper, I was invited into the back offices where I learned that this chapter had a flock of about 40 on O’ahu (the island’s population is about 1M), but they were financially supported by the organisation as a whole. To really put Scientology’s principles to work, they needed to be studied in a specific order (pictured above). Sadly my flights prevented me taking a course, but to my delight Troy directed me to the “huge and thriving” Church in Auckland.
I was interested in their approach to ethics, which was somewhere around step 70 (several thousands of dollars in). I asked, “When new students are excited about the successes they find in their lives with the early steps, how do they ensure that initiates are giving money instead of paying the rent or looking after their own health?” That’s when Troy introduced Brenna. There’s always many more advanced members who are specifically tasked with ensuring that newcomers are healthy, happy, and advancing at the ‘right’ pace. I respected that they have to pay the bills, but my comparison to pyramid schemes was politely laughed off by both. Scientology’s aim is to create a new world through the cumulative, tipping-point actions of individuals rather than to affect social change as an organisation. He pointed to Tom Cruise as a disciplined torch who, by example, helps those around him shine, and for that reason is revered - as an individual - by the Church. His celebrity is a result of, not a perk to, the church.
1960’s America was a time of social upheaval and mysticism. We discussed how Scientology mixes self-help with many anarchist, satanic, Buddhist, libertarianism, Mormon, and Gaia’s most winning sentiments (they each saw only part of the truth). Troy refuted that, insisting that the aims of Scientology (on the office wall, though we stumbled over the word ‘propitiate’) was to openly offer help, and to accept help as individuals on a journey. The Church is one of open transactions. The Church is materialistic. Your ‘soul’ (Thetan) has a weight that can be measured. You can be separated from it and learn things from afar (though he insisted this was not astral projection - which is mystic garbage). Troy portrayed an open, benevolent relationship with each initiate, and that high-control mechanisms (cult) and practices were unfortunate misinformation so common in the world today.
Whereas most religions I’ve experienced tried to seduce with mystery and majesty, the Honolulu Scientologists treated ‘mystery’ as an open joke - a teaching tool. Immortality and unlimited potential was downplayed, but simple Earthly success was there for every man (he emphasised gender inclusiveness). Troy was not savvy. He clearly tried to reflect my posture, my vocabulary, and my seeded cues (brought up in a catholic family, trained as a scientist, employed as a teacher, etc) as I adjusted them, even if I contradicted myself. He seemed well-trained, and shiny products lined the walls. An ecosystem-of-integrated parts to be purchased in a specific sequence was laid out so that I could succeed at something. Motivational words (The Creed) and practical statements (The Aims) were there to fall back on when tough questions were asked. It was all a very familiar layout. I saw the same thing in the Kirby vacuum ‘system’ franchise I worked in as a teenager. Like Facebook, engagement is the key, you are the product and revenue, there is no spoon… I mean goal. Hubbard is still selling science-fiction, and I think that this chapter knew it. But if everyone is feeding off one another - as long as we are in it together - it is in keeping with The Creed “[Man’s] survival depends upon himself and upon his fellows and his attainment of brotherhood with the Universe.”