The same way people “fall for” any religion - it tells them something they want to hear or provides an environment that supplies something they feel they need. It’s not like any religion is demonstrably less fraudlent than Scientology, after all - they just don’t behave in such a way that quite as thoroughly highlights and underscores their scammyness like Scientology does.
And most likely most of the members are drawn from the portion of the population who doesn’t already know it’s a fraud.
This is actually pretty recent. Actually, once you get past Cruise and Travolta and Kirstie Alley (pretty marginal in herself), there are still a pretty motley assortment of A- to B to C listers on their roster. I can remember when Chick Corea was one of their biggest claims to fame, and that is not saying much. Clearly though they have upped the emphasis on this sort of idiocy.
As much as celebrity, they have a number of other elements that appeal to a modern self-absorbed mentality. The emphasis on self-analysis is not so different from the Woody Allen me-generation obsession with psychoanalysis. The pseudo-scientific jargon might have seemed high-tech at some point in the '60s or '70s, and to the weak of will or intellect, still may.
Yes, L. Ron Hubbard is pretty much wallowing in lifelong bullshit.
I can also argue that he was a Science Fiction writer, so beliefs in Thetans is about on par with Lovecraft founding a religion based on his Old Gods “wait… you… you made that up for you last story didn’t you?”
However, many of the people who follow Scientology probably don’t know or care who Hubbard was at the onset never really heard of the out there higher level stuff, and by the time they hear it they’ve invested too much to back out.
The issue is the cost though, in my opinion. I’d bet there have been quite a few who got in for “kicks” and by the time they got to the “funny” part they’d already invested hundreds of thousands of dollars (and I’m not kidding here), as well as given out what amounts to cheaply polygraphed personal information, so even if you still don’t believe, leaving will be damning. The cost you invest though will pretty much make you rationalize ANYTHING by that point, lest you admit you just invested an insane amount of money on something that stupid.
Well, there’s the Church of the SubGenius, but that’s a special case, being the only religion in human history whose teachings are at the same time totally fraudulent and absolutely true.
There’s a list at http://www.scientology-kills.org/celebrities/celebrities.htm and a lot of them would need to upgrade their seats on the DC-9 of Eternity to get on the C List. I am a celebrity junkie and have not heard of fully half that list.
It just occurred to me: the 1st generation of $cientology is dying off-leaving their kids 9who were raised in this). Is it reasonable that their kids will rebel against the nonsense? Living the life of $cientology can’t be much fun!
Why? Does the Church of Scientology insist that the kids be placed in sweat shops?
There is a very popular Boston area talk show (WBCN Toucher and Rich) that decided to investigate Scientology personally. Even though they usually use sensationalism, they gave Scientology a legitimate chance and did not directly tape anything they went to. They just relied on notes. I, like almost everyone, knew about the wacky stuff and expected the worst. In all honesty, it didn’t sound nearly as bad as I thought it would. It is basically just a bunch of people with money that engage in pop psychology. They don’t get into the alien stuff until people are way down the line and most never get that far. The books and courses are expensive but it is easy to find worse ones. I would never advocate anyone joining but there are tons of social clubs that cost more and are just as dubious.
The thing is, $cientology does not posit a supreme being. Everything is achievable by yourself (of course, you need $100,000’s in auditing to go up the bridge).
However, for every Tom Cruise, there are thousands of sclubs who waste their lives anad savings persuing “getting clear”. Maybe these people find what they are looking for?
The most basic stuff is probably no more harmful than Depak Chopra or reading “Atlas Shrugged”. But as time when on, Hubbard invented new stuff to keep shearing the sheep. And he made the mistake of swallowing his own KoolAid. So the higher you go, the more bizarre things get until you find out that Hubbard is essentially God and you believe you have powers over M.E.S.T. (Matter, Energy, Space & Time) and can kill with a glance.
I pity the ones raised in it, like Beck. Any bullshit one gets at an impressionable age tends to stick.
Well, I am one of those who consider religion to be a big scam. That being said, however, the vast vast majority of religions get their follows from habit - mom and dad did it, so therefore, I, too am a Christian/Muslim/Whatever.
Scientology has huge bad press AND doesn’t have that advantage. Pretty impressive, really.
-Joe
I just hate Scientology because, as most of us saw that Tom Cruise/Matt Lauer interview, Scientologists totally diss on the profession of psychiatry. While I will agree some psychiatrists definitely overmedicate or medicate before trying alternative therapies, there are psychiatric drugs that DO help people. Someone posted a link once about the Anti-Psychiatry museum or something that the Scientologists opened. They try to make people fear drugs that could very well help them or others. IANApsychiatrist, but I have a BA in psychology so I’ve learned at least a little about pysch drugs and therapy, so I know that people with certain disorders (especially stuff like schizophrenia, bipolar, etc) can be greatly helped with correct usage of psych drugs. Spreading overhyped fear about psychology/psychiatry angers me. Maybe they do it to get people with problems to turn to them instead? I dunno.
And how do you feel about Christian Scientists?
-Joe
Both groups espouse pretty strange beliefs-however, CS is dying out-no young people seem to join up. I think this is partly because SC rejects modern medicine-and people can see the tremendous success of modern medical science. In the 1890’s, medicine was mostly quackery-and CS flourished.
I forsee a similar end for the COS-at some point, people will realize they’ve been had-and the whole sham will collapse!
When it first started out, it was just “Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health” and claimed to be an alternative to both psychiatry and psychology. They were busted for practicing medicine without a license. So they cloaked their quackery with religion. The “e-meter” that they had been claiming could read one’s mental state became a “pastoral counseling device” (if only Wilhelm Reich had Hubbards lawyers), the therapy sessions became “religious services” and the charges became “voluntary contributions” (try not paying and see if you get any service - or even get a refund).
So they hate any effective mental health treatment as mentally healthy people are not potential customers for their quackery.