1. What does the word "Scientology" mean and what is it about?

The word SCIENTOLOGY, conceived by L. Ron Hubbard, comes from the Latin word scio which means "know" or "distinguish," and from the Greek word logos which means "reason itself" or "inward thought." Thus it means the study of wisdom or knowledge. It means knowing how to know. Scientology, however, is defined as the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, universes and other life.

Scientology is a religion which recognizes that man is basically good. It offers tools anyone can use to become happier and more able as a person as well as tools to improve conditions in life for himself and others and to gain a profound understanding of the Supreme Being and his relationship to the Divine. Developed by L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology technology provides exact principles and a practical technology for improving spiritual awareness, self-confidence, intelligence and ability.

The word Scientology comes from the Latin word scio, meaning “know” and the Greek word logos, meaning “the word or outward form by which the inward thought is expressed and made known.” Thus, Scientology means knowing about knowing.

Scientology comprises a body of knowledge which extends from certain fundamental truths. Prime among these:

Man is an immortal spiritual being.

His experience extends well beyond a single lifetime.

His capabilities are unlimited, even if not presently realized.

Scientology further holds man to be basically good, and that his spiritual salvation depends upon himself and his fellows and his attainment of brotherhood with the universe.

Scientology is not a dogmatic religion in which one is asked to believe anything on faith. An individual discovers for himself that Scientology works by applying its principles and observing or experiencing the results.

The ultimate goal of Scientology is true spiritual enlightenment and freedom for the individual.

2. Why is Scientology called a religion?

Scientology certainly meets all three criteria generally used by religious scholars around the world to determine religiosity:
(1) a belief in some Ultimate Reality, such as the Supreme or eternal truth that transcends the here and now of the secular world;
(2) religious practices directed toward understanding, attaining or communing with this Ultimate Reality; and
(3) a community of believers who join together in pursuing this Ultimate Reality.

Scientology believes in an Ultimate Reality that transcends the material world include its concepts of the thetan (from the Greek letter Theta, meaning thought, life or spirit), the spiritual world and the Supreme Being. The second element can be found in Scientology life-rite ceremonies such as naming, marriage and funeral services, but predominantly in the religious services of pastoral counseling and training, through which Scientologists increase their spiritual awareness of themselves and attain an understanding of the spiritual world and, ultimately, their relationship with the Supreme Being. As to the third element, a very vital community of believers can be found at any church of Scientology at almost any time of the day.

Scientology is thus a religion in the most traditional sense of the term. Scientology helps man become more aware of God, more aware of his own spiritual nature and that of those around him. Scientology scripture recognizes that there is an entire dynamic (urge or motivation in life) devoted to the Supreme Being, and another dynamic that deals solely with one's urge toward existence as a spirit. Acknowledgement of these aspects of life is a traditional characteristic of religions.
Scientology holds in common with all great religions the dream of peace on Earth and salvation for man. What is new about Scientology is that it offers a precise path for bringing about spiritual improvement in the here and now and a way to accomplish it with absolute certainty.

3. What is Dianetics?

The word Dianetics comes from the Greek words dia, meaning through and nous, soul. The full and proper definition of Dianetics is what the soul is doing to the body through the mind.

Before L. Ron Hubbard published the fundamentals of Dianetics in 1950, prevailing scientific thought held that man’s mind was his brain, nothing more than a collection of cells and neurons. IQ was considered unimprovable and personality fixed. For more information about Dianetics, visit www.dianetics.org and/or buy and read the book Dianetics The Modern Science of Mental Health.

4. How does Scientology technology work?

The Scientology religion provides answers to many questions about life and death. It encompasses an exact, precisely mapped-out path. Through application of SCIENTOLOGY technology principles in a pastoral counseling session a person is able to remove barriers and unwanted conditions and so become more himself. As a person progresses, he often reaches out to help others in the ways he has been helped.
In developing Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard found the means to develop a technology to free the human spirit and thereby allow man to really know himself. He thoroughly tested all of his procedures and recorded for future use those that proved most workable in bringing about uniformly predictable results. These comprise standard Scientology technology.
That which is real to the person himself is all one is asked to accept of Scientology. No beliefs are forced upon him. By training and processing, he finds out for himself the answers he is looking for in life.

5. What does Scientology accomplish?

Scientology stresses the application and workability of its principles and techniques. When properly practiced, Scientology enables one to develop in all aspects of life, both spiritual and temporal. It addresses the individual and brings about greater happiness, self-confidence and ability by increasing a person's awareness and effectiveness in life. It differs from other religious philosophies in that it supplies the means through which a person can increase his ability to effectively resolve the problems and situations he and others face in life.

6. Does Scientology have a concept of God?

Most definitely. In Scientology, the concept of God is expressed as the urge toward existence as infinity, as God or the Supreme Being or Author of the Universe. Scientology's concept of God rests at the very apex of universal survival.

7. How do Scientologists view life?

As a game—a game in which everyone can win. Scientologists are optimistic about life and believe there is hope for a saner world and better civilization and are actively doing all they can to achieve this.

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8. Is Scientology a cult?

No. It is a religion in the fullest sense of the word.

" Cult" is usually meant in a disparaging sense to imply a secret or closed group with limited membership and mysterious beliefs. Religious scholars point out that the term has become almost meaningless, since its modern use reflects a growing prejudice against all religions. For example, a government report in Belgium labeled the Hasidic Jews and even the YWCA as "cults." The French Parliament included Baptists on their list.

Religions that grow and endure do so to the degree that they assist people in their spiritual lives. To fulfill this role, the Scientology scripture is fully codified, broadly published and available to anyone, and its churches and missions are always open to the public. Scientology is unique in that it does not require or tell anyone to "believe" anything. Rather, Scientology believes every individual should think for himself. In Scientology, what is true for the individual is only what he has observed personally and knows is true for him. Scientology is not authoritarian, but offers a technology one can use and then decide whether it works for him.

9. Who was L. Ron Hubbard?

L. Ron Hubbard is the founder of Dianetics and Scientology technologies and the author of the Scientology scripture. His research on the spirit, the mind and life is recorded in the tens of millions of words which comprise Dianetics and Scientology. His works cover subjects as diverse as drug rehabilitation, education, marriage and family, success at work, administration, art and many other aspects of life.

His best-selling book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health alone has sold tens of millions of copies and continues to appear on the New York Times and other bestseller lists around the world, nearly six decades after its original publication.

L. Ron Hubbard dedicated his life to helping others. He saw that this world had to change drastically, and he created a workable technology so that needed changes could occur.

Testimony to the effectiveness of his discoveries are the millions of happy and successful people and the hundreds of Dianetics and Scientology churches, missions and groups internationally. For more information on L. Ron Hubbard visit www.LRonHubbard.org.

10. What is study technology?

Study technology is the term given to the methods L. Ron Hubbard developed to enable individuals to study effectively. Learning the methods to grasp the materials of the Scientology scriptures is the first step in an individual's spiritual journey and renders the student better able to use and apply what he or she has learned. The "study tech," as it is sometimes referred to colloquially, can be applied by anyone to the study of any subject and in addition to its use in churches of Scientology it is broadly used in the secular world as well.

L. Ron Hubbard recognized the failings of modern education and training in 1950, many years before educational horror stories began to make headlines. He observed that students were simply unable to learn with comprehension. Sometimes they could repeat, parrot-fashion, what they had been taught, but were unable to apply the subject supposedly "learned" with any facility or understanding.

Mr. Hubbard then researched the subject and isolated the actual barriers to effective learning. He found that the problem was not overwork, crammed study schedules or incompetent teachers. Rather, he discovered that the main impediment to students' ability to retain and effectively use data was the absence of a technology of how to study.

Study technology is not a gimmicky "quick-study method," but an exact technology that anyone can use to learn a subject or to acquire a new skill. For more information about study technology visit www.appliedscholastics.org.

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