Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief

Last night I watched Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief. This documentary about the controversial organization was a little monotonous (certainly not as engaging as The Jinx!).

Because I had read A Queer and Pleasant Danger, I was already familiar with some of the stuff, about the audits and the levels, and the Sea Org, etc. Going Clear focuses on the voices of former Scientologists, many who had been in the religion or organization for decades. Their stories, about the absurdities and abuses, were very interesting. I would have liked to have heard from current, practicing Scientologists as well.

One of the things that particularly disturbed me is that once someone reaches the highest level they get a locked briefcase filled with the handwritten writings of the mad man, L. Ron Hubbard. This explains the creation myth about a world like 1950s America that gets taken over by an overlord and tons of bodies are frozen and dropped into the earth... very crazy shit. But, is it really any crazier than any other religion's creation myth?

My take on it is that Scientology is a mix of religion, psychological treatment, fascism, and science fiction.