Inside the Church of Scientology: Power, Secrecy and the Human Cost of Control

There is a familiar pattern to the stories told by former Scientologists. Many begin with a friendly offer of help, a free personality test, or a reassuring invitation into one of the Church’s gleaming buildings. At first glance, everything appears orderly, hopeful, even modern. But the endings of these stories often read very differently. Some end in estrangement from family members. Others end with people financially drained and psychologically shaken. And in more tragic cases, the story ends with someone losing their life.

Since the Church of Scientology was formally established in 1954, it has been surrounded by allegations of secrecy, aggressive retaliation, abusive practices, and deeply troubling behaviour toward its members and critics. Courts, journalists, government inquiries, former insiders and grieving families have described an organisation that does not behave like a conventional religion but instead resembles a corporatised, hard edged network that reacts to criticism with force and secrecy rather than transparency or reform.

The Church has always maintained that every accusation is false and that its critics are driven by bigotry or a coordinated conspiracy. Yet the consistency of testimonies across continents, decades and cultures tells a strikingly different story.

Money, Control and the Language of Religion

Scientology grew out of L Ron Hubbard’s 1950 book Dianetics, which promised a new form of mental cleansing. Within just a few years, Hubbard reframed his ideas as the foundation of a religion. Churches and missions sprang up across the United States, the UK and beyond. The Church identifies itself as a spiritual organisation devoted to self improvement and enlightenment, yet former members consistently describe a structure that felt more like a commercial enterprise.

Progress within Scientology is tied closely to payments. Members are required to purchase courses and auditing sessions, each taking them one step higher up what the Church calls the “Bridge to Total Freedom”. These sessions can end up costing tens or even hundreds of thousands over time. Many former Scientologists describe going into debt, maxing out credit cards, and remortgaging homes. They recall being pressured by staff to contribute money well beyond their means. Although the Church insists that contributions are voluntary, critics see the system as a carefully constructed financial trap that keeps members emotionally and economically tied to the organisation.

The notion of secrecy is tightly woven into these financial structures. Much of Scientology’s higher level material is intensely protected. The Church has long used copyright law to prevent outsiders from quoting or discussing its confidential teachings. Courts in several countries have criticised these efforts as attempts to silence scrutiny rather than protect genuine intellectual property.

An Aggressive War on Psychiatry

Scientology is fiercely opposed to psychiatry. Hubbard taught that psychiatrists were corrupt, abusive and dangerous, and that mental health issues could only be resolved through spiritual practices. The Church created an organisation devoted to promoting this message, known as the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, which presents classrooms and exhibitions highlighting the history of psychiatric mistreatment.

This hostility has had devastating consequences. Several high profile deaths have been linked to Scientology’s refusal to allow members to access psychiatric care. These cases illustrate how the Church’s teachings can override medical advice, leaving vulnerable individuals without the help they urgently need.

Lisa McPherson,

One of the most famous cases is that of Lisa McPherson, who died in 1995 while in the care of Scientologists in Clearwater, Florida. After a minor car accident, McPherson had an emotional breakdown and was taken to hospital. Scientologists intervened, removed her from medical care, and placed her in isolation under a procedure known as the Introspection Rundown. She was kept in a locked room for seventeen days. When she was finally taken to a hospital, she arrived severely dehydrated and died soon afterwards. Her body bore signs of insect bites and serious neglect. Although the criminal charges were eventually dropped, her family filed a wrongful death suit, which the Church settled. McPherson’s story became a symbol of Scientology’s unyielding opposition to psychiatry, even at the cost of a human life.

Another tragedy involved Elli Perkins, a glass artist and senior Scientologist from New York. Her son Jeremy suffered from untreated schizophrenia, but the family refused psychiatric treatment in accordance with Church teachings. Instead, they turned to vitamins and spiritual counselling. Jeremy’s condition worsened. In 2003, during a delusional episode, he fatally stabbed his mother. He was declared not responsible by reason of mental disease and placed in psychiatric care. His doctors later noted that his condition stabilised once he was given appropriate medical treatment.

Another chilling story revolves around university student Noah Lottick, who took his own life in 1990 after paying thousands of dollars for Scientology courses. His behaviour had become increasingly erratic, and his family believed that Scientology’s influence played a significant role in his psychological decline. The Church denied responsibility, but disputes with the family over unused payments added to their distress.

These tragedies demonstrate how rigid adherence to anti psychiatric doctrine can place vulnerable individuals at extreme risk.

A Culture of Attack and Retaliation

Perhaps the most defining characteristic of Scientology’s behaviour is its approach to criticism. Hubbard wrote extensively on how to deal with opponents. His instructions were explicit: do not negotiate, do not apologise, do not try to explain. Instead, strike back with maximum force and make life as difficult as possible for the critic.

This strategy became known publicly as “Fair Game”. In an internal document from the 1960s, Hubbard wrote that anyone declared an enemy of Scientology “may be deprived of property or injured by any means” and “may be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed”. The Church later removed the term Fair Game from its policies, not because the practice had changed but because the phrase created poor public relations. Former members consistently testify that the behaviour itself continued.

Journalists, authors, academics and former Scientologists have all described being subjected to surveillance, legal threats, smear campaigns and harassment. Some found private investigators following them. Others discovered leaflets distributed in their neighbourhood with false allegations about their personal lives. Families have had strangers appear at their homes asking intrusive questions. People have reported being photographed, shouted at, or intimidated in public.

One of the most notorious cases involved Paulette Cooper, a writer who published a critical book about Scientology in the 1970s. Internal Church documents later revealed a covert plan called Operation Freakout, designed to frame her for crimes and drive her to emotional collapse. The plan involved fabricated threats, attempts to implicate her in bomb plots, and strategies aimed at destroying her reputation. These details only came to light when the FBI raided Scientology offices during an unrelated investigation.

The Church also brought enormous lawsuits against major media outlets, such as a four hundred million dollar suit against Time magazine after it published a critical article. The case was eventually dismissed, but only after years of pressure.

These behaviours form a pattern that critics describe as harassment dressed in religious language.

Brainwashing Allegations and Internal Punishments

For decades, Scientology has been accused of using coercive psychological methods. In the mid 1960s the Anderson Report, commissioned by the government of Victoria in Australia, concluded that Scientology’s techniques resembled brainwashing. Former members have described intense confession sessions, sleep deprivation, social isolation and emotional pressure.

A particularly controversial form of internal discipline is the Rehabilitation Project Force, which operates within the Sea Organisation, Scientology’s elite management corps. Former participants recall conditions that felt like psychological punishment. They describe long hours of manual labour, limited sleep, humiliating confession rituals and complete separation from family. The Church maintains that the programme is voluntary and spiritual.

Other former executives have described being confined in a facility known as “The Hole” at the Church’s California headquarters. Accounts of this environment include mass confessions, shouting sessions, physical intimidation, and weeks or months of confinement. Again, the Church denies that these descriptions are accurate.

Disconnection and the Destruction of Families

One of the most painful aspects of Scientology’s structure is the practice of disconnection. Members are encouraged, and sometimes instructed, to cut all contact with anyone labelled a “suppressive person”. Many families have been torn apart as a result. Parents have been cut out of their children’s lives. Long marriages have ended abruptly. Adult children have refused to attend funerals. Former members often say that disconnection was the most damaging experience of their lives, describing years of emotional grief and isolation.

The Church defends the practice on religious grounds, likening it to shunning in other faiths. Critics argue that Scientology uses disconnection as a method of control, ensuring that members who question its authority face the devastating prospect of losing their entire social world.

The Mystery of Shelly Miscavige

Shelly Miscavige

The most unsettling example of Scientology’s secrecy concerns Shelly Miscavige, wife of the Church’s leader, David Miscavige. Shelly was once a visible and high ranking figure within the organisation. Around 2007 she disappeared from public view. Her absence has never been adequately explained.

In 2013, actress Leah Remini filed a missing person report after being told repeatedly by Church officials that she had no right to ask questions. The police closed the case swiftly, but did not make any public statement about having seen Shelly. Former Scientologists insist that Shelly’s disappearance is profoundly abnormal given her position. As of 2024, no independently verified public sighting has been made in nearly two decades.

Criminal Convictions and Government Investigations

Although Scientology often portrays itself as a persecuted minority religion, numerous authorities around the world have investigated the Church’s activities. Several major cases have resulted in convictions.

The most significant was Operation Snow White in the late 1970s, in which Scientology conducted the largest known infiltration of the US government by a non state group. Members broke into federal offices, stole documents, and monitored officials. Eleven Scientologists, including Mary Sue Hubbard, were convicted. L Ron Hubbard was named an unindicted co conspirator.

In other countries including France, Canada, Belgium and Spain, Scientology organisations or officials have faced charges ranging from fraud to breach of public trust. Some convictions have resulted in fines or suspended sentences. Several governments classify Scientology as a dangerous cult rather than a religion.

Celebrities and Preferential Treatment

Scientology has invested heavily in attracting celebrities, believing that their endorsement enhances legitimacy. Former staff have described extraordinary efforts made to accommodate high profile members. Accounts include private cottages, personal chefs, exclusive training spaces and lavish landscaping projects created specifically for famous Scientologists. Some recall entire work crews staying up through the night to meet a leader’s aesthetic preferences for the use of a celebrity couple, only to have the entire project torn up and redone.

These accounts reinforce a view of Scientology as an organisation structured around hierarchy, privilege and image rather than equality or spirituality.

The Free Zone and Attempts to Control Hubbard’s Teachings

Outside the official Church, groups exist that practise Hubbard’s methods independently. Known collectively as the Free Zone, these groups argue that Scientology has drifted away from Hubbard’s original ideas. The Church has repeatedly attempted to suppress their existence through trademark and copyright litigation. Members of the Free Zone avoid certain words and symbols to evade legal action.

Personality Tests and Psychological Manipulation

Scientology frequently offers personality tests as a recruitment tool. The most common, the Oxford Capacity Analysis, is not recognised by psychologists. Experts have criticised it as a deliberately misleading instrument designed to lower a person’s self esteem before inviting them to begin Scientology courses. In one high profile incident, the death of Kaja Ballo in 2008 was linked by her family to an extremely negative test result. The Church denied any responsibility.

Scientology’s Explanation for Its Behaviour

The Church maintains that it is a persecuted faith under constant attack. According to its doctrine, all critics have secret criminal histories. Hubbard taught that the correct response to criticism is to investigate the critic, expose their wrongdoings, and convince the world that the critic is corrupt. This belief is repeatedly cited by former members as the philosophical engine behind Scientology’s most aggressive actions.

A Pattern Too Consistent to Ignore

Scientology denies every allegation ever made against it. Yet across decades, countries and cultures, a consistent narrative emerges from former insiders, grieving families, law enforcement, journalists and courts. The details change, but the pattern remains the same. It is a story of secrecy, of pressure, of financial exploitation, of psychological manipulation, of families torn apart, of critics harassed, of vulnerable people harmed, and of an extraordinary resistance to transparency.

Whether Scientology views itself as a religion, a philosophy or a spiritual technology, its impact on thousands of people has left scars that stretch far beyond its glossy buildings and carefully crafted public statements.

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