1 20th Century Spiritual LeadersPart 2: Second part of the century
2 Today’s list Paramahansa Yogananda and the Self-Realization movementBhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and the Hare Krishna movement Sun Yung Moon and the Unification Church L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology
3 Paramahansa YoganandaBorn Mukunda Lal Ghosh in 1893, near Calcutta, India, to devout family Exceptional spiritual awareness as a child Met his guru, Swami Yukteswar Giri, at age 17 – describes meeting as a rekindling of a relationship that had lasted many lifetimes Earned a Bachelor’s degree at age 22 from college close to guru’s ashram Took monastic vows at this time and given new name paramahansa, is a Sanskrit religio-theological title of honor applied to Hindu spiritual teachers who are regarded as having attained enlightenment. The title literally means "supreme swan," and symbolizes spiritual discrimination. Yogananda is a Sanskrit title meaning "divine union with God through yoga.
4 Paramahansa YoganandaYukteswar tells Yogananda that he had been sent to him by Mahavatar Babaji to bring Kriya Yoga to the west Mahavatar Babaji visits Yogananda right before he leaves for the United States Traveled to the US at age 27 (1920) and establishes Self-Realization Fellowship Sets up headquarters in Los Angeles in 1925; lived in this area until his death Thousands hear him speak and become followers prompting FBI to put him on watch list Mahavatar" means "great avatar", and "Babaji" simply means "revered father In his book The Second Coming of Christ, Yogananda states that Jesus Christ went to India and conferred with Mahavatar Babaji. This would make Babaji at least 2000 years old Yogananda was the first Hindu teacher of yoga to spend a major portion of his life in America. He lived there from 1920—1952, interrupted by an extended trip abroad in 1935–1936 which was mainly to visit his guru. He is credited with bringing yoga to the west
5 Self-realization aimsTo teach scientific techniques for attaining direct personal experience of God To teach that the purpose of life is the evolution, through self-effort, of man’s limited mortal consciousness into God Consciousness To reveal the complete harmony and basic oneness of original Christianity as taught by Jesus Christ and original Yoga as taught by Bhagavan Krishna To point out the one divine highway to which all paths of true religious beliefs eventually lead To establish Self-Realization Fellowship temples for God-communion throughout the world, and to encourage the establishment of individual temples of God in the homes and in the hearts of men. Yogananda wrote the Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You and God Talks With Arjuna — The Bhagavad Gita' to reveal the complete harmony and basic oneness of original Christianity as taught by Jesus Christ and original Yoga as taught by Bhagavan Krishna; and to show that these principles of truth are the common scientific foundation of all true religions.
6 Self-realization aimsTo liberate man from his threefold suffering: physical disease, mental inharmonies, and spiritual ignorance To spread a spirit of brotherhood among all peoples by teaching the eternal basis of their unity To demonstrate the superiority of mind over body, of soul over mind To overcome evil by good, sorrow by joy, cruelty by kindness, ignorance by wisdom To encourage “plain living and high thinking”; and to spread a spirit of brotherhood among all peoples by teaching the eternal basis of their unity: kinship with God.
7 Self-realization aimsTo unite science and religion through realization of the unity of their underlying principles To advocate cultural and spiritual understanding between East and West, and the exchange of their finest distinctive features To serve mankind as one’s larger Self To teach Kriya Yoga techniques In his published work, The Self-Realization Fellowship Lessons, Yogananda gives "his in-depth instruction in the practice of the highest yoga science of God-realization. That ancient science is embodied in the specific principles and meditation techniques of Kriya Yoga." Yogananda taught his students the need for direct experience of truth, as opposed to blind belief. He said that "The true basis of religion is not belief, but intuitive experience. Intuition is the soul's power of knowing God. To know what religion is really all about, one must know God
8 Kriya Yoga Mentally directs life energy to revolve, upward and downward, around the six spinal centers Medullary, cervical, dorsal, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal plexuses The energy in the spinal centers correspond to the twelve astral signs of the zodiac, the symbolic Cosmic Man. One-half minute of revolution of energy around each of the sensitive spinal cord centers of man effects subtle progress in his evolution The half-minute practices of Kriya equals one year of natural spiritual unfoldment. It brings God's love into operation in the devotee's life
9 Autobiography of a YogiAutobiography of a Yogi published in 1946 Designated as one of the “100 Most Important Spiritual Books of the 20th Century” Steve Jobs re-read the book every year; he first read it as a teen-ager George Harrison said he would be a “terrible person” without this book More than 500 Self-Realization temples around the world After Yogananda’s death the Self-Realization Fellowship has been led by a succession of women designated one of the "100 Most Important Spiritual Books of the 20th Century" by a panel of spiritual authors convened by Philip Zaleski and HarperCollins publishers
10 A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and the Hare Krishna movementBorn Abhay Charan De in Calcutta, in 1896, into devout Hindu family Graduated from European led college in 1920 Refused diploma in support of Ghandi’s independence movement Married at age 22 Wife was 11 at time Wife gave birth to first child at age 14 Age 26 met his spiritual master Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura the words Bhakti, indicating devotion and Vedanta indicating conclusive knowledge Prabhupāda, is a Sanskrit title, literally meaning "he who has taken the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord" where prabhu denotes "Lord", and pāda means "taking shelter." Also, "at whose feet masters sit". In 1922, when he first met his spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, he was requested to spread the message of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the English language. In 1933 he became a formally initiated disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta. In 1944, (from his front room at Sita Kanta Banerjee, Calcutta), he started the publication called Back to Godhead,[23][24] for which he acted as writer, designer, publisher, editor, copy editor and distributor. He personally designed the logo, an effulgent figure of Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the upper left corner, with the motto: "Godhead is Light, Nescience is darkness" greeting the readers.[25] In his first magazine he wrote: Under the circumstances since 1936 up to now, I was simply speculating whether I shall venture this difficult task and that without any means and capacity; but as none have discouraged me, I have now taken courage to take up the work. — A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Back to Godhead magazine (Vol.1, 1–4, 1944 In 1947, the Gaudiya Vaishnava Society recognized his scholarship with the title Bhaktivedanta
11 A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and the Hare Krishna movementAge 37 became an initiate of his master Age 48 wrote, edited, designed, published, and distributed his first book Given first title “Bhaktivedanta” in 1947, age 53; Second title in 1967 Still owned a pharmaceutical business at age 54 Vow of renunciation at age 63; devoted to full-time writing Founded ISKCON – International Society for Krishna Consciousness in 1966 Vow of renunciation - renounce worldly and materialistic pursuits and dedicate their lives to spiritual pursuits
12 Hare Krishna movement Began 500 years ago by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, considered by the movement to be an incarnation of Krishna Goal is to preach the way of Bhakti, or love of God The essential scripture for the movement is the 5000-year-old Bhagavad Gita Other names for the movement” Gaudiya Vaishnavism Chaitanya Vaishnavism Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the 16th-century mystic, scholar and social reformer, is accepted by Vedic scriptural evidence to be the Supreme God Himself incarnated on earth to preach the way of Bhakti or love of God. Bhagavad Gita, spoken by Lord Krishna, God Himself, explains that religious principles, although beginningless, are revived periodically by Him or His authorized representative only, the purpose remaining the same, although due to time, culture and circumstances, the details emphasized may vary. Vaishnavism means "the worship of Vishnu or Krishna
13 Hare Krishna practices & beliefsChanting of Radha and Krishna's holy names, such as "Hare", "Krishna" and "Rama“ Considers itself monotheistic, all gods incarnates of one supreme God, best named Krishna Inconceivable oneness and difference The soul is identical to God, but the quantity differs; i.e., God’s soul is bigger This belief bridges Hindu monism (God and soul are one) and Hindu dualism (God and the soul are separate) Dualism evident in practice – Krishna worshipped as a Supreme person Radha and Krishna are the combination of both the feminine as well as the masculine aspects of God worship takes the form of singing Radha and Krishna's holy names, such as "Hare", "Krishna" and "Rama", most commonly in the form of the Hare Krishna (mantra), also known as kirtan. classifies itself as a monotheistic tradition, seeing the many forms of Vishnu or Krishna as expansions or incarnations of the one Supreme God from the Bhagavad Gita Aruna speaks to Krishna, saying: "You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth. You are the eternal, transcendental, original person, the unborn, the greatest. All the great sages such as Narada, Asita, Devala and Vyasa confirm this truth about You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me A particularly distinct part of the Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy espoused by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the concept of Achintya Bheda Abheda, which translates to "inconceivable oneness and difference" in the context of the soul's relationship with Krishna,[11] and also Krishna's relationship with his other energies (i.e. the material world).[12] In quality, the soul (jiva) is described as being identical to God, but in terms of quantity individual jivas are said to be infinitesimal in comparison to the unlimited Supreme Being. The exact nature of this relationship (being simultaneously one and different with Krishna) is inconceivable to the human mind, but can be experienced through the process of Bhakti yoga. This philosophy serves as a meeting of two opposing schools of Hindu philosophy, pure monism (God and the soul as one entity) and pure dualism (God and the soul as absolutely separate). In practice Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy has much more in common with the dualistic schools, as Krishna is worshiped as a Supreme person.
14 Hare Krishna practices & beliefsMoses, Jesus, and Mohammad are empowered representatives of God with essentially the same message as Krishna Hare Krishna (mantra) is chanted on a daily basis, sometimes for many hours each day Lacto vegetarian diet, abstaining from all types of animal flesh, including fish and eggs No drugs or caffiene
15 Bhaktivedanta Spreading the wordCame to New York in1965 to fulfill promise to guru of spreading the teachings to the world No sponsor in the US; was not met by anyone; had very limited funds By 1967 opened up centers in New York and San Francisco and attracted a very large following Traveled around the world over 14 times Many temples and farms established by ISKCON One farm in Juniata County
16 Legacy of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupadaOver 60 volumes of translations classic Vedic scriptures Founded the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Won praise from top scholars for their depth and clarity Built temples all over the world Indian government issued a commemorative stamp in his honor of his 100 birthday Some believe his death at age 81 to be from poison A split in the organization after his death Lawsuit on the rights to books If the Bhagavad Gita, the holy text of the Hindu traditions, is printed in millions of copies and scores of languages and distributed in all nooks and corners of the world, the credit for this great sacred service goes chiefly to ISKCON. For this accomplishment alone, Indians should be eternally grateful to the devoted spiritual army of Swami Prabhupada the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, which claims to be the world's largest publisher of ancient and classical Vaishnava religious texts
17 Sun Yung Moon & the Unification ChurchBorn in (North) Korea (under Japanese rule) in 1920 Family converted to Christianity in 1923 Vision, age 16: Jesus asks him to complete his unfinished work Studied electrical engineering in Japan at age 21 Excommunicated in 1946 for preaching his beliefs Moon says that on Easter morning at the age of 16, he had a vision in which Jesus asked him to complete his unfinished work as messiah, which is to bring the Kingdom of God to mankind and peace on earth. Accepting this call, Moon studied the Bible and other religious teachings and developed his complex doctrines about God, love, sin and the means of salvation.
18 Sun Yung Moon & the Unification ChurchImprisoned by North Korea in 1947 for treason; served three years Escaped and fled to South Korea in 1950 Founded Unification Church in Seoul, South Korea in 1954 Officially named the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity Business - armaments, paint, machinery, and ginseng tea - flourished in early church and enabled him to spread his message One of Moon's early converts would come to be tremendously influential in the spread of Unificationism in America. Young Oon Kim, known as Miss Kim, was prone to seeing visions in her youth and came to believe she had a religious role of importance to fulfill in the world. She was especially interested in the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg (which influenced New Thought), and even reported receiving visits from him in visions. Miss Kim met Reverend Moon in 1954, converted to Unificationism, and became the first missionary of the Unification Church to the United States. She settled in Eugene, Oregon, in 1959, where she was student at the University of Oregon in order to stay in the United States. She worked to support her expenses and in her spare time proselytized and began translating the Divine Principle into English. She gained a few followers, and the group relocated to San Francisco Meanwhile, Sang Ik Choi led the movement in Japan beginning in He had much success in prosyletizing, especially among high school and college students, and he employed a very systematic approach to gaining converts and then training them in Japan.
19 Sun Yung Moon & the Unification ChurchMoved his operations to the upstate New York in 1973 Became a player in US politics; gave highly visible public speeches Recruited youth of the counter-culture, called “Moonies” Moonies sold candles and flowers to support the church Lived in communal situations; poor conditions Seen by many as a brain-washing cult; members kidnapped and deprogrammed Reverend Moon began to get involved with politics, and his strong anti-communist feelings and his willingness to spend his money strategically gained him acceptance into many political circles. Moon give a series of public speeches, including one in Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1974 and two in 1976: In Yankee Stadium in New York City, and on the grounds of the Washington Monument in Washington D.C., where he spoke on "God's Hope for America." Moon was an outspoken supporter of Richard Nixon throughout the Watergate scandal, taking out ads on his behalf and holding a rally in Washington. sociologist specializing in religion, studied Unification Church members in England. She concluded that the Unification Church did not use brainwashing for conversion and published her findings in the b A study examined 190 US newspaper articles about former members during the early years of the Unification Church, 1974 to They counted 709 "atrocity tales". The most common was psychological violation of personal freedom and autonomy. Such articles were used by some to justify kidnapping Unification Church members and forcibly deprogramming them.ook The Making of a Moonie: Choice or Brainwashing? (1984).
20 Sun Yung Moon & the Unification ChurchIn 1978, Congressional committee concluded the church wanted to establish and rule a worldwide government In 1981, the tax-exempt status for the church was revoked; reason citing the purpose was primarily political In 1982, Moon convicted of tax evasion and sentenced to 18 months in prison Fellow prisoners have called him humble, hard-working, and joyful Followers have called trial religious persecution In 1978, a Congressional subcommittee issued a report that included the results of its investigation into the UC, and into other organizations associated with Moon. Among its other conclusions, the subcommittee's report stated that "Among the goals of the Moon Organization is the establishment of a worldwide government in which the separation of church and state would be abolished and which would be governed by Moon and his followers." In 1981 the Unification Church's bid for U.S. tax-exempt status as a religious organization was denied when an appellate court ruled that the church's primary purpose was political rather than religious. In 1982 Moon was convicted of tax evasion, sentenced to 18 months in prison, and fined $25,000. He began serving his term in 1984, and some fellow prisoners have written statements describing him as humble, hardworking and joyful. His followers, as well as many non-Unification religious leaders, regarded the trial as religious persecution by the government.
21 Sun Yung Moon & the Unification ChurchIn 1992, Moon reveals that he is the return of Jesus, predicted by the Bible In 1994, Moon established the International Federation for World Peace In 1998, expose of Moon family written by former daughter-in-law In 2004, Moon tricked members of Congress into attended a ceremony in a Senate building in which Moon was crowned “King of Peace” Moon died in 2012; his wife (20 years younger) took over leadership; two sons split off and formed their own organizations Claims to have 3 million members worldwide; other sources say maybe one million or less The church was also hurt when Nansook Hong left her husband Hyo Jin (son of Rev. and Mrs. Moon) and in 1998 wrote an exposé of life in the Moon family, In the Shadow of the Moons. This is perhaps the most serious issue facing the Unification Church, since its theology centers on the belief that Moon's children are sinless. But Nansook Hong wrote that Hyo Jin, who grew up in luxurious surroundings and rarely saw his busy parents, was physically and emotionally abusive and addicted to cocaine and pornography Co-host with Nation of Islam at Million Family March in Washington, DC Co-host with Depak Chopra and United Nations at event in United Nations headquarters in 2010 and 2012 Moon made a long speech after being crowned “King of Peace” which included the statements: "Emperors, kings and presidents... have declared to all Heaven and Earth that Reverend Sun Myung Moon is none other than humanity's Savior, Messiah, Returning Lord and True Parent." "The founders of five great religions and many other leaders in the spirit world, including even Communist leaders such as Marx and Lenin... and dictators such as Hitler and Stalin, have found strength in my teachings, mended their ways and been reborn as new persons." The event, which also gave state and national "crowns of peace," was organized by the Unification Church. The members of the Congress who attended said they were misled about the content of the event . Very little press on the event. His acolytes continued to exercise considerable political power in South Korea, and to proclaim the imminent dawn of Moon’s new kingdom of heaven. But the family members who stepped up to take his crown proved far less charismatic and far more interested in modernizing the church, making it cool, than in spreading the messages to which followers had grown accustomed. Within about a year, another wave of scandals about Moon’s own infidelity, the clear failure of the Reverend’s visions, and timelines for earth’s spiritual renewal, and the wishy-washy direction of his predecessors had torpedoed membership down to perhaps 15,000 to 25,000 adherents. Rev. Moon's eldest surviving son, Hyun Jin (Preston), split from the Church and formed the Global Peace Movement in His youngest son, Hyung Jin (Sean) split from the Church and organized the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary, a.k.a. the Sanctuary Church in Newfoundland, PA.
22 Divine Principles: Unification Church teachingsDivine Principles: a book co-written by Moon and follower; published in 1966 One of the main purposes of the Unification Church is to unite all of the fragments of Christianity into a single body Celibacy before marriage. No tobacco or alcohol. Work long hours (for church) Must earn salvation through fasting, fund raising, recruitment The church becomes a member’s whole life Members must remain celibate before marriage, abstain from tobacco and alcohol, and work long hours. The group can become their whole life, the source of their religious, cultural, social, and other support systems. If they become disillusioned by some aspect of the church, this some unusually dedicated members can find it very difficult to leave the organization and abandon these support networks. When they do leave, they are often angry with themselves and the church, believing that they have wasted perhaps years of their life within the group. This problem is common to all high intensity/high demand denominations which require major commitment to the group. e.g. Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, and (for priests and nuns) the Roman Catholic Church. Divine Principles lays out the core of Unification theology, and is held by believers to have the status of Holy Scripture. In 1977 representatives from the American Jewish Committee, the National Council of Churches, and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York held a press conference to say that the Divine Principle contains antisemitic references and heresy
23 Divine Principles: Unification Church teachingsReject the Trinity; Jesus divine, but not God The Holy Spirit is not a person; it represents God’s feminine side Adam and Eve Spiritual fall when Eve had sex with Satan Physical fall when Eve and Adam had pre-marital sex Jesus’s resurrection made spiritual salvation possible, but his death prevented physical salvation The Third Adam’s perfect marriage will make physical salvation possible
24 Divine Principles: Unification Church teachingsEverything in nature comes in pairs Jesus was supposed to marry the perfect feminine to complete the perfect pair Moon’s purpose is to finish that job; third Adam Moon’s family was touted as pure and perfect Joining followers into perfect marriages a big part of the church “Mass marriages” – thousands; couples only meet short time (or not at all) before service male and female, positive and negative charges, arteries and veins, and so on Moon = the third Adam, Adam = first, Jesus = second Moon says that Jesus failed at the First Coming, but he (Moon) will not! (speech on 8/24/92) "He [God] is living in me and I am the incarnation of Himself. ... The whole world is in my hand, and I will conquer and subjugate the world." "God is now throwing Christianity away and is now establishing a new religion, and this new religion is the Unification Church." "All the Christians in the world are destined to be absorbed by our movement." "There have been saints, prophets, many religious leaders in past human history. Master here [Moon] is more than any of those people and greater than Jesus himself." "I [Moon] am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end." "God and man are one. Man is incarnate God,” The term "Mass Marriage" is actually a misnomer, but that is what they are popularly known as. In reality, no one is being married in these mass wedding spectacles. Instead, the "Blessing," as Moonies refer to this event, is a religious ceremony and not actual weddings. Though they are dressed as brides and grooms and repeat marriage vows at these events, the ones that intend to be husband and wife will have to obtain marriage licenses from whatever jurisdiction they reside in. In former years, only those couples that Sun Myung Moon had matched (Moon chose usually complete strangers who would then become husband and wife based on Moon's selection) or those who had passed very stringent qualifications (including from 3 to 7 years of celibacy before marriage) would be allowed to be 'blessed' by Moon. In recent years, these events are often billed as a 'recommitment of marriage' to unsuspecting participants
25 Unification church PersonaNY Times said the church was a combination of : Pentecostal Christianity, Eastern mysticism, Anti-Communism, Pop psychology, Metaphysics Owns United Press International Doesn’t believe in baptism and communion Does believe in clairvoyance, automatic handwriting, and mediumistic trances. Moon participated in séances In 1976, The New York Times made the following astute observation about Moon and the Unification Church: "While church members accept Moon's theology as revealed truth, non-members generally find it a mind-boggling mixture of Pentecostal Christianity, Eastern mysticism, anti-Communism, pop psychology, and metaphysics." Below are the highlights of what the Moonies believe concerning their source of authority, Biblical interpretation, the fall of man, the occult, sin, Christ, salvation, the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, marriage, eschatology, and heaven and hell:
26 L. Ron hubbard and scientologyBorn in 1911 in Nebraska. Early years in Montana in middle class family. Father joined military when he was six. They moved around the country and world. Traveled throughout far east in his teens. Poor student. Studied engineering per father. Dropped out. Started successful writing career in his 20s (1930s). Pulp fiction magazines Best known for science fiction. First book in Movie scripts soon after. Many Biographical statements on Scientology website have been found to be false I use Wikipedia 16,000 word article that has 364 footnotes and over 20 references on L. Ron Hubbard. The Wikipedia page was last updated Nov 30, 2016 There is also a 13,000 word article on the beliefs of Scientology with 447 footnotes and as many references, and an article on the Church of Scientology organization also with staggering numbers of notes and words. Scientology accounts say that he "studied nuclear physics at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., before he started his studies about the mind, spirit and life" and Hubbard himself stated that he "set out to find out from nuclear physics a knowledge of the physical universe, something entirely lacking in Asian philosophy". His university records indicate that his exposure to "nuclear physics" consisted of one class in "atomic and molecular phenomena" for which he earned an "F" grade.
27 L. Ron hubbard and scientologyWrote the book – Excalibur – in 1938, after “near-death experience” while under drug (nitrous oxide?) for dental procedure; everything is survival Served in the Naval Reserve and Navy during WWII Command of two ships – both times relieved of command as unfit Dropped depth charges on imaginary Japanese subs? Attacked Mexican islands Ended military career in long stay in hospital for ulcer? In 1945, Collaborated with Jack Parsons, occultist and member of Ordo Templi Orientis Created sex magic ritual called “Babalon Working” "died" for eight minutes. Gerry Armstrong, Hubbard's archivist, explains this as a dental extraction performed under nitrous oxide, a chemical known for its hallucinogenic effects Excalibur was the precursor to Dianetics. It was never published. The idea of “one command” first appeared in this. It forms the basis of Scientology beliefs. Hubbard believed that Excalibur would "revolutionize everything" and that "it was somewhat more important, and would have a greater impact upon people, than the Bible." It proposed that all human behavior could be explained in terms of survival and that to understand survival was to understand life. As Hubbard biographer Jon Atack notes, "the notion that everything that exists is trying to survive became the basis of Dianetics and Scientology sent telegrams to several book publishers, telling them that he had written 'THE book' and that they were to meet him at Penn Station, and he would discuss it with them and go with whomever gave him the best offer." However, nobody bought the manuscript. Forrest J Ackerman, later Hubbard's literary agent, recalled that Hubbard told him "whoever read it either went insane or committed suicide. And he said that the last time he had shown it to a publisher in New York, he walked into the office to find out what the reaction was, the publisher called for the reader, the reader came in with the manuscript, threw it on the table and threw himself out of the skyscraper window.” Quote from Hubbard on book: “Sooner or later Excalibur will be published and I may have a chance to get some name recognition out of it so as to pave the way to articles and comments which are my ideas of writing heaven ... Foolishly perhaps, but determined none the less, I have high hopes of smashing my name into history so violently that it will take a legendary form even if all books are destroyed. That goal is the real goal as far as I am concerned.” Fired on Coronado Islands – friendly territory Claimed to have made scientific breakthrough on endocrine system during military hospital stay Parsons used his "magical wand" to whip up a vortex of energy so the elemental would be summoned. Translated into plain English, Parsons jerked off in the name of spiritual advancement whilst Hubbard (referred to as "The Scribe" in the diary of the event) scanned the astral plane for signs and visions.[137]
28 L. Ron hubbard and scientologyIn 1950, published Dianetics – the seminal work for Scientology Uses auditors (therapists?) that guide individuals (patients?) through past traumatic events to remove engrams left by these events Purported to lead to more rational approach to living Largely consistent with prevailing, popular approach in psychology Methodology used in Dianetics was submitted by Hubbard’s physician brother-in-law to JAMA and AJP but was rejected Six months on NY Times best-seller list; best-selling non-Christian religious book of the 20th century The therapy method presented in Dianetics was very similar to that being used at the time by humanist psychologists; nothing new here – according to many critics
29 L. Ron hubbard and scientologyIn 1951 Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation formed; Hubbard on lecture circuit Reincarnation introduced into the practice; thetans – immortal beings, analogous to the soul Electrodermal activity meter (e-meter) introduced as aid to auditor NJ Board of Medical Examiners charged Hubbard with practicing medicine w/o license In 1952 Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation filed for bankruptcy Scientology formed, became a religion in the next year Hubbard wanting Dianetics to be a science, but when he failed to establish it as such, he took the route of religion to allow him to keep practicing and pushing his ideas.
30 L. Ron hubbard and scientologyMaking $250,000 per year by 1959 Moved to estate in Sussex, England in 1959 By the end of the ‘60s he moved on board his yacht to avoid controversies and legal woes Controversies and legal woes the rest of his life… too many to know where to start - AMA, APA, BBB, DOJ, FDA, IRS and those are only those in the US Internal Revenue Service withdrew the Washington, D.C. Church of Scientology's tax exemption after it found that Hubbard and his family were profiting unreasonably from Scientology's ostensibly non-profit income.[240] The Food and Drug Administration took action against Scientology's medical claims, seizing thousands of pills being marketed as "radiation cures"[249] as well as publications and E-meters. The Church of Scientology was required to label them as being "ineffective in the diagnosis or treatment of disease".[250] It faced particularly hostile scrutiny in Victoria, Australia, where it was accused of brainwashing, blackmail, extortion and damaging the mental health of its members.[252] The Victorian state government established a Board of Inquiry into Scientology in November 1963.[253] Its report, published in October 1965, condemned every aspect of Scientology and Hubbard himself. He was described as being of doubtful sanity, having a persecution complex and displaying strong indications of paranoid schizophrenia with delusions of grandeur.
31 L. Ron hubbard and scientologyOperations on Sea Org fleet during late ’60s and early ’70s, eventually banned in ports Fleet conditions were terrible at times Became very vindictive against people leaving the cult Scientology “beliefs” still being developed throughout the period “Wall of Fire” – 75 planet Confederacy, 75 million years ago Xenu, Galactic Confederacy leader shipped billions of people to Earth, blew them up with H-bombs Traumatized spirits stuck together at “implant stations” [Hubbard] said we had to keep moving because there were so many people after him. If they caught up with him they would cause him so much trouble that he would be unable to continue his work, Scientology would not get into the world and there would be social and economic chaos, if not a nuclear holocaust. Scientologists around the world were presented with a glamorous picture of life in the Sea Org and many applied to join Hubbard aboard the fleet.[285] What they found was rather different from the image. Most of those joining had no nautical experience at all.[285] Mechanical difficulties and blunders by the crews led to a series of embarrassing incidents and near-disasters. Following one incident in which the rudder of the Royal Scotman was damaged during a storm, Hubbard ordered the ship's entire crew to be reduced to a "condition of liability" and wear gray rags tied to their arms.[286] The ship itself was treated the same way, with dirty tarpaulins tied around its funnel to symbolize its lower status. According to those aboard, conditions were appalling; the crew was worked to the point of exhaustion, given meagre rations and forbidden to wash or change their clothes for several weeks.[287] Hubbard maintained a harsh disciplinary regime aboard the fleet, punishing mistakes by confining people in the Royal Scotman's bilge tanks without toilet facilities and with food provided in buckets.[288] At other times erring crew members were thrown overboard with Hubbard looking on and, occasionally, filming.[289] David Mayo, a Sea Org member at the time, later recalled: We tried not to think too hard about his behavior. It was not rational much of the time, but to even consider such a thing was a discreditable thought and you couldn't allow yourself to have a discreditable thought. One of the questions in a sec[urity] check was, "Have you ever had any unkind thoughts about LRH?" and you could get into very serious trouble if you had. So you tried hard not to OT3, the "Wall of Fire", revealing the secrets of an immense disaster that had occurred "on this planet, and on the other seventy-five planets which form this Confederacy, seventy-five million years ago".[282] Scientologists were required to undertake the first two OT levels before learning how Xenu, the leader of the Galactic Confederacy, had shipped billions of people to Earth and blown them up with hydrogen bombs, following which their traumatized spirits were stuck together at "implant stations", brainwashed with false memories and eventually became contained within human beings.
32 L. Ron hubbard and scientologyWent into hiding to avoid prison and fines Wrote more Sci-Fi – Battlefield Earth and other best sellers Still exercised control of his church Directed the Guardian Office to find and destroy anything that put him or Scientology in a bad light Died in California, living in luxury RV on 160 acre ranch Mission Earth, a ten-volume series published between 1985 and 1987
33 L. Ron hubbard legacy Hubbard in Guinness records asMost published author of all times, 1,084 works Most translated book The Way to Happiness – 70 languages In a ruling in favor of a biographer being sued by Scientology, Judge Paul G. Breckenridge said of Hubbard He was a pathological liar Writings reflect egoism, greed, avarice, lust for power, and vindictiveness He was charismatic and highly capable of motivating, organizing, controlling, and manipulating In October 1984 Judge Paul G. Breckenridge ruled in favor of Gerry Armstrong's (biographer of Hubbard being sued by Scientology) saying: The evidence portrays a man who has been virtually a pathological liar when it comes to his history, background and achievements. The writings and documents in evidence additionally reflect his egoism, greed, avarice, lust for power, and vindictiveness and aggressiveness against persons perceived by him to be disloyal or hostile. At the same time it appears that he is charismatic and highly capable of motivating, organizing, controlling, manipulating and inspiring his adherents. He has been referred to during the trial as a "genius," a "revered person," a man who was "viewed by his followers in awe." Obviously, he is and has been a very complex person and that complexity is further reflected in his alter ego, the Church of Scientology.[363]