Scientology: To Be Perfectly Clear
Scientology, one of the largest and most influential cults, claims to have raised over sixteen thousand members up to a superhuman level of mental functioning known as “clear.” This paper presents a theory of how the cult can appear to have succeeded in accomplishing this task. We argue that clear h...
| Published in: | Sociological analysis |
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| Authors: | ; |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
1980
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| In: |
Sociological analysis
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| Online Access: |
Volltext (JSTOR) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Scientology, one of the largest and most influential cults, claims to have raised over sixteen thousand members up to a superhuman level of mental functioning known as “clear.” This paper presents a theory of how the cult can appear to have succeeded in accomplishing this task. We argue that clear has been transformed from a postulated objective state of being into a well-buttressed social status in the highly stratified social structure of the cult. Four strategies invented by the founder of Scientology encourage members to play the role associated with the clear status: (1) prohibition of independent creation and evaluation of clears, (2) development of a hierarchy of statuses below clear, (3) isolation of the preclear at the crucial stage in upward progress, (4) development of a hierarchy of statuses above clear. The Scientology processes supposedly able to make people clear are examples of modern magic—mental and symbolic exercises undertaken to accomplish the impossible—and therefore are highly subject to empirical disconfirmation. Despite the momemtary success of the cult's strategies to protect its magic, we suggest that Scientology may be forced to evolve more fully into a true religion that promises supernatural rewards which only can be obtained in a world beyond the senses. |
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| ISSN: | 2325-7873 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Sociological analysis
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/3709904 |