I recently finished reading the most fascinating and disturbing book I have read in a very long time. Think Scientology is a harmless fad? An eccentricity of movie stars? Then you must read Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, by Lawrence Wright. It is horrifying. On more than one occasion, I had to put it down because it was just too much. Too much to know that there are people in the world so desperate to believe in something that they will subject themselves to captivity, starvation, and torture. That they will not only turn a blind eye to the same treatment of others (friends, siblings, spouses, children), but take an active part in it. Too much to know that the shiny, happy front for all of this is the Hollywood machine that so many of us worship as if it were a religion in itself. And, well, I guess maybe it is. That isn't to say that it is the norm in Hollywood, but it is too prevalent to be dismissed. And it's power is far too great to be ignored.The first part of the book is a revealing bio of founder L. Ron Hubbard, which reads like a case study straight out of the DSM. It is not hard to imagine why Hubbard waged such a passionate war against psychiatry. The seriously mentally ill often see those who are trying to help them as the enemy.
Wright admirably refrains from mudslinging (when it would be quite easy to do) and, in fact, takes great pains to see that every effort was made to let all sides have their say. Still, the evidence is overwhelming. Scientology is, at best, laughable in its teachings, at worst, terribly dangerous.
I could go on and on about this book, but I wouldn't know where to start or when to stop. It's a fascinating read. Do yourself a favor and read it. And yes, it says a lot about Tom Cruise and his not-so-innocent involvement. So much, in fact, it made me ill.
As a side note, just a few days after I finished the book, I finally watched The Master, which P.T. Anderson initially claimed is not based on Hubbard or on Scientology (though he finally admitted it was), but there are so many very specific parallels that it all comes across as a nudge and a wink. But who can blame Anderson for not wanting to fess up after all of the attacks Scientology has launched against anyone who dares even question it, stopping at nothing short of ruining the lives of "suppressive persons." It's a good thing no one cares about what I have to say. I might be in trouble.
