The Church of Scientology is a new religious movement founded by L. Ron Hubbard in 1953, growing out of his 1950 self-help system Dianetics. It teaches that humans are immortal spiritual beings (thetans) trapped by traumatic memories (engrams) that can be cleared through auditing. It is known for celebrity members, aggressive legal tactics, and widespread allegations of coercive control and financial exploitation.
Pioneered the pseudo-therapeutic religious organisation model; demonstrated how a personality-assessment and self-improvement framework can be institutionalised into a hierarchical, membership-based religion; became the defining case study for cult deprogramming movements and anti-cult legislation.
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