"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
     - Ephesians 6:12

"Basically, gnostics believe that we as humans are 'outsiders' to this material universe. Our immortal godlike souls were trapped here in a body by evil forces, and we are reincarnated continually, while our true spiritual identities are clouded from our memory. It is our task to discover the hidden knowledge, or gnosis, that will allow us to escape this evil material world of illusion and return to our rightful place. We keep reincarnating until we learn how to escape."
     - Jeff Jacobsen, "The Hubbard is Bare"

"The world seems to be 'the epitome of evil'. Because it is alien to their true nature, human beings must renounce it and flee from it in order to be able to return to their heavenly home. To achieve this aim they must possess Gnosis, be reborn in their true nature, and be baptized in the cup of knowledge into which the divine intellect has been poured."
     - Giovanni Filoramo, Gnosticism

"Salvation begins with a messenger from beyond bringing the necessary knowledge to mankind, but this knowledge is given only to those deemed worthy, and even then one must follow certain steps in order to arrive at the ultimate Truths. The individual must struggle to earn and then incorporate the secret knowledge needed to return to his rightful place. There is a need for someone to bring this gnosis or knowledge to mankind:"
     - Jeff Jacobsen, "The Hubbard is Bare"

"It follows that this divine reality cannot be known through the ordinary faculties of the mind. Illumination, revelation, the intervention of a celestial mediator is required. He descends from above to call the Gnostic, to rouse him from earthly sleep and drunkenness, to take him back to his divine homeland."
     - Giovanni Filoramo, Gnosticism

"While on this earth, man is plagued by many difficulties which lessen his real abilities and being. One problem to us all is that within each of our bodies is a plethora of spirits or souls, causing us harm."
     - Jeff Jacobsen, "The Hubbard is Bare"

"A hierarchy of demons, servile and ready, is continually at work in everyone's body, transformed into a remorseless inferno in miniature."
     - Giovanni Filoramo, Gnosticism

"For many spirits dwell in it [the body] and do not permit it to be pure; each of them brings to fruition its own works, and they treat it abusively by means of unseemly desires. To me it seems that the heart suffers in much the same way as an inn: for it has holes and trenches dug in it and is often filled with filth by men who live there licentiously and have no regard for the place because it belongs to another."
     - Valentinus (300 AD)

"Human beings, so Hubbard said, are actually a collection of Thetans [spirits], a cluster of 'Body Thetans'."
     - Jon Atack, A Piece of Blue Sky

The supposed incident 75 million years ago in which thetans in this sector of the galaxy became clustered together is revealed in the confidential doctrine of OT III .

"Another gnostic idea, that this is a world of illusion, is in about Scientology doctrine as well. Scientology teaches that this universe we live in is the MEST (matter, energy, space, time) universe that exists solely because the non-MEST beings known as thetans decided to agree to bind themselves to the rules and laws that we see operating here, such as gravity and the speed of light: 'a Thetan may postulate a material or mental condition and subsequently consider that he cannot escape that condition, and succumb to the resulting illusion of entrapment within it.' Theta beings (Hubbard's name for the soul) lived here on earth by dwelling in a human body. Humans, that is, the living body, existed without the theta being before the thetans were trapped in this material universe. Theta beings are "trapped" into human bodies by trickery and forget their true nature."
     - Jeff Jacobsen, "The Hubbard is Bare"

"Consider that theta [spirit] in its native state is pure reason or at least pure potential reason. Consider that MEST in its native state is simply the chaotic physical universe, its chemicals and energies active in space and time."
"The cycle of existence for theta consists of a disorganized and painful smash into MEST and then a withdrawal with a knowledge of some of the laws of MEST, to come back and smash into MEST again.
"MEST could be considered to be under onslaught by theta. Theta could be considered to have as one of its missions, and its only mission where MEST is concerned, the conquest of the physical universe."
     - L. Ron Hubbard, The Science of Survival

"Hubbard saw the individuals' current state as a fall from grace, but the individual's own grace, not that of God. He saw the Thetan as an all-capable individual, who has gradually restricted his powers, over 'quadrillions' of years, in part to have a 'game', and in part for fear of hurting others. He called this degeneration of the 'dwindling spiral'. In Scientology counseling, the Preclear is directed back to incidents in his past existences which have shaped his way of thinking (and consequently his current circumstances). A better future is to be obtained by release from quadrillenia of long forgotten conditioning and guilt. Sociologists use the term 'neo-gnosticism' to describe such beliefs when they are allied to a supposed system of enlightenment (many of the original Christian gnostic sects spent their time learning the passwords which would give them entry to heaven after death)."

"In the mid-1970s while in Washington, DC, Hubbard inaugurated a secret project to find out all he could about the 'Soldiers of Light' and the 'Soldiers of Darkness'. The notion that people are born either good or evil and engage in a cosmic spiritual war can be found in Zoroastrianism, and in the Dead Sea Scrolls of the Essenes, whence it found its way into certain Gnostic Christian sects. In the early 1950s Hubbard had talked about people being 'players', 'pieces' or 'broken pieces' in the 'game' of life. This concept is fundamental to Scientology. He later spoke of 'Big Beings' existing in a ratio of one to eighteen compared to 'degraded Beings'. Separately from this estimate, he said that Supressives make up two and a half percent of the population, and Potential Trouble Sources (PTSes) who are in their sway a further 17.5 percent. He categorized some people simply as 'robots', incapable of decision. In short, there are a small number of 'players', some Soldiers of Light, some Soldiers of Darkness. They are engaged in an eternal battle, using the 'pieces' and 'broken pieces' to achieve their ends."
     - Jon Atack, A Piece of Blue Sky

"Hubbard undeniably had great talent; some would call it genius. He led an extremely active life, and met his goals except for one, emotional comfort - for which his wealth and power could only substitute. Dianetics/Scientology was to be his cure, but it didn't work. He fell victim to the delusions he fostered in others, and it is known that, right up to his demise or shortly before, he audited himself, or was audited, on his pack of "creatures."
     - Robert Kaufman, "Scientology Auditing and Its Offshoots"

"I was advised by Richard Aznaran, Sinar Parman and Annie Breeder that Hubbard was an unhandled PTS III [psychotic] when he died. According to Sinar Parman, Hubbard was a psychopathic insane person screaming about BT's [Body Thetans] and clusters at the top of his lungs."
     - Andre Tabayoyon
(Tabayoyon was an ex-Marine Vietnam verteran who became a Scientologist for 21 years and knew Hubbard personally.)

Scientology - Gnosis or Delusion?

Attempts to censor this website The strange history of L. Ron Hubbard Hubbard and Black Magick Hubbard's bizarre notion of Christianty Hubbard, God and trips to heaven An experimental test of Dianetics The Forbidden Story of Xenu A guide to Scientology terms

Related Sites

Church of Scientology, Los Angeles Organization PR explaining Scientology practices plus info on some of Hubbard's books Leisa Goodman's Home Page Info from the Media Relations Director of the Church of Scientology International Scamizdat A large collection of material about the Church of Scientology Sceptical Scientology Stuff Many articles and affidavits as well as links to other sites critical of Scientology Scientology Homer Smith's Free Zone - splinter group with extensive files by ex-members Scientology - Religion or Not? Extensive collection of affidavits, documents and links Karin Spaik - I write, therefore I am Fishman Affidavit, litigation kit, Hubbard's real life, mirrored pages from other sites Operation Clambake - the Inner Secrets of Scientology Comprehensive site with secret library, latest news, articles and more Scientology Audited Official government papers and entertaining essays on Hubbard and Scientology Scientology Cult of Greed and Power Web summary, books, FAQs, ex-Scientologists speak, Scientology dirty tricks Scientology Secrets - The "Upper Levels" Texts, commentaries plus private access to top secret upper-level documents" The Secrets of Scientology On-line books, OT III & NOTs scholar's pages, secret IRS agreement and more SIMPOS: Information on social problems and occult tendencies Excellent set of links to informative anti-cult pages, organized by cult (in seven languages)