Going Clear audiobook cover - Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief

Going Clear

Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief

Lawrence Wright

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Categories:
Biography & MemoirReligion & Spirituality

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Going Clear
Origins & L. Ron Hubbard+
Belief System & Cosmology+
Recruitment & Celebrity Focus+
Controversies & Abuse+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8
Why did the IRS initially revoke Scientology's religious tax-exempt status in 1967 before reinstating it decades later?
  • A. The organization refused to disclose its membership numbers.
  • B. It was deemed a commercial enterprise existing primarily to enrich its founder.
  • C. It lacked a formal text of written scriptures and traditional rites.
  • D. The government classified it as a strictly medical and psychiatric practice.
Question 2 of 8
According to Scientology's advanced teachings, how did immortal spirits known as 'thetans' become trapped on Earth?
  • A. They were lured and frozen by a galactic tyrant named Xenu, then dumped into volcanoes.
  • B. They chose to inhabit mortal bodies to escape a dying solar system in the Galactic Confederacy.
  • C. They were banished by rival religious sects during the Renaissance period.
  • D. They lost their immortality after participating in early psychiatric experiments.
Question 3 of 8
Before founding Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard achieved notable success and eventually a Guinness World Record in which field?
  • A. Academic psychiatric research
  • B. Naval engineering and military strategy
  • C. Writing science fiction and pulp literature
  • D. Occultism and stage magic
Question 4 of 8
What was the primary practical flaw of Dianetics that contributed to Hubbard's decision to found a religion instead?
  • A. It relied too heavily on expensive medical equipment that followers could not afford.
  • B. It had a definitive conclusion once a person's trauma was cured, limiting long-term engagement.
  • C. The medical community successfully banned the practice across the United States.
  • D. It required members to take a vow of poverty, which severely limited the organization's profits.
Question 5 of 8
How do Scientology recruiters methodically handle prospective members who express skepticism, such as atheism?
  • A. By engaging them in aggressive theological debates to break down their logic.
  • B. By immediately cutting off contact to focus entirely on more susceptible targets.
  • C. By offering them financial incentives to take an introductory course.
  • D. By disarming their antagonism and assuring them they aren't forced to believe anything.
Question 6 of 8
What was the strategic purpose behind L. Ron Hubbard establishing the first 'Celebrity Center' in Hollywood in 1969?
  • A. To recruit captivating public figures who would enhance the organization's image as a path to enlightenment.
  • B. To create a private medical facility for actors recovering from substance abuse.
  • C. To produce Scientology-themed blockbuster movies to spread the church's message.
  • D. To transition the Church's primary headquarters away from Washington, D.C.
Question 7 of 8
What was the goal of Scientology's 'Operation Snow White', which was initiated in 1973?
  • A. To frame critical journalists for federal crimes and have them incarcerated.
  • B. To covertly recruit high-ranking military officials into the organization.
  • C. To establish a tax haven in the Caribbean for the church's massive financial assets.
  • D. To infiltrate government agencies worldwide and purge disparaging files about the church.
Question 8 of 8
Within the context of Scientology's history of abuse, what is the 'Rehabilitation Project Force' (RPF)?
  • A. A public relations committee dedicated to fighting legal battles against the IRS and critical journalists.
  • B. A mix of hard labor and spiritual healing techniques that functions as an instrument of punishment.
  • C. A highly exclusive spiritual retreat designed specifically for elite celebrity members.
  • D. A specialized medical team designed to replace traditional psychiatric care for new recruits.

Going Clear — Full Chapter Overview

Going Clear Summary & Overview

Going Clear offers a rare glimpse into the secret history and beliefs of Scientology as well as the conflicted biography of its founder L. Ron Hubbard. It also details some of the Church’s darker qualities: a tooth and nail method of managing criticism and systematic approach to celebrity recruitment.

Who Should Listen to Going Clear?

  • Anyone who’s interested in the history of Scientology
  • Anyone who wants tips on how to start his or her own successful religion

About the Author: Lawrence Wright

Lawrence Wright is an author and screenwriter, as well as a staff writer of the New Yorker and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He has written a number of plays and critically acclaimed books, including The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize.

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