The United States of America is a melting pot of many different people, religions and beliefs. Though many people have strong beliefs about certain religions, unlike many countries, the US allows people to practice any religion that they please. Throughout the years, many faiths have been the center of controversy. However, one particular belief system known as Scientology is the most controversial religion of the 20th century. Scientology was founded in 1952 in the United States of America by a man named L. Ron Hubbard. Although it is an actual religion, many people view Scientology as a trend. However, just like any other religion, Scientology has its own churches, beliefs, practices, and scripture.
The word Scientology was created by Hubbard that derived from the Latin word Scio which meant “Knowing in the fullest meaning of the word” (Melton). The actual definition of Scientology is "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, universes, and other life" (Melton). Hubbard began his journey while studying the human mind which led him to write many of his publications. Slowly, he began to further his studies by teaching classes which taught people how to become “auditors” which would allow them to teach these beliefs to others. His teachings used an array of methods that focused on the study of the mind and the problems that many people faced. Hubbard then researched other elements to the brain which he then called “thetan”. Thetan was the observer but to other religions it seemed as though hewas the soul of a person. Within his studies, he realized that thetan had other lives before this one which is a form of reincarnation (Melton).
After Hubbard discovered many aspects of the mind along with creating many publications, he then dabbled in more work to further educate himself on the matter. He collaborated with Volney Mathison, an engineer, in creating something called the E meter. This device measured a change in people emotions, which...