The fact the Scientology has its own language makes it difficult for non-Scientologists to read Scientology texts and understand what ex-Scientologists are going on about. The wording and abbreviations are so complex that Scientology has actually published two full-sized dictionaries for use by its own members. This glossary is not meant to be a comprehensive Scientology dictionary, but rather to help the casual reader decipher “Scientologese”.
1.1 – Pronounced “one one”. Means that someone is “covertly hostile” – they smile to your face, but will stab you in the back. Hubbard said that homosexuals and psychiatrists are 1.1.
2D – The second Dynamic. In Scientology, the second dynamic refers to family, children, personal relationships and sex. Can be used in a variety of ways, including: “She was my 2D” means “I was dating her”. “Going out-2D” means cheating on your partner, or committing “deviant” sexual acts. “I need to handle my 2D” can, depending on context, mean “I need to fix my relationship with my partner/spouse” or “I need to find a boy/girlfriend”.
3D – The third Dynamic. Refers to groups one is a part of. This can mean work, school, a sports team, a wine tasting club, or anything else of that nature.
4D – The forth Dynamic. Means “mankind”.
ARC Break – ARC stands for Affinity, Reality, Communication. An ARC Break refers to sadness, upset, or anger resulting from an argument or negative situation. “You haven’t spoken to Bob in days. Did you two have an ARC break?”
ASI – Author Services International: Scientology’s personal publishing house.
Auditing – Scientologists will tell you this is similar to counseling. An E-meter is often, but not always used. On the lower levels, an auditor guides the PC (pre-clear) through various questions supposedly designed to elicit a certain result. On the upper levels of Scientology, a person will audit themself (known as solo-auditing) by mentally asking themself questions and using the E-meter to find the right answer.
BC (also SHSBC) – Briefing Course (also St. Hill Special Briefing Course). One of the longest courses (if not the longest) in Scientology.
Black PR – To slander someone in the media or online in order to discredit their statements. Can be used as noun or verb.
Blow – To blow means “to leave without permission” or “to leave before something is completed”. One can “blow staff”, “blow course”, “blow session”, or “blow the org”. It is a very, very serious offence in Scientology to blow. People who leave without permission in this way are usually declared. Depending on context, “blow” can also have a positive meaning. It can mean ‘to go away’, eg. “My pain just blew!”
Blown Out – Excited, happy, thrilled. Having a feeling of being so happy that one is elated and feels disconnected from their body. “I just finished a course and I’m so blown out!”
Bridge, The – Shortened from “The Bridge to Total Freedom”. All of Scientology doctrines put together are referred to as “the Bridge”. If one is progressing through their Scientology studies and sessions, they are “going up the Bridge.”
Bridge (2) – Short for “Bridge Publications”, a Scientology operated enterprise.
Cadet Org – The Sea Org for children, and for the children of Sea Org members.
Case Gain, making case gain – Having successes in Scientology, making progress.
Comm Ev – Stands for Committee of Evidence. This is the Scientology version of a trial. During a Comm Ev, the accused is required to sit before a panel of Sea Org members who evaluate their “crimes”. If you are accused of misdeeds and ordered to stand before such a panel, you are said to be “Comm Ev’d”
Conditions, to do conditions – A set of formulas to be applied to one’s life depending on the state of one’s life. For instance, if you are doing exceptionally well, you would apply the steps outlined the condition of “affluence”. If you have done something bad, the org may require you to do a “treason” condition. The various conditions, from worst to best, are: Confusion, Treason, Enemy, Doubt, Liability, Non-Existence, Danger, Emergency, Normal, Affluence, Power Change and Power. There are specific formulas for each of these conditions. Lower conditions (those below “normal”) are frequently used as punishment.
Counter-Intention (or CI) – Having or acting as if one has a purpose that is contrary to the purpose of the group. Often used to refer to malicious or stubborn refusal to do as ordered.
Course – One of many set study programs in Scientology where the Scientologist studies Hubbard’s texts and practices using various aspects of the texts. If one is regularly going to church to study Scientology doctrine, they can be said to “be on course”.
C/S – Case Supervisor. This is the person who evaluates the auditing records for each session and checks for auditor mistakes. It can be used as a verb and a noun: “My files were sent to the C/S.” or “I was up all night C/Sing.”
Dead Agent – A verb, meaning to slander a person or disprove a piece of information to such an extent that he or it can never be used against you. “We need to dead agent that article.”
Declared, to be declared – To be labeled a Suppressive Person (evil) and thrown out of Scientology. People who are declared may not have ANY CONTACT with Scientologists, and Scientologists can be declared for talking to a declared person.
Dev-T – Developed Traffic. Annoying, frivolous actions or activities that cause hassle. “This paperwork is really Dev-T.”
Downstat – A person who does not produce enough, or a state of not working hard enough. “She’s such a downstat.” or “If I’m downstat this week, I won’t get any time off.” See also: stats, upstat
Entheta – Something negative. Sad emotions, bad news, an angry letter, a violent movie – all of these things can be said to be “entheta”.
E/O (or EO) – Ethics Officer. Responsible for the “crime and punishment” division of any given church.
EPF – Estates Project Force. When one first joins the Sea Org, one must do a sort of “orientation boot camp” for several weeks or months. This boot camp is called the EPF.
Flap – A major problem or serious incident. “There was a huge flap at the org.”
GO – Guardian’s Office. This was the church’s investigation branch until the FBI caught them doing some nasty stuff. They were disbanded, and replaced by OSA. See also: OSA
Goldenrod – It is Scientology policy that all SP Declare orders are printed on a piece of goldenrod colored paper. In Scientology, only ethics orders are printed on paper this color, so an SP Declare (see Declared), which is the most infamous kind of ethics order, is often referred to as “a goldenrod”.
HCOB or HCO PL – Hubbard Communications Office Bulletin or Hubbard Communications Office Policy Letter. A piece of writing issued by Hubbard. A lot of Hubbard’s writings and texts are referenced like this: HCO PL 10 October 1965.
KSW – Stands for Keeping Scientology Working. This is a policy letter (text) that is required reading material in almost every Scientology course, to be read each time someone starts a new course. Critics interpret this policy letter as a bigoted outline of how Scientology plans to destroy other belief systems. Scientologists interpret this policy letter as Hubbard’s directions for the continued prosperity of Scientology.
MEST – Matter, Energy, Space and Time. The physical universe.
MEST Work – Manual labor.
Non-Enturbulation Order – An order issued to you if you are very close to being thrown out. The order basically warns you that if you upset anyone else, or if the ethics officer receives any bad reports about you, you will be in serious trouble.
Org – A Scientology church. Some of the more famous orgs have their own names (see below), while local orgs are referred to as “[City] org”, eg. Boston Org. The names of some of the most commonly talked-about orgs:
– AOLA: Los Angeles, California
– ASHO: Los Angeles, California
– Celebrity Center (CC Int or CCI): Los Angeles, California
– FLAG: Clearwater, Florida
– Int Base (also called Int or Gold Base): Hemet, California
– LA Day: Los Angeles, California
– PAC: Los Angeles, California
– HGB: Los Angeles, California. This isn’t really an org, but a building owned by Scientologists and operated by Sea Org members.
– Saint Hill: East Grinstead, Sussex, UK
OSA – Office of Special Affairs. Often referred to by critics as Scientology’s Secret Service.
OT – Stands for Operating Thetan. This is someone who, according to Scientology, has attained a high spiritual level. There are currently 8 OT levels. One begins the OT levels after attaining the state of Clear. An OT is supposed to be able to control Matter, Energy, Space and Time.
Out Ruds – A state of being tired, hungry or upset. Hubbard states that someone tired, hungry or upset cannot be properly audited, and that ‘out ruds’ must be dealt with before someone goes in session.
Overt – A sin or crime.
O/Ws – Overts and Withholds, which essentially means sins and secrets.
Out Tech – Diverging from what Scientologists believe is “standard” Hubbard doctrine.
Out TRs – Losing your temper or becoming flustered. See also: TRs
PC – Pre-clear. The person receiving auditing.
Pink Sheet – When a course supervisor finds that some student does not fully understand materials he studied earlier, the supervisor will write a ‘pink sheet’ for the student. The pink sheet contains orders to re-study that section of the materials, and lists which materials are to be re-studied before continuing on. It is called a pink sheet because it is only issued on pink paper.
Potential Trouble Source (or PTS) – Someone who is connected to a Suppressive Person (SP). According to Scientology a PTS will often be sick (in fact, they believe that PTSness is the only reason anyone gets sick), have emotional ups and downs, and not be able to get very far in life.
PTS/SP (course) – A major Scientology course in which one’s learns Hubbard’s thoughts on evil people, and how to deal with them, and what happens when one is connected to an evil person. See also: Potential Trouble Source, Suppressive Person
Raw Meat – Someone who just joined Scientology, or is thinking about joining Scientology. This is commonly used among the staff and Sea Org members, but not really among the public.
Reg – Someone responsible for raising money for the org. Can also be used as a verb, eg. “She was regging money.”
RPF – Rehabilitation Project Force. When a Sea Org member has done something considered particularly bad, they are isolated from the rest of the Sea Org members in the RPF program. People on the RPF are not allowed to walk (they run everywhere), are not allowed to speak to another Sea Org member unless spoken to, and spend most of their time doing manual labor. This is a very controversial program. Scientologists call it “rehabilitation”, critics call it “slave labor”.
RPF’s RPF – A program for people who get in trouble while on the RPF. The work is harder and the living conditions are even worse than those given to the RPF.
RTC – Religious Technology Center. This organization is run by the top-echelon of the Sea Org. They own all the copyrights to L. Ron Hubbard material.
Sea Org (or SO) – The inner core of the Scientology parish. Sea Org members run and operate the churches, raise money, give auditing, and perform any number of other tasks. They sign a 1 billion year contract, promising to return and serve in their next life.
Sec Check – Security check. A confessional given while on the e-meter. Sec checks can take anywhere from three weeks to a year or longer.
Senior – Boss. As in, “I have to get this paperwork checked by my senior.”
Session – An auditing session. See auditing.
Sup – (pronounced ‘soop’) Short for supervisor. Someone who oversees the course students and course room at any org.
Stats – Statistics. Most Scientology staff members, Sea Org members, business persons and school children keep statistics of their work and progress in order to measure their production. See also: upstat, downstat
Suppressive Person (or SP) – An evil person. If someone is found to be an SP by the Church, they are “Declared”, meaning they cannot have any contact with any Scientologist whatsoever.
Treas Sec – Treasury Secretary.
TRs – Training Routines. These are basic drills done in Scientology meant to improve your communication skills. These include TR0, wherein two students sit across from each other with their eyes closed with the purpose of learning to “be there comfortably”, and TR0 Bullbait, wherein one student must sit perfectly still while another yells, screams, tells jokes, or in any other way tries to get him/her to react. See also: Out-TRs
Twin – A course partner. Twins study everything on any particular course together, and help each other through the course. You can also say you are “twinning” with someone.
TWTH – The Way To Happiness. A very basic pamphlet containing 21 moral “precepts”.
Type III – Insane, crazy, criminal.
Upstat – A person who consistently works very hard and gets good results. “She’s such a upstat.” or “If we’re upstat this week, we’ll get Sunday off.” See also: stats, downstat
Verbal Tech – Talking about Scientology doctrine, debating about Scientology doctrine, or discussing Scientology doctrine without physically referencing the applicable text. Hubbard was very cautious about people altering his writings from their original form, and so he forbade anyone from discussing the intricacies of Scientology without actually pulling out the appropriate book and referencing the doctrine directly. It is a high crime in Scientology to spread verbal tech.
Withhold – A secret, something bad that you haven’t told anyone about.
Wog – A derogatory term meaning “non-scientologist”.
FAQs
What is the nutshell of Scientology? ›
What is Scientology? Scientology describes itself as a religion that was founded in the 1950s by L. Ron Hubbard. At the core of Scientology is a belief that each human has a reactive mind that responds to life's traumas, clouding the analytic mind and keeping us from experiencing reality.
What do Scientologists believe about children? ›In Scientology doctrine, children are regarded as being "adults in small bodies". According to L. Ron Hubbard, their bodies house ancient and immortal thetans or spirits who are capable of carrying out the same responsibilities as any adult.
What are Scientologists not allowed to do? ›Part of the doctrine, she wrote, is that any information that doesn't come from a Scientologist source — like outside books, magazines, newspaper and the internet — is forbidden. The church teaches members that any outside sources are lies designed to destroy Scientology by people who don't want others to be happy.
What is an SP in Scientology? ›Suppressive Person, often abbreviated SP, is a term used in Scientology to describe the "antisocial personalities" who, according to Scientology's founder L. Ron Hubbard, make up about 2.5% of the population.
What religion is Tom Cruise? ›Cruise was converted to Scientology by his first wife Mimi Rogers in 1986, becoming an outspoken advocate for the Church of Scientology in the 2000s. His involvement in the organization was leaked by the tabloid Star in 1990, and he publicly admitted to following Scientology in a 1992 interview with Barbara Walters.
What celebrities believe in Scientologist? ›- Kirstie Alley.
- Anne Archer.
- Catherine Bell.
- Nancy Cartwright.
- Erika Christensen.
- Chick Corea.
- Tom Cruise.
- Jason Dohring.
God. The Church of Scientology states that it has no set dogma on God and allows individuals to come to their own understanding of God.
Can Scientologist have kids? ›In commentary on Scientology and practices in the Sea Org, new religious movements scholar J. Gordon Melton told the San Francisco Chronicle that members of the Sea Org are discouraged from having children.
Are Scientologists allowed to divorce? ›“Scientologists aren't allowed to sue each other,” she said, because of a policy to contain any public disputes. Of course, there's nothing the church can ultimately do to stop a couple from splitting up. Divorce, like marriage, is a legal process after all.
How do Scientologists earn money? ›Business practices
The Church pays 10% commissions to recruiters, called Field Staff Members (FSMs), on new recruits they bring in who take a course or receive counseling. In addition, Church of Scientology franchises/missions, pay the Church roughly 10% of their gross income.
Are Scientologists against psychiatry? ›
Scientology is well known for its opposition to mainstream psychiatry and the psychoactive drugs which are routinely prescribed for treatment.
What religion is Tom Hanks? ›In 1981, Hanks met actress Rita Wilson on the set of TV comedy Bosom Buddies (1980–1982). They were reunited in 1985 on the set of Volunteers. Wilson is of Greek and Bulgarian descent, and a member of the Greek Orthodox Church. Before marrying her, Hanks converted to her faith.
What religion is John Travolta? ›Travolta has been a member of the Church of Scientology since 1975. He converted after being given the book Dianetics while filming The Devil's Rain in Durango, Mexico.
What religion is Will Smith? ›In 2015, Smith said in an interview with The Christian Post that his Christian faith, which was instilled in him by his grandmother, helped him to accurately portray Bennet Omalu in Concussion, saying: "She was my spiritual teacher, she was that grandmother at the church, the one having the kids doing the Easter ...
Who is the most powerful Scientologist? ›David Miscavige (/mɪˈskævɪdʒ/; born April 30, 1960) is the second and current leader of the Church of Scientology. His official title within the organization is Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), a corporation that controls the trademarks and copyrights of Dianetics and Scientology.
What is the highest Scientologist? ›OT VIII or OT 8 (Operating Thetan Level 8) is the highest current auditing level in Scientology.
Which SNL cast member is Scientologist? ›| Chloe Fineman | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | New York University (BFA) |
| Occupations | Actress comedian impressionist writer |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Known for | Saturday Night Live |
Estimates put the number of Scientologists at under 40,000 worldwide. Scientology texts say that a human possesses an immortal inner self, termed a thetan, that resides in the physical body and has experienced many past lives.
Who is the missing Scientologist? ›Michele "Shelly" Diane Miscavige (née Barnett; born January 18, 1961) is a member of the Church of Scientology's Sea Org who married Scientology leader David Miscavige, and a notable missing person; she was last seen in public in August 2007. Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Why does Tom Cruise not see Suri? ›In 2016, Scientology was accused of keeping Tom and Suri apart. This was due to the church's rules, which prohibits its members from associating with people who aren't Scientologists. And because Holmes or Suri were nonbelievers, Cruise couldn't uphold a relationship with either of them.
Do Scientologists have weddings? ›
Scientology wedding ceremonies are similar to wedding ceremonies used by many religions. They typically include a bridal procession, best man, maid of honor, and the traditional seating of friends and family. The ceremony may include wedding customs used by other faiths.
What is Katie Holmes religion? ›In July 2012, attorneys announced that the couple had signed a divorce settlement. This was the first divorce for Holmes and the third for Cruise. Holmes has custody of Suri. Following her divorce from Cruise, Holmes returned to the Catholic Church and began attending St. Francis Xavier Church.
Which religion does not allow divorce? ›Roman Catholicism is less lenient when it comes to religious divorce. Because Roman Catholics consider marriage one of the holy sacraments, divorce is considered a sin in the church. Marriage for Catholic couples ends only if one partner dies, or the couple gets an annulment.
What religion is OK with divorce? ›Unitarian Universalism. In Unitarian Universalism, because they affirm the "right of conscience", divorce is allowed and should be a decision by the individual person and is seen as ending a rite of passage.
Do Sea Org members get paid? ›Sea Org members act as goodwill representatives and administrators of Scientology; all policy and administrative posts in the church's key organizations are held by Sea Org members. Most members are given room, board and a weekly allowance of about $75.
Where do most Scientologists live? ›Los Angeles, California, has the largest concentration of Scientologists and Scientology-related organizations in the world, with the Church of Scientology's most visible presence being in the Hollywood district of the city.
Do Scientologists get taxed? ›The IRS granted tax exemption to 153 Scientology-related corporate entities with the right to declare subordinate organizations tax-exempt in the future. The terms and circumstances of the agreement remained secret until details emerged through leaks and litigation beginning in 1997.
What is the most controversial psychiatric therapy? ›Aversion therapy, also called aversive therapy or aversive conditioning, is a controversial type of treatment.
What does CCHR stand for? ›The Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR) is a nonprofit organization established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and psychiatrist Thomas Szasz, headquartered in Los Angeles, California.
What does an e meter do? ›use in Scientology
process is use of an E-meter, an instrument that measures the strength of a small electrical current that passes through the body of the person undergoing auditing. According to church teachings, E-meter readings indicate changes in emotional states that allow the identification of stored engrams.
Can a Scientologist marry a non Scientologist? ›
Scientology weddings do not require that both parties of the wedding be adherents of Scientology. Nor does the Church necessarily exclude material from weddings of other faiths in its own ceremonies.
Do you have to pay taxes if you are a Scientologist? ›The Federal Government recognized the Church of Scientology of California as a tax-exempt religious organization in 1957, but revoked that exemption in 1967.