Space opera in Scientology facts for kids
Scientology has special stories about the history of the universe. These stories are called "space opera." The founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, compared his teachings to science fiction stories. In these tales, spiritual beings called thetans (like souls) have lived for a very long time. They remember many past lives across the universe.
One of the most talked-about stories is about Xenu. Hubbard said Xenu was responsible for many problems in the world. Some of these space opera teachings are only shared with experienced members of Scientology. Church leaders say only these members can truly understand them. People who have left the church have shared these secret documents. Critics say some of the stories cannot be true scientifically. These teachings have also been made fun of in movies and TV shows.
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What is Scientology's Space Opera?
L. Ron Hubbard created a set of beliefs. He first called them "Dianetics." He said it was a scientific way to help people. Later, he started the Church of Scientology in 1953. He then presented his beliefs as religious ideas.
Hubbard believed that people could remember past events. He called these "engrams." He thought these memories caused unhappiness. By 1950, he started thinking about past lives. He believed people could recall these lives. He used these memories to build a big story about the universe.
Thetans and the Universe
Hubbard introduced the idea of thetans. These are powerful, spirit-like beings. They can create and shape universes. He taught that thetans later got stuck in the physical universe. They became trapped in human bodies through reincarnation.
As Hubbard's followers recalled their past lives, he wrote down many details. From these stories, he built a complex history of the universe. He called this "space opera." Hubbard believed he had found a complete history. He said there was a "thetan universe" separate from our material universe. He taught that our material universe began when other universes created by thetans crashed together. Thetans then entered our universe about 60 trillion years ago.
Hubbard also described events called "incidents." These events made thetans forget who they really were. But he said thetans could regain their old powers. He called thetans who freed themselves "operating thetans."
Famous Space Opera Stories
Hubbard's space opera includes many events. One important event is called "Incident 1." It happened four quadrillion years ago. A thetan experienced loud noises and bright lights. Then it saw a cherub and a chariot. After that, it was completely dark.
Another key event happened on a space city called Arslycus. Its people caused an "incident" when they captured thetans.
The Story of Xenu
The most talked-about part of Scientology's space opera is the myth of Xenu. This is known as "Incident 2." Hubbard described a group of 76 planets. They were part of a "Galactic Confederacy" about 75 million years ago. A dictator named Xenu ruled this group.
Xenu thought the confederacy had too many people. So, he sent billions of his citizens to Earth. They traveled on planes like DC 8s. Earth was then called Teegeeack. Once on Earth, hydrogen bombs were set off inside volcanoes. This killed the exiles. Their thetans were then brainwashed on Hawaii and the Canary Islands. This brainwashing created many myths, like the story of Jesus. These myths were meant to hide where the thetans came from.
Eventually, officers of the Galactic Confederacy fought Xenu. This rebellion lasted six years. Xenu was captured and put in an electrified prison inside a mountain. Hubbard taught that the brainwashed thetans stayed on Earth. These "body thetans" attach to human minds. They cause many human problems. He taught that people could be freed from these brainwashed thetans. This would lead to a type of salvation.
Other Stories
Hubbard also taught that after humans die, thetans go to "implant stations." These are places on planets near Earth. There, their memories are erased. New memories are put in their place. Hubbard told his followers to avoid the implant station on Venus. He said some stations were better than others. After leaving an implant station, the thetan would return to Earth. There, it would be reborn into a new body.
Hubbard said the Christian idea of heaven was based on a real place on another planet. He claimed he had visited it. He said it looked like Busch Gardens in California. It had statues of characters from the New Testament. Over time, he said, the place fell apart. A nearby town had an implant station. Thetans were convinced to return there.
Another important story in Hubbard's tales is about the Marcab Confederacy. This was a large group of planets. They were looking for slaves. Hubbard said this civilization caused a big "implant" when they met thetans.
Hubbard also talked about the history of human civilizations on Earth. He even discussed ancient sea monsters and fish people. He said humans could remember past lives as clams or Neanderthals. In his stories, Atlantis was an electronic civilization. Its people had powerful disintegration technology. He also said Earth was invaded by different groups around 1200 BCE. These included the "fifth invader force from Martian Command." They fought the "fourth invasion force from Space Command."
The church teaches that its courses help "theta beings" become free. They can get rid of faulty ideas. They can also regain their old abilities. Dedicated Scientologists take courses and procedures. They hope to gain freedom and understanding. This supposedly allows them to travel around the Solar System. Hubbard called a thetan leaving its human body "exteriorization." He said this allowed for space travel.
Space Opera and Scientologists
The Scientology website defines "space opera" as actual events. It says:
"Space opera has space travel, spaceships, spacemen, intergalactic travel, wars, conflicts, other beings, civilizations and societies, and other planets and galaxies. It is not fiction and concerns actual incidents."
A 1958 Scientology book, Have You Lived Before This Life, includes some space opera. It describes past lives on planets where there were wars. These lives were remembered through "auditing." Auditing is a counseling process in Scientology. In the 1960s, Hubbard started "security checks." These were questions to check members' loyalty.
The Xenu story was given to Scientologists in the late 1960s. This was after teachings about thetans were shared. The Xenu story explained the cause of many of the group's teachings. Some experts say "space opera" was Hubbard's way of introducing a new reality.
In a 1968 talk, Hubbard admitted his teachings were like space opera. He said, "This planet is part of an earlier federation... Now, this larger confederacy, this isn’t its right name, but we have often called it... the Marcab Confederacy." He added, "Now, all this sounds very Space Opera-ish... but I am not one to quibble about the truth."
Hubbard talked openly about space opera in the 1950s. But later, Scientology became a faith with some secret teachings. Some teachings are kept hidden until followers reach a certain level. Many members do not know the full stories behind the courses. It can take many years of study and payments to reach the highest levels of knowledge. Followers below a certain level (OT III) cannot access the church's universe stories. They are given different reasons for the church's teachings.
The Church of Scientology has tried to keep these secret teachings private. But they have been widely shared on the internet. The church finds public talk about their space opera teachings offensive. They have asked experts not to publish the details. Scientologists say the true meaning of these texts is only for those who have completed the courses. They believe reading them too early can harm a person's spiritual and physical health. Church leaders sometimes refuse to discuss the topic with reporters.
During auditing, Scientology members sometimes remember details of life in space. Some Scientologists do not believe there are space opera myths in the group's teachings. Others have left the group after learning about the higher-level stories. Some members accept the space opera teachings. They see them as similar to strange stories in other popular religions. Or they just keep quiet about their doubts.
Some experts say space opera is part of Scientology's thinking. But it is not the most important part. They say these teachings support the main ideas about thetans. Mike Rinder, a former spokesman for the Church of Scientology, said that space-related auditing is only a "small percent" of their teachings.
See also
- Science fiction
- List of space opera media
