Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright goes over in spectacular details one of the more popular cult-like religion that started in the late 1950s that is still spreading its roots all over the world today. With billions of dollars in the church’s coffers along with its huge influence in Hollywood actors along with an army of lawyers, this book will likely be one of the more bizarre readings one will ever encounter in their journey. One of my first brush with Scientology, other than the occasional tidbits here and there about Tom Cruise, was on episode 243 of the podcast This is Actually Happening called “What if you signed a billion year contract?”. That headline instantly grabbed my attention. The story told was highly disturbing, and I kept asking myself, “WHAT THE ACTUAL HECK?” throughout my listen. A more thorough understanding of Scientology was obviously required at a future date.

The book goes over the founder of Scientology, Lafayette Ronald Hubbard. It is essential to understand this person because so much of Scientology itself, as the book will show, is based purely on the thoughts and teachings of this one man and one man alone. There is hardly any room for exceptions. It is here that we learn just exactly how Scientology came to be, based on Hubbard’s previous life experiences up to the early 1950s.

Going over Hubbard’s life is obviously interesting. Just as you’d think things couldn’t get any weirder, you’ll be proven wrong many times over. However, what really made the book pick up speed to the point where it was not possible to put down is when it started going over how Scientology penetrated some of Hollywood’s biggest actors and actresses. While there were many listed and many to be unlikely recognized by the younger crowd, the three main stars the book goes over are John Travolta, Paul Haggis and most famous of them all, Tom Cruise. It is extremely hard to look at Tom Cruise the same ever again. Paul Haggis shocked me because he actually directed one of my favorite movies at the time, Crash. This part of the book really just did it for me.

Although many would consider Scientology to be just pure insanity of a religion or belief, it goes to show that they also share many common traits of other more widely accepted and adopted religions today. While some may not believe in the stories told regarding the harsh punishments of Scientologists that have done the slightest of wrongs in the eyes of the leader, it is another to read how The Church of Scientology actually bullied and beat the IRS into submission, something I highly didn’t anticipate. Is it a cult or more of a scam? But how can it be a scam if there are clearly people who have benefitted spiritually from being a Scientologist? Sure, they may have had to give their entire life savings away, but was that a small price to pay for gaining spiritual freedom in which no drugs or therapy is able to achieve?