We Infiltrated Scientology So You Don't Have To

Scientology is considered by many to be a cult. The way they promote spirituality and enlightenment, attainable through their costly intervention, prompts criticism from the general public. Ex-members of the church have spoken out about how they were scammed out of money — in order to move up in the ranks of enlightenment — and isolated from their friends and family outside of the church. There are currently 67 churches globally, with Paris added to the list just eight months ago.

Intrigued by the accusations of financial fraud and indoctrination, we (Alicia Galzara and Rita Duggan) decided to investigate the Church of Scientology. The question arose, how could we properly investigate such an elusive entity? Only one answer promised real experience of what it means to be indoctrinated: we would infiltrate the Church of Scientology in Paris. Our visit took us deep into their recruitment strategies, auditing sessions, financial ploys, and claims of spiritual healing, offering a unique, firsthand look at how the church operates in the heart of Paris.

PARIS EXECUTIVE TEAM https://t.co/1D7PXcxlJQ 

This team is the largest Golden Age of Administration team on Earth—the executive team of the Church of Scientology and Celebrity Centre #Paris. pic.twitter.com/Mhtud47Qqf

— Scientology (@Scientology) March 28, 2024

A Grand Inauguration Ahead of the Olympics

On April 6, 2024, the Church of Scientology unveiled its newest Ideal Organization and Celebrity Centre in Saint-Denis, a district in Greater Paris. The building’s opening, which coincided with preparations for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, marked a significant moment for the church, located just steps away from the Stade de France (the National Stadium) and the upcoming Olympic Athletes’ Village.

Previously a Samsung office building, the Church of Scientology bought the building for 33 million euros, equal to 36 million US dollars. The new church combines two pre-existing Scientology groups in Paris, culminating the workforce and community in Saint-Denis.

Scientology’s ties to France trace back to 1959 when the country became home to Europe’s first Church of Scientology. This latest development underscores the church’s global growth, with four new Ideal Orgs opening over six consecutive weeks this year alone.

According to a Scientology press release, in his opening remarks, David Miscavige, the church’s leader, praised the significance of the new location. “While we’ve opened Ideal Orgs in other cultural epicenters, megacities of significance to our entire global movement, well, this one crowns them all." Referring to Paris as the “Cultural Capital of Earth,” he declared the building “the best Ideal Org on Earth.”

An Undercover Visit

Day 1: Initial Impressions

On November 10, 2024, we set out to explore the new Paris Ideal Org. We introduced ourselves, as American students at university — under pseudonyms — to a receptionist who promptly referred us to a man we’ll call “James,” in order to protect his identity.

James led us to a central room filled with TV screens and display stands showcasing the life and work of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. The videos emphasized Hubbard’s Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health described the church’s core concepts as being the reactive mind, the analytical mind, and engrams. Though, claims made on infographics around the Information Center about Dianetics being a “#1 New York Times bestseller” appeared unsubstantiated.

While we watched the videos, a group of about nine Scientologists in matching black suits observed us from a distance. Their name tags displayed only their titles, such as “Secretary General of Public Foundation,” without revealing their names.

Following the video session, we browsed a collection of pamphlets, magazines, and books. We received a complimentary magazine detailing Scientology’s global presence and highlighting the Paris location’s amphitheater, café, and chapel. Despite our curiosity, a full tour of these areas was not offered during this visit.

Before leaving, James proposed a €35 package deal, including a copy of Dianetics, a DVD, and an initial auditing session. After some deliberation, we agreed to return the following week to purchase just the book for €20 and schedule a session.

James also shared insights about the local Scientology community, highlighting a recent event at the chapel attended by 400 members. This event, he explained, was a replay of a larger gathering that took place in the UK with 10,000 attendees that focused on issues like mental health reform and human rights. We also learned that the Paris congregation includes families from diverse backgrounds and various countries, such as Russia, Ukraine, and Italy, though James admitted university students like us were rare.

When questioned about Scientology’s approach to mental health — a topic of historical controversy — James emphasized Hubbard’s background in psychology and other disciplines. However, his explanations were vague, to say the least, referencing Hubbard’s travels and studies without providing any real details. The videos shown were also vague, as they passively mentioned “mystical” events Hubbard witnessed, but did not provide any information on what exactly he saw.

Day 2: Setting the Stage

On November 17, Alicia revisited the church, alone, to purchase Dianetics and schedule her auditing appointment. Upon arrival, Alicia attempted to enter the ground-level bookstore near the entrance but was halted by the receptionist at the front desk. After presenting an explanation as to why she returned, Alicia was handed off to someone who took her upstairs to a more "private" bookstore, where she was helped by yet another person, who we will call “Paul.” Paul was the only Scientology staff member to not wear a suit or blazer; he wore only a black turtleneck and pants.

Alicia provided her full (false) name when asked, as well as a false address. When Paul asked if the address given was where she lived, Alicia replied in vague terms, so as to not draw suspicion to the fake address.

Afterward, James helped schedule her auditing session for the following Sunday, this time requesting her phone number to confirm the session.

Day 3: Experiencing Auditing

Our final visit took place on November 24 and offered a deeper dive into Scientology’s practices. Before the session, we were both shown "preparatory" videos in a private screening room, contrasting with the public settings of our initial visits. Moving through the space, on our way to the auditing session, we passed one of Hubbard’s offices — which had been preserved as a tribute — and a bookstore stocked with various Scientology-related materials.

After another hour of videos on the foundational concepts of Dianetics, Alicia participated in her auditing session, a process intended to address engrams and achieve spiritual clarity. At this point, she was considered “pre-clear.”

Auditing

Auditing is the Scientology form of therapy. In James’s words, L. Ron Hubbard understood that psychology had its limits but Scientology extended beyond those limits. The methodology behind auditing is called "Dianetics," according to Scientology, deriving from the Greek root words dia meaning "through" and nous meaning "mind or soul." Similarly, Oxford states that “Dianetics” derives from the Greek word diaoētikos meaning “relating to thought.”

In Dianetics, the mind is separated into the "analytical mind" and the "reactive mind." The analytical mind is meant to be the part of your brain functioning normally and making logical decisions, while the reactive mind will impair your analytical mind’s ability to function properly. The reactive mind is the illogical part of your mind that reacts to negative personal experiences your mind internalizes that occur when unconscious.

This unconsciousness can be brought on by the "shock of an accident, anesthetic used for an operation, the pain of an injury or the delirium of illness." Things you experience or process during this time then become engrams. Engrams are “particular types of mental image pictures” stored in the reactive mind and are "a complete recording, down to the last accurate detail, of every perception present in a moment of partial or full ‘unconsciousness." Accidentally bumping your foot on your sofa would result in an engram, as would getting hit by a car. These experiences can result in fear the next time you are put in a situation involving sofas or cars, even if they are not directly dangerous or similar to the past experience. Engrams can also contribute to someone reacting in anger instead of fear. Multiple examples given by the informational videos include individuals who have experienced domestic abuse reenacting their abuse onto an unsuspecting target when threatened.

The goal of auditing is to get rid of these engrams so you can live a full and happy life. In Alicia’s auditing session, the auditor focused on smaller personal experiences to ease her into the process. The first exercise involved walking through her commute from her house to the Scientology building in Saint-Denis. The auditor (the person trained to perform this pseudo-therapy session) had Alicia repeat this experience multiple times. With each repetition, the auditee is expected to incorporate more details as they begin to "return" to the experience, a Scientology term for reliving a memory.

This practice was then applied to recent experiences, both negative and positive. In regard to a negative experience, the process was applied to a story Alicia offered of a mishap she had with the French postal system; she was made to repeat said story until any unresolved feelings she had towards the experience were resolved, aiming to leave her feeling less angered and able to move past it. Each repetition focused on bringing in new details, such as emotions, smells, or thoughts. For the positive experience, the returning process appeared to be used merely to relive the memory rather than to actually resolve anything.

It should be noted that when told to "return to an experience," Alicia often was just explaining random events of her day that she could remember, adding more details with each repetition — either purposefully or because she genuinely remembered additional details each time — instead of truly "reliving" the past experiences, as they intended.

After the session, Alicia felt conflicted. The auditor was not as invasive as anticipated — very kind and patient in explaining what to do — and Alicia felt that the auditing process (as many other elements of Scientology) was based on psychology, giving it a sense of false legitimacy to unassuming individuals.

While we know Scientology is widely considered to be a cult that works to scam followers out of their money and time, Alicia felt scammed because she paid 20 euros to get the session and didn’t even get to use the "freaky" machine (the E-meter). 

Scientologists describe the E-meter as a tool to identify spiritual distress by measuring shifts in the reactive mind. Alicia’s auditor explained that it works similarly to how the pin of a compass reacts to Earth magnetic charge, as one bar is positively charged with the other being negatively charged and will then react to the charge of certain engrams, aiding in their identification. However, critics like biophysics graduate Chris Schafmeister, argue that E-meter readings can be subconsciously influenced, making them unreliable and unscientific.

More Questions and Answers with James

Auditing targets individuals with unresolved trauma, as emphasized in the church’s introductory videos, where these issues are frequently highlighted as the main reason people seek out Scientology. Scientologists, however, often dispute this claim, arguing that the practice offers broader benefits beyond addressing trauma.

While Alicia was engaged in her auditing session, Rita (under a fake identity) had a separate conversation with James about the process. He took Rita aside to his office and inquired why she wasn’t participating in auditing herself. Rita explained that, while she didn’t feel ready for it, she also didn’t believe it would provide any tangible benefits to her life. Based on the videos she had watched, Rita understood that Dianetics was primarily aimed at individuals with unresolved traumas, and she already felt comfortable and well-adjusted without the need for such therapy. 

She questioned James, asking, "Why would I do this instead of just seeing a therapist?"

James, however, disagreed with this assessment, calling it an oversimplification and misrepresentation of the practice. He shared that he had personally benefited greatly from Scientology, despite not entering the church with any significant mental health issues or trauma. James attempted to make Dianetics more relevant to Rita by probing into her personal challenges. When Rita couldn’t identify any, he shifted the conversation to her academic anxieties, asking if she faced any struggles with studying or school. Rita acknowledged feeling anxious about her future, particularly regarding grades, graduation, internships, and starting a career but emphasized that such worries were only natural.

James, however, argued that while anxiety may be natural, it was not beneficial. He suggested that Rita could benefit from a "technology" developed by Hubbard that would help you learn "any" subject, from baking to biology, when traditional methods like textbooks and professors fall short. What exactly this technology entailed, however, remained unclear. 

James explained that Hubbard had never faced learning challenges himself, but created this technology for the benefit of others, though the specifics of this approach were not elaborated upon.

Ultimately, the conversation ended with both Rita (again, under a fake identity) and James agreeing that Scientology was not the right fit for her. James conceded that it was difficult to convince someone without their first-hand experience, and Rita, unpersuaded, chose not to pursue further involvement.

This approach, which begins with small, seemingly harmless steps — such as addressing academic anxieties — creates a sense of ease and personalization, offering solutions to everyday problems. Scientology’s framing of its practices as ways to improve life rather than target trauma helps attract those who may be hesitant about traditional forms of therapy.

By presenting itself as a "genuine self-improvement system," Scientology manipulates members into deeper financial and time commitments through tactics that appear to respect personal autonomy, reducing skepticism and creating a façade of safety and support, even as its controversial practices gradually surface. This became clear at the end of our third and final visit when we were invited to pay €72 each for a two-day weekend experience where we could practice auditing each other.

Indoctrination and Ideology

Our visits offered a glimpse into Scientology’s polished presentation and its efforts to attract new members. The church emphasizes its mission to champion human rights, cure mental health issues, fight against the exploitation at the hands of the field of psychology, and combat substance abuse, yet its approach to these issues raises questions. Methods and practices mirror psychological practices and techniques. In the case of auditing, we noticed that it mirrors CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), in its goal to remove negative connotations behind past experiences. 

Were we indoctrinated? No. Could we see how people fall for the scam of Scientology? Sort of. Our observations about how much Dianetics appears to be modeled after psychology, in addition to James’ comment about how Scientology goes past the limits of psychology, allow for the perception of Scientology practices to end up seemingly positive. 

The practice of "reliving" an experience is seen in some other variations of therapy, such as Prolonged Exposure Therapy, as PE has patients "detail in the present tense with guidance from the therapist." In these sessions, the "patient and therapist discuss and process the emotion[s] raised." The basis of Scientology in real science (psychology) makes a logical appeal to prospective followers.

In addition to our experience of patience and open-mindedness within the church, Scientology could be perceived as an oxymoronic home of logic and spiritual enlightenment instead of a home to religious fanatics. This was a consensus we came to after the auditing session, discussing the fact that some of the rhetoric they put out makes sense logically. When Alicia explained how both Dianetics and auditing work to her friend, her friend responded by saying "I can get behind that." Alicia subsequently had to explain that is their entire methodology of indoctrination.

One main thought we had after our time at Scientology was that while it may be marketed as a religion, it stands to us as a glorified self-help book, telling people they can improve their life in a spiritual and pseudo-psychological way for the low cost of funding the Church of Scientology. Another cost of this intervention is the Scientological intrusion into the private and independent aspects of your life. Like the aforementioned "slow but steady" steps of indoctrination, these invasions of privacy seem to follow the same trend. From the careful observation of our movements by church staff to the elusiveness of their explanations about their practices, it was clear that transparency — on their end — wasn’t a priority.

While the church tries to present itself as an open and supportive space for self-improvement, the control and secrecy within its walls suggest otherwise. Every time we visited, we were asked for personal information — our full names, addresses, and phone numbers — which raised questions about our privacy and the church’s intentions. You aren't truly allowed to explore; with someone approaching you if you were caught meandering, or intervening if you attempted to complete a task without their help. Realistically, these inquisitions of private information then lead to further insight into your private life, and thoughts, ultimately leading to their control over you.

The intrusive questions about Alicia’s mental health in addition to asking where she lives and requesting other personal information made her uneasy and anxious, and Rita’s conversation with an evasive James left her with more questions than it did answers. 

Our time at Scientology left us paranoid, anxious, and a tiny bit neurotic, though, we can say in 100% confidence that no one from the Church of Scientology has started stalking us… yet.

Note: The names of any Scientologists we spoke with have been changed for security reasons to protect their identities. During our visits and interviews, we did not use our real names to ensure our own safety.