History Literature / GoingClear

* PuttingOnTheReich: Rathbun lampshades the "Nazi symbolism" in Scientology's 1993 [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uumuuQm5eQ "The War is Over" rally]] in Los Angeles. Pseudo-fascist iconography is found throughout Scientology, especially in the Sea Org. In fact, this trope is among Germany's [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology_in_Germany negative receptions]] with Scientology.

* PuttingOnTheReich: Rathbun lampshades the "Nazi symbolism" in Scientology's 1993 [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uumuuQm5eQ "The War is Over" rally]] in Los Angeles. Pseudo-fascist iconography is found throughout Scientology, especially in the Sea Org. In fact, this trope is among Germany's [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology_in_Germany#Criticism_of_Germany's_Stance negative receptions]] with Scientology.

* PuttingOnTheReich: Rathbun lampshades the "Nazi symbolism" in Scientology's 1993 [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uumuuQm5eQ "The War is Over" rally]] in Los Angeles. Pseudo-fascist iconography is found throughout Scientology, especially in the Sea Org.

* StepfordSmiler: It is posited that even Scientologists who stay in the fold are covering up emotional problems similar to what ex-Scientologists suffer from. Jason Beghe has such an interpretation of the infamous Tom Cruise YouTube video.

*** Due to the newer videos Marty has done attacking every ex-member along with Remini, Rinder and Ortega (who he called the Troika), it's unfortunately invoked that the lawsuit has been dropped and Rathbun himself possibly back within the church's fold.

** Initially it WAS how Rathbun did feel about his involvement, brought to the fore after the "musical chairs" incident.

** Also Jason Beghe, in a much more lighter manner, during his interview for the movie.

** In Paul Haggis's case, he swallowed the church's propaganda that it was an oppressed minority that was being unfairly harassed by its critics and by the government. It took thirty years for him for listen to any alternative opinions about Scientology.

* BecameTheirOwnAntithesis: Marty Rathbun, as he coupled it along with RedemptionRejection in late June 2017 due to him producing new videos attacking every ex-member but notably The Underground Bunker's Tony Ortega as well as Leah Remini and Mike Rinder. It's heavily implied that he is back within the church as well as the lawsuit his wife had against Miscavige settled with a possible huge payoff, given his BitchInSheepsClothing tendencies, his [[TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget his sudden denials]] and proving later on once again that he was EvilAllAlong.

* BecameTheirOwnAntithesis: Marty Rathbun, as he coupled it along with RedemptionRejection in late June 2017 due to him producing new videos attacking every ex-member but notably The Underground Bunker's Tony Ortega as well as Leah Remini and Mike Rinder. It's heavily implied that he is back within the church as well as the lawsuit his wife had against Miscavige settled with a huge payoff from inside the church, given his BitchInSheepsClothing tendencies and proving later on that he was EvilAllAlong.

* BecameTheirOwnAntithesis: Marty Rathbun, as he coupled it along with RedemptionRejection in late June 2017 due to him producing new videos attacking Leah Remini, Mike Rinder and Tony Ortega along with every ex-member. It's heavily implied that he is back within the church as well as the lawsuit his wife had against Miscavige quietly dropped, which hints at a possible huge payday for him, given his BitchInSheepsClothing tendencies and his [[TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget sudden denial]].

** When Nazanin Boniadi (a Scientology actress who was tricked into starting a relationship with Cruise by the church) could not understand Miscavige's ramblings, Cruise blamed ''her'' for offending Miscavige and broke off the relationship. When Boniadi confided to a friend that she felt heartbroken, the friend tipped off the church and the church forced Boniadi to clean public restrooms on the RPF.

* HeelFaceTurn: Paul Haggis, Jason Beghe and Mike Rinder, as they were the first of the bigger names to leave the religion.

* HeelFaceTurn: Paul Haggis, as he was one of the first bigger names to leave the religion. Mike Rinder too, in a longer-lasting case of it.

* BecameTheirOwnAntithesis: Marty Rathbun, as he coupled it along with RedemptionRejection in late June 2017 due to him producing new videos attacking Leah Remini, Mike Rinder and Tony Ortega along with every ex-member. It's heavily implied that he is back within the church as well as the lawsuit his wife had against Miscavige dropped, considering that all of his current videos on YouTube are on other smear/hate sites as well with a strange touch of [[TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget denial]]. Note that he does not have his wedding ring on in the newer videos, too, so at this point it's safe to say his FaceHeelTurn became even more heartbreaking.

* HeelFaceTurn: Mike Rinder, in a long-lasting case of it.

* PlagiarismInFiction: There is a compelling case that Hubbard took parts of AleisterCrowley's belief system, gave it a sci-fi makeover, and repackaged it as ''Dianetics'' and Scientology. There's also a hefty amount of Scientologist belief that's quite similar to Freudian Psychology.

** Mike Rinder's breaking point with the church came during his infamous encounter with Creator/TheBBC's John Sweeney, in which he repeatedly denied abuses to Sweeney's face despite having just been sent out of The Hole and being visibly haggard. [[TheAtoner He has since gotten]][[HeelFaceTurn better]].

** Mike Rinder's breaking point with the church came during his infamous encounter with Creator/TheBBC's John Sweeney, in which he repeatedly denied abuses to Sweeney's face despite having just been sent out of The Hole and being visibly haggard. [[TheAtoner He has since gotten [[HeelFaceTurn better]].

** Mike Rinder's breaking point with the church came during his infamous encounter with Creator/TheBBC's John Sweeney, in which he repeatedly denied abuses to Sweeney's face despite having just been sent out of The Hole and being visibly haggard. [[TheAtoner He has since gotten [[HeelFaceTurn better]]]].

** Mike Rinder's breaking point with the church came during his infamous encounter with Creator/TheBBC's John Sweeney, in which he repeatedly denied abuses to Sweeney's face despite having just been sent out of The Hole and being visibly haggard.

* TheAtoner: Pretty much every Scientologist that's left looked back on their careers in the church with a whole lotta guilt. The most troubling's is Marty Rathbun. It only makes his recent BecameTheirOwnAntithesis that much more painful.
--> '''Marty Rathbun:''' I constantly get presented with who I was [in Scientology], and I constantly don't like what I see. [[ThatManIsDead And I sort of constantly keep dying deaths]], and I... You know, I don't know how many more deaths I have left, but I regret and [am] ashamed... The entire experience, you know?
** Add in this line by Tom [=DeVocht=]:

* TheAtoner: Pretty much every Scientologist that's left looked back on their careers in the church with a whole lotta guilt. The most troubling's is Marty Rathbun. It only makes his recent BecameHisOwnAntithesis that much more painful.

* ThatManIsDead: An interesting example comes from Marty Rathbun, who is constantly confronted with his bad acts as a Scientology [[TheDragon Dragon]] and keeps "dying deaths" as he tries to resolve the guilt... [[BecameHisOwnAntithesis which unfortunately wasn't enough]].

* AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: When Hubbard died of a stroke in 1986, the Church of Scientology framed it as discarding his body, which had become an impediment to further research. [[HesJustHiding And they expect him to return at any time.]]
* TheAtoner: Pretty much every Scientologist that's left looked back on their careers in the church with a whole lotta guilt. The most troubling's is Marty Rathbun. It only makes his recent FaceHeelTurn that much more painful.

** Scientology's campaign against the IRS to get tax-exempt status consisted of harassing them with - wait for it - '''2,400''' lawsuits against the agency, and yes, ''individual IRS employees''. In the documentary, Rathbun details going to IRS events undercover, chatting it up with IRS employees at the bar, and recording their ''drink orders'' to use against them in lawsuits.

* HeelRealization: In Marty Rathbun's case, the "musical chairs" incident was enough for him to realize what a horrible organization he was supporting and gave him the resolve to leave as soon as he could.

** Subverted in the case of the Rathbuns. Scientology stalked Monique Rathbun for being married to Marty Rathbun, their former [[TheDragon Dragon]]-turned [[TheAtoner atoner]]. Unfortunately for them, since Monique was never involved in Scientology herself she had enough leeway to sue Miscavige for the harassment.

* KnightTemplar: Scientologists revert to this mode when they practice the "Fair Game" policy on their critics, with the Squirrel Busters and their harassment against Marty Rathbun being the most unnerving example.

** How Rathbun DID feel about his involvement, brought to the fore after the "musical chairs" incident.

* RedemptionRejection: Marty Rathbun, in late June 2017 in a bizarre FaceHeelTurn due to him producing new videos attacking Leah Remini, Mike Rinder and Tony Ortega along with every ex-scientologist. It's heavily implied that he is back within the church as well as the lawsuit he and his wife had against Miscavige dropped, considering that all of his current videos on YouTube are on other smear/hate sites as well. The newer videos from him also are a strange case of TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget on his part, as well.

** And right on cue, we see footage of Rathbun and [=DeVocht=]'s wives denying church abuses to Anderson Cooper, even though they had just been sent out of the Hole and gave obviously-coached responses in the interview.
* ThroughTheEyesOfMadness: As Lawrence Wright himself put it, [[CultOfPersonality to journey through Scientology is to journey through the mind of L. Ron Hubbard]]. And the deeper you get into Scientology, the [[NightmareFuel more like Hubbard you become]].

* ThatManIsDead: An interesting example comes from Rathbun, who is constantly confronted with his bad acts as a Scientology [[TheDragon Dragon]] and keeps "dying deaths" as he tries to resolve the guilt.

* FaceHeelTurn: Marty Rathbun, in late June 2017 as he has released newer videos attacking Leah Remini, Mike Rinder and pretty much every witness disputed up to Going Clear. It's heavily implied that he is back within the church as well as the lawsuit he and his wife had against Miscavige dropped, considering that all of his current videos on YouTube are on other smear/hate sites as well.

* HeelFaceTurn: Mike Rinder. Marty Rathbun initially, as well... until he [[FaceHeelTurn reversed course]].

* FaceHeelTurn: Marty Rathbun, in late June 2017 as he has released newer videos attacking Leah Remini, Mike Rinder and Tony Ortega. It's heavily implied that he is back within the church as well as the lawsuit he had against Miscavige dropped, considering that all of his current videos on YouTube are on other smear sites as well.

* TheAtoner: Ex-Scientologists, especially Marty Rathbun, look back on their careers in the church with a whole lotta guilt.

* DrivenToSuicide: Hubbard himself almost. He had come to believe that a very powerful thetan had invaded his body and that regular auditing couldn't get rid of it, so he asked one of his followers to build a machine that would vanquish the thetan and kill himself in the process. The resulting machine only succeeded in giving Hubbard a shock and frying the auditor's e-meter.

* FaceHeelTurn: Marty Rathbun, in late June 2017 as he has released newer videos attacking Leah Remini, Mike Rinder and Tony Ortega and destroying his previous HeelFaceTurn upon his Scientology departure.

* HeelFaceTurn: Mike Rinder and Ron Miscavige.

* IronicEpisodeTitle: Scientology, in its aims and in its practices, does not "go clear." Instead of improving mental health, Scientology msesses up its adherents even worse than before. And the organization is so secretive and walled-in that it's closer to a totalitarian microstate than a real church.

** Subverted in the case of the Rathbuns. Scientology stalked Monique Rathbun for being married to Marty Rathbun, their [[TheDragon Dragon]]-[[HeelFaceTurn turned]]-[[TheAtoner Atoner]]. Unfortunately for them, since Monique was never involved in Scientology herself, she had enough leeway to sue Miscavige for the harassment.

** Less literally with David Miscavige. We see him addressing Scientology functions, dressed in tuxedos or sharp suits, with a demeanor that is cool and collected. When we hear how he tormented his staff, the person they described sounds less like a person and more like a wild animal.

* SecretTestOfCharacter: Paul Haggis thought that the OTIII documents were one of these. He thought the whole Xenu story was so preposterous that it was a trap, and anybody who actually believed it would be kicked out for being too gullible.
* SinisterSurveillance: Right out of Hubbard's "Fair Game" playbook. Scientology routinely uses OSA agents and private investigators to stalk and harass critics and former members, such as the Rathbuns vs. the Squirrel Busters. Sometimes they will even sent private eyes to loved ones who are not involved with Scientology controversies in any way, as they did to Tony Ortega's ''mother''.