History Literature / GoingClear

** Mike Rinder, if years of fair gaming on him is any indication. His [[WeUsedToBeFriends falling out]] with Aaron Smith-Levin, along with teaming up with Marc and Claire Headley to [[EvilIsPetty instigate a coup seizing control of the Aftermath Foundation]] and removing Smith-Levin from the board is more of a massive TookALevelInJerkass, decrying everyone who called them out on their horrendous actions as haters, keyboard warriors or in an extreme case, [[DehumanizingInsult fleas]].

** Mike Rinder, if years of fair gaming on him is any indication. His [[WeUsedToBeFriends falling out]] with Aaron Smith-Levin, along with teaming up with Marc and Claire Headley to instigate a coup seizing control of the Aftermath Foundation and removing Smith-Levin from the board is more of a massive TookALevelInJerkass, decrying everyone who called them out on their horrendous actions as haters, keyboard warriors or in an extreme case, fleas.

** Mike Rinder, if AlternativeCharacterInterpretation and years of fair gaming on him is any indication. His own recent [[WeUsedToBeFriends falling out]] with Aaron Smith-Levin, along with teaming up with Marc and Claire Headley to instigate a coup seizing control of the Aftermath Foundation removing Smith-Levin from the board is more of a massive TookALevelInJerkass and proving that despite leaving the cult, Rinder is still holding remnants of TheBully within him.

* PlagiarismInFiction: There is a compelling case that Hubbard took parts of Creator/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.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Hubbard offers a summary of his own masturbatory history in his "Affirmations." [[FanDisservice You're welcome.]]

* StockholmSyndrome: Scientology's control on its members it's so bad that during the "musical chairs" incident, the detainees in the Hole were physically beating each other to ''stay there''. And Tom [=DeVocht=] predicts that they will ''still'' choose to remain there even if they were rescued by the police:
--> '''Alex Gibney:''' Let's say the FBI showed up at the Hole and said, "This is the FBI, we're letting everyone out." Do you think everyone would have said, "Oh thank God, the FBI is here?"
--> '''Tom [=DeVocht=]:''' No. I think that everybody, one for one, would have gone, "What do you mean? [[StepfordSmiler We're doing this voluntarily, we like living in these conditions.]]"
** And right on cue, we see footage of Rinder 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.

* SpiritualSuccessor: Before ''Going Clear'', the best known critiques of Scientology were ''The Scandal of Scientology'' by Paulette Cooper, ''A Piece of Blue Sky'' by John Atack, ''Bare-faced Messiah'' by Russell Miller, and ''L. Ron Hubbard, Messiah or Madman?'' by Bent Corydon. Not surprisingly, ''Going Clear'' draws heavily from these books.

* {{Hypocrite}}: '''Scientology.''' There are so many examples of Scientology hypocrisy that Wiki/TVTropes would need a whole new kind of subpage to list them all.

* DoubleThink: Disturbingly common in the church. Many executives like Mike Rinder who were sent to [[{{Room 101}} the Hole]] and later were questioned by reporters about the church's abuses were able to call their abuse "utter rubbish" with complete conviction despite just having left their torment. In the book, this gets taken UpToEleven with the footnotes in which various church or celebrity representatives respond to allegations of sexism, homophobia, and mental and physical abuse with strongly worded messages denying the claims. And the thing is, the more you read the book, the more you realize they ''actually believe'' what they're saying while ''still'' being totally aware of all the horrible things that go on. Case in point (from the book):

** Scientologists revert to this mode when they practice the "Fair Game" policy on their critics. The Squirrel Busters' fight against Marty Rathbun practicing Scientology independently [[UpToEleven for over 200 days]] is one of its most shockingly infamous examples.

* AdultFear: An organization that's supposed to be a church can command your children to never contact you again. Ever.
** Under the "disconnection" policy, Sara Goldberg was forced to [[SadisticChoice either stay in the church and sever contact with her son, or leave the church and sever contact with her daughter]]. She chose the latter.
** Spanky Taylor, a Scientologist who was John Travolta's handler for the church, was separated from her infant child, forced to work 30-hour shifts and later escaped with her baby girl after finding her in a "urine-soaked crib" at PAC Base.
** Nicole Kidman had ''her own children'' turned against her by the church when Miscavige was working to break up the marriage between her and Tom Cruise, in order to ensure that the kids would stay in Cruise's custody.
** Parents are also forced to separate from their children when they are made to join the Sea Org and sign the billion year contracts. Sea Org children who fall out of favor then perform slave labor in the Rehabilitation Project Force.

* BlackmailIsSuchAnUglyWord: Hubbard's writings reveal he had no problem with the above practice, and didn't consider it blackmail at all, because it wasn't about money.

** As Lawrence Wright explains in the film, this actually becomes somewhat of a SelfFulfillingProphecy. Lower ranking Scientologists are taught to reject information from outsiders about their religion's more outlandish beliefs like the Xenu story as lies made up to disparage the church. If and when they reach OT III and find out that these are indeed the actual beliefs of Scientology, many of them do have mental breakdowns as a result of the church's gaslighting.

** As Lawrence Wright explains in the film, this actually becomes somewhat of a SelfFulfillingProphecy. Lower ranking members of the church are taught that reports of Scientology's more outlandish beliefs like the Xenu story are lies made up to disparage the religion. If and when they reach OT III and find out that these are indeed the actual beliefs of Scientology, many of them do have mental breakdowns as a result of the church's gaslighting.

** As Lawrence Wright explains in the film, ''OT III'' actually becomes somewhat of a SelfFulfillingProphecy. Lower ranking members of the church are taught that the more Scientology's more outlandish beliefs like the Xenu story are lies made up by the churches enemies to disparage it. If and when they reach OT III and find out that these are indeed the actually beliefs of Scientology, many of them do have mental breakdowns as a result of the church's gaslighting.

** As Lawrence Wright explains in the film, ''OT III'' actually causes some Scientologists to have nervous breakdowns, unable to reconcile the outlandishness of the Xenu story with what they believe to be the truth of Scientology's mission.

** Hubbard pulled an AuthorExistenceFailure before he could be held accountable for his fraud and abuse.

** '''David Miscavige.''' Deluging everyone with [[ClusterFBomb coarse language]]? Check. Beating up subordinates at the drop of a hat? Check. Keeping people (including children) in virtual prison camps through the RPF? Check. Cramming a hundred church executives into the Hole and [[{{Sadist}} watching them tear each other apart for fun?]] Check. Sending goons to smear and terrorize anyone who criticizes him? Forcing people who have fallen out of favor to cut ties with their families forever? ''Checkola''.

--> '''Tom [=DeVocht=]:''' No. I think that everybody, one for one, would have gone, "What do you mean? [[StepfordSmiler We're doing this voluntarily, we like living in these conditions.]]" And right on cue, we see footage of Rinder 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.

* DrivenToSuicide:
** Hubbard himself almost. He had come to believe that a very powerful body thetan had possessed him and that regular auditing couldn't get rid of it, so he asked one of his followers named Sarge Pfauth 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 Pfauth's e-meter.

* 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, [[TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget his sudden denials]] and proving later on once again that he was EvilAllAlong. Despite this, the attack pages that Scientology has made for ''sliming'' him are still around on the web, regardless of his current fate.

* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: After publicly splitting from the Church in 2004 and offering counseling services for Ex-Scientologists like himself, as of 2017 Marty Rathbun has appeared in videos criticizing Leah Remini and other former members, which seems to indicate [[RedemptionRejection he's fallen back under the church's sway.]]

* 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. [[FaceHeelTurn Eventually it wasn't enough for him, as 2017 is beginning to notice...]]

''Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief'' is a 2013 book by Pulitzer-winning ''New Yorker'' journalist Lawrence Wright. The book examines the [[ChurchofHappyology Church of Scientology]], from its inception by Creator/LRonHubbard in TheFifties to its present leadership under [[ManipulativeBastard David]] [[BadBoss Miscavige]]. The book proceeds to condemn Scientology, portraying the organization as an abusive and corrupt micro-{{dystopia}}.

* ChurchOfHappyology: ''Defied''. Neither the book nor the film pull any punches by depicting Hubbard as a lunatic, Miscavige as a tyrant, Scientology as a {{Cult}}, and the church's celebrities as moral accomplices for looking the other way. And they did it to an organization that is notoriously trigger-happy with its lawsuits and religiously-charged [[WoundedGazelleGambit Wounded Gazelle Gambit]]s. The film is particular has been credited with potentially turning this into a DiscreditedTrope. Within two weeks of the HBO premiere, ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' and Creator/DavidLetterman had both run hilarious skits roasting the church, and the ''Los Angeles Times'' ran a front-page story about how David Miscavige sent private investigators to stalk his own father.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Of the ChurchOfHappyology (both the trope and the real thing) and Hubbard's self-proclaimed role of ThePhilosopherKing.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Hubbard offers a summary of his own masturbatory history in his "Affirmations." [[NauseaFuel You're welcome.]]

* JustTheFirstCitizen: Despite Miscavige being the supreme leader of the Church, he is usually referred to by and endorses the unassuming title of "COB" (Chairman of the Board). Of course, that might also be an indicator of [[CorruptCorporateExecutive where his true priorities lie]].

** BlackmailIsSuchAnUglyWord: Hubbard's writings reveal he had no problem with this practice, and didn't consider it blackmail at all, because it wasn't about money.

* DrivenToSuicide: Hubbard himself almost. He had come to believe that a very powerful body thetan had possessed him and that regular auditing couldn't get rid of it, so he asked one of his followers named Sarge Pfauth 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 Pfauth's e-meter.

* IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure: Applied through disconnection. Scientologists are commanded to sever contact with children, siblings, wives, or husbands if they fall out of favor and are declared a Suppressive Person. Basically, whole families are made to suffer if one person gets on Scientology's bad side.

* KarmaHoudini: Hubbard pulled an AuthorExistenceFailure before he could be held accountable for his fraud and abuse.

* 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 Website/YouTube video.

* WouldHurtAChild: Do you really want us to revisit Spanky Taylor and the urine-soaked crib?

* AxCrazy: Or in Miscavige's case, Fist Crazy.

* BadBoss: '''David Miscavige.''' Deluging everyone with [[ClusterFBomb coarse language]]? Check. Beating up subordinates at the drop of a hat? Check. Keeping people (including children) in virtual prison camps through the RPF? Check. Cramming a hundred church executives into the Hole and [[{{Sadist}} watching them tear each other apart for fun?]] Check. Sending goons to smear and terrorize anyone who criticizes him? Forcing people who have fallen out of favor to cut ties with their families forever? ''Checkola''.

* 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, [[TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget his sudden denials]] and proving later on once again that he was EvilAllAlong.
** Despite this, the attack pages that Scientology has made for ''sliming'' him are still around on the web, regardless of his current fate.

* ChurchOfHappyology: ''Defied''. Neither the book nor the film pull any punches by depicting Hubbard as a lunatic, Miscavige as a tyrant, Scientology as a {{Cult}}, and the church's celebrities as moral accomplices for looking the other way. And they did it to an organization that is notoriously trigger-happy with its lawsuits and religiously-charged [[WoundedGazelleGambit Wounded Gazelle Gambit]]s.
** The film is particular has been credited with potentially turning this into a DiscreditedTrope. Within two weeks of the HBO premiere, ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' and Creator/DavidLetterman had both run hilarious skits roasting the church, and the ''Los Angeles Times'' ran a front-page story about how David Miscavige sent private investigators to stalk his own father.
* ClusterFBomb: How Miscavige, the purported pope of Scientology, interacts with subordinates on a daily basis.

* ConditionedToAcceptHorror: How many Scientologists continue to support the church. By the time they make it to ''OT III'' and learn about the Xenu story, they have already [[SunkCostFallacy devoted so much time and money]] on Scientology -- and the church has [[{{Blackmail}} gathered enough dirt on them]] -- that they don't question Scientology's practices for fear of reprisal.

* DomesticAbuse: Hubbard to Sara Northrup. In addition to his physical violence, Hubbard also at one point had their infant daughter kidnapped and sent to live with a family in Cuba. He then told Northrup that he killed the child, cut her up into small pieces, and dumped them all in the river, and blamed it on her. Then he told her that he'd lied about it (which was true; the child was unharmed). He repeated this cycle several times.

* FanDisservice: Do you want an intimate look at [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS5I3Vcawi3aCnYN4B47LpAvP21Ksl9uxZpyBjVP3zCwk7n14e1 this guy's]] sex life and masturbation habits? No? Too bad, because you most certainly '''will'''.

* ForTheEvulz: In one of his cruelest mind games, Miscavige organized a game of musical chairs for Scientology executives in which all who lost would be [[ReassignedToAntarctica sent to remote outposts]] and never see their loved ones again. The executives, naturally scared out of their minds, became more desperate as the game went on and began violently fighting each other (some of them tore the chairs apart). When the game was over, Miscavige said no one would be exiled after all.

* GoMadFromTheRevelation: What Hubbard claimed could happen if a Scientologist read the contents of ''OT III'' before he was ready.

* IgnoredEpiphany: Creator/JohnTravolta was clearly aware on some level about the abuse Spanky Taylor suffered in the Sea Org, but chose not to challenge the church or publicly break with them. Not long after Spanky's escape, Travolta sings "Happy Birthday" for Hubbard at a Scientology function. It is suggested that Scientology uses {{Blackmail}} to keep him in line.

* IronicNickname: The Bridge to Total Freedom is designed to make you more and more dependent on Scientology until you are utterly captured.

* KnightTemplar: Scientologists revert to this mode when they practice the "Fair Game" policy on their critics. The Squirrel Busters' fight against Marty Rathbun practicing Scientology independently [[UpToEleven for over 200 days]] is one of its most shockingly infamous examples.

* LiesDamnedLiesAndStatistics: Scientology claims it has millions of followers around the world, and their testimonial video for Tom Cruise credits him with recruiting over 1 billion people. But Scientology inflates the numbers to the extreme by counting any regular person who walked into an org or watched one of Cruise's movies or read one of Hubbard's novels as a "Scientologist." What's the real figure? Scientology has about 30,000 members. ''And shrinking''.
** Scientology also claims to be in the midst of a period of great expansion, pointing to grand openings or re-openings of their orgs in major cities every year. What Miscavige doesn't mention is that those buildings, when not unfinished or in disrepair, are hardly ever used.

* MamaBear: With a side of badass for Spanky Taylor. She managed to rescue her baby from criminal neglect in the Cadet Org and arrange an escape with a non-Scientologist friend, right under the noses of the cult's security apparatus.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Haggis' attitude towards his career in Scientology after he learned about the allegations against the church re: its abuse of Sea Org members and his own lesbian daughters.

* NiceCharacterMeanActor: We learn that not only did Creator/TomCruise allow the church to turn his children against Creator/NicoleKidman, but he also conspired with Miscavige to have Kidman's phone bugged. He also benefits from the church's abuses by letting Sea Org members customize his vehicles and living quarters for a pittance. And then there's how he treated Nazanin Boniadi...

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: The film is mostly composed of interviews with Scientologists who couldn't stand it anymore and left. To name just a few: Hana Whitfield (original Sea Org member), Marty Rathbun (former [[TheDragon Dragon]] to David Miscavige), Mike Rinder (former church spokesman), Spanky Taylor (John Travolta's former handler), [[Series/ChicagoPD Jason Beghe]] (actor who defected to Anonymous), [[Film/{{Crash}} Paul Haggis]] (director who left because he [[PapaWolf has two lesbian daughters]] and he found out about the church's homophobia), and on and on.

--> '''Tom [=DeVocht=]:''' No. I think that everybody, one for one, would have gone, "What do you mean? [[StepfordSmiler We're doing this voluntarily, we like living in these conditions.]]"
** And right on cue, we see footage of Rinder 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.

* {{Unperson}}: If you're declared a "Suppressive Person" by the church, your family members and friends in the religion are ordered to cut off all contact with you. If they don't comply, they themselves are labelled Suppressive Persons (although it's pointed out that sometimes Scientology's celebrity members are given immunity from this).

* DomesticAbuser: Hubbard to Sara Northrup. In addition to his physical violence, Hubbard also at one point had their infant daughter kidnapped and sent to live with a family in Cuba. He then told Northrup that he killed the child, cut her up into small pieces, and dumped them all in the river, and blamed it on her. Then he told her that he'd lied about it (which was true; the child was unharmed). He repeated this cycle several times.