His success leads me to believe that any creative charlatan can make up a religion. Perhaps I can create Astrophysictology and have a bunch of gullible fools eating out of my hand. Although it wasn't Hubbard who actually got scientology recognized as a religion. It was his tenacious successor who pressured a bunch of corrupt IRS agents into getting official religious status so they wouldn't have to pay taxes. What a racket they are running.

Did you know that Hubbard originally called this "science out of my arse crack" and changed it at the last minute? Fact.

Hubbard designed his ideology, indoctrination system, and organizational culture to rope people in and keep them under control. Its "success" is no accident.

I read the book Bald Face Messiah by Russell Miller which was a biography. He was quite an interesting character. He was a crackpot who eventually went batshit crazy. I don't know if anyone could say what he expected.

If you all haven't seen Leah Remini's excellent exposé series on Scientology, check it out. You can view the two seaons of episodes on the A&E site.
[aetv.com]

His books are unreadable. Oh man. So bad. I tried to read Battlefield Earth way way way back, and I threw it across the room, it was so bad. Loved the movie, though. The movie is one of the best accidental comedies. Especially, if you have looked into scientology like I have. And dianetics was impossible to get through with it's horrible use of nonsensical jargon. Hubbard had a mental illness of some sort. Mania with narcissism would be my guess.

I think he was a brilliant science fiction writer, that was hoping for a book deal and movie, but after seeing the bible rake it in for centuries decided religion was a better financial endeavor.

Aleister Crowley is the reason Hubbard got the idea for Scientology Croweley was a double agent during WWII except he could not decide which side to be the double agent for.