Founded by science-fiction author L. Ron Hubbard in 1954, Scientology has been the subject of decades of lawsuits, government inquiries, and investigative journalism examining its practices toward members.
L. Ron Hubbard founded the Church of Scientology in 1954, building on ideas from his earlier book Dianetics. The organization teaches a proprietary system of counseling (“auditing”) intended to help members reach higher spiritual states, requiring significant financial investment to progress through its levels.
Over subsequent decades, Scientology has faced sustained scrutiny: a U.S. federal investigation and criminal convictions of senior officials in the 1970s–80s over infiltration of government agencies (Operation Snow White), international government inquiries into its tax and legal status, and extensive former-member testimony — including through documentaries and reporting — alleging coercive control, forced labor, and harassment of critics. The organization disputes many of these characterizations and has won religious tax-exempt status in the United States.