Reviews
Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape, by Jenna Miscavige Hill
kaedeegs's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
I have to relisten to this a few times a year. I'm always hooked.
hheimbaugh's review against another edition
4.0
For me, and I think probably for many of us, Scientology didn’t start to interest me until Tom Cruise went off the deep end. In fact, on UrbanDictionary.com there is even a phrase for going completely nuts a la Cruise, “jumping the couch,” inspired by his notoriously erratic couch jumping behavior on Oprah. Admittedly, during that moment he was actually professing his love for Katie Holmes and not Scientology (barf), but that didn’t make me judge him any less.
No, Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape by Jenna Miscavige Hill is not about Tom Cruise (although he does make a brief appearance towards the end) – but if anything his absence makes it better, not worse. I don’t think I could listen to Cruise’s antics for more than a page, much less a whole book. Hill is the niece of Scientology’s current leader, David Miscavige, which gives her unique insight into the upper echelons of Scientology that very few have.
I actually didn’t know very much about Scientology before reading this book. In fact, everything I did know could be traced back to Cruise or John Travolta, and pretty much centered around the way that its members eschew medication in favor of more natural remedies. Yet, that tidbit is just the tip of a very upsetting iceberg. How Hill grew up was both completely shocking and disturbing.
Hill’s parents worked for the Sea Org, a Scientology unit dedicated to its most devout members. In Scientology, family comes second to the good of the organization, which means that for most of her childhood, Hill was separated from her parents to be raised communally, seeing them once a week, if at all. At the age of six, she moved to the Ranch, where rock hauling and construction were just two of the many laborious chores she was forced to do. When she was seven, Hill was asked to sign a billion year contract with the Church (Scientologists essentially believe the spirit is reborn after death into a different body, and signing the contract is committing all future lives to the Church as well). As she grew up, Hill was subjected to inhumane conditions, psychological and physical abuse, manual labor, harassment, unwarranted punishment, and worse, all for the “good” of the religion. She was constantly made to feel like something was wrong with her, that she was a failure, selfish, and unworthy, all for for experiencing the types of growing pains typical of most children. Any thoughts that didn’t conform to Scientology’s rigid tenets were routinely squelched to essentially create conformist drones. Hill, who had never experienced life outside of Scientology’s confines, was so thoroughly inundated into Scientology’s culture that for the longest time she was incapable of recognizing that there were other less oppressive ways to live.
The heart-wrenching memoir portrays Hill’s struggles to come to terms with who she is, and find the courage within her to walk away from everything she had ever known. Leaving Scientology wasn’t as simple as leaving a religion, it required Hill to cut ties with friends and family who were still members because she would be labeled a Suppressive Person (in other words, evil). Now Hill and her husband (also a former Scientologist) actively speak out against the Church in an effort to raise awareness of what Scientology is actually all about, behind its self-help front.
If you are even remotely interested in the topic of Scientology, I highly suggest reading this book. It was completely engrossing and an eye opening experience.
Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
No, Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape by Jenna Miscavige Hill is not about Tom Cruise (although he does make a brief appearance towards the end) – but if anything his absence makes it better, not worse. I don’t think I could listen to Cruise’s antics for more than a page, much less a whole book. Hill is the niece of Scientology’s current leader, David Miscavige, which gives her unique insight into the upper echelons of Scientology that very few have.
I actually didn’t know very much about Scientology before reading this book. In fact, everything I did know could be traced back to Cruise or John Travolta, and pretty much centered around the way that its members eschew medication in favor of more natural remedies. Yet, that tidbit is just the tip of a very upsetting iceberg. How Hill grew up was both completely shocking and disturbing.
Hill’s parents worked for the Sea Org, a Scientology unit dedicated to its most devout members. In Scientology, family comes second to the good of the organization, which means that for most of her childhood, Hill was separated from her parents to be raised communally, seeing them once a week, if at all. At the age of six, she moved to the Ranch, where rock hauling and construction were just two of the many laborious chores she was forced to do. When she was seven, Hill was asked to sign a billion year contract with the Church (Scientologists essentially believe the spirit is reborn after death into a different body, and signing the contract is committing all future lives to the Church as well). As she grew up, Hill was subjected to inhumane conditions, psychological and physical abuse, manual labor, harassment, unwarranted punishment, and worse, all for the “good” of the religion. She was constantly made to feel like something was wrong with her, that she was a failure, selfish, and unworthy, all for for experiencing the types of growing pains typical of most children. Any thoughts that didn’t conform to Scientology’s rigid tenets were routinely squelched to essentially create conformist drones. Hill, who had never experienced life outside of Scientology’s confines, was so thoroughly inundated into Scientology’s culture that for the longest time she was incapable of recognizing that there were other less oppressive ways to live.
The heart-wrenching memoir portrays Hill’s struggles to come to terms with who she is, and find the courage within her to walk away from everything she had ever known. Leaving Scientology wasn’t as simple as leaving a religion, it required Hill to cut ties with friends and family who were still members because she would be labeled a Suppressive Person (in other words, evil). Now Hill and her husband (also a former Scientologist) actively speak out against the Church in an effort to raise awareness of what Scientology is actually all about, behind its self-help front.
If you are even remotely interested in the topic of Scientology, I highly suggest reading this book. It was completely engrossing and an eye opening experience.
Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
lmeyrueix4's review against another edition
4.0
This book left me utterly baffled, I was BEYOND BELIEF. I had always heard negative reports and murmurs on Scientology but only knew the bare minimum on this religion.
This story is quite compelling considering this is the story of the niece (Jenna Miscavige) of the current leader of Scientology, David Miscavige, who took over after L. Ron Hubbard died (the founder). Per the Scientology website, it seems that David Miscavige is heralded as the individual responsible for expanding the religion. Per the book, it seems that David was responsible for making the church even MORE strict, particularly for those in the elite group of Scientologists, the Sea Organization (or Sea Org for short). It seems the changes enacted by David led to many high-ranking members leaving the Church and denouncing David for many alleged cases of abuses.
As a side note, the Scientology website claims Scientology is the fastest-growing religion in the 21st century. This is entirely untrue. Per the Pew Research Center, Islam is the fastest-growing religion, this is mainly based on demographics (2017). Statistics on Scientology are a bit harder to find. From the ARIS Reports, you see a decrease in Scientology from 2001 to 2008, from 50,000 to 25,000 in the United States. The Atlantic did share an interesting article from 2016 stating that in Taiwan Scientology was rising. Perhaps we will give the Scientologists some credit; it seems they were using to their advantage that L. Ron Hubbard claimed to be a new Buddha.
Besides the many non-truths that can be seen from the Scientology website, Beyond Belief, takes you through many of the confusing rules that govern Scientologists, particularly for Sea Org Members.
Through Beyond Belief, Jenna takes you through her cognitive dissonance during her many years in the Sea Org. You get a firsthand account of her revolting against Scientology and the times she tried her hardest to be the perfect Scientologist. Jenna is candid with regards to the amount of brainwashing she experienced. She shares with the reader that for a good portion of her time in the organization she would have never believed anyone who spoke ill of Scientology. And explicitly states that for her to leave she had to realize, largely on her own, that the Sea Org was an abusive and unhealthy environment.
I think the most beautiful thing I got out of this heralding journey of Jenna's, was the importance of friendship. When everything else is taken from you, it is the relationships you develop with the people around you that will help you get through what life throws at you. It is nearly impossible to make it through any of life's hardships without kin around you to support you through it.
"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival" -- C.S. Lewis
This story is quite compelling considering this is the story of the niece (Jenna Miscavige) of the current leader of Scientology, David Miscavige, who took over after L. Ron Hubbard died (the founder). Per the Scientology website, it seems that David Miscavige is heralded as the individual responsible for expanding the religion. Per the book, it seems that David was responsible for making the church even MORE strict, particularly for those in the elite group of Scientologists, the Sea Organization (or Sea Org for short). It seems the changes enacted by David led to many high-ranking members leaving the Church and denouncing David for many alleged cases of abuses.
As a side note, the Scientology website claims Scientology is the fastest-growing religion in the 21st century. This is entirely untrue. Per the Pew Research Center, Islam is the fastest-growing religion, this is mainly based on demographics (2017). Statistics on Scientology are a bit harder to find. From the ARIS Reports, you see a decrease in Scientology from 2001 to 2008, from 50,000 to 25,000 in the United States. The Atlantic did share an interesting article from 2016 stating that in Taiwan Scientology was rising. Perhaps we will give the Scientologists some credit; it seems they were using to their advantage that L. Ron Hubbard claimed to be a new Buddha.
Besides the many non-truths that can be seen from the Scientology website, Beyond Belief, takes you through many of the confusing rules that govern Scientologists, particularly for Sea Org Members.
Through Beyond Belief, Jenna takes you through her cognitive dissonance during her many years in the Sea Org. You get a firsthand account of her revolting against Scientology and the times she tried her hardest to be the perfect Scientologist. Jenna is candid with regards to the amount of brainwashing she experienced. She shares with the reader that for a good portion of her time in the organization she would have never believed anyone who spoke ill of Scientology. And explicitly states that for her to leave she had to realize, largely on her own, that the Sea Org was an abusive and unhealthy environment.
I think the most beautiful thing I got out of this heralding journey of Jenna's, was the importance of friendship. When everything else is taken from you, it is the relationships you develop with the people around you that will help you get through what life throws at you. It is nearly impossible to make it through any of life's hardships without kin around you to support you through it.
"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival" -- C.S. Lewis
freya54's review
3.0
I hate to mark someone’s personal story with nothing but 5 stars and I admire what it took to come forward and write this. But I found it hard to get into and it took me a while to read it.
delena404's review
4.0
Someone said this book was "boring" so I kept waiting for it to bore me....and then it ended! I thought it was really well done and factual.
kalkie's review against another edition
3.0
As part of the Book Riot's 2016 Read Harder Challenge I had to read a fiction or non-fiction religious book. I chose this one.
The religion of Scientology has always fascinated me. I'm an atheist and natural cynic anyway, but the fact that someone can "create" a religion out of (seemingly) nothing, and make a fortune off its believers is a fascinating mix of entrepreneurism, charisma and psychological belief.
The fact that the creator - L. Ron Hubbard - is quoted as saying:
Makes it all the more fascinating as to how someone can buy into Scientology without at least questioning its beginnings.
That aside, this is a fascinating, and sometimes frightening, account of one young girl's life within Scientology. Indoctrinated by her parents from the age of 2, she really hadn't known anything other than life within Scientology. However her tales of neglect, lies and deliberate withholding of information can't help but make you question why her parents subjected her to the regime. The only hope is that they were vastly unaware of the conditions she was being raised under, otherwise you have to question their ability to parent at all!
As the niece of the man who took over Scientology after L. Ron Hubbard's death, she knew she was in a privileged position within the organisation. However even that wasn't enough, and eventually she started to see through the smoke and mirrors of Scientology and left the organisation, having seen it for the fake that it is.
It also touches on the privileged position of the well-known celebrity Scientologists, who seem to live a very different life within the organisation as the ordinary men and women do. They are deliberately "managed" to put forward the best face of the organisation, while becoming Scientology's biggest advocates in the process.
This is a fascinating read for anyone interested in this kind of sham set-up!
This review was originally posted on Babs' Bookshelf
The religion of Scientology has always fascinated me. I'm an atheist and natural cynic anyway, but the fact that someone can "create" a religion out of (seemingly) nothing, and make a fortune off its believers is a fascinating mix of entrepreneurism, charisma and psychological belief.
The fact that the creator - L. Ron Hubbard - is quoted as saying:
You don't get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion.
Makes it all the more fascinating as to how someone can buy into Scientology without at least questioning its beginnings.
That aside, this is a fascinating, and sometimes frightening, account of one young girl's life within Scientology. Indoctrinated by her parents from the age of 2, she really hadn't known anything other than life within Scientology. However her tales of neglect, lies and deliberate withholding of information can't help but make you question why her parents subjected her to the regime. The only hope is that they were vastly unaware of the conditions she was being raised under, otherwise you have to question their ability to parent at all!
As the niece of the man who took over Scientology after L. Ron Hubbard's death, she knew she was in a privileged position within the organisation. However even that wasn't enough, and eventually she started to see through the smoke and mirrors of Scientology and left the organisation, having seen it for the fake that it is.
It also touches on the privileged position of the well-known celebrity Scientologists, who seem to live a very different life within the organisation as the ordinary men and women do. They are deliberately "managed" to put forward the best face of the organisation, while becoming Scientology's biggest advocates in the process.
This is a fascinating read for anyone interested in this kind of sham set-up!
This review was originally posted on Babs' Bookshelf
oldtobegin's review
4.0
the title promises a lot, but this is definitely one of the most harrowing stories from scientology i've read yet, and at this point i feel like i've read a lot. at times while reading i was so furious on jenna's behalf that i just had to put the book down.
one thing this book does really well is explain with some detail all of the indoctrination that goes on in scientology. the church raises children, but the church is wildly ineffective at teaching anything except scientology - to the point that every problem a person has in life is chalked up to a misunderstanding about scientology itself.
for example, LRH wrote that if you don't understand a concept, you actually don't understand one of the words you read - and the cure for that is to read the word's dictionary definition repeatedly, use it as many ways in a sentence as you can, and of course get on the e-meter until your needle floats when you use that word. out here in the real world we know that misunderstood words are so rarely part of why you don't understand a concept. more likely, you don't understand the explanation you've been given, you don't have the context for the concept, or the examples were bad - all things that seem to apply to how the church of scientology teaches and talks. but forcing someone to read through a dictionary numbs their mind to those possibilities; makes them docile; makes them afraid, uncertain, anxious.
it's all mind control. and the fact that people like jenna made it out just continues to be so amazing to me.
one thing this book does really well is explain with some detail all of the indoctrination that goes on in scientology. the church raises children, but the church is wildly ineffective at teaching anything except scientology - to the point that every problem a person has in life is chalked up to a misunderstanding about scientology itself.
for example, LRH wrote that if you don't understand a concept, you actually don't understand one of the words you read - and the cure for that is to read the word's dictionary definition repeatedly, use it as many ways in a sentence as you can, and of course get on the e-meter until your needle floats when you use that word. out here in the real world we know that misunderstood words are so rarely part of why you don't understand a concept. more likely, you don't understand the explanation you've been given, you don't have the context for the concept, or the examples were bad - all things that seem to apply to how the church of scientology teaches and talks. but forcing someone to read through a dictionary numbs their mind to those possibilities; makes them docile; makes them afraid, uncertain, anxious.
it's all mind control. and the fact that people like jenna made it out just continues to be so amazing to me.
hnagle15's review
3.0
3.5/5
This was a really interesting look into the church and what happens to those who have been brought up within it. Many of the stories I have heard/read from ex-Scientologists are from those who joined later in life and then left. This is the first story I have heard by someone who was born into it.
Jenna's story is also fascinating as she is the niece of the current head of Scientology, LRH's successor, David Miscavige. While I have read many stories about David as a leader, it was really interesting to read about him as a person. A man who was once the "fun uncle" is now the head of a million dollar "church" and is known for his abuse of others.
Overall I found Jenna's story really interesting and would highly recommend it to anyone wanting a "behind the scenes" view of Scientology. Additionally, I think it was a great crash-course in "Scientology for dummies." When researching their beliefs I have always found it difficult to wrap my head around the concepts, but they are simply explained within this book.
This was a really interesting look into the church and what happens to those who have been brought up within it. Many of the stories I have heard/read from ex-Scientologists are from those who joined later in life and then left. This is the first story I have heard by someone who was born into it.
Jenna's story is also fascinating as she is the niece of the current head of Scientology, LRH's successor, David Miscavige. While I have read many stories about David as a leader, it was really interesting to read about him as a person. A man who was once the "fun uncle" is now the head of a million dollar "church" and is known for his abuse of others.
Overall I found Jenna's story really interesting and would highly recommend it to anyone wanting a "behind the scenes" view of Scientology. Additionally, I think it was a great crash-course in "Scientology for dummies." When researching their beliefs I have always found it difficult to wrap my head around the concepts, but they are simply explained within this book.
mindlessmartyrr's review
4.0
Interesting memoir. And this is how I found out The Path on Hulu was based on Scientology. So...there's also that. But really good story!