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I have read burroughs experience in scientology and I tottally agree with his thoughts on the subject...
He was really pissed with the idea of the church that's not allowed to all people.
And it's still stays the same
nothing changed.
And I am not into scientology att all to be honest but even if i wanted to know more about it, this community is the worst , it's easier to go to Tibet than be a member of scientology...

I am skeptical of Scientology but am somewhat intrigued by it. I used to work for a guy who was a Scientologist and it seemed to be really expensive. He was always going to these meetings and retreats and buying books and seemed to drop a lot of money. I'm not sure how much of that sort of thing is required. A lot of what I've read about it sort of turns me off of it.

Scientology: The "science fiction religion" I read Burroughs's take on it many years ago and what I remember was a bit of an expose. But he seemed mostly interested in the E - Meter which to my understanding is like a lie detector. Measures your emotional stress. Around that time, when I read his bit on it I decided to see if I could get my hands on one. I went into the main Scientology center here and was immediately glommed onto by a couple of swarmy males, worse than car salesmen (actually I like some car salesmen but that's another story.) So they're practically on top of me with "Can we help you pleeeeze." I'd studied cults to some extent so I was ready for anything that came close to "love bombing." "Well, sure" I said backing away as much as possible. I had spotted the E Meters in a glass case looking like some kind of sci fi designed bathroom scales. "Oh there they are," I said stepping over to the case. The cadets or whatever they’re called followed me over almost in step. "How much are these?" I asked innocently. "Are you a minister of the church?" one asked narrowing his eyes. "Uh, um...well, no." "Oh well, you have to be ordained to purchase one,” he said flatly. "Hmmmm well, how much are they anyhow?" One of them named some insane amount, like 2,000 dollars. "I see," I said and went on my way.

But, so to answer your query. I believe it's fairly easy to join as long as you're willing to pay cash on the barrel head and folow their training course.

There’s other interesting connections with Scientology. I believe some of the early members met up with Gysin in Tangier and maybe even had something to do with the dreamachine? Somebody on the board hopfully knows more about this. And Hubbard who wrote a lot of crappy sci fi novels hung out with a sci fi writers/occultist group in Southern California I believe. Jack Parsons was a member, and it seems there was some funny biz with his wife and Hubbard? I forget. I always wanted to read that expose Hubbard's son wrote about him but never got around to it.

I remember searching around on the net for information on Scientology once (out of curiousity after seeing Battlefield Earth I think). I came upon many interesting sites reportedly made by ex-Scientologists that appeared very well referenced (though I never look into any of the references). Creepy shit. A lot of it was about control, the creation of a cult. Stuff about aliens called Thetans or something. Quotes by Hubbard that make Mein Kampf seem subtle. Since I never looked at the validity of the sources cited, I try to refrain from judgement, but seeing people like Tom Cruise exspouse some of the teachings, makes me think those sites may have been right.

now this is the official site of scientologists to anyone who is interested
http://www.scientology.org/[/url]
thanx for your replies...
Burroughs was interested in the subjects below:

reactive mind: that part of the mind which works on a totally stimulus-response basis, which is not under a person’s volitional control, and which exerts force and the power of command over his awareness, purposes, thoughts, body and actions.

PDH: abbreviation for pain-drug-hypnosis, a behavioral modification technique used by military and intelligence services in which pain, drugs or hypnosis, or any combination of these, are administered to drive an individual into a state whereby he can be given suggestions or commands subconsciously. Dianetics auditing can undo the effects of PDH. For more information.

standard memory banks: recordings in the analytical mind of everything perceived throughout the lifetime up to the present by the individual except painful emotion and physical pain, which are recorded in the reactive mind.

mental image pictures: three-dimensional pictures which are continuously made by the mind, moment by moment, containing color, sound and smell, as well as other perceptions. They also include the conclusions or speculations of the individual. Mental image pictures are composed of energy, have mass, exist in space and follow definite routines of behavior, the most interesting of which is the fact that they appear when somebody thinks of something.

Dianetics: comes from the Greek words dia, meaning “through” and nous, meaning “soul.” Dianetics is a methodology developed by L. Ron Hubbard which can help alleviate unwanted sensations and emotions, irrational fears and psychosomatic illnesses. It is most accurately described as what the soul is doing to the body through the mind.

I saw Vanilla Sky last night on tv and I couldn't help thinking about Scientology while watching Cruise's performance. Reactive mind indeed.

Travolta is into it as well...I'm sure thats why he signed on for that stink bomb Battlefield Earth, since it was based on one of Hubbards books.

I think it qualifies as "so bad it's good" - It cracked me up. A friend of mine who loves things "so bad that they're good" has the large action figure (for Travolta) and when you press the button on it's chest he says something like: "I'm the one in control here."

Well I guess ya gotta love campy stuff like that. But damn, that film is like 2 1/2 hours long, its an endurance challenge.