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Founding Spirit
Guardian, 29 August 1996, Page 2
- The inspiration behind the Church of Scientology is American science fiction writer, L Ron Hubbard (1911-1986) who developed a set of beliefs about the working of the human mind and spirit in Dianetics, published in 1950. He then developed Scientology, a practical philosophy to help people to 'clear' their spirit in a series of books published in the early fifties.
- The first Church of Scientology was set up in Los Angeles in 1954.
- In 1959, Hubbard bought Saint Hill, a 55-acre estate in East Grinstead, Sussex, where he lived for the next seven years.
- The Church of Scientology claims 8m members worldwide - 100,000 in the UK.
- It is registered as a charity in Australia and had an income of £5m in 1993. Worldwide, its income has been put at £200m a yearwith another £270m in assets.
- The cost of Scientology courses ranges from £30 for the introductory, to £15,216 for the Saint Hill Special Briefing Course, which takes a year.
- Hollywood Scientologists include: Sharon Stone, Nicole Kidman, John Travolta, Tom Cruise, Emilio Estevez, Priscilla Presley, Demi Moore, Shirley Maclaine, Kirstie Alley, Kelly Preston.
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