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Imagine for a moment that you are an up-and-coming science fiction writer in the 1950's with a boundless imagination and a true passion for fantasy. Intrigued by the unintentional psychosocial public reaction of "The War of the Worlds" radio broadcast in 1938, would you be tempted to manipulate the public in a similar manner? If a writer could use his or her words to sway real people into living life as if they were the main characters of a science fiction book, that would be a momentous accomplishment, and in the eyes of a science fiction writer and connoisseur, what would be more remarkable than successfully blurring the line between fantasy and real life?

The late science fiction author Lafayette Ron Hubbard not only blurred the line, he managed to erase it all together when he wrote "Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health" in 1950. That first year over 150,000 copies were sold and by 1952, Hubbard had officially turned the concepts within "Dianetics" in to the religion Scientology. The very fact that "Dianetics" and the religion Scientology were created by a science fiction author makes Scientology seem more like a cult than a religion, though its members would disagree, and probably sue you for your opposition in this day and age.

At first Scientology seems like a harmless self-improvement program devised by Hubbard, which is one reason people looking for something outside of traditional theism accept Scientology as a religious answer. Meanwhile, scientists continue to denounce the theories in "Dianetics," stating they are not scientifically proven to be effective and emotionally-safe methods of healing.

In "Dianetics," Hubbard introduced auditing; a one on one counseling session with a trained Scientologist auditor, which supposedly has the power to cure physical and emotional illnesses and make the member more intelligent and aware of their impact on their surroundings.

Scientology, in part, is quite helpful when it comes to learning more about why we are the way we are, which is why outspoken members condemn traditional psychiatry. Books like "The Emotional Tone Scale", "The Way to Happiness", and the children's book "Learning How to Learn" are just three of the many valuable self-help guides written by Hubbard. Hubbard was highly intuitive and these principles came naturally to him. While his views were never backed by scientific finding, they helped countless people find happiness and balance in their lives.

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