Scientology Churches and Missions Celebrate 60th Anniversary of Dianetics the Modern Science of Mental Health

Scientologists mark a new era for Dianetics at events in Scientology Churches and Missions around the world—tens of thousands attend.

Tens of thousands of Scientologists attended events in every Scientology Church and Mission this month. The outstanding Dianetics auditors, groups and booksellers in each zone were awarded in the celebration of the 60 years since the first publication of Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health by L. Ron Hubbard. The anniversary also marked the greatest expansion of Dianetics in history, with more than 4,500 Dianetics Groups around the world and record numbers of visitors to the Dianetics website from more than 20,000 cities in 214 nations. Since its first publication May 9, 1950, more than 21.8 million copies of Dianetics have been sold.

The Dianetics boom started in March 2009 when Mr. David Miscavige, ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, announced the completion of a project to place Dianetics and 17 other hardback Scientology and Dianetics titles, published in 16 languages, in more than 97,000 libraries—every national, city and university lending library in the world. Then, to open the subject up to 90 percent of the world’s population, that same month Dianetics and eight other beginning Dianetics and Scientology books were published in paperback editions in 50 languages.

With Dianetics more accessible than ever in history, in June 2009 Mr. Miscavige released “How to Use Dianetics,” a film that revolutionized the subject. In four and one-half hours, the film covers the Dianetics book in such detail that those watching are able to immediately put Dianetics technology to use. As Mr. Miscavige announced to an international audience of Scientologists, “These films are not about Dianetics. Rather, they are films of Dianetics.”

The film is the centerpiece of the new Dianetics Seminar, offered in Scientology Churches, Missions and Dianetics groups on five continents.

At the seminar, with the guidance of trained Dianetics supervisors, attendees pair up to apply Dianetics to each other, using the information they have just learned. The book and film are so descriptive of Dianetics procedure, those living far from a Scientology Church or Mission can watch the film on their own, read the book and begin to use the technology at home, and many do.

The application of Dianetics technology to another is called “auditing” from the Latin word audire, “to listen.” “My last year has been a complete hell,” wrote one person who decided to attend a Dianetics seminar and receive auditing to sort this out. “I had so many things hidden inside. Now that I got everything off my chest, I feel extremely relieved.”

“I feel revitalized,” said another seminar participant. “I have much better understanding and compassion for people who are struggling with pain and loss on a daily basis and don’t even realize it.”

A significant aspect of the Dianetics seminar is that while receiving help, one learns to help another. “Wow! It was a great experience to assist someone to get through a painful event,” said an attendee. “To see the person brighten up is so amazing.”

With Dianetics gaining popularity from Katmandu, Nepal, to Kiisi, Kenya, and from Almaty, Kazakhstan, to Bergamo, Italy, last year a record-breaking 3.7 million hours of Dianetics auditing were delivered internationally. For more information on Dianetics or to order a copy of Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, visit the Dianetics website.

^{"You may have been taught that the mind is a very difficult thing to know about. This is the first principle of Scientology: It is possible to know about the mind, the spirit and life."—L. Ron Hubbard}

Anonymous Hate Group Member Sentenced for Attack on Scientology Websites


On Monday, May 24, 2010, Los Angeles Federal District Judge Gary Allen Feess sentenced Brian Thomas Mettenbrink of Grand Island, Nebraska, to 12 months in federal prison and a $20,000 restitution fine for engaging in a cyberattack in January 2008 on Church of Scientology websites (CR No. 09-1149-GAF). Mettenbrink is a member of the hate group “Anonymous,” many members of which have been investigated or convicted of federal and state crimes over the past three years.


Scientology.org, the attacked website, is the central information site of the worldwide religion. According to the federal prosecutor’s sentencing memorandum, Mettenbrink “maliciously participated in a scheme to damage a computer belonging to the Church of Scientology.” The Department of Justice prosecutor stated, “Our free society will cease to function if a malicious few are free to target individuals because of their religious beliefs.”


Noting that the acts were “in the nature of a hate crime” because the target was a religious organization, Judge Feess further ordered that during probation following his jail sentence, Mettenbrink must stay 100 yards away from any Church of Scientology. Judge Feess also stated the “nature and circumstances are serious” and that a sentence higher than the federal guidelines was necessary and warranted “to protect the public” from further criminal conduct.


Mettenbrink is the second Anonymous member to be sentenced in the last seven months for the January 2008 cyberattack. In November 2009, Dmitriy Guzner of Verona, New Jersey, was sentenced by Newark U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Greenaway to a 366-day prison term, plus two years probation. Guzner was also ordered to pay $37,500 restitution to the Church. A Department of Justice press release issued at the time charges were filed against Guzner stated “According to the criminal information filed in United States District Court in Los Angeles, Guzner participated in the attack because he considered himself a member of an underground group called ‘Anonymous.’”


^{"You may have been taught that the mind is a very difficult thing to know about. This is the first principle of Scientology: It is possible to know about the mind, the spirit and life."—L. Ron Hubbard}