Two years ago, Kabbalah was the spirituality in America’s spotlight, practiced by such stars as Madonna and Britney Spears. These days, it appears that Scientology may be the new pop-religion. Tom Cruise eagerly proclaims himself a Scientologist and has brought much attention to the religion; actress Janeane Garofalo recently praised a Scientology-based program devoted to the detoxification of New York rescue workers involved in the aftermath of September 11.
One main facet of Scientology is the belief that non-natural chemicals, such as prescription drugs or environmental toxins, deplete the body of its natural disease-fighting mechanisms and lead to an abundance of health problems. According to L. Ron
Hubbard, who founded Scientology in 1954, the build-up of chemical residue within the human body will lead to a loss of awareness and mental alertness, and will serve as a barrier to “spiritual freedom.”
Perhaps the reason that Scientology is of so much interest to celebrities as well as to U.S. citizens in general, is that the religion of L. Ron Hubbard is at once logical and completely juxtaposed to the American way of life.
Non-natural toxins certainly do serve to reduce mental awareness, just ask the U.S. drug czar why methamphetamine is illegal. The claim of Scientology, however, is that the body will react unfavorably to any drug, regardless of its legal status or supposed toxicity. A strict Scientologist would consider aspirin and heroin on par with one another in terms of harm to the body and the spirit.
In a country where prescription drug use is consistently rising, the appeal of returning to a more natural bodily state is easy to understand. It was reported in 2004 that more than 40 percent of Americans were on one or more prescription drugs. Just this month, Medco Health Solutions Inc. found that in the past four years, the number of children taking antipsychotic drugs rose by 73 percent.
The Scientologist belief is that if left to its own devices, the human body can efficiently take care of itself.
Indeed, antipsychotic drugs were not readily available to children 100 years ago, and there was no widespread problem of insanity among the youth. Similarly, when it comes to many other prescription drugs such as sleeping aids and anti-depressive medicines, one has to wonder about the intrinsic need for such products, considering the fact that earlier generations managed to stay relatively healthy despite the lack of a pharmaceutical industry. Is it possible that this generation has become dependent upon the industry of produced medicine, and that the placebo effect of natural remedies (such as warm milk for the insomniac) is no longer effective?
Scientology brings up many interesting questions in a world where the act of choosing to not take Advil for a headache is widely considered more insane than chemically altering the brains of children. As humanity and science continue to develop, it will be interesting to observe how much we continue to rely on the advances of technology, rather than the natural, balancing health capacities innate to the human body.
The religious and spiritual side of Scientology holds appeal for some observers of the religion, but it is the unique healthcare ideas inherent to the Scientology creed that may hold value to humans as a whole. Like homeopathic and other holistic medicine, the practice of trusting natural rather than artificial treatment options certainly deserves exploration within the medicinal industry.

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