5 Things We Learned From 'Scientology and the Aftermath,' Episode 4 - 2016-12-21

Thanks to strong ratings in its first few weeks – including their highest series premiere numbers since 2014 – A&E's Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath surprised viewers with not one, but two episodes this Christmas week. In Monday's special installment, Remini answered questions from her Reddit "Ask Me Anything" and introduced the story of Paulette Cooper, a journalist who was allegedly the target of a nasty Scientology PR campaign called "Operation Freakout." (More on that in a bit.) That was followed up by last night's hour, which focused on current Church of Scientology leader, David Miscavige. Here's what we learned from these two back-to-back episode.
1. Members are advised to watch out for "entheta"If there's one recurring lesson from the show, it's that the Church doesn't take criticism very well. Hubbard coined the term "entheta" to describe news, information and circumstances which disturb, agitate or otherwise upset "theta," his word for "life force." Scientologists are taught that simply engaging with anything that could be considered entheta – that is, anything negative or upsetting – hinders their spiritual progress. It is to be rejected, full stop.
Remini said that as she was becoming disillusioned with the organization, she tried to discuss her concerns about some the allegations she'd read online with two of her closest friends; they allegedly wrote up a Church Knowledge Report on her. "Scientologists will turn you in," the actress claims. "Doesn't matter if it's your child, your mother, your father, your husband."
- 1970
- 1971
- 1976
- 1977
- 1980
- 1986
- 2012
- 2014
- 2016
- A&E
- Alex Gibney
- Amelia McDonell-Parry
- Bomb threat
- California
- Chairman of the Board
- Clear
- Clearwater
- David Miscavige
- DC
- Dianetics
- FBI
- First Amendment
- Florida
- Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief
- Hemet
- Int Base
- Jefferson Hawkins
- Knowledge Report
- Leah Remini
- Los Angeles
- News article
- Operation Freakout
- OT
- OT 9
- Paulette Cooper
- Pope
- Quicky
- Rolling Stone
- Ron Miscavige
- Ron Miscavige Sr
- Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me
- Scientology and the Aftermath
- Sea Org
- The Scandal of Scientology
- Tom DeVocht
- Washington