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Charles Manson and the Church of Scientology
Charlie wanted you to Come to Now — so did L. Ron Hubbard
Charles Manson, the infamous leader of the Manson Family responsible for the 1969 murders that shocked the world, was a man whose philosophies and belief systems were a patchwork of ideas drawn from various sources, including fringe ideologies, Eastern mysticism, the Beatles, and self-help philosophies. One of the key influences on Manson was Scientology, which he encountered during his time in prison in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Manson absorbed many of its teachings and incorporated them into the manipulative tactics he would later use on his followers.
Manson’s Introduction to Scientology
Manson was first introduced to Scientology while serving a sentence in the federal penitentiary at McNeil Island in Washington in 1961. During his incarceration, Manson encountered several inmates who were studying Scientology, a controversial religion created by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. At the time, the prison reform system was open to new ideologies in hopes that inmates could better themselves (and there would be less violence in prisons). Hubbard’s teachings centered around the idea that human beings are spiritual entities, or “thetans,” that have lived multiple lifetimes. Scientology promises to help people…
