The Church of Scientology is a famously secretive organization,
but we know what they thought about Kirstie Alley before her death. Here's
what insiders say the organization believed about the late sitcom star.
The late Kirstie Alley was a longtime devotee of Scientology and one of the controversial
church's highest-ranking members. Alley was recognized as a so-called "Operating Thetan"
with a level 8 rank, the highest OT level in the church, in 2018.
She achieved OT Level VIII during an initiation that took place on the church's Freewinds cruise
ship, a 440-foot-long vessel based in the Caribbean used for "the most
advanced level of spiritual counseling," according to the Scientology website.
Scientology first became a lifeline for Alley in the late '70s,
when she was experiencing addiction issues. Her conversion came after reading "Dianetics:
The Modern Science of Mental Health," written by the religion's founder,
L. Ron Hubbard. Alley claimed that reading Hubbard's work led to a revelatory moment that
helped her with her addiction. Before embracing the faith, she had, quote,
"done enough cocaine to kill several people," according to her 2012 memoir, "The Art of Men."
Up until her death, Alley defended her religion in the press, arguing that it is poorly understood
by the public. According to CNN, the mysterious and highly secretive religion teaches insiders
that humans are infected by the souls of an ancient alien race — the so-called "Body
Thetans." Although Alley herself once claimed that aliens are not a central part of Scientology,
church members remain notoriously tight-lipped about what they do believe.
Those who rise up the OT levels of the church supposedly gain superhuman abilities that allow
them to transcend the physical plane of existence, according to former members. Tony Ortega,
journalist and creator of the anti-Scientology blog The Underground Bunker, told Page Six,
"Scientologists are told that, if they can reach
OT VIII, they will be ’cause over matter, energy, space,
and time,’ which translates to various superhuman abilities, including being impervious to disease."
"'I thought OT VIIIs didn't get cancer. I thought OT VIIIs could
cure anything.' It's kind of funny. It's like, yeah, they also think they can fly."
This "leveling up" process is achieved through a practice called auditing,
in which individuals check themselves for Body Thetans, mysterious entities that supposedly
plague the human body and cause mental health issues. In order to test for Body Thetans,
Scientologists use a device called an "e-meter." Scientologists claim that this device allows them
to understand how a person is feeling, but e-meters simply test the electrical
resistance of human skin, the same way that lie detectors do, according to the Guardian.
In theory, once the Body Thetans have been found and cleared, the human soul goes back
to its original form as an immortal thetan, escaping the constraints of the physical body
entirely. The road to a Body-Thetan-free life is a long one that requires adherents
to repeatedly attend clearing courses, sit through audits, and purchase costly books.
Celebrities, in particular, have been drawn to L. Ron Hubbard's teachings,
and they are by far the most likely to reach the upper levels of the eye-wateringly expensive
scale. Each step in the process requires a sizable fee — stretching up into the millions.
According to actor and ex-member Leah Remini, getting to OT Level 5 alone costs at least
$400,000. Scientologists also argue that those who attend their courses do not need to seek
out traditional medicine for illnesses such as cancer, the very illness that took Alley's life.
The Freewinds cruise itself has been described as both a spiritual retreat and a punishing
slave-labor camp, according to Insider. Critical ex-members have complained that they were forced
to work for free on the ship and have called the church out for abusive security checks designed
to ensure obedience. Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, one distressed member claims
she was locked in a sweltering engine room for daring to talk to Tom Cruise too much.
According to Remini, many of those who spend their millions to become a level 8
are subsequently disappointed to discover nothing meaningful happens to them — and
they're still required to spend more money. Although ex-members have often accused the
church of being a cult and of extorting money out of its members, Kirstie Alley
remained positive about the church until the end. After reaching level 8 status in 2018,
she called herself a "Scientology Freedom Fighter" in the church magazine, Freewinds, saying,
“Now here I stand, a new OT VIII, shiny, fresh, and calm."
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues,
help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).