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Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape
Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape
Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape
Audiobook11 hours

Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape

Written by Jenna Miscavige Hill

Narrated by Sandy Rustin

4/5

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About this audiobook

Jenna Miscavige Hill was raised to obey. As the niece of the Church of Scientology's leader David Miscavige, she grew up at the center of this highly controversial and powerful organization. But at twenty-one, Jenna made a daring break, risking everything she had ever known and loved to leave Scientology once and for all. Now she speaks out about her life, the Church, and her dramatic escape, going deep inside a religion that, for decades, has been the subject of fierce debate and speculation worldwide.

Piercing the veil of secrecy that has long shrouded the world of Scientology, this insider reveals unprecedented firsthand knowledge of the religion, its obscure rituals, and its mysterious leader—David Miscavige. From her prolonged separation from her parents as a small child to being indoctrinated to serve the greater good of the Church, from her lack of personal freedoms to the organization's emphasis on celebrity recruitment, Jenna goes behind the scenes of Scientology's oppressive and alienating culture, detailing an environment rooted in control in which the most devoted followers often face the harshest punishments when they fall out of line. Addressing some of the Church's most notorious practices in startling detail, she also describes a childhood of isolation and neglect—a childhood that, painful as it was, prepared her for a tough life in the Church's most devoted order, the Sea Org.

Despite this hardship, it is only when her family approaches dissolution and her world begins to unravel that she is finally able to see the patterns of stifling conformity and psychological control that have ruled her life. Faced with a heartbreaking choice, she mounts a courageous escape, but not before being put through the ultimate test of family, faith, and love. At once captivating and disturbing, Beyond Belief is an eye-opening exploration of the limits of religion and the lengths to which one woman went to break free.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateFeb 5, 2013
ISBN9780062262479
Author

Jenna Miscavige Hill

Jenna Miscavige Hill was raised as a Scientologist. Since leaving the organization in 2005, she cofounded the website www.exscientologykids.com, which features the stories of current and former Scientologists and supports those who choose to leave the organization. She lives in Southern California.

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Reviews for Beyond Belief

4/5

601 ratings58 reviews

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  • 5/5
    Excellent read Tells the truth about Scientology stay away from the cult!
  • 5/5
    Excellent and very revealing look at Scientology. I would recommend this book.
  • 3/5
    This book was Informative but I felt it was an little long winded, an easy listen and an eye opener to the world of Scientology
  • 4/5
    Super interesting. This book gives you an inside look into Scientology. The only thing that bugged me was some use of improper grammar. I’m assuming it’s supposed to be that way?
  • 5/5
    Sounds like communism disguised as religion. The treatment is like citizens that live in a dictatorship like Cuba but within the United States. Great audio book I couldn’t wait to listen to it on my commute .
  • 5/5
    It was interesting and enlightening, and it taught me a great deal about Scientology that I was unaware of.
  • 5/5
    Well written. If you want to know about Scientology search no more.
  • 5/5
    “It’s Easier to Fool People Than It Is to Convince Them That They Have Been Fooled.” – Mark Twain
  • 5/5
    Very well written, very well read.

    The story? "Crimes against humanity"
  • 4/5
    I've been fascinated by cults since I was in my early teens but never gave them much thought. I have known about Scientology for a while now but, again, never really tried to find out more about them. Coming across this book, however, really pulled me into trying to understand how this so-called religion could exist even as I struggled to understand why and how anyone would want to be a part of it.
    Jenna's story really is unbelievable but also quite frightening. To think that people - much less children- are led to be treated as horribly as that all in the name of the greater good?! There is some serious kool-aid addiction to behave that way and think that it isn't wrong!
    Quite an eye-opening saga...
  • 4/5
    Beyond Belief is a memoir of Jenna Miscavige Hill, the niece of Scientology's leader, David Miscavige, and her upbringing inside the Church of Scientology. It is a harrowing story. I've long thought that Scientology is absurd, with its science-fictiony backdrop and its origins in L. Ron Hubbard, a science fiction author. I didn't know, until I listened to this book, that the Scientology community uses child labour, that it restricts freedom, privacy, and the normalities of everyday life, and that it uses brainwashing to control the thoughts and actions of its adherents. I am very glad that the author was able to step away from Scientology, and that she and her husband (an ex-Scientologist himself), live free from the church with their children. Interesting book; perhaps more detail than I wanted to probe; overall an informative story.
  • 4/5
    It's always heartbreaking to read about how childhood is stolen from someone just because they're parents were brainwashed. I can't imagine being raised in Scientology, whether from the inside or as a public scientologist. How in the hell do we allow such a terrible thing to exist in our country? Sure, freedom of religion, but child labor laws should be enforced. And all you celebrity Scientologists? You've joined my list of actors to avoid. At least Nicholas Cage won't be lonely anymore.
  • 4/5
    Very interesting book.. loved the narrator …. I can’t fathom how a parent could just leave their child to be raised by random other people. And the psychological damage done has to be permanent. Bless her heart.
  • 5/5
    Very compelling story about how Scientology deal with it's members.
  • 5/5
    Amazing, shocking, disgusting and unbelievable are just some of the words I would use to describe the criminal actions of "the church". A must read for anyone who has ever heard the word "Scientology".
  • 3/5
    I started this book because I love a juicy tell all about cults, and with one as mysterious as Scientology , it was a sure sell. I was certainly hooked to the complete description of life and hierarchy and the cuckoo things they do on a daily basis.However, this book could have used a much better editor and ghost writer.

    The writing is very immature and unformed, the chronology and sequence of events is all over the place and many things could have been edited better .. more crisply.
  • 5/5
    Unbelievable! I was so intrigued! The story is written in great detail and that's why it's quite long. But I was very into it and shocked at the same time. When I was close to the end of the book I couldn't think about anything else than scientology and its impact on people's lives.
  • 5/5
    Excellent insight into a world I wouldn't want to enter.
  • 5/5
    Great book and a story consostent with what I have heart if other victims.
  • 4/5
    Enthralling and, as promised, harrowing. The narration was effective and expressive.
  • 4/5
    Very interesting story written by the niece of the organizational head of Scientology, David Miscavage. Many, many years ago I was briefly involved with this group and listening to this surprisingly brought back memories of some of the exercises and attitudes AND manipulations involved.

    The members of this “Church” are indeed very manipulative with many of their actions geared towards enmeshing you into the organization, brain washing you, and doing their best in their attempts to make and keep you dependent upon them. They focus on recruiting young attractive people and if you are a little bit unbalanced and looking for help, comfort, friends, etc. it could be very easy to fall into their trap.

    For me, after a little while, I began to see that these people were somewhat disorganized and didn’t really seem to know what they were doing. There was also the issue of my money which they were clearly trying to get their hands on. It soon became clear to me that they were ill equipped to be of any help to me and my particular set of problems and, after several months, I just left.

    The book is well written although maybe a little too long. A great way for outsiders to get an intimate peek at the inside workings of this very controversial “Church”. The narrator does a great job and I thought was the perfect choice to portray the embodiment of Jenna Miscavage Hill.
  • 5/5
    Really interesting account of Scientology experiences, relatable and easy listen.
  • 4/5
    Jenna is the niece of the head of the Church of Scientology. From a young age – 6 years old, I think – her family was very high up in the Scientology world, and this kept her mostly separated from her parents as she and her older brother were indoctrinated into the Church. It seems their lives were very different from what they call “public Scientologists”, who mostly live normal lives, but are part of the Church. They really didn’t get to be kids. I really knew nothing about Scientology before reading this. Wow, crazy – the manipulation – of kids, no less! I guess you brainwash from a young age... There is a lot of terminology (and acronyms) that she has to define, and much of it I forgot, even as I read the words (or acronyms) later, but mostly had the gist of them (but there is also a glossary at the back). Of course, I would like to read more now. I think I have one celebrity biography on the tbr, so hopefully I can get to that one sooner rather than later.
  • 4/5
    Summary: Ms. Hill describes growing up within the inner echelons of Scientology. How, at first, she was fully indoctrinated (brainwashed, as she later called it), but after much emotional abuse she realized the church was not for her. She became an advocate for those who also escaped the inner echelons of Scientology, which (if her description is accurate) can only be described as a cult.My Thoughts: This book was an eye-opener for me. I try not to call any religion a cult, even though I read Dianetics at one point and felt that it was very silly indeed. But if Ms. Hill’s descriptions are accurate (I also tend to take the descriptions of former members of churches with a grain of salt), Scientology is indeed a cult. And a fairly abusive one at that. I enjoyed listening to Jenna’s journey from indoctrination to disillusionment, and was emotionally involved in whether she would escape with any semblance of a family life.
  • 4/5
    I didn't know much about Scientology before reading this book...what I did know was based on "public Scientologists" -- those who live and work in the outside world. This book takes us inside the cult of this movement, the SeaOrg, where people are brainwashed and abused. Children are separated from their parents and live highly regimented lives, with no opportunity to think for themselves. Jenna Miscavige Hill's story is that of a true insider; her uncle is the head of Scientology, having replaced L. Ron Hubbard, the founder. We see Jenna's life and her attempts to reconcile with Scientology, and ultimately her realization that she cannot accept that philosophy any more. Which means she has to leave. Which means she'll be isolated from her family and the only friends she's ever known. A remarkable story, told with much honesty.
  • 4/5
    The content was good and very interesting but there is an annoying background squeak to the narration. Most people may not notice but once you’ve “tuned in” it’s difficult not to hear it.

    1 person found this helpful

  • 5/5
    Incredibly fascinating view inside of a cult, their retribution system, and just downright odd practices.

    1 person found this helpful

  • 2/5
    Waaaaaay too long and detailed, but in select parts very interesting.

    Writing: 2/5
    Narration: 1/5
    Content: 3/5

    Writing: Was the author or ghostwriter paid per word? Couldn't she have trimmed it down to the most important facts? She doesn't describe what anyone looks like, but goes into great detail about their clothing.

    Narration: I give up after trying to fall asleep with chapter twenty. I find the pitch and speed (even at X.8) really aesthetically (and therefore emotionally) annoying. Stopping for breathing between sentences was, I kid you not, for one second each time. The mind needs time to absorb the mood and images created. The narrator completely failed.

    Content: I learned a lot about Scientology from the inside.

    Conclusion: I might go back, because I want to see of she ever learns the finances and politics of the 'church' but sooooo much filler. She skirts the subject of sex too.
  • 5/5
    I knew a little bit about Scientology before reading Jenna's book and what little knowledge I had really helped in understanding what was going on. Jenna did a great job explaining everything she could, but having some knowledge before coming into this helped a bunch too. Reading this only solidifies my belief that Scientology is just absolutely batshit crazy and I deeply feel for those who are trapped inside. Jenna's story is worth the time to read for a better understanding of cult behaviors and Scientology itself, considering it's still ongoing. My heart aches knowing how much time Jenna was robbed due to Scientology and my heart aches for those who are trapped and have no idea what freedom really is.

    1 person found this helpful

  • 4/5
    The completely insane view of a life inside Scientology. Sometimes a bit long winded, but this is offset by the beyond bizzare things that happen to her inside this so called religion.