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'''Xenu''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|z|iː|n|uː}} {{respell|ZEE|noo}}),<ref name=lewis1/><ref name="galactictales">{{cite news | last =Sappell | first =Joel | author2 =Robert W. Welkos | title =Defining the Theology: The religion abounds in galactic tales | work =Los Angeles Times | page =11A | date =June 24, 1990 | url =https://www.latimes.com/local/la-scientologysidea062490-story.html | access-date =January 21, 2009 | url-status =live | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20090625211341/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-scientologysidea062490,0,4570654,full.story | archive-date =June 25, 2009 }}</ref><ref name="churchbattles">{{cite news | last =Hargrove | first =Mary | title =Church battles critics&nbsp;– Mental treatment clashes with regulators, psychiatrists | work =[[Tulsa World]] | page =1A | publisher =World Publishing Co. | date =March 10, 1992 }}</ref> also called '''Xemu''', is a figure in the [[Church of Scientology]]'s secret "Advanced Technology",<ref name="savino" /> an [[Western esotericism|esoteric]] teaching held sacred by adherents.<ref name="rothstein" />  According to the "Technology", Xenu was the extraterrestrial ruler of a "Galactic Confederacy" who brought billions<ref name=thmill>As 10<sup>9</sup>, or thousands of millions in [[Long and short scales|Long Scale]]</ref><ref name="partridge">{{Harvnb|Partridge|2003|pp=263–264}}</ref> of his people to Earth (then known as "Teegeeack") in a [[Douglas DC-8|DC-8]]-like spacecraft 75 million years ago, stacked them around [[volcano]]es, and killed them with [[Thermonuclear weapon|hydrogen bombs]]. Official Scientology scriptures hold that the [[thetan]]s (immortal spirits) of these aliens [[Body thetan|adhere]] to humans, causing spiritual harm.<ref name=lewis1>{{cite book | last =Lewis | first =James R. | author-link =James R. Lewis (scholar) | title =The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements | publisher =Oxford University Press | year =2004 | pages =360, 427, 458 | isbn =0-19-514986-6}}</ref><ref name=scott1>{{cite book | last =Scott | first =Michael Dennis | title =Internet And Technology Law Desk Reference | publisher =Aspen Publishers | year =2004 | page =109 | isbn = 0-7355-4743-2}}</ref>

These events are known within Scientology as "Incident II",<ref name="savino">{{Harvnb|Savino|Jones|2007|p=55}}</ref> and the traumatic memories associated with them as "The Wall of Fire" or "R6 [[Implant (Scientology)|implant]]". The narrative of Xenu is part of Scientologist teachings about extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in earthly events, collectively described as "[[Space opera in Scientology scripture|space opera]]" by [[L. Ron Hubbard]].  Hubbard detailed the story in [[Operating Thetan]] level III (OT III) in 1967, warning that the "R6 implant" (past trauma)<ref name="lamont49" /> was "calculated to kill (by [[pneumonia]], etc.) anyone who attempts to solve it".<ref name="lamont49" /><ref name="corydon364">{{harvnb|Corydon|Hubbard|1987|p=364}}</ref><ref name="koff1988" />

The Church of Scientology normally only reveals the Xenu story to members who have completed a lengthy sequence of courses costing large amounts of money.<ref name="thescientologystory">{{cite journal|last=Sappell |first=Joel |author2=Robert W. Welkos |title=The Scientology Story |journal=[[Los Angeles Times]] |page=A36:1 |date=June 24, 1990 |url=https://www.latimes.com/news/local/inland/la-scientology-sg,1,7389843.storygallery?coll=la-editions-inland-news |access-date=December 3, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080524072723/http://www.latimes.com/news/local/inland/la-scientology-sg%2C1%2C7389843.storygallery?coll=la-editions-inland-news |archive-date=May 24, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The church avoids mention of Xenu in public statements and has gone to considerable effort to maintain the story's confidentiality, including [[Scientology controversy|legal action]] on the grounds of [[copyright]] and [[trade secret|trade secrecy]].<ref>{{cite journal|journal=American Lawyer|date=March 1996|title=Making Law, Making Enemies|first=Alison|last=Frankel|page=68}}</ref> Officials of the Church of Scientology widely deny or try to hide the Xenu story.<ref name="urban2006">{{cite journal|last=Urban|first=Hugh B.|date=June 2006|title=Fair Game: Secrecy, Security, and the Church of Scientology in Cold War America|journal=Journal of the American Academy of Religion|publisher=Oxford University Press|volume=74|issue=2|pages=356–389|issn=1477-4585|doi=10.1093/jaarel/lfj084|s2cid=143313978}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Jordison|first=Sam|title=The Joy of Sects|publisher=Robson|year=2005|page=193|isbn=1-86105-905-1}}</ref> Despite this, much material on Xenu has leaked to the public via court documents and copies of Hubbard's notes that have been distributed through the [[Scientology and the Internet|Internet]].<ref name="urban2006" />

In commentary on the impact of the Xenu text, academic scholars have discussed and analyzed Hubbard's writings, their place within Scientology, and relationship to science fiction,<ref name="partridge187" /> [[UFO religion]]s,<ref name="OxfordHandbook" /> [[Gnosticism]],<ref name="Herrick2004" /><ref name="Miller1995" /> and [[creation myth]]s.<ref name="rothstein" />

== Summary ==
[[File:DC-8 Airborne Laboratory in flight over snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountain range.jpg|thumb|A [[Douglas DC-8]] in 1998. Hubbard described Xenu's spacecraft as resembling DC-8s without their [[turbofan]]s.<ref name="nightline" />]]

The story of Xenu is covered in [[OT III]], part of Scientology's secret "Advanced Technology" doctrines taught only to advanced members who have undergone many hours of [[Auditing (Scientology)|auditing]] and reached the state of [[Clear (Scientology)|Clear]] followed by [[Operating Thetan]] levels 1 and 2.<ref name="savino" /><ref name="thescientologystory" /> It is described in more detail in the accompanying confidential "Assists" lecture of October 3, 1968, and is dramatized in ''[[Revolt in the Stars]]'' (a screen-story in novelistic form written by L. Ron Hubbard in 1977).<ref name="savino" /><ref>{{cite web | last =[[Operation Clambake]] | title ="Assists" Lecture. October 3, 1968. No. 10 of the confidential Class VIII series of lecture | work =Hubbard Audio Collection | publisher =xenu.net | date =October 3, 1968 | url =http://www.xenu.net/archive/multimedia.html | access-date =December 1, 2008 }}</ref>

{{Anchor|confederacy}}Hubbard wrote that Xenu was the ruler of a Galactic Confederacy 75 million years ago, which consisted of 26 stars and 76 planets including Earth, which was then known as "Teegeeack".<ref name="partridge" /><ref name="lamont49" /><ref name="reece">{{Harvnb|Reece|2007|pp=182–186}}</ref> The planets were overpopulated, containing an average population of 178 billion.<ref name=lewis1/><ref name=thmill/><ref name=scott1/> The Galactic Confederacy's civilization was comparable to our own, with aliens "walking around in clothes which looked very remarkably like the clothes they wear this very minute" and using cars, trains and boats looking exactly the same as those "circa 1950, 1960" on Earth.<ref name="assists" />

Xenu was about to be deposed from power, so he devised a plot to eliminate the excess population from his dominions. With the assistance of [[psychiatry|psychiatrists]], he gathered billions<ref name=thmill/><ref name="partridge" /> of his citizens under the pretense of [[income tax]] inspections, then paralyzed them and froze them in a mixture of [[Alcohol (chemistry)|alcohol]] and [[ethylene glycol|glycol]] to capture their souls. The kidnapped populace was loaded into spacecraft for transport to the site of extermination, the planet of Teegeeack (Earth).<ref name="partridge" /> The appearance of these spacecraft would later be subconsciously expressed in the design of the [[Douglas DC-8]], the only difference being that "the DC8 had fans, propellers on it and the space plane didn't".<ref name="nightline">{{cite news| title= Scientology Leader Gave ABC First-Ever Interview&nbsp;– ABC Interview Transcript |date=November 18, 2006 | url=https://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Story?id=2664713|work=[[Nightline (US news program)|Nightline]]|publisher=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|last=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date =August 2, 2008}}</ref> When they had reached Teegeeack, the paralyzed citizens were off-loaded, and placed around the bases of volcanoes across the planet.<ref name="partridge" /><ref name="lamont49" /> [[Thermonuclear weapon|Hydrogen bombs]] were then lowered into the volcanoes and detonated simultaneously,<ref name="lamont49" /> killing all but a few aliens. Hubbard described the scene in his film script, ''Revolt in the Stars'':

{{blockquote|Simultaneously, the planted charges erupted. Atomic blasts ballooned from the craters of [[Mauna Loa|Loa]], [[Vesuvius]], [[Mount Shasta|Shasta]], [[Mount Washington (Oregon)|Washington]], [[Mount Fuji|Fujiyama]], [[Mount Etna|Etna]], and many, many others. Arching higher and higher, up and outwards, towering clouds mushroomed, shot through with flashes of flame, waste and fission. Great winds raced tumultuously across the face of Earth, spreading tales of destruction&nbsp;... |L. Ron Hubbard, ''Revolt in the Stars''<ref name="savino" />}}

The now-disembodied victims' souls, which Hubbard called ''[[thetan]]s'', were blown into the air by the blast. They were captured by Xenu's forces using an "electronic ribbon" ("which also was a type of [[standing wave]]") and sucked into "vacuum zones" around the world. The hundreds of billions<ref name="partridge" /><ref>A billion in [[Long and short scales|Short Scale]] is a thousand million in Long Scale.</ref> of captured thetans were taken to a type of cinema, where they were forced to watch a "[[3D film|three-D]], super colossal motion picture" for thirty-six days. This implanted what Hubbard termed "various misleading data" (collectively termed the R6 [[implant (Scientology)|implant]]) into the memories of the hapless thetans, "which has to do with God, the [[Devil]], [[Space opera in Scientology doctrine|space opera]], etcetera". This included all [[Major religious groups|world religions]]; Hubbard specifically attributed [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]] and the image of the [[Crucifixion]] to the influence of Xenu. The two "implant stations" cited by Hubbard were said to have been located on Hawaii and [[Province of Las Palmas|Las Palmas]] in the [[Canary Islands]].<ref name="corydon1987">{{harvnb|Corydon|Hubbard|1987|pp=364–367}}</ref>

In addition to implanting new beliefs in the thetans, the images deprived them of their sense of [[Identity (social science)|personal identity]]. When the thetans left the projection areas, they started to cluster together in groups of a few thousand, having lost the ability to differentiate between each other. Each cluster of thetans gathered into one of the few remaining bodies that survived the explosion. These became what are known as ''[[body thetan]]s'', which are said to be still clinging to and adversely affecting everyone except Scientologists who have performed the necessary steps to remove them.<ref name="lamont49" />

A government faction known as the Loyal Officers finally overthrew Xenu and his renegades, and locked him away in "an electronic mountain trap" from which he has not escaped.<ref name="urban2006" /><ref name="reece" /><ref name="listener" /> Although the location of Xenu is sometimes said to be the [[Pyrenees]] on Earth, this is actually the location Hubbard gave elsewhere for an ancient "Martian report station".<ref>{{cite book | last =Rolph | first =C. H. | title =Believe What You Like: What happened between the Scientologists and the National Association for Mental Health | publisher =Andre Deutsch Limited | year =1973 | location =London | id = Chapter 3: The Pharisees' View | isbn = 0-233-96375-8| title-link =Believe What You Like }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last =Evans | first =Christopher Riche | author-link =Christopher Riche Evans | title =Cults of Unreason | publisher =Harrap | year =1973 | page = 38 | id = I. The Science Fiction Religion, Chapter: Lives Past, Lives Remembered | isbn =0-245-51870-3 | title-link =Cults of Unreason }}</ref> Teegeeack was subsequently abandoned by the Galactic Confederacy and remains a pariah "prison planet" to this day, although it has suffered repeatedly from incursions by alien "[[Alien invasion|Invader Forces]]" since that time.<ref name="partridge" /><ref>{{cite book | last =Frederiksen | first =Tom Thygesen | title =Scientology&nbsp;– en koncern af aliens | publisher =Dialogcentret | page =16 |year=2007| isbn = 978-87-88527-30-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last =Connolly | first =Maeve | title =Cruise and Co bring sci-fi religion to the masses Silent births, vehement opposition to psychiatry and a belief that Earth is a 'prison planet' inhabited by people kidnapped from outer space set Scientology apart from other religions, Maeve Connolly discovers | work =The Irish News | publisher =The Irish News, Ltd | date =April 17, 2006 | url =http://www.irishnews.com/searchlog.asp?reason=denied_empty&script_name=/pageacc.asp&path_info=/pageacc.asp&tser1=ser&par=ben&sid=521854 | access-date =December 3, 2008 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20160303191053/http://www.irishnews.com/searchlog.asp?reason=denied_empty&script_name=%2Fpageacc.asp&path_info=%2Fpageacc.asp&tser1=ser&par=ben&sid=521854 | archive-date =March 3, 2016 | df =mdy-all }}</ref>

In 1988, the cost of learning these secrets from the Church of Scientology was [[Pound sterling|£]]3,830, or US$6,500.<ref name="koff1988">{{cite news|last=Koff|first=Stephen|work=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|title=Xemu's cruel response to overpopulated world|date=December 23, 1988|page=10A|url=https://www.scientology-lies.com/press/st-petersburg-times/1988-12-23/xemu-cruel-response-to-overpopulated-world.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| last=Ricks| first=Mike| author2=Sarah Gorman| title=The 'Hard Sell' Cult| work=The East Grinstead Courier| date=May 12, 1988| pages=1–2, 5–7| url=http://cosmedia.freewinds.be/media/articles/egc120588.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107015854/http://cosmedia.freewinds.be/media/articles/egc120588.html| archive-date=November 7, 2017| url-status=dead| df=mdy-all}}</ref> This is in addition to the cost of the prior courses which are necessary to be eligible for OT III, which in 2006 was often well over US$100,000 (roughly £77,000).<ref name="urban2006" /> Belief in Xenu and body thetans is a requirement for a Scientologist to progress further along the [[Bridge to Total Freedom]].<ref name="atack382">{{Harvnb|Atack|1990|p=382}}</ref> Those who do not experience the benefits of the OT III course are expected to take it and pay for it again.<ref name="listener">{{cite journal| last=Penycate| first=John| date=April 30, 1987| title=The 'extended sting operation' of Scientology| journal=The Listener| publisher=BBC Enterprises| volume=117| issue=3009| pages=14, 16| url=http://cosmedia.freewinds.be/media/articles/lis300487.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160909195616/http://cosmedia.freewinds.be/media/articles/lis300487.html| archive-date=September 9, 2016| issn=0024-4392| url-status=dead| df=mdy-all}}</ref>

== Scientology doctrine ==
Within Scientology, the Xenu story is referred to as "The Wall of Fire" or "Incident II".<ref name="savino" /><ref name="lamont49">{{Harvnb|Lamont|1986|pp=49–50}}</ref> Hubbard attached tremendous importance to it, saying that it constituted "the secrets of a disaster which resulted in the decay of life as we know it in this sector of the galaxy".<ref name="miller266"/> The broad outlines of the story—that 75 million years ago a great catastrophe happened in this sector of the galaxy which caused profoundly negative effects for everyone since then—are told to lower-level Scientologists; but the details are kept strictly confidential.

The OT III document asserts that Hubbard entered the Wall of Fire but emerged alive ("probably the only one ever to do so in 75,000,000 years").<ref name="corydon1987" /> He first publicly announced his "breakthrough" in ''Ron's Journal 67'' (''RJ67''), a taped lecture recorded on September 20, 1967, to be sent to all Scientologists.<ref name="nightline" /> According to Hubbard, his research was achieved at the cost of a broken back, knee, and arm. OT III contains a warning that the R6 implant is "calculated to kill (by pneumonia etc.) anyone who attempts to solve it".<ref name="koff1988" /><ref name="corydon1987" />  Hubbard claimed that his "tech development"—i.e. his OT materials—had neutralized this threat, creating a safe path to redemption.<ref name="lamont49" /><ref name="corydon364" />

The Church of Scientology forbids individuals from reading the OT III Xenu [[cosmogony]] without first having taken prerequisite courses.<ref name="browne">{{cite journal | last = Browne  | first = Michael | title = Should Germany Stop Worrying and Love the Octopus? Freedom of Religion and the Church of Scientology in Germany and the United States  | journal = Indiana International & Comparative Law Review  | volume = 9 | pages = 155–202 | publisher = Trustees of Indiana University  | location = [[Indiana University]]  | year = 1998 | issue = 1 | id = 9 Ind. Int'l & Comp. L. Rev. 155 | doi = 10.18060/17460 | doi-access = free }}</ref> Scientologists warn that reading the Xenu story without proper authorization could cause pneumonia.<ref name="browne" /><ref name="allen">{{cite news  | last = Allen  | first = Mike  | title = Internet Gospel: Scientology's Expensive Wisdom Now Comes Free  | newspaper = [[The New York Times]] | date = August 20, 1995 }}</ref>

In ''RJ67'',<ref name="nightline" /> Hubbard alludes to the devastating effect of Xenu's purported [[genocide]]:

{{Blockquote|And it is very true that a great catastrophe occurred on this planet and in the other 75 planets which formed this [Galactic] Confederacy 75 million years ago. It has since that time been a desert, and it has been the lot of just a handful to try to push its technology up to a level where someone might adventure forward, penetrate the catastrophe, and undo it. We're well on our way to making this occur.}}

OT III also deals with ''Incident I'', set four [[1,000,000,000,000,000|quadrillion]]<ref>Four thousand billion in [[Long and short scales|Long Scale]].</ref> years ago. (Scientific consensus places the [[age of the universe]] at approximately 13.8 billion years old.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.space.com/universe-age-14-billion-years-old | title=Astronomers reevaluate the age of the universe | website=[[Space.com]] | date=January 8, 2021 }}</ref>) In ''Incident I'', the unsuspecting thetan was subjected to a loud snapping noise followed by a flood of luminescence, then saw a [[chariot]] followed by a trumpeting [[cherub]]. After a loud set of snaps, the thetan was overwhelmed by darkness. It is described that these traumatic memories alone separate thetans from their static (natural, godlike) state.<ref name="wright">{{cite book |last=Wright |first=Lawrence |author-link=Lawrence Wright |title=Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief |publisher=[[Alfred A. Knopf]] |year=2013 |isbn=9780307700667 |ol=25424776M |title-link=Going Clear (book) |page=104}}</ref>

Hubbard uses the existence of body thetans to explain many of the physical and mental ailments of humanity which, he says, prevent people from achieving their highest spiritual levels.<ref name="lamont49" /> OT III tells the Scientologist to locate body thetans and release them from the effects of Incidents I and II.<ref name="lamont49" /> This is accomplished in solo auditing, where the Scientologist holds both cans of an [[E-meter]] in one hand and asks questions as an auditor. The Scientologist is directed to find a cluster of body thetans, address it [[telepathy|telepathically]] as a cluster, and take first the cluster, then each individual member, through Incident II, then Incident I if needed.<ref name="lamont49" /> Hubbard warns that this is a painstaking procedure, and that OT levels IV to VII are necessary to continue dealing with one's body thetans.

The Church of Scientology has objected to the Xenu story being used to paint Scientology as [[space opera in Scientology|science fiction fantasy]].<ref name="Observer 2004">{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/may/16/religion.world| publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited|work=The Observer |location=UK| title=Lure of the celebrity sect: During an exclusive tour of Scientology's Celebrity Centre, Jamie Doward quizzed personnel about the church's teachings|date=May 16, 2004|access-date=December 3, 2008| first=Jamie| last= Doward}}</ref> Hubbard's statements concerning the R6 implant have been a source of contention. Critics and some Christians state that Hubbard's statements regarding R6 prove that Scientology doctrine is incompatible with Christianity,<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/010/8.93.html| work=Christianity Today|publisher=Christianity Today International|title=Why Christians Object to Scientology: Craig Branch of the Apologetics Resource Center notes Clear differences| first= Jody| last= Veenker | date= September 4, 2000| access-date=December 3, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url= http://www.watchman.org/sci/hubrel03.htm |journal= The Watchman Expositor |publisher= [[Watchman Fellowship|Watchman Fellowship ministry]] |volume= 13 |issue= 2 |year= 1996 |title= Hubbard's Religion |first= Craig |last= Branch |access-date= December 3, 2008 }}</ref> despite the Church<!-- only once per sentence: of Scientology-->'s statements to the contrary.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.scientology-detroit.org/ans3.htm| publisher=Church of Scientology of Michigan| title=Scientology and Other Practices| access-date=December 3, 2008| year=2007| quote=Scientology does not conflict with other religions or other religious practices.| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202153820/http://www.scientology-detroit.org/ans3.htm| archive-date=February 2, 2009| df=mdy-all}}</ref> In "Assists", Hubbard says:<ref name="assists" />

{{Blockquote|[[Everyman]] is then shown to have been crucified so don't think that it's an accident that this crucifixion, they found out that this applied. Somebody somewhere on this planet, back about 600 BC, found some pieces of R6, and I don't know how they found it, either by watching madmen or something, but since that time they have used it and it became what is known as Christianity. The man on the Cross. There was no Christ. But the man on the cross is shown as Everyman.}}

== Origins of the story ==
Hubbard wrote OT III in late 1966 and early 1967 in North Africa while on his way to [[Las Palmas]] to join the ''[[Sea Org#History|Enchanter]]'', the first vessel of his private Scientology fleet.<ref name="miller266">{{Harvnb|Miller|1988|p=266}}</ref> (OT III says "In December 1967 I&nbsp;knew someone had to take the plunge", but the material was publicized well before this.) He emphasized later that OT III was his own personal discovery.

Critics of Scientology have suggested that other factors may have been at work. In a letter of the time to his wife [[Mary Sue Hubbard|Mary Sue]],<ref name="corydon58">{{harvnb|Corydon|Hubbard|1987|pp=58–59, 332–333}}</ref> Hubbard said that, in order to assist his research, he was drinking alcohol and taking [[stimulant]]s and [[depressant]]s ("I'm drinking lots of rum and popping pinks and greys"). His assistant at the time, Virginia Downsborough, said that she had to wean him off the diet of drugs to which he had become accustomed.<ref name="atack171">{{Harvnb|Atack|1990|p=171}}</ref> Russell Miller posits in ''[[Bare-faced Messiah]]'' that it was important for Hubbard to be found in a debilitated condition, so as to present OT III as "a research accomplishment of immense magnitude".<ref name="miller290">{{Harvnb|Miller|1988|p=290}}</ref>

Elements of the Xenu story appeared in Scientology before OT III. Hubbard's descriptions of extraterrestrial conflicts were put forward as early as 1950 in his book ''Have You Lived Before This Life?'', and were enthusiastically endorsed by Scientologists who documented their [[Reincarnation|past lives]] on other planets.<ref name="partridge" />

== Influence of OT III on Scientology ==
[[Image:LRonHubbard-Dianetics-ISBN1403105464-cover.jpg|thumb|upright|The volcano and fireball on the cover of ''Dianetics'' refers to the Xenu story.<ref name="savino" />]]

The 1968 and subsequent reprints of ''[[Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health|Dianetics]]'' have had covers depicting an exploding volcano, which is reportedly a reference to OT III.<ref name="savino" /><ref name="corydon1987" /> In a 1968 lecture, and in instructions to his marketing staff, Hubbard explained that these images would "key in" the submerged memories of Incident II and impel people to buy the books:<ref name="assists">L. Ron Hubbard "Class VIII Course, Lecture No. 10, Assists" October 3, 1968; taped lecture</ref><ref>{{cite news
| last = Davis
| first = Matt
| title = Selling Scientology: A Former Scientologist Marketing Guru Turns Against the Church
| newspaper = Portland Mercury
| date = August 7, 2008
| url = http://www.portlandmercury.com/news/selling_scientology/Content?oid=862344
| access-date = October 31, 2008
| archive-date = May 13, 2019
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190513004453/https://www.portlandmercury.com/news/selling_scientology/Content?oid=862344
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|A special 'Book Mission' was sent out to promote these books, now empowered and made irresistible by the addition of these overwhelming symbols or images. Organization staff were assured that if they simply held up one of the books, revealing its cover, that any bookstore owner would immediately order crateloads of them. A customs officer, seeing any of the book covers in one's luggage, would immediately pass one on through.|Bent Corydon|''[[L. Ron Hubbard, Messiah or Madman?]]''<ref name="corydon361">{{harvnb|Corydon|Hubbard|1987|p=361}}</ref>}}

Since the 1980s, the volcano has also been depicted in [[Television advertisement|television commercials]] advertising ''Dianetics''. Scientology's "[[Sea Org]]", an elite group within the church that originated with Hubbard's personal staff aboard his fleet of ships, takes many of its symbols from the story of Xenu and OT III. It is explicitly intended to be a revival of the "Loyal Officers" who overthrew Xenu. Its logo, a wreath with 26 leaves, represents the 26 stars of Xenu's Galactic Confederacy.<ref>Hubbard, "Ron's Talk to Pubs Org World Wide", tape of April 1968</ref> According to an official Scientology dictionary, "the Sea Org symbol, adopted and used as the symbol of a Galactic Confederacy far back in the history of this sector, derives much of its power and authority from that association".<ref name="hubbard-admindict">{{cite book |title=Modern Management Technology Defined: Hubbard dictionary of administration and management |first=L. Ron |last=Hubbard |author-link=L. Ron Hubbard |publisher=[[Church of Scientology]] |isbn=0884040402 |ol=8192738M|year=1976 |page=467}}</ref>

In the Advanced Orgs in [[Edinburgh]] and Los Angeles, Scientology staff were at one time ordered to wear all-white uniforms with silver boots, to mimic Xenu's Galactic Patrol as depicted on the cover of ''[[Dianetics: The Evolution of a Science]]''. This was reportedly done on the basis of Hubbard's declaration in his Flag Order 652 that mankind would accept regulation from that group which had last betrayed it—hence the imitation of Xenu's henchmen. In Los Angeles, a nightwatch was ordered to watch for returning spaceships.<ref name="atack190">{{Harvnb|Atack|1990|p=190}}</ref>

The Church of Scientology's own organizational structure is said to be based on that of the Galactic Confederacy. The Church's "org board" is "a refined board ... of an old galactic civilization. ... We applied Scientology to it and found out why the civilization eventually failed. They lacked a couple of departments and that was enough to mess it all up. And they only lasted 80 trillion [years]."<ref>{{Cite AV media |last=Hubbard |first=L. Ron |title=Org Board and Livingness |type=audiotaped lecture |date=1965-04-06 |publisher=Church of Scientology |series=Saint Hill Special Briefing Course lectures |minutes=2:50 <!--|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N712EkhnGlU-->}}</ref>

== Name ==

[[Image:Xenu-LRH-handwriting.png|frame|right|The manuscript of OT III contains the only known example of Xenu's name in Hubbard's handwriting.]]
The name has been spelled both as ''Xenu'' and ''Xemu''.<ref name="lamont51">{{Harvnb|Lamont|1986|p=51}}</ref> The Class VIII course material includes a three-page text, handwritten by Hubbard, headed "Data", in which the Xenu story is given in detail. Hubbard's indistinct handwriting makes either spelling possible,<ref name="lamont51" /> particularly as the use of the name on the first page of OT III is the only known example of the name in his handwriting. In the "Assists" lecture, Hubbard speaks of ''"Xenu, ahhh, could be spelled X-E-M-U"'' and clearly says "Xemu" several times on the recording.<ref name="assists" /> The treatment of ''Revolt in the Stars''—which is typewritten—uses ''Xenu'' exclusively.<ref>{{cite book
  | last =Hubbard  | first =L. Ron  | author-link =L. Ron Hubbard  | title =Revolt in the Stars  | year =1977  | id =  [[United States Copyright Office]]; Registration number: DU0000105973 | title-link =Revolt in the Stars }}</ref>

It has been speculated that the name derives from [[Xemnu]], an extraterrestrial comic book villain who first appeared in the story "I Was a Slave of the Living Hulk!" in ''[[Journey into Mystery]]'' #62 (November 1960). He was created by [[Stan Lee]] and [[Jack Kirby]]. Xemnu is a giant, hairy intergalactic criminal who escaped a prison planet, traveled to Earth, and hypnotized the entire human population. Upon Xemnu's defeat by electrician Joe Harper, Xemnu is imprisoned in a state of continual electric shock in orbit around the Sun, and humanity is left with no memory of Xemnu's existence.<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_dfzDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA555|title=Handbook of Scientology|chapter=Astounding History: L. Ron Hubbard's Scientology Space Opera|editor-first=James R.|editor-last=Lewis|first=Raine|last=Susan|year=2017|pages=554–555|publisher=BRILL|isbn=9789004330542|access-date=December 11, 2017|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6S9MPQYvPFwC&pg=PT126|title=Religions of the Stars: What Hollywood Believes and How It Affects You|first=Richard|last=Abanes|date=July 1, 2009|publisher=Baker Books|access-date=December 11, 2017|via=Google Books|isbn=9781441204455}}</ref>

== Church of Scientology's position ==
In its public statements, the Church of Scientology has been reluctant to allow any mention of Xenu. A passing mention by a trial judge in 1997 prompted the Church's lawyers to have the ruling [[Record sealing|sealed]], although this was reversed.<ref>{{cite news|last=Prendergast|first=Alan|work=Denver Westword |title=Nightmare on the net: A web of intrigue surrounds the high-stakes legal brawl between FACTnet and the Church of Scientology|date=March 6, 1997| url=http://www.westword.com/1997-03-06/news/nightmare-on-the-net/ |access-date=December 3, 2008|publisher=[[Village Voice Media]]}}</ref> In the relatively few instances in which it has acknowledged Xenu, Scientology has stated the story's true meaning can only be understood after years of study. They complain of critics using it to paint the religion as a science-fiction fantasy.<ref name="Observer 2004"/>

Senior members of the Church of Scientology have several times publicly denied or minimized the importance of the Xenu story, but others have affirmed its existence. In 1995, Scientology lawyer Earl Cooley hinted at the importance of Xenu in Scientology doctrine by stating that "thousands of articles are written about [[Coca-Cola]], and they don't print the [[Coca-Cola formula|formula for Coca-Cola]]".<ref>{{cite news | last=Hall | first=Charles W. | title=Court Lets Newspaper Keep Scientology Texts | newspaper=Seattle Times | date=August 31, 1995 | url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19950831/2139173/court-lets-newspaper-keep-scientology-texts | access-date=September 8, 2009 | archive-date=August 20, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110820012335/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19950831&slug=2139173 | url-status=live }}</ref> Scientology has many graduated levels through which one can progress. Many who remain at lower levels in the church are unaware of much of the Xenu story which is first revealed on [[Operating Thetan]] level three, or "OT III".<ref name="corydon1987" /><ref name="atack31">{{Harvnb|Atack|1990|p=31}}</ref> Because the information imparted to members is to be kept secret from others who have not attained that level, the member must publicly deny its existence when asked. OT III recipients must sign an agreement promising never to reveal its contents before they are given the [[Manila folder|manila envelope]] containing the Xenu knowledge.<ref name="atack31" /><ref name="Inside" /> Its knowledge is so dangerous, members are told, that anyone learning this material before they are ready could become afflicted with pneumonia.<ref name="browne" />

[[Religious Technology Center]] director [[Warren McShane]] testified in a 1995 court case that the Church of Scientology receives a significant amount of its revenue from fixed donations paid by Scientologists to study the OT materials.<ref name="brill">{{cite journal | last =Brill | first =Ann | author2 =Ashley Packard | title =Silencing Scientology's critics on the Internet: a mission impossible? | journal =Communications and the Law | volume =19 | issue =4 | pages =1–23 |date=December 1997 }}</ref> McShane said that Hubbard's work "may seem weird" to those that have not yet completed the prior levels of coursework in Scientology.<ref name="brill" /> McShane said the story had ''never'' been secret, although maintaining there were nevertheless [[trade secret]]s contained in OT III. McShane discussed the details of the story at some length and specifically attributed the authorship of the story to Hubbard.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/OTIII/mcshane-rj67.txt| title=Re: Ron's Journal 67| work=[[alt.religion.scientology]]| access-date=December 3, 2008| date=August 28, 1998| first=Mike | last=O'Connor| id=lepton-2808981630510001@lepton.dialup.access.net| format=TXT|publisher=[[David Touretzky]]}} (testimony under oath by Warren McShane of the Church of Scientology in ''RTC v. FactNet'', Civil Action No. 95B2143, United States Courthouse, Denver, Colorado, September 11, 1995)</ref>{{r|urban|page=104}}

When [[John Carmichael (Scientology)|John Carmichael]], the president of the Church of Scientology of New York, was asked about the Xenu story, he said, as reported in the September 9, 2007, edition of ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'': "That's not what we believe".<ref>{{cite news | last =Oppenheimer | first =Mark | title =Friends, thetans, countrymen |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=UK | date =September 9, 2007 | url =https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3667812/Friends-thetans-countrymen.html | access-date =December 3, 2008}}</ref> When asked directly about the Xenu story by [[Ted Koppel]] on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s ''[[Nightline (US news program)|Nightline]]'', Scientology leader [[David Miscavige]] said that he was taking things Hubbard said out of context.<ref name="nightline" /> However, in a 2006 interview with ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', [[Mike Rinder]], the then-director of the church's [[Office of Special Affairs]], said that "It is not a ''story'', it is an auditing level", when asked about the validity of the Xenu story.<ref name="Inside">{{cite magazine | first = Janet| last = Reitman | title = Inside Scientology: Unlocking the complex code of America's most mysterious religion | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/9363363/inside_scientology/print|magazine=Rolling Stone | date = February 23, 2006 | access-date =December 3, 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080622123603/http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/9363363/inside_scientology/print |archive-date = June 22, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In a [[Scientology and Me|BBC ''Panorama'' programme]] that aired on May 14, 2007, senior Scientologist [[Thomas W. Davis|Tommy Davis]] interrupted when celebrity members were asked about Xenu, saying: "None of us know what you're talking about. It's loony. It's weird."<ref>{{cite news | last =[[John Sweeney (journalist)|Sweeney, John]] | title =Scientology and Me | work =[[Panorama (TV series)|Panorama]] |publisher=BBC | date =May 14, 2007 | title-link =Scientology and Me }}</ref> In March 2009, Davis was interviewed by [[Investigative journalism|investigative journalist]] Nathan Baca for [[KESQ-TV]] and was again asked about the OT III texts.<ref name="kesq">{{cite news   | last =Baca  | first =Nathan  | title =Scientology Official Addresses Works of L. Ron Hubbard|work =[[KESQ-TV]]  | publisher =kesq.com  | date =March 12, 2009}}</ref> Davis told Baca "I'm familiar with the material", and called it "the confidential scriptures of the Church".<ref name="kesq" /> In an interview on [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] ''[[Nightline (U.S. news program)|Nightline]]'', October 23, 2009,<ref name="nightline1023">[https://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8905042 Inside Scientology], [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] ''[[Nightline (U.S. news program)|Nightline]]'', October 23, 2009.</ref> Davis walked off the set when [[Martin Bashir]] asked him about Xenu. He told Bashir, "Martin, I am not going to discuss the disgusting perversions of Scientology beliefs that can be found now commonly on the internet and be put in the position of talking about things, talking about things that are so fundamentally offensive to Scientologists to discuss.&nbsp;... It is in violation of my religious beliefs to talk about them." When Bashir repeated a question about Xenu, Davis pulled off his microphone and left the set.<ref name="nightline1023" />

In November 2009 the Church of Scientology's representative in New Zealand, Mike Ferris, was asked in a radio interview about Xenu.<ref name="newstalk">{{cite news  | last =Brittenden | first =Pat  |author2=Petra Bagust  | title =Scientology | work =[[Newstalk ZB]] | publisher =[[The Radio Network]]  | date =November 29, 2009  }}</ref> The radio host asked, "So what you're saying is, Xenu is a part of the religion, but something that you don't want to talk about". Ferris responded, "Sure".<ref name="newstalk" /> Ferris acknowledged that Xenu "is part of the esoterica of Scientology".<ref>[http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10863877 Scientology wants NZ to 'ease up' on it], ''[[The New Zealand Herald]]'',  February 7, 2013</ref>

== Leaking of the story ==
Despite the Church of Scientology's efforts to keep the story secret, details have been leaked over the years. OT III was first revealed in Robert Kaufman's 1972 book ''[[Inside Scientology: How I Joined Scientology and Became Superhuman|Inside Scientology]]'', in which Kaufman detailed his own experiences of OT III.<ref name="kaufmanIII">{{Harvard citation no brackets |Kaufman|1972|loc =Part III}}</ref> It was later described in a 1981 ''[[Clearwater Sun]]'' article,<ref>{{cite journal| last =Leiby | first = Richard | title = Sect courses resemble science fiction | journal = Clearwater Sun | volume = 68 | issue=118 | date = August 30, 1981}}</ref> and came to greater public fame in a 1985 court case brought against Scientology by [[Lawrence Wollersheim]]. The church failed to have the documents sealed<ref name="koff1988" /> and attempted to keep the case file checked out by a reader at all times, but the story was summarized in the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''<ref>{{cite news|last = Sappell | first = Joel |author2=Robert W. Welkos  | title = Scientologists Block Access To Secret Documents: 1,500 crowd into courthouse to protect materials on fundamental beliefs |work=Los Angeles Times | date=November 5, 1985|page=1}}</ref> and detailed in [[William Poundstone]]'s ''Bigger Secrets'' (1986) from information presented in the Wollersheim case.<ref>{{cite book|last=Poundstone|first=William|title=Bigger Secrets: More Than 125 Things They Prayed You'd Never Find Out|publisher=Houghton Mifflin|year=1986|isbn=0-395-38477-X|pages=[https://archive.org/details/biggersecretsmor00poun/page/58 58–63]|url=https://archive.org/details/biggersecretsmor00poun/page/58}}</ref> In 1987, a book by [[L. Ron Hubbard Jr.]], ''[[L. Ron Hubbard, Messiah or Madman?]]'' quoted the first page of OT III and summarized the rest of its content.<ref name="corydon1987"/>

[[Image:Xenu BBC Panorama.jpg|right|thumb|Xenu as depicted by ''[[Panorama (TV series)|Panorama]]'']]
Since then, news media have mentioned Xenu in coverage of Scientology or its celebrity proponents such as [[Tom Cruise]].<ref>{{cite news | last = Langan | first = Sean | title = Warning: Prince Xenu could destroy the Net |work=The Independent |location=UK | date = September 4, 1995|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/warning-prince-xenu-could-destroy-the-net-1599400.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/warning-prince-xenu-could-destroy-the-net-1599400.html |archive-date=May 7, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=February 17, 2009}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Alison|last= Braund|title = Inside the Cult | publisher=Carlton Television|work= The Big Story (ITV)| date= July 7, 1995}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Adams | first = Stephen | title = Scientology&nbsp;– a brief history |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=UK | date = May 14, 2007 | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1551456/Scientology---a-brief-history.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090515205754/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1551456/Scientology---a-brief-history.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = May 15, 2009 | access-date =December 3, 2008}}</ref> In 1987, the [[BBC]]'s investigative news series ''[[Panorama (TV series)|Panorama]]'' aired a report titled "The Road to Total Freedom?" which featured an outline of the OT III story in cartoon form.<ref name="panorama1987">{{cite episode| title = Scientology&nbsp;– The Road to Total Freedom?| series = Panorama| series-link = Panorama (TV series)| airdate = April 27, 1987}}</ref>

On December 24, 1994, the Xenu story was published on the Internet for the first time in a posting to the [[Usenet]] [[newsgroup]] [[alt.religion.scientology]], through an [[anonymous remailer]].<ref name="scnvinternet">{{cite magazine |title=Scientology v. the Internet |first1=Jim |last1=Lippard |author1-link=Jim Lippard |first2=Jeff |last2=Jacobsen |magazine=[[Skeptic (American magazine)|Skeptic]] |volume=3 |issue=3 |year=1995 |url=https://www.skeptic.com/magazine/archives/3.3/ |pages=35–41 |url-access=subscription}} {{cite web |url=https://www.discord.org/lippard/skeptic/03.3.jl-jj-scientology.html |title=Authorized copy <!--link is to an authorized copy by author of article on his own website--> |website=[[Jim Lippard|discord.org]]}}</ref> This led to an [[Scientology versus the Internet|online battle between Church of Scientology lawyers and detractors]]. Older versions of OT levels I to VII were brought as exhibits attached to a declaration by [[Steven Fishman]] on April 9, 1993, as part of ''Church of Scientology International v. Fishman and Geertz''. The text of this declaration and its exhibits, collectively known as the [[Fishman Affidavit]], were posted to the Internet newsgroup [[alt.religion.scientology]] in August 1995 by [[Arnaldo Lerma|Arnie Lerma]] and on the [[World Wide Web]] by [[David S. Touretzky]]. This was a subject of great controversy and legal battles for several years. There was a [[copyright]] raid on Lerma's house (leading to massive [[mirror website|mirroring]] of the documents)<ref>{{cite news|last=Grossman|first=Wendy| title=Scientologists Fight On |work=The Guardian |location=UK|date=August 17, 1995|page=2}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Andrew|last=Brown|title=Let's All Beam Up To Heaven|work=The Independent |location=UK|date=May 2, 1996|page=17|quote=The group responded with a campaign of raids and seizures around the US, claiming that these documents were copyrighted trade secrets. Each time one of the dissidents was raided, sympathisers copied the documents more widely.}}</ref> and a suit against Dutch writer [[Karin Spaink]]—the Church bringing suit on [[Copyright infringement|copyright violation]] grounds for reproducing the source material, and also claiming rewordings would reveal a trade secret.

The Church of Scientology's attempts to keep Xenu secret have been cited in court findings against it. In September 2003, a Dutch court, in a ruling in the case against Karin Spaink, stated that one objective in keeping OT II and OT III secret was to wield power over members of the Church of Scientology and prevent discussion about its teachings and practices:<ref>{{cite news | last =The Court of Justice at The Hague | title =LJN: AI5638, Gerechtshof 's-Gravenhage, 99/1040 | work =de Rechtspraak | page =Section 8.4 | language =nl | publisher =zoeken.rechtspraak.nl | date =September 4, 2003 | url =http://zoeken.rechtspraak.nl/resultpage.aspx?snelzoeken=true&searchtype=ljn&ljn=AI5638&u_ljn=AI5638 | access-date =December 1, 2008 |quote=Uit de hiervoor onder 8.3 vermelde teksten blijkt dat Scientology c.s. met hun leer en organisatie de verwerping van democratische waarden niet schuwen. Uit die teksten volgt tevens dat met de geheimhouding van OT II en OT III mede wordt beoogd macht uit te oefenen over leden van de Scientology-organisatie en discussie over de leer en praktijken van de Scientology-organisatie te verhinderen.}}</ref>

Despite his claims that premature revelation of the OT III story was lethal, L. Ron Hubbard wrote a screenplay version under the title ''[[Revolt in the Stars]]'' in the 1970s.<ref name="OxfordHandbook">{{cite book|last= Grünschloß |first= Andreas |author-link=Andreas Grünschloß|year=2004 |chapter= Waiting for the "Big Beam," UFO Religions and "UFOlogical" Themes in New Religious Movements|pages= 427–8 |editor=James R. Lewis |title= The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements |publisher= Oxford University Press US |isbn= 0-19-514986-6 |editor-link= James R. Lewis (scholar) }}</ref> This revealed that Xenu had been assisted by beings named Chi ("the Galactic Minister of Police") and Chu ("the Executive President of the Galactic Interplanetary Bank").<ref name="atack245">{{Harvnb|Atack|1990|p=245}}</ref> It has not been officially published, although the [[film treatment|treatment]] was circulated around Hollywood in the early 1980s.<ref name="leiby">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/06/AR2005070601403.html|title=John Travolta's Alien Notion: He Plays a Strange Creature In a New Sci-Fi Film, but That's Not the Only Curious Thing About This Project|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=June 3, 2008|date=November 28, 1999|last=Leiby|first=Richard}}</ref> Unofficial copies of the screenplay circulate on the Internet.<ref name="lewis">{{cite book | editor-last =Lewis | editor-first =James R.  | author-link =James R. Lewis (scholar)|others=Introduction by [[J. Gordon Melton]] | title =The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements | publisher =[[Oxford University Press]] | year =2004 | pages =427, 541 | isbn = 0-19-514986-6}}</ref><ref name="lewisufo">{{cite book | editor-last =Lewis | editor-first =James R.  | author-link =James R. Lewis (scholar) | title =The Encyclopedic Sourcebook of UFO Religions | publisher =Prometheus Books |date=November 2003 | page =42 | isbn =1-57392-964-6 }}</ref><ref name="melton">{{cite book | last =Partridge| first =Christopher | author-link =Christopher Partridge |author2=J. Gordon Melton  | title =New Religions: A Guide: New Religious Movements, Sects and Alternative Spiritualities | publisher =[[Oxford University Press]] | date =May 6, 2004 | page =374 | isbn =0-19-522042-0| author2-link =J. Gordon Melton }}</ref>

On March 10, 2001, a user posted the text of OT3 to the online community [[Slashdot]]. The site owners took down the comment after the Church of Scientology issued a legal notice under the [[Digital Millennium Copyright Act]].<ref>{{cite magazine | last = McCullagh | first = Declan | title = Xenu Do, But Not on Slashdot | magazine = Wired| publisher=[[CondéNet, Inc.]]|date = March 17, 2001 | url = https://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2001/03/42486 | access-date =December 3, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last = Malda | first = Rob | title = Scientologists Force Comment Off Slashdot | work = Slashdot | date = March 16, 2001 | url = http://slashdot.org/yro/01/03/16/1256226.shtml | access-date =November 19, 2008|publisher=slashdot.org}}</ref> Critics of the Church of Scientology have used public protests to spread the Xenu secret.<ref name="ramadge02280210">{{cite news | last =Ramadge | first =Andrew | title =Scientology protests begin in Australia | work =[[NEWS.com.au]] | publisher =Herald and Weekly Times | date =February 10, 2008}}</ref> This has included creating web sites with "xenu" in the [[domain name]],<ref>{{cite news | last =McCullagh | first =Declan | title =Google Yanks Anti-Church Sites | work =Wired News | publisher = [[CondéNet, Inc.]] | date =March 21, 2002 | url =https://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2002/03/51233 | access-date =December 1, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last= Dawson |first= Lorne L. | author-link = Lorne L. Dawson |author2=Douglas E. Cowan  |title=Religion Online |url= https://archive.org/details/religiononlinefi00daws |url-access= limited |date= January 1, 2004 |publisher= Routledge (UK) |isbn= 0-415-97022-9 |pages= [https://archive.org/details/religiononlinefi00daws/page/n180 172], 261–262|author2-link= Douglas E. Cowan }}</ref> and displaying the name Xenu on banners<ref>{{cite news | last =Staff | title =When buses become billboards | work =[[St. Petersburg Times]] | publisher =sptimes.com | date =December 22, 1998 | url =http://www.sptimes.com/Commentary/122298/When_buses_become_bil.html | access-date =December 1, 2008}}</ref> and protest signs.<ref name="ramadge02280210" />

== In popular culture ==
[[File:South Park Xenu.jpg|thumb|Xenu as depicted in ''[[South Park]]'']]
Versions of the Xenu story have appeared in both television shows and stage productions. The [[Off-Broadway]] [[satire|satirical]] musical ''[[A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant]]'', first staged in 2003 and winner of an [[Obie Award]] in 2004, featured children in alien costumes telling the story of Xenu.<ref>{{cite news|first=David|last=Rooney |work=Variety|date=December 10, 2006|title=Theatre Review: A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant|url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117932286.html?categoryid=33&cs=1|access-date=November 22, 2008}}</ref><!-- commons picture at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:2007_A_Very_Merry_Xenu.jpg-->

The Xenu story was also satirized in a November 2005 episode of the animated television series ''[[South Park]]'' titled "[[Trapped in the Closet (South Park)|Trapped in the Closet]]". The [[Emmy Award|Emmy]]-nominated episode revolved around [[Stan Marsh|Stan]] being brought into Scientology, with many coming to believe he's the reincarnation of L. Ron Hubbard. Confidently, the president of the church attempts to explain the story of Xenu, depicting the figure as a vaguely humanoid alien with tentacles for arms, in a sequence that had the words "This Is What Scientologists Actually Believe" superimposed on screen.<ref name="Arp2007">{{cite book|author=Robert Arp|title=South Park and philosophy: you know, I learned something today|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xTt5l12bsVkC&pg=PA137|access-date=January 23, 2011|year=2007|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|isbn=978-1-4051-6160-2|pages=137–138}}</ref> 

== Commentary ==
Writing in the book ''[[Scientology (James R. Lewis book)|Scientology]]'' published by [[Oxford University Press]], contributor [[Mikael Rothstein]] observes that, "To my knowledge no real analysis of Scientology's Xenu myth has appeared in scholarly publications. The most sober and enlightening text about the Xenu myth is probably the article on Wikipedia (English version) and, even if brief, Andreas Grünschloss's piece on Scientology in Lewis (2000: 266–268)."<ref name="rothstein" /> Rothstein places the Xenu text by L. Ron Hubbard within the context of a [[creation myth]] within the Scientology methodology, and characterizes it as "one of Scientology's more important religious narratives, the text that apparently constitutes the basic (sometimes implicit) mythology of the movement, the ''Xenu myth'', which is basically a story of the origin of man on Earth and the human condition."<ref name="rothstein">{{Cite book | last=Rothstein | first=Mikael | editor-last =[[James R. Lewis (scholar)|Lewis, James R.]] | contribution ='His name was Xenu. He used renegades&nbsp;...': Aspects of Scientology's Founding Myth | title =Scientology (James R. Lewis book) | publisher =[[Oxford University Press, USA]] | year =2009  | pages=365, 367, 371 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MtW90YkkB3gC&pg=PA365 | isbn =978-0-19-533149-3  }}

</ref> Rothstein describes the phenomenon within a belief system inspired by science fiction, and notes that the "myth about Xenu,&nbsp;... in the shape of a science fiction-inspired anthropogony, ''explains'' the basic Scientological claims about the human condition."<ref name="rothstein" />

[[Andreas Grünschloß]] analyzes the Xenu text in ''The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements'', within the context of a discussion on [[UFO religion]]s.<ref name="OxfordHandbook" /> He characterizes the text as "Scientology's secret mythology (contained especially in the OT III teachings)".<ref name="OxfordHandbook" /> Grünschloß points out that L. Ron Hubbard, "also wrote a science fiction story called ''Revolt in the Stars'', where he displays this otherwise arcane story about the ancient ruler Xenu in the form of an ordinary science fiction novel".<ref name="OxfordHandbook" /> Grünschloß posits, "because of the connections between several motifs in Hubbard's novels and specific Scientology teachings, one might perceive Scientology as one of the rare instances where science fiction (or fantasy literature generally) is related to the successful formation of a new spiritual movement."<ref name="OxfordHandbook" /> Comparing the fusion between the two genres of Hubbard's science fiction writing and Scientology creation myth, Grünschloß writes, "Although the science fiction novels are of a different genre than other 'techno-logical' disclosures of Hubbard, they are highly appreciated by participants, and Hubbard's literary output in this realm (including the latest movie, ''Battlefield Earth'') is also well promoted by the organization."<ref name="OxfordHandbook" /> Writing in the book ''UFO Religions'' edited by [[Christopher Partridge]], Grünschloß observes, "the enthusiasm for ufology and science fiction was cultivated in the formative phase of Scientology. Indeed, even the highly arcane story of the intergalactic ruler Xenu&nbsp;... is related by Hubbard in the style of a simple science fiction novel".<ref name="partridge187">{{Harvnb|Partridge|2003|pp=187–188}}</ref>

Several authors have pointed out structural similarities between the Xenu story and the mythology of [[gnosticism]]. James A. Herrick, writing about the Xenu text in ''The Making of the New Spirituality: The Eclipse of the Western Religious Tradition'', notes that "Hubbard's gnostic leanings are evident in his account of human origins&nbsp;... In Hubbard, ideas first expressed in science fiction are seamlessly transformed into a worldwide religion with affinities to gnosticism."<ref name="Herrick2004">{{cite book|author=James A. Herrick|title=The Making of the New Spirituality: The Eclipse of the Western Religious Tradition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KzbobUhvpf4C&pg=PA199|access-date=January 24, 2011|date=December 2004|publisher=InterVarsity Press|isbn=978-0-8308-3279-8|page=199}}</ref> Mary Farrell Bednarowski, writing in ''America's Alternative Religions'', similarly states that the outline of the Xenu mythology is "not totally unfamiliar to the historian acquainted with ancient gnosticism", noting that many other religious traditions have the practice of reserving certain texts to high-level initiates.<ref name="Miller1995" /> Nevertheless, she writes, the Xenu story arouses suspicion in the public about Scientology and adds fuel to "the claims that Hubbard's system is the product of his creativity as a science fiction writer rather than a theologian."<ref name="Miller1995">{{cite book|author=Mary Farrell Bednarowski|editor=Timothy Miller|title=America's Alternative Religions|chapter=The Church of Scientology: Lightning Rod for Cultural Boundary Conflicts|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y3Mt7QlXrRwC&pg=PA389|access-date=January 24, 2011|year=1995|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=978-0-7914-2398-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/americasalternat00mill/page/389 389]|url=https://archive.org/details/americasalternat00mill/page/389}}</ref>

Authors Michael McDowell and Nathan Robert Brown discuss misconceptions about the Xenu text in their book ''World Religions at Your Fingertips'', and observe, "Probably the most controversial, misunderstood, and frequently misrepresented part of the Scientology religion has to do with a Scientology myth commonly referred to as the Legend of Xenu. While this story has now been undoubtedly proven a part of the religion (despite the fact that church representatives often deny its existence), the story's true role in Scientology is often misrepresented by its critics as proof that they 'believe in alien parasites.' While the story may indeed seem odd, this is simply not the case."<ref name="michaelmcdowell">{{cite book| last =McDowell  | first =  Michael |author2=Nathan Robert Brown | title = World Religions at Your Fingertips | publisher =Alpha  | year =2009  | page = 271  | isbn = 978-1-59257-846-7}}</ref> The authors write that "The story is actually meant to be a working myth, illustrating the Scientology belief that humans were at one time spiritual beings, existing on infinite levels of intergalactic and interdimensional realities. At some point, the beings that we once were became trapped in physical reality (where we remain to this day). This is supposed to be the underlying message of the Xenu story, not that humans are "possessed by aliens".<ref name="michaelmcdowell" /> McDowell and Brown conclude that these inappropriate misconceptions about the Xenu text have had a negative impact, "Such harsh statements are the reason many Scientologists now become passionately offended at even the mention of Xenu by nonmembers."<ref name="michaelmcdowell" />

The [[free speech]] lawyer [[Mike Godwin]] analyzes actions by the Scientology organization to protect and keep secret the Xenu text, within a discussion in his book ''[[Cyber Rights]]'' about the application of [[trade secret]] law on the Internet.<ref name="mikegodwin">{{cite book | last = Godwin | first = Mike | author-link =Mike Godwin  | year = 2003 | title = Cyber Rights: Defending Free Speech in the Digital Age | publisher = MIT Press|pages=[https://archive.org/details/cyberrightsdefen00godw_145/page/n241 217]–218 | isbn = 0-262-57168-4| title-link = Cyber Rights: Defending Free Speech in the Digital Age }}</ref> Godwin explains, "trade secret law protects the information itself, not merely its particular expression. Trade secret law, unlike copyright, can protect ideas and facts directly."<ref name="mikegodwin" /> He puts forth the question, "But did the material really qualify as 'trade secrets'? Among the material the church has been trying to suppress is what might be called a 'genesis myth of Scientology': a story about a galactic despot named Xenu who decided 75 million years ago to kill a bunch of people by chaining them to volcanoes and dropping nuclear bombs on them."<ref name="mikegodwin" /> Godwin asks, "Does a 'church' normally have 'competitors' in the trade secret sense? If the Catholics got hold of the full facts about Xenu, does this mean they'll get more market share?"<ref name="mikegodwin" /> He comments on the ability of the Scientology organization to utilize such laws in order to contain its secret texts, "It seems likely, given what we know about the case now, that even a combination of copyright and trade secret law wouldn't accomplish what the church would like to accomplish: the total suppression of any dissemination of church documents or doctrines."<ref name="mikegodwin" /> The author concludes, "But the fact that the church was unlikely to gain any complete legal victories in its cases didn't mean that they wouldn't litigate. It's indisputable that the [[Strategic lawsuit against public participation|mere threat of litigation, or the costs of actual litigation]], may accomplish what the legal theories alone do not: the effective silencing of many critics of the church."<ref name="mikegodwin" />

== See also ==
* [[Incident (Scientology)]]
* [[Science fiction]]
* ''[[Sinister Barrier]]'', a 1939 novel with similar themes

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|refs=<ref name="urban">{{Cite book |last=Urban |first=Hugh B. |author-link=Hugh Urban |year=2011 |title=The Church of Scientology: A History of a New Religion |title-link=The Church of Scientology: A History of a New Religion |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=9780691146089}}</ref>}}

== References ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last=Atack |first=Jon |author-link=Jon Atack |year=1990 |title=A Piece of Blue Sky: Scientology, Dianetics, and L. Ron Hubbard Exposed |title-link=A Piece of Blue Sky |location=New York |publisher=Carol Publishing Group |isbn=0-8184-0499-X |oclc=20934706}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Corydon |first1=Bent |last2=Hubbard |first2=L. Ron Jr. |author-link2=Ronald DeWolf |year=1987 |title=L. Ron Hubbard, Messiah or Madman? |title-link=L. Ron Hubbard, Messiah or Madman? |location=Secaucus, New Jersey |publisher=Lyle Stuart |isbn=0-8184-0444-2 |oclc=16130709}}
* {{Cite book |last=Kaufman |first=Robert |year=1972 |title=Inside Scientology: How I Joined Scientology and Became Superhuman |title-link=Inside Scientology: How I Joined Scientology and Became Superhuman |location=New York |publisher=Olympia Press |isbn=0-7004-0110-5 |oclc=533305}}
* {{Cite book |last=Lamont |first=Stewart |year=1986 |title=Religion Inc.: The Church of Scientology |title-link=Religion Inc. |place=London |publisher=Harrap |isbn=0-245-54334-1 |oclc=23079677}}
* {{Cite book |last=Miller |first=Russell |author-link=Russell Miller |year=1988 |title=Bare-faced Messiah: The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard |title-link=Bare-faced Messiah |location=New York |publisher=Henry Holt |isbn=1-55013-027-7 |oclc=17481843}}
* {{Cite book |last=Partridge |first=Christopher Hugh |year=2003 |title=UFO Religions |publisher=Routledge |isbn=0-415-26324-7 |oclc=51342721}}
* {{Cite book |last=Reece |first=Gregory L. |year=2007 |title=UFO Religion: Inside Flying Saucer Cults and Culture |publisher=I. B. Tauris |isbn=978-1-84511-451-0}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Savino |first1=John |first2=Marie D. |last2=Jones |year=2007 |title=Supervolcano: The Catastrophic Event That Changed the Course of Human History |url=https://archive.org/details/supervolcanocata0000savi |url-access=registration |publisher=New Page Books |isbn=978-1-56414-953-4 |oclc=123539673}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Sister project links}}
{{Spoken Wikipedia|en-Xenu.ogg|date=2011-11-13}}
* [http://www.whatisscientology.org/html/Part11/Chp33/pg0592.html "OT III Released" in online edition of ''What Is Scientology'']
* [https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/OTIII/index.html OT III Scholarship Page] ([[David S. Touretzky]]; includes page scans, commentary, audio files)
* [http://www.suburbia.net/~fun/scn/pers/fun/xenu/revolt.html Revolt in the Stars summary] ([[Grady Ward]])
* [http://www.xenu.net/archive/leaflet/ Xenu Leaflet] (Roland Rashleigh-Berry)
* [http://www.spaink.net/fishman/ot3.html The Fishman Affidavit: OT III] (extracts and synopsis by [[Karin Spaink]])
* [http://www.spaink.net/cos/essays/forde_volcanos.html A Scientific scrutiny of OT III] (Peter Forde, June 1996) Claims about Xenu evaluated against scientific geology
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080819033051/http://gawker.com/5037013/the-history-of-xenu-as-explained-by-l-ron-hubbard-himself-in-8-minutes "The History Of Xenu, As Explained By L. Ron Hubbard In 8 Minutes"] (Gawker.com) Extract from the "Assists" lecture of October 3, 1968
* [http://www.sweenytod.com/cos/ Scientology and Christianity Examined] ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060529095458/http://www.sweenytod.com/cos/ |date=May 29, 2006 }})
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120125074631/http://www.spaink.net/cos/coskit/faegre/injunc/young.html Testimony under oath] (pp274–275) from [[Robert Vaughn Young]] in ''RTC v. FactNet'', Civil Action No. 95B2143, United States Courthouse, Denver, Colorado, September 11, 1995

{{Scientology}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Xenu| ]]
[[Category:Alleged extraterrestrial beings]]
[[Category:Creation myths]]
[[Category:Extraterrestrial life in popular culture]]
[[Category:Mythological peoples]]
[[Category:Scientology beliefs and practices]]
[[Category:Scientology-related controversies]]
[[Category:Trade secrets]]