What Is Independent Scientology?

A Clear Definition

Independent Scientology is the practice of L. Ron Hubbard's original Scientology technology outside the corporate Church of Scientology — delivered exactly as he developed it, without alteration, addition, or deletion.

The word independent means independent of the corporate structure — not independent of the technology itself. Independent Scientologists are committed to standard technology: the precise application of Hubbard's writings and procedures as they were proven to work. This is the defining characteristic that separates Independent Scientology from the broader “Freezone,” where practitioners may alter, mix, or reinterpret the technology at will.

How the Independent Movement Began

In May 1950, L. Ron Hubbard published Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, which became an immediate New York Times bestseller. Over the following three decades, he developed Scientology into a comprehensive body of work: the Bridge to Total Freedom, Study Technology, the Ethics and Justice system, and thousands of recorded lectures and written bulletins.

The Grade Chart evolved through six major editions between 1965 and 1981, each reflecting Hubbard's ongoing research and refinement. The 1981 edition was the last published under his direct supervision.

Following organizational changes in 1982, significant alterations were made to both the Grade Chart and the technical materials themselves. These changes are documented in HCOB 19 January 1982 and subsequent issues. Many of these alterations were later identified by experienced practitioners as departures from the standard technology that had been producing consistent results for decades.

In response, trained auditors and course supervisors — many of whom had worked directly with Hubbard — began practicing independently. Their purpose was straightforward: to continue delivering the technology exactly as it was developed, without the post-1982 alterations.

“A civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war, where the Able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where Man is free to rise to greater heights, are the aims of Scientology.”
— L. Ron Hubbard, September 1965

Standard Technology: The Core Principle

Standard Technology refers to the proven, workable techniques of Scientology as developed and tested by L. Ron Hubbard. It is technology that has been thoroughly validated through application and produces consistent results when applied exactly as written.

Hubbard codified this principle in the policy known as “Keeping Scientology Working” (KSW), first issued in 1965. Its central requirement is that the technology be applied without alteration, addition, or deletion — because the results depend on precision.

Independent Scientology organizations adhere to this principle by using the pre-1982 Grade Chart and original technical materials. This is not nostalgia — it is a technical decision based on results. The original technology, properly applied, continues to produce the same outcomes today as when Hubbard developed it.

What Independent Scientologists Practice

Independent Scientology encompasses the same disciplines Hubbard developed during his lifetime:

• Auditing — the precise one-on-one practice through which a trained auditor helps an individual locate and address the sources of unwanted conditions in their life. Auditing follows the Bridge to Total Freedom — a mapped sequence of levels from life improvement through the highest states of spiritual awareness.
• Training — the study of Scientology materials to develop the skill of auditing others. Training and auditing are the two sides of the Bridge, and both are necessary for full spiritual advancement.
• Study Technology — methods for effective learning developed by Hubbard, applicable to any subject. These include techniques for handling the three barriers to study and tools for word clearing.
• Ethics Technology — practical tools for personal integrity, rational decision-making, and the improvement of conditions in life.
• Codes of Practice — foundational ethical codes including The Auditor's Code, The Code of Honour, and The Code of a Scientologist.

How Independent Scientology Differs from the Church

The distinction is not one of belief but of practice and organizational structure:

• Original materials — Independent practitioners use the technology as Hubbard wrote it through 1981, without the revisions and repackaging introduced after his direct supervision ended.
• Accessibility — Services are available to anyone who wants them, without the extensive eligibility requirements, disconnection policies, or financial prerequisites that have become associated with the institutional Church.
• Decentralized structure — Independent groups operate autonomously. There is no single governing body. Each organization is responsible for the quality of its own delivery.
• Focus on results — Success is measured by the demonstrable improvement of the people being served, not by organizational metrics.

Independent Scientology vs. the Freezone

These terms are sometimes confused, but they refer to very different approaches. The distinction matters because the results depend on it.

The Freezone (or “Free Zone”) is a broad label for anyone practicing some form of Scientology outside the Church. Within the Freezone, practitioners may alter procedures, mix Scientology with other practices, develop their own rundowns, or reinterpret Hubbard's writings according to personal preference. In Scientology terminology, this is called squirrel technology — the alteration of proven workable processes. Squirrel tech may produce some results, but it cannot produce the consistent, predictable outcomes that standard application delivers.

Independent Scientology is fundamentally different. Independent Scientologists deliver Hubbard's technology exactly as he wrote it — the same processes, the same procedures, the same standards of training and auditing. The technology is not treated as a starting point for improvisation. It is applied as a precise discipline, because that precision is what makes it work.

AOGP is an Independent Scientology organization. We do not practice Freezone methods. We deliver standard technology — the original Bridge as developed by L. Ron Hubbard through 1981, unmodified and proven through decades of consistent application.

AOGP International: Our Practice

The Advanced Organization of the Great Plains was established in 2011 with a single mission: to deliver standard Scientology technology outside the corporate structure. In the years since, we have helped more than 300 individuals on their Bridge journey across 18+ countries.

Our approach is rooted in the Great Plains region where much of Scientology's early development took place. The Wichita Foundation in Wichita, Kansas — less than three hours from our service area — was one of the original centers for Dianetics research, making this region historically significant to the subject's development.

We offer:

• Professional auditing through the complete Bridge using the pre-1982 Grade Chart
• Course enrollment through Endeavor College of Independent Scientology, our training platform
• A free OCA personality test — a 200-question assessment of ten personality traits with professional evaluation
• Axiom AI — an AI-powered study companion for Scientology materials
• 200+ podcast episodes covering practical application of Scientology to everyday life
• A comprehensive definitions library with 200+ terms

Third Party and Signs of Success

L. Ron Hubbard wrote in HCOPL Signs of Success that when you are getting results, you will be attacked. The attacks themselves are not a sign that something is wrong — they are a sign that something is right. Any organization that is genuinely moving people up the Bridge will draw fire from those who do not want that to happen.

This is not theory. It is observable in the independent field today.

There exist individuals and groups in the field whose primary activity is not delivery but the manufacture of conflict. They spread negative claims about productive Independent Scientology organizations — third party, in Hubbard's terminology: statements made to one party to create hostility toward another. Hubbard identified third party as the root cause of all conflicts, and it is as observable in the independent field as anywhere else.

You will find accusations on the internet about AOGP and about other independent groups doing legitimate work. When evaluating any such claim, apply the same standard you would to anything else: look for evidence. Look for specifics that can be independently verified. Look for receipts. If all you find are broad assertions with nothing to back them up, you are not looking at a credible source — you are looking at a suppressive act in progress.

There is a straightforward way to evaluate any organization claiming to deliver Scientology: look at the products. Real delivery produces real results — success stories from real people who have completed real services. An organization producing genuine results will have auditing completions, course graduates, and individuals willing to put their name to what they experienced. An organization that cannot show you these things — regardless of how many photographs it posts or how many claims it makes — is not demonstrating delivery. It is demonstrating PR.

AOGP publishes its success stories openly. More than 300 people across 18+ countries have received standard auditing and training through our organization. Those results are documented, verifiable, and ongoing. We let our delivery speak for itself.

Hubbard's advice in Signs of Success was not to be discouraged by attacks but to recognize them for what they are and keep delivering. That is exactly what we do. We invite anyone with genuine questions to contact us directly rather than form opinions based on anonymous sources with no verifiable track record of their own.

Frequently Asked Questions