Scientology

Behind-the-scenes information for paid subscribers only.

Due to some dramatic events last week we now have a slightly better idea of the book that Lila Shapiro is writing on Neil Gaiman. One thing that stood out is how much research she’s putting into his Scientology upbringing.

The Church of Scientology (CoS) is a ‘‘high-control religion’’, otherwise known as a cult. Neil was born into it, and grew up close to Saint Hill, the Church’s British Headquarters in East Grinstead. He’s widely believed to have stepped away from the CoS in early adulthood, around the time his work became recognised with the short story and graphic novel Violent Cases.

In There Is No Safe Word Lila Shapiro’s focus on the CoS (she devotes over a 1000 words to it) had little visibly to do with the case. Regardless, I’ve kept my eyes open throughout this research for any connection, finding a few traces. They are interesting pieces of information that really tantalise, but that it’s hard to draw solid conclusions from.

My concern is that Shapiro is going to simply focus on the CoS Training Routines (TRs) which were undoubtedly taught to Neil Gaiman as a young man. As a set of techniques designed to generate poise, charisma, certainty and command, they could rather conveniently be used to portray him as having some spooky coercive power over the claimants.

The task for Lila will be how to explain away all the evidence of consent. Positing a strange hypnotic power is perfect because it’s completely unfalsifiable, and Gaiman would be unable to publicly respond for reasons I’ll explain.

One strange connection, if anything, might suggest recent re-vicimtisation by the CoS than using the TR techniques 40 years later.