Conversely Cypher, the superior solider, is able to 'ghost' or suppress his emotions.Ĭypher classically embodies Hubbard's theory of 'thetan,' or the pure human soul unburdened by emotion, whereas Kitai is a 'misguided theatan,' struggling to escape his fear. In the film Kitai is plagued by fear and self doubt as he travels through the alien terrain and tries to measure up to his General father.
One of Hubbard's teachings was that people must set aside their doubts and conflicts and place unquestioned value on the self. The most glaring similarity is that the iconic image of a volcano erupting, featured on the cover of Hubbard's Dianetics, is the final climactic shot of the film.ĭelving deeper, critics cite the film's value on the self, derived from Scientology, Vulture noted. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church of Scientology. Several film critics have dissected the plot and found numerous similarities to the teachings of L. Now overrun by aliens who feed on fear, Kitai must fight through the planet's dangerous terrain to find the wrecked ship's rescue beacon and save his father who was wounded in the crash. While this may be part of his character or something that was directed in the script, in Scientology, one goes through great amounts of training and counseling to control one’s emotions and 'mis-emotion' as described by Hubbard.' 'Will Smith’s character is pretty much devoid of all emotions for the entire movie. In Scientology, the volcano is a common thread through many different teachings. 'The movie’s climax takes place on a volcano that could have been ripped right off the cover of Dianetics, the look is so similar. Through Scientology, one is supposed to 'rid oneself of your fears'.Besides the film's dialogue and its direct similarities to Scientology teachings, there are also some other clues in After Earth that cannot be ignored. Ron Hubbard’s teachings insist that emotions and fear are triggers and are part of the reactive mind. Now do not misunderstand me: Danger is very real. 'Will Smith’s character, Cypher Raige, tells his son, Kitai: 'Fear is not real. 'While most of the movie involves following Jaden Smith’s character as he faces off against apes, a large, angry bird and a leech, (none of which have much to do with Scientology - besides maybe the leech), most of the Scientology influences play out in the film’s dialogue. Headley said he 'escaped' from the organization which he was a part of for 15 years in 2005.Īfter seeing the film he wrote for the magazine.
A former Scientologist Marc Headley reviewed the film for Hollywood Reporter and agreed that many of the themes are similar to Hubbard's teachings.
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