Wikipedia:Today's featured article/September 10, 2005



In Scientology doctrine, space opera is the term used by the movement's founder L. Ron Hubbard for extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in Earthly affairs. It forms a major element of the beliefs of Scientology. Hubbard claimed that the modern-day science fiction genre of space opera is merely an unconscious recollection of real events from millions of years ago. Scientology's doctrines famously include the story of Xenu, the ruler of the Galactic Confederacy, who brought billions of frozen people to Earth 75 million years ago, stacked them around volcanoes and blew them up with hydrogen bombs. Such beliefs have existed in Scientology since its beginning, with Hubbard lecturing about civilizations such as Helatrobus, the Espinol Confederacy and Arslycus. He described repeated instances of them using brainwashing implants on hapless beings. He also spoke of alien invasions of Earth, such as that carried out around 6235 BC by the Fifth Invader Force, who were "very strange insect-like creatures with unthinkably horrible hands."

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