Cults of Unreason

by Christopher Riche Evans

A penetrating look at today's more bizarre beliefsIncluding a study on Scientology.

Genres: Religion, Cults, Nonfiction

264 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Dr Christopher Riche Evans (29 May 1931 – 10 October 1979) was a British psychologist, computer scientist, and author.

Born in Aberdovey, he spent his childhood in Wales and was educated at Christ College, Brecon (1941–49). He spent two years in the RAF (1950–52),and worked as a science journalist and writer until 1957 when he began a B.A. course in Psychology at University College, London, graduating with honors in 1960.

After a summer fellowship at Duke University, where he first met his future American wife, Nancy Fullmer, he took up a Research Assistant post in the Physics Laboratory, University of Reading, working on eye movements under Professor R.W. Ditchburn. Upon receiving his PhD (the title of his thesis was “Pattern Perception and the Stabilised Retinal Image”), he went to the Division of Computer Science, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington in 1964, where he remained until his death of cancer in 1979. Survived by his wife and two children Christopher Samuel Evans and Victoria Evans-Theiler.

Reviews

[Lanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published in 1973, psychologist Christopher Evans studies the borderline between technology and religion. Written from a primarily Anglocentric view point, it looks at what people believe, why they believe it, and the value of such thought modes.

The first half of the book is a discussion of Scientology, written when L. Ronald Hubbard was still alive and the sea-org still afloat. This is probably the most interesting part of the book. It focuses on the years at Saint Hill Manor and gives many colourful details, including the information that Hubbard once served on East Grinstead local council as 'Road Safety Organiser'.
It discusses the origins of Scientology, their beliefs (as expressed at that time), their use of technology, and their problems with the authorities. However, although it tries, it never manages to adequately explain Scientology's meteoric rise from penury to fortune.

The rest of the book covers a range of subjects, from UFO Cults, through technological gizmos and Eastern mysticism, to a somewhat prophetic mention of the Glastonbury Festival and the burgeoning New-Age scene. The book draws occasional comparisons between these groups and scientology, but generally treats each one according to its own merits.
I was particularly interested in the description of the De La Warr apparatus, as I know someone who uses one to give homeopathic treatments and therapies.
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To me it seemed fair and well balanced. As well as pointing out the irrationalities of some of these belief systems, the author also looks at the benefit obtained from these practices. He writes with wry amusement but refrains from much censure or judgement. Although critical of the controlling nature of some of these groups, he nevertheless gives the impression that everyone has a right to believe as much mad stuff as they want.

One fault of the book may be that it is too sunny, too optimistic. It could be the benefit of hindsight, but to me it seemed that the author was wearing rose tinted glasses. He gives a fleeting mention of such dark presences as The Process, and suggests that there is a nihilistic theme entering alternative culture, but it is hard to imagine that such excesses as the Manson murders were in the past rather than the future.

A fascinating and positive snapshot of a moment in time.


Things I have learned from this book.

Always look on the bright side when predicting the future. When time proves you wrong, at least you won't look like a grouch.

I can believe as much mad stuff as I want too.

[Kym Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though this book is perhaps in some ways dated and could be due for an update. It still holds its own and for any critical thinker a book like this is always a welcome read. Its age does make it some what charming and the subject of theology never really dates, though some of the cults therein mentioned are now accepted as 'credible' religions.

I managed to devour this book as a teenager and really found it interesting. Around this period I was reading a lot of books on the subject from all sides of the subject. This was certainly one of the best books I came across during this period of interest.

If you like to read about religion and more specifically those relegated to Cult status then this book is for you. A very nice intro on some of the featured cults which could help to motivate one to investigate further.

70 %

[Joseph F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine book to add to my skeptical bookshelf. Evans writes on the strange worlds of Scientology, UFO's, "black box" medicine, and New Age gurus. It is an old book, but still holds up nicely today. It definitely deserves a sequel to answer today's views of these belief systems. The framework of the book is interesting: how classic religion is no longer enough in answering people's concerns about the mysteries of existence and the universe. Unfortunately too many people run to belief systems started by confidence men and that do not hold up to scientific scrutiny.

[Edmund Chattoe-Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an entertaining read but a wasted opportunity on several counts (more surprising because Harrap were not a "junk publisher" when it came out.) Most importantly, since Evans is a trained scientist, is the fact that he spends too long making digs at (for example) L. Ron Hubbard and not enough time talking about the fact that, for example, many religious statements are non-falsifiable (whatever happens is "God's Will"). This kind of analysis would be real added value for an author with scientific training but he only seems to do it now and again (almost absent mindedly) before going back to the digs. This means that the largest question in the book is barely attempted. This is why, if people are losing their ability to believe in Christianity (which, for many centuries at least, had the best minds working on it) would they manage to believe in Scientology (which was dreamed up by one man, albeit charismatic, metaphorically over breakfast.) Some comments are relevant (like the idea that modern religions need "modern trappings") but don't tackle the issue of what, like non-falsifiable statements, all religions tend to share. Is the only difference, then, how long these shoddy religions are likely to last? (Decades rather than centuries?) The second weakness is that the coverage is very uneven with no real explanation. Most of the book is about Scientology, with steadily less on "black boxes" (spurious technologies like The Orgone Accumulator), U. F. O. beliefs, "The East" and mystical monks (like the hilarious T. Lobsang Rampa). This leads to the third weakness which is very weak conclusion drawing, both at the end of each section and in the (very short) final chapter. You might think someone trained in critical thinking would be better at extracting some "take aways" from ploughing through this stuff. All that said, it is an entertaining read and captures quite a lot of ephemeral events (probably largely mouldering now in newspaper "morgues") which certainly won't show up in the official annals of the Atlanteans or the Aetherius Society. It certainly seems that what remains as the modern folk memory of Scientology has lost most of its nuance and detail and the Evans definitely redresses the balance on that score. Not just for devout readers of books on cults then.

[Incus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew Chris Evans slightly when he worked at NPL in the 70s and he was also a regular knowledgable phone-in host on London's Capital radio on all things Psychology related. He died far too young (1979) but he did leave us this brilliant and amusing look at cults and religions. The Scientology section is a tour de force.

[Sarah Cash · Rating 3 out of 5]

The bits about Scientology were pretty interesting. Overall it was kind of a bore.