The word, Dianetics, apparently translates to "through mind." Hubbard wrote: "mental and psychometric physical problems are caused by traumatic recordings that are stored in the reactive mind." The goal of Dianetics is to eradicate these traumatic recordings and reach a state of "Clear." Reaching "Clear" also allows the individual to realize their full potential and, in effect, control MEST (Matter, Energy, Space and Time).
Unsurprisingly, Dianetics, its thoughts and practices have come under much scrutiny from the scientific community and has been dubbed "pseudoscience." Pseudoscience lacks plausibility and does not adhere to scientific method. Martin Gardner refers to the religion in his second book, Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science, as does German writer Robert Kaufman in his work Inside Scientology.

Kaufman writes in his Message From the Author that the Church of Scientology is "a powerful, hydra-headed international organization that extracts money and services from its members through its control of their minds and pocketbooks." He then continues to state that it [Scientology] "uses Dianetics to lure raw meat (non-Scientologists) into its thought control machine."

Kaufman has a certain amount of clout when discussing the religion, being that he was once a member. When speaking out against Scientology, he has (like so many others) encountered the full wrath of Scientology's power. His live shows were canceled at a moment's notice, and his publisher was destroyed by a hate campaign of theft, forgery and pen letters.

The most extreme action against a critic involved an eight-month lawsuit and various attempts to see the lady put in a mental institution. Scientologists claimed that the alleged made bomb threats against the Church of Scientology, a claim which resulted in her having to pay out 19,000 USD.