Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape

Jenna Miscavige Hill, niece of Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige, was raised as a Scientologist but left the controversial religion in 2005. In Beyond Belief , she shares her true story of life inside the upper ranks of the sect, details her experiences as a member Sea Org—the church's highest ministry, speaks of her "disconnection" from family outside of the organization, and tells the story of her ultimate escape.

Piercing the veil of secrecy that has long shrouded the world of Scientology, this insider reveals unprecedented firsthand knowledge of the religion, its obscure rituals, and its mysterious leader—David Miscavige. From her prolonged separation from her parents as a small child to being indoctrinated to serve the greater good of the Church, from her lack of personal freedoms to the organization's emphasis on celebrity recruitment, Jenna goes behind the scenes of Scientology's oppressive and alienating culture, detailing an environment rooted in control in which the most devoted followers often face the harshest punishments when they fall out of line. Addressing some of the Church's most notorious practices in startling detail, she also describes a childhood of isolation and neglect—a childhood that, painful as it was, prepared her for a tough life in the Church's most devoted order, the Sea Org.

Despite this hardship, it is only when her family approaches dissolution and her world begins to unravel that she is finally able to see the patterns of stifling conformity and psychological control that have ruled her life. Faced with a heartbreaking choice, she mounts a courageous escape, but not before being put through the ultimate test of family, faith, and love. At once captivating and disturbing, Beyond Belief is an eye-opening exploration of the limits of religion and the lengths to which one woman went to break free.

Jenna Miscavige Hill’s story is a rare, unflinching look inside one of the world’s most controversial and secretive organizations.

An Insider’s Story: As the niece of Scientology leader David Miscavige, Hill provides unprecedented firsthand knowledge of the Church’s inner workings, mysterious rituals, and reclusive leader. Life in the Sea Org: From signing a billion-year contract as a child to a life of isolation, neglect, and hard labor, discover the reality of being raised within Scientology’s most devoted order. The Policy of Disconnection: A startling look at one of the Church’s most notorious practices and the heartbreaking choice between family and faith. A Courageous Escape: Follow one woman’s journey to see through the patterns of control, mount a daring escape, and finally break free to tell her story.