Scientology holds in common many beliefs of other religions and philosophies. It considers Man to be a spiritual being, not just flesh and blood   a very different view to that held by common scientific thought which views Man as only a material object, a complex combination of chemical compounds and stimulus-response mechanisms.

Scientology believes Man is basically good, not evil. Man's experiences have led him to commit evil deeds, not his nature. Often, he mistakenly seeks to solve his problems by considering his own interests only, causing trouble for both himself and others.

Scientology believes that one advances to the degree he preserves his spiritual integrity and values and remains honest and decent. Conversely, one deteriorates to the degree he abandons those qualities. While other efforts to help Man have tried to solve problems for him, Scientology is different. For it believes that an individual placed in a position where he can increase his abilities and confront and identify the factors in his life more easily, is also able to solve his own problems and so better his life.

Life tends to force the individual into certain values. The stresses of existence can fixate attention to the point that one's awareness of self and the environment is greatly diminished. Accompanying this are problems, difficulties with others, illness and unhappiness.