The Smiley Smile Message Board

How does anyone think BB history would be different? We'd probably not have some of the TM-related BB songs, and Scientology-related tunes might have taken their place.

I wonder both how Mike would have personally dealt with the challenges of the band post-1968 sans TM (and without replacing it with any other religion/belief type system), as well as if Scientology had outright replaced the role of TM in his life.

Did Scientology have THAT big of a following, a popular following, in 1968?

By 1968 Scientology had a pretty respectably sized following, but their campaign to recruit big named celebrities hadn't started yet so it's pretty unlikely that Mike Love would have found his way to Scientology in 1968.

My mom, for one, went to a single Scientology meeting/course thingie while attending UCLA in 1965 or 1966. It did not jive well for her. But that timeline should show that students were being indoctrinated into Scientology at major college campuses as early as those years. Not sure how big the TM movement was by comparison at the time though.

Maybe there would be an infamous episode of him jumping on Phil Donahue's couch.

Assuming he sticks with it? Theyd milk him for every last cent, hed be even weirder and more pompous, hed be against Brian getting any kind of treatment, would write songs about E-meters and Xenu instead of TM on all their 70s albums, and would probably be estranged from the band. Honestly, it may even be a better scenario than what we got for everyone except him.

Incidentally, read Going Clear if you havent. Fascinating book about the evils of the church. The HBO doc doesnt do it justice

I only know of one pop group that embraced Scientology: Canadians Edward Bear, known in the US for their 1972 hit "Last Song". Their followup album in '73 has a blurb for Scientology on the back.

Thank f*** he didn't.

My honest opinion is that Mike's TM is legit, I think it truly has helped him in his life, who knows what crazy sh*t he would have done without it.  I'm glad he was introduced to it and embraced it. 

Everyone's got Xenu with you. :afro

I see Chick Corea has been a Scientologist since 1968:

http://chickcorea.com/all-about-jazz-august-2009/ 

I think that Carl would have been the more likely Scientology convert.

He would have seen Carl as a suppressive and would have tried to fire him. He would have Dennis and Al tested for Thetans at their own great expense.  Mike would also have written a concept album about LRH.

Belief systems are always tricky.  The difference between meditation (not specifically TM) and Scientology is huge; that being that it has been around for centuries.  Now it is mainstream and recommended by doctors to control cardiovascular systems and in schools to combat violence. 

Scientology, not so much.  Leah Remini might have something to say about their ways.   

Scientology is viewed as a little cuckoo in this day and age.  I couldn't imagine the public's reaction if he embraced it in 1968. 

With Brian Wilson's health at the time not in great shape.  Mike's embracing Scientology could've potentially been the death knell for The Beach Boys. 

Even with Carl and Dennis writing good material at the time, I'm not sure if that would've been enough to save the group is the two primary faces of the group (Mike and Brian) were both "off the deep end." 

The Incredible String Band got into it in the late '60s too.

:lol

Maybe he would have done the soundtrack to Battlefield Earth.

Maybe play Summer in Paradise while watching Battlefield Earth. 

That would be a good way to get terrorists to talk. 

There was a quote about Mike, TM, and his behavior in one of the BB's books, from Rick Nelson: "All I ever thought about that was, what if he DIDN'T meditate?" I agree that it has helped him a lot.

Edgar Winter is also  a long-time Scientologist who even made an album based on L Ron Hubbard's  book 'Battlefield Earth'.

For all I have gleaned about Scientology over the years, even recently saw a well done documentary called, "Going Clear", I still am not really certain what they are literally all about - other than creepy, scary, power/money madness w/celebrity spokespeople.    :police: