John Stamos recently spoke about his brief and unusual encounter with the Church of Scientology when he attended an induction session at the age of 17.
Despite initial intrigues, the actor’s playful behavior led to his exclusion from the controversial organization.
John Stamos later described his brief experience with the group as disturbing in his memoir, If You Would Have Told Me.
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John Stamos talks about his brief encounter with Scientology in the 1980s
During an appearance on the Friends In High Places podcast, Stamos gave a glimpse into his past and revealed that he once attended an induction event for the Church of Scientology. However, his first encounter with the organization did not go quite according to plan.
In his testimony, Stamos revealed that as a 17-year-old beginning his acting career in 1980, he became interested in Scientology for several reasons.
According to the Daily MailThe first reason was that a young woman from his acting class invited him to church and said, “You know, we all meet here on Hollywood Boulevard. You should come after class.”
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Second, Stamos was also inspired by John Travolta, a prominent Scientologist since 1975 and one of his acting idols.
Looking back on his motivations 44 years ago, Stamos said, “When I saw Grease, I thought, ‘That’s who I want to be.'” He added, “I wanted to be John Travolta, I still want to be. Well, apart from whatever else they do.”
At the time, Stamos was working at his father’s restaurant. He recalled telling his father, “I have to go,” adding, “So I went and it was the Scientology building.”
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Why he was “kicked out” of a Scientology induction session
Stamos’ encounter with the Church of Scientology was brief, as he attended only that one introductory session and did not pursue the matter further.
The actor described the brief moment with the Church of Scientology and said that he was taken into the church building and presented with a device called the “E-Meter.”
The church claims that this two-can electropsychometer can detect changes in emotional state to identify stored engrams and “levels of spiritual distress.”
Stamos, however, didn’t take the experiment too seriously and quickly began playing around with the device, pretending to hold it like a fake phone.
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“I did a ‘Peabody and Sherman’ imitation and they didn’t like it,” he recalled. Daily Mail. “Then I was fooling around so much that they said, ‘Go out and carry on.’ They just kicked me out.”
Podcast host Matt Friend joked that Stamos was “too annoying” to be included in the controversial organization, which has been variously described as a religious movement, corporation or cult.
Reflecting on his behavior, Stamos admitted with a laugh, “That’s pretty bad – I must have been awful.”
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John Stamos recounts his “damn scary” experience with Scientology in his memoirs
In his 2023 memoir, If You Would Have Told Me, Stamos describes a strange encounter with Scientology that began when a young woman named Mia handed him a workbook on the church, along with some books he had accidentally left behind.
During the session, Stamos recalled, “(a man) started questioning me about committing crimes, asking if I thought negatively about Scientology or (founder) L. Ron Hubbard, and probing some strange questions about sex.”
The former “Full House” star described how the atmosphere became increasingly unsettling and the experience felt more bizarre by the minute.
He wrote: “The Wayback Machine needle jumps to the corner and Mia looks disappointed. Apparently I’m not Scientology material. Damn it.”
Looking back on the experience, Stamos admitted that although initial curiosity led him to the church venue, he quickly found the whole situation “pretty damn creepy.”
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John Stamos recently celebrated his 61st birthday
On August 20, Stamos celebrated his 61st birthday by sharing a throwback video from his third birthday on Instagram.
In the heartwarming clip, the actor can be seen sitting on his father William Stamos’ lap and blowing out his three birthday candles.
Reflecting on the overwhelming love he has experienced in his life, the actor writes, “As I sat on my father’s lap at age three, ready to make a wish, I could swear I heard my father’s voice whispering in my ear, ‘You’re going to have a wonderful life, boy.'”
The actor is grateful for the love he has received
In his birthday message, Stamos also expressed his gratitude for the support of his loved ones and fans.
He wrote: “It’s a moment captured on film that has stayed with me ever since. Every day feels like a celebration when you are surrounded by the kind of love I am blessed with.”
Stamos added: “Every moment, every hug, every laugh – each one reminds me how lucky I am to have such incredible people in my life. It is this love that fills my days with light and makes every single day feel like my birthday.”
At the end of his long post, he said: “I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the love you show me, not just today, but every day. You all mean the world to me.”
