Advanced Ability Center

{{Short description|David Mayo's Scientology spinoff}}

{{use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}

{{About|David Mayo's USA group|the UK group|Advanced Ability Centre}}

{{Infobox organization

|name = Advanced Ability Center

|image =

|slogan =

|membership =

|work =

|url =

|leader_title =

|leader_name =

|headquarters = United States

|formation = 1983

|website =

}}

File:L. Ron Hubbard influences.png

The Advanced Ability Center was a breakaway organization from the Church of Scientology established by former Scientologist David Mayo after he left the Church in February 1983, a time when most of Scientology's upper and middle management was removed following the formation of the Religious Technology Center (RTC) and RTC head David Miscavige's restructuring of the church. David Mayo had been Hubbard's own auditor. The Advanced Ability Center later became the Theta International movement{{cite book| last =Abgrall | first = Jean-Marie | title =Soul Snatchers: The Mechanics of Cults | url =https://archive.org/details/soulsnatchersmec0000abgr | url-access =registration | publisher = Algora Publishing | year = 1999 | page =[https://archive.org/details/soulsnatchersmec0000abgr/page/294 294] | isbn =978-1-892941-04-6 }} and was also known as the Church of the New Civilization.{{cite book| last = Richardson | first =James T. | author-link = James T. Richardson | title = Money and Power in the New Religions | publisher = E. Mellen Press | year = 1988 | page = 81 | isbn =978-0-88946-852-8 }}

Mayo taught material from the upper part of The Bridge of the Scientology organization in the Advanced Ability Center.{{r|lamont|page=97}} A division of the Advanced Ability Center was closed down again in 1984 under pressure from the main organization.{{citation|ref=Nordhausen|title=Scientology. Wie der Sektenkonzern die Welt erobern will|last1=Nordhausen|first1=Frank|last2=von Billerbeck|first2=Liane|year=2008|publisher=Ch. Links Verlag|place=Berlin|pages=278, 288, 302|isbn=978-3-86153-470-9|language=de}} According to Perspectives on the New Age edited by James R. Lewis and J. Gordon Melton and published in 1992, the Advanced Ability Center formed in Milan was in competition with the Scientology organization in Italy.{{cite book| last = Lewis | first = James R. | author-link = James R. Lewis (scholar) |author2=J. Gordon Melton |author2-link=J. Gordon Melton | title =Perspectives on the New Age | publisher =State University of New York Press | year = 1992 | page = 277 | isbn =978-0-7914-1213-8 }}