In Scientology, a thetan is the term corresponding to one's "spirit", and a Body Thetan is another thetan (spirit) who is 'stuck' in, on or near a human "meat body" because of an incident caused by an ancient galactic lord named Xenu. All human bodies were said by L. Ron Hubbard to be covered in clusters of these misplaced thetans.

This information was originally published openly by Hubbard and the Church of Scientology in a number of "policy bulletins" (HCOBs) and "policy letters" (HCOPLs), but were later made secret. It was also alluded to (although not described in any detail) in a publicly available cassette tape Hubbard released called "Ron's Journal 67", addressed to "all staff and students of Scientology organizations". For some years, it was reported by former Scientologists that the material was still being used, but not divulged until one reaches the third Operating Thetan level (or OT III).

According to many former Scientologists who have reached Operating Thetan levels, Xenu/Body Thetan material is still being taught in higher levels on Scientology's Bridge to Total Freedom.

David Miscavige (born April 30, 1960) is the leader of the Church of Scientology and affiliated organizations. His title is Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center (RTC), a corporation that controls the trademarked names and symbols of Dianetics and Scientology. Miscavige was an assistant to Hubbard (a "Commodore's messenger") while a teenager. He rose to a leadership position within the organization by the early 1980s and was named Chairman of the Board of RTC. Miscavige's mandate is to protect the works of L. Ron Hubbard from distortion or misuse, and to serve as ecclesiastical head of Scientology.

Since assuming his leadership position, Miscavige has been faced with press accounts alleging illegal and unethical practices, both personally and through his organizational management. These include reports of forced separation of family members, coercive fundraising practices, harassment of journalists and church critics, and public humiliation of church staff members, including physical assaults by Miscavige. Miscavige and church spokespeople have consistently denied these charges, often raising counter-charges that attack the credibility of the journalists and sources responsible for the critical accounts.