How Scientology costs members up to millions of dollars, according to Leah Remini's show

Remini referred to several $35 introductory courses as "throwaways," which don't really count as credits in the intense list of courses Scientologists are required to take. She said they were only meant to bring in new members and "indoctrinate" them to the Church's terms.

"The Bridge to Total Freedom" is the list of courses required to reach spiritual actualization.

"'The Bridge to Total Freedom' are the series of steps that were laid out by L. Ron Hubbard that every Scientologist must follow in order to attain the ultimate in spiritual enlightenment and in spiritual freedom," Scientology's former international spokesperson Mike Rinder explained.

Scientology teaches that reaching the top of the Bridge means one should be able to use their mind to do powerful things like “move things, cure cancer in yourself,” according to Remini.

Required courses cost about $650 each, Remini claimed. A course could require that its members study from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

Remini admitted that she got something out of the courses.

“There are some useful one-on-one therapeutic things that are being done,” she said.

Rinder and Remini both reached level two of the Bridge, though both feel as if they didn't achieve the level's goal of "relief from the hostilities and challenges of life."

These expensive auditing sessions can last a minimum of two and a half hours each, Remini said. They involve an auditor who listens and helps members “find and handle areas of distress.”

It's done with what's called an "E-meter," which measures electrical activity on a human being's skin. According to the church, it aids the auditor in his or her work.

Audits could be administered to children as young as six years old, Remini said.

According to the show's contributors, "Security Checks" or "Sec Checks" are administered on members who are suspected of breaking a church rule or having doubts about the organization. They can be grueling, long, and pressure-filled experiences as the auditor tries to get the member to confess to some sort of wrongdoing.

"Many times, an interrogator will try to get what they believe is the truth out and the subject will finally just tell them what they want to hear," Rinder said.

"Sec Check" sessions are also paid for by the member being interrogated.

Remini and Rinder visited another former Scientology member, Mary Kahn, who was a devout Scientologists for 40 years and had completed all the courses required by "The Bridge."

But like the books, courses are often updated. That means they have to be repeated by members whenever Scientology claims there have been changes or that a mistake was made when a member was taking the course.

“They constantly invent new things,” Remini said.

Kahn had to repeat "The Bridge" herself, but she became fed up with the constant pressure to pay more exorbitant fees. At one point, she alleged a fellow Scientologist charged her credit card without her knowing and said he did it because he needed to meet his financial goal for the church.

She then began to search out information about the organization from outside news sources and books. Her doubts piled up to the point that she was simply "toeing the line" in order stay in Scientology and keep her family together. As discussed in previous episodes, Scientology allegedly has a policy of disconnection from former members, including relatives.

Kahn went to live on the ship for a second time and claimed she was subjected to intense "Sec Checks" that lasted hours and sent her back to her room crying.

"Every second was hell," she said of the experience. She vowed never to do another E-meter audit.

Upon returning, her doubts about the church became hard to keep to herself. She finally told her husband, who then ratted her out to Scientology officials. Kahn was called in for a
"Sec Check" and refused to do it with an E-meter. It was at that point that she reached her limit and decided to leave the building and the church. She said she was barred from opening a backdoor to escape and decided to go out the front door. Scientology members allegedly followed her to the street, but she knew they wouldn't continue past the street because they didn't want to create a public scene.

In the end, her husband, who claims he was being pressured to divorce her, left Scientology, too. They have two adult children, one of whom — the youngest, Sammy — has allegedly disconnected from them, and they say they haven't seen him in about three years.

Sammy, however, told producers that his decision to disconnect from his family wasn't the result of Scientology pressure.