It’s one of the first chilly Monday mornings. I’m in bed, wrapped in a mess of blankets and freshly-washed clothes that I was too lazy to put away the night before. It’s a comfortable place to be in, and I sure as hell don’t want to move. I’m also—as much as I hate admitting this—not sure I want to keep my appointment at the Church of Scientology that’s in an hour.

In a blocky concrete building west of the Delmar Loop, Scientologists from St. Louis work to improve their spiritual lives and promulgate their message. Student Life went inside this temple, which most have seen, but few have entered.