Hubbard was a science fiction writer, there was nothing subdued about the stuff he wrote. Plus, mundane, plausible stories don't inspire religions, because if they are bound by physical laws, people will likely start asking logical questions. But if it's batshit insane to begin with, people who eventually come to believe it will adopt to the new reality. It begs the question of why people believe it, knowing how insane it sounds and is.