Auditing (Scientology)
Encyclopedia
Auditing was developed by L. Ron Hubbard
, and is described by the Church of Scientology
as "spiritual counseling which is the central practice of Dianetics
and Scientology
".
Auditing involves the use of "processes," which are sets of questions asked or directions given by an auditor. When the specific objective of any one process is achieved, the process is ended and another can then be used. By doing this, the subjects are said to be able to free themselves from unwanted barriers that inhibit their natural abilities. Scientologists state that the person being audited is completely aware of everything that happens and becomes even more alert as auditing progresses.
The auditor is obliged by the church's doctrine to maintain a strict code of conduct toward the preclear, called the Auditor's Code. Auditing is said to be successful only when the auditor conducts himself in accordance with the Code. A violation of the Auditor's Code is considered a high crime under Scientology policy and is punishable by expulsion.
The code outlines a series of 29 promises which include pledges:
Most auditing sessions employ a device called the Hubbard Electropsychometer or E-Meter. This device measures changes in the electrical resistance
of the preclear
by passing approximately 0.5 volt
s through a pair of tin
-plated tubes much like empty soup cans, attached to the meter by wires and held by the preclear during auditing. These low-potential
changes in electrical resistance are believed by Scientologists to be a reliable and a precise indication of changes in the reactive mind
of the preclear. Hubbard claimed that the device also has such sensitivity that it can measure whether or not fruit
s can experience pain, claiming in 1968 that tomato
es "scream when sliced."
Scientology teaches that individuals are immortal souls or spirits (called Thetans by Scientology) and are not limited to a single lifetime. The E-meter is believed to aid the auditor in identifying ingrained memories ("engram
s", "incidents
", and "implants
") of past events in a thetan's current life and in previous ones. In such Scientology publications as Have You Lived Before This Life
, Hubbard wrote about past life experiences dating back billions and even trillions of years.
authorized the use of these folders for internal security purposes. This directive was later canceled because it was not part of Scientology as written by L. Ron Hubbard. Bruce Hines has noted in an interview with Hoda Kotb that Scientology's collecting of personal and private information through auditing could possibly leave an adherent vulnerable to potential "blackmail" should they ever consider disaffecting from the church. However, it is unknown whether this practice goes on, or is any more than speculation.
Judge Paul Breckenridge, in Church of Scientology of California vs. Gerald Armstrong, noted that Mary Sue Hubbard (plaintiff in that case) "authored the infamous order 'GO 121669' which directed culling of supposedly confidential P.C. [Preclear] files/folders for the purposes of internal security ". Jon Atack's book "A Piece of Blue Sky" asserts that preclear folders have indeed been used for intimidation and harassment.
, an official inquiry conducted for the state of Victoria, Australia, found that auditing involved a form of "authoritative" or "command" hypnosis
, in which the hypnotist assumes "positive authoritative control" over the subject. "It is the firm conclusion of this Board that most scientology and dianetic techniques are those of authoritative hypnosis and as such are dangerous. ... the scientific evidence which the Board heard from several expert witnesses of the highest repute ... which was virtually unchallenged - leads to the inescapable conclusion that it is only in name that there is any difference between authoritative hypnosis and most of the techniques of scientology. Many scientology techniques are in fact hypnotic techniques, and Hubbard has not changed their nature by changing their names."
As of 2011 auditing is considered a spiritual practice, by the government of Australia Scientology status by country
and attention deficit disorder; however, as yet there are no scientific studies to verified these claims. Licensed psychotherapists have alleged that the Church's auditing sessions amount to mental health treatment without a license, but the Church disputes these allegations, and claims to have established in courts of law that its practice claims only to lead to spiritual relief. So, according to the Church, the psychotherapist treats mental health and the Church treats the spiritual being.
A 1971 ruling of the United States District Court, District of Columbia (333 F. Supp. 357), specifically stated that the E-meter
"has no proven usefulness in the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of any disease, nor is it medically or scientifically capable of improving any bodily function." As a result of this ruling, Scientology now publishes disclaimers in its books and publications declaring that the E-meter "by itself does nothing" and that it is used specifically for spiritual purposes.
L. Ron Hubbard
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard , better known as L. Ron Hubbard , was an American pulp fiction author and religious leader who founded the Church of Scientology...
, and is described by the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
as "spiritual counseling which is the central practice of Dianetics
Dianetics
Dianetics is a set of ideas and practices regarding the metaphysical relationship between the mind and body that was invented by the science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard and is practiced by followers of Scientology...
and Scientology
Scientology
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
".
Description
Auditing in the context of Dianetics or Scientology is an activity where a person trained in auditing listens and gives auditing commands to a subject, which is referred to as a "preclear". All communications during auditing sessions are kept confidential between the auditor, the case supervisor and the pre-clear .Auditing involves the use of "processes," which are sets of questions asked or directions given by an auditor. When the specific objective of any one process is achieved, the process is ended and another can then be used. By doing this, the subjects are said to be able to free themselves from unwanted barriers that inhibit their natural abilities. Scientologists state that the person being audited is completely aware of everything that happens and becomes even more alert as auditing progresses.
The auditor is obliged by the church's doctrine to maintain a strict code of conduct toward the preclear, called the Auditor's Code. Auditing is said to be successful only when the auditor conducts himself in accordance with the Code. A violation of the Auditor's Code is considered a high crime under Scientology policy and is punishable by expulsion.
The code outlines a series of 29 promises which include pledges:
- “Not to evaluate for the preclear or tell him what he should think about his case in session”
- “Not to invalidate the preclear’s case or gains in or out of session.”
- “Never to use the secrets of a preclear divulged in session for punishment or personal gain.”
The E-meter
Electrical resistance
The electrical resistance of an electrical element is the opposition to the passage of an electric current through that element; the inverse quantity is electrical conductance, the ease at which an electric current passes. Electrical resistance shares some conceptual parallels with the mechanical...
of the preclear
Clear (Scientology)
Clear in Dianetics and Scientology is one of two levels a practitioner can achieve on the way to personal salvation. A state of Clear is reached when a person becomes free of the influence of engrams, unwanted emotions or painful traumas not readily available to the conscious mind...
by passing approximately 0.5 volt
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
s through a pair of tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
-plated tubes much like empty soup cans, attached to the meter by wires and held by the preclear during auditing. These low-potential
Electric potential
In classical electromagnetism, the electric potential at a point within a defined space is equal to the electric potential energy at that location divided by the charge there...
changes in electrical resistance are believed by Scientologists to be a reliable and a precise indication of changes in the reactive mind
Reactive mind
The reactive mind is a concept in the Dianetics and Scientology systems of L. Ron Hubbard, referring to that portion of the human mind that is unconscious and stimulus-response, which Hubbard blamed for most mental and physical ailments...
of the preclear. Hubbard claimed that the device also has such sensitivity that it can measure whether or not fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s can experience pain, claiming in 1968 that tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
es "scream when sliced."
Scientology teaches that individuals are immortal souls or spirits (called Thetans by Scientology) and are not limited to a single lifetime. The E-meter is believed to aid the auditor in identifying ingrained memories ("engram
Engram (Dianetics)
In Dianetics and Scientology, an engram is defined as "a mental image picture which is a recording of an experience containing pain, unconsciousness and a real or fancied threat to survival. It is a recording in the reactive mind of something which actually happened to an individual in the past and...
s", "incidents
Incident (Scientology)
L. Ron Hubbard used the term Incident in a specific context for auditing in Scientology and Dianetics: the description of space opera events in our Universe's distant past, involving alien interventions in our past lives...
", and "implants
Implant (Scientology)
In Scientology, an implant is similar to an engram, in that it is believed to condition the mind in a certain way. The difference is that an implant is done deliberately and with evil intent. It is similar to Thought insertion...
") of past events in a thetan's current life and in previous ones. In such Scientology publications as Have You Lived Before This Life
Have You Lived Before This Life
Have You Lived Before This Life is a non-fiction book published by L. Ron Hubbard in 1960. It is one of the canonical texts of Scientology....
, Hubbard wrote about past life experiences dating back billions and even trillions of years.
Preclear folders
The Scientology/Dianetics auditing process has raised concerns from a number of quarters, as auditing sessions are permanently recorded in the form of handwritten notes in preclear folders. Although they are kept confidential and private, one documented organizational directive written by Mary Sue HubbardMary Sue Hubbard
Mary Sue Hubbard was the third wife of L. Ron Hubbard, from 1952 to his death in 1986, and was a leading figure in Scientology for much of her life...
authorized the use of these folders for internal security purposes. This directive was later canceled because it was not part of Scientology as written by L. Ron Hubbard. Bruce Hines has noted in an interview with Hoda Kotb that Scientology's collecting of personal and private information through auditing could possibly leave an adherent vulnerable to potential "blackmail" should they ever consider disaffecting from the church. However, it is unknown whether this practice goes on, or is any more than speculation.
Judge Paul Breckenridge, in Church of Scientology of California vs. Gerald Armstrong, noted that Mary Sue Hubbard (plaintiff in that case) "authored the infamous order 'GO 121669' which directed culling of supposedly confidential P.C. [Preclear] files/folders for the purposes of internal security ". Jon Atack's book "A Piece of Blue Sky" asserts that preclear folders have indeed been used for intimidation and harassment.
Anderson Report
In 1965 the Anderson ReportAnderson Report
The Anderson Report is the colloquial name of the report of the Board of Inquiry into Scientology, an official inquiry into the Church of Scientology conducted for the State of Victoria, Australia. It was written by Kevin Victor Anderson QC and published in 1965.-Background:In 1959, L...
, an official inquiry conducted for the state of Victoria, Australia, found that auditing involved a form of "authoritative" or "command" hypnosis
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...
, in which the hypnotist assumes "positive authoritative control" over the subject. "It is the firm conclusion of this Board that most scientology and dianetic techniques are those of authoritative hypnosis and as such are dangerous. ... the scientific evidence which the Board heard from several expert witnesses of the highest repute ... which was virtually unchallenged - leads to the inescapable conclusion that it is only in name that there is any difference between authoritative hypnosis and most of the techniques of scientology. Many scientology techniques are in fact hypnotic techniques, and Hubbard has not changed their nature by changing their names."
As of 2011 auditing is considered a spiritual practice, by the government of Australia Scientology status by country
Claims
Scientologists have claimed benefits from auditing including improved IQ, improved ability to communicate, enhanced memory and alleviation of dyslexiaDyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
and attention deficit disorder; however, as yet there are no scientific studies to verified these claims. Licensed psychotherapists have alleged that the Church's auditing sessions amount to mental health treatment without a license, but the Church disputes these allegations, and claims to have established in courts of law that its practice claims only to lead to spiritual relief. So, according to the Church, the psychotherapist treats mental health and the Church treats the spiritual being.
A 1971 ruling of the United States District Court, District of Columbia (333 F. Supp. 357), specifically stated that the E-meter
E-meter
An E-meter is an electronic device used during Dianetics and Scientology auditing. The device is a variation of a Wheatstone bridge, which measures electrical resistance and skin conductance. It is formally known as the Hubbard Electrometer, for the Church's founder, L. Ron Hubbard...
"has no proven usefulness in the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of any disease, nor is it medically or scientifically capable of improving any bodily function." As a result of this ruling, Scientology now publishes disclaimers in its books and publications declaring that the E-meter "by itself does nothing" and that it is used specifically for spiritual purposes.