Auditing (Scientology)

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Auditing is a form of psychotherapy found in Scientology. During auditing, a subject is asked various questions and their response measured by a bullshit device known as an E-Meter. It is unsurprising that an alternative form of psychiatry would play a key part in a religion that has a particular hate-on for conventional mental health practices.

Contents

[edit] Methods

Auditing puts the subject, known to Scientologists as a "pre-clear", through a series of questions, known as processes. This involves the subject grasping the electrodes of the E-Meter (which, basically, uses the resistance caused by moisture in the skin to move a tiny needle just like any novelty lie detector) and the results are read, or at least interpreted, by a supposedly trained operator. It is just about possible to audit yourself if you grasp the E-Meter in a strange way and manage to look condescendingly at yourself.

The subject is placed into a light hypnotic trance during auditing. The Australian Anderson Report from 1965 concludes that the actions taken by the operator during auditing are essentially a form of "authoritative" or "command" hypnosis, making it very akin to brainwashing.[1]

Auditing ends with a big juicy wad of cash being transferred from subject to Scientology's bank account, and the operator telling the subject that they need more help. Indeed, the entire point is to repeat the auditing process as many times as needed until a subject moves from "pre-clear" (partially brainwashed) to "clear" (more thoroughly brainwashed, and relatively free of the burden of cash).

[edit] Hazards

Auditing is an excellent method of inducing false memories: the auditor "runs" an incident on the auditee until the subject no longer reacts to the material, and the subject remembers it afterwards as if it had really happened. Even if he knows it's actually fictitious.[2]

[edit] External links

[edit] Footnotes

  1. Chapter 18: Scientology and Hypnosis. Kevin J. Anderson, 1965. "Report of the Board of Enquiry into Scientology." State of Victoria, Australia.
  2. Re: Confused about OT 3 (Sten-Arne Zerpe, alt.religion.scientology, 30 March 1998). "Up to this day, I intellectually know that this story was a fiction written by a friend of mine, but still I have it in vivid memory, as if I was the very person that had experienced it. I actually can't differentiate this memory from any other of my real memories, it still is as valid in my mind as any other memory I have."
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