KNOW YOUR EDITOR
THE SCIENTOLOGY WAY

(Investigator 47, 1996 March)

On a +100 to -100 scale for various personality traits the editor of Investigator scored:

+65 for Happy vs Depressed;
+80 to +90 for Stable vs Unstable;
+80 to +90 for Active vs Inactive;
+80 to +90 for Certain vs Uncertain.

For Appreciative vs Lack of Accord and Communicative vs Withdrawn he scored -55 and -75.

Doug Davies (a Melbourne reader of Investigator) and myself had decided to visit Adelaide's Scientology Centre.

While Doug watched a video I answered "Yes", "Maybe", or "No" to 200 questions on the "Oxford Capacity Analysis Test".

The video was of a speech to an audience of Scientologists by the president of the organization. His audience clapped wildly every few minutes as he heaped praise upon praise on the alleged scientifically validated benefits of Scientology.

The word "Oxford" is doubtless meant to promote a positive/accepting attitude since the test had nothing to do with Oxford University.

My other scores were +25 for Composed vs Nervous, +15 for Aggressive vs Inhibited and +45 for Correct Estimation vs Critical.

Wendy H, a small, blond, 30-something, volunteer with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes offered me a 3-day $225 course to improve my communication level.

She explained that for any trait a person is deficient in: "You either do the course or get stupider."

Asked how much she had spent in her 10-years in Scientology she answered "Thousands."

Further probing and Wendy admitted to $5,000, then $10,000, then $20,000.

At $20,000 she refused further detail.

Wendy tried hard to persuade me, even permitting me to read the course book – which consisted of lessons in practicing conversation.

I opted to say no and "get stupider."

The 80-question, ½-hour Scientology IQ test was free and so Doug and I did that.

My result of 57 right, 18 wrong and 5 omitted translated to a score of 143.

Wendy revealed that the cut-off point for the top category of "Superior" is 135. She added, "You’re off the page; you could do anything."

"Could I get a job here and be your boss?" I asked.

"Yes, if you do a few courses you probably could."

She explained that even a "superior" person might not know how to use his intelligence and that Scientology had courses for that problem too.

I had no reason to doubt her word – of course.

B S

Skeptics vs. Religion and the Paranormal:

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