DlANETICS
(Investigator
164, 2015 September)
Dianetics
was developed by science-fiction writer L. Ron. Hubbard,
(1911-1986).
It is promoted by the Church of Scientology as "an exact pastoral
counselling technology for the location and elimination of unwanted
emotional conditions and physical problems that are of spiritually
induced origin".
According
to Hubbard, "engrams", a word used to describe painful past
experiences, are the cause of neuroses, psychoses, and psychosomatic
disorders. The goal of Dianetics is to "clear" (erase) all engrams
through a procedure called "auditing," in which the auditor may use an
"E-meter" to help the patient recall traumatic events and "drain" them
of their "charge" so that they "no longer have power over the person".
Substantial fees are charged for the sessions and
use of the meter.
The
E-meter is in fact a simple device that measures changes in skin
resistance to electricity.
In
1963, the Food and Drug Administration in the USA seized more than 100
E-meters at the headquarters of the Founding Church of Scientology in
Washington D.C, and during the lengthy litigation that followed, a
judge concluded:
"They
(Scientologists) repeatedly and explicitly represented that such
auditing effectuated cures of many physical and mental illnesses.
An
individual processed with the aid of the E-meter was said to reach the
intended goal of "clear" and was led to believe that there was reliable
scientific proof that once cleared, many, indeed most illnesses would
automatically be cured. Auditing was guaranteed to be successful. All
this was and is false".
The
judge further ordered that the device be prominently labelled with this
notice:
"The E-meter is not
medically or scientifically useful for the diagnosis, treatment, or
prevention of any disease. It is not medically or scientifically
capable of improving the health or bodily functions."
References:
Cooper,
Paulette, 1971, The Scandal of
Scientology, Tower Books, New York.
Evans,
Christopher. 1973, Cults of Unreason,
Harrap.
Gardner,
Martin. 1957. Fads and Fallacies in
the name of Science, Dover Publications, New York.
Garrison,
Omar V. 1957, Hidden Story of
Scientology, Arlington Books, London.
Hubbard,
L. Ron. 1987. Dianetics, The Modern
Science of Mental Health, New Era Publications, U.K. Ltd.
Kaufman,
Robert. 1972, Inside Scientology,
Neville Spearman, London.
Miller,
Russell. 1987, Bare-faced Messiah,
Michael Joseph.
From: Edwards,
H. 1999 Alternative,
Complementatry, Holistic & Spiritual Healing, Australian Skeptics
Inc.