Scientology beliefs and practices

The doctrine of Scientology beliefs and practices centers around the concept that all people are immortal spiritual beings called thetans. Scientology teaches that thetans have a long history in this universe going back over innumerable lifetimes and are presently in a degraded state.

Scientologists study L. Ron Hubbard's theories and techniques and apply them to themselves and others in the belief that they can improve their spiritual state and someday achieve the goal of "Full OT" (Operating Thetan), sometimes also referred to as "Native State". Scientology teaches that a thetan is basically good and trying to survive. No person survives alone, but does so ultimately in coordination with their fellows, and with the greater world around them.

Scientology holds that not only can people change—improving themselves and their conditions, but they can be helped. This is summed up in the slogan: "Something can be done about it." Scientology believes that something should be done about the problems of people and the current condition of the world at large, and makes it a goal to "clear the planet," that is, make all the people of the world the beneficial users of the tools of Scientology.

There are said to be specific Scientology procedures for addressing almost any condition or situation, and great emphasis is placed on applying the correct procedure for a particular condition. The correct procedure, accurately employed, is said to guarantee a successful result in a short period of time. If this result does not ensue, the cause is held to be that the incorrect procedure was applied, or was applied improperly. Each procedure is used until a specific end result is accomplished.

The Parts of Man

Man is composed of three distinguishable parts: Mind, Body and Spirit.

The Spirit

The spirit also named in Scientology as the Thetan is described in the Scientology Axiom #1 as a true static. A true static does not have mass, motion, wavelength, location in space or in time. But it can perceive and postulate. The spirit is the true form of man and the spirit can exist exterior and/or independently from a body.

The Mind

The mind in Scientology is described as a bank of mental image pictures. These pictures give the spirit experience and knowledge. These also store the thetan’s postulates. The mind is subdivided in two distinguishable sections:

The Analytical Mind

That part of the mind which is totally accessible to the spirit.

The Reactive mind

Main article: Reactive mind

Is that part of the mind which is not accessible to the spirit and it unknowingly affects the spirit; it is mostly composed of moments of pain and unconscious.

The Body

The physical biological body of man; Scientology deals with the body with a massage therapy called “body assists” and “nerve assists”.

The Axioms

The Scientology Axioms are a condensation of all Scientology data until 1954. Examples of these include:

• Axiom 1 Life is basically a static.
• Axiom 4 Space is a viewpoint of dimension.
• Axiom 21 Understanding is composed of affinity, reality and communication

The Factors

The summation of all the Scientology ideas about the spirit and the physical universe until 23 April 1953. Examples of these include:

• Before the beginning was a Cause...
• The first action of beingness is to assume a viewpoint.

The Dynamics

Scientology holds that man's survival depends upon more than just himself. The urge to survive is expanded by Scientology tenets into eight areas, known as "dynamics". These dynamics can be pictured as increasingly larger and wider-ranging areas. They are:

1. Self: This dynamic represents one's effort or urge to survive as an individual. Says the Church, "This dynamic includes the individual plus his immediate possessions. It does not include other people."
2. Sex. This was the original Second Dynamic as set by Hubbard. It had two divisions: (a) the sexual act, and (b) the family unit. In recent years, however, the Church has changed this dynamic to "Creativity" and minimizes the importance of sex: "It also incidentally includes sex as a mechanism to compel future survival".
3. Groups. "A group can be a community, friends, a company, a social lodge, a state, a nation, a race or in short, any group. It doesn’t matter what size this group is, it is seeking to survive as a group."
4. Mankind. "Whereas the American nationality would be considered a third dynamic for Americans, all the nationalities of the world together would be considered the fourth dynamic."
5. All living things. "This includes all living things whether animal or vegetable, anything directly and intimately motivated by life."
6. The physical universe. "The physical universe has four components. These are matter, energy, space and time", which the Church commonly acronyms to MEST.
7. Spirits. "The seventh dynamic is life source. This is separate from the physical universe and is the source of life itself."
8. The supreme being, or Infinity. "The eighth dynamic is commonly supposed to be a Supreme Being or Creator. It is correctly defined as infinity. It actually embraces the allness of all."

According to Scientology doctrine, these areas are used to understand one's life, and to improve one's solutions to life by bettering one's understanding of the different areas of life.

Because Scientology teaches that furthering "survival" is the preferred spiritual path, a common phrase used within the organization is: "The greatest good for the greatest number of dynamics." The idea implies a balance among all areas.

The ARC Triangle

The ARC triangle is a Scientology concept that teaches that Affinity + Reality + Communication = Understanding. The concepts of Affinity, Reality and Communication are interrelated in the sense that increasing one increases the other two. This concept is better understood by comparing it to a triangle. By naming each corner of the triangle with the concepts of Affinity, Reality and Communication respectively you can see how increasing the size of one side also increases the size of the other two. The ARC triangle is also the lower triangle represented in the Scientology symbol.

Communication

Communication in Scientology is considered the most important element of the ARC triangle. Communication is the universal solver, through communication greater states of affinity and reality can be achieved. All Scientology processes are based on the use of communication and the ARC triangle. The elements of communication are Cause, Distance and Effect.

Affinity

Affinity is defined in Scientology as love or liking; but it is technically defined as “degree of liking”.

Reality

Reality is defined in Scientology as agreement.

The Tone scale

Main article: Tone scale

The tone scale is a chart representing the mood and behavior of man by using a numerical value. The original tone scale found in the Dianetics book used the values from zero (0) to four (4). The number zero represented death and four represented Enthusiasm. Other values found in the chart are:

3.5 Cheerfulness

3.0 Conservatism

2.5 Boredom

2.0 Antagonism

1.5 Anger

1.0 Fear

0.5 Grief

0.05 Apathy

Later this scale was expanded to represent spiritual states that go beyond human manifestation. These states are represented with the values from negative forty (-40) to forty (40). Forty represents "Serenity of Beingness" and negative forty represents what is best described as "Epic" failure.

Predicting Human Behavior

In the book “The Science of Survival” the Tone Scale is further expanded to chart and predict human behavior and condition. Human behavior and condition is subdivided in 42 areas, each area having a definitive description charted against “the tone scale”.

Example:

Number Value	Tone Level	Handing of Truth	Reality (Agreement)
4	Enthusiasm	High concept of truth.	Searches for different viewpoints in order to broaden own reality.
3.0	Conservatism	Cautious on asserting truths.	Awareness of possible validity of different reality.
2.0	Antagonism	Truth twisted to suit antagonism.	Defends own reality while undermines other's reality.
1.0	Fear	Vicious perversion of truth.	Doubt of own reality.

The KRC Triangle

Another important concept in Scientology is the "KRC triangle". The letters KRC stands for knowledge (K), responsibility (R), and control (C). This triangle like the "ARC triangle” is composed of three interrelated elements. This triangle is the upper triangle found in the Scientology symbol.

The Bridge

Main article: The Bridge to Total Freedom

The Bridge to Total Freedom is a metaphoric "bridge" one gradually crosses in their Scientology studies, and by which a person charts their progress towards higher goals. In fact, it exists as a literal chart showing the proper order of levels one must progress in Scientology before reaching Clear and ultimately, Operating Thetan.

A printed edition of this chart can be obtained at Scientology churches and missions.

Standard Tech

Main article: Standard Tech

Among Scientologists, Hubbard's technical writings are referred to as "Standard Tech" or simply "The Tech." These writings (and taped lectures) include not only auditing procedures, but also materials governing training and the administration of Scientology facilities. As the developer of the Tech, Hubbard himself is referred to as "Source," and his statements are considered the sole and definitive source of the Tech.

"Standard Tech" describes the correct application of Hubbard's instructions, which is to say that they are "on Source," transmitted without any deviation from Hubbard's original intentions.

Since Hubbard's death, the Church of Scientology has issued versions of some of Hubbard's texts and recordings that contain alterations or omissions with respect to their original versions. These altered texts have been a subject of controversy, especially among Free Zone practitioners, who allege that the current Church management is deviating from Standard Tech. [2]

Past lives

Much of the controversy surrounding Scientology is a consequence of the doctrine of the immortal spirit in combination with the acceptance of past lives.

The logical extension is that if one is immortal, then one did not always have past lives in human form, only in historically documented cultures, or only on planet Earth. In fact, given a truly immortal being, and immense periods of time, unusual coincidences between events widely separated in time and space would easily attract more attention and notoriety than the commonplace and often boring lifetime of, for example, a serf or a peasant. A truly immortal being might not even be restricted to living his or her existence in a single universe.

Hubbard is documented to have written about past life memories that include a variety of lines of recall, including all stages of human evolution, genetic line recalls in other lines of development, including the clam (see Scientology History of Man), lives on past planets as other life forms, and real and implanted memories from the alien spirits that Xenu trapped on Earth 75 million years ago.

Often, a newcomer will become fascinated with speculations about who or what he was in a past life. Scientology does not engage in spiritualist readings to tell or find out for someone who or what he was. The Scientology auditor's code is supposed to prevent an auditor from telling or suggesting answers to these questions. Rather, Scientologists say that auditing will bring these things to light as a secondary benefit of the procedure.

Another aspect of past lives is that, with "life times that number like grains of sand on the beach," almost any combination of circumstances may have occurred in the past, with any number or combination of people, and as such many things will repeat to one degree or another. A person could have hundreds of lifetimes as a pirate, housewife, tribesman, or in a world on the brink of a major war.

What this means is that while a person may be pleased or thrilled or displeased or horrified with a particular past life, ultimately the significance of past lives is not as important as one would think at first. What is more important is releasing the force of impact of events and amnesia about past events that continue to compel one into a specific aberrant behavior or attitude, even when that original incident is long forgotten.

Many Scientologists report recalling past lives through auditing. Scientology says that through auditing, ultimately anything that has happened to one was something the person somehow himself created or allowed and that they need to take responsibility to be free of its burden. A person must be willing to confront and be responsible for the situation he finds himself in.

Critics call this belief a pseudoscience, stating the theory seems to be tailored so it is not falsifiable by any observations of the real world. They point out that whatever reaction a person has can be ascribed to some previously unknown incident in one of the many past lives. Writer Alan Levy described, in a 1968 article for the magazine Life, the incident that caused him to leave Scientology: the E-meter "determined" the date of an incident that Levy knew to have happened on a Sunday morning to be March 18, 1958 (a date which Levy subsequently discovered with an almanac was not a Sunday at all, but a Tuesday.) Levy wrote:

I am sure that among the millions of words Elron has written, there are some to convince me that the Engram I unlocked in that one auditing session did happen on a Tuesday -- in another life -- or that March 18 did fall on a Sunday when I was in the womb. But, thankfully, it no longer matters.

See also the general article on Reincarnation.

Secret levels and writings

See also: Space opera in Scientology doctrine

The church acknowledges that at the higher levels of initiation (OT levels), teachings are imparted which may be considered "mystical" and potentially harmful to unprepared readers. These teachings are kept secret from members who have not reached these levels. The secrets are about methods, techniques, skills, and the context which underlies them in order to accomplish a specific spiritual goal. They are not intended for those who would use them for purposes of personal entertainment, critical review, or other non-spiritual reasons.

Some information had been said to be confidential, when in fact it is not, and so a large amount of information that was not previously available has been published and made broadly available in recent years. A large number of recorded lectures have been made available in multiple languages.

On the other hand, certain materials have been made confidential. Some are said to have been made confidential because it was found they were subject to abuse when made freely available, even when students should have known better. Other materials are said to require a certain amount of expertise, skill, and understanding before they can be used correctly and properly applied. Therefore certain prerequisites are in place before these particular materials are made available to the parishioner or student auditor.

One of the premises of the church is that the OT levels are meant to be an empirical subject, something one "discovers for oneself" through processing (auditing).

The church says that if a person reads "distorted" versions of the higher level teachings one is likely to question one's own experience when "in session" adding time to the process in order to sort out the truth of the matter fully and thereby sabotaging the process. According to the church, it opposes the distribution of the "confidential" levels in order to protect them (and the Scientologists attaining them) from contamination by outside sources.

The "Hidden Truth" about the nature of the universe is taught to the most advanced Scientologists in a series of courses known as the Advanced Levels. These are the levels above "Clear" and their contents are held in strict confidence within Scientology. The Advanced Levels are also known as the eight Pre-OT (Operating Thetan) levels. The highest level, OT VIII, is only disclosed at sea, on the Scientology cruise ship Freewinds, and is said to be the first true OT level. It was released in the late 1980s.

Since being entered into evidence in several court cases beginning in the early 1980s, synopses and excerpts of these secret teachings are said to have appeared in numerous publications.

Scientologists argue that published accounts of the Xenu story and other teachings are pulled out of context for the purpose of ridiculing their religion. Journalists and critics counter that Xenu is part of a much wider Scientology belief in past lives on other planets, some of which has been public knowledge for decades. For instance, Hubbard's 1958 book Have You Lived Before This Life? documents past lives described by individual Scientologists during auditing sessions. These included memories of being "deceived into a love affair with a robot decked out as a beautiful red-haired girl", being run over by a Martian bishop driving a steamroller, being transformed into an intergalactic walrus that perished after falling out of a flying saucer, and recalling life as "a very happy being who strayed to the planet Nostra 23,064,000,000 years ago."

Scientology and the Supreme Being

Scientology acknowledges the existence of a Supreme Being and describes the 8th Dynamic as the infinite or the God dynamic. Scientology does not address the 8th dynamic; therefore, perception and worship of God is a personal matter. The Church of Scientology is non-denominational. Scientologists worship God as they choose.

Scientologists who are undergoing auditing during the pre-clear and OT levels are forbidden for the duration of such auditing from engaging in "other practices" that are designed to bring about mental or spiritual change. While this would preclude practices such as meditation, most other forms of religious worship are not affected.

Practices

Auditing

Main article: Auditing (Scientology)

The central practice of Scientology, and Dianetics before it, is an activity known as auditing (listening) which, Scientologists claim, seeks to elevate an adherent to a State of Clear, one of freedom from the influences of the reactive mind. The practice is one wherein a counselor called an auditor addresses a series of questions to a preclear, observes and records the preclear's responses, and acknowledges them. An important element in all forms of auditing is to not to suggest answers to the preclear, and invalidate or degrade what the preclear says in response. It is of utmost importance the auditor create a truly safe and distraction free environment for the session.

This practice is one of the controversial aspects of Scientology as auditing sessions are permanently recorded in the form of hand written notes in Preclear Folders. Practical concerns prohibit a stenographic approach to the notes, which must include a variety of technical details and observations.

Ethics

Main article: Scientology Ethics

In Scientology, "Ethics may be defined as the actions an individual takes on himself to ensure his continued survival across the dynamics. It is a personal thing. When one is ethical, it is something he does himself by his own choice." [3] Hubbard further stated: "The logic of Scientology ethics is inarguable and based upon two key concepts: good and evil", and goes on to state that "nothing is completely good, and to build anew often requires a degree of destruction" and "to appreciate what Scientology ethics is all about, it must be understood that good can be considered to be a constructive survival action". [4]

At various times the Church of Scientology has dictated that its system of conditions, formulas and penalties for ethics violations should be applied even to those who are not Scientologists. The Church warns against what they term "antisocial personalities", meaning those "who possess characteristics and mental attitudes that cause them to violently oppose any betterment activity or group", including the Church itself. [5] The Church's official position states, "The importance of detecting the antisocial personality becomes eminently clear when one considers his effect on the lives of those around him", and such a person is to be designated a "Potential Trouble Source". [6] The Potential Trouble Source, or PTS, was directly linked with controversial policies advocating revenge against Scientology's enemies, including Fair Game and the concept of Suppressive Persons. (Hubbard, HCO Policy Letter of 23 December 1965) [7]

Assists

Assists are group of Scientology techniques used to alleviate injury, trauma or discomfort. These Assists are based on the concept that the spirit can solve the body’s difficulties. And they serve to put the spirit in communication with the body.

Sex

Main article: Scientology and sex

Scientology takes a very dim view of the usefulness of our physical bodies, and in fact, the entire physical universe as well. Hubbard called the physical world MEST, which is something we, as ethereal Thetans temporarily operating our "meat bodies", are meant to transcend and conquer.

In 1982 Hubbard authored Pain and Sex, an official Scientology bulletin in which the biological act of sex and the body's ability to feel pain were announced to be "the invented tools of degradation" created by psychiatrists millions of years ago. According to Hubbard, "When sex enters the scene, a being fixates and loses power", and "Lovers are very seldom happy."

Silent birth

Main article: Silent birth

Women are encouraged to be as silent as possible and avoid taking drugs during birth. Newborns are deemed especially vulnerable to induced engrams and trauma transmitted from their mother or acquired from their environment.

The Purification Rundown

Main article: Purification Rundown

The 'Purification Rundown, known as "The Purif" within Scientology, is a program of "detoxification" developed by L. Ron Hubbard, involving the use of saunas, exercise, vitamins, and the drinking of oils. While it is heavily promoted as a health regimen within Scientology, and in Scientology's rehabilitation program Narconon, the procedure is viewed as dangerous by most medical professionals, as it calls for saunas and vitamins far in excess of what mainstream medicine considers safe levels.

The Purification Rundown is usually the first step for a Scientologist towards going "Clear". The program usually takes about two weeks. As well as spending time in saunas, Scientologists are required to do light calisthenics.

Auditor Training

Auditors are required to become routinely expert in the use of their E-meters. A typical exercise in auditor training (from the Book of E-Meter Drills) is to be able to determine the number a silent person is thinking of. A sophisticated training simulator, able to recreate all manner of E-meter reactions, is now used in Scientology churches to assist in Auditor training. E-meters now include circuitry for feeding the various signals to special course training supervisors who can monitor the session of a student auditor, and via microphone can coach a student auditor to delivering a better auditing session without disturbing the person receiving auditing. Auditors are also required to become routinely expert in the use of the procedures that they will be using, so much so that they know the correct action to take under any circumstance that may occur in session. Auditors do not receive final certification until they have successfully completed an internship, and have demonstrated and proven ability in the skills they have been trained in. In this system, auditors do not deliver procedures in which they have not been certified.

Auditors often practice their auditing with each other, as well as friends, or family. Church members pair up often to get their training, doing the same course at the same time, so that they can audit each other up through the various Scientology levels.

Verbal Tech

Scientologists hold that concepts related to Scientology are correctly grasped only when taken directly from the published works of Hubbard, be they books, audio recordings, or movies. Students of Scientology are taught to direct others to those original sources, rather than to convey any interpretation of the concepts in their own words. Verbally discussing Scientology processes is called "verbal tech," and this is believed to ultimately interfere with the proper understanding, and thus the effectiveness, of the Tech.

As a matter of policy, verbal tech is forbidden, whether between unsupervised scientologists (lest they discuss subjects for which they are not ready), or with outsiders, who should learn of Scientology through proper channels and with close supervision over which materials are disclosed in what order.

Scientology contends that the policy of forbidding "verbal tech" exists in order to keep the Tech pure and unadulterated, and to prevent students from passing on their misunderstandings to others. Hubbard's efforts to prevent future misunderstandings of this sort led to the development of the system known as "Standard Tech."

"Truth itself must be approached on a gradient"

A key component of Scientology training and auditing is that one is learning about oneself and the universe and one's place in it on a gradient. While one can purchase thousands of pages of material and literally thousands of hours of audio lectures, some material is introductory material, and some is intended for the professional auditor. The church has published a best sequence of study, so that auditors develop their skills in a way meant to quickly ensure maximum skill and expertise.

Critics cite this as the idea that a Scientologist must receive the "truth" (i.e. newer and higher levels of Scientology teaching) only when he or she has completed one level and is ready for the next step. Scientology's beliefs on learning include the concept of a "gradient": breaking down a complicated idea into smaller pieces so that someone who could not grasp the whole idea at once can learn it piece by piece. This is not unique to Scientology; what is unique is the assertion that data out of order can be harmful to the would-be learner. The degree of harm can range from the "nonoptimum physical reactions" of "feel[ing] squashed [...] feel[ing] bent, sort of spinny, sort of dead" (Basic Study Manual) that come from proceeding past a "misunderstood", to the pneumonia by which (in Hubbard's words) "The [R6] implant is calculated to kill [...] anyone who attempts to solve it."

Under this doctrine, if a person is exposed to data, appropriate means must be taken to ensure full understanding. It is argued that Scientologists must therefore suppress information that is "too advanced" for the information-seeker (for the latter's own good). This explains some notable contradictions in what Scientology professes as its beliefs and practices, such as stating to the public that Scientology is compatible with all other religions when OT III (see "Secret Writings" below) teaches that God and the Devil are merely implants. The Scientologist would say that approaching information on a gradient keeps people from being confused, but the critic would say that it keeps people from being able to evaluate what Scientology is telling them in any context except the one Scientology has planned for them.

The idea of approaching the truth gradually is reflected in a quotation from L. Ron Hubbard that is frequently repeated by Scientologists when asked for an explanation of their beliefs: "What is true, is true for you." This statement can be seen as meaning that to a person, something is true only when that person experiences it for himself.

Patter drills

Main article: Patter drill

Patter drills are a drilling method used in courses in the Church of Scientology which were added to many Church courses in mid-1995, by David Miscavige. The action of these drills is, while seated facing a wall, to repeat a section of course material verbatim to the wall until it can be done without reference to the written material. The student's verbatim ability is then checked by a fellow student or a course supervisor. These drills have created some controversy, as there is no reference written by Scientology's founder, L. Ron Hubbard which authorizes them.

Scientology holidays

Main article: Scientology holidays

There are many holidays, commemorations and observances in the Church, notably L. Ron Hubbard's birthday in March; the Anniversary of the first publication of Dianetics in May; and a holiday honoring all auditors, called Auditor's Day, in September. Most official celebrations are scheduled on weekends as a convenience to parishioners. Scientologists also celebrate secular holidays such as New Year's Eve, and other local celebrations. For example, many exchange gifts at Christmas where this holiday is a popular tradition.

Marriage

Main article: Scientology weddings

The Church describes marriage as simply "an essential component of a stable family life." In 2005, a spokeswoman for the Church told the New York Daily News that the Church had "not taken an official position on gay marriage, and that members prefer not to talk about it".

The most publicised Scientology wedding took place between Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes on November 19, 2006.

Other aspects

Squirreling

The Church of Scientology also says that unauthorized distribution of information about Scientology practices will create a risk of improper application. This, the Scientology hierarchy says, is the reason it wants Hubbard's writings to be distributed only by persons legally authorized to do so. The Religious Technology Center has pursued individual breakaway groups that have practiced Scientology outside the official Church without authorization. The act of applying Scientology in a form different from what was originally written by Hubbard is called "squirreling" within Scientology, and is considered a "high crime" within the Church of Scientology.

However, Scientologists not affiliated with the official church say that the Church has itself introduced changes to Hubbard's Scientology, such as the "patter drills" introduced in 1995, and cite this as an indication that the Church is more worried about losing its position as the only source of 'true' Scientology than in keeping Scientology true to Hubbard.

Legal waivers

Recent legal actions involving the Church of Scientology's relationship with ex-members (see Scientology controversy) have caused the church to publish extensive legal documents that cover the relationship between the church and its parishioners. It has become standard practice within the church to require members to sign lengthy legal contracts and waivers before engaging in Scientology services. See Legal Waivers for more details.

Scientology's use of language

In the course of developing and promoting Scientology, Hubbard assembled the Technical Dictionary (ISBN 0-686-30803-4, ISBN 0-88404-037-2), a lexicon of hundreds of words, terms, and definitions that are used by Scientologists. Hubbard created his own new meanings for many existing English words, such as "clear" and "static." He also coined many terms that are variants on standard English words, such as "enturbulate" and "havingness."

Scientology and Dianetics place a heavy emphasis on understanding word definitions. Hubbard wrote a book entitled How to Use a Dictionary, in which he defined the methods of correcting "misunderstoods" (a Scientology term referring to a "misunderstood word or symbol").

Critics of Scientology have accused Hubbard of "loading the language" and using Scientology terms to keep Scientologists from interacting with information sources outside of Scientology (see cult for additional information).

Common Scientology terms include:

• theta (Θ)--life force; spirit
• thetan (Θn)-- you, as distinct from your mind or your body; a spiritual being similar to the immortal soul in Christianity or Jiva in Hinduism
• enturbulate--to upset
• entheta--enturbulated theta
• static--a Thetan in its natural state, prior to having immersed itself in a universe by assuming a point of view; cf. the Hindu concept of Atman in contrast to the dynamics. Compare also to the physics terms of a static (point of rest) and Dynamic (element in action or motion or change)
• SP (Suppressive Person)-- A person whose means of advance is through the opposition or suppression of others. The definition is asserted to include anyone who actively opposes Scientology.
• PTS (Potential Trouble Source)--a person who is under the influence of an SP and so may become a source of trouble to those around them. E.g. "Wanda is PTS to Jim" means that because she is in contact with Jim (a bad influence), Wanda is having trouble in her life that may spill over to threaten others.
• reality--The common reality around us, also the group agreement of what is true. As seen in the sentence "My sense of reality is that birds fly and fish swim"
• (reactive) bank-- the sum of experiences (such as engrams, etc) whose main common component is pain and unconsciousness that influence a Thetan's thinking and behavior
• Clear (noun) --(after the clear key on adding machines) a person whose reactive bank does not insert erroneous data into one's analytical thinking. Usually refers a person who is clear with regard to survival for Self.
• clear (verb) -- To clarify one's understanding with regard to a particular concept or term or symbol, leading to conceptual understanding of the same. This permits the person to rephrase the term or concept in words other than the original, without loss of the clarity when communicating with someone not educated in the subject.
• Fair Game -- A status assigned to those whom the Church of Scientology has officially declared to be SP. One who had been declared "fair game" "may be deprived of property or injured by any means ... May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed." Often claimed to have been cancelled in 1968, but in fact the policy letter that "cancelled" it specified that no policies on handling critics were changing, only the practice of using the term as "it causes bad public relations". As late as 1985 Church attorneys were arguing in court that retributive action against "enemies of Scientology", often termed "fair game" by critics, was actually a Constitutionally-protected "core practice" of Scientology.
• psychiatrist -- the Scientology definition of a "psychiatrist" was officially declared by Hubbard to be "an anti-social enemy of the people" [8].

External links

Church sites

• Description of Scientology Auditing
• What is Scientology
• Official E-Meter Site
• Past Lives
• Scientology Volunteer Ministers Corps
• The founder of Scientology auditing
• Grade chart of Scientology courses, training and processing
• ^ Frank K. Flinn, Ph.D.'s opinion of Scientology; marked as "Shocking Discrimination"
• Scientology: Beliefs and Practices links from Yahoo directory

Other sites

• An interview with Catholic Frank K. Flinn, Adjunct Professor of Religious Studies
• Operation Clambake: Main
• Secrets of Scientology
• Free zone E-Meters at Curlie
• Scientology Kills
• Scientology Lies