This article is the second in a series exposing the truth about Scientology. If you haven’t already read the first article, which talks about the aims of Scientology and what the word ‘Scientology’ actually means, you can read it here.
This article will focus on some basic Scientology principles, as well as the central practice of Scientology – auditing, or spiritual counseling.
Basic Scientology Principles – The Eight Dynamics
One of the basic principles in Scientology is the Eight Dynamics of life. According to Scientology.org, “The basic command followed by all life, “Survive!” is subdivided into eight dynamics (dynamic meaning urge, drive or impulse). All activities in one’s varied life can be inspected, understood and harmonized with all others to increase survival.”
To find out what the eight dynamics are, click here.
One of the goals of Scientology is to help a person realize and extend the influence they have across all of the dynamics. Suddenly life stops being just about you, or just about you, your family and friends. Suddenly “the guy over there who doesn’t have anything to do with me” has something to do with you, and you might even find yourself trying to – gasp! – help him.
The ARC Triangle
ARC stands for Affinity, Reality, and Communication. Together, these form an interdependent triangle that adds up to understanding.
Let’s break this down. Affinity is your degree of liking, or lack thereof, for something. If you’re angry at someone, for example, you obviously don’t have much affinity for them. On the other hand, if you love someone, your affinity for them is high. Maybe you can think of teachers you’ve had varying degrees of affinity for.
Reality is your level of agreement with someone else. If you’re trying to have a conversation with someone about music, and you love classical music, which they hate, you don’t have much reality on the subject, and it may be hard to communicate.
As for communication, you probably know what that is – the exchange of thoughts, ideas, information, between people.
The three components work together. When you raise one, you raise the other two. When you lower one, you lower the other two. If you increase communication with someone, for example, you can increase affinity and reality as well. When your reality with someone is lowered, your communication and affinity will be lowered as well.
Seems shockingly simple, doesn’t it? You almost have to wonder how no one else discovered this information before Scientology’s founder, L. Ron Hubbard, did.
The Tone Scale
This is an invaluable tool in Scientology. If you’ve ever wondered why a person acts the way they do, or wanted to know who you could really trust, or what to expect from a friend or associate, this scale gives you that information. It plots the emotional tone of an individual from its highest, happiest states on down to apathy and death and predicts their behavior in a variety of areas based on their tone.
According to Scientology.org, “The Tone Scale is a tool used in everyday life to understand what is occurring with individuals and how best to communicate with them. One can find himself or any individual on the Tone Scale and thus know how, using Scientology, he may best be moved up to the higher tones – and thus increase competence, self-esteem, honesty, well-being, happiness and other desirable attributes.”
To see the tone scale in full, click here.
As discussed in my previous article, these principles are not something to believe. They are tools to use and apply. So you don’t memorize the tone scale for a test and then forget it a week later. You learn it, and then you use it in life, spotting the tone of each person you talk to, knowing what to expect from them and who to associate yourself closely with.
Auditing
According toScientology.org, “The primary way that Scientology’s principles are applied to an individual is called auditing – from the Latin word audire, meaning ‘to listen.’ It is the central practice of Scientology, and is delivered by an auditor, ‘one who listens.’ In an auditing session, the auditor helps another examine specific areas of their existence so they can rid themselves of unwanted spiritual conditions and increase awareness and ability.”
Auditing and training on Scientology courses are the two major components of Scientology. Auditing rids you of negative experiences and feelings. Training gives you the knowledge and tools you need to be happier and more successful in life. It’s kind of hard to win a game if you don’t know the rules. Training gives you the rules.
As you progress in Scientology, you can do one, or both, of these things.
The E-Meter pastoral counseling device
From Scientology.org, “The Electropsychometer, or E-Meter measures, the mental state or change of state of a person, helping the auditor locate areas of spiritual distress or travail so they can be addressed and handled in a session. The E-Meter does not in itself do anything to a person. It is a highly sensitive instrument that reacts to changes in mental activity.”
Note, the E-Meter is not a lie detector. It is an E-meter.
The State of Clear
One of the goals of auditing is achieving the state of Clear. From Scientology.org, a clear is “a being who has forever vanquished his own reactive mind, the source of man’s misery. He has a very high degree of personal integrity and honesty, and is a living proof that man is basically good. His own basic beingness returns and his own personality flourishes.”
Just the fact that this state exists, and an exact series of steps has been laid out to achieve it, is pretty monumental. But this definition brings up another important point: A basic Scientology truth is that man is basically good. Which is one of the main reasons why I have to laugh at some critics who denounce Scientology.
How can you denounce a religion that not only acknowledges that no matter what states a person may have fallen to, they are basically good, but is entirely devoted to returning them to their basic, natively good state?
Operating Thetan
Operating Thetan is another goal of Scientology auditing.
From Scientology.org, “By ‘operating’ is meant ‘able to act and handle things’ and by ‘thetan’ is meant the spiritual being that is the basic self. An Operating Thetan then is one who can handle things without having to use a body of physical means. Basically one is oneself, can handle things and exist without physical support and assistance. It doesn’t mean one becomes God. It means one becomes wholly oneself.”
Maybe that seems a little “out there.” Then again, maybe it doesn’t. Most religions throughout time have sought to bring man to a higher plane of existence than just the physical one. Scientology has the same aims. The difference is Scientology has provided an actual path to achieve that goal.
More
These are some of Scientology’s central components, but this is by no means a comprehensive list. Hopefully by now you’ve noticed that Scientology is about knowledge, and action. Or more specifically, action based on knowledge. My next article will focus on some organizations that actively apply Scientology to improve conditions. In later articles I will also discuss other Scientology principles and provide more definitions.
As always, I welcome comments and questions.
