Date: Sun, 07 Apr 2002 01:14:45 -0500
From: Ted White <tedwhite at compusnet.com>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: The Church of Scientology
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

ronkean at juno.com wrote:

> [...]
>
> But could you elaborate on the difference between Dianetics and
> Scientology?  I thought Dianetics was pretty much part and parcel of
> Scientology.  I know that Scientology offers treatments by 'e-meter',
> where the subject holds what amounts to two tin cans connected to an
> ohmmeter/Wheatstone bridge circuit, paying large sums of money for the
> treatments.  Also, for even more money, one may learn the secrets of
> Scientologist cosmology.

Dianetics can be learned from the book, DIANETICS.  Any two (or more) people
can learn it and do it.  No money need be exchanged.  (This is in fact the
basis of Re-evaluation Counseling, or RC, which was founded by an early
Dianetician -- circa 1951 -- and involves the exchange of counseling without
money.)    Scientology offers endless classes and "sessions," all of which
¢o$t.

The e-meter is not used for "treatments."  It's a crude (but effective)
lie-detector.  It is ostensibly used to find engrams -- traumas.  It is in
fact also used for covert mind-control and loyalty-enforcement.   I've played
with them.

Actual "treatment" in Scn is basically psychotherapy, disguised in a
new/different vocabulary/jargon.   Many Scn techniques *do* work -- but they
do anyway, outside Scn.  Presumably this is what suckers in the Tom Cruises.

For what it's worth, the Scientologists raised my IQ 30 to 50 points in
1957.   My IQ was well documented both before and after.  I took a free
"personal efficiency" course with several friends who were equally sceptical
going in.  We all agreed we'd learned and benefited from the class (five
nights a week), and none of us felt any need (with our newly raised IQs) to
become Scientologists or spend any money on further classes (which is of
course the whole reason we'd been offered the free class).

By way of explanation I should mention that at the 1955 Worldcon in Cleveland
I met and became friends with the then well-known fan artist, Jack Harness.
A month or two later Jack moved to D.C. to become a Scientologist.  Jack and
I hung out a lot together.  He illustrated my fanzines and I wrote for his.
Over the next couple of years I had a ringside seat at the Founding Church of
Scientology -- and for many years after that I received a copy of ABILITY in
the mail every month (*sigh*).   In 1958 Jack moved to Los Angeles and I
moved to Baltimore.  Jack died last year.  He had spent most of his life
working for the Church, and taking more classes....

--Ted White