SCIENTOLOGY HEALING IS SECULAR by Jeff Jacobsen copyright 1996 [may be freely quoted and distributed] The Church of Scientology is claiming in its case against H. Keith Henson that their claims of physical healing are *religious* claims and not medical or secular claims. This post argues that in fact Scientology healing claims are secular claims. The processes that Dianetics and Scientology (Siamese twin entities) claim can lead to physical healing were developed by L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard wanted to impress people with his background, and he inflated his training and experiences by vast proportions. Despite the fact that Hubbard only had 2 miserable years of college level courses at George Washington University, the church's books make the following claims: "L. Ron Hubbard, one of America's first nuclear physicists, ..." [inside jacket of All About Radiation]. "...L. Ron Hubbard was trained in mathematics, science and engineering at George Washington University, in government at Princeton and has a Doctor of Philosophy degree." [inside jacket of A History of Man] "I was a Ph.D., Sequoia's University and therefore a perfectly valid doctor under the laws of the State of California." [HCOPL 14 Feb. 1966 "Doctor Title Abolished"]. In Professional Auditor's Bulletin #82, "Scientology, Translator's Edition" 1 May, 1956, by "L. Ron Hubbard, Ph.D. C.E." we have the statement that Scientology "was organized by L. Ron Hubbard, an American, who has many degrees" (Tech. Bulletins, vol. 2, p.406). Hubbard stated "That was the first and only time the government offered me a post as a nuclear physicist." (L. Ron Hubbard Creating A New Civilization Tape Series Tape A Postulate Out Of A Golden Age December 6 1956). Hubbard also stated "I happen to be a nuclear physicist; I am not a psychologist nor a psychiatrist nor a medical doctor" ("Dianetics: The Modern Miracle". February 6, 1952). Obviously, Hubbard was puffing his academic background toward the scientific end. He wanted people to see him as a master of the physical sciences. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The process Hubbard developed that he would claim could produce physical healing is called auditing. This involves an "auditor" guiding a "preclear" through past incidents in the preclear's life and "running" the memory until it clears up within the preclear's mind. Auditing is done with an "e-meter", a crude galvanic skin response meter that supposedly helps find and "run" problematic memories. Note that this is a precise physical *process* supposedly discovered and scientifically tested by Hubbard. It is not a religious appeal to spiritual help. Auditing is used in both Dianetics and Scientology processing. Hubbard claimed that his auditing process was scientifically valid. L. Ron Hubbard constantly makes the claim that dianetics is a "scientific fact." In fact, he makes that claim 35 times in Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. For example, "All our facts are functional and these facts are scientific facts, supported wholly and completely by laboratory evidence." (DIANETICS, (1987 edition) p. 96). Hubbard shows that he regards correct scientific experimentation to a high degree by carefully hedging his approval of another scientific experiment done by someone else. This test was conducted in a hospital to see whether unattended children became sick more often than attended children. "The test... seems to have been conducted with proper controls," (DIANETICS, p.143) he cautiously states, not having apparently seen the entire written report. Scientology, on the other hand, was created in a scientific manner. Hubbard taught in Dianetics theory that an "awareness of awareness unit" was the basic entity of a human being. It was by "very scientific, unquestionable means" (Ability magazine, Minor 5, "The Hope of Man") that Hubbard discovered the awareness of awareness unit, and "You and I or any scientist here in Washington government... would have come to the same conclusions" (ibid.). Thus, dianetic auditing and Scientology auditing both audit the same entity - the "awareness of awareness unit" in Dianetics and the same "thetan" in Scientology. In the Scientology book All About Radiation is the statement that "Scientology has been called that branch of atomic science which deals with human ability" (p. 46, 1979 edition). Hubbard wrote that "Scientology is... more exact than what are called the physical sciences" (Scientology 8-8008 p. 13). "Scientology is the only workable system man has" (Introduction to Scientology Ethics, p.64 1976 reprint). Scientology "is, indeed, the most validated science of mind Earth has ever known" (Journal of Scientology Issue 40-G, "Validation of Scientology"). "It is carefully observed here that the *science* of Scientology does not intrude into the Dynamic of the Supreme Being" (Professional Auditor's Bulletin No. 83). "Dianetics is a science; as such, it has no opinion about religion, for sciences are based on natural laws, not on opinions" (Dianetics Auditor's Bulletin Vol. 1 No. 4, October 1950). "Scientology, which includes Dianetics, is a workable system. The route is taped. The search is done. Now the route only needs to be walked" (Dianetics Today p.951). ************************************ Hubbard made amazing claims for what physical healing that auditing could produce in a person. Some of the claims are: Cure goiter DIANETICS TODAY (1975 ED.) P.280 "I've seen a goiter the size of a baseball visibly shrink and disappear in the space of one-half hour right after an engram was run." Cure polio DIANETICS TODAY " P. 353 "A girl crippled by polio was able to throw away her crutches after my first session." speed broke bone healing DIANETICS TODAY " P.110 "A broken limb will heal (by X-ray evidence) in two instead of six weeks." Cure effects of drugs DIANETICS TODAY " P.481 "ONLY processing by Dianetics and Scientology can handle the effects of drugs fully." Raise the dead Magazine Articles on Level 0 Checksheet 1968, "Dissemination of Material" p.75 Cure migraines DIANETICS " P.125 also see HCOB 15 Jan. '79 "Handling with Auditing" Cure cancer THE HISTORY OF MAN (1961) P. 20 "Cancer has been eradicated by auditing out conception and mitosis." See also ExDn Series II HCOB 19 October 1972 Cure skin cancer ALL ABOUT RADIATION (1979 ED.) P.114 Cure radiation sickness ALL ABOUT RADIATION " P.109 also PAB no. 82 "Scientology is the only specific (cure) for radiation (atomic bomb) burns." Improve eyesight PAB no. 111 "Eyesight and glasses" also Dianetic Auditor's Bulletin vol. 2 no. 7 January 1952 "An afternoon with Ron" "You are only three or four hours from taking your glasses off for keeps." Cure a broken ankle HCOB 30 July 1973 "Scientology, Current State of the Subject and Materials." Cure insanity HCOB 28 Nov. '70 "Psychosis" "The alleviation of the condition of insanity has also been accomplished now..." Cure bronchitis HCOB 14 Dec. '63 "Case analysis Health Research" "12 days after this auditing the coughing was still in abeyance." cure brainwashing HCOB No. 19 Dec. '55 "The turn of the Tide" "... in Dianetics in particular, we have the total antidote for the eradication of brainwashing." misc. claims DIANETICS (1987 ED.) P.72 "arthritis vanishes, myopia gets better, heart illness decreases, asthma disappears, stomachs function properly and the whole catalogue of illnesses goes away and stays away." general claim Professional Auditor Bulletin No. 82, "Scientology does things for people where nothing has been done before. It makes them well from illnesses which were once considered hopeless." handle physical illness NOTS 34 (this is the document under scrutiny in Keith Henson's case). The church's current magazines also contain glowing testimonials of miraculous healings by using Dianetics techniques. Issue 65 of Centre Magazine (an SMI publication) copyrighted 1995 has a claim that a man was healed of cancer through Dianetics processes. In the island of Mauritius, Scientologist Maria Slender started teaching Hubbard healing theories. A man named Krishna Gopaloodoo decided to use Touch Assist and Nerve Assist techniques on his soccer team members; "I learned... so that I could cure the injuries of my players." Krishna's father had lung cancer and the doctors said "his days were numbered." Krishna used the Hubbard healing methods on his father, and he got dramatic results. The father was xrayed again and "the latest X-Ray showed a marked improvement in my father's condition." The cancer "started to clear." These healings were supposed to be the result of a precise, scientifically proven process invented by L. Ron Hubbard. All of the writings of Hubbard quoted above are still published and sold by Scientology. Auditing is scientific. Auditing heals. Auditing is a healing science. ************************************* With all of the above, then, how can the church possibly claim that its healing claims are *religious*? Dianetics was developed in 1950. The Church of Scientology was created in 1952. There is evidence from Hubbard's own writings that this "religion angle" was a business move rather than an actual move into the religious world. In 1962 Hubbard wrote "Scientology 1970 is being planned on a religious organization basis throught the world. This will not upset in any way the usual activities of any organization. It is entirely a matter for accountants and solicitors" (HCOPL 29 October 1962 "Religion"). When Hubbard's healing claims began receiving scrutiny by governments and others, Hubbard apparently saw the need to distance his claims away from the secular to the religious. In United States v. Article or Device, etc., 333 F.Supp. 361 (D.D.C. 1971) the court stated "The bulk of the material is replete with falsehood medical and scientific claims devoid of any religious overlay or reference." Such attacks were concern for the church. Hubbard began to write of his concern that the church should appear religious; "promotion of the practice of Dianetics as a *treatment* for the sick or afflicted... by other than medical doctors, will violate the medical practice laws where they exist and lead to trouble" (HCOPL 3 June 1969, "Legal Statement Concerning Dianetics and Medical Practice Laws"). Hubbard began to teach how to make Scientology appear religious; "Visual evidences that Scientology is a religion are mandatory on the PES... Stationary is to reflect the fact that orgs are churches..." (HCOPL of 12 February 1969, "Religion"). So which is it? Is auditing a religious practice or a scientific process? IMHO, from researching this question, I believe that auditing is sold as a scientific process that is also used to handle spiritual problems (the eradication of body thetans, or leach-like souls attached to ours). Those who join the church must first become a "clear" by taking Dianetics courses. Dianetics has NEVER to my knowledge been touted by Hubbard as a religion. Dianetics is "The Modern Science of Mental Health" as the title of Dianetics shows. Scientology deals with the soul, so it could be considered religious. However, the Church has chosen to treat Dianetics and Scientology as inseperable siamese twins, and in fact Dianetics is under the tax exemption of the Church of Scientology, as I understand the church's religious tax exemption. So, either the church must claim that Dianetics is secular (and thus lose the tax exemption), or they must claim that auditing is secular (and lose the religious protection for their health claims). Which will they choose? ************************************************ "Those who seek constitutional protections for their participation in an establishment of religion and freedom to practice its beliefs must not be permitted the special freedoms that this special sanctuary may provide merely by adopting religious nomenclature and cynically using it as a shield to protect them when participating in anti-social conduct that otherwise stands condemned." (U.S. v. Kuch 288 FSup. 439 (1968))