Scientology Part III: Practices

This is Article IV in the Scientology article series...
-----------

Here are the four major practices involved in Scientology:

Auditing

As some of this information has been presented before, this section will simply be a recap.

Auditing is Scientology's chief practice, and it consists of one-on-one sessions with a counselor and an e-meter. An e-meter is a device which measures small changes in electrical resistance in the body when the participant holds two electrodes shaped like small metal "cans," and a small electrical current is run through them.

This use of the e-meter usually occurs while the participant, also known as a Pre-Clear, or PC, is relating traumatic events in their life. Scientologists claim that the specific use of the e-meter and the results aid in pinpointing areas of concern.

Training

Training is the supervised process of learning and applying Scientology and auditing, and this process is considered almost as important as the auditing itself.

Training usually follows a checklist of which of Hubbard's writings are to be studied. The first four or five levels are called Academy Levels, and each student must show mastery of each topic studied before it can be recorded as a pass on the checklist. Academy Levels 0-4, and Academy Level 5, (also known as New Era Dianetics) are studied for two weeks each, on a 40 hour a week schedule.

Level 6, the Saint Hill Special Briefing course, is studied at special advanced organizations. This level consists of 16 checklists, each completed at 3-4 week intervals. The material involved includes 12,000 pages of material and over 400 lectures.

Silent Birth and Infant Care

Stemming from Hubbard's belief that birth is a traumatic event that might induce engrams, it is encouraged within Scientology that any labor and delivery process should be in as silent a room as possible, with no words, so the child does not grow up and reassociate any specific words with the event of their birth.

While Hubbard believed that women should breastfeed their infants, he discouraged women who smoked, drank or lacked poor nutrition from doing just that. He discouraged the use of commercial formulas currently on the market, however, claiming that all they were was a combination of "mixed milk powder, glucose and water, total carbohydrate." Hubbard created his own alternative, called Barley Formula. His mixture is simply barley mixed with homogenized milk and corn syrup, and though it is still popular with Scientologists, modern medical practitioners deride it as lacking in important nutrients, especially Vitamin C, the lack of which causes scurvy.

Ceremonies

The Church of Scientology provides Sunday services and ceremonies for marriage, birth, and death. These services and ceremonies are usually performed by an ordained Scientology minister.

For example, during a funeral, the minister directly addresses the deceased, forgiving them for any misdeeds done:

"We do not contest your right to go away. Your debts are paid. This chapter of thy life is shut. Go now, dear [deceased], and live once more in happier time and place."

Most, if not all, ceremonies that are currently used were written by Hubbard himself.

-----------

MY THOUGHTS: When I got to reading about Scientology for this article series, I really got curious as to the philosophy behind the concept of silent birthing, as I view it as an unrealistic vision of someone who had never given birth. And as the founder of Scientology was a male, you can guess how unrealistic his idea is. Now, granted, I do believe that children should be able to come into this world not surrounded by chrome and plastic medical equipment and cold rooms, but I also believe that childbirth is called "labor" for a reason, especially for shorter women who end up carrying children up to 9 lbs. And it is for this reason that I also believe women ought to have the right to an epidural, or barring that, scream like hell if they want or need to, something at which a Scientologist would probably reel back in horror. Also, Hubbard's concept of "barley formula" IS lacking in essential nutrients, other than protein. And there is no reason why a new mother who is lacking in poor nutrition couldn't get the nutrition she needs, as long as she has access to excellent prenatal care and is willing to give up smoking and drinking for her child's sake.