There is a lot of material on Scientology and Dianetics websites - but all of it is sales pitch. They talk about what it can do, but don't provide any details on the "how" part - the tools, techniques and daily practices.
203903
Their techniques are called "technology" (or "tech" for short).\n\nThe main technique is a process called auditing.  You are hooked up to a machine called an E-Meter, which is akin to a primitive lie detector.  Then you are questioned about past traumatic experiences until your auditor is satisfied that you aren't harboring any engrams on whatever topic your auditor chose to explore.  (Engrams are sortof like karma - nasty ooky things that stick to your insides.)  You get to pay for this privilidge, and it generally takes several thousands - if not tens or even hundreds of thousands - of dollars to actually complete the process and completely rid yourself of all engrams.\n\nOther techniques seem to be run-of-the mill meditation and self-hypnosis.  The kind of stuff you can read about in just about any New Age Self-Help book.\n\nThere's a reason you aren't told what it is:  They want to make sure you're good and committed to spending all that money on auditing before you find out its a lie detector test.  If it were a sales-pitch, it would be called bait-and-switch.  Like claiming to sell you a genuine one-of-a-kind 8-track, only to find out later that they're a dime a dozen and a little out of date.
93904
It's interesting to note that the official Scientology FAQ's are at odds with some of the statements made as answers here. It has been stated here that Scientology is "not a belief or system of beliefs" and "there is no belief in Scientology", and yet, the church's official  website seems to state the exact opposite by listing its beliefs and talking about believers. It is no wonder that there is a bit of confusion as to what Scientology is and isn't, if the followers cannot agree with the information publicly posted by the church itself.\n\n\nFrom the official Scientology site mentioned a few times here, http://www.scientology.org \n\nWhy is Scientology called a religion? \n\nScientology certainly meets all three criteria generally used by religious scholars around the world to determine religiosity: (1) a belief in some Ultimate Reality, such as the Supreme or eternal truth that transcends the here and now of the secular world; (2) religious practices directed toward understanding, attaining or communing with this Ultimate Reality; and (3) a community of believers who join together in pursuing this Ultimate Reality.\n\nScientology’s beliefs in an Ultimate Reality that transcends the material world include its concepts of the thetan, the spiritual world (the seventh dynamic) and the Supreme Being (the eighth dynamic). The second element can be found in Scientology’s life-rite ceremonies such as naming, marriage and funeral services, but predominantly in the religious services of auditing and training, through which Scientologists increase their spiritual awareness of themselves and attain an understanding of the spiritual world and, ultimately, their relationship with the Supreme Being. As to the third element, a very vital community of believers can be found at any Church of Scientology at almost any time of the day.\n\nScientology is thus a religion in the most traditional sense of the term.\n\n\nDoes Scientology have a scripture? \n\nYes. The writings and recorded spoken words of L. Ron Hubbard on the subject of Scientology collectively constitute the scripture of the religion. He set forth the Scientology theology and technologies in more than 500,000 pages of writings, including dozens of books and over 2,000 tape-recorded public lectures.\n===============\n\nSome interesting reading from an opposing view is found here,\n\nhttp://www.spaink.net/fishman/home.html\n"When Fishman was then brought to court, he used parts of Scientology-documents to prove he had been brainwashed by the Church. These Scientology documents thereby became public material: anybody could go to the court library and read them. The Church, fearing that its sacred secrets would be revealed, had some of their people going to the library every day to borrow these documents, thereby preventing other people (read: non-Scientologists) from reading them. Nevertheless, the Fishman Affidavit got copied (it was also available through the clerk of the court, for a mere $36.50). Somebody retrieved the affidavit via the clerk, scanned it, and posted it to the net. The Fishman Affidavit has been travelling on the Internet ever since."\n\nand here,\nhttp://www.spaink.net/fishman/ot3.html\n"In OT III, ("OPERATING THETAN, Section Three") Hubbard explains his cosmology and the ins & outs of 'body thetans'."\n\n"The head of the Galactic Federation (76 planets around larger stars visible from here) (founded 5,000,000 years ago, very space opera) solved overpopulation (250 billion or so per planet, 178 billion on average) by mass implanting. He caused people to be brought to Teegeeack (Earth) and put an H-Bomb on the principal volcanos (Incident II) and then the Pacific area ones were taken in boxes to Hawaii and the Atlantic area ones to Las Palmas and there "packaged". "\n\n==============\n\nI'm not taking either side.  I do think it's important to question your b
506143
Looks like the Scientology cultist is pre-empting me these days.  It's quite sad that he feels so threatened by what I MIGHT say that he tries to invalidate me with ad hominem attacks.\n\nHere is an online book that you can read: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/cooper/index.html\nHere are some more books on the subject:\nhttp://www.amazon.com/Scientology-What-do-they-believe/dp/B00097HC5A/sr=8-2/qid=1162674568/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/102-7812212-0608922\nhttp://www.amazon.com/Piece-Blue-Sky-Scientology-Dianetics/dp/081840499X/sr=8-3/qid=1162674568/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/102-7812212-0608922?ie=UTF8&s=books\nHere is a book written by someone who had been on the inside:\nhttp://www.amazon.com/Escaping-Scientology-Insiders-True-Story/dp/1596690666/sr=8-6/qid=1162674568/ref=pd_bbs_sr_6/102-7812212-0608922?ie=UTF8&s=books\nHere is a recent news story regarding a family of Scientologists:\nhttp://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/25/48hours/main2124568.shtml\n\nAccording to an article which interviewed real Scientologists, auditing is purchased in 12.5-hour blocks, costing anywhere from $750 for introductory sessions to between $8,000 and $9,000 for advanced sessions.  It consists of holding a pair of tin cans in your hands.  The tin cans are connected to a small machine that detects electical resistance in the human body.  You recount specific traumatic incidents, prior ethical transgressions and bad decisions to the "auditor" who "interprets" the machine (the e-meter).  Every e-meter is required to bear this warning: "The E-Meter is not medically or scientifically useful for the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of any disease. It is not medically or scientifically capable of improving the health or bodily functions of anyone".
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I'm confused ,as a Scientologist for the past 35 years, where this\nidea that medication or medical treatment is against our "beliefs", comes from.\nIsn't this Christian Scientists that have this practice or doctrine?\nThere is definitely nothing in Scientology. If you need medical treatment you go to a Dr. If you need surgery you go to hospital.\nIf the length and pain of labour is too long or too much for the mother she gets what help she  needs to get  through it.\nYou are right ,it would be confusing ,if it were actually the case.\nThe only thing that Tom Cruise spoke against was medicating a non medical problem, which Scientologist are against. Specifically in the area of Psychiatric drugs, which solve nothing, cure nothing, are very addictive, and create gruesome side effects including homicidal and suicidal impulses. But this is not medical science.It's a whole other practice.\n\nI hope this helps to clear up the confusion here.
566560
I go to a church where they cast out demons. It's called a "deliverance ministry". Just last week, there was a woman there, who had about 12 different demons expelled from her.  I think maybe people have been desensitized to the reality of demonic spirits by all the horror movies they've seen over the years.  They've come to believe that they're just a part of sensationalized fiction, rather then reality.  But in fact, there are probably thousands of people in America right now, that are possessed by evil spirits, and they don't even know it.  They've opened the doorway to darkness by getting involved in occult practices, such as witchcraft and satanism.  T.V. Shows like "Charmed", have made witchcraft look like harmless fun, when in fact, it is a very dangerous practice.  It's all a part of Satan's plan to destroy the minds of our youth, and send them to hell.  That's because the Devil is already doomed to spend an eternity there, and he wants to take as many young people along with him as he possibly can.
581629
Yes, your are correct.  People do need to learn the truth about the Cult of Scientology so they are not duped themselves.\n\nYes the Church of Scientology is a destructive cult.\n\nI don't think it was right to call PL a 'nutjob'.  All sorts of different people join the cult for different reasons, some are very intelligent and highly productive people.  Intelligence doesn't always protect you from fraud, or being duped by a cult.  We should try to point PL to the truth about scientology.  Once we have done that, it is his choice about whether he follows scientology or not, and should not be persecuted for such.  It is my opinion/observation that if a member, he most likely hasn't spent any time looking at critical information from the church, as they aren't allowed to.\n\nHere is another site about Tom & Scientology.\nhttp://www.tomcruiseisnuts.com/\n\nHere is the main site critical of Scientology.\nhttp://www.clambake.org (same as http://www.xenu.net )\n\nIf you like video's instead look at this site http://www.xenutv.com\n\nFor comparison here is the Official site for CofS\nhttp://www.scientology.org\n\nI have been labelled a religious nazi for my comments about scientology, so be warned.\nhttp://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AsEjidOELOCFONPt3ylQLHggBgx.?qid=20060625061002AAKDm4y\nhttp://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Al6vXIkbu4790qj7E8flh4sgBgx.?qid=20060625063012AATeRkr\n\nYou can comment on this in my open question.\nhttp://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiAJIr1H.UXHquWyu0v_qRggBgx.?qid=20060625141629AApOshT
98801
It's a bunch of junk based on the rantings of L. Ron Hubbard.  They believe because there is a lot of hypnosis involved in it.  It is a religion that uses a lot of psychobabble as it's base.  They teach that all mental illnesses can be cured with vitamins and exercise  It involves thetens (aliens that live in all our bodies), There is also auditing session and garbage about the earth being a prison planet for aliens.  Toss in there Hubbard was a good friend and great admirer of Alister Crowley and some of what is in it is almost word for word some of Crowley's rituals.  There is also rumors and stuff floating around, how true it is I haven't a clue, that when you reach OT8 you learn that Hubbard called himself the anti-Christ and that humans have it all wrong, that Lucifer was God and God was the evil one.  It's whacked out!
143992
I never tell people that. I figure 99 percent of all this is BS anyway it is just mildly amusing and occasionally you come across a question you might be able to help with. I mean it's not like we will ever be able to do anything with these points anyway. In fact this is just a Beta trial so they might pull it out tomorrow. But I kinda think you deserve better with the preparation H question. I called a friend and told her about it she was rolling on the floor too.
600421
Yes, I do!  I especially hate the one with the guy who wrote a book about natural cures that "they" don't want the public to know. Who are "they" supposed to be anyway? And is it really necessary to send some random guy $29.95 if these cures for disease are so natural? There's also a local infomercial in my area for a car dealership and it's on like four different channels at different times of the day.  The dealership owner just basically yells at the camera for thirty minutes...very annoying.
50238
See, I think you are onto something here. I've been trying to figure out what this is all about. Why would Yahoo waste their time, energy, and money on this, when they aren't getting anything out of it? I mean, I would expect to at least see some ads, sponsers, links, etc.\n\nThere is a conspiracy here somewhere...
311006
I would strongly warn you against "trying" scientology.\n\n    The Church of Scientology is a vicious and dangerous cult that masquerades as a religion. Its purpose is to make money. It practices a variety of mind-control techniques on people lured into its midst to gain control over their money and their lives. Its aim is to take from them every penny that they have and can ever borrow and to also enslave them to further its wicked ends.\n\n    It was started in the 1950s by a science fiction writer named L. Ron Hubbard in fulfilment to his declared aim to start a religion to make money. It is an offshoot to a method of psychotherapy he concocted from various sources which he named "Dianetics". Dianetics is a form of regression therapy. It was then further expanded to appear more like a religion in order to enjoy tax benefits. He called it "Scientology".\n\n    Scientology is a confused concoction of crackpot, dangerously applied psychotherapy, oversimplified, idiotic and inapplicable rules and ideas and science-fiction drivel that is presented to its members (at the "advanced" levels) as profound spiritual truth. \n\nDo not let yourself be sucked in!\n\n "The only way you can control people is to lie to them."\n - L. Ron Hubbard, "Off the Time Track," lecture of June 1952, excerpted in JOURNAL OF SCIENTOLOGY, issue 18-G, reprinted in TECHNICAL VOLUMES OF DIANETICS & SCIENTOLOGY, vol. 1, p. 418.
171150
I think it is messed up that they won't even tell you about these things until you have been a member of the religion for 15 years, donated massive amount of money and passed several "audits" before they will tell you this stuff.... They are just trying to keep you through what you have invested. Once you learn this stuff your choices are give up after giving so much and starting over with nothing or continue to believe because you may not be able to make it anywhere else that is a terrible way to have to come to believe something. It is also sad that you have to sign so many legal contracts because afterwards they can sue you for everything if you try to stand up against them. \nI am also strongly against celebrities being used to draw followers because this is just manipulation too. \nIf you want people to believe let them do so because they feel it is true and for no other reason.
287075
Wow! What a wealth of misinformation.....did you learn of witchcraft by watching popular television? Real thing...? Oh, yes, the craft is real and has guiding principles but I doubt if you could recognize a practitioner of the craft. Satan? Not an issue to the craft, that's your dogma. Take time to educate yourself more, it would definitely benefit you. And tone down the negative attitude--it's never very attractive on anyone.
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I know how you feel. I'm in the current process of setting up a website just based on this. So stay tuned.\n\nBasically go around forums asking people. But you will find that there will always be people happy with the service and others not. \n\nIt is hard to know whether or not these people are simply plugging their own company posing as neutral people or not. \n\nSo in the end, asking people at a conference perhaps may be the best way - as you can tell if they are straight out lying.\n\nAlso books can be good too: but I've seen some books recently that plug their own products too - without you knowing!
489503
Well I am bound to get hate mail for this...but here goes. ...i have had violations for the most innocent questions..and i have replied to Y!A..got the standard automated reply that they're looking into it....well after 6 months, I figure it's a lie, especially since they have found the time to take breathers, update to a more awful wesite, push the awful blog thing, which by the way is a form of subliminal seduction of devulging our privacy willingly...that we should find things like myspace and blogging perfectly natural...giving up our privacy ..our dossiers...things that we would never ever say to anoher, that only  an FBI or CIA agent would be privy to...after Rorscachk Analysis....natural....oh yeaeh...revealing that much is like cutting the nipples out of your shirt and walking around wondering why people are staring at your chest......now, I have NOT recieved a response regarding my questions tht someone had a hardon for and had removed..some right wing arse whom got a hair in the "RIGHT" place and decided that i was to be the sacrificial lamb d'jour. There are ways to figure out who these people are. \nBTW BEFORE you accept to be on the gallery wall of a blog and you are a woman...and I happen to be one, check out the patterns of people...there are men who have nothing but "beat off" shots of women, as they seem to collect them...peruse the different categories and see what the different latitudes are for tolerance....you will find it different in EACH category.....the religous "Do as god says" people will damn you quicker than they will pray for you, the demon lovers will flag you easily, the depressed and lovelorn will give you  a thumbs down, the ones who suck up and tell you what they THINK you want to hear, yes I do check, and I HAVE studied profiling for over 10 years so THIS is a side dish ....not the best, nonetheless and allthemore only a side dish and not the best at that....I actually preferred the red jello in rehab in the early 90's..... Customer service if you sense a seasoned woman is most likely a woman who has no sex, has cats, doesn't date, watches the same shows , has a ritual of television including the Lifetime Channel..... and is a spitout leftover from a gone wrong marriage probably missing the glitz of her double wide on cinderblocks. Next time you call her ask her how Pat and Vanna are doing, she might just warm up at yahoo.....probably a lily tomlin Look alilke...acutally I am hypotheticalizing, but it is fun.......so no one can sue me, only flag me.\nI am sorry for your loss of time....as time is currency and yahoo doesnt care as they tout the likes allegedly of deepak Choprah, Dr, Phil, Oprah, and honey the list goes on and one....yahoo is only yahoo...there ARE more interesting formats, i just managed to get a bit hooked in here and keep tellingmyself I will leave when I hit a certain amount of points...I am at level 6....8,000 something fromm level 7..and when I reach it if I havent made a friend, i think I will call it quits and just slip away into the abyss of something that cannot be aired in a public format. i wish you well, hell I wish me well too..and you are right.....\nI will be awaiting your word as to what happens...no, they do not care, and the last time i told them to keep their damn auto response to themselves and unbelievably they did it.\nhey...who knew?\nWell..we will find out now won't welll...glad I saw your question, full of passion and fire....and a great reality check for those in the YAHOO COMA!!!!\nWAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!\nThanks...\nLioncourt.....\nP.S. I too am a Virgo...does it show?
11679
Only if you believe the disinformation campaign where stuff like this was orginially published.  Fact is that this cannot be done.  Just won't happen.  University study after University study has shown that you can't control people with hypnosis.  Makes for good TV and fanatasies but not reality.
118386
I think that http://www.voodoogrillmystic.com looks the most professional. I don't believe in this crap, but if it is real, this person is obviously good enough to afford a decent website. Logic rules over magick, for sure. But good luck, and let me know if it works. I'm interested, just doubtful.