Origin Of Totalitarianism Essay Research Paper Technology

Origin Of Totalitarianism Essay, Research Paper

Technology

“The E-Meter sees all, knows all. It is never wrong.”

-L. Ron Hubbard, Electropsychometric Auditing Operator’s Manual, 1953.78

The Hubbard Electro-psychometer, or E-Meter, has become an indispensable part of Scientology. The E-meter is a device which measures the changes in electrical conductivity of the skin that occur at moments of even slight excitement or emotional stress.79 It is similar to the machine used in giving lie detector tests. The rather crude device consists of two tin cans held by the subject or “preclear.”80 The cans are attached to an apparatus with several dials and a small window in which a needle moves, indicating responses by registering the change in electrical resistance of the subject’s skin. Scientologists claim the E-meter allows people to “see a thought.”81 Originally invented by early Dianetics enthusiast and chiropractor, Volney Mathison, Hubbard eventually patented the device, which proved to be quite a profitable venture.82 Every Scientologist wanted to have his own E-meter and the only place to buy them was from the Hubbard Association of Scientologists. The little gadget would later prove to be an essential tool in Scientology processing.

Scientology processing, or auditing, is a central element of the cult’s practices. Auditing usually involves two people: an auditor and a preclear. An auditor is someone trained in applying Scientology techniques and has been through Dianetics processing themselves. The preclear pays to be guided by the auditor through a series of techniques involving the E-meter, which are used to uncover areas of mental distress. The auditor asks questions of the subject, and the movement of the meter’s needle is apparently used as a check of the emotional reaction to the questions. According to complex rules and procedures set out in Scientology publications, the auditor can interpret the movements of the needle after certain prescribed questions are asked. These reactions are then used in diagnosing the mental and spiritual condition of the subject.83

During the auditing session, only the auditor sees the movements of the needle. The preclear’s role is to answer questions and work to remember painful experiences that have occurred in the past. Interpreting the motions of the needle, the auditor then coaxes the subject to view a mental picture of the supposed event. The idea is that the same E-meter needle reaction will continue until the person has faced up to whatever is being repressed. In this way, the E-meter is essentially used to uncover buried thoughts or experiences on behalf of the subject. The following is a simplified dialogue showing how the E-meter is typically used in Scientology processing-Auditor: “Have you ever stolen anything.” Preclear: “No.” Auditor (looking at needle moving): “That reads. What do you consider this could mean.” Preclear (envisioning a past experience): “I’m not sure…Oh yeah, I did steal a candy bar when I was eight years old.” Auditor (viewing needle): “That’s clear.” (moves onto next question).84

Many Scientologists are initially impressed that the auditor can apparently discover what they are thinking. The E-meter seems like sheer magic in its ability to dredge up forgotten experiences.85 Some members come to regard the instrument with a special, almost supernatural awe. Hubbard claimed that the E-meter was infallible, and as such was an invaluable tool in providing a scientific basis for the methods prescribed in Dianetics.86 The machine revealed what was beneath the surface of the human conscious in a precise and accurate manner, said Hubbard. Above all, he stressed that the E-meter was scientific proof of the workability of Scientology processing.87 For Hubbard, the needle’s movements reflected a scientific precision that lent an air of credibility to the movement. The machine was the final indicator of what was true- it did not lie.

The importance that Scientology places on the E-meter and how this correlates with the ideology of totalitarianism is the subject of this section. I argue that Scientology’s relation toward its E-meter has come to epitomize the movement’s totalitarian leaning toward technology and science. Referring to Hannah Arendt’s writings, I will discuss how totalitarian movements use the language of science to propel their ideology. In addition to this, I will consider Hubbard’s emphasis on logic and axioms, as well as the mechanized processing it entails. A discussion of the various ways the E-meter is used within Scientology will also be included.

One of the major things that Hannah Arendt stressed about the nature of totalitarianism was that once it has come into the world, it will continue to arise in new ways that we have not considered.88 Arendt was concerned with the many possible forms in which totalitarianism could disguise itself. She particularly felt that science and technology were areas where totalitarian movements would arise in the future. The nature of the totalitarian guise demands that it be difficult to recognize. In the case of science and technology, Arendt wrote that totalitarianism is the last stage in a process where “science has become an idol that will magically cure the evils of existence and transform the nature of man.”89 This faith in science, which has become a dominant characteristic of American cult