Science in Scientology?

Good-Day Mates!

I live in Ybor City. A couple blocks away from my humble home is "Centro Ybor", an entertainment complex that houses fashionable clothing stores, a selection of restaurants and bars, a movie complex, as well as many other little "entertaining" venues. One inconspicuous neighbor of the complex is the "Scientology Workshop". The employees of this little workshop can be seen gallivanting around the streets of Ybor offering free personality tests if you but follow them back to their burrow of knowledge. Being a person trained in psychology and measurement, I will not address the validity or integrity of these "personality tests" that these individuals are dispensing because I intend to continue to be in a sociable mood today. However, I believe the better inquiry would be, "what is Scientology?" and "what does it have to do with science and religion?"

Scientology Roots
Before Tom Cruise and the other morons of the entertainment industry began touting the miracles of Scientology, the movement began in 1950 with a man named L. Ron Hubbard and his book "Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health" . From the information that I've gathered (http://www.lronhubbardprofile.org/index.htm), (http://www.scientology.org/), & (http://www.scientologytoday.org) it seems as though Mr. Hubbard was a good-intentioned, intelligent, insightful and influential man; however, he is not the subject of evaluation today.

Scientology Beliefs

"Scientology is the study and handling of the spirit in
relationship to itself, others and all of life. The Scientology religion
comprises a body of knowledge extending from certain fundamental truths. Prime among these:

Man is an immortal, spiritual being. His experience extends well beyond a single lifetime. His capabilities are unlimited, even if not presently realized — and those capabilities can be realized. He is able to not only solve his own problems, accomplish his goals and gain lasting happiness, but also achieve new, higher states of awareness and ability."

Awwwww, isn't that sweet, warm and fuzzy? It gets better.... There are "8 Dynamics (urge, drive, or impulse)":

• 8th Dynamic: Infinity - also commonly called "God", the supreme being or creator.
• 7th Dynamic: Spiritual - anything spiritual with or without identity, life source
• 6th Dynamic: Physical Universe - with its four components of matter, energy, space and time.
• 5th Dynamic: Life Forms - Including all plant and animal life.
• 4th Dynamic: Mankind - as a species
• 3rd Dynamic: Group Survival - whether friends, a club, company, nation or race.
• 2nd Dynamic: Family and children and all other creativity.
• 1st Dynamic: Self - the individual, including his body, mind and immediate possessions.

"Through Scientology, a person realizes that his life and influence extend far beyond himself. By understanding each of these dynamics and their relationship, one to the other, he is able to do so, and thus increase survival on all of these dynamics."

The "pseudo-Science" of Scientology
They go on to talk about their creation of the "Tone Scale" which basically is a linear scale from 0 to 40, where 0 is "Body Death" and 40 is "Serenity of Beingness". The scale is in no apparent interval, nor are the points in any particular type of measurement (i.e. behaviors, feelings, classifications, perceptions, etc. are all on the scale; For those unaware of metrics, when something is a linear scale, the points on the scale should be indicative of degrees of different intensity or amount of a common variable, not a bargain bin full of different varibles on one scale).

Following their insightful "Tone Scale", they go on to explain how they frown upon the use of drugs and that those who use them must go through "The Purification Rundown". You see, according to these experts, the residue of drugs are stored in the fatty tissues of the body (some, but not all drug residue is stored in fat cells; but what does science know), and that exercise,vitamins, and sweating should be used to "purify" the body of all its toxins.

The "E-Meter", or "Electropsychometer", claims to "measure the mental state or change of state of a person, helping the auditor (idiot listening & reflecting in the psuedo "patient-counselor" session) locate areas of spiritual distress or travail so they can be addressed and handled in a session.

Conclusion
Scientology can be summed up by the flaky unrealistic nature of their aim:

"A civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights, are the aims of Scientology."

My questions to you:

Do you think our Scientologist friends are trying to bait people in with the illusion of "scientific credibility" to their obvious "spiritual" guide to living?

What is your perspective on Scientology in comparison to other religions? Do you see Scientology as part of a religious evolution from "sun gods" to more of a "personal spirituality"?

Where the fuck is the science that supports some of their "assumptions" and ideas such as the "8 Dynamics", "Tone Scale" and "E-Meter"?

For those not in the "know" click the comments link right below to read and share your perspectives on this; I really hope Tom Cruise logs in and explains why he freaked out on Oprah, as well as how he bagged Katie Holmes!!!