Scientology and hypnosis

Practices in Scientology make extensive use of techniques drawn from hypnosis. They are used in 'auditing' and in the Training Routines widely practiced within the Church of Scientology.[1]: 761  Hypnosis, in this context, is defined as language and nonverbal communication employed to induce heightened responsiveness and suggestibility.[1]: 756  The Church of Scientology denies that its practices involve hypnosis. The organization says that it will not permit individuals who say they have previously experienced hypnosis – as either a subject or practitioner – to participate in Scientology training, with the stated reasoning that there is a possibility of harm caused by the prior exposure to hypnosis.

## Contents

* 1 Hubbard's experience with hypnosis
* 2 Hypnosis techniques in Scientology practice
* 3 Litigation
* 4 Statements from the Church of Scientology
* 5 See also
* 6 References
* 7 External links

## Hubbard's experience with hypnosis

Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard was known to his associates in the late 1940s as a talented hypnotist.[2] During this period, he worked in Hollywood posing as a swami.[3] He used nitrous oxide and amphetamines with hypnosis.[1]: 760 He credited hypnosis techniques with shaping his book Unsolved:Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health.[1]: 759 In a "Technical Bulletin" from Hubbard, he writes: "We can brainwash faster than the Russians (20 secs to total amnesia against three years to slightly confused loyalty)."[4] The Church of Scientology states that Hubbard's experience with hypnosis led him to create Dianetics as an alternative means to solve man's problems.[5]

## Hypnosis techniques in Scientology practice

In the original 1950 text of Dianetics, Hubbard advocates light trance or "reverie" techniques in Dianetic practice.[1]: 760 He refers to hypnotism as a tool and an art, and states that "Dianetics and hypnotism can be combined"; he writes in the same work that hypnotism "is not used to any extent in Dianetic therapy".[6]: 370 As he incorporated Dianetics into Scientology, as part of "a larger agenda of creating dependency and obedience in followers", he added a wide range of other hypnotic techniques.[1]: 760 Volney Mathison, an early collaborator with Hubbard who designed the precursor machine to the e-meter, remarked in 1964, "I decry the doings of trivial fakers, such as Scientologists and the like, who glibly denounce hypnosis and then try covertly to use it in their phony systems".[7]

In The Research & Discovery Series Volume 1, Hubbard writes that the 'auditor' "must be prepared to use hypnotism, he must know how it works, what he should do to make it function, how to regress a person in hypnotism and so on". However, Scientology 'auditors' have been said to lack adequate training in hypnosis: Jon Atack writes that they "share an ignorance of hypnotism with the general populace and simply parrot Hubbard’s calming assurance that 'auditing is not a form of hypnosis' or that 'auditing removes hypnosis'".[1]: 761 Margery Wakefield, in her book Understanding Scientology, observes that the extremely repetitive questioning done during drills in Scientology 'auditing' is a form of hypnosis. These drills are sometimes done for several hours at a time, and Wakefield notes that this continues "until the preclear can do it without delay, without protest, without apathy, but with cheerfulness."[8]

Scientology training routines are used in several introductory courses, including the 'Communication Course', the course most commonly sold to new recruits. The Training Routines are said to make extensive use of hypnotic methods to put the subject in an altered state.[1] Participants are led to believe they are learning to communicate more effectively, but the Training Routines "ultimately aim to cultivate the Scientologist identity and altered perception of reality." With repeated practice, the Training Routines heighten suggestibility, making it easier for the behavior, thoughts and emotions of the participant to be shaped.[1]: 761

A 2010 article in Ynet quoted Dr. Alex Aviv, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on the Law of Hypnosis to the Israeli Ministry of Health as saying (in reference to Scientology), "they restore early memories, usually of traumas, when in some cases this is a false memory. When a patient 'remembers' a false event like that via a hypnotic process - the event can become real for him".[9]

## Litigation

In 2002, a former member sued the Church of Scientology in Ireland for damages for psychological and psychiatric injury, conspiracy, misrepresentation and breach of constitutional rights.[10][11] The case was heard at the High Court starting in February 2003. The case was expected to continue until May.[10] In March, Peter Naish, an Oxford-trained clinical psychologist with a specialism in hypnosis, provided evidence that the former member appeared to have been hypnotized while undergoing an 'auditing' session. He stated that extracts from Dianetics read in court indicated that hypnosis was involved in 'auditing'. He said that it appeared hypnosis was being used as a vehicle and that material was being developed in an emotional context.[12] Although the court had heard 31 days of testimony, just as Naish was about to resume his evidence, the Church of Scientology agreed to settle case.[13]

## Statements from the Church of Scientology

The Church of Scientology's official position on hypnosis is that it is a dangerous and undesirable practice. Whereas hypnotism's goal is to place a person in "a state of lessened awareness (i.e. trance)", Scientology's stated goal is to put people into the opposite state - one of higher awareness.[14]

In his book The Creation of Human Ability, Hubbard denied the hypnotic nature of the processes and drills, writing about one of the 'sessions': "On duplication processes, somebody in the audience usually claims this is 'hypnotism,' for it runs out hypnotism. It induces no trances. People who think so simply don't know much about hypnotism."[15]

## See also

* Scientology and the occult
* Training routines (Scientology)

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Hassan, Steven A.; Scheflin, Alan W. (2024). "Understanding the Dark Side of Hypnosis as a Form of Undue Influence Exerted in Authoritarian Cults: Implications for Practice, Policy, and Education". The Routledge International Handbook of Clinical Hypnosis. Abingdon/New York: Routledge. pp. 755–772. ISBN 978-1-032-31140-1. https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-International-Handbook-of-Clinical-Hypnosis/Linden-DeBenedittis-Sugarman-Varga/p/book/9781032311401.
2. ↑ Robinson, Jill (1997-11-11). "L. Ron Hubbard". Secret Lives. A&E.
3. ↑ Hubbard, L. Ron (October 1958). The Story of Dianetics and Scientology, Lecture 18 (Speech).
4. ↑ Hubbard, L. Ron (1976) (in en). The technical bulletins of Dianetics and Scientology. Volume 2 : 1954-1956. Scientology Publications. p. 474. ISBN 9780884040422.
5. ↑ Hubbard, What is Scientology?, 1998 softcover edition, pg. 529.
6. ↑ Petsche, Johanna J.M. (2017). "Scientology in Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master". Handbook of Scientology. Leiden/Boston: Brill Publishers. pp. 360–380. ISBN 9789004328716. https://brill.com/edcollbook/title/27160?language=en.
7. ↑ Müller, Tilo (2010). Dianetik und Scientology in ihrem Anspruch als Wissenschaft. GRIN Verlag. pp. 32. ISBN 978-3-640-58010-1. "Mathison stated: "I decry the doings of trivial fakers, such as scientologists and the like, who glibly denounce hypnosis and then try covertly to use it in their phony systems""
8. ↑ Wakefield, Margery (2009). Understanding Scientology: The Demon Cult. Lulu.com. p. Chapter 6. ISBN 9780557109265.
9. ↑ כהן, אוריאן (February 4, 2010). (in Hebrew)Ynet (Israel). http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3838675,00.html.+"לפי ד"ר אביב, הסיינטולוגים משתמשים בטכניקות היפנוטיות ברורות: "הם משחזרים זיכרונות מוקדמים, בדרך כלל של טראומות, כאשר בחלק מהמקרים זהו זיכרון מומצא .(memory false) כאשר מטופל 'נזכר' באירוע מומצא שכזה באמצעות תהליך היפנוטי - האירוע עלול להפוך להיות אמיתי עבורו.""
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Scientology case settled out of court" (in en). RTÉ News (Dublin). 13 March 2003. https://www.rte.ie/news/2003/0313/36201-scientology/.
11. ↑ Maddock, John (7 December 2002). "Scientology Accuser Feared Exposure of Her Private Life" (in en). Irish Independent (Dublin). https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/scientology-accuser-feared-exposure-of-her-private-life/26023459.html.
12. ↑ Carolan, Mary (March 13, 2003). "Psychologist Says Church Appeared to Use Hypnosis" (in en). The Irish Times (Dublin). https://www.irishtimes.com/news/psychologist-says-church-appeared-to-use-hypnosis-1.351928.
13. ↑ Carolan, Mary (March 13, 2003). "Scientology Case Settled out of Court" (in en). The Irish Times (Dublin). https://www.irishtimes.com/news/scientology-case-settled-out-of-court-1.466418.
14. ↑ Hubbard, What is Scientology?, 1998 softcover edition, pg. 89.
15. ↑ Hubbard, The Creation of Human Ability, 1st edition, p. 271

## External links

* Lee Report on Hypnosis and Scientology

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