in society.
For the good of the Church and the individuals in it,
such a person is officially labeled a suppressive person
so that others will know not to associate with him.
For more understanding of suppressive persons and how to
handle them, the book _Introduction to Scientology
Ethics_ is recommended.
6.12 What is disconnection?
A Scientologist can have trouble making spiritual
progress in his auditing or training if he is connected
to someone who is suppressive or who is antagonistic to
Scientology or its tenets. He will get better from
Scientology, but then may lose his gains because he is
being invalidated by the antagonistic person. In order to
resolve this, he either handles the other person's
antagonism with true data about the Church, or as a last
resort when all attempts to handle have failed, he
disconnects from the person.
In 1983, L. Ron Hubbard clearly defined the two terms,
"disconnect" and "handle," as related to this subject:
"The term 'handle' most commonly means to smooth out a
situation with another person by applying the technology
of communication.
"The term 'disconnection' is defined as a self-determined
decision made by an individual that he is not going to be
connected to another. It is a severing of a communication
line.
"The basic principle of handle or disconnect exists in
any group and ours is no different.
"It is much like trying to deal with a criminal. If he
will not handle, the society resorts to the only other
solution: It `disconnects' the criminal from the society.
In other words, they remove the guy from society and put
him in a prison because he won't 'handle' his problem or
otherwise cease to commit criminal acts against others."
A person who disconnects is simply exercising his right
to communicate or not to communicate with a particular
person. This is one of the most fundamental rights of
man. "Communication, however, is a two-way flow," Mr.
Hubbard pointed out. "If one has the right to
communicate, then one must also have the right to not
receive communication from another. It is this latter
corollary of the right to communicate that gives us our
right to privacy."
Another example is marriage. In a monogamous society, the
agreement is that one will be married to only one person
at a time. If one partner, say the husband, starts to
have second dynamic relations with a person other than
his partner, the wife has the right to insist either that
this communication cease or that the marriage itself
ends. In this example, the optimum solution would be for
the wife to resolve the situation through communication
so that her husband, who is violating the agreements, is
handled. But if this is not possible, then the wife has
no choice other than to disconnect (sever the marriage
communication lines if only by separation). To do
otherwise will only bring disaster, as the wife is
connected to someone antagonistic to the original
agreements on which the marriage is based. With the
technology of handle or disconnect, Scientologists are,
in actual fact, doing nothing different than any society,
group or marriage down through thousands of years.
6.13 Is Scientology a cult?
Assuming that modern usage of the word 'cult' implies an
elite secrecy and unthinking zealotry, then consider
this: Scientology is the fastest growing religion in the
world today. The materials that comprise Scientology
scriptures are fully codified, broadly published and
available to anyone. Churches and missions are open to
the public seven days a week. Anyone can come in for a
tour and see for himself what the Church is all about.
Scientology is unique in that it contains no dogma and
its adherents are not told or forced to "believe"
anything. In Scientology, what is true for the individual
is only what he has observed and knows is true for him.
Scientology is a technology one can use and through its
use discover its workability for oneself.
Scientologists come from all walks of life, ranging from
teachers to businessmen, physicians, housewives, artists,
engineers, nurses, construction workers, celebrities,
marketing and administrative personnel, secretaries,
athletes, civil servants and many others.
The Church and its actions are far from secretive; there
is nothing mystical about Scientology or its members or
practices. The Church's leaders are in close touch with
the membership; they hold a number of briefing events
each year which are attended by tens of thousands.
Scientologists actively improve their communities; they
are out there, involved, visible and effective.
The fact of the matter is there isn't a religion today
that hasn't been called a cult at some point in its
history by antagonistic interests. Nazis thought Jews and
Eastern European religious sects to be cults. In the
sixteenth century Catholics considered reform churches
cults. Earlier than that Roman rulers considered the
Christian community a cult. History has taught us to
beware of those who would label *any* religious group a
cult. It is traditionally the first step before wholesale
persecution, and is always the statement of an
unenlightened and uninformed individual, usually with ill
motives as the Nazi history makes so clear.
6.14 Does Scientology engage in brainwashing or mind control?
No. In fact, what we do is exactly the opposite. We free
people and enable them to think for themselves.
Millions of Church members from literally all walks of
life have attested to the positive benefits received from
Scientology. A common theme to their personal success
stories is that they are now more in control of their
lives than they ever have been.
In fact, Mr. Hubbard was one of the first to discover and
expose *actual* mind control and brainwashing
experimentation conducted by United States military and
intelligence agencies during and after World War II. He
called these techniques "pain-drug-hypnosis" or PDH.
In his 1951 book, _Science of Survival_, Mr. Hubbard
wrote: "There is another form of hypnotism . . . This
form of hypnotism has been a carefully guarded secret of
certain military and intelligence organizations. It is a
vicious war weapon and may be of considerably more use in
conquering a society than the atomic bomb. This is no
exaggeration. The extensiveness of the use of this form
of hypnotism in espionage work is so wide today that it
is long past the time when people should have become
alarmed about it. It required Dianetic processing to
uncover pain-drug-hypnosis. Otherwise, pain-drug-hypnosis
was out of sight, unsuspected and unknown."
Not only did he uncover such blatantly destructive
experimentation, but the technology he developed,
Dianetics, could *undo* the effects of PDH and free a
person from the grip of mind control.
Years after Mr. Hubbard learned about these government-
sponsored psychiatric mind control experiments, documents
released under the Freedom of Information Act detailed
the extent to which these techniques were being used.
Over the years, the Church of Scientology has exposed
numerous instances of brain-washing or mind control
practices, such as those involved in so-called
"deprogramming." In this case, individuals are taken
captive and forced to renounce their chosen religious or
political group, generally using some form of coercion,
food or sleep deprivation and sometimes drugs.
Such practices are diametrically opposed to the aims of
Scientology, which are to free man and return to him his
ability to control his own life.
6.15 Does Scientology actively promote for new members?
Yes. Scientologists make the technology broadly available
to others because they want others to receive the same
gains they have experienced. The Church wants more people
to know and apply the works of L. Ron Hubbard and
actively and vigorously promotes this.
6.16 Does one really need Scientology to do well in life?
That is a question you will have to answer for yourself.
A Scientologist's viewpoint is that while some people
might be surviving quite well without Scientology, they
can always do better and expand their potentials even
further. In fact, Scientology was developed to help the
able become more able and one usually finds the people
doing best in life are the first ones to embrace
Scientology.
If you are interested in self-improvement, Scientology
provides a tested route by which you can obtain
tremendous benefits and learn to use your mind, talents
and abilities to the fullest. If you know people who are
doing well but have never heard of Scientology, the
question is: "Could they be doing better?"
6.17 Does one have to believe in Scientology?
No. One is not expected to believe in Scientology. One is
only expected to study and apply the data and see for
himself if it works for him. To quote L. Ron Hubbard,
"Anything that isn't true for you when you study it
carefully isn't true."
6.18 Why do Scientologists sometimes seem so intent on what
they are doing?
If you had a chance to change yourself and civilization
so greatly, you would be interested as well.
6.19 What do the terms 'preclear', 'student' and 'auditor'
mean?
A 'preclear' is someone who is receiving Scientology or
Dianetics auditing on his way to becoming Clear. Through
auditing he is finding out more about himself and life.
A 'student' is one who reads in detail in order to learn
and then apply the materials he has studied. One studies
Scientology for itself and uses it exactly as stated,
then forms his own conclusions as to whether or not the
tenets he has assimilated are correct and workable.
An 'auditor' is a Dianetics or Scientology practitioner
trained in the technology of auditing. 'Auditor' means
"one who listens" (from the Latin word 'audire'). An
auditor listens and computes, applying standard
technology to preclears to help them achieve the
abilities as stated on the Classification, Gradation and
