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[b:1b200ffa03]Many of these methods have counterparts in other religions—such as the use of confessionals and other forms of spiritual counseling. However, the technology of Scientology was developed pragmatically, is based upon an understanding of the fundamental laws of life, and provides a predictable series of steps by which a person can progress to higher states of spiritual awareness.
Although certainly not unique in the field of religion, another aspect essential to an understanding of the Scientology religion is the extent to which Scientologists all over the world are found working with other religious and social groups in all manner of community programs—caring for the environment, helping those who have fallen into the trap of drugs, supporting human rights campaigns and many other such activities.
Again, these activities are not pursued on faith alone, or under an authoritative edict that one should “do good.” It is simply that as he reaches higher levels of spiritual awareness, the Scientologist invariably begins to recognize that his responsibilities extend far beyond the sphere of his own life, or even that of his immediate family.[/b:1b200ffa03]
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A quick example is where you sit for over 45 minutes as a participant and being told to do exactly what you’re told to do, and to follow directions. While you set and listen to a facilitator tell you to perform a task over, and over, and over for 45 minutes with it being stated in a very monotone fashion. Lights dim, and no talking allowed except the facilitator. When it is all said and done, and believe me when I say that there is a lot of resistance from participants in this exercise. What’s the conclusion to this exercise? It is all about “NOTHING”. Its purpose is to break down a participants resistance, and open them up to what is being taught in seminar. Which is the philosophy behind Klemmers seminars.
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On the Objective Processes, the individual is given strict orders to repeat an overwhelmingly tedious cycle of behaviour.
In "Opening Procedure by Duplication", for example, the auditor and the client or "pre-clear" are alone in a room with a table at either end. On one table is a book, on the other a bottle. The preclear will be instructed, with unvarying wording, to look at the object at the other side of the room, to walk over to it, to pick it up and to identify its colour, weight and temperature. Sessions often run to two hours, and cases of 18 such sessions for this single "process" are not unheard of. Eventually, this arduous ritual leads to a sensation of floating, believed to be "exteriorisation from the body" in Scientology-but a common side effect of hypnotic trance.
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In the first TR, two people sit silently facing each other, with their eyes closed. In the second, they stare at each other, sometimes for hours on end, inducing hallucinations and an uncritical euphoria.
In the next stage, TR-0 Bullbait, the student has to sit motionless, while the "coach" does everything possible to disturb him or her. The student progresses to reading aloud disconnected phrases from Alice in Wonderland, and then to acknowledging statements read out at random from the same text. Then comes TR-3, where the student repeatedly asks the coach either "Do fish swim?" or "Do birds fly?". In the last "Communication Course" Training Routine, the student again asks one of these questions repeatedly, learning not to be distracted by anything the coach says or does.
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Clear, a person audited enough to be free of the "bank," or reactive mind. (The sum of the memories of pain and unconsciousness the person has)
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Here's another couple from ol' ElRon:
"Being At Cause." You can either be "at cause" or "at effect." Most people are "at effect" most of the time, meaning they are "victims" of circumstances, of misfortune, of their own incompetence, of their "reactive mind," of the environment, of biology, or of other people. If you learn their "technology," you can assume the "at cause" position, meaning you are in control of your destiny, your life, your self, and any and everybody who shows up in your sphere of influence. In command, in other words. Onlookers might call this "magical thinking," psychosis, narcissism, or conceit.
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elena
(Incidentally, Charles Manson also "studied" scientology.