Its founder, Lafayette Ron Hubbard, El Ron to his flock, was born in Nebraska in 1911. He never graduated from college although he has on occasions claimed a degree. This distillation of applied wisdom first emerged in 1950 as a 435-page best selling book on the Science of Mental Health called Dianetics. The basic discovery of Dianetics was the Engram, a word Hubbard borrowed from biology, but applied to scientology it means a picture image imprinted on a cell - like a microgroove on a record, by an experience involving partial unconsciousness and some pain. Engrams beset man right from the beginning.
Papa becomes passionate and baby has the sensation of being put in a running washing machine.
According to Hubbard's doctrine, the human being has two minds, the Analytical, which is like a perfect computer, and the Reactive, which takes care of situations like dodging an approaching taxi. As a result of all stimuli it receives the Reactive mind is one mass of Engrams feeding the otherwise perfect Analytical mind incorrect data. The E-meter is a battery powered machine equipped with a gauge and a moving needle and several control knobs leading to two tins like beer cans. It works like a lie detector but it is described as a truth detector. The needle records emotional distress.