page_title: Auditing (Scientology)
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Auditing (Scientology) / Description
context_page_description: In Dianetics and Scientology, auditing is a process whereby the auditor takes an individual through times in their current or past lives with the purpose of ridding the individual of negative influences from past events or behaviors. Auditing is meant to bring the individual to "Clear" status, thus an individual being audited is known as a PC or "preclear".
  Auditing was invented by L. Ron. Hubbard as an integral part of Dianetics, first introduced in 1950. In 1951 auditing also become a core practice in Hubbard's religion, Scientology. The E-meter, a device to measure electrodermal activity, became an integral part of auditing in the religion. According to the Church of Scientology "one formal definition of auditing is the action of asking a person a question, getting an answer to that question and acknowledging him or her for that answer."
  Hubbard claimed auditing provided many benefits, including unsupported medical and psychological health effects. In the 1950s several people were arrested for practicing medicine without a license.
context_section_description: In the context of Dianetics or Scientology auditing, Dianetics addresses the body, Scientology the spirit or being. Auditing is an activity where an auditor, trained in the task of communication, listens and gives auditing commands to a subject, who is referred to as a "preclear", or more often as a "PC". Auditing sessions are confidential, treated as priest penitent material, always.
  Auditing involves the use of "processes", which are sets of questions asked or directions given by an auditor. Based on a prior interview looking for “charged” (Charge is that which prevents the pc from thinking on a subject. Prevents him from thinking on a subject or getting rid of a subject or approaching a subject as there is real charge apparent on the e-meter in these areas.) subjects on the e-meter, found by asking questions to the PC in regard to them and their fancied case. When the specific objective of any one process is achieved, the process is ended, and another can then be started. Through auditing, the subjects are said to free themselves from barriers that inhibit their natural abilities. Charged areas can be viewed as areas of misinformation or lies. Once uncovered, they dissipate as their truth becomes apparent and the charge is eliminated once viewed for what it really is, an untruth.
  The auditor is obliged by the Church's doctrine to maintain a strict code of conduct, called the Auditor's Code. Auditing is said to be successful only when the auditor conducts himself in accordance with the Code. A violation of the Auditor's Code is considered a high crime under Scientology policy.
  The code outlines a series of 29 promises, which include pledges such as:
  ·       Not to evaluate for the preclear or tell him what he should think about his case in session
  ·       Not to invalidate the preclear's case or gains in or out of session
  ·       Never to use the secrets of a preclear divulged in session for punishment or personal gain
  The main intention of an auditing session is to remove "charged incidents" that have caused trauma, which are believed in Scientology to be stored in the reactive mind. These incidents must then be eliminated for proper functioning,
  
  In 1952, auditing techniques "began to focus on the goal of exteriorizing the thetan" with the goal of providing complete spiritual awareness. 
  Most auditing sessions employ a device called the Hubbard Electropsychometer or E-Meter. The E-Meter is not a custom electrodermal activity measurement device, instead it measures the resistance of the body (flesh, bones, liquids and all; skin resistance is only a small of the total resistance being measured) from one hand through the breast to the other hand. It measures changes in the electrical resistance of the preclear by passing a small electric current (typically in the range from 50 µA to 120 µA) through the preclear's body by means of a pair of tin-plated tubes originally much like empty soup cans, attached to the meter by wires and held by the preclear during auditing. These changes in electrical resistance are allegedly a reliable and precise indication of changes in the reactive mind of the preclear.
  According to L. Ron Hubbard the development of the E-Meter enabled auditing techniques and made it more precise. Later, the E-Meter was used to identify which processes should (and could) be run and equally crucially, to determine when to stop running a particular action. As a repair tool, the E-Meter reacts to a list of possible difficulties and relevant phrases, called out by the auditor, helping to guide the auditor to the difficulty. Hubbard clarified how the E-Meter should be used in conjunction with auditing:
  HCO Bulletin 3 December 1978
  One of the governing laws of auditing is that you don't run unreading items. It doesn't matter what you are auditing. You don't run unreading items. And you don't run unreading flows. You don't run an unreading anything. Ever. For any reason.
  Auditing is aimed at reactivity. You run what reacts on the meter because it reacts and is therefore part of the reactive mind. A read means there
caption: Mark Super VII Quantum E-meter
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