4. What scientific evidence is there for Dianetics and Scientology?
Description
This article is from the New Readers Scientology FAQ, by rkeller@netaxs.com (Rod Keller) with numerous contributions by others.
4. What scientific evidence is there for Dianetics and Scientology?
Answer by: Jim Lippard <lippard@primenet.com>
I know of only one scientific test of Dianetics or Scientology. Fox, Davis
and Lebovits, "An Experimental Investigation of Hubbard's Engram
Hypothesis (Dianetics)," Psychological Newsletter, 10(1959):131-134. The
researchers performed the test suggested by Hubbard in Dianetics, "If you
care to make the experiment, you can take a man, render him 'unconscious,'
hurt him and give him information. By Dianetic technique, no matter what
information you gave him, it can be recovered. This experiment should bot
be carelessly conducted because _you might render him insane_."
A subject from the Dianetic Research Foundation in Los Angeles was
rendered unconscious with sodium pentathol administered by Davis, an MD.
While he was unconscious, Lebovits was left alone with the subject and two
recording devices. Lebovits read a 35-word section of a physics book,
inflicting pain during the last 18 words.
Two days later, the Dianetic Research Foundation audited him, attempting
to elicit the engram of the experiment. Several passages were elicited,
but "Comparison with the selected passage shows that none of the
above-quoted phrases, nor any other phrases quoted in the report, bear any
relationship at all to the selected passage. Since the reception of the
first interim report, in November 1950, the experimenter tried frequently
and repeatedly to obtain further reports, but so far without success".
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