Computing: Technology, Dianetics and Fraud: What is the e-meter?

MEXICO CITY (apro).- On March 13, 2024, Ron L. Hubbard, the creator of Scientology, better known as Dianetics, would have turned 113 years old. Perhaps some of you already know about this because actors like John Travolta and Tom Cruise are believers in this religion?

Interestingly, to become a member of Scientology, one needs to pass an audit process, and this is done through a device called an e-meter, a kind of lie detector that Scientologists believe they can use to “see thoughts.” But what exactly is this device?

Officially it is called an “electroencephaloneuromentimographometer” and what it actually does is measure the galvanic response on a person’s skin. And while this sounds like almost rocket science, what it means in layman’s terms is that the e-meter induces an electrical current in the believer’s body and returns to the device to measure changes in the electrical resistance of the human body.

So what is its use? Well, Scientologists say that the e-meter is a device that measures the “static fields” surrounding the human body. Basically, for these Scientologists, it is supposed to tell the auditor whether the person being measured with such a device has already “freed themselves of their spiritual impediments from past experiences,” or in more common terms, “is ready to enter Scientology.”

How is it used? During the process that the auditor subjects the candidate to, the person takes two metal cylinders, which are connected to the e-meter, in his hands and is asked a series of questions. When there is a response, the auditor notes the activity of the measuring device (the movement of a needle like that of analog multimeters), which has a unique meaning in the world of Scientology. The auditor reads the results and interprets them as he sees fit. Think of a lie detector, only shrouded in an aura of mystery. Or a kind of high-tech tarot cards.

Hubbard and his followers developed the e-meter to assist in this process called auditing. Generous amounts of money are charged for the e-meter and for sessions using this device. Scientologists repeatedly and expressly claim that physical and even mental cures are effected in these auditing processes of candidates for Dianetics and Scientology. It should be noted that this process almost guarantees the cure of any disease. Of course, this is absurd.

The e-meter is treated as a religious device by Scientologists, but the reality is that it is a money-making machine. E-meter tests are terribly expensive and are used to answer many of the problems that Scientologists have. Since the device can only be used by “trained professionals,” then the most dedicated Scientologists are the ones who can access this type of testing.

But what does an e-meter have inside? It is clear that curiosity about what circuitry is in this device has been enough to get one of these e-meters, take it apart and analyze it. However, things are not so easy, since a state-of-the-art e-meter costs 3850 dollars. Eventually someone got hold of one and literally gutted it, to satisfy curiosity. Details on this page:

Strictly speaking, the e-meter has an analogue and a digital part. The analogue part is a simple skin resistance meter on the person holding the metal cylinders. Because of this, changes are easily noticeable. However, the system has a digital part, which includes an 8051 microprocessor. What could this be used for? It seems to be using too much electronic engineering, but perhaps there is a reason for it. The e-meter, which in its finest version is called the Mark Super VII, does more than just measure electrical resistance. It can be connected to a “master” e-meter, so that the supervisor can monitor the actions of an auditor who is using the device on a candidate. The system can then transmit all measurement information to the “master” unit many times per second. So, the digital part seems to be fully justified.

It should be noted that the FDA in the United States, the Food & Drug Administration, raided the Church of Scientology in Washington on January 4, 1963. Books and e-meters were seized. The FDA required that the e-meter units be labeled stating that the device was ineffective in diagnosing or treating diseases. The Scientologists lost the lawsuit, but have not complied, to date, with the legal order.

In one part of the court order against the “Hubbard Electrometer” et al., it says that the Church of Scientology and its related organizations are prohibited from claiming to cure using the e-meter: “This device must bear in a conspicuous place a notice warning any person using it that it is prohibited by law to indicate that there is any scientific or medical basis for believing that the device can be useful in diagnosing, treating or preventing any disease. It should be noted that this warning on this device condemns its use for medical or scientific purposes intended to improve the health or bodily functions of any person.”

However, the plate that comes on the e-meter says:

“By itself, this device does nothing. Its purpose is to guide the Ministers of the Church. [de la cienciología] in their pastoral and counseling sessions. The electrometer is not capable of improving anyone’s health medically or scientifically and its use is religious, intended for students and Ministers of the Church of Scientology.”

As you can see, it all sounds like a fraud, in which case, in order to carry it out, Scientologists use a supposedly “high-tech” device, with almost magical powers, and this, in the long term, is simply a deception.