From news.interserv.net!news.sprintlink.net!news.clark.net!rahul.net!a2i!bug.rahul.net!a2i!news.erinet.com!uunet!in1.uu.net!spool.mu.edu!torn!blaze.trentu.ca!csess Thu Aug 31 10:50:28 1995
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Path: news.interserv.net!news.sprintlink.net!news.clark.net!rahul.net!a2i!bug.rahul.net!a2i!news.erinet.com!uunet!in1.uu.net!spool.mu.edu!torn!blaze.trentu.ca!csess
From: csess@blaze.trentu.ca (Eric S. Smith)
Subject: Re: A New Spin on Creation Science (Re: Paleontology Problem)
Message-ID: <DE4t5w.G71@blaze.trentu.ca>
Organization: Trent University, Canada
References: <025328Z15081995@anon.penet.fi> <41tor7$e3a@light.lightlink.com> <41vnv0$kte@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU> <pbxtalk-2908952346350001@h96-229.ccnet.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Aug 1995 16:15:31 GMT
Lines: 281
As promised, that post about the test that Dianetics flunked.
I've preserved part of the header, so that proper credit is given to the
person who did all of the work typing it in. IMHO it's not a conclusive
DIS-proof, but it certainly casts a bad light. I'd like to see a more
serious attempt to prove Ronny's Sientifik Reeserch documented.
Bound to be funny.
--Eric Smith
(Whee, I knowed I shoulda saved this one.)
--------Below this line, it isn't mine---------------------
From: marina@singnet.com.sg (Marina Chong)
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Subject: Engrams Disproved
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 1995 11:00:15 GMT
Organization: The Knights of Xenu
Lines: 259
Message-ID: <40sn9f$r29@lantana.singnet.com.sg>
Reply-To: marina@singnet.com.sg
I typed this in by hand, so apologies for any typos:
##################################################################
>From Psychological Newsletter, 1959, 10 131-134
An Experimental Investigation of Hubbard's Engram Hypothesis
(Dianetics)
by Jack Fox, Alvin E. Davis, and B Lebovits
The Problem
The purpose of the experiment was to provide an experimental test of
Hubbard's engram hypothesis. Dianetics uses concepts and constructs
which, for the most part, are gross over-simplifications of concepts
and constructs culled from general semantics, cybernetics, dynamic
psychologies, and academic psychology. The one construct that is new
and seems crucial is the construct of the engram. This must not be
confused with Koffka's or Semon's use of the term. Koffka (1935)
understands by it a memory trace of a perceptual event, while Semon
(1920) understands by it a relatively permanent change in the
excitatory substance as a consequence of, and congruent with, an
excitatory process. Hubbard means by it an automatic recording of
events during states of unconsciousness of varying degrees. Koffka's
engram, in Hubbard's scheme of things, is but a bit of information
filed in the standard memory bank. While there are many superficial
similarities between the concept of Hubbard and the concept of Semon,
as for example in the congruence between excitation and engram,
engram-chains (Hubbard, 1950) and homophony (Semon, 1920), there are
vast differences in generality and the anlytical considerations of
the engram properties and their consequences.
The difference between the concept of traditional psychology and
those of Hubbard may be schematized as follows:
Unconsciousness focal consciousness
increasing clarity of awareness
---------------------------------------------------->
increasing clarity of memory image
Traditional psychology
increasing involvement of attention units
----------------------------------------------------> Analytic
increasing function of standard memory bank Mind
increasing involvement of automatic recording
<---------------------------------------------------- Reactive
increasing pervasiveness of engram formation Mind
Dianetics
Thus, in traditional psychology retention is a direct function of the
degree of awareness, while in dianetics it is independent of awareness.
What varies with the degree of awareness is not retention, but the
mechanism by which retention is accomplished. The difference is the
crux of the matter, lending itself well to experimental investigation.
>From these theoretical approaches two diametrically opposed hypotheses
follow, only one of which can be verified. If an individual should be
placed, by one means or another, into an unconscious state, then,
according to traditional psychology, no retention of the events
occurring about him should take place and consequently, no reports of
such events can be elicited from the individual, no matter what methods
of elicitation are employed (hypothesis I). According to dianetics,
retention should take place with high fidelity and, therefore, an
account of the events can be elicited by means of dianetics auditing
(hypothesis II). Hubbard claims that he has recovered from surgical
patients long conversations between doctors and nurses which took place
while the patients were in deep anesthesia; this is in corcordance with
hypothesis II. The following procedure was evolved to test the above
hypotheses.
Procedure
In the performance of this experiment the cooperation of the Dianetic
Research Foundation, Los Angeles, California, was secured. This
organization furnished the subject, an approximately 30 year old,
male employee of the organization, and a number of certified auditors.
The subject reclined on a bed. Dr. A. Davis, M.D., administered
intravenously 0.75 gram of sodium pentothal in the presence of the
senior author and a representative of the Dianetic Research Foundation.
When, after a number of appropriate tests, Dr. Davis indicated that the
subject was unconscious, all those present left the room. Mr Lebovits
then entered the room and read to the subject a 35-word passage from a
physics text. Following a suggestion from a representative of the
Dianetic Research Foundation, the passage was "anchored" by some pain.
Mr. Lebovits produced pain during the reading of the last 18 words of
the passage by exerting pressure upon the tissue between the subject's
fingers. After reading the passage he left the room. The subject was
left resting for over an hour, after which he was awakened.
The proceeding was recorded on a wire-recorder set up by the
experimenters and on a tape-recorder set up by the representative of
the Dianetic Research Foundation. These wire and tape recordings were
placed in the custody of a co-worker of the experimenters. It was
agreed that the tape would be returned to the representatives of the
Dianetic Research Foundation when the passage will have been recovered
from the subject.
In the selection of the subject and the passage, the following
considerations were paramount. It was thought that, in order to increase
the validity of the experiment, it must be conducted within the frame of
reference of dianetics.
Thus, in order to avoid as much as possible conditions which might
unnecessarily lengthen the auditing process by facilitiating the
operation of what Hubbard calls "wild" variables, the connection of the
event with the previous engram chains, we looked for a subject who had
"sonic" and whose reactive bank was well on the way toward "clearance".
The subject furnished by the Dianetic Foundation had "sonic", according
to the Foundation's representatives, and was currently undergoing
dianetic processing.
["Sonic" may be defined as vivid auditory imagery representing
verbatim reproductions of past conversations which occurred during
states of pain and/or unconsciousness and were recorded in engrams.
"Clearance" is the end state; the reactive bank is empty, and the
individual reacts in a purely natural fashion.]
The passage selected met the following criteria. It was free of all
personal references, such as proper nouns, personal pronouns, and
other parts of speech which might be construed in a personal way.
Two days after the implantation of the engram, the subject and the two
auditors returned to the University. The subject was audited in the
presence of two of the experimenters. During two hours of auditing
nothing relevant was produced. It was then proposed by the dianetic
auditors that the recovery might take a little time and that further
auditing be done at the Foundation. It was further agreed that a report
would be forwarded to the experimenters as soon as the engram was
contacted, and that the subject and auditors would return to the
University to record the "running" of the engram so that it may be
compared with the wire which was made during the implantation.
Results
Approximately one and one-half months later the first report was
received, covering 31 hours of auditing. Since the report is too
long, only the summary covering the last few sessions will be quoted.
"The sessions following have been run in very much the same way.
Additional phrases that have turned up are as follows:
'You can remember this.'
'To supplement the equation we need three additional factors.'
'Number one is the result of prime plus three.'
'Number two is that result put into prime again.'
'Number three is the combination of the other two.'
'Therefore where the equation is supplemented by additional factors,
three components need to be considered.'
'Number one is the result of the prime plus three added to the
original equation.'
'Number three is the combination of factors one and two.'
'Then to supplement the equation three additional factors must be
considered.'
'Number one is the result of the prime plus three'.
'Number two is the............of the prime.'
'Then when the equation is supplemented by additional factors three
factors need to be considered.'
'Number two is the..........'
'I don't care what you say to me.'
'I won't do it. Not for you or anybody else.' (Latched on to earlier
engram which was run to reduction.)
It is not possible at this time to confirm any of the phrases which
have been so far contacted to be the control phrases.
The sense of reality of the pre-clear is weak in that he experiences
full sonic in the prenatal bank but has no sonic in the control
engram."
To the above might be added that the subject as well as the auditors
had ample opportunity observe that Mr Lebovits carried a physics text
under his arm.
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.
Discussion
Such results as these are contrary to hypothesis II, but they tent to
confirm hypothesis I.
Although the negative results do not preclude success at another time
and although the N in this case is only one, it is the opinion of the
investigators that the negative results of the experiment are fairly
conclusive since the experimental conditions were well controlled.
Moreover, the nature of the experiment is not one that lends itself to
the use of many subjects, as it involves careful selection of the
subjects, medical administration of the anaesthetics, and medical
supervision of the anaesthetized subject.
Summary
This paper formulates two hypotheses concerning the retention of
events occurring during states of unconsciousness. It describes an
experiment in which a passage selected from a physics text was read
to a subject placed in an unconscious state by administration of sodium
pentothal. During a period of almost six months, dianetic auditors were
unable to recover the passage. Thus, the engram hypothesis was not
substantiated by this experiment.
References
Anon.
The Dianetics Auditor's Bulletin. 1950, 1.
Hubbard, L.R.
Dianetics: The modern science of mental health.
N.Y.: Hermitage House, 1950.
Koffka, K.
Principles of gestalt psychology.
N.Y.: Harcourt, Brace & Co., 1935.
Semon, R.
Die Mnome
Leipzig: Engelmann, 1920.
Accepted for publication November 15, 1958.
#######################################################################
--
Marina Chong KoX,SP4 marina@singnet.com.sg marina@amazing.cinenet.net
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