First, let me clarify what is meant by "Thought Control". Many people believe that thought control means that a person's thoughts are controlled by some external force -- another person or group -- but that isn't the case. Thought control is that a person learns to control their own thoughts based on certain rules. It is self-imposed control over one's own thoughts.
When you start talking about Scientology's "thought control", many Scientologists get upset, "No one is controlling my thoughts, I'm the one in full control," and that is, actually, true. They are in control, but they are not free.
To become a Scientologist, you must learn to control your thoughts, and your actions, to conform to the rules and requirements of Miscavige's Church of Scientology.
Let me give one example of how this works. There are many, many ways this is done, but this example is one of the earliest learned.
"Entheta"
As is standard in Scientology, this is a made-up word by L. Ron Hubbard. The definition of "entheta" is "enturbulated theta". "Theta" is defined as "life force". "Enturbulate" is defined, by Hubbard as "to agitate or disturb; to upset."
So "entheta" is "agitated or disturbed life force". Or, more simply, "entheta" means upsetting news, information, circumstances, etc.
In Scientology, entheta is bad. Scientologists learn that good news (or "theta") is "good" and bad news (or "entheta") is "bad". Entheta must be rejected by all loyal Scientologists -- especially "entheta" about Scientology, Dianetics, Hubbard or Miscavige. Anything upsetting must be rejected as entheta. Entheta will harm you. Entheta will interfere with your "progress up the 'Bridge to Total Freedom'!" Entheta is bad.
But notice something very, very important. The definition of "entheta" has absolutely nothing to do with what is true or what is false!
The automatic response that Scientologists have learned, that they must reject all entheta, is completely outside of truth and lies. Negative and upsetting information about Scientology, Dianetics, Hubbard and Miscavige must be rejected as entheta even if absolutely true.
And the corollary is also learned and practised by all Scientologists: Good news and information about Scientology, Dianetics, Hubbard and Miscavige must be accepted because it's "theta" even if completely false.
Of course, Scientologists are not allowed to think in terms of what might be true in any negative information or what might be lies in any good news. They may only think in terms of "entheta" and "theta".
And so, Scientologists learn to control their thoughts according to what is "entheta" and what is "theta", and not by what is true and what is false.
If a Scientologist reads or hears something about Scientology, Dianetics, Hubbard or Miscavige that upsets them, they automatically and without thought reject it as "entheta". They no longer allow themselves to think about truth and lies. It is self-imposed thought control.
It's easy once you get the basics down.
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Sunday, December 28, 2008
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Thanks so much for explaining "entheta", I've been wondering about that one.
ReplyDeleteOK so we've all been slowly adapting our communications around the fact that Scientologists instantly reject anything entheta. It's a challenging barrier, but we're like a swarm of bees, so all we need is tiny cracks to get us all through.
But your post gives me an idea of a whole different sort of strategy. Do Scientologists truly have to accept theta data? Is there any concept of or defenses against perverse theta data? What I'm getting at is: Could we create trojan horse theta, which seems positive enough to get in the door but also has hidden dimensions?
Well, that is certainly an interesting idea.
ReplyDeleteI'd be interested in seeing what kind of "theta" that would be.
This is an interesting idea to be sure, but for now it is only you saying it is TRUE. This is the same has Hubbard saying that something is TRUE. You have as much support here as Hubbard has for his ideas. It sounds good on the surface. Do you have any experience where you presented a Scientologist with entheta that wasn't about Scientology that was instantly rejected? If we just look at this on a surface level. Scientology seems to accept the idea that drug use has negative social consequences (entheta) and they don't reject it. Scientologist's have seen entheta in the form of natural disaster and the problems it creates (entheta.) How does this fit with your analysis?
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, I thought this was clear in context. It is "entheta" when it is negative information about Scientology, Hubbard or Miscavige. It is "theta" when it is positive information about those subjects.
ReplyDeleteMiscavige will often spin bad news about the world into "positive" news about Scientology -- and that makes it "theta". See?
Do Scientologists have to accept theta and refuse entheta from ANYONE or just when it comes from church management or other Scientologists?
ReplyDeleteFor example, if i told a Scientologist a theta lie, like that the CoS is building 10 new IdealOrgs in Germany, would he have to accept it as truth?
Perhaps "have to" is too strong. Via Scientology training, a Scientologist is programmed to accept theta about Scientology and reject entheta about it.
ReplyDeleteHowever, theoretically, they could doubt your theta lie (depending on what they already knew and whether you were previously considered a source of entheta), but, yes, they would most likely accept it -- it's "theta" and therefore good.
Okay you have a being, and you are hurt because of entheta waves, that damage your mind, body and make your case worse. I'm not a scientologist by practice in any formal way, but why would a person attempt for any reason to continue this chanting about "you think you are saying something that might work to help people, but HEY YOU its YOUR opinion only, but no no, it dosen't apply to me?" Clearly there's a problem here - especially a group mind problem - which last time I checked, isn't exactly working for our planet or the human race. No one gets help, and families are destroyed far worse outside of Scientology - do you think Hitler was a Scientologist too?
ReplyDeleteUm... There are no such things as "entheta waves" here in the real world. As they don't exist, they can't "damage your mind, body and make your case worse".
DeleteI understand that, according to Scientology, all the wonderful and miraculous "gains" to be had from Scientology are instantly destroyed if one comes in contact with "entheta".
Outside of Scientology, people cope with bad news every day, and survive.
Inside of Scientology, "entheta" will utterly destroy all Scientology gains, abilities and powers. Sounds like Scientology just makes people weaker -- and that is true.
But my point was not that. My point was that Scientologists are trained to accept "theta" and reject "entheta" without regard to facts or truth -- and that is thought control.
By the way, there is no such thing as "entheta waves" either inside or outside of Scientology.
Bill
it would seem that the unspoken goal of Scientology is (if the above is true) to foster and nurture a way of being, almost totally based on the value of personal comfort above and beyond the already extremely difficult to impart responsibility on the part of individuals to place truth (timeless or temporary) before personal pleasure.
ReplyDeletethat's an immense error in thinking but perhaps that was intentional in it's design...that sort of paradigm does result in the eventual destruction of those people who believe it...maybe that's on purpose...maybe Hubbard was trying to destroy people eager to hide from the truth? errors on this level can only implode given enough time..I suppose the question is how much damage they will do before then.
thought provoking.
Yes. However, "personal comfort" isn't the primary concern in Scientology. In fact, much of Scientology is unpleasant - going deeply into debt, spending every spare moment "on course", "in session" or out "promoting Scientology", and Scientology pushes guilt quite heavily ("The fate of every man, woman and child on this planet depends on what you do...").
DeleteThe primary goal of filtering things by "theta" and "entheta" is to protect the believer from facts that would shake that belief.
Bill
I hate the word "entheta"
ReplyDeleteIt's not just news. Horror movies are "entheta". The subject of war, in film or a classroom is "entheta". "Anything that upsets my senibilities is 'entheta'" Disney movies on the other hand are wonderful. "They're so theta'. "So much ARC" That passes as a movie review to a true believer. "You should focus on happy movies instead of this entheta that apparently has no merit". It's the equivalent of a new age believer talking about positive or negative energy or a christian fundamentaliist calling something satanic.
You know what? CALLING SOMETHING ENTHETA . is entheta.