There's a reason for that in the cult and what draws people to it and keeps them in it once they have joined.
“If a doctrine is not unintelligible, it has to be vague; and if neither unintelligible nor vague, it has to be unverifiable.”
― Eric Hoffer, The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements
Here's a Quote on cults by Margaret Singer from her book Cults In Our Midst.
The more complicated and filled with contradictions the new system is and the more difficult it is to learn, the more effective the conversion process will be. ( page 67 ) Margaret Singer Cults In Our Midst
All quotes in blue from Margaret Singer and her book Cults In Our Midst
There's another aspect of Scientology that compounds this effect - loaded language.
Robert Jay Lifton described it
Loading the Language. The group interprets or uses words and phrases in new ways so that often the outside world does not understand. This jargon consists of thought-terminating cliches, which serve to alter members' thought processes to conform to the group's way of thinking. Robert Jay Lifton The Eight Criteria For Thought Reform from Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism
Margaret Singer had definite ideas on this too.
You affirm that you accept and understand the ideology by beginning to talk in the simple catchphrases particular to the group. This "communication" has no foundation since, in reality, you have little understanding of the system beyond the catchphrases. ( page 69)
This is particularly relevant to Scientology as Hubbard used many thousands of new words. Many of which are the opposite of their original meaning or used to state something the exact opposite of the truth to hide Hubbard's intentions and crimes. He used phrases twisted and turned to fool people. Many of his terms lack clear meaning because he uses far too many new terms with reference to one another and multiple contradictory definitions. The amount of terms and definitions to attempt to learn and coordinate is simply overwhelming and often absorbs so much of the cult member's attention that clear understanding and thought are severely inhibited.
Loading the language. As members continue to formulate their ideas in the group's jargon, this language serves the purpose of constricting members' thinking and shutting down critical thinking abilities. At first, translating from their native tongue into "groupspeak" forces members to censor, edit, and slow down spontaneous bursts of criticism or oppositional ideas. ( page 70)
Of all cult methods this may be the one Hubbard focused on the most. With his extensive new language drummed into his victims' minds through extreme repetition. The beliefs within the language replace the Scientologists' own. And often nearly entirely replace critical thinking.
Getting almost complete control over cultists' minds is one of the main intentions Hubbard had in his chosen methods.
By continuosly adding new terms and concepts and redefining old ones with explicitly contradictory definitions Hubbard tried to perpetually maintain the overwhelming confusion cult members usually experience when first joining a cult . This is compounded by Scientology's extensive decades long indoctrination process. It keeps the translation process ongoing rather than temporary. This helps to heighten confusion, anxiety and suggestibility.
One international group, for example, has dictionaries for members to use. In one of these dictionaries, criticism is defined as "justification for having done an overt." Then one looks up overt and the dictionary states: "overt act: an overt act is not just injuring someone or something; an overt act is an act of omission or commission which does the least good for the least number of dynamics or the most harm to the greatest number of dynamics." Then the definition of dynamics says: There could be said to be eight urges in life...." And so, one can search from term to term trying to learn this new language. (page 70 )
Obviously to any veteran Scientologist this refers to Scientology and Hubbard's methods of defining new terms with mountains of others in never ending chains of words to look up.
Here's a bit more from Robert Jay Lifton and his book:
Loading the Language:
The language of the totalist environment is characterized by the thought-terminating cliché. The most far-reaching and complex of human problems are compressed into brief, highly reductive, definitive-sounding phrases, easily memorized and easily expressed.
These become the start and finish of any ideological analysis. In [Chinese Communist] thought reform, for instance, the phrase "bourgeois mentality" is used to encompass and critically dismiss ordinarily troublesome concerns like the quest for individual expression, the exploration of alternative ideas, and the search for perspective and balance in political judgments.
And in addition to their function as interpretive shortcuts, these cliches become what Richard Weaver has called "ultimate terms" : either "god terms," representative of ultimate good; or "devil terms," representative of ultimate evil. In [Chinese Communist] thought reform, "progress," "progressive," "liberation," "proletarian standpoints" and "the dialectic of history" fall into the former category; "capitalist," "imperialist," "exploiting classes," and "bourgeois" (mentality, liberalism, morality, superstition, greed) of course fall into the latter.
Totalist language then, is repetitiously centered on all-encompassing jargon, prematurely abstract, highly categorical, relentlessly judging, and to anyone but its most devoted advocate, deadly dull: in Lionel Trilling's phrase, "the language of nonthought."
End quote Robert Jay Lifton
So in the Scientology cult vague, unintelligible and unverifiable doctrine is the norm. It's built on vague and intentionally confusing terms and phrases that limit and constrict thought. The language itself makes understanding Scientology quite difficult. If taken as literally true and representing reality itself Scientology language makes life confounding and full of twists and turns of complexity and never ending contradictions.
I have written about that in many other posts and it's worthy of several books in its own right.
So, once it is established that Scientology relies on limiting, confusing, misdirecting and shutting down good presentation and especially evaluation and consideration of ideas both within Scientology itself and everything else it interacts with that prompts an obvious question -As the Scientology cult sees all life as under its authority and the Scientology doctrine is literally described as senior to life itself that includes everything- the question is what approach or perspective is capable of neutralizing or counteracting the "Scientological" way of thinking ?
The answer is simply to reverse the actions that are used in Scientology. There are many to address.
A start is to find how you get the outcome of claims that are clear and intelligible and verifiable or falsifiable. It includes using language that opens up without limiting thought.
It involves being careful to examine ideas and claims without errors in reason and judgment.
A great opposite to Scientology is critical thinking. That isn't just being critical or trying to seem smart.
Below is a short quote on the intellectual standards of critical thinking. It gives a beginning guide to some of the concepts. You can easily see they are the opposite of the components making Scientology.
Unfortunately, most of the time we don’t think well. We tend to favor decisions and ideas that favor us, put our own group over other groups. We are…ego-centric and socio-centric. So, we need to force ourselves to look at things the way they truly are. So, to assess the quality of our thinking, we use theIntellectual Standards.
A standard is a measure of how good something is. The ancient Romans used symbols on the top of long poles to show the troops where they should stand and which way to face. It brought order to a crazy and chaotic battlefield. In much the same way, we use standards in thinking to make sure that hold our feet to the fire, to make sure that what we say and do is actually right.
There are nine Intellectual Standards we use to assess thinking: Clarity,Accuracy, Precision, Relevance, Depth, Breadth, Logic, Significance, and Fairness. Let’s check them out one-by-one.
Clarity forces the thinking to be explained well so that it is easy to understand. When thinking is easy to follow, it has Clarity.
Accuracy makes sure that all information is correct and free from error. If the thinking is reliable, then it has Accuracy.
Precision goes one step further than Accuracy. It demands that the words and data used are exact. If no more details could be added, then it has Precision.
Relevance means that everything included is important, that each part makes a difference. If something is focused on what needs to be said, there is Relevance.
Depth makes the argument thorough. It forces us to explore the complexities. If an argument includes all the nuances necessary to make the point, it has Depth.
Breadth demands that additional viewpoints are taken into account. Are all perspectives considered? When all sides of an argument are discussed, then we find Breadth.
Logical means that an argument is reasonable, the thinking is consistent and the conclusions follow from the evidence. When something makes sense step-by-step, then it is Logical.
Significance compels us to include the most important ideas. We don’t want to leave out crucial facts that would help to make a point. When everything that is essential is included, then we find Significance.
Fairness means that the argument is balanced and free from bias. It pushes us to be impartial and evenhanded toward other positions. When an argument is objective, there is Fairness.
End quoteThere are more Intellectual Standards, but if you use these nine to assess thinking, then you’re on your way to thinking like a pro.
From the elements of thought - one by one
That is really great way to counter Scientology or any poor reason generally. Other tools are needed like open exchange of ideas.
John Stuart Mill wrote in On Liberty
"There must be discussion to show how experience is to be interpreted. Wrong opinions and practices gradually yield to fact and argument; but facts and arguments, to produce any effect on the mind, must be brought before it. Very few facts are able to tell their own story, without comments to bring out their meaning. The whole strength and value, then, of human judgment depending on the one property, that it can be set right when it is wrong, reliance can be placed on it only when the means of setting it right are kept constantly at hand. In the case of any person whose judgement is really deserving of confidence, how has it become so? Because he has kept his mind open to criticism of his opinions and conduct.” End quote
Here are relevant posts :
On language in Scientology
Propaganda By Reversal Of Meaning In Scientology
http://mbnest.blogspot.com/2015/03/p...ng-in.html?m=0
The Secret Of Scientology Part 1 Control Via Contradiction
http://mbnest.blogspot.com/2015/01/t...art-1.html?m=0
Insidious Enslavement: Study Technology
http://mbnest.blogspot.com/2015/01/i...ology.html?m=0
Basic Introduction To Hypnosis in Scientology
http://mbnest.blogspot.com/2015/01/b...is-in.html?m=0
Pissed It's Not Your Fault !!!
http://mbnest.blogspot.com/2015/01/p...fault.html?m=0
Burning Down Hell - How Commands Are Hidden, Varied And Repeated To Control You As Hypnotic Implants
http://mbnest.blogspot.com/2015/02/m...-hell.html?m=0
Why Hubbard Never Claimed OT Feats And The Rock Bottom Basis Of Scientology
http://mbnest.blogspot.com/2015/02/m...never.html?m=0
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