I had a conversation with Tony Ortega about L. Ron Hubbard's book, A History of Man: Antediluvian Technology. He is the author of a blog, Tony Ortega on Scientology, and he had cruelly sent me a copy Hubbard's book specifically to inflame my already enlarged outrage gland.
The post there emphasizes everything Hubbard got wrong about evolution, but let me tell you: there isn't much evolution or history of Man in History of Man. The bulk of this book, written in the preening style of a pretentious fourth-grader, weebles on and on about his tech and how it can cure cancer, illuminated with little anecdotes about sending gullible victims back along their history track to the time when they were clams. It was appalling drivel, like all religious stories.
The most revealing moment for me was when he confidently announced that he had seen his ideas confirmed by medical science in their best source…Reader's Digest. That's L. Ron Hubbard's mind in a nutshell.
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Many thanks from the Bunker for your excellent snark. Here's a present for you: a concentrated, distilled essence of every form of woo-woo in circulation. Caution: do not attempt to watch this all in one sitting, as it may induce dangerous head-desking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAm-kbzT7xw
LOL
One of the grand ironies in the mix here, is that the Scientology E-meter was arguably the first application of what today is known as biofeedback, and it could actually have been useful had it not been hijacked to promote a pernicious cult. GSR (galvanic skin response) can show rapid changes in response to certain emotional states, so a legitimate therapist could use a psychogalvanometer to help patients quickly zero in on emotionally charged material they were seeking to understand.
But Hubbard poisoned the well on that, so when psychology discovered biofeedback, the whole area of potential uses in cognitive/behavioral therapy ("talking therapies") was avoided.
I can't help but wonder what would happen if legitimate clinical psychologists re-opened the topic. Scientology would probably howl about how "the psychiatric establishment" was "stealing" one of its "sacraments." If we played it right, this could probably be used to thoroughly discredit Scientology's "auditing," in much the same way that clever investigations by skeptics have exposed various "faith healers" as complete frauds.
Oh i get it... the man writing this says it wrong therefore it must be wrong... so typical of scientists these days to believe whatever they are told not what they observe...
Plus, it would sue for patent infringement. Hard.
Do explain. :-)
Look - a talking horse!
Hey Greg........are you sure it is not a talking ass?
Notice the usual "clam" use of the term "observe".
Yawn!
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