What Is Scientology® Auditing?

Auditing, from the Latin audire meaning “to listen,” is a core religious practice within the Scientology religion, a totally unique method of spiritual counselling. It can be administered both to groups of people at a Sunday Service or other church gathering, as well as to the individual in one-on-one sessions guided by a Scientology minister who is trained and qualified to better individuals through auditing. In that capacity, the minister is referred to as an auditor — meaning “one who listens.”

An auditor does not engage in some vague form of mental exploration, nor does he offer solutions, advice or evaluation. Instead, the individual is allowed to find his own answers to life’s problems — and auditing enables him to do this. Through auditing one is able to look at his own existence and improve his ability to confront where he is and what he is — and then to do something about it. Auditing then is not something that is done to a person. Its benefits can be achieved only through active participation and good communication.

When auditing is ministered on an individual basis, the auditor and the person receiving auditing generally sit across from each other in a quiet, distraction-free space. The parishioner is guided on the precise path any individual must walk to reach higher states of spiritual awareness. This is accomplished by 1) helping the person rid himself of any spiritual disabilities and 2) increasing individual abilities. Both are necessary for a person to achieve his full spiritual potential. The auditor uses an electropsychometer, or E-Meter, to measure the spiritual state or change of state of the person. By itself the E-Meter can do nothing, but in the hands of a trained auditor, it serves the auditor to help the individual locate areas of spiritual duress or travail so they can be addressed and handled.

Auditing is precise, with exact procedures. Specific questions guide the person to the area of his life being addressed, resulting in many realisations and a higher degree of awareness about his own existence.

In this way, he becomes happier, more confident, spiritually aware and in control of his own life. Further, he often experiences an awakening or reinforcing of his sense of social responsibility, accounting for the numbers of Scientologists active in social benefit activities around every Scientology church.

Auditing is also routinely ministered to groups as part of each Sunday Service, and in other church gatherings. In group auditing the same disciplines as one-on-one auditing apply — the auditor directs the proceedings, getting the specific questions or directions responded to or followed by the entire assembly. Thereby the auditor can dramatically raise the communication levels, awareness and ability of all in attendance. Group auditing provides the congregation and newcomers attending Sunday Service the regular opportunity to experience, donation-free, the benefits of auditing.

The fundamental Scientology concept is that increased spiritual awareness is the only factor that offers any road to increased survival and happiness. Through auditing one becomes free, but that freedom must be augmented with the knowledge of how to stay free — and how to free others. This is acquired through the study of and training in Scientology technology.