VALIDATION OF RESULTS

Auditing gains which a person feels subjectively can also be shown objectively through testing during the course of an auditing program. Numerous tests are used by technical staff to help gauge a preclear’s progress. These tests measure the preclear’s ability prior to starting an auditing program and provide a prediction of how much auditing it may take to achieve a certain result with the preclear. When the preclear is retested afterwards, the improvements he is experiencing personally can be plotted on a graph which validates his gains. The results are used by the auditor to help determine further processes to audit.

Though testing is primarily meant to assist technical staff to ensure a preclear derives the greatest spiritual benefits in his auditing, the consistent results observed have changed man’s viewpoint of himself in many regards. Prior to Dianetics, psychiatry and psychology were adamant in their assertion that a person’s ability and intelligence could not be changed. Their pronouncements were disproven in the face of study after study wherein persons showed dramatic increases in both areas after auditing.

One routine test is the Oxford Capacity Analysis (OCA) which accurately measures ten different personality traits. These rise markedly in auditing, reflecting the preclear’s gains. Preclears report being calmer, more stable, more energetic and more outgoing as a direct result of auditing, and scores on the OCA furnish corroborative data.

Aptitude tests are also a reliable indicator of auditing results. Improvements in aptitude test scores correlate with a decrease in propensity towards accidents. Many other tests are available which measure coordination and perceptions such as vision, hearing, colorblindness, balance and so on. These functions also improve as a result of auditing.

Naturally, individual progress is variable since it is largely influenced by the preclear’s dedication and the frequency of sessions. Therefore, clearly defined rates of improvement are impossible to establish, and the Church makes no claims or guarantees of the gains someone will make in auditing. Church staff, however, have seen so many remarkable improvements in parishioners that they expect such results as a matter of course.