I have known people to confuse the beliefs of Christian Science with those of Scientology in regards to medicine. Christian Scientists believe that prayer can heal and so they generally choose it first when someone gets ill (See the Christian Science FAQs for full and accurate data).
In Scientology we recognize that the body is real and that it sometimes gets sick or damaged, so the first action to take is to get the appropriate physical treatment for the condition. For example, if you break an arm then you go to the emergency room and get it attended too.
Once the physical side is under control then any spiritual issues associated with the condition can be addressed. We have spiritual technology called "Scientology Assists" which can help a person recover quicker.
In my own personal experience I have found these assists to be extremely effective. For example, after my wife had a serious operation, I gave her a lot of assists, which helped her get off heavy pain killers and onto much milder medication in a matter of hours instead of days.
If you hear any other data about Scientologists and medicine, then the person giving you the data is misinformed.
For more info check out the Scientology FAQ article: Do Scientologists use medical doctors? and an article on the "Scientology and Me" blog with the same title: Do Scientologists use medical doctors?.
6 comments:
Thank you for this post Grahame.
I had a family member ask me how things were going in Christian Science. I honestly answered, "I have no idea."
Christian Science is a branch of Christianity.
Scientology is an independent, all-denominational, applied religious philosophy addressing the spiritual side of life in a practical way.
Scientologists do use medical doctors for medical problems.
Scientologists don't use psychiatrists.
"Psychiatry" literally means "treatment of the soul." However, psychiatrists treat personal and emotional problems by _causing_ physical damage.
"...all psychiatric treatments - drugs, electroshock and lobotomy - have their 'therapeutic' impact by disabling the brain. They do not _improve_ brain function or _correct_ biochemical imbalances, they _cause_ brain dysfunction and biochemical imbalances." Dr. Peter Breggin, "Brain Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry", 2008 edition, http://breggin.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=45
The medical specialty that treats actual brain injuries and illnesses is neurology.
Someone with a screen name that I would like him to change said:
The difficulty, though, comes from determining where something is a physical illness or where it is a psychological disorder. Most people view epilepsy as a physical brain disorder, but others may view it as a psychological disorder.
I don't think there is any difficulty in determining whether something is a physical illness or injury. There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of tests that can be carried out to show if a physical illness or injury exists or not.
My friends that have the daughter who has seizures have had tons of tests run on her and several factors have been found that cause the seizures. These factors are being addressed with physical treatments. There was no difficulty in figuring that out.
Christman was advised in the Church not to take her anti-seizure medication.
I personally knew Tory Christman. What she says about her experiences in Scientology are purest fiction. I know. I've seen the crap she spouts and I can tell you from personally knowing her for several years that she is telling a pack of lies.
Whereas I agree that for physical illnesses a Scientologist is instructed to seek proper medical advice, it seems unlikely that a Scientologist suffering psychological disorders will be advised to get proper medical attention.
First of all, a Scientologist is not "instructed" to seek medical advice or any other kind of advice by the Church. You write as if the Church runs our entire lives. When my friends' little girl first had a seizure they called an ambulance. They didn't call the Church and ask what to do.
If a person is in the middle of some spiritual activity at a Church and something physical comes up then, yes, if they haven't already decided to, they are advised (not "instructed") to seek medical treatment. That's just common sense.
You talk about "psychological disorders" as if they were biological in nature. Truth is there are no physical tests to prove that any psychiatric or psychological disorder actually exists. So if there is no way to prove that such disorders exist then how can you get medical treatment for them?
Grahame,
I appreciate your quiet answers to sometimes difficult questions regarding Scientology.
The media has been hammering around about the "fact" that Scientology does not recognize autism. Could you comment about that?
To my knowledge, one is born into autism and there is no cure for it. It is a neurological condition. Therefore, I fail to see why Scientology would not recognize the condition.
Could you also elaborate on the difference between psychological disorder and neurological disorder? Does the Church of Scientology have a stance regarding the later as opposed to the former? Neurological based disorder sounds like something that would stand between a physical ailment and a psychological condition.
Also, some drugs, like those for seizure, could be used both for medical and mental purpose, what would be the position of Scientology in these conditions?
Thanks,
Bernie
Hey Bernie,
Thanks for your questions. I am not an official representative of the Church of Scientology. I'm just little ole me and what I say here is my own opinion. Given that I am someone who is near the top of the Bridge and who has been a Scientologist for over 30 years, I guess my opinion may be representative of the opinions of some other Scientologists, but that's as far as it goes.
You asked: The media has been hammering around about the "fact" that Scientology does not recognize autism. Could you comment about that?
The truth is often much too uncontroversial and lacking in sensation for the media, so the fact that they have got it wrong is not surprising. The truth is that autism is a physical problem and is therefore addressed by physical means. If by "Scientology" they mean the subject itself, then in my study of the subject I have never seen any mention of this condition, probably because it's a physical condition and Scientology deals with the spiritual.
The Church really has nothing to do with how a parent handles their child's disability or the label given it. It's up to the parent and the doctor they choose. For example, my neighbor, who is a Scientologist, has a child who is autistic. She has a doctor she takes her boy to and she follows the treatment program the doctor prescribes.
You asked: Could you also elaborate on the difference between psychological disorder and neurological disorder? Does the Church of Scientology have a stance regarding the later as opposed to the former?
I have never read anything about neurological problems in my studies of Scientology, again because it is a physical issue and Scientology deals with the spiritual not the physical. For myself I'd say that a neurological disorder is something you can measure with physical tests. As I said yesterday in a reply to a comment, "psychological disorders" are talked about as if they were biological in nature. Truth is there are no physical tests to prove that any psychiatric or psychological disorder actually exists. So if there is no way to prove that such disorders exist then there is no valid physical treatment for them.
Here is a link that gives some of the Church's view on "psychological disorders":
Why is Scientology opposed to psychiatric abuse?
You asked: Also, some drugs, like those for seizure, could be used both for medical and mental purpose, what would be the position of Scientology in these conditions?
Physical problems like seizures need to be addressed with the appropriate physical handling. If a drug that handles seizures can also be used for other purposes then I don't think that is important. It is up to the person or parent to get the facts and make a decision based on their own due diligence and the advice of their medical practitioner.
Answers to some of your questions from the Church itself can be found in a press release that came out today: Does the Church of Scientology allow medical treatment?
I hope all this answers your questions. If not then just post another comment.
Thanks, Grahame - that's neat :-)
Kenny said: So is epilepsy considered by Scientologists as a physical illness that should be treated by a medical doctor or not?
I can only answer for myself. The Church of Scientology deals with the spiritual not the physical. It's up to the individual who has the condition to take the appropriate action.
If you want my opinion then I'd say it's a physical problem and you should see a doctor.
You haven't clearly answered this yet and i am wondering about this specifically, because L. Ron Hubbard talked about the medical treatment of epileptic seizures and stated that auditors will tell preclears to get off the medical treatment in order to begin the auditing.
I've known a couple of people over the years who were on anti-seizure medicine and were getting Scientology spiritual counseling at the same time. It wasn't a problem.
Regarding the quote you included in your comment. I read it and it's a few sentences from a lecture. I don't know if it is actually from LRH or not, but I don't see that it really said anything one way or the other. It didn't say "you must tell him to come off drugs", it said, "And then you come along as an auditor and you try to audit the pc and you tell the pc that he'll have to go off that drug". That's a comment about what another person might do, not a directive of what action to take.
Here is what I have to say about it: If a person were on a drug that would interfere with spiritual gain then I'm sure they could find another drug that would address their problem without getting in the way of spiritual gain.
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