From: Elizabeth.Mccoy@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Elizabeth Mccoy)
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Subject: Re: What *IS* an 'E-meter?'
Message-ID: <4991@beguine.UUCP>
Date: 7 Aug 91 22:20:12 GMT
References: <85934@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>
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In article <85934@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU> salsbury@acsu.buffalo.edu (The Caterpillar Cannot Understand The Butterfly) writes:
>Everyone's been talking about e-meters, and I keep hearing stories
>about scams and overpriced, faked equipment, but I just want to know
>what an e-meter is supposed to be/do. What is a "wheatstone bridge?"
>I've never been particularly good with electronics. :-(
Me either. 
So, from a non-techie's point of view, an E-meter is a "box" with a
needle-that-measures stuff, and several dials (at least 3), connected to
a pair of cans. (Nicer cans than your avarage Campbells soup cans, but
cans.) 
The theory is that engrams [subconscious memories of a painful/stressful
event that can affect your behavior] actually have a tiny amount of
electrical resistance. So a tiny current is run through the cans while
you hold 'em. (Trust me, one does not feel anything.) When a
subconscious memory is being consciously accessed, it makes the needle
do some arcane thing that shows you're looking at the right memory. The
auditor (the person looking at the needle) will indicate to you that
you're looking at the right thing ("*That* one." -- my mom), and you go
through the memory until it is a totally conscious one. At this point
the electrical resistance goes away/changes and the needle will do some
other arcane thing to show this.  When you make a whole bunch of engrams
into conscious memories, you can get what is called a "floating needle"
(I saw one once -- needle flops lazily from side to side), which is
usually accompanied by a really fun feeling similar to having just won
$200 or so.  Often, one will laugh and giggle for a while: minutes at a
time, even.  No, there are no drugs associated with this. Yes, it
probably has to be felt to be believed.

A Wheatstone bridge is appearently a gizmo that has to do with the
current of electricity.  When my mom gets up here for my wedding the
17th, I'll have my EE fiance' dissect her E-meter and post the results.

--Elizabeth
Disclaimer: I am but human, not even Clear, and my Word is not All.
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