Bridge
Question answered by honorarykid in Scientology
jacklin16 asked this question on 10/11/2000:
What type of bridges are there?What is the difference?
honorarykid gave this response on 10/11/2000:
Since you're asking this question in a Scientology forum, I'll
assume you are talking about the Scientology "Bridge."
In Scientology, there is only one bridge, the Bridge to Total
Freedom.
Curiously, Scientologists don't "cross" the bridge, nor do
they go "over" the bridge. They use the term going "up" the
Bridge.
The Bridge to Total Freedom consists of taking various
Scientology courses, doing auditing, and doing drills.
The early courses usually start with largely innocuous
things, such as learning how to study and learning how to
communicate, Scientology style. The customer also gets
introduced to Scientology's high-pressure sales techniques,
called "regging."
As they advance further up the bridge, Scientologists begin
to do hypnotic training drills, called "TR" drills (TR=Training
Routines). TR drills include TR-L, which is learning how to
lie, TR-Bullbait, which is a program to teach the members
how to provoke others, while being emotionless ("flattened
buttons") when faced with provocations from others.
They also do auditing. Auditing is a mildly hypnotic,
one-on-one speaking/confession therapy, in which hypnotic
suggestion takes place. Auditing is the core activity that
hooks Scientologists. From what I understand, auditing can
be quite a cathartic process for some people. It can make
them feel good.
One thing that probably doesn't feel so good, is that the
results of a Scientologist's confessions and admissions while
undergoing auditing are carefully recorded and filed by the
Church. The Church of Scientology also keeps files on a
whole lot of other people, as well, including all critics. I'm
dead certain that Scientology keeps a file on me, and I feel
somewhat confident that a copy of this very answer will
ultimately find it's way into that file.
But I digress. Back to the Bridge.
At some point, the Scientologist advances far enough into
their program (or up the Bridge, as it were) to become
"Clear" (Clear=a state of mind in which Scientologists claim
to be enlightened).
That's when things really get interesting. After they attest
to being Clear, Scientologists begin on a series of courses
called the OT levels (OT=Operating Thetan). The alleged
outcome of becoming an operating Thetan is that a spirit
being (you) learns that he is not a biological organism, but
really is an immortal, God-like spirit being, who can do
anything, travel in space, travel through time, and even
create and destroy Universes at will.
When you get to that point, I think it could be safely said
that you have finished going UP the Scientology Bridge to
Total Freedom.
Oddly, no one seems to have ever gone that far up the
Bridge in practice, not even it's ultimate OT, the founder, L.
Ron Hubbard. LRH died a deluded, unhealthy old man, fat,
addicted to cigarettes, with his body full of pain-killing drug
(I wouldn't normally mention the drugs, but taking "psych"
drugs is a big no-no for Scientologists).
For more details about the contents of the OT levels, just
type the word "Xenu" into the AskMe.com search window.
You'll get a lot of the bizarre specifics. Or go out to any of
the Internet search engines. Another great resource for
learning more is
http://www.xenu.net/
Hope this answers your question.
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