I have been doing some solo auditing on the lower levels in a biofeedback
mode, and have found it helpful.  Feedback, or returning information
about how close an action is to achieving one's goal, was not included by
Hubbard in his definition of control. Actually, a complete
control/feedack loop is required to guide corrective action. Biofeedback
uses a technical device to become aware of an internal event of which one
is not normally aware, in order to control
some aspect of that event. For example, sensors and meter combinations
are used to signal changes in temperature, in muscular tension, and
overall body resistence (the e-meter).  I used th e-meter in a
biofeedback mode here to signal when my actions
resulted in a deeper relaxation(2). This is different from an auditing
mode, where one searches for stress (a fall) and its relief (ideally a
floating needle).  I first realized this could be done when I bought a
Micronta biofeedback machine ($14) at Radio Shack and experimented with
it. The goal is to relax and this is done by lowering the audio tone.
Calibrating the Micronta against the E-meter,(3) I discovered that the
Micronta indication of sucessful relaxation (a lowered audio tone)
corresponded to an increase in TA on the e-meter. So the relaxation
obtained apparently
gave a non-confront and a high TA. [NOTE: To this "high TA and
non-confront" The Heretic Editor added comments, included at the end as:
"TA, OTs and brain-wave patterns."]

I used this information in the following way:
  1) Relax in such a way as to move the TA up, up, up.
  2) Then run "What could you confront, what would you rather not
confront?" This, at times, was almost like a roller-coaster ride, the TA
would come down so fast.

  3) then repeated 1 and 2.
Contacting a Rock Slam  While doing 1 & 2 I ran into a sizeable R/S which
lasted through one evening and was still there the following morning. I
did not know how to
turn it off, and so kept exploring it. On the "confront" part of the
cycle, was a particular relationship, and the "rather not onfront" was
Electro-Convulsive-"Therapy" equipment.
These, played against one another, drove the TA down to 2 and tightened
the needle to a 1/4-inch can squeeze. At that point the can squeeze gave
a "reverse response" and that is when the R/S turned on.  I couldn't
locate a clear-cut goal or terminal, but it was related to "sexual
activity," and in the area of teaching at a private school. This was
interesting, since when I first came in contact with the Mental Health
System, I was teaching in a private summer school. I also R/Sed by
spotting areas in my head, and this is probably related to the four
electroshock "treatments" I had in 1951. I continued until the R/S
wouldn't turn on anymore.
Just being there  I found that after I had made some progress with
OT-TR0, I could loosen up the needle by simply being fully present. This
would usually move the TA down, much like confront. The next discovery
was that I had a habit of
being present without really admitting I was there. This sounds very odd
perhaps, but I can still get some very rapid BDs by being there and
admitting it.
So I could vary the first cycle of relax-confront wih relax-be there and
admit it. This is an example of how one can tailor-make an exercise over
a period of time that will give TA.
Creating space  More recently, after being present and admitting it, I
have been creating
space, and getting the feeling of what my own space is (as different from
MEST space). By doing this, I can feel bigger, more relaxed, and free,
with TA.
Rising scale processing  I have also used Rising Scale, again looking for
those concepts which
would give TA action. I have had some surprising cognitions in this area;
for example, on Dead-Alive, I found that there was a resistance to being
"too alive," since this was not acceptable to others. Quite a cognition!
>From my experience, I would say that this kind of low-level informal
approach can be quite successful. It provides a lot of actual experience
with the meter, and one can end up feeling good and even exultant.

Stable Data

In these explorations I used the following stable data:
  1) Maximize TA.
  2) Use the guiding style approach. That is, fish around until I get TA
action, and then continue until it stops or I get a very loose or
floating needle.
Havingness
I can keep track of my havingness by giving an occasional standard
squeeze, and when it is low I have found that "touch that object and body
part," alternately, will loosen the needle and orient me in PT.
Interestingly enough, there are also some sexual mockups which will
increase my havingness squeeze very rapidly. This seems to contradict
Ron's statement that one can't run havingness subjectively, but I'm not
sure exactly what he meant by that since in the early days shoving in and
throwing away mockups was the way loss of havingness was handled.
Also, acceptance level(4) processing was a mockup feeding of the hungers
of the body for this stuff. At the time this process came out, however,
it wasn't correlated with a can squeeze.  Anyway, my observed data is
that, for me at least, after I have gotten
the TA down to 2 or so at which point the squeeze is reduced to 1/2-inch,
that this can be increased, not only by an objective process but by a
subjective one as well.
My general feeling about havingness, since it is basic to getting
improvements, is that, theoretically, if one could clear up any of the
hvingness processes so that they work, this would be of benefit.
Theoretical Considerations
There is no explicit material that I have seen in Hubbard's writings
about the above use of the e-meter in a biofeedback mode. Those materials
on Solo Auditing at the OT levels have not been available to me.
The general theory on blowing charge has been that a comm line is
required, and that the comm cycle must meet very strict requirements of
quality for the charge to be as-ised.  An additional requirement, dating
back to the first book, is that the analytical mind of the PC requires
the help of the analytical mind of the
auditor in order to overcome reactivity. The implications of the above
are that the biofeedback mode is not ideal. However, there are other
considerations, such as the critical importance of accurate feedback.
Considering the importance of avoiding misindications, evaluations, and
invalidations, the ease with which reactive game conditions could kick
in, and Hubbard's observation that muzzled auditing was so frequently
necessary; it is apparent that some form of very simple, straightforward,
and accurate feedback could be a tremendous advantage.

As in many practical situations, there is a balancing of advantages and
disadvaantages.  As I have stated, my own feelings are positive. I hope
you find the above
of interest, since it is my belief that worries about "doing something
wrong" while audting, have reached such a level that it has resulted in a
failure to do any auditing.

                       ***
Comments on TA, OTs and Brain-Wave Patterns added by THE HERETIC Editor:
Hubbard's correlation of high TA with non-confront is specious. Rising or
high TA (above 3.5) correlates with the relaxed, dreamy
(parasympathetic(5) response) alpha brain wave patterns and falling (or
below 3.5) TA with the alert "fight or flight" (sympathetic(6) response)
beta brain wave patterns, so an alpha response to a threatening stimulus
would indeed be non-confront (or, less likely, very high confront).
However, years of "clearing" apparently train the brain into a chronic,
paradoxical state of very high beta (animal alertness) and very high
uncontrollable delta (deep sleep) with almost no alpha as if to suggest a
suppression and splitting of alpha into beta and delta - enhanced ability
to process stimuli at the beta level, and a complete shutting out of
stimuli which cannot be forced into beta awareness (see upper level
repeater technique for a glaring example of this principle in practice).
Or so it appears from Mind Mirror (EEG type machine) tests done on
scientology OTs. Alpha correlates with ability to visulize (lacking in
the OTs tested) and is the brain state tradionally utilized by mystics
(as well as the harder-to-achieve theta trance).  The repeater technique
(Clearing Course, OT2, Dianasis), the OT3 and NOTs techniques (as
implemented), probably Avatar, and other clever, euphoria-producing,
short-cut techniques for as-ising, could almost be
seen as addictive "alpha-suppressant" drugs that quiet the mental voices
(a chief Hubbard symptom) and bring relief to those victimized by their
own psychic sensitivity.
And though many choose to remain addicted, others choose the often
painful withdrawal that comes with waking up, expanding awareness, and
learning to deal with one's spirituality instead of shutting it off.

                       ***   1 This article originally appeared in THE
HERETIC, An Open Forum for Technical Investigation (now out of print).
This was an early independent publication distributed wihout charge by a
man and wife team, who wished at that time (for good reason) to remain
anoymous. "The Story of S&D" by John McMaster also originally appeared in
THE HERETIC, Issue 10.
(Reprinted in IVy 25, p.36), as did "The Black Panther Mechanism: A
Dangerous Omission" by Da Professor (THE HERETIC, Issue 12, May 31, 1987.
Reprinted in IVy 1, p.9). THE HERETIC had many excellent articles.  2
This is called the "relaxation response" in "The Awakened Mind,
Biofeedback and the development of Higher States of Awareness" by C.
Maxwell Cade and Nona Coxhead, Element Books, Ltd. Great Britain 1989.
This book shows how Western electronic technology (with its biofeedback
amchines) can be combined with Eastern meditative practices.
3 American - Mark V.  4 acceptance level, "That process which discovers
the lowest levl of acceptance of the individual and discovers there the
prevailing hunger
and feeds that hunger by means of mock-ups until it is satiated." Tech
Dict 72, p.4. This process is described in more detail in Tech Vol. I pp.
485 and 491.  5 parasympathetic, that part of the autonomic nervous
system .. which has among its functions the constricting of the pupils,
dilating of blood
vessels, slowing of the heart, and increasing the activity of the glands
and digestive and reproductive organs. Webster's New Collegiate
Dictionary, 1961.  6 sympathetic, that part of the autonomic nervous
system .. connected by nerve fibers with the peripheral blood vessels,
glands, non-striated
muscles, etc., and which, in general, is opposite in effect to the
parasympathetic system, as in accelerating the heart, etc. Web Coll Dict
1961.
                       ***
-------------------------------

Using the E-Meter in a Biofeedback Mode-II(1)
by Frank Gordon USA
In the first article, on looking back, essentially what I was trying to
do with the alternate relax and confront cycle, was to attain a state of
relaxed and confident confront.
Handling the informal approach  Solo biofeedback could be very informal
at times, and I sometimes jumped from one area to another, probing
around. This could result in a
scattered and dispersed feeling. To bring some order into my solo
sessions and not leave a lot of BPC;(2) I looked for questions which
could be short cycled in 10-20 minutes and reach a "mini-EP."(3)
It was also an advantage if these questions were open ended and
recycleable indefinitely, so I didn't fret about EPs. If it felt OK,
fine. If not, I'd get another crack at it.
A recycleable question  "How could someone be right?" seemed to be a good
question. It was a way
to chew gradiently at service facs and clear the difference between
reactive and real rightness. It was also nice to feel that "You Can Be
Right," (HCOB 22 July l963 Tech Vol V, p.321).  In the first brief
session, "I could be right by making another 'guilty' with my injured
silence." Fine, a "mini-EP." In subsequent brief sessions, I ended off by
being a judge (I'll be the judge of that, I make the rules around here),
by being politely wrong (I could not rise above you, because you see I
love you), and by other low toned goodies. Then
the EPs became lighter and more sensible: "Decide to do something and do
it," and more practical: "Don't forget your keys." This question seemed
to be useable indefinitely.
Recycling an effort  I had some interesting results with an effort. I had
discovered an effort to keep lifting my left shoulder (along with a
smile) on the TRs. Keeping
the effort from going away gave an immediate LFBD. My attention had been
on "How can I get rid of it," and shifting to "How can I hang onto it?"
reversed the flow, and blew something with laughter and a light feeling.
Each session revealed more of what was in back of this effort: the smile
of a soldier or cowboy wounded in the left shoulder (in childhood games
it was always the left shoulder!), an effort to keep my ears from
freezing (by lifting both shoulders), insisting upon and asserting a
pleasant reality" while denying the contrary; and the apologetic smile of
a smart-aleck flinching from an expected retaliative blow.  This last
came from combining the above with explorations of a question from "The
Story of S&D" in Ivy 25, p.36: "Who or what is causing difficulty?" which
turned on an immediate slow R/S, or an "energy-filled needle." It wasn't
frantic and scratchy like a real R/S, but was too active to be a fast
F/N. Something in the middle. On the first cycle with this, I cognited
that on occasion I can really be an uncaring and
sarcastic smart-aleck, with a stiff-necked, "you can't shut me up; damn
the torpedoes, full speed ahead; f-you and the horse you rode in on,"
intellectually arrogant attitude.
This impulse to "smart-aleck outflow" was apparently balanced by the
chronic shoulder flinch and propitiative smile efforts to ward off any
possible "retaliatory inflow!"
More on havingness

By theory, a good level of havingness(4) is necessary for any process to
be effective. Here are some which were helpful:

Alternately touching an object and a body part worked uniformly, although
slowly.  Getting a sense of "Room enough and time enough and space enough
--" loosened up feelings of being pressured or driven. This can give a
feeling of great open spaces, like looking up at The Milky Way on a
beautifully clear winter night. I can feel more at ease in everyday
situations when I can cultivate this sense of expansive space and time.
A fast havingness process  One approach to havingness surprised me by its
rapidity and effectiveness, causing the needle to bang the right pin in
less than a minute (at Sn 2.5). It was making crude rebellious and
sexually
aggressive gestures. In theory, this rapid effect parallels the release
of an inhibited reach. My early training was to deny such "crude"
outflows and so I was intrigued by how rapidly this loosened the needle.
You might like to try this, and compare it with other Havingness
processes. If so, grasp your crotch with your left hand, while extending
the right arm in all directions with the middle finger upraised.
It can also be done with other childish gestures, like sticking out your
tongue or thumbing your nose. I do this with a cheerful smile, which
probably helps. You might like to try your own variations.
If the needle tightens, you should of course use something else.  In
theory, this was an "Out-of-ARC" process, but I didn't see it that
way. It seemed to knock out old chronic suppressions, thus improving
Havingness. Suppression includes "Can't flow back!" Flowing back against
suppression in any way lessens it.(5)  These rapid blowdowns and
loosening needles fit the description of a good havingness process: "If
the second squeeze shows the needle looser than the first .. you've got
it. .. The havingness process selected, even if the right one, if run too
much (more than 10 or 20 commands), will start
running the bank. It doesn't harm the preclear, but that isn't its use ..
The tone arm  may blow down toward clear read if you run 15 minutes or
half an hour .. on the other hand, it may not."(6)  Upon re-reading this,
it occurred to me that a good Havingness process alone could run the bank
and give a clear read or an F/N. Thus, one could
continue to use this as a repetitive process. As a researcher I go for
what intuitively feels like an intriguing fundamental, so I've kept
coming back to this surprising phenomena.
Energy Fields
At one time, I had: (1) an inner energy running around like a fly caught
between two window panes, or a frantic mouse trying to escape a cat. It
wasn't an incident, but an energy.
And (2), an energy pattern which felt like being pinned into a
bureaucratic system as a forced multiple comm line receipt point which
must give an immediate answer. (That ever happen to you, Ant?)  Could
these energy patterns be handled by concept or rising scale processing?
Yes. On (1), getting the energy field in my gut, where it had occurred,
gave a smooth BD of a division and a loosening needle. I held the image
of this jagged frantic escape or search motion as experiences came up. TA
range 3.3-2.2 and smooth. It surprised me that I felt so calm while doing
this. Finally, it became a smooth voluptuous sinuous flow,
like a worm doing his squirming exercises. Or a flow like a happy child
at a party, running from one relative to another. This one gave the most
TA Action and the loosest needle.

(2) ended off on a recognition of constantly expecting to be interrupted
and being on guard against it.  A characteristic of this approach was how
relaxed the needle was
throughout, especially on (1). Using the above results as a guide, I
found I could rapidly get smooth TA and needle flow, not only through
words or incidents, but by contacting and experiencing my energy field.
A stuck flow?  By theory, a flow which flows too long in one direction
has a tendency to
stick. What will happen then, when for a very long period of time,
enormous numbers of people (myself included) have pursued the goal of
being "Clear?" Isn't this just such a stuck flow?
LRH stated that the effort to be good leaves evil on automatic, and the
person will wind down rapidly. By analogy, perhaps a concentrated effort
to go clear will leave unclearness on automatic.
As an experiment, to see if I could balance the effort to go clear -
sitting at my word processor while doing this - I considered how I could
get restimulated and UNCLEAR.  "What can really fog me out?" was helpful,
eyes out of whack, headache, etc. "Fine, no spots though. Well, you can't
have everything." I was pushing for maximum Total Fog. What was
fascinating was the resulting
line charge. More laughter than I've had in years. Also, after I printed
it out, went over it again at the e-meter. MORE laughter with TA. I
milked it for all it was worth. You might enjoy trying it.
Some positive experiences  A feeling of "satisfaction of self," which was
new to me. Not having to change, fight critical thoughts, or prove
anything; but to simply be
there comfortably satisfied with myself. Echoes of Walt Whitman's "There
is no sweeter fat than that which sticks to my own bones," and "be there
comfortably and perceive."
It has been my habit when I look around, to associate what I'm looking at
with an old experience. But I can also project what I might do there in
the future.
This can shift attention from the reactive MONUMENTAL MEMORY BANK: "In
Memory of, In Honor Of, In Celebration of, and Remember the --" to a tiny
active impulse that says, I am going into action."
                       ***  1 This is the 2nd aricle on the E-meter in a
biofeedback mode. The first one appeared in IVy xx, p.xx. Although
Hubbard never used the term biofeedback machine" for the E-meter, this is
what it was. The Awakened Mind (see footnote 2, IVy 38, p.17) discusses
many biofeedback machines and their uses. However, they did not include
Hubbard's E-meter. Barbara B. Brown, Ph.D. in New Body, New Mind:
Bio-feedback: New Directions for the Mind, Harper & Row, 1974, p.51, gave
her opinion of the E-meter:" .. lacking in expert guidance and sanction
.. the only nonprofesional, nonscientific use of skin talk .. was in the
nonestablishment, nonrecognized .. Dianetics. They had their E-meter, a
relatively crude device to monitor changes in the skin's electrical
activity while
flagellating the emotions. At the time of its greatest popularity the
indicriminate use of such devices made the psychoscientific community
aghast." (!!!)>  2 BPC or by-passed charge, mental energy or mass that
has been
restimulated in some way in an individual, and that is either partially
or wholly unknown to that individual and so is capable of affecting him
adversely. Tech Dict 72, p.57.
3 EP or end phenomena, those indicators in the pc and meter that show
that a chain or process is ended. (This definition gives some indicators
for an EP) Tech Dict 72, p.139.  4 Definitions of havingness range from,
"That which permits the
experience of mass and pressure" to "The concept of being able to reach
or not being prevented from reaching." Tech Dict 72, p.194. A summary I
like is: Havingness is that which permits experience.

5 See "The Release of Backflow to Suppression," IVy 19, p.25.  6
Dianetics Today, LRH, ASHO, LA, 1975, p.420.