Scientology is Fake Science

Scientology claims that psychiatry is not real science, but this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Not all of psychiatry is real science, but scientology is a fraud. They are very good at criticizing psychiatry, but they have not put forward a valid alternative. Dianetics is quackery.

There are indeed problems and abuses in psychiatry just as there are in all branches of medicine. There have been many false theories in psychiatry, but there have also been false theories in all branches of medicine. Dr. E. Fuller Torrey predicted the "death" of psychiatry, which he felt would be taken over by neurology. However, this proved to be a premature burial because neurologists didn't want to take over psychiatry! They had too many difficult problems to deal with themselves!

Psychology

Psychology is the science of behavior. We have evolved from single cells. Even single cells have behavior. Wundt studied normal behavior and the normal nervous system, as did Cajal and Golgi. Alzheimer, Nissl, and Kraepelin were psychiatrists who studied "dementia praecox".

Alzheimer

Dr. Alois Alzheimer is most famous for the disease which now bears his name. However, at the time the disease was just called dementia. He also studied "dementia praecox", which is now called "schizophrenia".

Russian Work

Russian scientists Orlovskaia, Savulev, and Oifa (1978) reported "acute swelling" of neurons in schizophrenia using the electron microscope. This is consistent with amino acids flooding the cells (my theory).

Kleshchinov & Oifa (1986) reported "swelling of cysterns of the endoplasmic reticulum and loss of polysomes". This would probably happen if the cells were flooded with amino acids because the cysterns house amino acids. They also reported "perinuclear edema". The Nissl bodies are near the nucleus. "Edema" means "swelling".

Bonartsev (1976, 1977( found activated lymphocytes in schizophrenia. There were fewer narrow cytoplasmic lymphocytes.

"Activation" in the biological sense means that the cells are actively making protein from amino acids.

Orlovskaia found "lipoid deposition, acute swelling" etc.

Sukhorukova (1969) found dark "glycogen-like granules. There was "simultaneous disruption of the synthesizing and energy apparatus of the cell".

Orlovskaia (1983) reported ischemic, degenerative, edematous changes of the neurons and both proliferative and degenerative changes of neuroglia. This finding of gliosis suggests a toxic process. This disproves the popular, but false, neurodeveopmental theory. She blamed metabolic changes in the brain. She saw schizophrenia as an encephalopathy with diffuse dystrophic processes. What this means is that schizophrenia is an organic disease of the brain. An "encephalopathy" is a metabolic or toxic disease of the brain. An encephalopathy can occur because of drugs.

Orloskaia described atrophy, lipoid sclerosis, synaptic degeneration, frontal and temporal cortical pathology, etc.

Anders & Orlovskaia (1982) found neuronal and oligodendroglial changes, swelling of endoplasmic reticulum and some mitochondria, neuronal degeneration, synaptic changes, etc.

British Work

Tyrrell et al (1983) of the UK found "enlarged mitochondria with few cristae". This was caused by an unknown toxic "agent" in the cerebrospinal fluid. The agent could not be propogated and therefore probably was not a virus. It could have been a toxin.

Conclusions

Clearly L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, was wrong. His most famous disciples, Tom Cruise and John Travolta, although very talented, are also wrong. But what is to be done?

If my theory of amino acids flooding the cells is correct, than a diet very low in amino acids is suggested. All amino acids may not be equal. My theory is that tryptophan is the worst offender. I recommend a vegan diet. Eat fruits, vegetables, and grains. Do not eat animal products because they have too much protein. The brain is allergic to protein in mental illness. Something similar is seen in PKU and also in celiac disease. Both have psychiatric symptoms.

All of this does not mean that there are no abuses in psychiatry. There are indeed many problems in psychiatry, and this has been the case for centuries. However, Scientology is a false religion. Psychiatry needs to be improved, not abolished.

References

1. www.associatedcontent.com/article/547405/a_brief_history_of_clinical_neuroscience.html

2. www.associatedcontent.com/article/551483/a_low_protein_diet_to_treat_mental.html

3. www.associatedcontent.com/article/532641/a_brief_history_of_scientific_psychiatry.html

4. http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976789314.