What Is Scientology Auditing?

Direct Answer

Scientology auditing is a guided religious practice in which a trained auditor asks a person specifically worded questions or gives directions to help them examine areas of spiritual concern. One-to-one sessions are usually held in a quiet room across a table, with the auditor guiding the process.

Auditing is a central practice of Scientology. The person receiving it remains aware of what happens, and the process does not use hypnosis, trance techniques, or drugs.

The rest of this guide takes you into the room, explains the roles, and introduces the terms you will hear.

About the narrator: This site is written from a composite practicing-member perspective, assembled from published member accounts and Church materials. It does not present that composite voice as one named person’s testimony.

Last updated August 2026.

What happens in an auditing session?

In one-to-one auditing, the auditor and the person receiving auditing usually sit across from each other at a table or desk in a quiet, comfortable setting. Before a program begins, the person is oriented to the elements of auditing so they know what to expect.

The auditor uses a process: an exact set of questions or directions intended to help the person look at a particular area of life. A process has its own objective; when that objective is reached, another process may be used to address a different area.

Auditing can also be done in a group or through self-directed use of certain Scientology books and materials. This guide begins with the one-to-one session because it is the form most people picture when they first hear the word auditing.

What is an E-Meter and how is it used?

E-Meter is short for electropsychometer. It is a religious artifact used as a spiritual guide in auditing, with the auditor using it to help locate areas to address.

In a session where it is used, the person holds the meter’s electrodes while the auditor works through the process. The meter itself does not diagnose, treat, or prevent disease; its place in auditing is religious and spiritual rather than medical.

That distinction is important because the device can look unfamiliar at first glance. The E-Meter is not the session by itself; it is one tool used alongside the auditor’s questions and directions.

Who conducts an auditing session?

An auditor is a Scientology minister or minister-in-training trained to conduct auditing. The word comes from audire, Latin for “to hear or listen.”

The person receiving auditing is called a preclear—the term for someone receiving Scientology or Dianetics auditing. You do not need to memorize the word before understanding the basic arrangement: an auditor guides the process, and the other person answers or follows the directions.

The Auditor’s Code sets out standards for how an auditor should conduct a session. It is the framework for the auditor’s conduct, not a personal account of any individual session.

What is auditing meant to accomplish?

Auditing is intended as a path toward greater spiritual awareness and freedom. Its purpose is to help a person locate and handle areas of spiritual distress and increase personal ability.

That is the spiritual purpose of auditing. The processes are exact, while each person brings their own questions, observations, and life experience to the session.

For the broader beliefs and terms behind this language, see What Are Scientology’s Core Beliefs?. For the basic context of the religion as a whole, return to What Is Scientology?.

What does auditing cost?

Donations for auditing vary by country and by the particular service or program being provided. The relevant local Church can explain the donation for the service you have in mind.

How Much Does Scientology Cost? explains the donation structure, introductory options, and the services that have no requested donation.

FAQs

What happens in a Scientology auditing session?

In a one-to-one session, the auditor and the person receiving auditing usually sit across a table or desk in a quiet setting. The auditor uses exact questions or directions, called processes, and the person remains aware of what happens throughout the session.

What is an E-Meter used for in auditing?

The E-Meter is a religious artifact and spiritual guide used by an auditor to help locate areas to address in auditing. It is not intended or effective for diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of disease.

Who conducts Scientology auditing?

An auditor is a Scientology minister or minister-in-training trained to deliver auditing. The person receiving it is called a preclear.

Conclusion

Auditing is a central Scientology religious practice with a simple physical arrangement and a detailed vocabulary: an auditor, a person receiving auditing, exact processes, and sometimes an E-Meter. Its aim is spiritual awareness; for the larger belief framework around that aim, continue with What Are Scientology’s Core Beliefs?.

Sources

• What Is Auditing?, The Auditing Session, and How an Auditing Session Is Conducted — Church of Scientology
• The Auditor and the Preclear and The Auditor’s Code — Church of Scientology
• What Is the E-Meter and How Does It Work? — Church of Scientology