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How are engrams believed to affect behavior in Scientology?

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Father of Scientology — Scientology L. Ron Hubbard's seminal – and controversial – work was *Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health*, written in 1950.

In Scientology, an engram is defined as a mental image of a past experience that contains strong negative emotional content along with unrelated elements of that experience.12

These engrams are believed to affect behavior when the mind is not functioning analytically. In such states, a part of the mind known as the "reactive mind" takes over and stores these images. If an individual later encounters any of the unrelated elements associated with a stored engram, it can trigger negative emotional reactions and lead to "countersurvival actions"—behaviors that are destructive rather than supportive of an individual's survival.12

To address these effects, Scientologists engage in a process called auditing, which uses an E-meter to help individuals identify, confront, and ultimately eliminate these engrams from their minds.12