Well I dunno: I've always looked at Scientology as a vast encyclopedia of human behavior theories. So, I'm not sure If I was ever a died in the wool Scientologist.
Even though I must have passed 17 Star Rate checkouts on KSW, emeter drills, Academy levels, 350 hrs of auditing and attested to Kleer, if someone were to ask me if I had more affinity to Scientology or Buddhism, I would say Buddhism.
I can see how the theory of group think, suggestion, and love bombing could greatly enhance endorphin and dopamine out put. I recall as a child being ecstatic over playing with friends. Just the right mixture of people, chemistry and event had much the same result as *going exterior*.
For example at age 6 playing team tag/hide and go seek, at night with adoring parents uncles and adults looking on. A cousin and I looking for others hiding, impromptu, looked toward the bushes smiled as if to say Yeah I saw the movement too. They are over there. Running full speed as if in a diversion so the hiders thought they were clever the swooping in on them and patting them saying Tag at the same instant was just magic. Parent grinning making comments like wow, Yes that was great and so smart They could be football players, Yes just like cousin David... Anyway you get the idea, Love bombed . Bouncing off the walls.
The other thing I have read is that isolation can produce a *exterior* feeling. Perhaps like in Dianetic auditing where the auditor says close your eyes scan through to the end of the incident what do you see, or tell me what happened.
The mind tries to create reasonable explanations for a confusion like in dreams. I'm thinking the auditor is looking for an unwanted Attitude Emotion Sensation or Pain AESP. The emeter reads, the PC looks and finds a confusion not a specific A or E or S or P. But the PC obliges the auditor by trying to isolate just the S when the A and E are there in the same instance. (may be the reason for correction lists)
The PC then eyes closed, isolated, begins to ever so slowly, describe the wispy thin images of a ocean and clouds and a boat, then a pirate ship maybe and as the image and story unfolds is just amazed at his mental image creation at which time the meter blows down and needle floats. He now realizes he is awake and in Present Time.
He gets love bombed by his auditor, grows status as a moving PC, endorphins kick in harder. He is feeling happy, healthy, holy and safe and *exterior* to his creation.
He has for that moment achieved the status of Self Actualization in Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. And been accepted, and gained an ego boost as he ascends up the pecking order in yet another *WIN* on the bridge.
But In running real incidents the confusion AESPs do blow off and real relief is obtained through some kind of realization or re- viewing of something hidden. I cant deny that.