If you are an Edinburgh local it's likely you have often walked along North Bridge and noticed the peculiar 'free personality tests' sign urging people to come in and find out more. I have passed hundreds of times and never dared to go in even as a teenager for a laugh.
The Edinburgh Scientology building is on North Bridge and located in a bright office at the top a long set of spiral stairs. I popped in on my way home from work to take the personality test and was told it was take around 45 minutes, but nearing an hour and a half later I was still trying to leave.
If you have ever taken a Myers Briggs personality test, it is quite similar to the Oxford Capacity Analysis which is the 'personality test' used by the Scientologists.
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The test consists of 200 questions that range from fairly average things such as "Are you usually 'up-to-date' with everyday affairs?" to stranger things like "Do you intend to have two or less children in your family even though your health and income will permit more?"
You are left alone to do the quiz but supervised with someone in staying in the same room. After completing all 200 questions I handed it to a girl who put the results into a computer to analyse my results.
This took around five minutes then I was led into a more private room by the middle-aged Scottish man who appeared to be in charge as he went over my results. I was completely honest in my answers and it came back with a rocky line graph that said I was depressed, uncertain, active, aggressive - in a good way - and irresponsible.
Seeing the apprehension on my face he began to explain what the different levels meant, that of course they were not 'bad' results but there were courses that could help me. First he asked me about my dreams and goals in life. I had to lie a little bit because I didn't want him to know I was a journalist.
I find it quite amusing as a 24-year-old woman that whenever someone asks me about my goals and dreams whether it be a family member, tarot reader or Scientologist they always start by assuming I want a husband and family which is both far from the truth and way down on my priority list.
He then asked what was holding me back and said he has marked thousands of these quizzes from people who had similar results and were stuck in life until they found Scientology. I continued to just smile politely. Then he began to quiz me about my past, any trauma and family history again. I gave away some truths but kept it vague.
It became fairly obvious through some answers and our conversation that I have anxiety, which I have done since I was about 12-years-old. He began to question if I was on medication from the doctor, to which I truthfully replied yes.
The man then began to tell me 'I'm not telling you to stop taking the drugs but they won't be helping you.' Going on the anti-depressants don't help depressed people etc spiel, this actually shocked me a bit. Whatever your thoughts on Scientology and faith whatever it comes under, unless you are educated and qualified you should not be advising people about medication.
Especially mental health medication, if it was someone more vulnerable in my position they could be dangerously led astray that could have serious implications.
As the conversation continued, he dropped in reassurance about my life and hints that the centre could change my life. The whole thing was a little unsettling because I was shut in a quiet room with just the two of us, far away from the street outside and any members of the public.
After about an hour and twenty minutes had past and I got the gist of my quiz results the conversation became more sales led as he started to explain about the wondrous works of the Scientology’s leader L. Ron Hubbard - the author of the many self help books guiding you on marriage, parenting and life plastered round the building.
This is when I said I needed to leave but it wasn’t as easy as just getting up and walking out. He asked for my contact details and suggested I buy a book and two courses at £30 and £50 before I go while adding I need to attend one of their meetings.
I remained polite but firm gave my personal email address - probably a mistake - but I just wanted to get out of there at this point. Again I found this part quite uneasy.
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A lot of the ideas, quizzes and results seem to be sort of warped versions of actual psychology. They have their own different words for the conscious, unconscious and subconscious parts of your mind which I vaguely remember learning about in higher psychology.
They also have their own explanation that essentially means that repressed trauma if not dealt with will hold you back, but despite the similarities the man managed to disregard both mental health and psychologists during our chat.
It was an interesting couple of hours and I was actually quite shocked at the experience. I don't think I learnt anything about myself apart from a lifestyle change to Scientology is definitely not for me. If anything on leaving I felt more uneasy about the whole thing than I was before.
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