Can the E-Meter measure "mental energy"?

The E-Meter is a tool designed by L. Ron Hubbard and used by auditors in the Church of Scientology to "measure the mental state or change of state of a person". It is essentially an ohm meter that measures the electrical resistivity of skin.

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L. Ron Hubbard Founder of Scientology

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In Scientology it has been discovered that mental energy is simply a finer, higher level of physical energy. The test of this is conclusive in that a thetan "mocking up" (creating) mental image pictures and thrusting them into the body can increase the body mass and by casting them away again can decrease the body mass. This test has actually been made and an increase of as much as 30 pounds, actually measured on scales, has been added to, and subtracted from, a body by creating "mental energy"

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01 Jan 1966 Source

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Columbian District Court Judicial Body

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L. Ron Hubbard, writing in a science fiction magazine in the 1940's, first advanced the extravagant false claims that various physical and mental illnesses could be cured by auditing [with the E-Meter] ... [Ron Hubbard's] quackery flourished throughout the United States and in various parts of the world. He was supported by other pamphleteers and adherents who also promoted the practice of Scientology and touted its alleged benefits.

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30 Jul 1971 Source

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0 Points Benja 13 Sep 2008 Editorial Comment

You could make the case that the E-Meter is a useful tool in the same way that any placebo like tool is useful. E.g. Tarot cards can be viewed as useful simply as props to help a dialogue (where the real value comes from the Tarot reader's skill). This however, is a very weak argument, and is certainly not what Scientologists claim. Hubbard actually claims a person's body mass can increase while being tested with the E-Meter.