The explanation I found (to be true for me, on this planet, lol) is that Scientology is a practiced trance. One learns and then perfects the ability to have the right thought for any occasion.
The best (most OT) Scientologists are the ones that can 'make it go right' to 'hold their position'--to wit, to hold the right Scientological thought on any life situation, good or bad.
Generally, the 'right thoughts' are those which are:
VGI's
UPTONE
WINNING
THETA
CAUSE
TONE 40
NO Q&A ("a to b")
UPSTAT
UNREASONABLE
DEDICATED
DEADLY SERIOUS
INSOUCIANT (not deadly serious, playful)
Those last two (2) are just one illustration of how one must know the right thought for the right occasion. If, for example, a Flag registrar (who routinely was counted on to close donations of $500,000 per week) told their senior that they needed to take a few days off to visit their dying parent and attend the funeral, they would be told "no" with an "r-factor" to not get "all grief" and "downtone" about it. Rather, they would be advised (per Ron). to be "insouciant" and that Ron stated that "seriousness is mass". If the registrar evidenced the wrong thought (a sad child "valence" who was "effect of their bank") they would be further "briefed" that Ron said one only wins in this universe with a "spirit of play" and that their (parent) had trillions of bodies before and this wasn't really a big deal at all. Net result, Registrar would not "blow post" and thereafter mock up a "VGI" smile (per Way to Happiness, "Smile and you will soon find something to smile about").
On the other hand, if that same Registrar (months later) received their modest inheritance--with which they promptly acted all "insouciant" and in the "spirit of play" went out and splurged on a red sports car convertible, they could well be "KR'ed" or sent to "ETHICS" for not donating that money to the IAS or IDEAL ORG "greatest good". If they tried to be "VGIs" and "Uptone" about it (laughing and saying "it's not serious") they would be blasted with how saving mankind is a "deadly serious activity" and other screaming reprimands until they caved in (went downtone, effect) and agreed to "make up the damage".
Although I have taken liberties here to jump into some minor (but I think fascinating) details, the CORE CONCEPT of Scientology is that you are gradually training yourself to control your mind with the end phenomena that you can put the right "mock up" (image, concept, thought) into your own mind readily and effortlessly without glitching out with doubts and uncertainties.
As one goes "up the bridge" there are increasing demands and pressures to become and act like an "ideal" Scientologist. If one has "case difficulty" at Clear and above, it is either:
* Remedied with "tech" (auditing repair, false data stripping, et al)
--OR--
* Remedied with "pressure" (by group members or via "ethics" or "justice" procedures)
Ethics, you may recall, is described by Dr. Hubbard as "more pressure on the individual than is exerted by the bank".
If one discovers (as was my own experience) that despite having attained the uppermost OT levels, one still has a "case" that quite remarkably resembles the same "case" that was allegedly handled on the lower levels. And one then quickly realizes that one's "case" is for all intents and purposes identical to the "case" manifested by all other human beings who did not receive any auditing at all. At that point, having exhausted countless "tech" remedies (none of which work) the "OT" is routed to "Ethics" to get their mind right.
IN OTHER WORDS WHEN TECH DOESN'T WORK, ETHICS IS APPLIED TO HAMMER THE INDIVIDUAL INTO THINKING THE RIGHT "OT-LIKE" THOUGHTS.
In ethics, the same process repeats itself. Time and time again, the ethics officers assign the same remedies, which ultimately end up in having the "OT" work on "lower conditions" or "condition by dynamics" (and fancy way of saying "lower conditions", lol). Or they are assigned to do "repair of past ethics" (again, an exercise in having and holding the "right thought" an OT is supposed to have.
When I finally realized that I was (essentially) being asked (in fact being ORDERED) to get my mind right and hold in place the right mental images/thoughts, I knew it was an exercise in futility.
Scientologists and Indie Scientologists are well practiced in the art of "holding the right thought" in place.
It's a skill actually. Not a good one, but a skill nonetheless.
Some are amazingly good at it.
The best ones are still "on the bridge" long after their lives are in ruins.