There are normal and usual emotional responses, and then there are non sequitur and exaggerated emotional reactions.
As I understood it when I read this stuff in Scientology, HE&R did NOT imply that all emotions were bad, lowly and undesirable. In Science of Survival, Hubbard talked about how a person in good shape would move all over the Tone Scale, as external situations demanded. The person would feel grief when his dog died, would get angry if somebody stole his TV, and would feel joy when seeing his newborn baby for the first time. What I got out of it was that a person in good shape would generally be in a happy state and would respond appropriately as life happened.
The HE&R referred to inappropriate emotional responses, either because they were completely unrelated to the trigger, or exaggerated in some way. Examples of HE&R:
1. A person hears that his friend was late for an appointment. He breaks into tears and cries. Inappropriate and exaggerated reaction.
2. A person sees their best friend run over by a car. She shrugs and says, "no biggie, he'll pick up another body". No response, quite inappropriate.
3. Somebody drops a pencil in your office. You stand up and scream at them to quiet down. Inappropriate and exaggerated reaction.
The idea of HE&R is that these emotional reactions are automatic uncontrollable responses. Hubbard explains all of this as being due to the reactive mind.
Now, in my many years of life and experience, I have learned that there is NO DOUBT that many people display inappropriate and exaggerated emotional reactions that are quite beyond their rational control or understanding. There is probably a reason for this and it has to do with factors relating to his or her mind. While Hubbard may have been off on the details of how he explained all of this, the general situation occurs. Hubbard wasn't talking about imaginary human behaviors though the model he created to explain these behaviors may have been somewhat imaginary.
I don't want to be around people who tend to "fly off the handle". THAT is what I understood to be HE&R.
Also though, while Hubbard himself said that there is a time and a place for usual emotions (including any up or down along the Tone Scale), involvement with Scientology often does tend to suppress even normal emotions. Part of this is because Scientology suppresses love and compassion, even though these aren't actually emotions.
Note: From a viewpoint of strict eastern philosophy, as a person transcends the desires of the physical plane, and as he or she discards attachments, this person will settle into a general state of peace and serenity where external events do NOT any longer trigger emotional reactions and responses. This person has found that all joy and happiness comes from within. Emotions as reactions and responses to external events and situations have been replaced by a self-created permanent inner joy that is unshaken by the changes of life.
This state would be above and beyond the top of Hubbard's Tone Scale. In a sense it DOES transcend what is usually experienced as "human". It is "beyond human". How you value that and whether you see that as good or bad will depend more on YOU than upon much of anything else.
On another level, Hubbard tricks people into thinking that Scientology is all about this higher state of "serenity of beingness". It is just another trick and lure to bait the trap.
And yes Jquepublic, the term HE&R was/is often used in Scientology to attack and handle any barrier to production. KNOCK OFF THE BACKFLASH!
