MEST is an acronym used in Scientology and coined by author L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard used the first letters of the words matter, energy, space and time, the component parts of the physical universe. Writings and lectures by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard frequently use the term MEST in place of the phrase "the physical universe". According to Hubbard, "theta energy" (souls or spiritual entitites) exists in a separate universe from the MEST universe, with theta influencing MEST. Hubbard described the purpose of the "Theta Universe" as "the conquest, change, and ordering of MEST".
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Dianetics also utilized the concept of MEST.
African Americans and MEST
Hubbard felt that African Americans had a tendency to personify the MEST universe by giving objects personalities: "Actually, have you ever noticed how a negro, in particular, down south, where they're pretty close to the soil, personifies MEST? The gate post and the wagon and the whip and anything around there. A hat – they talk to 'em, you know. 'Wassa madda wit you, hat?' They imbue them, with personality."
Other racial implications of MEST
In The Fundamentals of Thought, Hubbard also says:
Unlike yellow and brown people, the white does not usually believe he can get attention from matter or objects. The yellow and brown believe for the most part (and it is all a matter of consideration) that rocks, trees, walls etc. can give them attention. The white man seldom believes this and so is likely to become anxious about people.
Thus the white saves people, prevents famine, flood, disease and revolution for people as the only purveyors of attention are scarce. The white goes further. He often believes he can get attention only from whites and that yellow and brown peoples' attention is worthless. Thus the yellow and brown races are not very progressive but by and large, saner. And the white race is progressive but more frantic. The yellow and brown races do not understand white concern for "bad conditions" since what is a few million dead men? There are plenty of identities and there is plenty of attention, they think. The white can't understand them. Nor can they understand the white.