MEST is an acronym for matter, energy, space and time, and means the physical universe. It was coined in 1950 by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, and is spoken as a word rather than spelling out the letters.
MEST is used to refer to the physical universe (as opposed to a spiritual universe) . Property and possessions including cars, houses, clothes, jewelry, and other physical or material goods are MEST. In the Sea Org, MEST is considered relatively unimportant.
MEST body means the physical body; the human body.
The MEST universe is considered to be the physical universe as opposed to the native thought-universe of thetans, and was created by thetans. In 1986, David Miscavige's public announcement to Scientologists referred to L. Ron Hubbard's death as leaving the MEST universe: "L. Ron Hubbard discarded the body he had used in this lifetime for seventy-four years, ten months, and eleven days. The body he had used to facilitate his existence in this MEST universe had ceased to be useful and in fact had become an impediment to the work he now must do outside of its confines."
In the Theta-MEST theory, the native thetan, being bored, decided to create a physical universe. Then pretended to forget he was playing in a MEST universe, then did forget it and became part of the MEST universe. Per Wallis, "Thetans are by now in a hypnoid state, having forgotten their quadrillions of years of existence and their original godly power, barely capable of even leaving their bodies at will."
Lawrence Wright describes Hubbard's version of the Big Bang event:
ENMEST is a compound word meaning "enturbulated MEST". To enturbulate means "to cause to become turbulent, agitated and disturbed." ENMEST is "property, energy, or space which has been rendered less useful by poor thinking. Time which is wasted. ... [for example], a rotten canvas, broken chairs, things which don't belong in the area, rubbish, etc." An individual who is low on Scientology's emotional tone scale will make ENMEST out of any MEST, "will prefer sordid and squalid quarters, will drive ancient and rickety cars, will dress only in the most ragged clothes." With respect to Scientology auditing, ENMEST is a nonphysical/thought component of an engram, and it is desirable to remove it through auditing.
The aim of Scientology auditing processes is to free a person from the limitations of MEST and to return them to their native "godlike" state and be 'at cause' over their body, environment and past lives.
According to Wallis, a MEST Clear is a person at 4.0 on the emotional tone scale, who would be near accident proof, without any psycho-somatic ills, nearly immune to bacteria, and would have a high courage level.
MEST work means manual labor, physical labor, and hard labor. The term has been used to indicate both a therapy and a punishment. To be "put on MEST work" is to be assigned to do manual labor. In the Sea Org, one is expected to be able to confront all kinds of MEST work. Some positions in the Sea Org are specifically MEST work oriented, such as in an Estates Division which would manage the hotel functions, or a janitor. MEST work projects, on the other hand, are mostly renovation, demolition, and construction.
More often than not, a Sea Org member is assigned to MEST work as a punishment, and children (young Sea Org members) are not exempt from such assignments. There have been many work units explicitly run as MEST work units or with a large component being MEST work — and assignment to such units has routinely been given as a punishment. These include the Estates Project Force (EPF), Deck Project Force (DPF), Rehabilitation Unit, Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF), the Heavy MEST Work Unit, and the Mud Box Brigade.
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."
In The Fundamentals of Thought, Hubbard claims: