The following is a 1964 analysis of what had happened to religions over the millennia. Interesting how it was happening in real time, first generation, to Scientology while the words were being typed. It continues to play out in real time in the ‘independent field’ as evidenced by the commentary – and omission thereof – on this blog. If you find yourself not to be one of the sheep described (or no longer wanting to be one), you might be interested in investigating more deeply how this applies to Scientology, by reading Memoirs of a Scientology Warrior.
From Abraham H. Maslow’s Religion, Values, and Peak Experiences :
When all that could be called ‘religious’ (naturalistically as well as supernaturalistically) was cut away from science, from knowledge, from further discovery, from the possibility of skeptical investigation, from confirming and discomfirming, and, therefore, from the possibility of purifying and improving, such a dichotomized religion was doomed. It tended to claim that the founding revelation was complete, perfect, final, and eternal. It had the truth, the whole truth, and had nothing more to learn, thereby being pushed into the position that has destoryed so many churches, of resisting change, of being only conservative, of being anti-intellectual and anti-scientific, of making piety and obedience exclusive of skeptical intellectuality — in effect, of contradicting naturalistic truth.
Such a split-off religion generates split-off and partial definition of all necessary concepts. For example, faith, which has perfectly respectable naturalistic meanings, as for example in Fromm’s writings, tends in the hands of an anti-intellectual church to degenerate into blind belief, sometimes even ‘belief in what you know ain’t so.’ It tends to become unquestioning obedience and last-ditch loyalty no matter what. It tends to produce sheep rather than men.
Moving On Up a Little Higher 
I believe we are in the beginnings of the age of direct knowing. The age of faith only religions are looking more like the dinosaur pre meteor hit.
Worse than faith only religions are those who claim reason, independence, freedom, intellectual superiority and science as the outcome of their practice and then crush you for demonstrating independence, critical evaluation and intellectual sovereignty.
Worship of technique, claiming only way status, justified violence to protect the only way, regimented membership, isolation from society, disagreement equals attack, the re definition of free thinking (ala open mindedness) are symptoms of an underdeveloped spiritual intelligence.
We are also in a time where those who have a developed spiritual intelligence recognize the value and essential truths of those outside their group.
It is evidence of emotional and intellectual immaturity to cling to the narcissistic notion of the belief in superiority over others.
Only wayers are like children really. Hypnotized by the myopic vision of I,Me,Mine. It is also an over compensation for a feeling of insecurity and inferiority.
Only wayers get a feeling of bigness by lopping of the heads of others.
Poor things, the need a hug:-)
I guess there are different ways of handling a situation like this. You believe in something- a different approach to a subject. You write about it and some people agree with you. Why get caught up in the people who don’t? You want to do things a certain way. So do things that way. If you want others to do things that way and/or help you get the job done then help them to do that. Train them or enlighten them or something. It seems like you are inviting people to fight and then making a big deal about it and breathing life into it. I see no evidence of the “Marty vs the Fundies” fight except here on this blog when you bring it up. If you opened up a Marty’s School of Progressive Scientology I would not have a problem with it being there. It actually sounds like it would be a cool place. I’m sure you could get people there. I know you probably don’t want to do that, but that is just an example of a forward, positive direction and product that I think people are looking for. I just dont know what you want with this post. Do you want people who are fighting you to come around and agree with you? Do you want a free communication and uptone interchange of ideas? I dont know if you get pissed off or feel invalidated or what but sometimes the way you handle comments and originations creates conflict and you lose people.
Dang, Marty, I didn’t get a chance to comment on the KSW entry!
Look, one of my own epiphanies even before my realization that the church itself was completely corrupt (when Karen De La Carriere came out) is that Scientology just isn’t complete. It just is not. My realizations came over time as I had several “life experiences” that were outside the Scientology scope (as it turned out).
In the mid-90’s I took some weight loss pills my cousin was pushing – and they worked. They also had Ma Huang – or Ephedra Extract – in them. Turns out, it’s speed. And as some speed users do, I was inexplicably freaking out. I mean I felt I was going crazy. It was very hard for me to function. I had no idea that the diet pills were connected.
So, I solved the mystery using skills I picked up as a Scientologist and which I used in my programming “debugging” days since, which was to spot what changed in the last few months. My stable datum was “I am clear and OT IV. There is no way I am really going crazy. So, it is something else. What?” and I asked “What changed?” – and I targeted the pills. I asked my wife about them, and she said that some people might have issues with Ma Huang – and I did an Altavista search (ah, the Internet pre-Google) and was shocked with what I saw: Story after story of people freaking out on this stuff. So I weaned myself off of it. And it was very hard.
I was and am really glad I had my training and auditing to help me through this. I was able to separate out the sensation the body was giving me of freaking out with myself and keep calm while I was coming off this stuff.
So Scientology helped me A. identify the issue and B. ride through the correction of the issue.
Scientology did not explain the issue. Why did this affect me in this way? How come I, an OT, am so attached to what the body is doing? How can what the body is ingesting affect me so terribly? Why do I, as an OT, still need this bloody thing?
This questioning was exacerbated in the mid 2000’s when I lost my step dad (an OT and Scientologist) to cancer, and my best friend (at OT and Scientologist) to a bicycle accident, within a month of each other. The assumption of what these guys should do was to go out and pick up another body, and report back. My thought was: Why? These guys are OT, they are trained. Why is it a given that they would assume a new body and grow it up and reduce their awareness to that of a baby, just to, well, what? Have a body to hold the cans? (As one of my friends told me the purpose was). Come on! Why not, now that the body is gone, just be OT? What do you really do when you die? What should you do? And when are you ready or willing to just chuck the meat popsicle and swoop around the heavens as an OT? There are no answers in Scientology. OT VIIIs are turned into hustlers in the church. Outside the church, they are figuring this shit out like the rest of us.
Add to that the incredible non-support our family got when my dad was in hospice, and that just cussing sealed it. Scientologists RUN AWAY from real pain, weakness, and real death – helping a dying friend is a real downer, man, and death is entheta, and the guy’s PTS, and anyway, he’ll just drop the body and get another anyway.
So, cussing-A Scientology is not complete. It has great data and great tools, but it is not complete, and its practitioners are generally incomplete people, and generally not compassionate or loving, and when Ron died 27 years ago, he knew it was not done (that’s why Steve P’s story at the end of Wright’s book did not surprise me.)
And now, of course, my former friends are shunning me since I say these things. Nice! These are not the actions of enlightened people following an all-inclusive, all-figured-out religion.
Mark
Mark,
I am tracking. I happen to be working on a chapter that exposes the biggest lie in Scientology that virtually all other lies can be traced back to. That is that Scientology has a definite destination. It simply is not true; and yet it is implanted with atomic branding irons.
Marty
Funny you should say that – I politely asked you a question in my comment in response to your comment. Instead of answer, here you are off to the races again. Why do I do it? I care. And I wish to help sheep evolve into human beings.
Marty, I say AMEN!!! therein lies what I see continuing in the world today from all aspects not just religion.
Yeah, science has done the same. And then super-specialization serves to further de-humanize. A lot of folks in religion, philosophy, psychology, and science agree – and they are the ones making the most effective strides of late. That is why I am suggesting an integral approach to application of Ron’s ideas for the future.
OK
Why are you suggesting that this new post is instigating or inflaming a fight?
“That is why I am suggesting an integral approach to application of Ron’s ideas for the future.”
As you also said in the “The Tao of Scientology” Video that you don’t suggest changes in the basic principles of the procedures, I appreciate your insights and integral ideas.
I read some of the books you suggested on your blog.
I also read many of the books LRH suggested through the 50’s.
I don’t know whether or not Scientology is complete just because, to be honest, I didn’t make all of it.
I heard LRH speak of many concept which are not very popular in the church of Scientology and are not emphasized very often.
However, I do not see that the current Church of Scientology is very representative of the Subject of Scientology.
Your experiences differ from mine because I was a public Scientologist and didn’t have the same scope to see what is going on on higher echelons.
Nevertheless, as I was already familiar with Buddhism and Christianity I knew that Scientology is not my only “school of wisdom”. And during my years in the church, believe it or not, I kept learning from other sources and talked to many people from different walks of life.
Integration is not easily accomplished with Scientology on a group effort basis. For single practitioners it is way easier.
For example, how would you change the training line up to integrate some new concepts?
And why at all?
If anything, the Policy should be valid that any practitioner is free to have his own religious beliefs and read whatever he likes. This was the approach from 1954 when LRH gave the lectures in phoenix and he should have stick to this premise.
With the IRS “victory” Scientology lost its ecumenical status and a “Scientologist” valence was forced more and more onto parishioners. Too bad.
I am looking forward to your suggestions regarding integration in the future.
It is the subject of my next book. In the interim, one could get a good taste of it by perusing the recommended reading list on this blog.
” I see no evidence of the “Marty vs the Fundies” fight except here on this blog when you bring it up.”
He bought up K.S.W..
It is you that = that with a fight. And that is because you have seen Marty Fair gamed here by fundies whenever the subject is bought up.
Amen!
Off-topic, but hopefully of interest. Concerning the documentary about Independent Scientology, “Scientologists At War,” to be shown on Channel 4 (UK), 9pm 17 June 2013:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/scientologists-at-war/episode-guide/series-1/episode-1
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/scientologists-at-war
Tony Ortega is covering the story – Monday on Channel 4: The Bunker Invades the UK
http://tonyortega.org/2013/06/13/this-is-your-dianetics-on-drugs-the-nitrous-engram/
Excerpt: “Monday night at 9 pm, our UK readers will get a chance to see a 1-hour documentary on Channel 4 put together by director Joseph Martin and producer Danielle Clark. The title is “Scientologists at War,” and we expect it to feature the rise of Independent Scientology that is proving to be such a challenge to the church itself. ”
Also, the blog Possibly Helpful Advice cross-posted the information previously posted to Mike’s blog: UK Channel 4 to cover disgruntled Scientologists’ gripes
http://possiblyhelpfuladvice.com/?p=13599
Excerpt: “This was stolen in substance from Mike Rinder’s blog, in the comments section of June 12’s post.
A heads-up to the Independent Scientology community. A documentary about Independent Scientology, “Scientologists At War,” is to be shown on Channel 4 (UK), 9pm 17 June 2013:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/scientologists-at-war/episode-guide/series-1/episode-1
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/scientologists-at-war
In their inimical style, Scientology Inc plants have been posting protest comments over on Channel 4’s forum located at: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/scientologists-at-war/episode-guide/series-1/episode-1 “
I think your last two posts have been great: short, sweet, plain spoken. And your answer to chritmann9: “Why do I do it? I care. And I wish to help sheep evolve into human beings.” was perfect. Lately your posts have been clearer and more powerful in their brevity. I used to read your blog out of curiosity about Scientology.Now I just reading the blog
OK.
http://www.boxinginlasvegas.com/upcomingevents.html
I have to apologize because I’m day out of PT here but I want to comment on the KSW posting.
I quaffed the kool-aide and drunkenly sang the words of the KSW song.
I was a true believer taking comfort in blind faith.
I’ve experienced it on 4 flows.
Compared to some my own misdeeds in the name of KSW might seem negligible, but from my own view of me, as myself, I am horrified that I would do to my fellows what I did. No one died and, as far as I know, no one’s life was ruined by my actions. However my harshness and, yes, vindictiveness at times, did cause upsets to individuals and groups.
Upsetting people is not a small thing. I do not wonder that I was unhappy most of the time. I do not wonder because karma is immediate, it doesn’t take years or a lifetime. People are waiting for DM to get his karma when, in fact, he is getting it every day, and he is in such bad shape that he can’t see what is eating him up. For him it will get worse and worse.
I don’t see that I need the KSW policy letter to know to learn, practice and do an action in the correct way.
I have found that it is unnecessary to shove that P/L down someone’s throat to get them to learn, practice and do an action in the correct way.
Putting a gun to someone’s head and pulling the hammer back doesn’t make him a brighter person.
All that it has accomplished is to destroy harmony (ARCU) and hinder achieving better survival.
I see that any good derived from the technology was attained in spite of the KSW policy.
Since leaving the cult I have found that that one P/L, more than any other, along with the concomitant Ethics & Justice policies and procedures, was used to invalidate, harass and suppress technical and administrative staff, but it has been used to cripple technical delivery people the most. I consider it opened the door to any psychopath that wanted to prevent any successful application of the workability of Scientology processes.
It became the open door to destruction in the hands of any 1.5 – 2.0.
It ended with people leaving, or staying and eventually becoming stupid and nervous or frightened.
The bypassed charge from all the actions taken in the name of that one policy would likely be enough to blow this little world of ours to smithereens.
I’m all for the idea of keeping what works in Scientology working. I can do that just fine.
I’m not stupid.
I also do not need, want and won’t have any sea org person – in the church or out in the Independent field and still running their SO know-best – saying s.h.i.t. to me about how Scientology should be done. The SO had it in their hands and did as they wanted and damn near destroyed the subject.
Seems they just couldn’t KSW for shit.
It is practically an automatic response mechanism. You say anything negative about K.S.W. and certain people fly on autopilot and attack. It is like putting your finger your near a reactive mind. You just Mention “Keeping Scientology Working” and people get restimulated and react.
That in itself should tell you something. It has been incorporated and aligned with the reactive mind in some people.
Marty, thanks for another relevant and thought starting post.
Now I have a question that I’m hoping you can shed some light on:
Technically speaking, is there a case or other condition that compels some folks to seek out and cling to an obvious cult and or to seek out and worship a cult founder?
Keeping Scientology Working is a marriage contract.
A lot of people think marriage vows are a religious issue. Because they are spoken in a Church. They are not. It is a VERBAL CONTRACT and it was based on land and possession control.
Women were property.
It was on the woman to pledge to “honor and obey”.
Yet, you have grown men out here, putting themselves into that same marriage vow, to honor and obey, and pledging to this verbal contract with Keeping Scientology Working.
It is a marriage vow that some men find comfort in. To honor and obey Hubbard.
Maybe they have a lot of positive track as ladies.
😛
Then again, that question is probably answered in your latest book of which we are still awaiting delivery…
Yes, interesting. I remember looking at the Grade Chart when I was a kid and thinking that I wanted to go there – OT XXII or whatever. But, yeah – the implication of a “bridge” is that it gets you from one place to another – but what do you do when you are over the bridge?
And then, a societal goal of “A Clear Planet” or a “Civilization with insanity, without criminals, and without war” is just not going to happen with Scientology as it is. The proof is – look at Scientologists now who are in the church. Are they without insanity? Without criminals? Without war?
We all know what is inside those walls, behind the barriers they put up. While I have had many Scientologist friends, I would never want to live in a world where the mores of Scientology as they have been interpreted over the last 30 years were the dominant societal mores. Another point of departure for me with Scientology was working for really professional companies after slogging through the insanity of smaller Scientologist-owned companies. It is a HUGE difference. Certainly Corporate America is no picnic and it has its own litany of evils, but my God the baseline is so much different and the ground rules are so much different between so-called “wog” companies and Scientology companies. Night and day. And yet it is the “wog” companies that are insane. Yeah, right.
From a personal destination perspective – you are never done. I mean, as soon as you are done growing you are dead. You are right – it is a lie to say there is a destination. (When I write this, I think of the Cycle of Action as written in the Fundamentals of Thought: “Create. Create-create-create. Create-counter-create. counter create. Dead”. The most frustrating thing of all is that the core, the basic philosophy of Scientology, is so spot-on).
And although Hubbard and Miscavige demand to be honored and obeyed, they themselves did not obey anybody.
When Hubbard says “They are here on the same terms as the rest of US, US, US, he includes himself in US, although he was never, ever there on the same terms as anyone else, ever. He was never part of the US.
He obeyed nobody, he did not work as a volunteer, he did not have to say “yes Sir”, he was never in a position to experience the RPF, He did not have write CSW’s, he did not have to write purchase orders, etc etc etc.
The blind side of the KSW marriages, is that think there was a US in the marriage. Between them and Hubbard.
There was never any US.
Except between Hubbard’s wives, male and female.
Exactly – to me, the only Scientology will survive at all is that each person take ownership of it, and not kowtow to, as you say, know-best assholes (well, I added the assholes part). Ron’s been dead 27 years. We screwed up the transition – and I think it was doomed to be screwed up due to the demand for remote compliance Ron had in his writings (despite teaching the evils of rote in the BC lectures).
Or maybe they have a lot of unholy track at insisting their own wives honor and obey. And the karma is just whipping them in the ass.
“I believe we are in the beginnings of the age of direct knowing.”
Looking over Maslow, I remember how popular he was with the business community in the 1960-1990 time period. He really fit in great with capitalism and the american dream. I like the idea of the movement to the age of “direct knowing” and I see it in 20-25 year olds. Maslow was, in my view, a person who was necessary in a period of philosophical transition. Like Ron Hubbard, Maslow is often viewed as “unscientific.” However, both made contributions.
I only wish Maslow had some contact with St. Francis of Assisi or a good
Jesuit.
George M . White
If you take a close look at David Miscavige, his life is ancient history.
Nothing new about it. He has only lived and conquered and re invented that theater , as an ambitious concubine that rose to power.
Lol. I like your rants Phil.
Actually, I believe that is a big myth – one that you can’t shake with an atom bomb with Scientologists – that there is a Scientology Philosophy. Scientology is a methodology, a technology. All of the ‘wisdom’ purveyed as ‘philosophy’ makes philosophy (love of wisdom, and pursuit of it) impossible and forbidden. The only ‘philosophy’ (general principles of life) in Scientology is do that which perpetuates the subject and weakens its opponents and competitors. I do little more with people, to their great satisfaction, than helping them (mostly by acting as a resource) to develop a philosophy with which to utilize whatever the fruits of their therapy was.
I think its called ‘fear.’
Thanks and I’ll note from the Tone Scale in Full-
1.3 Resentment
1.2 No Sympathy
1.15 Unexpressed Resentment
1.1 Covert Hostility
1.02 Anxiety
1.0 Fear
.98 Despair
.96Terror
.94 Numb
What a splendid emotional band to be stuck in. By the way, goes to show why you personally catch so much (B)ravo (S)ierra!
Well I’m sorry. You ain’t gonna see me getting down on my knees.
I couldn’t digest having a cross as a symbol of my group. It looked OK, but it resembled Christianity. One needed to read, to know that it’s about the 8 dynamics. I digested having it as a religion but not of the traditional kind –one without dogma, mysterious stuff, and a hell. That’s OK, I didn’t have to closely associate nor identify it with other religions. But I though what about others? What would they understand if I wore a cross or tell them about my religion? What do they know that a religion is? I think scientific people would be less hateful of the supernatural, and more open to it and not only trust their bodys senses, without religion.
Maybe it wasn’t meant to be like that with all religions, but a religion can have very destructive influence. Not only because people are asked to accept beliefs, but it tampers with sensitive stuff, such as the 8th dynamic. Just say “God” to somebody hehehehe. It may give good reads because there is a portion of truth related to it, I think. And you take that knowingness and mix it with terrifying theories such as the eternal punishment for not being very unethical…
Here is ‘very unethical’:
Ephesians 6:5-8
New International Version (NIV)
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.
Romans 13:1-3
Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.
Phil, I 100% agree!
That blows charge!
Well, maybe it is what I take away from it that I am calling a “philosophy.” I mean it as a core set of assumptions and observations upon which the technology is built. And, I recognize that what I consider to be the “core set” may be or probably is different for other people. To me, the core set of assumptions that Ron makes in Scientology is that Man is spiritual, is separate from the physical universe, and the extensions to that concept as laid out in the Scientology axioms. I consider the Logics to be a set of core assumptions that, in my opinion, lead to Study Tech and how to learn and know something. The concept that Man is basically good. The O/W theory derived from that concept. The concept of Service Facsimiles. Sure, these are technical but they are also explanations of existence and ways to align other data pertaining to life.
I’ve always had that point of view, and that is what “Scientology” means to me. All the rest – the SO, Admin, policy, ethics conditions, even KSW, are secondary to the core… to me. However, one thing that I have really begun to see over the last few years is that people can and do come up in Scientology and have a completely different set of assumptions that they call “Scientology.” To the point where “Scientology” is a totally different thing to what I consider it to be. I mean disconnection. I mean the “fact” that if you are sick you are inevitably PTS (and worse, the uncaring, mean attitude that comes with that). I mean “Make it go right” and “No case on post” and, frankly, all the lower conditions. I mean the “get tough” attitude of Ron and by extension the SO about over-boarding, chain lockers – the “philosophy” behind that. The RPF and the idea that SO members need to be locked down for months or years and labeled “DBs” and made to wear boiler suits – people who are so good, they signed a cussing billion year contract to help people – but no, these people are DBs and are “not fit” for regular SO company. I mean “Cold Chrome Steel” and Ron’s underlying idea that the world was out to get Scientology – this attitude was present in the Original Thesis, for God’s sake. There are myriad concepts that are part of Scientology that people can say are core components of its philosophy that I say is BS.
So, I agree, there is no real Scientology “philosophy” unfortunately – at least not one that was (as good a writer as he was) well articulated by Ron. But the “Patterson” branch of Scientology, well, I like that a lot! ;).
Thanks for letting me run with what you said.
Hey George, I know what you mean about the young folks out there. I have had my hand on that pulse for a while now. I am blown away by the maturity, caring, loving and non discriminatory character of these kids.
And yes Francis is one of my faves. He fought the power brokers in the Vatican and won his own movement. A little love and devotion mixed with wisdom, in my view, is the winning ticket to balance. The heart and head are actually connected lol. MIght as well use them both.
These kids alone give me hope. Just check out the smiling faces. I was there at this event. No care about race, class, gender. Just looking at them will make you smile.
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?feature=youtube_gdata_player&v=xsqug8HcaWI&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dxsqug8HcaWI%26feature%3Dyoutube_gdata_player
Bad video compression sorry
Hubbard: “But mysticism/occultism isn’t our source. Our source, actually, is magic.
Hubbard: “If you want to get real tragic, forget it was just magic.”
De rien!
Good rant Phil, enjoyed it :–) !
A new international version of the Bible? … lol.
Good Lord.
Wonderful. Here are more pearls of wisdom:
“This Book is not to be doubted…. As for the unbelievers, it is the same whether or not you forewarn them; they will not have faith. God has set a seal upon their hearts and ears; their sight is dimmed and grievous punishment awaits them.”
Quran 2:1/2:6-2:10;
“If you doubt what we have revealed to our servant, produce one chapter comparable to it. Call upon your idols to assist you, if what you say be true. But if you fail (as you are sure to fail) then guard yourselves against the Fire whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the unbelievers.
Quran 2:23-4,
“God’s curse be upon the infidels! Evil is that for which they have bartered away their souls. To deny God’s own revelation, grudging that He should reveal His bounty to whom He chooses from among His servants! They have incurred God’s most inexorable wrath. An ignominious punishment awaits the unbelievers.
Quran 2:89-2:90,
Here is a link to Acharya S. A courageous and enlightened scholar, who has exposed the main religious cult’s insanity and received their wrath.
http://truthbeknown.com/
.
There are PLENTY of people out here making what is valuable in Scientology, work to improve the lives the others. And they are doing the way way Hubbard suggested they should. And they are getting results. And they have plenty of success stories to back it up.
And it is NOT the group of fanatics that are using it to dominate others and fair game others, and generate conflict.
Brian I love your optimistic outlook and I hope you are right that “we are in the beginnings of the age of direct knowing” – but I must admit I don’t entirely share it. Poverty and injustice are drawing ever more fundamentalists into its web, which in turn justifies ever more restrictions on our freedoms information and expressions.
Theoretically the internet should be the ultimate personal empowerment tool, with individuals being able to source more or less any information they want, yet when it comes to actually effecting positive change people still need to take to the streets apparently – there isn’t any other way of being heard.
Equally – one can take a single subject upon which there is literally millions if not billions of words written and be LESS wise than before. I give an example: the subject of immunization and vaccination. There is nothing more important and precious to a parent than her/his child’s health. On the face of it immunization is a no-brainer; your child just has some jabs and they won’t contract all sorts of vicious diseases such as polio and so on. Yet it’s not quite as simple as that. There are thousands of web pages that tell you all sorts of horrific effects on the child’s developmental and cognitive abilities that may result in immunizing your child. So the parent is caught in an impossible damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don’t dilemma. And let me tell you as one who has studied this a LOT – there is NO RIGHT ANSWER. The passion of the subject makes it one where those who think they have the “right” answer are extremely pious about it. I’ve had very assertive folk on both sides of this debate trying to convince me of their rightness on the subject. Indeed my own wife has seen first hand the results of some of the apparently preventable diseases in her day job and it’s not pretty.
On a slightly different note, while idling away a few hours of boredom in Hungary a few years ago and before Cameron became Prime Minister I wrote a common-sense manifesto-come-constitution for when he did take office as I knew he would. A whole raft of simple measures that would make politicians human again to the general public and actually make the public feel more included in their “democracy” and so on. Despite numerous attempts to get it to him I don’t think to this day he’s even read it let alone acted on any of it. And I look and see the desperate trouble his party is and wonder why I even bothered.
I think I’ve wandered off your main point Brian, except that I love the idea of direct knowledge and empowerment by direct knowing – I hope you are proved more right than me.
Great post Mark – I have witnessed very similar to your observations.
Me, too!
Nice post.
It dawned on me that the RJ 67 also rides along the lines of the KSW thought process, and was indoctrinated into hard-core “policy” for Sea Org Members. [and to CMO staff, it was crammed down our theta throat with a large funnel] The last two sentences of this post mirror this:
(“It tends to become unquestioning obedience and last-ditch loyalty no matter what. It tends to produce sheep rather than men .”)
RJ 67 = « In this time and in this place, there is NO OTHER HOPE FOR MAN THAN OURSELVES. It’s a tremendous responsibility. I have borne it too long alone. YOU SHARE IT WITH ME NOW !» Ron’s Journal 67
[ now, why do I know this verbatim? → indoctrination is my guess ]
Martin I can see how pessimism seems natural. In some ways it is. I had a perception a while back that made me think that optimism was possible also. Look at desease in the world. We have more of a handle on it now. Look at Obama as prez. No matter if you love our hate him. A black man is prez.
Look at the field of child rearing. The evolution of spiritual and reasonable psychology has evolved more decent people. We have a long way to go but the field that Ron fought is now so much more sane.
Look at the internet. It has single handedly defanged to a large degree the offensive and sick twisted power of Scientology and brought down Egypt.
Another thought: generations get into a locked focus of what is bad and whatbis good. But because of the slow nature of societal evolution we tend not to see it the growth.
Eg. England was our enemy now our friend. Germany was our enemy now our friend. Japan our enemy now are friend. During the time of war it was difficult to see that saga as the past and these people as partners.
There is one good thing about bad leaders: inevitable death. The prejudices and cultural mindsets of one generation dies with that generation. And if society is slowly advancing freedom of expression with advancing self knowledge than it is enevitable that we are moving up a little higher.
It won’t happen over night and it may get more crazy here because religious and political tyrants crave power more than peace and human decency.
With each of us learning, practicing and applying our various approaches to self evolution and then teaching these to our children, the next generation will take the batton and advance society even more.
Proof: watch that video I posted. There is every race under the sun represented there. But all you see are people seeing people. I believe there is a greater force at work inherent in the fabric of the universe that is guiding us by the blueprint inherent within us. We are that. It is not outside ourselves. But itbis the same force that causes all the internal functions of the body. The same force that evolves a tiny seed into the mighty oak. We are moving forward, slowly but definitely. It may get worse, but it will get better.
That is my opinion.
The Great Middle Path. And the more of us who make it our mission to move things ahead – as ever so slight as that effort might effect the larger scheme of things – hey, maybe – just maybe – we’ll make this place a little bit better for those who follow.
The danger religions pose to free and independent thought comes from the idea that its words are inspired scripture that one can work on understanding, but not in any disagree with or move in another direction from. This is certainly true of the main monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, whose texts are thought by believers to be the revealed word of God himself. Ideas which lead in another direction were called by the Apostle Paul “false doctrines” promoted by Satan (to lead one away from the truth and salvation).
Unfortunately Scientology developed over the years to the point that Ron decided to call himself “source”, with all that word implies, with a number of “remedies” if one didn’t fully agree with or track with what he wrote. This is ironic in the sense that “early Ron” was very adamant on the right of the student to have the power of choice over data and to be able to reject data (and not to bow to authority). LRH’s feelings on this were made very clear in his early 1950’s lectures on education. But … he eventually saw himself as a prophet of a religion whose every pronouncement on any subject was to be immediately accepted and then promoted among the group as a truth.
Marty – I’m now on the chapter on cognitive dissonance (and per my kindle 71% into the book). This book is a vital read for any person who has been involved in Scientology. Besides the new data I am getting, the book is full of ideas that are giving me new food for thought and opening up different ways of looking at things (and then coming to my own conclusions – one of the activities I most enjoy and desire from reading). Already very much looking forward to the next book.
It is desperately needed. One soul at time.
Here is something that Scientologists can use to get back some perspective into their religion.
From “An Introduction to Zen Buddhism” by D.T. Suzuki:
“The object of Zen discipline consists in acquiring a new viewpoint for looking into the essence of things. If you have been in the habit of thinking logically according to the rules of dualism, rid yourself of it and you may come around somewhat to the viewpoint of Zen. You and I are supposedly living in the same world, but who can tell that the thing that we popularly call a stone that is laying before my window is the same to both of us? You and I sip a cup of tea. That act is apparently alike to us both, but who can tell what a wide gap there is subjectively between your drinking and my drinking? In your drinking there may be no Zen, while mine is brim-full of it. The reason for it is: you move in a logical circle and I am out of it. Though there is in fact nothing new in the so-called new viewpoint of Zen, the term “new” is convenient to express the Zen way of viewing the world, but its use here is a condescension on the part of Zen.
This acquiring of a new viewpoint in Zen is called satori and its verb form is satoru. Without it there is no Zen, for the life of Zen begins with the “opening of satori”. Satori may be defined as intuitive looking-into, in contradistinction to intellectual and logical understanding. Whatever the definition, satori means the unfolding of a new world hitherto unperceived in the confusion of a dualistic mind.”
Thanks for that. That result (process, actually) is what I hoped to initiate.
That’s a postulate I share with you.
Brian and Martin, sorry if this comes across a bit offensive, no offense meant. I would just like to help people unstick from the Scientoilogical and Christian victimism and the “either-or” mentality. That is exactly what Marty is doing.
The reality we are dealing with is the sum-total of all our past postulates. Whoever wants to be pessimistic now, go ahead and help create bad future for everybody and first of all for the pessimist himself and that bad future is already here for the pessimist as the result of his pessimistic postulates from yesterday. A wise use of the present time cutting edge is to postulate and envision a better reality for the future. The future starts the very next instant from now.
If you just let go and say (preferably aloud but not necessarily) “I feel good now” you’ll see how that future feels. Or say “Thank you” to God, the universe, to yourself, to other people in your life, to passers by, to everybody who took part in building the buildings and roads that you use, to cats and dogs and birds, etc., and try to feel real appreciation of what they are doing for you and see how your newly created reality feels. How much power do some politicians or DM really have over you and your eternity? They are victims of their own postulates and you are a victim of your own postulates.
LRH said somewhere “you ARE Faith.” I guarantee that he didn’t mean the immaculate conception and the Purgatory. To me, he meant that YOU create reality through YOUR postulates. You decide it is so just based on your faith that it is so and it really becomes so.
“If you have been in the habit of thinking logically according to the rules of dualism, rid yourself of it and you may come around somewhat to the viewpoint of Zen.”
” Satori may be defined as intuitive looking-into, in contradistinction to intellectual and logical understanding. ”
Yes, I so much agree. If you be logical with apparencies, you’re not going to get actuality. To as-is is to perceive it as it is, not make calculations over it, as then you add stuff over it and hinder it. It’s non confront.
I would like to reccomend a book if I may. The cultural creatives….. how 50 million peaple are changing the world. it is written by Paul H. Ray and Sherry Ruth Anderson both PHDs. I am almost finished with it and it does not mention scientology once although it does mention many other things that give us hope for the worlds future.
Thanks, Martin.
Thank you for this very inspirational post! The truth of it came through so clearly.
Wikipedia reports that there are over 41,000 Christian denominations.
“A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. Some groups included do not consider themselves a denomination (e.g., the Catholic Church considers itself the one true church and the Apostolic See, and as pre-denominational).[1] Some groups viewed by non-adherents as denominational actively resist being called a denomination and do not have any formal denominational structure, authority, or record-keeping beyond the local congregation; several groups within Restoration Movement fall into this category.
Some groups are large (e.g. Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans, Anglicans or Baptists), while others are just a few small churches, and in most cases the relative size is not evident in this list. Modern movements such as Fundamentalist Christianity, Pietism, Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism and the Holiness movement sometimes cross denominational lines, or in some cases create new denominations out of two or more continuing groups, (as is the case for many United and uniting churches, for example).”
From what I’ve seen, every currently operating group who is using scn. as their method of helping others, is it’s own denomination. We use KSW, we hate KSW, we use some of it, we use other bits of it. We use the 78 grade chart, we don’t use a grade chart at all, we use the 82 grade chart. We use Ron’s org and the Excalibur levels and Bill’s other stuff, we think that stuff is real squirrel shit and Bill was a psycho. Bla bla bla.
Then, of course, we have the little hitler who believes he’s the pope and anyone who isn’t his willing and obedient slave is an SP who needs to be damned to hell forever.
Do we use service facsimiles to make other “denominations” wrong and assert our own rightness? Do we continue with the “we are the only ones who can help” service facsimile? Do we chew eachother up and spit eachother out because of our differences? Or do we just go ahead, bite the bullet and grant eachother beingness while doing the best we can with what we’ve got from our own unique individual viewpoints to help ourselves and our fellows with what we know?
Integration is essential. No one “denomination” is going to appeal to everyone. Different publics have different needs, desires, tone leves and realities. A christian group might well take some data from Hubbard’s vast number of processes and use that data to help their group improve ethics or communication or problem solving skills. Their core belief is NOT KSW or scientology…it is everlasting life through Jesus Christ. Great, if it helps, use it. They may re-write that LRH data in their own words and claim it as their own discovery. So what? Who cares? If people are getting better, more able, saner, who cares who gets credit?
There’s a wealth of data at our fingertips which, if communicated well, without the only-one self aggrandizement and craving for recognition, can help people. Isn’t helping people the senior goal?
The world at large rejects scientology. If we’re going to use what we know to help others, we better have the guts to face that issue and without changing successful applications, purge ourselves of the unworkable and divisive elements which have created that rejection.
Integrate or disintegrate.
Les
By the way, Marty, I finished the book. Very well done. I’m going to email you backlines on it.
Correction: Now I just enjoy reading the blog.”
I was just googling on a quest to find out how come so much submissiveness/domination in my country, and I think God gave me the right refferences. I personally haven’t read any new nor earlier Bibles, just some forcefeeding at school and by other dudes that made me a good boy.
I agree Michael, completely. On the other hand sometimes it is important to come to grips with the realities that we have agreed to that have put us in a negative state. That process can at first seem pessimistic and negative, but if we process the negative out with reason, analysis etc we can get to the positive.
If a women was just raped, I wouldn’t tell her to think more positive. But once the trauma has been dealt with the next step would be healing and getting back to the positive.
But ultimately I live my life by what you say.
Chrismann, the history of Scientology has been one of enforced regimentation. This is the way to see this, this is the way to understand that, if you don’t tow the line you get punished, if you think the unthinkable unproved thought you are toast, loose family, spouse, friends and business.
There has been, and still the remnants of, thought suppression, expression suppression and make wrong make wrong make wrong.
Engaging in and unraveling this learned behavior of keep your mouth shut or else, is wonderful. I love the freedom of expression here. You guys who stayed in the Sea Org after the 80’s mind f–k have a complete right to be expressive of that supression and a complete right to express it.
Marty and others here are blowing through years and years and layers of suppression of expression, suppression of free thinking, suppression of free being. Everyone here has a damn right to their views. Everyone here has a damn right engage in disagreement.
Especially the right to denounce any thought stopping, any blaming of Marty for being something or not being something.
Don’t think like this, don’t think like that, you are not doing it the RIGHT way, you are non standard, you are a trouble maker for expressing your views.
You guys are decompressing from some dark mind numbing shit. Stripping off layers of that onion is gonna stink from time to time.
I say don’t use the perfume of denial and continue stripping.
Grasshopper, the majority, if not all of Hubbard’s info on between lives experience is being suppressed, tortured and implanted. And the highest aspiration after dying is to get another body and buy more Scientology.
It’s a creepy doctrine. He even booby traps the positive after death experiences as an implant. Ron’s trip to heaven details that it is all an implant.
At least in fundamentalist religious mythos there is reward for good or bad. In Scientology the after life is all bad, all punishment. How you lived does not matter, you will be implanted.
How the hell, no pun intented, did you guys put up so long with this BS? It is a sick doctrine.
The idea of being ‘sheep’, being ‘optimistic’ or being ‘pessimistic’…brought the following quotation to mind. I have posted this excerpt before. It’s from Ken Carey’s book (a channeled book), Return of the Bird Tribes (c) 1988.
“Your present global civilization is rooted upon premises of separation from God as flawed as any civilization that came before, but it has dynamically accelerated our education of your race. It has increased human intelligence across the board. Hundreds of thousands of you are now about to understand something that two hundred years ago we could only get through in bits and fragments to a few, isolated individuals. [optimism]
(…)
“People paying more attention to what other people tell them than to their own perception is the beginning of civilization. [sheep]
“It is the beginning of a twisting, warping influence that ultimately produces a shift in human orientation: from the internal guidance of the Great Spirit to external dominance by others.
“Civilization does not occur among healthy people. In healthy, non-historical societies, people are not concerned with other people’s fantasies. They are certainly not manipulated through externally imposed descriptions of reality.”
Well, that’s the point. One goal is to escape this endless cycle. Brian, let’s do a little thought experiment. Say for a moment that human consciousness is not the product of mindless evolution but that we are indeed spiritual in nature. There are lots of theories about how our lives fit into the cosmic scheme, but let us choose one: we are independent beings inhabiting a body. We are not a brain, we are a being. Logically that makes our existence independent of the body’s existence. The body is conceived, is born, lives, dies. We as beings are not the body. But inhabit it and allow ourselves to be influenced by it.
Now this may be wrong, but let’s say this is the way we interact with bodies. This interaction raises some questions:
Why do we not easily remember past lives?
Why should our memories be only about this life? Or really, this body’s life?
Why do we not retain our knowledge, memories, point of view after death? Or maybe more correctly, why do we discard all this and enter a new life mostly with a tabla raza?
Why should we have to?
I personally am virtually certain I have lived previous existences. I have guided other people in uncovering previous existences as an auditor – existences that when the person recalled and examined them, made their lives better. There is evidence that people – kids mostly – have recalled past lives even though they entered their current lives as helpless babies.
If we accept this independent being scenario, what could possibly make people forget all this stuff between lives? Why would anyone volunteer to forget all this? Especially all their skills and capabilities?
Some people could voluntarily forget but not all. Something made them forget.
But, if you believe we are all accidents of evolution with one life to live, well all this is meaningless. As is existence.