Related posts:
Graduating Scientology (What We Do: Part Two)
What We Do: Part Three
Ability
In my estimation one of L. Ron Hubbard’s most important contributions to spiritual psychotherapy was his guided approach to witnessing. The Scientology Grades were for the most part developed in Ron’s attempt to build a smoother, more sure-fire route to ‘Clear’, which he defined as the ‘unrepressed, self-determined’ state of being that is not continuing to unwittingly create his or her own mental barriers. Engram running of the early fifties was a grinding, messy affair. Notwithstanding ample claims otherwise in Scientology publications and lectures, the results were inconsistent and many times catastrophic. Fifteen years of experimentation and research led to the introduction of the Grade Chart. It was the culmination of years of research on how to achieve ‘Clear’ more rapidly and certainly than with the uncertain, hit-and-miss Dianetics engram running method.
As Ron developed each Scientology grade, along the line he claimed that each, individually, was the answer to attaining Clear, quite independent of one another. For example, Grade 0 is the Communication grade. The book that serves as the backbone of Grade 0 technology – and the auditing (communication) process itself – is called Dianetics 55! The book explains the entire universe within the sole construct of communication. It posits that if one were perfectly ‘cleared’ on the subject of communication one would have no ‘case’ (the cumulative aberration of an individual) and thus would not only be Clear, but also OT (Operating Thetan, later ‘higher’ postulated state of being).
It is the same for Grade 1 (problems), Grade 2 (hostilities and sufferings), Grade 3 (change), and Grade 4 (fixed conditions and ability to do new things). The statement of those goals, intentions, and results at each Grade were memorialized in his lectures along the way. And at every level you can find Ron postulating – in fact, stating as factual certainty in his own inimitable style – that that grade is the answer to Clear and beyond.
During much of that research period Ron included a caveat about each of those levels being the answer in and of itself. That is, that if an auditor were addressing the recipient-client from the perspective and with the intention of improving ability his postulated Clear and beyond could and would occur. Addressing ability was starkly in contrast to the approach in Dianetics, which attacked disabilities. This is well covered in the Ability Congress lectures. There, Ron pronounces as ‘law’ that if an auditor approaches a client with the attitude of improving ability, he will get more ability. If he focuses on addressing disability, he will cause more disability.
As was most often the case in the history of Dianetics and Scientology research, the survival considerations of fighting enemies and having the wherewithal to do so and carry on affected the ability or willingness to test out the hypotheses and claims Ron made along the way. It was a fast-moving train constantly receiving and firing volleys, while attempting to lay ever-more instant and consistent track. Critics of Scientology and Hubbard will give more nefarious, ill-intentioned reasons for that omission of testing. The reason why is of little import, because regardless of causation, the fact remains.
Along the way, the once stable foundation of the priority of addressing ability as opposed to disability was lost. I have found through 35 years of practice that this loss was fatal. Focusing on disability results in a never-ending ‘bridge’ requiring cult-like devotion and ultimately creating regression. Focusing on ability brings greater ability and determinism. There is one thing that perhaps best distinguishes how we practice from others we are aware of. Our first stable foundation is that we audit and train toward ability.
Moving On Up a Little Higher 
The Beginner’s Guide To L. Ron Hubbard
This is the story of Hardeep Singh Kohli discovering the philosophy of Scientology outside the official church traveling to Russia in his pursuit of knowledge experiencing Scientology first hand. Includes never before filmed footage of actual auditing taking place.
Totally spot on. Making more ability.
Unfortunately, as you say, most times, the chaff overwhelmed the wheat. The gains and abilities to be had from the grades and auditing in Clearing are nothing short of miraculous.
IMO, when one goes to be “more” than a well and happy homo novis (the illustrious and individuated “OT”), they hit against their own postulates (and other things such as the introversion of 3-5-7 etc.) and end up in major 1D and 7D Stops. These failed purposes and stops (as from the OT Orgs PL) – aka chaff, become the mire that is now organized $cn on almost all the Dynamics.
I remember once seeing a poster way back in the 60’s: “If it isn’t fun, it isn’t Scientology.” I could never find this in any LRH writings after that, but it still rings true to me today 🙂
Ability and gains (and stable states 🙂 = FUN!
P.S. This is the one thing (Fun, as-isness) that NONE of the naysayers get or write about (L Wright, J Reitman, Tony O etc. etc.). Because they’ve never experienced true as-isness. They’re still looking for “things!” As the saying goes: “Nothing is forever.” 🙂
I do believe that Miscavige focuses on other’s ability also – as a target to be destroyed wherever possible.
More to the point of your post though, I think your acute analysis of the tech and its history is exactly what is needed to solve what is a conundrum for so many of us. How is it that the enormous potential we saw in Scientology, with its strong emphasis on workability, has gone largely unrealized? And worse, has actually led to an organization in which participation is more of a liability than a benefit?
Marty,
Could you give an example or two of how you have seen the two approaches work out in real life auditing or training?
You could not be more correct. In reading your post, I realized that the old OT levels were all about ability, while the new ones are all about disability. No wonder the people on them looks so squashed.
Approach toward disability: Scientology taken as the total package it insists it be taken as inside and outside of the church.
Approach toward ability: https://markrathbun.wordpress.com/2013/07/11/the-rest-of-the-story/
That is why I originally came was for the ability then the church got in the way and my ability to get money was now a disability. I am at present hooking up with an independant autior for the resumption of ability processing at a resonable rate and if a disability drops away then so be it. Thanks Marty for the article. Bill Dupree
Sorry about the typo it was supposed to be auditor helping me out. Bill
I am grateful for all of the treason, illusion, abuse, disappointment, struggle, set backs, out tech, wrong indications, suppression, invalidation, injustice, scammers, people who traded humanity for “duty” and a wad of cash.
Whatever has been re stimulated, I have been able to address and handle. It has come to my attention that I needed a “bridge” within the “bridge”.
I am announcing myself now as a “Scientology Life Repair” product. I have done a “LIfe Repair” as a “Scientologist”.
Yes, I know things will not get worse within this Scientology arena. For ME. I know I have been teetering on the edge of watching the whole activity “go down in smoke” under the guidance of David Miscavige (and those in his valence). They have their own future to face and live in. (I won’t be in it by the way)
For me though, I do not have to wake up every morning and wonder if MY adventures in Scientology, the culture, the people, will get worse. It will not.
I am recommending for everyone who has been set up for continuous losses in this arena, to arrange to get a “Scientology Life Repair”.
Then, there is a “Scientology Grade Zero”, where you can take the rags that have been stuffed down your mouth to keep you from communicating out, and you can get through a
Scientology Grade Zero”. and so on, until you do the bridge you need to do in the Scientology adventure, so you can get back on the MAIN bridge and return to your goals you originally started out with when you reached for your first Scientology service.
The SAME BRIDGE that was there to pull you out of the mess from the world you knew before Scientology, can be used to heal your Scientology experience.
Thanks to all who helped and suppressed! It has all been GOOOOOOOOOOOOD!
Special Thanks to Marty, Mike, Karen and all of those that made a 3D Scientology grade zero POSSIBLE!
WE CAN WORK IT OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
T.O.
And thanks to Trey, for listening, caring, and being there. THIS is the MAGIC that holds the POWER! Thanks for the POWER!!!!!!!!!!! I’m feeling the POWER! The POWER of LOVE!
And now that you mention “Ability”, I want to acknowledge you Marty for establishing a safe place for people to start from, who are not compelled to dramatize “ETHNIC CLEANSING GOALS”. Where part of “the group” involves censored communication and aims at “We all think alike, work alike, see alike, feel alike, look alike, talk alike, agree alike” goals.
This was HUGE! Perhaps we are the FIRST group of beings to be able to live Independently and FUNCTION as associated terminals, being ourselves with our hearts on the table, and watching IT WORK!
And taking more responsibility in life, for our lives and for others, than being a copy stamp of some “standard” which we ourselves are not permitted any authorship over!
Go TO 🙂
You be the sooth man. Thanks….
Any perceived disability is a pretense, a lie, a denial of one’s True SELF. If the focus is on disabilities then that which is unreal is being validated and perpetuated. What one puts their attention on they get. So, it makes good sense to put attention on abilities in order to realize abilities. That said, I believe that abilities are just shadows of a Soul’s real strength. I think that a Soul’s true function is simply to know, love and create. And the ability to perceive is an intrusion on this function as perception is inherently judgmental. After all, what value or meaning does any ability have unless it can be compared within a group? Aren’t abilities beliefs based on the fallacy of scarcity? Like the old saying goes….”nobody has none of an ability and nobody has all of it.” Abilities are relative. I really don’t think that the Soul’s functions are. I suspect that the functions of the Soul are an absolute.
Really like the post Marty!
This contradiction between emphasis of ability and processing disability has had me confused on the tech for ages. If all is to be equally important you end up with A=A=A. At least I did. I could never put my finger on exactly what bothered me. I think you have. Thanks.
When I started “looking” in the Internet, one of the first mysteries I cleared up was what OT3 was all about. I was completely surprised. From what I had understood from the PDCs, I thought it would be about training a theta clear (=ability). No, it was about negative gain. Just thinking about doing that for years, all the way up to 7 and perhaps beyond, makes me feel tired 😉
The magnitude of the maxim “you get what you put your attention on” got lost, I guess. I’m glad you care, and I wish you guys the best of success and fun that life has to offer you while auditing people toward ability 😀
Marty, do you think the OT levels focus on disability? And if so, how would you handle the factors that are handled on those levels in a way that does not focus on disability but on ability? Or do you think a Clear already has that ability?
My answer is the original post. I suggest you ask yourself the questions you asked me and then re-read the post.
Thanks again Marty.
Was attempting to use Pay Pal for a ‘dono’ this month and I’m so blown out from you & Moseys classes, I gotta send a check snail mail.
Passwords? Past words……
Nice wins we are all having = more freed attention units~ thx
Cece
Have been following Marty and the Independent community for some time now, and I never cease to be surprised and enthused at the insight and desire for progress of those I read. Recently, in my observations and introspections, I have noticed a few details which may be helpful to some. As to positive vs. negative gain, an individual must unburden himself of some of the load he has accumulated before picking up the gold which is right at his feet. A structured means of doing this is necessary to accomplish this on a broad scale.You have to peel back a bit of the curtain before you can get a glimpse of the sunlight. Ron did his best to devise a workable system for doing this, an effort which dwarfed the touted work of Newton. But, as he knew, the system wasn’t perfect or complete. There were a few built-in defects. Long term force feeding of data will produce robotic thinking. He also realized that it is unworkable to have someone read 2 paragraphs of an important principal and go out for 2 weeks and observe life until the principal is observed and certainty is achieved. Ron would have a student learn a principal and process, audit that process until proficient, then learn another………etc. This done in concert with reading books to gain a complete understanding. The newest policy of finishing the basic books and lectures before doing Div. 4 (advanced) coursed is a direct and blatant breach of the letter and spirit of Study Tech and is an intentional harmful act. But back to ability vs. neg. gain. Thanks to the Ind. Scientologists, there a few auditors with the experience and insight, and are unencumbered by enforced rigid thinking that can reconize when a PC has a bit of mass that needs to be confronted now. When a PC/Pre OT has grown fixated on the mest bank and the time is correct to do positive processing, and when he is missing an important concept that needs to be studied. A full blown research initiative, Ron style, is sorely needed NOW. A team of 4 or 5 Cl.6,8s and 12s with a group of 10-15 auditors and 20-30 PCs, Pre-OTs could in a short time find the little holes in the Bridge, weed out a few errors in direction and make it smooth and fun for all. I would be willing to work full time for a project like this. Come-on Marty, whatdoya say? Lets get this party started. I have a few more specific observations, but that’s for another time. Thanks Mark
That was a good suggestion! I think the answer would be parallel to Ron’s change in his approach to Clear, and the change in even the definition of Clear. In the beginning the goal was to erase all engrams, and in the end it became an ability to be at cause over such phenomena. With the OT levels (I’m thinking specifically of the NOTs levels), instead of handling all of the particular phenomena addressed, the goal might be for the pc to gain an ability to be able to handle those phenomena, or to be cause over them rather than effect of them.
“Our accent, from the first, should have been upon ability.
“Thus, Dianetics was not really the modem science of mental health, but was (and I think all of us understood this basically) the Modem Science of Ability, for I have never had a preclear who did not hope, through processing, for other than to gain new ability or to regain his old. He was not there to be processed out of his psychosomatic ills and
aberration.”
[“Accent on Ability – NEW TREND TAKES FORM”, Dec. 1954]
Marty,
A very good essay. But still I’m confused. I used this principle 100% in raising my kids and I’m still in awe about their Beingness, Doingness and Havingness in life. They already achieved 10 x more in their lives, then I ever will, and they are living it as an adventure, with commlines and real caring friends around the globe, never ending job opportunities and at any time with new surprises about what they decided to do next ! They, all three have in common that they don’t have a real Life purpose (this was so upsetting for me as a Scientologist). They don’t know what they’ll do in some years. They just say “I don’t know” and one day they come up with a new dream and live for it until achieved and then dream up a new thing, which is in a total different direction. For us a as parents it’s amazing and lots of joy of what they come up next !
A daughter which was a national Kickbox Champion, was refused assist auditing by a C/S in a class 4 Org, after a friend killed himself and she was crying for days, because the EO meant the mental practice they did just before the fights was another practice ! As a consequence she flunked an exam which was the last real chance to be accepted at the elite university she was intending to study.
She was a wreck then, but didn’t give up, also we continued to support her, and I totally got rid of the Idea to get her into the the Org to handle her. I knew they wouldn’t.
Very fast she smiled again and had found 2-3 different solutions to solve the problem. She decided to tackle the toughest one, which was to take the test for foreign students (the same test that Einstein had to do at the same university after he flunked) and this test was 2×3 more difficult as the 2 she flunked ! And she had only 3 months left to prepare. My son assessed her Knowledge (he graduated there) and meant the only solution would be to learn day and night, do nothing else then learning and then she would have a tiny chance !
She went into her room and was learning 3 months through, just leaving shortly for some exercise, Her room was a big mess, dirty and smelly and one couldn’t talk to her, just misemotions. She went to the exam and passed and was accepted ! She didn’t start with the studies instantly, but went on a bike tour, riding her bike from Mexico to South America (over 8000 miles) and living a great adventure in the mountains, Jungle, deserts and at the sea. Now she’s a successful student and starts her master soon !
I come more and more to the conclusion that to produce clears and OTs doesn’t need a bridge, but that 80% of it is achieved by the education and raising of those personalities.
I would say that all my kids have their grades in and are acting as clear and ots in their lifes without having had any auditing. That’s quite strange for me !
They have abilities I dreamt of getting on the bridge and I never got. But I learn a lot from them ! I’m so happy now that each time we brought one of our kids onto church line, there was big trouble, as they never would conform and we as parents gave up !
The only tech we were using was child Dianetics (is a bible for me) which I heard wasn’t written by LRH but a psychologist,preventive dianetics, Love, arc triangle and some good judgement !
And always let them find out what their abilities are and never compare themselves to others but to their dreams !
I always thought the tech we we’re using was pure Scientology, I’m no more so certain !
And I ask myself how do you want to apply this principle (emphasis on abilities) on adults or even ex Scientologist, which can be quite more complex, as each individual is very different and can’t be put in a frame or onto the only one route. They are different beings and each one needs a different approach.
You got lots of work to do and Im curious about the outcome ! 🙂
Because you got to produce real life results that can be measured !
Where are all those great artists, politicians, opinion leaders, scientists, authors, geniuses that LRH promised to produce ?
80% of the work is done with education in their youth !
Re: auditing toward ability.
Over the years, I’ve found these two issues pretty interesting, especially since I had done the “old” positive gain OT 4-7 in the 70’s and just loved them at the time. These issues split up the subjects of Dian and Scien a bit more clearly. I’m guessing NOTS too would fall under the umbrella of “Dianetics” (for OTs that is). I’d say anyone interested should look up and read the entire issues. Much more there in depth.
Makes sense to me. YMMV. Here are some excerpts:
———————————————————————-
HCOB 22 APRIL 1969
DIANETICS vs SCIENTOLOGY
“Dianetics is Dianetics and Scientology is Scientology.”
“Dianetics addresses the body. Scientology addresses the thetan.”
“Thus Dianetics is used to knock out and erase illnesses, unwanted sensations, misemotion, somatics, pain, etc. Scientology and its grades are never used for such things.
Scientology is used to increase spiritual freedom, intelligence, ability, to produce immortality.
To mix the two has been a very bad error.”
“Used within their own areas they both each one separately achieves that for which it was intended. Dianetics can make a well body, Scientology can make a recovered thetan.”
———————————————————————-
HCOB 22 APRIL 1969 Issue II
SOMATICS AND OTS
“Scientology = thetan rehabilitation.
Dianetics = body improvement.
All Dianeticists and Scientologists, all pcs and pre OTs should be informed of this.”
“Using Scn to help the body and Dianetics to help the thetan is a mix of practices and the misuse of both.”
“The thetan, scales, ARC, exteriorization, ability, freedom, the grades, clearing, and OT levels are the sole province of Scientology.
Earlier writings tend to overlap and intermingle the two subjects.”
———————————————————————-
Yes, and the path, taken literally as it insists it must be, decidedly prohibits you from achieving just that.
I think I’ve had pretty much all the same thoughts, but you expressed them so well and comprehensively.
One thing you wrote was this: “As to positive vs. negative gain, an individual must unburden himself of some of the load he has accumulated before picking up the gold which is right at his feet. A structured means of doing this is necessary to accomplish this on a broad scale.”
I would just add that, as you know, Ron also had a primary goal of developing a structure to fit all cases. The tech he developed may have fallen short of that goal but, at least up to a certain point in time, the exceptions were a small percentage, from what I’ve been able to discern.
In any case, the most significant thing about having this structure is that not everybody is a Marty and has the capability to get consistently good results with a pc without a good, set structure. I was always interested in the mind but when I took Psychology 101 in college my conclusion was that there was no real structure there to be followed, and I decided that one would have to almost be like God to divine the problems and solutions for a given person (literally my thought).
That was the first and last class I took in psychology! I do know, however, that the various psychology practices have greatly improved since then. Actually,I wouldn’t doubt that the influence of Scientology had a lot to do with that. In fact, fairly recently I read an article on the Internet by some religious scholar (couldn’t find it again just now) who stated that Scientology may in fact have begun the human potential movement, although I imagine it would be difficult if not impossible to ever prove that. Nevertheless, I imagine it was a factor and probably a big one.
p.s. The great idea you originated is worth repeating:
“A full blown research initiative, Ron style, is sorely needed NOW. A team of 4 or 5 Cl.6,8s and 12s with a group of 10-15 auditors and 20-30 PCs, Pre-OTs could in a short time find the little holes in the Bridge, weed out a few errors in direction and make it smooth and fun for all.”
“The only tech we were using was child Dianetics (is a bible for me) which I heard wasn’t written by LRH but a psychologist,”
Name please or “DOX” as Anonymous would say
Here’s the first part of a fascinating article I just found that relates Scientology to the Human Potential Movement:
“HUBBARD’S LADDER By Tom Joyce (used with permission) From Gnosis No. 12 (Summer 1989)
“Scientology is perceived by the public as a cult, and its founder, Lafayette Ronald Hubbard, as the Howard Hughes of New Age religion. Psychological academia has never taken the subject seriously as a science, nor has the clerical community given the structure credence as a religion. Even esotericists veer sharply away, considering it beneath their intellectual dignity. But despite its discomforting eccentricities, the Scientological paradigm is worth more than a cursory glance by any serious student of the Western spiritual tradition. Its roots are firmly planted in the fertile gardens of both Eastern and Western philosophy and its influence has diffused irrevocably into the groundwater of the contemporary Human Potential Movement.
“Scientology’s contribution to 20th century esotericism is analogous to Theosophy’s contribution in the last century. Just as Madam Blavatsky’s “secret doctrine” engendered numerous progeny, so did Hubbard’s methodology provide raw material for Frederick Perls’ Gestalt therapy, Jack Horner’s Eductivism, Alexander Everett’s Mind Dynamics, Werner Erhard’s est, Stuart Emery’s Lifespring, Paul Twichell’s Eckankar, Lewis Bostwick’s Berkeley Psychic Institute, Irene Mumford’s Dianasis, John Galusha’s Idenics, and Frank Gerbode’s Metapsychology, as well as countless lesser lights. Either directly or obliquely, it is probable that no other methodology has had more profound an influence on New Age thought than Hubbard’s…”
http://www.larabell.org/ladder.html
Scientology – L.Ron Hubbard RJ 67
If you could find a tool so that I post a vid in it and than onley audio would go through that would be a real win with some of the posts where onley the audio is wanted
It’s shocking how much you have evolved. I wasn’t expecting such a transformation from you given how deep you were in.
Patronizing comment is patronizing but i am sure in your mind you ment it well.
Ah here you are, sorry for being a bit mean in words
There is a point in addressing an inability to regain an ability as all disabilities are ultimately self installed. Removing the self installed disability, returns ability. The difference lies in the manner in which the disability is addressed. When it is addressed from the viewpoint as being self created, the benefit is tremendous, Sometimes need to get the effect on oneself (horrible things done to me) out of the way first to be able to address the created effects on self and others. This is not however the method currently used by the CoS and those Independents you have adroitly described creating their own mini version of the CoS on the outside.
Both as a young kid and as an older kid (up to late teens) I was an avid reader of comic books. I had piles of comic books stacked around my room and I had assigned them value of no small magnitude. The primary subject matter of these comic books were the stories of superheros with super-powers (super powers = super abilities) overcoming super-evil villains with super-evil powers. But not all my superheros existed in comic books. Some were on TV. For example, there was this little mouse with super powers. He was called Mighty Mouse and whenever he arrived on the scene, the day was saved. Saved, of course, from the deeds of the evil villains he encountered. Then, on a show called Captain Kangaroo, there was this kid by the name of Tom Terrific and his dog Manfred. Now Tom didn’t really have super powers perse but he was incredibly smart. And, it was his being super smart that allowed him to be a superhero and solve all manner of terrible problems that were happening to people and the environment. And Popeye! Can’t forget Popeye. Just a can full of spinach was all it took for Popeye to gain super abilities and save the damsel in distress – his sweetie, Olive Oil. Finally, another prominent superhero in my life (albeit, I had a ridge on the guy back then) who had no comic book telling his stories nor was he making any personal appearances on any TV shows, was this guy that lived a couple of thousand years ago. His name was Jesus the Christ. Jesus was a superhero that had all kinds of superpowers and he fought some very evil villains. So here is what made up my mythos and it was a mythos that greatly influenced my choices in life.
When the path I was travelling intercepted one of the paths (routes onto the bridge) that LRH had established, and as I came to know him….he soon became my new superhero. But he was not a superhuman. He was a superthetan only passing as being human. LRH and his super organization called The Church of Scientology were battling the evil of the planet being led by the horrible and dreaded PSYCHES. Wow! it was if I had walked into a sci-fi novel that was not a novel but was very real. Not only was I invited to join this superhero LRH and his org in the battle for ultimate freedom from evil, I was also told that I too could become a superhero with super powers just like LRH. I too could become OT. This was better than any comic book story or TV show. It was even better than Jesus. This was a kid’s dream come true! I was going to get to be a superhero with superpowers and using my superpowers I would fight evil and save the day! My mythos had totally set me up and prepared me for this. Fascinating.
……………..
On another note…this just occurred to me. In SC the OTs are a secret society. But even more secret, it seemed, was upper mgmt. After one reached the state of Clear, SC became a secret and mysterious society complete with its own hierarchy. It was a secret society that one had to first be invited into, then pass through a vetting process and finally, pay large sums of money to enter and even larger sums of money to continue moving up the hierarchy. Furthermore, once “in” one was owned and controlled by the society to do the bidding of the society. Also, once ‘in’, one was not permitted to ever leave. To leave meant eternal damnation i.e., forever trapped in the illusion, the MEST Universe, aka – the Neverwas universe. But, none of that mattered as this was the only place where one could get his or her inherent super powers back.
How about a soundtrack to go with this story…..hmmm….this is the best I can do on such short notice.
An aspect of my reading Marty’s blogs and all the wonderful and profound comments that are contributed to his posts that I find to be the most rewarding is what gets pushed up from within for me to inspect. I am always surprised at the comments I find myself making.
I know of one OT who I think would put it the same way – that a literal interpretation isn’t the isness. Rather, he thinks the phenomena are the person’s own creations – old viewpoints he once created..
Happy to see such insight and enthusiasm. I am especially curious to know how Lurker has been doing this last 20-30 yrs. Not to often I get to communicate with an orig. OT-7.
I have recently seen and put together some aspects of the body thetan problem. I have to start with a few things that many of you know but may not have realized its relative value. Hopefully it will not be redacted due to restim.
The quick version: Originally there was Theta, life, God, infinity, the force. Call it what you will. There was nothing else nor had there ever been. Then there was the idea to be, to continue. Then create. But what?
Maybe some points, over there. AND THAT WAS THE FIRST LIE. THAT’S NOT ME. Denial of self, of identity, of beingness. Remember, you are the only thing that exists and everything you imagine or pretend to create IS YOU…Not a part or a piece of you but you in full. Every part of infinity is infinite and infinity itself.
Then there was motion, energy. Moving stuff around, but that got boring, no randomity, like controlling every aspect of a dream. So you thought, hey, I’ll let some stuff go, let it move around on its own and see what happens. AND THAT WAS THE SECOND BIG LIE. I DIDN’T DO THAT. Denial of responsibility, of cause. But still, there was nothing wrong with that. There was nothing wrong with anything, you are still the only thing that exists in actuality. It was all new and fun. Then, and this took some practice, you wanted something that would move on its own, with intention. And thus, began individuality. But wait, you, the infinity are still, in actuality, the only thing that really exists. It took a long time and a lot of practice to learn to put up barriers within yourself so that you could pretend that the right hand didn’t know what the left hand was doing.
I once heard that pan-determinism is the ability to play both sides of chess without cheating. How about 100 or 1000 games where no player knew what the other was doing. It took a lot of work to put up all those imagined and pretended barriers within yourself. It was quite an accomplishment, and a lot of fun. But there were a few built in defects that wouldn’t be fully realized for a very long time. And it would still be OK if you hadn’t forgotten.
But now that you are a sole and single individual, you are yourself, fully and completely, 100%. That need not be lost. But you are also the universe and everyone else, 100%. You are both. No need to be overwhelmed, you are still yourself.
ARC: Affinity can be likened to distance, desired or actual. Perfect affinity is zero distance, the same location in space. Perfect reality, agreement, is seeing from the same viewpoint, the same location. Perfect comm.is instant duplication over, again, no distance. Perfect ARC is being the other person. Not ‘connected’ or ‘a part of’, but the same in actuality. Going back to native state.
Body thetans: When you realize and give up the obsession to carry recordings around with you everywhere you go, it is a great relief, to say the least. But that’s just a start. There are stuck ideas, opinions, purposes, considerations and confusions to deal with which make up the basis of your case. To be free of your own forgotten thoughts, you have to look at some of them and realize why you got them. But newly freed of toting these memories around, you re-create them rather than just knowing. And then comes trouble. There’s a bunch of other guys hanging around with lots of pictures and it’s hard to tell which are yours and which are theirs. A great deal of trouble can come from being overwhelmed by a lot of other banks cascading down on you.
Now you can confront these guys and groups and handle them one at a time, and some of this is necessary, but at some point, to fully handle this you must fully and completely see this: that these stuck, unwanted,enforced comm lines are created and held in place by you. Hell, they were invented and pretended by you and are really just imagined in the zero-infinity of theta. Seeing that it was your denial of causation and beingness that led you to invent distance. But reading and agreeing with this doesn’t instantly make you a Solo-Nots completion. You have to see and know for yourself when and why you thought this up to become cause and command over it. To fully understand your precise relationship with Theta. Then you can be fully and completely free of the OT-3 / Solo NOTs case
But, it’s just a thought, a nice story. Ron would be disappointed if we don’t continue his. Thanks, Mark
Thanks, Marty, for the venue. This last paper was inspired by Ken Ogger, The Pilot, and points out my relationship with theta in a way I haven’t seen anywhere else. It ties directly with my next paper on affinity in assists and auditing. How to get the magic back that was promised. Mark
Scientology may have influenced psychology, but what influenced Scientology? Perhaps Carl Rogers has a lot to do with that.
It is also interesting to look at writings from around 1850-1920 and see familiar concepts of the mind and soul, influenced in some part by Western thought giving its own understanding of Eastern thought in a Western setting.
See Thomas Troward’s “Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science”, for example: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/10390/10390-h/10390-h.htm
Or writings by Ralph Waldo Emmerson or Charles Haanel. I find it interesting to see how ideas on the mind and spirit were around, and may have been picked up and developed further by LRH. But other people will have picked up those ideas too and developed them further, and thus we have the New Thought Movement.
Essentially, we are all moving toward greater ability. The more successful routes remain (by success I don’t just mean the end result but also how easy it is to replicate).
Excellent essay, MarkR.
“Originally there was Theta, life, God, infinity, the force. Call it what you will. There was nothing else nor had there ever been.”
I had that cog while on (my first and last) LSD trip in 1967. It’s what led me to Scientology 6 months later. When I saw that first axiom, “Life is basically a Static”, it made perfect sense.
Colby, I agree, he evolved fast. I think it goes to show how cooped up he must have for all those years. There is no denying the man is quite bright, able to read a fast page, able to piece together a puzzle in record time, and had his heart in the right place all along. The dots he is connecting and subject matter he is weaving together is very valuable. There are a lot of immediate and long term benefits from the writings he is doing.
Great post! Great tune! Spot on with the “Secret Societies”. Even Sea Org Members were not allowed to know where the Int Base was! The secrecy factor has reversed itself in an odd way. Now the staff are not allowed to read papers, books or the Internet, so the world beyond the Sea Org has become a “secret society”. I think one reason people do not leave is because they do not know what is out here. It is the same as people who will not enter the Church, because they do not know what is in there.
Oh you got me ! For years I’d this idea, don’t know where it came from !
But here an interesting excerpt of Child Dianetics :
“Child Behavior Norms: Many noted psychologists have presented their interpretations
of what normal behavior is, at the various age levels, and there are numerous reference
books on child behavior patterns available at any library. In them you will find what is
considered normal behavior for your children at various ages. Your group will acquire
much excellent information by studying these behavior patterns – and then testing the
use of Dianetics for handling the rather touchy areas in the child’s development.”
And the book was a compilation of technical staffs from his lectures !
My appoligies for posting random comments that do not have anything to do with the subjectmatter at hand.
CD
RVY published a list of contributors (including psychologists) acked by LRH in the first edition. See http://bit.ly/16gWkz6
So, Marty, my fine young friend, I see you are up to your old tricks again. Writing about the Church of Scientology are we? Oh my! Most interesting don’t you think? 🙂
I am just kidding. 🙂 I just stopped by Marty to say hi. 🙂
This was one of the things that drove me nuts. Or the introversion to find a disability. Constant review of what someone else thought was wrong with me! Never-ending evals, review-auditing, CCRD’s, DCSI’s, ad nauseum. Talk about wrong indicators, wrong items, out-this, out-that!
In 1977 after reading DMSMH I knew I was clear. I was sent to CCLA, I got auditing, and despite no Dianetic auditing, I was able to re-created a bank until total boredom set in and I stated I’m clear!
Then when at Flag, I was there to do the L’s. I went to the DoP and was told I’ve have to do another DCSI and two intensives. I told the DoP to send my folders to the L’s HGC. I walked in and said I am not doing one more intensive, or one more DCSI or any other process before doing the L’s, period. I was immediately routed onto L 11.
In between the DoP interviews, I walked around Flag, totally exterior, and knew it was going to be my way or the highway! I was total cause, and I knew if I was going to do OT processes I’d simply have to BE OT.
What’s occurred since being removed from the cult mentality is the following:
* our (my husband and my) stats soared shortly after we left Scientology
* we re-connected with friends we’d disconnected from and made amends
* we did the same with our families, and we talked about the cult environment within Scn. and our responsibility for disconnecting from them, and the reason our son is still disconnected from us
* we seldom get sick. As I child I never got sick!
* prior to Scn I’d never had surgery, after Scn I had two ectopic (tubal) pregnancies, hence never had children
* we been happier and more in comm than ever before
And, the rest is history.
Thanks, Marty!
To clarify my statements that I’ve never had children, and our son has disconnected from us: Eric is my husband’s biological son, and I’ve helped raise him since he was 18 months old. He is now 36. I got him involved with Scn and introduced him to the Feshback’s, who got him to join staff, over our objections.
I have to admit that one of the reasons why I became a Scientologist was that dream of super-powers inspired by Science Fiction books.
In those days (early eighties), OT powers were presented as real and I did believe it. I was dreaming of teleportation, telekinesis, remote healing, telepathy, exteriorisation with full perceptions, perfect past lives recall, etc
There were between lives implant stations on Venus and Mars, and the purpose of Scientology was to fight these extra terrestrial entities who were running the implant stations and were responsible for the between lives amnesia.
The events of Saint-Hill UK were giving details about how people from Mars were directly influencing the history of mankind, for example by taking over the bodies of politicians (the names of kings were given, but I don’t remember who).
So I believed that the OT levels were about this battle, especially as Pre-OTs were telling me that the OT levels were anything I could dream of.
Moreover, according to the advertising, OT5 did reveal the ultimate secrets of this universe.
Thus I was disappointed when I discovered later that the OT levels had no relationship with the between lives area, that there were no super-powers yet, that the ultimate secrets of this universe were not revealed.
I still have many dreams, but super-powers are no more part of the picture.
I’ve had whole track recalls, I’ve met last life timers and had bits of “OT abilities” show themselves in myself and others. Perhaps I’m working on a longer time frame. Working 2 or 3 lifetimes to get in good shape seems a breeze compared to 10 lives as a poor dirt farmer, no offense to farming, or clearing forest by hand or digging roads with a pick. That’s just recently. Don’t settle. Life can be fun and you can be able. Just take your own case by the reigns and settle in for the long haul. Take over Ron’s hat for yourself and get busy. Personal energy is free. Splurge on it. With ARC, Mark
Thanks for your input!
In your opinion, are the scn OT levels worth the attempt?
Yes, the OT levels are worth it, easily and by far. And I’m afraid I must be a little harsh here, not to you but to some others. Those who had a bad experience with incompetent auditors and C/Ss or regs or the downturn in church ethics, been slapped around or even robbed by the church, are a bunch of bitchie little girls. (No offense to women) I’d rather fight with DM every day or even run around a pole for a week rather than get locked in a can for a few millennium or polish the third row of bricks for who knows how long. And I’ve done both and didn’t like it. Try walking behind a stubborn mule for 40 years, a few times. Especially Clears and OTs. Got a little by-passed charged, ARC broken with the C/S, overrun, feel like you are under a ton of bricks? Push a few to the side, slide out and get a repair. There are several competent OT repair auditors in the Ind. field. OCD and can’t leave the house or earn a paycheck? Download Ken Ogger’s System and work on that for a couple of years. Do Self Analysis for a couple hundred hours. Read 10 or 20 recently suggested books and papers and HCOBs. Then go out and see for yourself exactly which pieces of data are true for you with certainty. Reach down, grab your b,,,s, and take responsibility for your own case. Hell, at least get some cognitions on evil purposes from recent events. Mid NOTs and stalled? Come to present time. Take a walk, meet some nice people, there are lots of them. You’ve just barely scratched the surface. Let me say this twice. Your search for the things that will resolve your case are the bulk of the bridge. I saw, some time ago, that OT-15 is only capable of and intended to get you started, to boost you to the point where you can get the show on the road. Finding the bridge is your real bridge. What are you going to be doing 1 or 2 or 23,417 years from now. Dust yourself off and DO something, NOW, this afternoon. Thanks, it will be a pleasure working with you all, now and in the future. Mark Your thoughts are desired and appreciated.
Hi Letting go. I just posted a reply to rainbodhi with a link to an article that I think you would appreciate too as it directly relates to your comments above about the various schools of thought influencing one another. The article, written by a former Scientologist, is a scholarly look at what influenced LRH’s thinking, and also what influence Scientology had on the Human Potential Movement that came about in the years that followed. Here again is the link: http://www.larabell.org/ladder.html
Btw, I think the writer, Tom Joyce, has a very good grasp of the subject of Scientology itself and does a great job describing the phases of its development. It might be of benefit to you as regards a point you made earlier about the contradictions in Scientology. Hope it helps! 🙂
Marildi, thank you so much for bringing that article forth. I still have that original issue. Bought and read it when it first came out. I thought it was a great article. Especially for someone decompressing and trying to get their head straight and not feel that they just left the Holy Grail of Spirituality. Made many copies and distributed them at the time. Gnosis magazine was a great source of information on many disciplines and paths. I was sorry to see it go out of business. All Back issues can still be bought through; http://www.gnosismagazine.com/. Jay Kinney, the editor, also published a good book on Freemasonry, though it was for general consumption and did not go very deep into the esoteric meanings.
Hiram, thanks for acknowledging. It was really interesting to read about the various religions, philosophies and methodologies that Scientology is rooted in, all the way up to Freud. I also thought the author, Tom Joyce, did a great job of describing Scientology itself. Here’s an interesting paragraph:
“In the textbook which accompanied the Philadelphia lectures, he outlined his basic concepts of human nature and relationship to the universe. Hubbard’s cosmology defined life as a “static” which he called theta. Rather than the classic equilibrium of forces, this static represents a zero-condition of pure potential. Theta, he postulated, is capable of creating motion; the ensuing kinetic condition is energy condensing in space through time to become matter. The interplay between theta and its creation results in the activity of life and life forms. Thus, “thetan” […] became his shorthand for a life form with unlimited potential.”
I wished there had not been the ellipsis in that last sentence. If you have that article and that missing part isn’t too long, would you mind quoting it?
Joyce also did a pretty good job of describing LRH’s personal flaws, but it surprised me when he went so far as to refer to him as a “mad genius”, and wrote the following:
“His eventual abdication of responsibility for the juggernaut he had created led to an enormous ARC-break with those who loved him for his genius and could have helped him surmount his madness.”
Also, I was’t sure what he meant by “abdication of responsibility”, unless he was alluding to LRH being off the lines in the later years, However, Marty made it clear in his recent book that LRH very much wanted to be on the lines but the legal circumstances at the time didn’t permit it.
“Focusing on disability results in a never-ending ‘bridge’ requiring cult-like devotion and ultimately creating regression. Focusing on ability brings greater ability and determinism. There is one thing that perhaps best distinguishes how we practice from others we are aware of. Our first stable foundation is that we audit and train toward ability.” Marty, what a clean, distilled down clear summation of it all you gave. I love this.
MarkR, another thing that could be added to the list of “ways to find your bridge” is participating in discussions such as the ones on Marty’s blog. (Actually, I don’t know of a better blog for enlightening discussion, especially because of the broad spectrum of data and viewpoints, but it depends on the individual as to what “suits” him or her.) Personally, I’ve found interaction with others much more appealing than “solo study” or solo anything. I figure it’s the ARC factor, which I think is extremely significant.
Marildi, I agree that the author, Tom Joyce, did a good job. And by abdicating responsibility I think he meant off the lines, or hands off,as well. But legal woes aside, I think that LRH had could have had any organizational policy changed. All he had to do was breath the command to a messenger to end disconnection, cut prices in half, or what have you, and it would have been done. Perhaps he didn’t or couldnt see anything wrong. Maybee he wasnt happy with what he saw, but it was his creation. And he couldn’t bring himself to backtrack or be wrong. So he did nothing.
Also, you asked me to fill in the brackets in the article; Thus, “thetan” […] became his shorthand for a life form with unlimited potential.” Well, I found the original issue, the pages were ripped out. I must have done that to make the copies I mentioned. I have to find the folder I put them in. So far, no luck. But when I find it, I will let you know if the original had anything more. I do urge anyone to read the whole article you posted. It was a great read in 89. Its even better today as more and more have “graduated” scn and the “tech” is being put in context by more and more of those who understand it and also have the ability and wisdom to understand other systems as well. Marty being a prime example.
Hiram,from reliable sources (including Marty) who were there during the period when LRH was off the lines, all his incoming and outgoing comm was via DM. And Marty makes it clear in his latest book that the comm was either completely stopped by DM or altered by him – he didn’t even allow comm between LRH and Mary Sue. This isn’t to say that LRH made no mistakes – obviously, he made some big ones, at least in the short run.
It would be cool if you did find the original article and fill in the ellipsis on that sentence. It was poor editing at best to end up with a sentence that looks like Joyce was saying thetan referred to a “life form”, regardless of the addition he made to that of “with unlimited potential”. It would be even worse if that was in fact Joyce’s interpretation, which I doubt since in general he did such a good job in his interpretation of Scientology otherwise, IMO. And I agree with you that he did a great job of putting Scientology in context with other major religious and non-religious schools of thought.
However, he wrote a few things that I thought were unfair and showed a bias on his part. For example:
“Technically, he broke his own cardinal rule of non-evaluation…WHAT TO AUDIT [later titled HISTORY OF MAN], published in 1952 was an astonishing collection of psychotic ‘space opera’ scenarios which Hubbard claimed were incidents common to all of humanity.”
First of all, he presumptuously labels the book as “psychotic”, and secondly, he leaves out some important points LRH made in that very book:
“All incidents in this volume should be detected and audited with the assistance of an E-meter. If it were not for the E-meter these incidents would have remained undetected except in the haziest state. Without an E-meter, they cannot be audited with security or even safety for the preclear…”
“In SCIENTOLOGY 8-8008, we have seen that creative processing is far superior to any other type of processing. Creative processing does not address the facsimiles as such, it breaks agreement on the power of the facsimiles. In order to audit a preclear however, one should have a very good acquaintance with what the facsimiles contain. If he has this information, it is relatively simple for him to give the preclear ‘mockups’ which approximate the material in facsimiles without telling the preclear why such mock-ups are being given to him; the facsimiles yet will themselves desensitize.” (HOM)
In any case, the most significant point, I would say, is that this was just one stage in LRH’s research.
Marildi, I have never been an LRH basher. But I don’t think that LRH was so removed or trusting of DM that he was unable to cause any effects in the years between 82 and 86. He had the Broekers there as well. People can believe or accent it any way they want. But I will find that article and check that sentence for you. Overall, Tom Joyce’s article provided context for scientology. It was very helpful to me at the time, just as the truth rundown or this blog is for many today. It created a liberating effect. Debating the technical points is beyond my ability or interest. But I again thank you for bringing that article into the discussion.
Thank you
Well I am glad it sounds a bit in step with socïety, the better part of socïety it at least.
Hiram, thanks so much for telling me your thoughts as regards what people “can believe or accent” about LRH’s actions in the years he was in seclusion. You opened my eyes to the fact that he could and should have been smart enough not to rely so completely on one or even a few terminals. He could easily have requested that certain others be sent to talk to him directly, especially his own wife. I am certainly not an LRH basher either, but now that you bring this point to my attention it does seem clear that either his case or his ethics was out, or maybe both – thus proving by negative example his own principles. And this was the kind of irony that Joyce pointed out.
Also, I so agree with you that the context for Scientology that Joyce provided is by far the most important thing about his article as it puts Scientology in perspective and, as you say, it is liberating. And thanks for your willingness to look for the article and find the missing words. If it turns out to be a big endeavor, don’t worry about it because it isn’t actually that big a deal. I just find it interesting how others who have done a thorough study interpret the principles of Scientology, especially the basic ones, as I think it is yet another source of “perspective”. 🙂
Yes mairildi, going out and seeing and gaining certainty on what you cognite in session is probably the biggest part of the bridge. Outside (the auditing or course room) drills were few and valuable. Orig. OT-1 is a good example where you went out and looked at people. Thanks MarkR
PS For every datum you learn (digital) there is an infinite amount of understanding (analog) between each digit.
I like that PS. Understanding – ARC – can expand indefinitely. 🙂
A VERY important concept, almost lost in today’s teachings. Study for 2-3-4 yrs. then do an internship? A mistake.
Hi Marildi. I found the original pages. In the brackets is the word “theta”, in italics, with a small letter “n” at the end. This is all that’s there in the bracket, and was simply intented to show where the term thetan had its origin. Nothing more than that. The pages were found in a box they did not belong in, waiting for you to instigate their rediscovery. Thanks.
Yes, Ron stated that specifically with regard to internships, and in other ways too – even on the Study Tapes with respect to getting hands-on experience in any field, rather than having long periods of theory study without much if any actual application.
There’s quite a long list of the wise principles LRH put forth. Btw, I’m glad you’re here, MarkR. 🙂
Hi Marildi. I reread the Tom Joyce article today, and noticed that in addition to the missing word theta, there was a whole paragraph on OT!!! deleted in the online version. I have it in the original article. I am not going to post it here. If you want to provide me an e-mail address to send it to, I will. Either directly in the blog or through the moderator.
Hi Hiram. Thank you – mystery handled. And I’m glad you found the missing pages to your valuable collection. Nothing like a little synchronicity sometimes. You get the credit, for being a nice guy. 🙂
Hi Marty. I’m on the last couple chapters of your excellent book. You wrote the following:
“Even years later, after attaining the highest spiritual states and levels of training in Scientology, I would finally conclude the secrets were in conflict, in fundamental ways, with the very axioms that form the philosophy’s foundation.”
Is there any blog post or whatever where you have taken this subject up and gone into specifics? If so, please direct me to it as I’m very interested.
p.s. I’ve read on the Internet about all the OT levels.
What is Wrong With Scientology? treats it in more detail.
Thank you so much. I just reviewed the chapter “OT Levels”. It answered my question beautifully! You wrote: “…corporate Scientologists’ adherence to such strongly held BELIEFS [my caps] defeats the entire purpose the subject was created to achieve.” That says it in a nutshell, but just to give your book a very deserved plug, here is the ability gained which you brilliantly described:
“Whatever construct one wishes to use in order to describe the phenomena the solo auditor so addresses is of little import. What is of greater importance is that the solo auditor finds that through practice he can perceive, reach by intention, and communicate telepathically across distance. By extensive practice and processes, the solo auditor’s theta perceptions (sixth sense and beyond) are discovered and improved. The solo auditor who stays with it begins to experience perceptions and abilities in what he discovers is a universe distinct from the physical – the spiritual or theta universe. The theta universe contains no matter, energy space or time as we commonly know such. If the solo auditor keeps at it, he increases his ability to communicate and convey intention telepathically to others, and to perceive intention and non-verbal communication from others as well. If one moves up from Clear, in the manner I earlier noted Hubbard advised – by ‘practice increases general reality’ in life – he will see with greater regularity that what is occurring in the solo auditing session extends to his perceptions and abilities in life.”
Bless you, Marty!
Hiram, I would appreciate that! Here’s my email address: marildi @ hushmail,me
Oops. I typed a comma by mistake. Should be marildi @ hushmail.me (without any spaces, of course).
Something anybody having had interest in scientology should read about the true abilities original OT Levels can bring:
http://pierreethier.wordpress.com/2013/08/23/fad-and-fallacies-in-the-name-of-the-ot-levels-in-scientolog/#comment-395