Reference: The Book of Scientology
Identity versus Individuality
Please see the original section at the link above.
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Summary
Hubbard says, “The most common confusion on the part of a preclear is between himself as an identified object and his beingness.” Hubbard makes a distinction between identity and individuality. Hubbard talks about individuality as the person’s “own identity” but he never explains what it is. He relies on each individual’s subjective feelings about it.
The truth is that there is oneness of awareness, which Hubbard calls theta. The beingness starts when the theta identifies itself with a unique set of postulates. That is the birth of a thetan.
Therefore, a thetan starts with identification with certain postulates. This is his “own identity” or native beingness. This beingness then acquires more layers of identifications. In this process it condenses and becomes more “solid.” This is called thetan’s identity. Thus, an identity is a more condensed beingness. The person is not aware of any of these identifications. He only has a subjective sense of “I”. He associates this “I” with his ability to be cause.
So Hubbard makes a false distinction between identity and individuality. An identity is more condensed individuality.
Hubbard recognizes the body as an identity. This is the case of a person thinking that he is the body. Hubbard has processes that resolve this identity, and the person realizes that he is not the body. This has a great therapeutic value. But this is not the end of identifications. There are still identifications called valences and misconceptions. Ultimately, the person becomes aware of the identification, which generated the individuality of thetan, and he dissolves into pure awareness. This is the nirvana of Buddhism. But Hubbard doesn’t go there.
Hubbard thinks that individuality of the thetan is permanent. In his philosophy, a person is basically an immortal thetan. The dissolution of this individuality is not possible. Any attempt to dissolve a thetan is a “control mechanism.” He thinks that the nirvana of Buddhism is one such “control mechanism,” which makes the person believe that he has merged with the rest of the universe.
In Hubbard’s philosophy, the ideal scene is to build the capability of the thetan (individuality) to a point that he can create and maintain his own universe. This universe is separate from the MEST universe. In his own universe, the thetan has the power of becoming anything he wishes.
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Comments
A person is born and acquires a beingness made of identifications with postulates, impressions and conclusions. This beingness is an identity that provides a discrete individuality to the person. This beingness is natural except for the elements of fixations in it.
A common fixation is on the body, which makes the person think that he is the body. This fixation can easily be removed, and the person realizes that he can now operate more freely without his attention fixated on his body.
A deeper fixation is on the self, which makes the person think that he is eternal. He doesn’t have a clear idea of what this self is, except that it makes him different from others. This fixation can also be removed making the person realize that he is the awareness itself with the ability to postulate. He can now operate freely without his attention fixated on a postulate.
Hubbard’s phobia of the MEST universe comes from a confusion between “consistency” (a lack of contradiction) and “fixation.” Consistency is natural. It is the criterion in the scientific method. It is the conviction that God is one. But fixation leads to blind agreement, bias and prejudice. The error in Scientology is the fixation on self.
The ideal scene is to operate with freedom to adjust one’s postulates to attain greater continuity, consistency and harmony of oneness. This is the nirvana of Buddhism.
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