Category Archives: Scientology

SCN 8-8008: Universes

May 13, 2019 – 10:00 AM

Reference: The Book of Scientology

Universes

Please see the original section at the link above.

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Summary

Hubbard defines universe as a “whole system of created things,” and believes in the existence of many universes; but this generates an anomaly. Many universes can be defined together as a “whole system of created things” or an overall universe. The same anomaly exists with the multiverses theory in physics. The universe is correctly defined by its etymology that emphasizes the property of oneness. There is only one universe, where oneness is defined as continuity, consistency and harmony.

Hubbard differentiates the physical universe of matter, energy, space and time from the thought universe of the thetan. Hubbard does not see that thought is a substance that condenses into energy. He also does not see that thetan is the identification of theta with thought. Hubbard’s very concept of thetan comes from his fixation on self.

The thought and MEST universes do not behave in a similar manner, because as the substance condenses from thought to energy and matter, the laws also change. To Hubbard, the thought universe a person’s own universe in which he controls everything. But he is surrounded by a MEST universe that he does not control, and which is quite overwhelming.

High operating level is when one is operating without fixation. To operate, one obviously uses forces across the spectrum of thought, energy and matter. The forces in the universe may appear to be gigantic, crude and brutal from the viewpoint of the humans, but they always follow the laws of nature. According to nature, the forces are continuous, consistent and harmonious; but misunderstanding may cause anomalies. However, the anomalies can be resolved and the forces can be harnessed. 

Hubbard says, “In the MEST universe ethics seem to be a liability.” Obviously, the laws of the MEST do not cover ethics. Ethics lies in the domain of the thought universe. As far as energy and matter go, science has been doing a great job of resolving the anomalies. The focus needs to be on resolving the anomalies in the thought universe. 

Hubbard’s solution is that a person should strengthen his own thought universe as a “solution” to the problem of the MEST universe. This requires asserting one’s own will to overcome “agreements” with the MEST universe. Thus he recommends Creative processing that helps overcome the mental conditioning due to continuous contact with the MEST universe. He also recommends rehabilitating one’s ability to perceive present time in order to overcome the fear of the MEST universe.

According to Hubbard, the primary process to rehabilitate one’s own universe is to exercise the ability to postulate. 

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Comments

Hubbard is correct in establishing that the primary process is to exercise the ability to postulate. However, he does not go into detail other than outlining some exercises. 

A postulate is a creative thought, which brings oneness to existing data. It helps us fill holes in our understanding of what is there. For example, “The speed of light is a universal constant,” is a famous postulate made by Einstein that helped explain the concept of space and time. This helped us understand many phenomena that were puzzling before.

A postulate is not something formed arbitrarily. It is a well-thought out form and meaning given to perceived sensations that leads to the resolution of anomalies in our thinking. This is the very quality that makes a postulate self-evident. Thus it becomes possible to use the postulates as the basis for further reasoning and prediction.

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By vinaire | Comments (0)

SCN 8-8008: Beingness, Doingness, Havingness

May 8, 2019 – 6:23 PM

Reference: The Book of Scientology

Beingness, Doingness & Havingness

Please see the original section at the link above.

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Summary

The tone scale deals with beingness as thetan. Beyond the tone scale there is simply theta as the ability to postulate and become aware. The individuality (as thetan) comes about when there is identification of theta (awareness) with postulates (thought). Now there is a tone scale. 

At the top of the tone scale, the identification occurs in passing and it is never permanent. As fixation enters the picture, the beingness starts to acquire a permanence and descends down the tone scale. Thus we get the tone-scale of affinity.

The ideal state of beingness occurs at the top of tone scale that contains no fixation. But Hubbard postulates a fixation when he considers the thetan to be eternal. When a person believes that he is, or has, a soul that lives forever, he is fixated on self in some manner. This fixation makes him subject to the laws of MEST. 

Hubbard’s Scientology addresses the fixation of the body; but it disregards the fixation on self. In fact, Scientology ends up reinforcing the fixation on self. Hubbard ends up railing against the MEST universe, without ever resolving it because of his own fixation on self.

Viewpoint comes about with the postulation of dimension points. In other words, all knowingness comes about through postulation only. How the postulation occurs in the first place is unknowable. When a beingness is postulated and made the source of postulates, we have an identification of the viewpoint with the dimension point. This is the beginning of self. Fixation comes about as the self starts to think itself to be permanent.

This fixation starts to resolve as one starts to see that the postulates have a oneness of continuity, consistency and harmony. Any violation of oneness cuts across the sense of ultimate freedom. A postulate cannot stand alone arbitrarily, such as, the idea of an eternal thetan. The ultimate freedom shall consist of the freedom to have or not have a beingness.

Doingness naturally accompanies beinginess. Doingness is the changing of dimension points. At the level of thought, doingness means reasoning. At the level of energy, doingness means communicating. And, at the level of matter, doingness means working and moving physical objects around.  

Havingness naturally accompanies doingness. Havingness is the resulting arrangement of dimension points. At the level of thought, havingness means arriving at a conclusion. At the level of energy, havingness means arriving at an understanding. And, at the level of matter, havingness means having the fruits of one’s labor.  

Havingness is the goal that is aimed at. At the accomplishment of the goal the doingness ceases. Therefore, some stability and duration is associated with havingness. Here the concept of time becomes very obvious. Hubbard considers time to be an arbitrary, but, like everything else, time derives its value from the equation of oneness.

Where the doingness towards a certain havingness is forcefully interrupted, we have a ridge that lasts until it is resolved. This is a fixation of attention, which is different from a satisfied sense of havingness. All human aberrations result from the fixation of attention and not from havingness.

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Comments

To postulate is to generate thought that has substance, extents and duration. The extents are seen as space and the duration is seen as time. Hubbard erroneously believes that space exists by itself without substance. 

Furthermore, to have beingness is to identify with postulates. Hubbard erroneously believes that the beingness exists by itself without postulates or thought.

Such anomalous beliefs come about when a person thinks he knows when he doesn’t. This is the case with Scientology, It pretends to know when it doesn’t. This is because Scientology lacks the concept of the Unknowable.

How the postulates come about, we don’t know. Because all that we know is through postulates only.

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By vinaire | Comments (2)

SCN 8-8008: Identity versus Individuality

May 7, 2019 – 9:44 PM

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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SCN 8-8008: Affinity, Communication and Reality

May 7, 2019 – 10:35 AM

Reference: The Book of Scientology

Affinity, Communication and Reality

Please see the original section at the link above.

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Summary

Hubbard relates beingness to space, but beingness starts as the awareness of basic postulates. When the awareness identifies itself with those postulates, we have a beingness that is subject to the laws of MEST. This beingness is actually what Hubbard refers to as “thetan”. Because of this identification, a thetan is not aware of the postulates that have brought him into being. 

Hubbard describes the tone scale as a gradient scale from space to matter. But the tone scale appears to be a scale of thought identification (beingness).  It parallels a scale of energy identification (doingness), and a scale of matter identification (havingness).

The thought identification increases as the tone scale is descended. This results in the condensation of the beingness of the thetan. At the top of this tone scale, the identification with thought is minimal. At the bottom of the tone scale, this identification is total, and the thetan dramatizes his thoughts in a stimulus-response manner without knowing.

Hubbard describes the ARC triangle of Scientology. ARC stands for Affinity, Reality and Communication. Affinity is the range of human emotions that manifest themselves as flows, dispersals and ridges. The emotion expresses itself as energetic action, which, as the scale is descended, condenses into enthusiasm, conservatism, boredom, antagonism, anger, covert hostility, fear, grief, apathy and death. This affinity is displayed in human relationships.

The level of affinity of a person shows up in his communication. Communication is an interchange of thought from one beingness to another. The communication could be joyous and uplifting, or it could be just doom and gloom and quite depressing. If a person’s level of affinity is low, it shows in his communication that tends to put others down.

Reality is established by the person’s ability to perceive. The perception of a person is poor if his level of affinity is low. An angry person has a very poor reality. Hubbard says, “Reality is established by agreement or disagreement or no opinion.” But agreement or disagreement arises because of similarity or difference in realities. No opinion comes from not engaging in comparison.

Hubbard blames the MEST universe for the condition of thetan. The simple fact is that the aberrations of a person are caused by thought identifications. Such identification fixates the person’s attention, much like what happens under hypnotism. To Hubbard, the thetan’s reality on his own universe has become poor, because he is hypnotized by the MEST universe. Hubbard’s approach in processing is, therefore, to disagree with the reality of the MEST universe, instead of understanding the laws of nature better. Hubbard’s approach thus differs from the scientific method of observing and resolving anomalies.

You can understand a person by looking at his chronic emotion, the words coming out of his mouth, and how he deals with others. This is because on the same level, the affinity, communication and reality correspond to each other. A person’s range of tone’s is limited when his attention is fixed on his body. However, that range expands when his attention is no longer fixed on the body.

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Comments

The above summary presents a new interpretation of the concept of thetan. Thetan is the beingness that comes about when awareness is identified with certain postulates. With this identification the beingness becomes subject to the laws of MEST that apply to thought.

Hubbard expresses these laws as the correspondence of affinity, reality and communication, which control the “cause” attribute of the thetan. But if this identification as thetan is not there, then the law that applies is the principle of Oneness. This is the law of continuity, consistency and harmony that applies to all thought, energy and matter, and determines how they behave. Oneness points to the arbitrariness of the idea of the permanence of thetan. 

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SCN 8-8008: Matter

May 6, 2019 – 10:05 AM

Reference: The Book of Scientology

Matter

Please see the original section at the link above.

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Summary

The following observation of Hubbard is simply brilliant: 

“Matter is a condensation of energy. The more energy condenses, the less space it occupies and the greater its endurance becomes. A flow of energy has a brief duration. Flows of energy meeting and causing ridges obtain greater solidity and longer duration.

“The solidification of matter is found to be itself duration or time. Energy becomes matter if condensed. Matter becomes energy if dispersed.”

In processing, the freer-flowing and more instantaneous forms of substance, which is energy, are labelled “action”; and, and the more solid and enduring forms of substance, which is matter, are labelled “having.” In order to “have” something, proper effort in terms of “action” is required.

The “action” and “having” requires postulation of thought from a point of awareness, or viewpoint. The thought then leads to action and having.

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Comments

It is a great insight of Hubbard to see matter as a condensation of energy, and how this condensation also condenses the space and time, which represent the dimension and duration of energy and matter. The ridges caused by energy are the beginning of matter.

Hubbard sees space as independent of substance, but this is not so. Thought has thought-space, energy has energy-space and matter has matter-space. Matter is not floating in a void. Matter is floating in energy-space; and energy is floating in thought-space.

The human viewpoint is limited in its ability to see things as they are, and so it makes errors.

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