Category Archives: Self-Improvement

These are exercises that one may apply to oneself to improve.

OT 1948: Aberrations

April 8, 2019 – 6:49 AM
Reference: DIANETICS: The Original Thesis

This paper presents Chapter 6 from the book DIANETICS: THE ORIGINAL THESIS by L. RON HUBBARD. The contents are from the original publication of this book by The Hubbard Dianetic Foundation, Inc. (1948).

The paragraphs of the original material (in black) are accompanied by brief comments (in color) based on the present understanding.  Feedback on these comments is appreciated.

The heading below is linked to the original materials.

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Aberrations

All aberrations of any kind are of precisely the same nature (as covered in the last chapter). It is the content of the engram which causes the aberration and forms its nature. Complexity amongst engramic contents may demonstrate a most complex aberration.

All aberrations are caused by the same mechanism of formation of the engramic node.

The various commands contained in the engrams, reactivating and modifying the basic dynamic command of the mind, produce abnormal characteristics in the behavior of the analytical mind, which are chronic or sporadic as the engrams occasioning them are restimulated. An entire concept of existence may be built from engramic content. Conflicts in the commands contained in engrams and conflicts between the basic drive and the engramic contents combine into behavior patterns.

The words contained in the painful experience act like hypnotic commands.

When the organism has become so impeded that it can no longer influence or command its environment, it can be considered to be insane in that environment. Change of environment may relieve the condition or, more certainly, the exhaustion of the content of the reactive mind will restore the ability of the analytical mind to solve the problems with which it is confronted.

Insanity comes about when the mental matrix is seriously compromised by these commands.

Whatever the engramic content of the reactive mind and its potential influence upon the behavior of the individual, it does not necessarily follow that the reactive mind need be chronically restimulated. However, when the reactive mind has been restimulated consistently, the analytical mind, called upon to solve the problems around and through antagonistic and incorrect data, may be unable to perform its task. In the absence of disease or injury, any mind not in a physiological amnesia state may be restored to normal function by the removal of the reactive mind. It should be noted however that this is modified by the fact that people who have received insulin shocks, prefrontal lobotomies, electric shocks and other treatments are regarded as equivocal and are temporarily classed with disease cases for lack of adequate observation in this stage of the experimental research.

Aberration may be reduced by minimizing the triggers in the environment. Aberration may be eliminated by assimilating the contents of the engramic node into the mental matrix.

People can be regarded as rational or irrational only insofar as they react in their customary environment. But any person in possession of a reactive mind is an unknown quantity until that reactive mind has been examined.

There are several factors contained in the engrams in the reactive mind which most certainly tend toward aberration. These include engramic commands which derange the time sense of the individual and thus apparently destroy his time track and engrams which contain restimulators of such timelessness and such perceptic content remain thereafter continually with the individual and seem to arrest him or regress him in time. Engrams containing commands which make the individual chronically unable to conceive differences are especially harmful since these tend to compare everything to engramic value and thus cause the individual to arrive at a chronic state of engramic thinking.

The space and time sense of the individual is affected by the engramic node.

The mind resolves problems related to survival, utilizing its ability to conceive similarities and observe differences.

Engrams which destroy or tend to hold in suspension the analytical mind’s ability to conceive associations most influence the apparent intelligence of the mind. But engrams which tend, by their command content, to destroy the mind’s ability to conceive differences may produce severe aberration.

The drive and intelligence of the individual is also affected by the engramic node.

EXAMPLE: “All men are alike,” received as powerful engramic content would tend to compare and associate every man with those men contained in the reactive mind as painful and dangerous.

An aberration may attain any form of complexion. As a rough analogy: a compulsion may be conceived to be an engramic command that the organism must do something; a repression is a command that the organism must not do something; a neurosis is an emotional state containing conflicts and emotional data inhibiting the abilities or welfare of the individual; and a psychosis is a conflict of commands which seriously reduce the individual’s ability to solve his problems in his environment to a point where he cannot adjust some vital phase of his environmental needs.

These aberrations may be classified as compulsions, repressions, neuroses, and psychoses, but the underlying mechanism is the same.

All this variety of manifestation of aberration is occasioned by the pain-enforced commands or contents of engrams.

Physical aberrations are occasioned by engrams when they are not the result of injury or disease; even then, the aspect may be improved by the exhaustion of the reactive mind of the sick individual. The engram cannot manifest itself as a mental aberration without also manifesting itself to some degree as somatic aberration. Removal of the somatic content of engrams which is also necessary to obtain any other relief, can and does occasion glandular readjustment, cellular inhibition and other physiological corrections.

Both mental and physical aberrations have the same source.

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Final Comments

KEY WORDS: Hypnosis, Shock

Psychology is trying to classify aberrations; but if all aberrations are caused by the same mechanism, then we simply have to understand that mechanism and resolve it.

All aberrations are caused by the formation of engramic nodes that are the result of painful experiences. At the core of each experience is a “shock”. Handling starts with discovering this shock and bringing it fully into awareness.

Next would be bringing into awareness the whole painful experience, which caused the shock. This may be aided by observing the aberration, guessing the content of the painful experience and using it to jog the person’s recall of the actual experience.

The work is harder when very little awareness exists in the person. Here the existing environment could be activating the aberration to an intense degree. A change in environment may definitely help. A calm, natural and uplifting environment may bring a person to a condition where he can recall the shock and painful experience.

The engramic node may be fully discharged by getting more details about other similar experiences, and finding and discussing inconsistencies due to aberrations until they are resolved.

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By vinaire | Also posted in Dianetics | Comments (0)

OT 1948: The Dynamics

March 30, 2019 – 8:43 PM
Reference: DIANETICS: The Original Thesis

This paper presents Chapter 4 from the book DIANETICS: THE ORIGINAL THESIS by L. RON HUBBARD. The contents are from the original publication of this book by The Hubbard Dianetic Foundation, Inc. (1948).

The paragraphs of the original material (in black) are accompanied by brief comments (in color) based on the present understanding.  Feedback on these comments is appreciated.

The heading below is linked to the original materials.

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The Dynamics

The basic dynamic, SURVIVE, increases in complexity as the complexity of the organism evolves. Energy may be considered to have taken many paths through eternity to arrive intact at the infinite goal. The “why” of the goal may lie above the finite line but below it, demarked by the word SURVIVE, definite manifestations are visible. Energy collects into various forms of matter which collect and aggregate in various materials and compounds. Life evolves from the simplest basic into complex forms since evolutionary change is in itself a method of survival.

Beyond immediate survival there is long-term evolution. This is the visible goal.

Conflict amongst species and individuals within the species is additionally a survival factor. Affinity of individuals for groups, races, and the whole of its species, and for other species, is additionally a survival factor, as strong as or stronger than conflict.

There are trials and errors, the resolution of which leads to evolution.

Drive is defined as the dynamic thrust through time toward the attainment of the goal. Survive is considered to be the lowest common denominator of all energy efforts and all forms. It can then be subdivided specifically into several drive lines as applicable to each form or species. The unaberrated self contains eight main drives which are held in common with man.

The dynamics are: One, self; Two, sex; Three, group; Four, mankind; Five, life; Six, the physical universe; Seven, thought; Eight, universal thought or infinity.

The dynamic is the drive toward evolution. It may be subdivided into drives of self, family (sex), group, mankind, life, physical universe, thought universe and universe as a whole.

An entire philosophy can be built around each one of these dynamics which will account for all the actions of an individual. Any one of these philosophies is so complete that it can be logically made to include the other seven. In other words, all purpose of an individual can be rationalized into the dynamic of self. A philosophy exists which attempts to rationalize everything into the sexual dynamic, and so on with all the dynamics. Observing that each one can stand as a logical unity, one finds it necessary to retire to the lowest common denominator of the basic dynamic which actually does explain the eight subdivisions. As each one of the subdivisions is capable of supporting the whole weight of a rational argument, it can readily be deduced that each is of nearly equal importance in the individual. The aberrated conditions of a society tend to vary the stress on these dynamics, making first one and then another the keynote of the society.

The primary consideration is the universal survival and evolution. Other survival considerations follow in the order of importance as: thought universe, physical universe, life, mankind, group, family (sex) and self.

In an unaberrated individual or society, the validity of all eight would be recognized.

The unaberrated individual may physiologically possess or environmentally stress one or more of these dynamics above the others. In terms of basic personality, the physiological-environmental-educational aspect of the individual is of varied strength in the eight dynamics.

A cleared individual shall be totally objective in his viewpoint. It takes the universal viewpoint to be objective.

Each one of the eight dynamics breaks further into purposes which are specific and complex. Purposes and other factors entangle these dynamics, and varying situations and the observational power of the individual may conflict one of these dynamics against another within the individual himself. This is a basic complex factor of unaberrated personality.

Dynamics help one to narrow down the situation so it can be resolved.

I. THE DYNAMIC OF SELF consists of the dynamic thrust to survive as an individual, to obtain pleasure as an individual, and to avoid pain. It covers the general field of food, clothing and shelter, personal ambition, and general individual purpose.

The Dynamic of Self is the most complex dynamic because the concerns of all other dynamics are concentrated here. The ultimate pleasure comes from resolving situations and engaging in activities that help survive and evolve.

II. THE DYNAMIC OF SEX embraces the procreation of progeny, the care of that progeny, and the securing for that progeny of better survival conditions and abilities in the future.

On Dynamic of Sex one interacts with the opposite sex for procreation, one then takes care of children and future. Therefore, it would include understanding of others and general education.

III. THE DYNAMIC OF GROUP embraces the various units of the species man, such as the association, the military company, the people in the surrounding countryside, the nation and the race. It is characterized by activity on the part of the individual to obtain and maintain the survival of the group of which he is a part.

On Dynamic of Group there is a whole gradient from smaller to larger groups. The cooperation within groups aids survival and further evolution. Therefore, the most important consideration here is one of cooperation.

IV. THE MANKIND DYNAMIC embraces the survival of the species.

The major concern on the Mankind Dynamic is that mankind must thrive and should not become extinct. This is achieved through the upper four dynamics.

Note: The first four dynamics belong to Dianetics. The upper four, introduced in late 1950, complete the full eight dynamics of Scientology.

V. THE DYNAMIC OF LIFE is the urge of the individual to survive for life and for life to survive for itself.

Life is an amazing step in evolution. Mankind survives in cooperation with other life. There is an ecosystem that one must become aware of.

VI. THE PHYSICAL UNIVERSE DYNAMIC is the drive of the individual to enhance the survival of all matter, energy, time and space.

The basis of life is the physical universe from which it has evolved, and which provides the ultimate sustenance. There is tremendous amount of knowledge here that one must be aware of.

VII. THE THOUGHT DYNAMIC concerns the urge of the individual to survive as thought.

Principles and knowledge develop as the existence evolves. These then become vital to one’s thinking to survive and evolve.

VIII. THE DYNAMIC OF UNIVERSAL THOUGHT is the urge of the individual to survive for the Creator.

Here is the comprehensive view of all existence. From this view evolve the other dynamics. The most important consideration here is that of objectivity.

While man is concerned with any one of the above dynamics, any one of them may become antipathetic to his own survival. This is rational conflict and is normally and commonly incidental to survival. It is non-aberrative in that it is rational within the educational limitation.

The conflicts may become easier to narrow down and resolve when approached with the knowledge of these dynamics.

The family as a unit is not a dynamic but a combination of dynamics. And in this and other societies it attains a position of interest which is not necessarily inherent in the individual or group.

Family is a combination of first and third dynamic where sixth and seventh dynamics enter as health and education.

Basically simple, complexity is introduced amongst the dynamics by individual and group irrationalities. The basic (unaberrated) individual has continual difficulty rationalizing the problems of importances and choices amongst these dynamics. When the basic individual becomes aberrated and is attendantly unable to reason freely on all problems, a selection of importances amongst these dynamics becomes nearly impossible and produces aberrated solutions which may resolve such an extreme as the destruction of the individual himself, by himself, under the mistaken solution that he may thus obey the primary command.

Note: All self-destructive effort is irrationality of a precise nature which will often be found by the auditor in his preclear (this term covers anyone who is not CLEAR; however, it is principally used to describe a person who, through auditing, is finding out more about himself and life) during auditing (the application of Dianetic procedures to a preclear by a trained Dianetic auditor) but which forms no part of the basic personality of that individual.

Irrationality may also be divided per these dynamics. Self-destruction, as part of sacrifice for a nobler cause, is not necessarily irrational.

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Final Comments

KEY WORDS: Universe, Thought (impulse), Material (energy), Life (ecosystem), Mankind, Group (community, race, culture, nation), Family (sex, children), Individual (self).

The basic dynamic is not only SURVIVE but also EVOLVE. The universe cannot help but survive; so, it must evolve. This is the overall dynamic of the universe called the eighth dynamic. The universe, obviously, has an inherent impulse built in it. Therefore, we may say that the eighth dynamic subdivides into the inner impulse and the outer appearance as the seventh and sixth dynamics respectively.

As the universe evolves from gases to liquids to solids, to minerals, to animated life, to reacting organisms, to thinking mammals, and finally, to self-aware humans, we get life or the fifth dynamic. The humans are such a major step in evolution that they are called the mankind or fourth dynamic.

The human awareness has evolved under different geographic conditions and locations into different cultures, thinking patterns, abilities, etc. Thus we have subdivisions into many different groups, and each group is seen as a third dynamic. The keynote of a group is its common purpose and cooperation. Within the third dynamic we have the evolution of families to take better care of future generations. This is seen as the second dynamic. There is sexual activity within the context of second dynamic. The keynote here is taking responsibility for the future.

The second dynamic then provides an environment in which children develop their potential fully as individuals. The problem solving ability of an individual is the highest achievement of evolution. This is the first dynamic.

Hubbard describes the dynamics from the viewpoint of the individual, but it makes more sense to look at the dynamics from the viewpoint of the universe and its evolution as described above.

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By vinaire | Also posted in Dianetics | Comments (0)

OT 1948: An Analogy of the Mind

March 26, 2019 – 8:57 PM
Reference: DIANETICS: The Original Thesis

This paper presents Chapter 3 from the book DIANETICS: THE ORIGINAL THESIS by L. RON HUBBARD. The contents are from the original publication of this book by The Hubbard Dianetic Foundation, Inc. (1948).

The paragraphs of the original material (in black) are accompanied by brief comments (in color) based on the present understanding.  Feedback on these comments is appreciated.

The heading below is linked to the original materials.

.

An Analogy of the Mind

It is not the purpose of Dianetics to reconstruct the human mind. The purpose of Dianetics is to delete from the existing mind those physically painful experiences which have resulted in the aberration of the analytical mind, to resolve the physical manifestations of mental aberration, and to restore in its entirety the proper working function of a brain not otherwise physically deranged. Dianetics thus embraces the various aspects of psychosomatic conditions, including the glandular balance or imbalance of the organism, as influenced by painful physical experience. However, its purpose is not one of healing, and its address is not to such psychosomatic manifestations specifically, but rather to those aberrative experiences in which these conditions have their roots.

Dianetics assumes that physically painful experiences are the cause of all mental and psychosomatic aberrations.  

The initial adjustments of the individual are included in Child Dianetics and Educational Dianetics. Judicial Dianetics, Political Dianetics and Military Dianetics are elsewhere touched upon or allocated for study. Dianetics, as a family of sciences, proceeds however from the axioms cursorily touched upon in the last chapter and is uniformly governed by the principles of the behavior of the human mind.

When an individual is acting contrary to survival of himself, his group, progeny, race, mankind, or life he can be considered to be unintelligent, uninformed or aberrated. Every single instance of aberrated conduct threatening the general goal of the individual as outlined in the last chapter can be proven to have a source which will specifically be found to be a painful experience containing data not available to the analytical mind. Every single instance and facet of aberrated conduct has its exact causation in the physically painful error which has been introduced during a moment of absence of the analytical power.

The content of these physically painful experiences is not available to the analytical mind.

Dianetics consists of discovering the aberration in the individual, finding the physically painful experience which corresponds to it and placing the data therein contained at the disposal of the analytical mind. More as an effort to demonstrate how that is accomplished than as an actual outline of the character of the mind, the following analogy is offered.

First there is the physio-animal section of the brain, containing the motor controls, the sub-brains, and the physical nervous system in general, including the physical aspect of the analytical section of the brain. The control of all voluntary and involuntary muscles is contained in this section. It commands all body fluids, blood flow, respiration, glandular secretion, cellular construction, and the activity of various parts of the body. Experimentation has adequately demonstrated this. The physio-animal mind has specific methods of “thinking.” These are entirely reactive. Animal experimentation—rats, dogs, etc.—is experimentation on and with precisely this mind and little more. It is a fully conscious mind and should never be denoted by any term, which denies it “consciousness” since there is no period in the life of the organism from conception to death when this mind is not awake, observing, and recording perceptics. This is the mind of a dog, cat, or rat and is also the basic mind of a man so far as its operating characteristics are concerned. A man in the deepest possible somnambulistic sleep is still in possession of more mind and thinking and coordinating ability than a lower animal.

Hubbard’s model of the mind puts the physio-animal brain at the core. It controls all mechanical functions of the body through electro-chemical laws.

The term “consciousness” is no more than a designation of the awareness of now. The physio-animal mind never ceases to be aware of now and never ceases to record the successive instances of now which in their composite make up a time track connecting memory in an orderly chain. Cessation of life alone discontinues the recording of perceptions on this orderly track. Unconsciousness is a condition wherein the organism is discoordinated only in its analytical process and motor control direction. In the physio-animal section of the brain, a complete time track and a complete memory record of all perceptions for all moments of the organism’s existence is available.

Dianetics assumes that all electro-chemical-mechanical activity is recorded in an orderly chain, which is potentially available.

As life progresses, for instance, from a blade of grass, greater and greater complexities and degrees of self-determinism are possible. Energy in its various forms is the primary motivator in the lower orders, but as the complexity of the order is increased into the animal kingdom, the physio-animal brain attains more and more command of the entire organism until it itself begins to possess the second section of the mind.

All animals possess in some slight degree an analyzer. This, which we designate the analytical mind, is present even in lower orders, since it is only that section of the brain which possesses the self-deterministic coordinative command of the physio-animal brain and thus of the body. In a rat, for instance, it is no more than its “conscious” awareness of now applying to lessons of then without rationality but with instinct and painful experience. This is the analytical section of the mind in a lower animal but it is the reactive mind in a man whose analytical mind is so highly attuned and intricate that it can command entirely the physio-animal brain and thus the body.

In animals, the mind develops the capability of being programmed by experiences containing pain and pleasure.

Man not only possesses a superior physio-animal mind but possesses as well an analytical mind of such power and complexity that it has no real rival in any other species. The analytical mind of man cannot be studied by observing the reactions of animals under any situations. Not only is it more sensitive but it possesses factors and sensitivities not elsewhere found.

In Man the mind develops the capability to analyze all experiences rationally in much finer details and implement the solutions.

Continuing this analogy: Lying between the analytical mind and the physio-animal mind may be conceived the reactive mind. This is the coordinated responses of the physio-animal mind, the “analytical” mind of animals, and the first post of emergency command in man. All errors of a psychic or psychosomatic nature can be considered for the purposes of this analogy to lie in the reactive mind. The first human analytical mind took command of the body and physio-animal mind under strained and dangerous circumstances when man was still in violent contest with other species around him. It can be considered that the analytical mind received command with the single proviso that instantaneous emergency would be handled by the outdated but faster reactive mind.

Hubbard’s reactive mind comes about from the short-circuiting of the normal mind.

Any and all errors in thinking and action derive from the reactive mind as it is increased in strength and power by painful experience. It can be called a shadow mind, instantaneously reactive when any of its content is perceived in the environment of the individual, at which time it urgently bypasses the analytical mind and causes immediate reaction in the physio-animal mind and in the body. Additionally, the reactive mind is in continual presence when chronically restimulated by a constantly present restimulator—which is to say, an approximation of the reactive mind’s content or some part thereof continually perceived in the environment of the organism. The reactive mind is in action so long as it is activated by an exact or nearly exact approximation of its content. But given too continuous a restimulation, it can and does derange both the physio-animal mind and body below it and the analytical mind above it. It was created by deranging circumstances of a physical nature, hence it deranges.

According to Hubbard, this short-circuiting is caused by painful experiences. It can become dominant when activated continually.

The entire content of the reactive mind is records of physical pain with its accompanying perceptions during disconnection of the analyzer. All aberrated conduct and error on the part of an individual is occasioned by restimulation of his reactive mind.

None of these minds are “unconscious,” nor are they subconscious. The entire organism is always conscious but the temporary dispersion of the thought processes of the analytical mind brings about a condition whereby that mind, having been dispersed and considering itself the residence of the person, is unable to obtain and reach data perceived and received by the organism during the analytical mind’s condition of dispersion. That the analytical mind can be thrown, by pain or shock, out of circuit is a survival factor of its own: as sensitive “machinery” it must be protected by a fuse system.

Mind is always functioning. Analytical consciousness exists only when mental circuits are functioning normally as they should.

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Final Comments

KEY WORDS: Analytical Mind, Aberration, Psychosomatic, Consciousness, Reactive Mind.

The mind is a structure of thoughts, which may be described as a matrix of data elements. A thought may appear in the mind as a concatenation of data elements. Ideally, all the data elements are well-assimilated in the matrix, such that no association is missing. All incoming perceptual data is continually broken down into fine data elements and assimilated. Assimilation removes all duplication of data and it indexes the data elements for efficient retrieval. Past experiences are easily recalled and any desired associations among data are easily retrieved making the thinking very quick. The state of mental matrix represents the consciousness of the individual.

Associations made in the mind immediately release electrical and chemical signals to activate the mechanical elements in the body. There is immediate feedback to the mind of the activity of the mechanical elements, which then releases further signals. Thus, any intended action is executed correctly with certainty.

Errors in the mind occur when the assimilation of data elements is not complete. As a consequence, proper associations are missing and the concatenation of data elements is short circuited. This results in thoughts that cause aberrations in thinking and pain in the body. This leads to the organism behaving erratically and abnormally.

This lack of assimilation appears to a person as unconsciousness, confusion and physically painful experience that may appear in dreams and nightmares. The unassimilated content of the mental matrix is not available to the consciousness of the individual. It is only the knowledge of what triggers these aberrations that may lead to the discovery of the unassimilated content and its re-assimilation into the overall matrix.

The functions of “physio-animal”, “analytical” and “reactive” minds, and memory as postulated by Hubbard can easily be derived from the mental matrix model described above. The whole matrix is always functioning, but the consciousness of the individual comes only from the assimilated portion of the matrix.

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By vinaire | Also posted in Dianetics | Comments (0)

OT 1948: Primary Axioms

March 24, 2019 – 11:49 AM
Reference: DIANETICS: The Original Thesis

This paper presents Chapter 2 from the book DIANETICS: THE ORIGINAL THESIS by L. RON HUBBARD. The contents are from the original publication of this book by The Hubbard Dianetic Foundation, Inc. (1948).

The paragraphs of the original material (in black) are accompanied by brief comments (in color) based on the present understanding.  Feedback on these comments is appreciated.

The heading below is linked to the original materials.

.

Primary Axioms

Dianetics is an heuristic science built upon axioms. Workability rather than Idealism has been consulted. The only claim made for these axioms is that by their use certain definite and predictable results can be obtained.

The principal achievement of Dianetics lies in its organization. Almost any of its parts can be found somewhere in history, even when they were independently evolved by the writer. There are no principal sources, and where a practice or a principle is borrowed from some past school the connection is usually accidental and does not admit any further use or validity of that school. Dianetics will work, and can only be worked, when regarded and used as a unity. When diluted by broader applications of older practices, it will no longer produce results. To avoid confusion and prevent semantic difficulties, new and simplified terminology has been used and is used only as defined herein.

Dianetics is actually a family of sciences. It is here addressed in the form of a science of thought applicable to psychosomatic ills and individual aberrations.

Dianetics is a science of thought designed to resolve psychosomatic ills and individual aberrations. It has been organized from past and current observations made objectively.

The field of thought may be divided into two areas which have been classified as the “knowable” and the “unknowable”. We are here concerned only with the “knowable”. In the “unknowable” we place that data which we do not need to know in order to solve the problem of improving or resolving aberrations of the human mind. By thus splitting the broad field of thought, we need not now concern ourselves with such indefinites as spiritualism, deism, telepathy, clairvoyance, or, for instance, the human soul.

Conceiving this split as a line drawn through the area, we can assign a dynamic principle of existence to all that data remaining in the “knowable” field.

After exhaustive research one word was selected as embracing the finite universe as a dynamic principle of existence. This word can be used as a guide or a measuring stick and by it can be evaluated much information. It is therefore our first and our controlling axiom.

The first axiom is.

SURVIVE!

We observe radiation condensing into matter; matter acquiring animation; animation developing into reaction; and reaction developing into rational thought. The dynamic principle of existence on an immediate basis is to SURVIVE, but on a longer basis it is to EVOLVE.

The first axiom is.
EVOLVE! SURVIVE BETTER.

This can be seen to be the lowest common denominator of the finite universe. It embraces all forms of energy. It further delineates the purpose of that energy so far as it is now viewable by us in the “knowable” field. The activity of the finite universe can easily be seen to obey this axiom as though it were a command. All works and energies can be considered to be motivated by it. The various kingdoms have this as their lowest common denominator, for animals, vegetables and minerals are all striving for survival. We do not know to what end we are surviving, and in our field of the “knowable” and in our choice of only the workable axioms, we do not know and have no immediate reason to ask why.

All forms of energy are then surviving to some unknown end, for some unknown purpose. We need only to know that they are surviving and that, as units or species, they must survive.

The basic substance is energy that gradually develops an organized structure. As this structure evolves we get minerals, vegetables, animals and humans. The organism evolves through trial and error with different activities to survive better.

By derivation from the first workable axiom, we come into possession of the second. In obedience to the command “survive”, life took on the form of a cell which, joining with other cells, formed a colony. The cell, by procreating, expanded the colony. The colony, by procreation, formed other colonies. Colonies of different types united and necessity, mutation and natural selection brought about specializing, which increased the complexity of the colonies until they became an aggregation. The problems of the colonial aggregation were those of food, protection and procreation. In various ways a colonial aggregation of cells became a standardized unity and any advanced colonial aggregation came into possession by necessity, mutation and natural selection of a central control system.

The purpose of the colonial aggregation was to survive. To do this it had to have food, means of defense, protection and means of procreation. The control center, which had developed, had as its primary command, Survive! Its prime purpose was the food, defense, protection and means of procreation.

Thus can be stated the second workable axiom:

THE PURPOSE OF THE MIND IS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS RELATING TO SURVIVAL.

The mind perceives the problems in the environment and solves them using trial and error towards the goal of surviving better, or evolving. The mind too evolves along with rest of the organism.

The second axiom is.
THE PURPOSE OF THE MIND IS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS RELATING TO THE ORGANISM’S EVOLUTION.

The ultimate success of the organism, its species or life would be, at its unimaginable extreme, immortality. The final failure in obedience to the law survive would be death. Between eternal survival and death lie innumerable gradations. In the middle ground of such a scale would be mere existence without hope of much success and without fear of failure. Below this point would lie, step by step, innumerable small errors, accidents, losses, each one of which would tend to abbreviate the chances of reaching the ultimate goal. Above this point would lie the small successes, appreciations, and triumphs which would tend to secure the desirable goal.

Immortality as a measure of ultimate success is inconsistent. Life and death occur normally in the course of evolution. A measure of ultimate success shall be successful evolution.

As an axiom, the mind can then be said to act in obedience to a central basic command, survive, and to direct or manage the organism in its efforts to accomplish the ultimate goal for the individual or species or life, and to avoid for the individual or species or life any part of the final failure, which leads to the stated axiom:

THE MIND DIRECTS THE ORGANISM, THE SPECIES, ITS SYMBIOTES OR LIFE IN THE EFFORT OF SURVIVAL.

The mind directs the activity of the organism to implement solutions for better survival. With the evolution of rational thought, these solutions have accelerated.

The next axiom shall be.
THE MIND DIRECTS THE ORGANISM, THE SPECIES, ITS SYMBIOTES OR LIFE TO IMPLEMENT SOLUTIONS FOR BETTER SURVIVAL.

A study of the field of evolution will indicate that survival has been, will be, and is the sole test of an organism, whether the organism is treated in the form of daily activity or the life of the species. No action of the organism will be found to lie without the field of survival, for the organism is acting within its environment upon information received or recorded, and error or failure does not alter the fact that its basic impulse was motivated by survival.

Another axiom may then be formulated as follows:

THE MIND AS THE CENTRAL DIRECTION SYSTEM OF THE BODY, POSES, PERCEIVES AND RESOLVES PROBLEMS OF SURVIVAL AND DIRECTS OR FAILS TO DIRECT THEIR EXECUTION

The mind is not always successful because it operates on trial and error. It is natural for the physical organism to go through the cycle of life and death for the specie to continue to evolve.

As there are many organisms in the same species, all attempting to accomplish the same end, and as there are many species, and as matter itself is attempting in one unit form or another to survive, there is necessarily conflict and contest amongst the individuals of the species, species, or units of matter. Species cannot survive without being interested primarily in the species. Natural selection and other causes have established this as a primary rule for survival: That the unit remains alive as long as possible as a unit and, by association and procreation, that the species remain alive as a species. Second grade interest is paid by the unit or the species to its symbiotes Third grade interest is paid to inanimate matter. As this is apparently the most workable solution, natural selection best preserves those species which follow this working rule. And the symbiotes of the successful species therefore have enhanced opportunity for survival.

Conflicts and contests are part of the equation. But an organism evolves better as it cooperates with other members of its species and the environment.

Man is the most successful organism currently in existence, at least on this planet. Man is currently winning in the perpetual cosmic election which possibly may select the thinker of the new THOUGHT.

Man is heir to the experience and construction of his own ancestors. As cellular conservatism is one of the factors of survival, his brain is basically the same brain which directed and resolved the problems of his animal forebears. By evolution and natural selection, this brain therefore has the primary priority in emergencies. Superimposed on this animal brain has been developed an enormously complex analyzer, which probably exists in his frontal lobe.

The evolution has successfully produced man, which is a very complex but efficient organism.

The command, survive, is variable in individuals and species to the extent that it may be strong or weak. Superior strength of the command in the individual or species is normally, but variably, a survival factor. The primary facet of personality is the basic strength of the DYNAMIC drive.

The DYNAMIC is variable from individual to individual and race to race. It is varied by physiology, environment, and experience. Its manifestation in the animal brain affects the tenacity of the individual to life or purpose, and it affects the activity of the analyzer. The first characteristic of the individual which should be considered is the basic strength of his DYNAMIC. By this an axiom can be formulated:

THE PERSISTENCY OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN LIFE IS DIRECTLY GOVERNED BY THE STRENGTH OF HIS BASIC DYNAMIC.

The analytical, human or, as it has elsewhere been called erroneously, the conscious mind, is variable from individual to individual and race to race in its ability to perceive and resolve problems. Another axiom can then be formulated:

INTELLIGENCE IS THE ABILITY OF AN INDIVIDUAL, GROUP, OR RACE TO RESOLVE PROBLEMS RELATING TO SURVIVAL.

People differ from each other in their inherent persistence and the ability to analyze.

It should be noted that there is a distinct difference between the DYNAMIC and the intelligence. High intelligence may not denote high DYNAMIC. High DYNAMIC may not denote high intelligence. Intelligence is mental sensitivity and analytical ability. DYNAMIC is the persistency of the individual in obedience to the command, survive!

It has been noted that there is a gradation in the scale of survival. Gains toward the ultimate goal are pleasurable. Failures toward the final defeat are sorrowful or painful. Pleasure is therefore the perception of well-being, or an advance toward the ultimate goal. Pain, therefore, is the perception of a reduction toward the final defeat. Both are necessary survival factors.

For the purpose of Dianetics, good and evil must be defined. Those things which may be classified as good by an individual are only those things which aid himself, his family, his group, his race, mankind or life in its dynamic obedience to the command, modified by the observations of the individual, his family, his group, his race, or life.

As evil may be classified those things which tend to limit the dynamic thrust of the individual, his family, his group, his race, or life in general in the dynamic drive, also limited by the observation, the observer and his ability to observe.

Good may be defined as constructive. Evil may be defined as destructive—definitions modified by viewpoint. The individual man is an organism attempting to survive in affinity or contest with other men, races, and the three kingdoms. His goal is survival for himself, his progeny, his group, his race, his symbiotes, life and the universe in general in contest with any efforts or entities which threaten or impede his efforts to attain the goal.

His happiness depends upon making, consolidating, or contemplating gains toward his goal.

There is pleasure and pain that comes from success or failure respectively. There is good and evil defined by situations that aid or hinder evolution. Happiness comes from evolving toward better states of existence.

It is a purpose of Dianetics to pass man across the abyss of irrational, solely reactive thought and enter him upon a new stage of constructive progression to the ultimate goal.

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Final Comments

KEY WORDS: Survive (evolve), Mind, Immortality, Dynamic, Intelligence

A living entity is trying to SURVIVE, but the purpose of the universe is to EVOLVE through the living entities to better universal conditions.

We may call the structure of thoughts in a living entity to be its mind. The mind evolves by solving problems relating to survival through trial and error, and directs the organism according to its solutions. The mind is not always successful because it operates on trial and error.

Problems arise as every living entity is trying to survive. In doing so they may step on each other. But the solution lies in ultimate cooperation. This solution has evolved into a complex human body in which all organs function in cooperation with each other. The thought structures of all the organs in the body are also aligned with each other. Thus, an overall complex mind has evolved.

The characteristics of the overall mind may be summed up by its tenacity (DYNAMIC) and its ability to solve problems (INTELLIGENCE). Thoughts, such as, good and evil may be understood in terms of the usefulness of their solution. Happiness comes from evolving toward better states of existence.

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By vinaire | Also posted in Dianetics | Comments (2)

OT 1948: Introduction

March 24, 2019 – 6:31 AM
Reference: DIANETICS: The Original Thesis

This paper presents Chapter 1 from the book DIANETICS: THE ORIGINAL THESIS by L. RON HUBBARD. The contents are from the original publication of this book by The Hubbard Dianetic Foundation, Inc. (1948).

The paragraphs of the original material (in black) are accompanied by brief comments (in color) based on the present understanding.  Feedback on these comments is appreciated.

The heading below is linked to the original materials.

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Introduction

In nineteen thirty-two an investigation was undertaken to determine the dynamic principle of existence in a workable form which might lead to the resolution of some of the problems of mankind. A long research in ancient and modern philosophy culminated, in nineteen thirty-eight, in the heuristically discovered primary law. A work was written at that time which embraced man and his activities. In the following years further research was undertaken in order to prove or disprove the axioms so established.

Certain experiences during the war made it necessary for the writer to resolve the work into applicable equations and an intensive program was begun in nineteen forty-five toward this end.

A year later many techniques had been discovered or evolved and a nebulous form of the present work was formulated. Financed chiefly by a lump sum disability compensation, that form of Dianetics was intensively applied to volunteer subjects, and the work gradually developed to its present form.

Dianetics has been under test by the writer, as here delineated, for the past three years. The last series of random volunteers, numbering twenty, were rehabilitated, twenty out of twenty, with an average number of work hours of 151.2 per subject. Dianetics offers the first anatomy of the human mind and techniques for handling the hitherto unknown reactive mind, which causes irrational and psychosomatic behavior. It has successfully removed any compulsions, repressions, neuroses and psychoses to which it has been applied.

L. R. H.
January, 1948

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Final Comments

KEY WORDS: Human Condition, Dianetics, Investigate

When investigating a pervasive condition, one starts as broadly as possible, and establishes certain axioms. These axioms are then resolved into applicable equations and workable techniques. One then tests these techniques and refines them.

In this case that pervasive condition being investigated is the irrational behavior and psychosomatic condition originating from the mind.

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By vinaire | Also posted in Dianetics | Comments (2)