SCN 8-8008: The Emotional Scale and Sub-Zero Tone-Scale

Reference: The Book of Scientology

The Emotional Scale and Sub-Zero Tone-Scale

Please see the original section at the link above.

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Summary

The Tone scale was first discovered by Hubbard  by observing the changes in emotional levels of an individual as he improved during auditing. 

Hubbard say’s, “Below zero on the tone-scale is applicable only to a thetan.” This is because Hubbard assigns tone level zero to body death. He assumes that the individual “exteriorizes” from the body upon death and survives as a thetan. But thetan is the sense of beingness. It is not something physical that separates from the body.

The tone level of zero is not body death, but being a body. The person’s attention is totally fixated on the body, but he is not aware of it. The experience of “exteriorization” actually makes a person aware that he is not the body. But this is not what is happening at Tone zero. At zero and below the person is totally convinced that he is a body. 

Hubbard says, “It has been quite commonly observed that there are two positions for any individual on the tone scale.” This may be because when a person is being a body, the emotions he experiences are plotted as negative tone levels. But when he is somewhat aware of his fixation, the same emotions are plotted as positive tone levels. This may give the false impression of an individual having two positions on the tone scale.

Hubbard says, “This sub-zero tone-scale shows that the thetan is several hands below knowingness as a body, and so he will be found in the majority of cases.” This would be the case when social machinery has taken over. Therefore, the sub-zero tone-scale also applies to a thetan with a body; the only difference is that he is not even aware that he is being a body. The reactive mind is the complete fixation of attention on the body to the point that the person has no awareness beyond the body.

The levels of sub-zero tone scale simply illustrate the attitudes of the person when he is being a body. For example, “being other bodies” is the level when a person is in another’s valence and living the life continuum of another person. Such a person treats others as bodies only. His “attitudes” toward bodies may be processed through auditing until he becomes aware of having such attitudes.

Hubbard says, “The sub-zero to 40.0 scale is the range of the thetan.” Actually, this whole tone scale applies to the person being audited, and he very much has a body. This idea of thetan without a body is completely theoretical. One is still auditing a mind that is housed in a body. The fixation is not only on the body but it covers all misconceptions and identifications that ultimately lead to the idea of body. The first realization a person gets through auditing is that he is being a body, and that there is awareness beyond the body. This is only a beginning of the person becoming aware of his fixations. As he resolves those fixations, he rises up the tone scale. 

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Comments

Tone Scale in Full

A person descends the Tone scale because of identifications in his thinking. Such identifications start as misconceptions at the top of tone scale. These misconceptions condense down the tone scale as increasing identifications. At the bottom of the tone scale, these identifications condense into reactive attachments to the body, which bring about valences, life continua, etc. These identifications produce anomalies in one’s perception of reality; such as, confusions, illusions, and hallucinations. These things may be summed up as “suppositional reality.” The anomalies are manifested in the person’s behavior as aberrations; but the person is largely unaware of them.

Nobody ever audits a mind that is not housed in a body. Hubbard implies that one can audit a thetan without a body, but that simply means that one is auditing fixations above and beyond the fixation on the body.

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July 17, 2019 – 5:53 PM Categories: Scientology | Post a comment

SCN 8-8008: Win-Lose

Reference: The Book of Scientology

Win-Lose

Please see the original section at the link above.

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Summary

Hubbard says, “To win one must wish to win; when one no longer desires to win, one no longer desires to live.” As a person rises on the tone-scale he accomplishes what he sets his mind to more often. It is not just a matter of desire. It is a matter of improved perception and competence. At lower levels a person may desire to win but he fails because his competence is not up to the task.

If a person is truly competent he would be careful not to cause drastic injuries. If he fails to be competent and causes injuries then, he would naturally withdraw, until he acquires more competence.

Win involves endurance, persistence and competence.

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Comments


Win comes from resolving anomalies. To lose is to getting overwhelmed by anomalies. The true competence lies in recognizing anomalies at whatever tone-level one is, and persisting until one resolves that anomaly.

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July 17, 2019 – 1:45 PM Categories: Scientology | Post a comment

SCN 8-8008: I Am-I Am Not

Reference: The Book of Scientology

I Am-I Am Not

Please see the original section at the link above.

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Summary

Hubbard says, “The only true identity is ‘myself.’ It is not a name, it is not a designation.” People confuse themselves with orders, titles, ranks, praise and enduring fame. These are just fixed identifications. Such fixations have their liabilities. When a person assigns the concept of infinite mind to a God and swears allegiance to it, he denies his own responsibility for anything. He becomes a nothing.

To Hubbard, mankind does not depend upon or share a portion of the infinite mind. Each person is potentially an infinite mind in his own right. There can be multiplicity of infinite minds. Each infinite mind can produce an infinity of space. Infinite mind is individualistic. Thus, there can be many gods. This is how Hubbard defines individualism.

Hubbard says, “There is a psychosis which has as its manifestation the illusion that one is God and the ruler of the universe.” A person in this frame of mind mistakenly believes that the MEST universe represents the power of God, and he has that power. To him, the MEST universe is the only reality. He has forgotten that he can create his own reality. When a person identifies himself with his body and name, he is confusing identity with his own sense of beingness.

Hubbard says, “Individuality is really not possible in the presence of sharply defined identity.” But then he gives individuality a sharply defined boundary in terms of its ability to postulate, or what it postulates. Anyway, the change in Hubbard’s thinking at this stage was to use creative processing and postulate processing rather than the processing of MEST universe facsimiles.

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Comments

The mathematical truth is that it is possible to divide an infinity into multiple infinities; or, to combine multiple infinities into an infinity. But, to Hubbard, the multiple infinities of individualism cannot be combined into a single infinite individuality. There is something in Hubbard’s theory that keeps the individualities unalterably separate or fixed.

In truth, “Myself” is not something fixed, because any fixation limits a person’s perception. He cannot look past his fixations. But the infinite mind is not fixated even by the boundaries of individuality. If there is any individuality it is only for the moment. It may be looked upon as “concentrated attention.” There are no eternally permanent individualities. An individuality also goes through the cycle of creation, continuation and dissolution like any MEST object.

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July 17, 2019 – 9:44 AM Categories: Scientology | Post a comment

SCN 8-8008: Cause-Full Effect

Reference: The Book of Scientology

Cause-Full Effect

Please see the original section at the link above.

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Summary

Hubbard uses “cause” in the sense of a person who acts and produces an effect. If a person is not being a cause then he is being an effect. Hubbard views ‘theta’ as cause and ‘MEST’ as effect.

Hubbard says, “Above the level of all else on the Chart of Attitudes is Cause. Causation is the highest attainment which can be envisaged by the thetan.” To cause is to bring about something, to postulate. Hubbard assigns this attribute of cause to thetan. He views thetan as a unique individuality that remains the same throughout eternity. Hubbard identifies each person as a thetan. Accordingly, there are as many thetans as there are people.  We may say that Hubbard is a unique thetan who has postulated Scientology, which includes the concept of thetan.

Hubbard does not explain how a thetan comes about. But he does talk about an “eighth dynamic” that is unknowable.  We may say that thetan comes about as a postulate emerging from the eighth dynamic. A thetan becomes knowable with its unique abilities. This reveals the dichotomy of Unknowable-knowable that is cleverly hidden in Scientology. Hubbard does not delve into it. Cause may then be defined as the ability to postulate knowingness.

Hubbard says, “To be Full Cause, one would have to be able to cause space.” A more accurate statement would be, “To be cause one would have to be able to postulate.” A postulate is a thought that can be sensed. It is, therefore, a substance and substance has extents. These extents are seen as space. Therefore, space is the by product of a postulate.

Hubbard says, “Everyone, to a greater or lesser degree, attempts to be cause until he is at last the full effect. The fullest effect in this universe is to be MEST itself.” Everyone is a unique thetan that is being cause. But this ability to be cause deteriorates into becoming an effect as the thetan assumes fixed identities that turn him into MEST.

Hubbard says, “One of the principles of causation is outlined in the cycle of action.” In a cycle, the action is started, is continued for as long as is required and then is completed as planned. For a cycle of action to exist, the postulates involved must be continuous, consistent and harmonious as per the principle of oneness.

Hubbard says, “It is one of the ‘facts’ of objects that space and energy must have been caused before the object could exist in the MEST universe. Thus any object has prior cause.” The fact is that objects are a form of matter. Matter is a condensation of energy, and energy is a condensation of thought. Thought is postulated. The condensation and forms are also postulated. Therefore, an object is a complex postulate.

Hubbard then says, “For this reason when anyone in the MEST universe begins to study in order to resolve some of the riddles of the MEST universe, he falls into the trap of supposing all cause to be prior and time itself to exist.”  A complex postulate has the complexity and the solidity of time built into it. To think that a complex postulate would take a series of causes over some time, is a false notion in which one can get trapped. A complex postulate can be a single postulate with complex structure.

Hubbard says, “This would make one the later effect of everything he caused.” The complex structure of a postulate has elements, such as, beingness, awareness, form and qualities. There are similarities and differences among these elements. The overall oneness of the complex postulate imposes the constraint of continuity, consistency and harmony over all these elements. Cause appears as change in what exists. Beingness is what exists. Therefore, beingness is naturally affected whenever anything is caused. How it is affected would depend on the oneness of the overall structure. 

Hubbard says, “If he made a postulate, he would then immediately afterwards become the effect of that postulate.” This is not so simplistic. All it means is that a person cannot just make any arbitrary postulate disregarding the principle of oneness, and have it make sense. When a person makes an arbitrary postulate, it results in an aberration in the person.

Hubbard says, “The preclear has become aberrated by the process of making an effect out of him.” Here Hubbard blames the MEST universe, but the person has become aberrated because of his ignorance and disregard for the principle of oneness.

Hubbard agrees with Freud that sex is a major aberration, “for in sex one desires to be the cause of little or nothing and desires to be the effect of pleasurable sensation.” This is a very cynical view of sex, because sex can be wonderful when a person follows the principle of oneness. But Hubbard rejects that principle and blames the MEST universe for snaring a person with pleasurable effects. In truth, a person becomes an effect when he makes an arbitrary postulate and doubles down on it. Thus, he becomes so fixated on his postulates that he cannot postulate otherwise. The remedy is to consciously bring about continuity, consistency and harmony of postulates by resolving anomalies.

Hubbard says, “He judges these things [good or bad] by moral codes and so bends his conduct as to make bad cause antipathetic to himself and others. Thus he gives away responsibility for bad cause and in that very action becomes the effect of bad cause.” Again, this is a superficial observation of Hubbard. A person becomes effect of the bad cause by not being able to spot anomalies because of his fixations. Therefore, instead of resolving anomalies he generates them. 

Hubbard says, “To be complete cause, theoretically, a person would have to be willing to be bad cause and good cause.” This is a confusing statement based on the misunderstanding of “cause”. A cause cannot be arbitrary. A cause must adhere to the principle of oneness, which is to ensure continuity, consistency and harmony as much as possible.

Hubbard says, “The criminal who has elected himself bad cause through having found it impossible to trust himself can only escape becoming an effect by fighting all good cause.” A criminal is basically doubling down on his arbitrary postulates. The reformation or reclamation of the criminal depends on helping him resolve his confusions by have him look at his “bad” experiences and discover the arbitrariness of his postulates that may have resulted from them.

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Comments

The key datum is that any fixation leads to aberration, because it limit’s a person’s ability to observe. He is, therefore, unable to spot anomalies and resolve them. Instead he generates more anomalies. If we trace down the fixations that people have, it comes down the idea of preserving one’s individuality and wanting it to be immortal.

A fixation on individuality is no different from fixation on identities that a person acquires from identifying himself with the MEST universe. Hubbard makes a distinction between individuality and identity. He postulates thetan and identifies it with individuality of a person. He then postulates immortality for the thetan. Thus, Hubbard preserves the basic fixation on individuality through his limited idea of survival. 

The key arbitrary in Scientology is the permanency postulated for individuality. Buddhism does not make this postulate. Buddhism considers that beingness can change in accord with the principle of oneness. Thus, extinction and regeneration of beingness is possible. This is nirvana. 

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July 16, 2019 – 10:25 AM Categories: Scientology | Post a comment

SCN 8-8008: I Know-I Know Not

Reference: The Book of Scientology

I Know-I Know Not

Please see the original section at the link above.

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Summary

Hubbard says, “Data in the MEST universe are usually recorded in facsimiles. Thus one can go in two directions toward knowledge. The first is knowing what one is, and the second is knowing what has happened to one in the MEST universe and searching for identity in the MEST universe.” 

When we talk about knowing what one is, we are looking at a unique individuality according to Hubbard. But when we talk about what happened to one in the MEST universe, we are looking at the identities, which that individuality assumed in the physical universe. A unique individuality means having certain abilities as theta; whereas, identities means having certain MEST characteristics. 

That means, an individuality is an identification with thought; whereas, an identity is an identification with energy and matter. This is where the weakness of Hubbard’s Theta-MEST theory is exposed. It does not matter what one is identifying with—either with thought or with energy/matter—an identification in either case is still an identification. Aberration lies in the fixation of identification. A “unique individuality” is no less a fixation. 

Hubbard’s premise that thetans are statics with unique abilities, who inhabit this MEST universe is the basic anomaly in Hubbard’s Theta-MEST theory. It postulates a built-in fixation. This is a built-in aberration. This is where Scientology departs from Buddhism.

Hubbard says, “There is no more tragic track than the sordid ransacking of facsimiles to discover TRUTH for all one discovers is what is true for the MEST universe.”

Facsimile means an exact copy. In Scientology, facsimile means a picture of one’s experience in the MEST universe. It is a theta recording of energy and matter. This shows that thought is as much a substance as energy and matter. Thought, energy, matter are equally the subject of knowledge. Nothing is excluded. Therefore, a facsimile is a piece of knowledge. 

To discover TRUTH from a facsimile, essentially, means to assimilate the thought, energy and matter of the facsimile. Assimilation of knowledge implies oneness (continuity, consistency and harmony) of knowledge. The scientific method is built on this sense of oneness. This is what one needs to accomplish with a facsimile.

Hubbard says, “To stand at last near the heights of discovered beingness has withered the sadness of standing on other men’s bitter and, until now, probably unrewarded search.”

Hubbard’s discovery is that one’s true identity does not lie in the MEST universe. Therefore, one need not directly process facsimiles except as an assist. One should simply engage in postulating as per creative processing. Hubbard now says, “The path of better techniques is the path toward permitting the preclear to step away from all his facsimiles.” 

Hubbard says, “The essence of true knowledge is the essence of existing so that one can create beingnesses and data to know. All other data are junior to this.”

Hubbard’s new approach is “postulating” to know in Scientology instead of “analyzing facsimiles” to know as in Dianetics. Facsimiles are a trap because they assign beingness to the person. Hubbard concludes, “Top-scale knowing would be top-scale ability to create beingness.” But he is already assuming the arbitrary beingness of thetan.

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Comments

Hubbard is dividing knowledge between Theta and MEST universes. Theta is the ability to postulate. MEST is the outcome of those postulates as facsimiles. What has been missing is the exploration of oneness among these postulates and facsimiles. 

We may say that the knowledge recorded in facsimiles is unassimilated data. When knowledge is assimilated, it becomes one as in continuous, consistent and harmonious awareness. Knowledge then reduces to awareness without fixation. There is no fixation even on who or what one is, or should be.

The general problem with knowledge seems to lie in not seeing the oneness of Theta (spirituality) and MEST (physicality). A wider application of the scientific method would explore oneness not only of MEST, but also of theta and MEST together.

The problem seems to be getting lost in the randomness of too much data, and the inability to recognize anomalies. The solution is to start from the key concepts in a subject and look for anomalies there.

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July 15, 2019 – 11:42 AM Categories: Scientology | Post a comment