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An honest critique of Scientology

Vinaire

Sponsor
This is an honest but critical look at the materials contained in the book SCIENTOLOGY 8-8008 by L.Ron Hubbard.

L. Ron Hubbard was a man like most of us.

L. Ron Hubbard was troubled by his demons, like many of us.

L. Ron Hubbard went to extraordinary lengths to sort himself out, like a few of us.

L. Ron Hubbard resorted to drugs in this process, as many did before him.

L. Ron Hubbard could not get out of the trap in spite of it all. He ended up deceiving himself as well as a lot of others. But in his many efforts he blazed several new trails even when they took disastrous turns.

Here is a look at many of his ideas that look very attractive on the surface, but which contain curves that can deceive you big time.

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Vinaire

Sponsor
Let's start from the beginning

Hubbard:

In studying Dianetics and Scientology be very, very certain you never go past a word you do not fully understand.

The only reason a person gives up a study or becomes confused or unable to learn is that he or she has gone past a word or phrase that was not understood.

Trying to read past a misunderstood word results in mental “fogginess” and difficulty in comprehending the passages which follow. If you find yourself experiencing this, return to the last portion you understood easily, locate the misunderstood word and get it defined correctly—and then go on.

One may still have disagreements with the material even after clearing the words if the material is not put together well.

Insisting that material is always right is an attempt to force one's reality on others. Material is only as right as another can make sense out of it. The reader should never compromise with what appears inconsistent to him.

One would know it when something is consistent.

Supposed consistency should never be forced on another.

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Vinaire

Sponsor
Controlling thoughts

Hubbard:

DIANETICS®: From the Greek dia (through) and noos (soul), thus “through the soul”; a system for the analysis, control and development of human thought which also provides techniques for increased ability, rationality, and freedom from the discovered single source of aberrations and psychosomatic ills. Introduced May, 1950, with publication of Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health by L. Ron Hubbard.

Focus should be on the control of one’s own thoughts

Others should be helped in such a way so that they can control their own thoughts.

One should not try to control other people’s thoughts. That would be aberration.

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Good twin

Floater
Hubbard:



One may still have disagreements with the material even after clearing the words if the material is not put together well.

Insisting that material is always right is an attempt to force one's reality on others. Material is only as right as another can make sense out of it. The reader should never compromise with what appears inconsistent to him.

One would know it when something is consistent.

Consistency should never be forced.

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:thumbsup:
 

Vinaire

Sponsor
The Foreword

The foreword of the book SCIENTOLOGY 8-8008 simply expresses some opinions.

These should be read as opinions and not as facts.

Facts are those that are left after all inconsistencies have been removed.

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Vinaire

Sponsor
The Beingness of Man

Hubbard:

Any study of knowledge could not but be intimately connected with the beingness of Man and the earliest axioms of Scientology began to predict and the later developments eventually discovered the highest level data so far obtained on the identity and capability of life.

The well-beingness and, indeed, the continued survival of mankind depend upon an exact knowledge of his own capabilities; and thus, more particularly, of his own relationship to knowledge itself.

The basic goal of Man which embraces all his activities is apparently survival. Survival might be defined as an impulse to persist through time, in space, as matter and energy.


Any beingness is a construct that can be dismantled. It is not something permanent based on some indelible axioms. In an ultimate sense all axioms are arbitrary, even though they may hold together well as a subject that is consistent in itself.

Anything that is surviving, in some sense, is consistent in itself… but much like a soap bubble. A pin prick may reveal its ultimate arbitrariness.

My focus has always been on knowledge. I find that

Focus on ultimate SURVIVAL is aberration.

This, as well as anything I write, is my opinion and should be taken as such.

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Vinaire

Sponsor
Hubbard:

An optimum solution to any problem would be that solution which brought the greatest benefits to the greatest number of dynamics. The poorest solution would be that solution which brought the fewest benefits to the least number of dynamics. And here a benefit would be defined as that which would enhance survival. Activities which brought minimal survival to a lesser number of dynamics and damaged the survival of a greater number of dynamics could not be considered rational activities.


All that is stated above is based on the consideration of SURVIVAL, which is nice when somebody is in a game. But games come and go. There is no need to get fixated on any one game and the survival in it.

Through Scientology Hubbard is fixating a person into the "Game of Life." One needn't be fixated on life. One should simply live life and enjoy it without getting fixated on it.


To rise above any game one only needs to start sorting out all the inconsistencies in it.

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Vinaire

Sponsor
Creativity and Logic

Hubbard:

Creativeness could be found to exceed existence itself; by observation and definition it is discoverable that thought does not necessarily have to be preceded by data, but can create data. Imagination can then create without reference to preexisting states, and is not necessarily dependent upon experience or data and does not necessarily combine these for its products. Imagination could be classified as the ability to create or forecast a future or to create, change or destroy a present or past.


An original thought simply appears. Anything in existence that has simply appeared is like an original thought.

Creation is not some process of association. The process of association is logic.

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Infinite

Troublesome Internet Fringe Dweller
Consistency should never be forced.[/B


Good on ya, Vinny, nice work. I'm not entirely sure that "consistency" can ever be forced; something is either consistent or its not. Perhaps your conclusion in this instance might be better worded:

Agreement should never be forced


. . . and I'm using "agreement" with its Scientology-loaded inferences.
 

Vinaire

Sponsor
Hubbard:

In thought itself at its highest range, we discover the only true static known. In physics a static is represented as a body at rest but it is known in physics that a body at rest is yet an equilibrium of forces and is itself in motion if only on the level of molecular motion. A true static would contain no motion, no time, no space and no wavelength. To this static in Scientology is assigned the mathematical symbol theta. This designation means solely a theoretical static of distinct and precisely defined qualities with certain potentials.


Hubbard perceives static to be something at the highest range of thought. He assigns to this static certain attributes.

Thus, Hubbard gives this static some beingness. But any beingness is a manifestation, and any manifestation appears out of no manifestation. No manifestation is simply unknowable, because there is nothing to know about.

By making “beingness” the highest state in Scientology, Hubbard rejects the Vedic notion of Nirvana, and forwards the Semitic notion of “a manifestation is the source of all other manifestations.”

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Vinaire

Sponsor
Good on ya, Vinny, nice work. I'm not entirely sure that "consistency" can ever be forced; something is either consistent or its not. Perhaps your conclusion in this instance might be better worded:

Agreement should never be forced


. . . and I'm using "agreement" with its Scientology-loaded inferences.

Thanks. I changed it as follows:

Supposed consistency should never be forced on another.

I am simply stating here what appears to be consistent to me. I have no intentions of forcing on others what appears to be consistent to me. My materials are free for anyone to criticize.

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Vinaire

Sponsor
Oh! I have a special announcement to make. Let me request a break from the regular programming. Attention please.

Let me quote this post from another thread:

Happy Thanksgiving to all the 'Merkins here, and to all others who believe in 'Merkins, and that includes my brother Alanzo, my step-brother Rene, my sister Sweetness, my cousin Nexus, my step-ego Mystic, and my wonderful critic TAJ (imagine having my very own personal critic).

And, of course, it includes heathens like Emma and Sparkly pants.

And many others on ESMB...

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I forgot to mention my youngest and sweetest sister. She gets to chose her chair at my Thanksgiving Dinner table.

She is... (drum rolls please)... GT... the Good Twin.

I don't know why, but in my actual relationships also I have always taken my youngest sister for granted. But she has always been there for me. GT is also very much like her.

Happy Thanksgiving to you, GT.

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SchwimmelPuckel

Genuine Meatball
<snip> Focus on ultimate SURVIVAL is aberration.<snip>
Is it? - Uhm.. Now this critique concerns Dianetics, which was 'manifested' before Scientology where Hubbard 'discovered' that we are immortal.. But even so:

Why would an immortal being concern himself with survival?

Hmm.. Vin.. Are you going to pick the whole danged DMSMH apart like this? - I'm well aware that you have the stamina for it..

:ohmy:
 

Vinaire

Sponsor
Is it? - Uhm.. Now this critique concerns Dianetics, which was 'manifested' before Scientology where Hubbard 'discovered' that we are immortal.. But even so:

Why would an immortal being concern himself with survival?

Hmm.. Vin.. Are you going to pick the whole danged DMSMH apart like this? - I'm well aware that you have the stamina for it..

:ohmy:


Just wait till I retire. :)

I am still working full time in engineering and manufacturing... which is as far from infinitizing as Alanzo would like me to be.

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nexus100

Gold Meritorious Patron
Just wait till I retire. :)

I am still working full time in engineering and manufacturing... which is as far from infinitizing as Alanzo would like to be.

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You'll give warning so we can buy provisions and gas for the generator, I trust.
 
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