Theos-Talk Archives (June 2000 Message tt00132)

In a message dated 06/12/00 7:12:11 PM, dennw3k@earthlink.net Dennis Kier) 
writes:

>----- Original Message -----
>
>From: Bart Lidofsky <bartl@sprynet.com>
>To: <theos-talk@theosophy.com>
>Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2000 6:33 PM
>Subject: Re: Theos-World - Christ in Nairobi.
>
>> Dennis Kier wrote:
>> >
>> > Bart Lidofsky wrote:
>> >
>> > > > even as far out as L Ron Hubbard, and others like them --
>> > >         Historical note: Aleister Crowley referred to L. Ron Hubbard
>> > > as the most evil man he had ever met.
 
>> > But at the time AC died, wasn't L. Ron still just a science-fiction 
writer? 
>> > I used to like his "Old Doc Methusela" stories, before he wrote 
>> > Dianetics.

>> He was writing articles on "dianetics" while he was still writing (I
>> liked the ODM stories, too, btw).

>I guess that you have a better memory than I do. I don't recall any thing
>on Dianetics before the whole issue of "Astounding" was given over to the
>Dianetics book/article.

If my memory still serves, John Campbell wrote several editorials and 
published a number of Hubbard's articles on his theory of Dianetics in the 
Science/Fact section of Astounding Science Fiction magazine before the 
Dianetics book was separately published in 1953.  

Incidentally, when the book first came out, being a great fan of both 
Campbell and Hubbard -- to test it's validity, I practiced Dianetics (with a 
relative as suggested) and, after almost a year, became what is today called 
by scientologists, "a book auditor"... Although the states of "release," and 
afterward, "clear," that, according to Hubbard, we were supposed to have 
reached after all "engrams" had been resolved, and we had confirmed all 
"foetal engrammatic memories" -- was later proven to be a mutually reinforced 
self delusion...  As I suspect (although there were some normal psychological 
benefits in our own case) is the case with most present day scientologists -- 
even going so far as their ultimate achievemnet of so called "Operating 
Thetan" -- which I also suspect, is really their euphanism for "black 
magician" or "crafty priest,"  Incidentally, I have since, examined much of 
the so called "secret" teachings of the Scientologists (see: 
http://www.xenu.net/) and have no reason to doubt my original negative 
evaluation of it over 30 years ago.

Prior to that time, I found the basic ideas of Dianetics -- since it fit in 
with my scientific and engineering mode of mind -- valid as a workable, 
synthetic theory of psychotherapy, memory regression, and self analysis 
(seemingly based on a synthesis of Buddhist, Hindu, and western 
psychologies)... I held this view until Hubbard followed up Dianetics with 
the concept of Scientology as a new religion, and I realized the pernicious, 
self serving purpose behind his presentation of such basically twisted 
therapeutic methods -- which, essentially, could be used reversibly for a 
sort of operator controlled, self hypnotic, "brainwashing" -- with the help 
of a completely phony (although impressive to the sientifically 
unsophisticated) pseudoscientific "E (for emotion)-meter"... Essentially, a 
primative "lie detector," that could easily put masses of people under the 
powerful control of a few selfish leaders who were practicing nothing more 
than a ruthless, karma-manipulative "black magic."  

Later, when studying the SD, and recalling what I had learned earlier from my 
alchemist father, I realized where Hubbard got his ideas from, and that he 
was using occult truths and twisting them with his prodigious "Science 
Fiction" writing skills, along with his education as an engineer -- for his 
own maliciously selfish purposes -- in a similar manner to the way Adolph 
Hitler used the same occult material to make himself into a similarly 
worshipped "God" figure or world "savior".  But, for Hubbard, I think, it was 
more like a fantastic pathologically egomaniacal, and intellectually 
satisfying "science fact/fictional" game he could play as the "Grand Master" 
-- with the whole world, as it is presently constituted, becoming the game 
pieces he could manipulate and control.  What better way to express his 
egotistic self image as a brilliant writer, engineer and mystic than to be 
the author-publisher and living hero/ruler/savior/messiah of a "real life" 
science fiction story come true, that encompasses the whole world and all the 
people in it? 

For him it may have been such a game... But, once hooked within the 
"Scientology Org" by the promise of the "release" (from suffering) and the 
"clearing" (similar to enlightenment), as wsed through the organization by 
some, it becomes almost impossible to quit until one is bled dry financially, 
and is forced to follow the party line (based on nothing more than greed and 
selfishness) in their external life in order to maintain personal solvency... 
And, also, to continue feeding the religious organization, and its 
multimillionaire inner circle... Or, become, literally, a "slave" to their 
hierarchy, and work directly for them to proselytize and expand the movement 
-- which, incidentally, can be as ruthless to outsiders and its enemies, and 
as frugal to is workers, as were the Nazi's.  

All in all, discounting the intrinsic value of the undistorted occult ideas 
behind Dianetics itself, Scientology is a cleverly contrived pyramidal "Ponzi 
scheme" confidence game that Hubbard "engineered" (based on all the ancient 
occultism and its "black" applications) to be self empowered to grow 
exponentially until it was large enough to make Hubbard "King of the World," 
with a separate jurisdiction of his own (the "Sea Org") backed by his 
"insider" cabal -- who could, as Hubbard envisioned, float around the oceans 
(and, eventually, in outer space) outside the jurisdiction of all other 
countries and their laws.  Today, while it has quietly gone partially 
underground to avoid being banned in this country, as it was in Germany and 
other countries that recognize its Nazi parallels, it is still growing and 
quite dangerous... Especially, since it plays along with the conservative far 
right and semi-fascist attitudes that are becoming more and more prevalent in 
the former allied countries since WW II (following the escape and immigration 
into the Americas, of hundreds of thousands of former Nazi's... But that's 
another story.)  For this reason Theosophists should be particularly aware of 
its activities, since, in principle, it is the direct antithesis of 
theosophy's fundamental principles and its altruistic teachings and 
practices. 

In this sense, judging by the insidious effect Scientology has in 
successfully (and silently) infiltrating its organization throughout the 
world by capturing some of its leaders and celebrities, and judging by the 
number of lives that have been destroyed or diverted from the correct 
evolutionary path toward true bodhisattva enlightenment -- Aliester Crowley 
was, apparently, quite right in saying (if he actually did) that Hubbard was 
"the most evil man he had ever met."  (But, as I said before, Crowley was no 
angel himself... And, as the old saying goes, "it takes one to know one.":-)  

LHM

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