When L. Ron Hubbard was twelve years old in 1923, Commander Joseph C. Thompson, of the US Navy Medical Corp introduced him to the work of Sigmund Freud. The US Navy had sent Thompson to Europe to study under Freud. Not long after this introduction to the mind L. Ron Hubbard went to Asia, visiting and studying Buddhist monasteries.
The word Scientology was coined in 1932 to describe L. Ron Hubbard’s research, and in 1938 he wrote a manuscript, called Excalibur. The manuscript was not about any spiritual counselling, but was about the composition of life.
World War II intervened. In 1945, partially blind and lame from hip and back injuries he successfully worked his theories on himself and some Americans liberated from Japanese prisoner of war camps.
Next, in 1948, he published a very popular manuscript Dianetics: The Original Thesis.
Mr. Hubbard soon decided to write a book, a full account of his discoveries to date, a complete manual of the mind. It was called, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health.
Before the book was published Mr. Hubbard wrote a magazine article heralding his coming book, called Dianetics: The Evolution Of A Science.
Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health was published on May 5, 1950. It sold fast, resulting in six consecutive reprintings to satisfy demand. Over 25,000 telegrams and letters of congratulations were received by the publisher. Hundreds of Dianetics groups sprang up all over the USA. The book became a New York Times bestseller and remained on the bestseller list week after week. To date 22 million copies have been sold.
The Discoveries of Dianetics
The Dianetics theories were new and exciting. Mr. Hubbard had discovered different minds, which could be naturally accessed to help a person. Much of a person’s irrationalities, shortcomings and fears could be addressed through these minds.
Mr. Hubbard discovered that people could recall distant pasts, especially birth, along with the prenatal nine months. He further found that when a person recalled traumatic times from during these developmental stages, a person would respond dramatically well to life’s problems.
The book, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health outlines his specific theories and procedures.
That people could recall nine months before birth was new. Claims of a new mental theory were not new. But that people could predictably use the techniques to remake the same exact results from person to person was otherwise unheard of. Psychiatry, a subject with few results, was troubled. Psychiatry had been offered the studies of Dianetics earlier but had refused them.
The methodology outlined in Dianetics worked and was simple. Any person could rid himself of unwanted emotional symptoms, be they unwarranted emotional upsets, fears, anger or mentally generated (psycho somatic) illnesses. The irrational causes of mental ills had been found. The claims of effectiveness have been extraordinary. Dianetics is a natural drug-free therapy that works.
Clear is the term given for the goal of Dianetics. “A Clear can be tested for any and all psychoses, neuroses, compulsions and repressions (all aberrations) and can be examined for any autogenic (self generated) diseases referred to as psychosomatic ills. These tests confirm the Clear to be entirely without such ills or aberrations. Additional tests of his intelligence indicate it to be high above the current norm. Observation of his activity demonstrates that he pursues existence with vigor and satisfaction.” (L. Ron Hubbard, Dianetics The Modern Science of Mental Health.)
For further data on Clear, see the attached full article: The Clear, from DIANETICS: The Modern Science of Mental Health.
The Evolution of Scientology
Yet, while Dianetics proved exact and positive, L. Ron Hubbard continued researching for higher states beyond Clear.
From 1949 practitioners had sometimes been reporting memories from past lives. So as people got better from Dianetics there was now considerable research into past lives at the Hubbard Dianetics Research Foundation. However, while past lives seemed too controversial for some, the truth of what existed in man’s mind was overwhelmingly too evident to be ignored.
In 1951 Mr. Hubbard delivered a lecture stating that spiritual thought should be able to be measured by an electrical instrument. An engineer was in the audience, Volly Matheson. He went and manufactured the instrument, called today an e-meter (electro-galvanometer). It was not complicated. With it the mind was now ripe for complete research mapping.
These discoveries showed man to be his own soul, a life force, a spirit, in a body, surviving beyond death. So, by tapping past life memories containing adverse emotions, people became more aware, more intelligent, and potentially more able to achieve their dreams.
For some people the past life concept has been cloudy. But the facts of research show that people have entire vistas of past-life memory, called whole-track, which can be mapped. Mortal and more spiritual abilities are being returned to man.
Here was a science evolving into religion. Here twentieth century discoveries were being used to validate all earlier major religions. Here is Scientology.
In 1953 the first Church of Scientology was first established. The Founding Church of Scientology was established in Washington DC in 1954
The research results of the the life-force of man showed that man, as did all life, followed certain established laws. These were not the laws from the physical universe, but otherwise unknown laws of life. They were then found to be as predictable as physics. In Scientology these laws are called axioms, logics, pre-logics and factors. Here was a knowledge to restore the spiritual greatness of man.
Mr. Hubbard also researched exteriorization, where the spirit detaches or expands from the body for quicker and more positive gain.
In 1959 the Scientology headquarters transferred from the USA to England, thus taking greater advantage of communication lines reaching out to the British Commonwealth. Sussex of England, became the new worldwide hub of the expanding Church of Scientology. Mr. Hubbard furthered his research here. Scientology expanded into English speaking countries plus Europe.
Mr. Hubbard’s knowledge has helped many people lead far better lives, ease suffering, and allow people to be happier with more productive lives. Scientology Today
Today, there are over 12 million Scientologists. There are over three thousand Churches, Missions and Field Groups around the world, and Scientology books and lectures are translated into over 100 languages. A larger international headquarters has been reestablished yet again in the USA.
Scientology truly is the culmination of 50,000 years of thinking men. It is a continually evolving religion. There is no stopping it. Its time has indeed come.
There is also a bit written by some lay Scientologists in the Frequently Asked Questions Section below.
I need a Brief History That Makes Sense About Scientology.
How Did the Church of Scientology Begin?
It is hoped the above FAQ answers help. These were real Questions asked years ago and these are the Answers given back at that time.
If one wants to visit the Church of Scientology Canberra please, there is the Contact page here.