Path: Supernews!kudonet.com!not-for-mail From: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (nagasiva) Newsgroups: alt.magick.tyagi,talk.religion.misc,talk.religion.newage Subject: PCrumhorn: Dianetics Date: 30 May 1997 10:10:41 -0700 Organization: KudoNet On-Line Services Lines: 55 Sender: tyagi@bjt.net Message-ID: <5mn1mh$q5u@kudo20.kudonet.com> Reply-To: Patrick Crumhorn NNTP-Posting-Host: kudo20.kudonet.com X-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.0 (NOV) Xref: Supernews alt.magick.tyagi:12469 talk.religion.misc:292287 talk.religion.newage:71970 [from thelema93-l@hollyfeld.org: Patrick Crumhorn ] On Mon, 26 May 1997, John Everall wrote: > It is, in my opinion, an exercise in 'cod' psychology that is plausible to > the gullible. Well, some of the original book had some validity, in theory if not in practice. Dianetics as first created, was simply a technique for inducing a light hypnotic trance in the subject (though for legal reasons, there were disingenuous denials that it was "hypnosis"), and allowing the subject to recover repressed memories of childhood traumas, etc. Moments of pain or trauma caused "engrams" in the mind that could reactivate under similar stressful circumstances. Dianetics, by bringing these "engrams" into full consciousness, presumably removed their hidden, seemingly "irrational" effects from the psyche. This was all presumably "verified" by the use of an "e-meter," aka a simple galvanometer, buildable for about US$10 with Radio Shack parts and two juice cans, or you can get one from Scientology orgs for around US$600. Most of this is old hat now, and much of it has been discredited (thanks to researchers who were brave enough to buck the tide during the "repressed memories" abuse witchhunts of the past decade). Indeed, Hubbard's "Dianetics" book should have tipped off anyone not to give too much credence to hypnosis as a tool for recovering "repressed memories," whether of alleged sexual abuse or alleged UFO abduction. Hubbard's book makes the bald assertion, based on his "research," that virtually *all* individuals he "audited" had clear memories of their mothers attempting to abort them with coat-hangars while in the womb, and/or being disturbed in the womb by mother's adulterous affairs with other men. It seems fairly likely that Hubbard was projecting his own phantasms, that were then fed back to him as "actual memories" of his subjects. I've read much of Hubbard's work, and there are real insights and thought-provoking ideas scattered about in there. But, ye godz, the sheer amount of pure 1950's pop Freudianism and bad pulp science-fiction that is interlaced with the good stuff makes it rather more of a challenge than most people will find worthwhile. And, sadly for the Thelemic voyeur, there is very little of anything in his books that can be clearly traced to Crowley or Thelema. The main influence of Parsons and the OTO on Hubbard appears to have been monetary. ;-) And of course, by all means, avoid the Scientology organizations like the plague, unless you want to receive direct mail propaganda (and occasional 4 a.m. personal visits) for the next 10 years. I speak from personal experience here...trust me. ;-) 93 93/93 Patrick Patrick Crumhorn patrik@io.com http://www.io.com/~patrik/ "So many stupid people. So few comets." -- (emailed replies may be posted) ------- join the AMT syncretism!!! see http://www.abyss.com/tokus ---------- call: 408/2-666-SLUG!! AAK! - Authorities Against Knowledge ** Knowledge is an enslaving illusion.