What is Greatness?

One of my favorite quotes from L. Ron Hubbard is the short article "What is Greatness?".

It starts out with:

The hardest task one can have is to continue
to love his fellows despite all reasons he
should not. And the true sign of sanity and
greatness is to so continue. For the one who
can achieve this, there is abundant hope.
For those who cannot, there is only sorrow,
hatred and despair. And these are not the
things of which greatness or sanity or
happiness are made.

It is indeed the hardest task. When those you trusted have betrayed you. When those you counted as friends are dragging your good name through the mud. At times like that it becomes very hard to still love your fellow man, but it can be done.

Here is the full quote: What is Greatness?

Past Lives - Easy to Prove

The fact that one has lived before this life becomes very clear after a person has had Scientology Auditing. How long it takes a person to recall some past-life experience varies depending on the individual. Of course, no one insists that a person recalls a previous existence, it just happens as part of increasing ones spiritual awareness.

Because the idea of having lived before has been suppressed in the western world for thousands of years, when people a past life they will usually shy away from the memory or think it is from a movie or something they dreamed up from a book they read. But despite this. it is possible to recall past-lives without auditing, and there have been numerous such cases in the past (such as the Bridey Murphy case). Where the idea hasn't been suppressed for so long, reincarnation is a common idea. For example, it is part of most eastern religions.

So when a young boy in the USA starts to remember his life and death as a pilot during WWII, it doesn't really surprise me, but perhaps it will be of interest to you. Here is the video:



Here is the link if the embedded player doesn't work: 11 year-old Boy Reincarnated

If you are reading this then you are mentally ill

Well according to psychiatrists you are.

Believe it or not, psychiatrists are planning to add a new disease to the next edition of their "Bible", the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM V) and that disease is ... "Internet addiction".

What this means is that you are sick and need psychiatric drugs. So get out your wallet or your medical insurance and prepare to cough up dough so they can medicate you for the rest of your life.

Here is the full story: If you're reading this you're "sick, sick, sick"

Scientology In France

Scientology Churches in France are very active in their communities, especially in the field of drug abuse. Here is an article on just that subject:

Scientology Churches in France Against Drug Abuse and Addiction

17th Annual Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters Conference

Disasters occur and there are far more disaster response organizations who pitch in to help than we hear about in the media.

Many of these organizations are part of VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters) and last week was their 17th annual conference in which Churches of Scientology Disaster Response participated. Read all about it here:

Churches of Scientology Disaster Response Participates in the 2009 Annual National VOAD Conference

Bringing the message of Human Rights to the World

Human Rights are what protect us from tyranny and oppression. But to have those rights and to benefit from them we must first know what they are and then insist that they are followed. Scientologist Mary Shuttleworth travels the world doing just that. Here is an interview with her:

Scientology Member Brings Message of Human Rights to the World

APA President shown to be a liar

An interesting video that takes what the president of the American Psychiatric Association says about mental illness and compares it to what her own APA members have to say:

Humorous Quote

You may know how poor psychiatrists are at predicting behavior. They have a long history of predicting someone is not dangerous, only to have him go out shortly afterward and commit murder. (John Hinkley is one example. Also see: Eroding Justice: Psychiatry's Corruption of Law)

In fact, predicting human behavior is relatively easy. Just read the book Science of Survival and you'll know an infinite amount more than any psych.

Which brings me to this quote from L. Ron Hubbard:

We expect the fundamentals of behavior
to be complicated simply because
so many highly complicated people
have discussed the subject

How very true!

How pathetic is Anonymous?

I just came across an article that demonstrates the criminality and twistedness of "Anonymous". The article is about how they hacked the Time.com "Most influential person" online poll.

They built auto-voting programs and modified them as the Time.com people changed the poll in an attempt to stop the hacking. Eventually when Time added a feature that stopped the auto-voting the nut-jobs of Anonymous started voting by hand. To keep the manual voters happy the masterminds of this idiocy provided porn to keep the faithful voting.

Here are a couple of quotes from the article: "To further optimize their voting they created a poll front-end that allowed you to enter votes quickly while giving you an update of the poll status (and since it is a 4chan kind of crowd), they also provided the option to stream some porn just to keep you company while you are subverting one of the largest media companies in the world."

And this: "Some of the most hardcore voters (I call them ‘devoters’) spent 40+ hours voting. At their peak, they were casting about 200 votes per minute."

It's rather pathetic if you ask me. It shows you the mentality of these people and how pointless their lives must be. Why not spend 40+ hours doing some volunteer work? There are thousands of worthwhile causes out there. But no, rather than do something to help their fellow man, the pitiful members of Anonymous prefer to mess with a pointless Internet poll.

Read the complete article: moot wins, Time Inc. loses.

Anonymous member faces 10 years jail

Thanks to my blogging pal Casperize, I found out that the first member of Anonymous ever caught has pleaded guilty to felony charges involving a series of January 2008 Distributed Denial of Service attacks on the official websites of the Church of Scientology.

You can read the full story here: Not so anonymous Dmitriy Guzner faces 10 years in prison

Here is an extract:
19-year old Dmitriy Guzner has pleaded guilty to felony charges involving a series of January 2008 Distributed Denial of Service attacks on the official websites of the Church of Scientology.

Guzner is part of the Internet hacking group Anonymous, which targets groups and individuals just for the sake of fun. This is the first time a member of Anonymous has been convicted on computer hacking charges.

Anonymous started harassing the Church of Scientology last year, not only attacking their websites, but waging real life demonstrations and stunts on the religious group.

Other victims of Anonymous have notably included Florida Republican Nancy Detert and Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

New Jersey native Guzner faces 10 years in prison and is set to be sentenced on Aug. 24 in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Sources: United States Attorney, Central District of California and CIO.com

Testing The Mother's Act

Here is an excellent article on a dangerous piece of legislation called the Mother's Act.

Stress Testing the MOTHERS Act

Dianetics: Personal Stories

Here is a video of people talking about their experiences with Dianetics:

Dianetics week

May the 9th was the 59th anniversary of the publication of the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, so to celebrate I'm having a Dianetics week on this blog. Here is the first post - a video introduction to Dianetics:

Difference between mental and physical disease

Here is a very informative and entertaining video:

Book Review: Psychiatry: The Science of Lies

The title "Psychiatry: The Science of Lies" would lead one to think the book was written by someone outside the field but in fact this book was written by one of the most respected psychiatrists of our time, Thomas Szasz.

I won't review the review, I'll just point you to it: Psychiatry: The Science of Lies By Thomas Szasz.

Film Review: Generation RX

Here is a review of the documentary "Generation RX":



You can read my review of this film here: Generation Rx - A must-see for all parents

New Church in Malmo, Sweden

A new Church of Scientology has just opened in Malmo, the 3rd largest city in Sweden.

Here is the news article: Church of Scientology opens in Malmo

You can see pictures of the opening here: Church opening - Pictures

How to treat the homeless and beggars

During this time of economic crisis, there will probably be more homeless people and more people begging for money. How should you treat them? Should you tell them to go to hell? Tell them to stop being a victim and get a job? Or give them a few bucks and tell them to get themselves a decent meal?

A very practical way I have found is given in the Way To Happiness by L. Ron Hubbard:

Try to treat others as you would want them to treat you.

A nice example of someone following this tenet (I have no idea if he has actually read it or if he is just a nice guy with a natural empathy for his fellow man or maybe both) is given here:
One paycheck away from humanity.

I applied this myself recently. I was in the parking lot of my local supermarket, just about to get back into my car after shopping, when an older man came over and asked if he could get a lift to a pharmacy that was a couple miles down the road. His usual pharmacy was next to my supermarket, but his prescription had been phoned to the wrong place. He looked rough, his clothes were old and worn, and he smelled a little. He wore shorts and his legs had scabs on them.

My initial impulse was to say no, but I decided to put myself in his place. At worst he was lying to get a free ride and at best he was what he said he was. So what did I have to lose? I said, "Sure," and opened the door for him.

In the couple of minutes it took to drive to the pharmacy we had a nice chat and when we arrived he was extremely appreciative. I drove off having made a new friend and with a warm feeling inside.

So next time someone on the street asks for help, try putting yourself in there shoes. Remember the old saying "There but for the grace of God go I."

ADHD drugs found to be ineffective in long-term study

A study of children on ADHD medication has found that over a period of eight years the drugs made no difference at all to the children in terms of behavior but that the drugs caused stunted growth. The other serious side-effects of these drugs were not mentioned.

Here is the complete article: Study admits that drugs may have long-term risk.

What is a Problem?

A problem consists
of two or more purposes opposed.
It does not matter what problem
you face or have faced,
the basic anatomy of that problem
is purpose-counter-purpose

L. Ron Hubbard from
Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought

The word "purpose" means "the goal or intended outcome of something" and "the desire or the resolve necessary to accomplish a goal."

A simple example of a problem is that you want to watch "Dollhouse" and your spouse wants to watch "Supernanny". There are two opposed purposes.

Sometimes you have to dig to see the purposes but they are always there. At first the Titanic sinking may not seem to have two opposed purposes, but lets dig a bit. The Titanic wanted to cross a particular patch of ocean but there was an iceberg in the way. You could say the iceberg had the "purpose" to be solid and the Titanic had the purpose to sail through it. There was the problem.

So, go ahead and pick out some problem you have in your life and figure out the opposing purposes. There will be two or more. See if this understanding of what a problem is helps you to solve it.

Tell me what you find.

Question about "Scientology: A History of Man" book

A question about a book:

First of all, Grahame, nice work on the site. There is a lot of useful information here. (Also, I read your profile, and we have similar interests in music. I only recently discovered Symphony X!)

I am not a Scientologist, and can't actually see myself ever becoming one, but I have been researching it lately, just to try to get an idea what it's all about.

Here's my question for you: what is your opinion on Hubbard's book, Scientology: A History of Man? Frankly, it seems (to the non-Scientologist, at least) a little farfetched, e.g. Piltdown Man, clams, etc. I only recently acquired a copy myself, and have only glossed through it so far.

I would just be interested in whatever light you can shed on this interesting book would be appreciated.

Regards,
Cory


Hey Cory,

I'm glad you like the site. Thanks for your question. I'm always ready to answer questions from a fellow music lover :)

First let me say that if you want to get an idea of what Scientology is all about then the Scientology Handbook site is a good place to start. It contains down-to-earth, practical applications of Scientology to everyday life. I'd suggest that as a starting point and then, if you are still interested, go for the Dianetics and Scientology Basic Books.

A History of Man is not going to tell you what Scientology is because that was not its purpose when it was written.

Here is what I know of the book "A History of Man": In the late 1940's Ron Hubbard developed methods to help people remember. He used these methods to alleviate problems caused by past traumas (birth, operations, injuries, etc.). He published the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health so he could share his discoveries with others.

As more and more people received Dianetics counseling some began to recall things that had not occurred in their current life. At first these were called "imaginary incidents" and were thought to be false memories caused by the traumas, but it was found that if these incidents were addressed as if they were real and the trauma removed from them, the person got better. When they were treated as imagination and ignored, the person did not get better. So Ron decided to treat them as real and researched further to find out what was really going on.

After a great deal of research with a large number of people Ron found that many people recalled the same or very similar things. The people recalling these same or similar incidents had never met and had never heard of these things before, yet they recalled them from their own viewpoint.

Ron's eventual conclusion was that these were incidents that people were recalling from past-lives. He published his initial findings in the book "History of Man".

The book was meant for experienced Dianetics and Scientology practitioners who had encountered past-lives while counseling others. It was aimed at helping them understand what they were encountering and at helping them help others. It is not a beginning or introductory book.

The couple of things you mention from the book in your question are actually very unimportant and got put in merely so practitioners would know what they were encountering if they came across them. They get a very brief mention in the book and were not deeply researched.

For someone who has never encountered past-lives, the book might appear pretty wild in places, but if you have experience with past-lives, either with your own or with those of people you have counseled, then it doesn't seem that wild at all.

I hope that answers your question. Feel free to ask any more that you may have.

Mental Health Screening

Watch this short video if you care about the future of your children: Mental Health Screening

Ability Reduction

It's impossible to reduce an ability.
About the only thing you can do is reduce its exercise
or the willingness to exercise it.
-L. Ron Hubbard from the lecture "Control"

An obvious example is an athlete who gets injured. He still has the ability but he can no longer exercise it.

Next is reduction of the willingness to exercise the ability. Let's look at an actor like Silvester Stallone. Nominated for two Oscars and a WGA award in 1977 and a BAFTA award in 1978. Clearly the guy has the ability. Then he picked some not-so-good movies to appear in and then the press and the creeps at the "Razzie" awards started to target him and next thing you know he is a "star" because of his past record and not because of his current films. Recently, probably because he was out of the spotlight, the attacks decreased and he made a bit of a comeback, gaining some critical acknowledgment for the movie "Rocky Balboa", which he wrote, directed and starred in.

So, how can you apply this to your life? Where are you not exercising an ability as much as you should? Is it caused by an unwillingness to exercise the ability? Is it caused by something else? Injury, illness, drug abuse? Narrow it down by examining the ability and what may be stopping you from exercising it. Once you've figured it out then you can figure out possible solutions that will help you to exercise it more.

Tell me how it goes.

Your Potentialities

Your potentialities
are a great deal better
than anyone ever permitted
you to believe
-L. Ron Hubbard from Self Analysis

This is one of my favorite quotes. The truth is that we are far more capable than we know.

Often we are told quite the opposite: Did you ever have a teacher who told you that you were stupid? Did you ever have a "friend" who would make "jokes" at your every mistake? Did you ever see an ad that told you there was something wrong with you and that you needed the latest money making drug to enable you to live with it?

All around there are attempts to tell us that we are incapable and that we need someone or something in order to survive.

Well, the truth is in the quote above. Start believing in yourself. A potentiality is an ability that may be developed, so even though you may not see your abilities right now, they are there and you can develop them.

Don't listen to the naysayers. You have great potential abilities and there are many ways to develop them. Education is a real good one. The one I recommend is Scientology, because it has worked so well for me.

Control of the Environment

Every extinct species became extinct
because it could not change
to control a new environment
- L. Ron Hubbard from Self Analysis

This quote touches on the same subject as yesterday's: Control. Control is the ability to start, change and stop things at one’s own choice.

Some people think that to survive one must adapt to one's environment. The trouble with that idea is that it tends to have the connotation that one must adapt to avoid the dangers. It's a sort of "I can run away" definition. The quote above, from L. Ron Hubbard, says that you must change so you can control your environment, a very different idea.

The quote above can also be applied to entities other than species. Look at Circuit City for example. The environment (economy) changed and Circuit City was not able to change so that it could control the new situation and so it perished.

You can also apply it to your own life. Which areas are you having trouble in? How can you change to better control those areas? Change could be brought about by a decision to act differently, by education so you understand the area better or by a myriad of other ways that I will leave to your common sense.

Tell me what you find.

How well off is an individual?

An individual is as well off as he can change things in location in space - L. Ron Hubbard from the Phoenix Lectures.

Think about that one. If you cannot even move your body (i.e., change its location in space) then you are probably in a coma and not very well off. If you can move your body but not much else then you can't hold down a job, drive a car, or do any of the other things that are required to live in our society. If you can move your body and the other things in your environment that you need to move then you will be able to live in the world, drive a car, cook a meal, dance, play an instrument, etc., etc.

Look at your own life and see how this applies to the different areas of life you deal with. How well can you change the location of things for yourself? Your family? Your job? The groups you are involved with? Etc., etc.

I think you'll find out some interesting things about yourself and your life if you try that exercise.

Tell me what you find.

Another Criminon Success

Here is a wonderful success story from an inmate who is incarcerated in a prison in New York state who just completed a Criminon Correspondence Course:

Before I started and completed this course a new inmate in my dorm would have never approached me. I always gave the impression of someone who may not be able to be trusted. I was a man on a mission, that mission was to do "my hustle." I always had an ulterior motive when I approached an inmate and others.

After completing this course, that same inmate saw something different in me, something I never saw. He saw a man who could be trusted, a man he could confide in and most important, a man who had genuine admirable qualities.

Until that time I never even admired myself. This course taught me that I can put a positive value on my self-worth. Now, even a stranger can see that same positive attributes.

The Way to Happiness course is truly the way to happiness in oneself.

Quotes from L. Ron Hubbard (3)

People have value

and are important.
Big or small
they are important.


L. Ron Hubbard
from the article "Manners"
in the Scientology Handbook

Basic Scientology Books now in 50 languages

Last night at the event celebrating L. Ron Hubbard's birthday, it was announced that the most basic 8 Scientology Basics books have just been released in 50 languages. Not 10, not 20, but 50!

L. Ron Hubbard already had the record as the world's most translated author, with works in 65 languages. I don't know if the new translations add to that 65, but if they do then he's even further ahead than before.

Happy Birthday Ron

Today is L. Ron Hubbard's birthday, an event celebrated all over the world by Scientologists.

If one only took into account his writing, or only his humanitarian work or only his breakthroughs in the field of education or drug rehabilitation then those alone would be enough to explain why millions of people around the world will be celebrating today. But add to that his discoveries in the field of the human mind and spirit and what they have meant to each individual amongst those millions and it all becomes clear.

These success stories will give anyone new to the subject an idea of what can be achieved spiritually through Scientology, but to be honest those stories are mild and watered down compared to the realities I have personally seen in others and experienced for myself.

So, Happy Birthday Ron and thanks for all you've done!