Scientology
From Wikinfo
- For criticism see Criticism of Scientology
See also; Scientology controversy, a critical point of view, and Scientology and controversy, a discussion of Scientology's controversy.
Scientology starts with knowledge. But use of knowledge requires personal understanding. When you read a book about riding a bicycle you have knowledge; whereas if you ride a bicycle you have personal understanding. L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology said:
Scientology does not teach you. It only reminds you. For the information was yours in the first place.
Those who ride the bicycle say things like "Scientology has been helpful for me" or "Scientology cured my learning disability". It is intended to be personally helpful and, when applied, helpful for other people. It is a philosophy [1] , an area of knowledge. But Hubbard's study unfolds a philosophically unique idea that might be stated: To use knowledge, you must understand its application. Because it concerns itself with understanding information about the spirit, it is both philosophical and religious.
Contents |
Study of Knowledge
He introduced the word to his students on April 3, 1952 in a one hour lecture titled Scientology: Milestone One. At that time he spelled out how the word is composed. Scient- is the same root word as science and means know (from Latin). The second part of the word is the same suffix as biology and geology; -ology and means study of (from Latin and its earlier Greek). The word parts combine to mean study of knowledge.
Hubbard did not originate the idea of examining what is already known. Mankind has been doing that for centuries. The Greeks did it, the Romans did it, and modern technology thrives on it. But Hubbard introduced a difference that earlier philosophies had not fully examined.
Knowledge is power is a well known phrase. But if you examine this idea closely, you see the potential use of knowledge is power. Another way to state this idea would be; information is only as useful as you understand application for it.
Scientology: Milestone One
In 1952 Mr. Hubbard was welcomed by his students at one of his lectures. He introduced the new term, Scientology. He pinpointed the difference between just plain, personal knowledge and understood knowledge with an illustration.Don’t be like the signalman who goes up on the bridge of a battlewagon ... and there is a flashing light going dit-da, dit-da. And somebody says to this signalman, "All right, what’s he saying?" ... "Well, just a moment, I have to give it some more study." Oh no, he doesn’t. If he’s a signalman, dit-da means "A" to him. And a whole string of dots, sort of read en masse together, mean a word to him. He has conquered the barrier of meaning in light flashes.
His example presented the difference between simply knowing and actually understanding.
Understanding what you know
When you understand what you know, you can do things with what you know, and do them right away. The signalman:
- has the knowledge.
- can recall his knowledge.
- comprehends the use of his knowledge.
But he has not bridged the gap between knowing and understanding.
"Knowledge in recall" is one situation whereas;
"Understood and useable knowledge" is another situation.
Scientology is a study of knowledge to bridge across this gap and bring a person's knowledge into full use.
Hubbard's earlier Dianetics bridged the gap
Hubbard first introduced the idea of bridging from knowledge to full understanding with Dianetics. [2] Dianetic methods have two people work together to help one of them understand a memory. A person recalls a stuck attention sort of memory and goes over it a number of times until what they already know becomes fully understood. This bridges their gap from just plain knowledge to full understanding.
Dianetics techniques had people recall past memories to better understand them. From about 1948 until the introduction of Scientology, Hubbard and followers, ran dianetic procedures with many people. The people reviewed past moments, especially past moments of physical or emotional pain, and better understood what they had experienced. The gap between "knowledge in recall" and "understood, useable knowledge" was bridged as people understood what they already had known. Understanding such past moments produced happier, more survival-prone people. Hubbard made a fuller study of this difference and called it Scientology. Scientology might be said to be a study of how to bring one's knowledge into a fully understood, useable form. But the reason that Hubbard expanded Dianetics into Scientology is because of Dianetics' results. As people's memory improved, they sometimes recalled memories much earlier than their current human lifetime. In dianetic sessions such recalls were dealt with by regular dianetic technique. A person would understand a recalled memory and feel better afterward.
Hubbard's reason for Scientology
Hubbard therefore introduced Scientology because Dianetics was insuffiecent. Scientology deals with memories as Dianetics does, but does not target itself to recalls of a particular period of time, i.e. an individual's current lifetime. Thus, Scientology deals with an individual's spiritual existence, rather than only dealing with a person's current lifetime.
When Hubbard introduced Scientology to his Dianetics students in 1952, he was building on the underlying technique of Dianetics. A memory is something that a person already knows. It is their knowledge. While a person can recall many past events a few of them include pain. Dianetics helps a person understand those difficult moments so that they understand what they already know. In this way, a person understands their knowledge. This idea of understanding what you already know was successful in Dianetics. Hubbard generalized the element that worked and applied it more broadly and called it Scientology.
Controversy
In the 1950s and 1960s, a number of Christian Churches, sent small missionary groups to undeveloped countries. Packing a bible and educated in western technology, these individuals and small groups were supported only by donations. Sometimes they started schools, sometimes provided some health care, and sometimes applied western technology toward improving life where they were sent. Considerable controversy resulted because while the quality of life was often improved, it came at the cost of listening to the Christian word of God. Also, not every parishioner felt his donations were well spent with missionaries in foreign countries.
In the 1960s and following years, the Peace Corps, a United States government program, filled the life improvement idea, without its accompanying word of God. It too has had its controversies.
Some of the controversy about the Church of Scientology is similar. It promotes literacy, educates about drug use and promotes a program called The Way to Happiness in underdeveloped countries, such as South Africa. But another element of controversy revolves (unbelievably) around simplicity. Scientology's philosophy says parishioners must understand what they read, to use what they read. And this provides an opportunity for conflict. Scientology says; As you study, barriers arise. Study Technology is method to overcome these barriers, and spells out three barriers. [3] Dr. David S. Touretzky has criticized Scientology by writing, website and spoken word for some while. He begins turning Study Technology around by making simple, complex. He says: Study Tech is founded on three principles. Touretzky unfolds the simplicity, "several barriers arise during study", into complexity. Then he snips specific words from Study Technology and defines them with a slightly different meaning than Scientology writings. He goes on to create a morass of misunderstanding. [4]
The German government has found themselves in a similar position. The government paid "experts" to document and provide guidance to the government because Scientology was a religion new to Germany and the government felt it should act. The resulting report examined the Church's administration policy. The report focuses on a very small portion of thousands of pages. It takes snippets out of context to present ideas the Church says are completely opposite Scientology's goals.
Applications
Applied to memory, a person understands what they already know through Dianetic methods.
Applied to understanding words and symbols, Scientology teaches the use of a dictionary. [5] The method, according to Scientologists, is effective because it leads to understanding symbols and words so you can comfortably create with them.
Applied to study, a person understands what they learn, as they learn it. Methods include making demonstrations, using clay and creating a model of an idea, and sketching the action of an idea out on paper. By doing so, a person has created something with what they learn. Scientology's Study Technology describes how to learn effectively. It lays out how to thoroughly understand what you learn, as you learn it. [6]
Communication is another area that Hubbard necessarily developed because without good communication, Scientology's applied methods simply don't work. The elements necessary for a communication to take place are understood and each is drilled until they become natural. These elements are combined together and drilled until a person communicates naturally, even under duress. Added together in a gradient way a student develops confidence with their ability to communicate. [7]
The Way to Happiness applies understanding to the subject of morality. [8] It is available online in several languages.
Scientology's development
Hubbard wrote millions of words between 1948 and his death in 1986, about Dianetics and Scientology. In addition to written words, he lectured extensively. Most of his lectures were recorded and are available to the public. While most of them are audio, a few were recorded in color video. He states that almost all of the research of these subjects was his and that no major contribution came from anyone else, though he often stated that he could not have done the research without the support of many people. He also lauded historical spiritual leaders whom, he said, carried the torch forward and without whom, Scientology would could not have developed.
The Church of Scientology
In his lecture in 1952, he spoke of the sphere of Scientology necessarily including the nature of man, his motivations, his responsibility for his actions, and any spiritual aspect of man which might be knownable. In the early 1950s the Church of Scientology [9] was established and presents Scientology as "applied religious philosophy" somewhat akin to Buddhism, though greatly expanded. Hubbard's work is in the area of 35 million words and includes the philosophy, methods to apply it for the benefit of one's fellow, organizing to deliver it, and his research.
The Church of Scientology presents the idea that people are immortal spiritual beings. An individual spirit inhabits and motivates a human body. An individual is a spirit and uses a body. It is the spirit, which is aware and is individual. The individual is not something you have, but is what you are, and exists forever. Scientology uses the term "thetan" for the individual spirit or soul and the term is defined to mean, "That which is aware of being aware", not your body or your name or any physical universe thing, but a spirit, a creator of things.
Applied to the human spirit, this difference of understanding has grown from a classroom full of people, to millions. It is disseminated by the Church of Scientology. [10]
References
- ^ philosophy; definition #1 from Random House's Unabridged
- ^ Dianetics
- ^ Study Technology.org - Three barriers to study
- ^ Studytech.org - Touretzky's "analysis" of study technology
- ^ How to Clear a word
- ^ Study Technology
- ^ Communication
- ^ The way to Happiness Foundation and book
- ^ What is Scientology
- ^ Scientology locations at Google maps
Related topics
External links
- Belifnet on Scientology
- Religious tolerance org's statement of the Scientology religion
- Church of Scientology home page
- Dianetics home page
- Scientology Handbook
- What is Scientology?
- Scientology: Theology and Practice of a Contemporary Religion
- Wiki Directory of Links Related to Dianetics, Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard's works
