Customer Reviews

Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought

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This was actually the second Scientology related book that I ever read, and have re-read it several times in the past 20 or so years. Some people may find the information in the book simple. Dr Hubbard does use a very easy to follow narrative and includes a glossary of words that are most likely to be misunderstood. I do recommend the 2007 edition of this book as it is much easier to follow than were previous editions. I am currently going through the book again, this time while also listening to the Hubbard Professional Course Lectures (also available on Amazon, though I got mine on Craigslist...) and am finding that I am getting much more out of both the Lectures and the Book by working through them together.

Each person in this world has asked themselves at one time or another "What is the purpose of life?" or something similar, and mankind has sought these answers since the dawn of time. Many religions have been started and practiced in an attempt to answer just this question and with each new and varying religion comes a push to pronounce their beliefs as superior than another and to proselytize or convert people to their faiths. Scientology is a new religion, yes, but in this work Dr Hubbard makes it clear that it is not "Revolutionary" - rather it is "evolutionary" and even speaks against attempting to change a person's religious or political convictions. I personally believe that this is one of the best things about the tools that are offered in this book - they work, you do not have to believe in them, they just work, sort of like a shovel - it works regardless of your religious persuasion or political leanings... so do the tools in this book, they work (of course you still will have to apply them, they are not magical).

For those who have trouble with the materials, do as is suggested in the beginning of the book, read or skim through it until you find something with which you can agree, and then start again looking for another thing, and so on. By doing such you will begin to build affinity with the material and be able to get a sense of reality on the subject. Yes I know this is about the ARC triangle... not sure what it is? Read the book! You will only be disappointed if you want to be.

From the publisher's website:

For thousands of years Man has searched for the true meaning of life. Here are the answers. And with exact Scientology techniques, you'll discover them for yourself. Because Scientology is the knowledge of you.

* Master the very elements of survival and happiness
* Resolve the puzzle of your own existence
* Be, do and have what you want in your life

This book basically gives an overview of Scientology principles. Included are some powerful tools I was able to use to improve my life immediately. There are also some ideas presented here that expanded my viewpoint and got me wondering, "Is that possible?"

I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to know more about Scientology or life in general.

What is Life? What is the Goal of Mankind? How does the mind work? How does the Universe work?
These are just some of the questions that many philosophers, scientists and others have tried to figure out, like so many nobles trying to take the Sword from the Stone.
Now it is L Ron Hubbard's (LRHs) turn . . .

MINOR OBSERVATIONS

Unlike DIANETICS, I like how the more "difficult" words and terms have simplified definitions in parentheses right next to them. Much more convenient than having to flip back to the glossary several times a page--although a glossary is also included in case you need some further explanation.

LRH comes across as very methodical, at least as far as structure goes. The chapters are really short which make for quick reads and make good use of bullets, lists, bold type and other formatting techniques to emphasis certain points.

Also of note, Scientology does not try and explain how the Universe was created but it does hint at Reincarnation.

SO FAR SO GOOD

One thing that is immediately apparent, is that LRH is fond of analogies. Throughout this book he is especially fond of comparing Life to a Game (board game or video game, doesn't matter). He states that there are 3 primary ingredients to any Game: Freedom, Barriers and Purposes (page 54). Let's see how his theory works out by comparing it to Super Mario Brothers.

In Mario Brothers, the player has the FREEDOM to make Mario walk, run, turn left/right, jump, kick, slide-down flagpoles, etc.
There are BARRIERS such as Goombas and brick walls.
There is a PURPOSE--trying to rescue the princess (who is in another castle, Argh!)

So we see that LRH's analogy actually works out pretty well.

A few other things I found interesting were his explanations on the Cycle of Action and the Conditions of Existence, however, both of them could have easily been discovered by yourself as they are so obvious.

Those were pretty much the only things in this book that I found agreeable.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

The first thing that made me raise my eyebrows was his statement on page 65 that he ". . . established along scientific lines (rather than mere belief) that: That thing which is the person, the personality, is separable from the body and the mind at will and without causing bodily death or mental derangement."

Science works mostly with physical, tangible evidence (unless they are absolutes, like numbers and math). So how can he claim to have any scientific knowledge of something (the soul/spirit/thetan) that has no physical form at all?

LRH gives the spirit another name.
Thetan.
Why?
What's even more puzzling is something I noticed on page 162 . . . "The easiest thing a thetan does is change his mind."
I don't know about you, but to me, the spirit has no gender. It is simply "IT". Why then, does LRH refer to it in the masculine? It's as if he is hinting that the Thetan is not only the spirit, but something else.

Do we even need Scientology? On page 107 it says that "The goal of Scientology is making the individual capable of living a better life in his own estimation and with his fellows and the playing of a better game."
If you think about it, this goal is not very unique. Dr. Phil, your teachers, your parents, et al, are often trying to do the same thing.

Finally, we get into the CODES, I won't give comments on these--they speak for themselves:

First, there is the Auditor's Code. A few rules that grabbed my attention . . . (all from page 115)
"Do not process a preclear after 10 P.M."
"Never permit the preclear to end the session on his own independent decision."
"Never get angry with a preclear."

Second is the Code of a Scientologist on page 116. A few that caught my interest . . .
"To deter [discourage/restrain] to the fullest extent of my power anyone misusing or degrading Scientology to harmful ends."
"To discourage the abuse of Scientology in the press."
"To refuse to impart the personal secrets of my preclears."
"To engage in no unseemly [contrary to good taste] disputes with the uninformed on the subject of my profession."

That chapter was rounded out with this paragraph on page 117:
"Any hope or promise in Scientology is conditional upon its good use by the individual and its use, in particular, within the limits of these two codes."

Even with all that, the most interesting information (in my opinion) is on the last page (169):
"Today, the primary race of Earth is not between one nation and another. The only race that matters at this moment is the one being run between Scientology and the atomic bomb."

To give a quick timeline, DIANETICS was published in 1950, Scientology was created in 1952 and this book was published in 1956. What was happening during that time frame?
The Cold War.
War! Death! Destruction!
Quick, "Duck and Cover"!

To wrap this up, this reminds me of a quote by Edmund Burke . . .

"No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear."

So much for Clearing the mind, eh?

The cover of the book is clear: "The basic book of the theory & practice of Scientology for beginners." Not a book of "useful tips and hints" but a thorough explanation of the basic principles of Scientology.

The book is not a "science" book, but a basic yet thorough going over of the main principles of Scientology. Quite a useful book considering all the false ideas about the subject currently being advertised by the press and former ex-members who seem more interesting in rumor and gossip than actual facts.

I found the introduction interesting that one of the main goals of Scientology is the eradication of ignorance. And too that if all you had were this book that your life would be a bit better through its application. Further, the author admonishes: "Change no man's religion, change no man's politics, interrupt the sovereignty of no nation. Instead, teach Man to use what he has and what he knows to the factual creation, within any political reference, of a civilization on Earth for the first time." Quite a concept!

It's a thin volume of about 200 or so pages. The first chapters go over expanded principles that were touched on in Dianetics such as Cycle of Action, The ARC Triangle (ARC = Affinity, Reality and Communication), The Parts of Man, and then expands to theoretical knowledge that Ron has mapped out with titles like "Causation and Knowledge, Civilization and Savagery," and "The Goal of Scientology."

Part Two of the book takes off in the direction of Scientology counseling called "Auditing" ("to listen"). Unlike other counseling techniques there is a full code of conduct for the practitioner, including not evaluating for the patient (Preclear).

I'm sure we've experienced people who play head games on us or try to manipulate us in some ways. See Chapter 14, Game and No-Game Conditions. Example: "A game consists of freedom, barriers and purposes." For myself sometimes I get into conditions that are hard -- family arguments, domestic and work disputes, etc. These people are playing games too. There's not a lot of freedom for me there. I see an imbalance. Great advice here on how to handle problems.

An expansive glossary follows in this edition, rather than tons of footnotes that peppered earlier editions.

Recommended for the curious and the open-minded. Not recommended for critics. They've already made up their minds.

This book is a great introduction to Scientology.

While it is worth reading, I can only give it two stars because of the flawed use of logic.

For example, as early as the Preface, it is stated that "The criminal is ignorant and stupid. Ignorance and stupidity may therefore be called criminal."

Even if one believes or assumes the first statement to be true, the second statement simply doesn't follow. Perhaps Hubbard used differing definitions of the words "criminal" "ignorant" and "stupid" than the dictionary, but none of these words were defined in the glossary.

When reading the book as either a religious text or as a scholarly pursuit, this type of seemingly small breaks in logic make it a difficult read.

That said, I learned much and was inspired to read more about logic and Scientology.

Before reading this book I felt confused about life. There are so many theories - things to believe or not believe in. Me? I like something you can sink your teeth in. Something that if used, it actually works - you can get results -- no more theories or something you have to "just believe" in. This book, along with A New Slant of Life - gave me what I was looking for - a way to actually improve the quality of my life - and my family's lives. The only trick? You have to apply the datums to your life - it's not something you just think about! That's what's so incredible about this book - it's for use! Try it - you'll see what I mean

This is the book I'd definitely recommend to someone wanting to know a bit about Scientology and its technology. It is easy reading and most enjoyable.

It is the basic book on the theory and practice of Scientology, with discoveries embracing every aspect of life!

The book explores what is called the A-R-C Triangle, showing how this contains the underlying principles of true human relations. I mention this as it is a favorite of mine.

The book contains much, much more.

It also answers the questions of "what's it all about?" giving the very elements of survival, happiness and life itself.

There are companion lecture series entitled, "Hubbard Professional Course Lectures". They are also available on Amazon.com.

What's best about this book is the way it's laid out - very simple and practical information a person can use right away and see if Scientology works for themselves.

One very interesting part of the book deals with how life can be viewed as a game, composed of freedom, barriers, and purposes, and somewhere during reading this chapter things just seemed to go "click" and life became a lot simpler for me.

This new edition makes it a lot easier to understand the book with a comprehensive glossary and easy-on-the-eyes layout. I definitely recommend it.

Dharma and Tao mean the study of knowledge as well.
The basics of how to know and what's most important are put right up front here by a gentleman who seems to bring eastern philosophy to the west in a way I can easily understand.
This shined a light on useful data for me to USE in my life.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT as does JOHN TRAVOLTA....from whom I got this referral.