He said that during counseling so many people had spontaneously volunteered “past life” incidents that he had had to accept it as a reality. Auditing is virtually impossible without such a belief.
By the time I became involved in Scientology, “Clear” was no longer the ultimate attainment; now there were levels beyond. Hubbard used the word “thetan” to describe the spirit, the “being himself,” and beyond “Clear” were the “Operating Thetan” (OT) levels. Here the individual would purportedly break away from the limitations of human existence. Having completed the “OT levels” one would be able to remember all of one’s earlier lives, to “exteriorize” from the body at will and perform miraculous feats.
Such ideas were completely foreign to me. Interest in psychic abilities is frowned upon in the Zen community as a distraction from the road to wisdom. What I wanted from Scientology was emotional equilibrium, so I could win my girlfriend back, make a successful career in the Arts, and concentrate on achieving Enlightenment. But gradually I was absorbed into the pursuit of the state of “Operating Thetan.”
By this time I had a fairly well developed picture of Lafayette Ronald Hubbard. His voice on tape was rich and jocular. Photographs of Hubbard in Scientology magazines and on the walls of the Mission showed a smiling man, not a dry philosopher, but a man of action with a tremendous love for humanity, who had devoted his life to the solution of other men’s ills. Hubbard seemed to be a true philanthropist; a learned man with a grasp of science and a comprehension of the mysteries. Hubbard had a sense of humor, and was given to anecdotes. He was not trying to impress anyone with his intellect; instead he wanted you to help yourself, and all mankind, by using the subject he had developed. This view of Hubbard is shared by all devoted Scientologists.
By the summer of 1975 I was coming back onto an even keel. My life revolved around Scientology, and I had put my ex-girlfriend out of mind, although the subject had never been addressed in my counseling. I had abandoned those of my friends who were not interested in Scientology, because my lifestyle had changed so much, and I had made new friends - all of them Scientologists.
I had a powerful feeling of comradeship for the Mission staff, and wanted to become one of their number. I knew that they took only a day off each week, and worked all the weekday evenings too. From their comments it was obvious that the pay was very low. Even so, I wanted to work with them. I was told that I would have to “petition” the Guardian’s Office of the Church to obtain permission to join the Mission staff and that I would also have to become more highly qualified in Scientology.
In order to qualify for staff, I would have to do Auditor training courses which were only available at a “Church of Scientology,” or “Org” (for “Organization”). The nearest was in Manchester, and was in a partially condemned building in the Chinese district. Some of the walls had just been painted purple to try and brighten up the remarkably dingy premises. There was only one student there. The “Registrar” was too insistent, even belligerent. He seemed to take an immediate dislike to me. I decided to go to Saint Hill instead.
1.Hubbard,Scientology: A History of Man, p.5.
2.Letter to US Navy from Flag Operations Liaisons Office East US letter to US National Personnel Records Center, 28 May 1974. Hubbard navy records.
3.Flag Divisional Directive 69RA “Facts about L. Ron Hubbard Things You Should Know”, 8 March 1974, revised 7 April 1974.
4.Hubbard,“My Philosophy”, 1965,Technical Bulletins vol.6, p.1.
5.HCOPL “Dissemination Drill” 23 October 1965.
6.HCOB “Training Drills Modernized” 16 August 1971, issue II.