^{Mr. David Miscavige--Releases new Dianetics Film}

^{The Scientology web site has this description of last summer's release by David Miscavige of the brand new book-on-film called How to Use Dianetics. This has totally revolutionized the application of Dianetics auditing (counseling). In the course of a weekend you can do a seminar, using this film, and twin up with someone and dig in on the things you always wanted to handle and never knew how.}

^{In June 2009, Mr. David Miscavige announced the single most momentous advance in Dianetics technology since the day of its original publication on May 9, 1950. Here's what it says:}

^{It was a project personally overseen by Mr. Miscavige for the better part of four years and culminating in the release of materials that would make Dianetics universally accessible.}

^{The goal: to provide every group, Mission and Scientology Church with the ability to deliver Dianetics counseling as L. Ron Hubbard originally intended.}

<sup>Central to the advance was an audiovisual release that propels the subject and study of Dianetics into the 21st century. Specifically, there are now 32 new films in 15 languages—a total of four and a half hours of visual instruction in the principles and procedures of Dianetics.
As Mr. Miscavige announced to an international audience of Scientologists, “These films are not about Dianetics. Rather, they are films of Dianetics.” To that end, benefiting from the advancements of this visual communications age and computer-generated special effects, the films provide an unprecedented level of comprehension to the viewer.

Like Book One itself (so named as it was the first major work on the subject), the films begin in simplicity and develop into broader application. To ensure full understanding, every facet of Dianetics counseling, called auditing, is described and depicted in several ways, then reintroduced again and again through subsequent films.</sup>

^{The DVD package consists of two discs: The first, How to Use Dianetics, comprises 14 chapters. It opens with the basics and, step by step, presents every concept needed to begin Dianetics therapy.}

^{Once an individual is auditing, Disc Two, Aspects of Auditing, comes into play. Each of its 18 chapters (3 hours total) is a self-contained film expanding upon a single aspect of Dianetics and providing total comprehension relative to auditing.}

^{This tour de force presentation delivers a mastery of Book One never before possible.}

"You may have been taught that the mind is a very difficult thing to know about. This is the first principle of Scientology: It is possible to know about the mind, the spirit and life."—L. Ron Hubbard

The history of Scientology

Helium has a good article on Scientology today by Ray Charles.

Scientology, which means the "study of knowledge and truth," is a religion founded in the 1950s by the noted science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard.

Hubbard, born March 13, 1911, in Tilden, Nebraska, traveled widely as a youth, including several trips to Asia. His observation of misery and poverty, especially during his Asia visits, caused him to question the very nature of man.

During the 30s and 40s, he wrote extensively on the subject, but it wasn't until May 1950 that he published Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, which formed the basis for Scientology. Hubbard defined Dianetics as "what the soul is doing to the body." He promoted it as a methodology to help alleviated unwanted emotions, irrational fears, and psychosomatic illness.

Although the initial press run of Dianetics was only 6,000 copies, it became an instant sensation and, to date, has sold over 21 million copies.

Scientology has gained many converts in just over half a century (estimates range from 100 thousand to 10 million adherents worldwide), but it remains one of the most controversial of the 'new' religions. Some of the controversy has been fueled by public actions and statements by high-profile celebrities like Tom Cruise, who are Scientologists.

Scientology holds that man is basically good, but it's their experiences that cause people to do evil. People who think only of their own interests, and ignore how their acts affect others, create interpersonal strife. Individuals achieve enlightenment, according to the basic tenets of the religion, by preserving their spiritual integrity and values, and remaining honest and decent.

While many religions try to solve people's problems for them, Scientology believes in elevating the individual to improve his or her own life. In doing so, the Scientologist naturally reaches out to others.

According to Hubbard's philosophy, the individual is not a body but a spirit. Hubbard called this spirit or soul 'thetan,' from the Greek letter theta, a traditional symbol for thought and life. The thetan, Hubbard maintained, was the person himself, not his name or title - that which is aware of being aware.

The main religious practice of Scientology is a form of spiritual counseling called 'auditing.' It is a precisely codified set of questions used to help the individual become more self aware and thus improve his own condition. The goal of Scientology is to make the individual more spiritually aware and in touch with his thetan, and less dependent on the material universe.

^{"You may have been taught that the mind is a very difficult thing to know about. This is the first principle of Scientology: It is possible to know about the mind, the spirit and life."—L. Ron Hubbard}

Scientology Churches and Missions Celebrate 60th Anniversary of Dianetics the Modern Science of Mental Health

Scientologists mark a new era for Dianetics at events in Scientology Churches and Missions around the world—tens of thousands attend.

Tens of thousands of Scientologists attended events in every Scientology Church and Mission this month. The outstanding Dianetics auditors, groups and booksellers in each zone were awarded in the celebration of the 60 years since the first publication of Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health by L. Ron Hubbard. The anniversary also marked the greatest expansion of Dianetics in history, with more than 4,500 Dianetics Groups around the world and record numbers of visitors to the Dianetics website from more than 20,000 cities in 214 nations. Since its first publication May 9, 1950, more than 21.8 million copies of Dianetics have been sold.

The Dianetics boom started in March 2009 when Mr. David Miscavige, ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, announced the completion of a project to place Dianetics and 17 other hardback Scientology and Dianetics titles, published in 16 languages, in more than 97,000 libraries—every national, city and university lending library in the world. Then, to open the subject up to 90 percent of the world’s population, that same month Dianetics and eight other beginning Dianetics and Scientology books were published in paperback editions in 50 languages.

With Dianetics more accessible than ever in history, in June 2009 Mr. Miscavige released “How to Use Dianetics,” a film that revolutionized the subject. In four and one-half hours, the film covers the Dianetics book in such detail that those watching are able to immediately put Dianetics technology to use. As Mr. Miscavige announced to an international audience of Scientologists, “These films are not about Dianetics. Rather, they are films of Dianetics.”

The film is the centerpiece of the new Dianetics Seminar, offered in Scientology Churches, Missions and Dianetics groups on five continents.

At the seminar, with the guidance of trained Dianetics supervisors, attendees pair up to apply Dianetics to each other, using the information they have just learned. The book and film are so descriptive of Dianetics procedure, those living far from a Scientology Church or Mission can watch the film on their own, read the book and begin to use the technology at home, and many do.

The application of Dianetics technology to another is called “auditing” from the Latin word audire, “to listen.” “My last year has been a complete hell,” wrote one person who decided to attend a Dianetics seminar and receive auditing to sort this out. “I had so many things hidden inside. Now that I got everything off my chest, I feel extremely relieved.”

“I feel revitalized,” said another seminar participant. “I have much better understanding and compassion for people who are struggling with pain and loss on a daily basis and don’t even realize it.”

A significant aspect of the Dianetics seminar is that while receiving help, one learns to help another. “Wow! It was a great experience to assist someone to get through a painful event,” said an attendee. “To see the person brighten up is so amazing.”

With Dianetics gaining popularity from Katmandu, Nepal, to Kiisi, Kenya, and from Almaty, Kazakhstan, to Bergamo, Italy, last year a record-breaking 3.7 million hours of Dianetics auditing were delivered internationally. For more information on Dianetics or to order a copy of Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, visit the Dianetics website.

^{"You may have been taught that the mind is a very difficult thing to know about. This is the first principle of Scientology: It is possible to know about the mind, the spirit and life."—L. Ron Hubbard}

The Church of Scientology International is launching a series of testimonial videos on its official YouTube Channel called "Meet a Scientologist," which showcase the lives and careers of everyday Scientologists. YouTube users will be able to view 50 videos to start, with 100 more videos scheduled to follow in the upcoming months as part of the Church's continuing efforts to expand its presence in the world's largest online video community.

Meet A Scientologist YouTube Videos

The "Meet a Scientologist" videos, which were shot on location, focus on individual Scientologists who explain how the religion has helped them, whether by teaching effective communication skills, learning to be confident in their abilities, or generally improving their life. Videos highlight members of Scientology from all over the world and all kinds of professions, including doctors, educators, inventors, athletes, actors, musicians, students, photographers, business owners and more.

These new videos are based on one of the core principles of the Scientology religion. L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology, discovered that understanding is composed of affinity, reality and communication. With the conviction that this applies to any aspect of life, the Church of Scientology seeks to increase understanding of Scientology and Scientologists by applying this principle to online video, while at the same time, providing information through personal stories.

A pioneer and leader in the online religious community, the Church of Scientology was the first religion to create its own official YouTube Video Channel in April 2008, with 82 broadcast-quality videos comprising nearly three hours of content in a unique video player. To date, it has been seen by over 2 million visitors. The Church of Scientology has also launched an online public information campaign with 30 and 60-second flash presentation conveying the essence of Scientology. These spots address the most fundamental questions people ask about life--questions for which Scientology has effective answers.

To watch the new "Meet a Scientologist" videos, visit the Scientology Video Channel on YouTube at video channel at http://www.youtube.com/ChurchofScientology.

^{"You may have been taught that the mind is a very difficult thing to know about. This is the first principle of Scientology: It is possible to know about the mind, the spirit and life."—L. Ron Hubbard}

Thought I'd share this win, that I saw on the blog for the Scientology Mission of SOMA.

J.C. works in retail at a popular clothing store in San Francisco. She has just completed the Book Course on Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought. Here is her success story :

"It is my job to control many staff members and play the retail game with them. I have to have good control and create the business. I watched one of the staff members playing the game wrong and I saw this with my own eyes. She was going in the wrong direction of that game. I needed to guide her in the right direction so I stopped her game and made it clear for her to see what the right game was and the goal she had to get to and that she had to create this to get that goal. She smiled and I let her do it on her own. She immediately succeeded and I saw a great improvement in her. I was proud of myself for having good control and creating a cycle of action. I was even more happy that she created it on her own."

So many wins, since David Miscavige released the Basic Scientology and Dianetics Books and Lectures!

^{"You may have been taught that the mind is a very difficult thing to know about. This is the first principle of Scientology: It is possible to know about the mind, the spirit and life."—L. Ron Hubbard}

Scientology in society

Found this article on The New Statesman. It's by Ken Eckersley, a founding Scientologist who's been active in the religion just about since the start.

What I liked best is he expressed exactly how I feel about what we do in society, and why I volunteer my time on our social betterment programs.

Because the fundamentals upon which Scientology rests embrace all aspects of life, certain key principles can be broadly employed to better any condition. Scientologists use these principles in their daily lives, and I have found that their usage alone can often make the difference between success and failure.

One of these principles provides a means to separately view the components of life so that its many activities, often confused, can assume a new clarity. L. Ron Hubbard discovered that the basic drive behind all of life is “Survive!” This dynamic urge can be subdivided into eight parts so that each one can be more easily inspected and understood. These parts are called the eight dynamics, and by understanding each of them and their relationship, one to the other, a person is able to increase his or her survival on all of them.

What I found was that these dynamics describe one’s drive to survive for self, family, groups, mankind, all life, the physical universe, the spiritual universe and the Infinite or Supreme Being, and I have personally used Scientology to enhance my survival in all of these spheres.

My parents and other family have helped me in numerous ways and I have been able to return that help. For example, in his twenties, my brother was able to rid himself of 19 years of asthma through Dianetics procedures. My first wife, after several years of non-conception, was diagnosed as totally incapable of bearing children, yet later gave birth to our two beautiful girls as a direct result of Scientology spiritual counselling.'As to groups, without membership of the C of E church choir, my Boy Scout Troop, the Air Cadets, my teachers and fellow pupils in the various schools I attended and without my colleagues in the companies in which I worked - I could never have achieved my present 80 years of enjoyment of life, and my good health and high level of activity in the community. Over that period I have regularly studied Scientology, and still do every week. Without this, I know my life to date could never have been as full or as satisfying to both myself and others, and might also have been much shorter.

Then there is the broader group we call Mankind. My Scientology beliefs guide me in contributing in numerous ways to other people. I voluntarily help to run a Narconon drug rehabilitation and prevention education charity, with a high success rate in helping our students achieve complete abstinence for life. I also work with the Citizens Commission on Human Rights; the Volunteer Ministers community help group; the Foundation for a Drug Free Europe in Brussels; Criminon the criminal rehabilitation programme; and with The Way To Happiness Foundation distributing a common sense guide to better living. I also support my wife in her work with Applied Scholastics the revolutionary teaching system which is today helping so many of our youth to escape illiteracy. Groups all utilising the work of L. Ron Hubbard.

Without all this, I could never be as fulfilled as I am. You have only to see the light of comprehension in the eyes of a child or a young offender; you have only to witness the relief of an individual who is now off heroin and holding down a job, or the relief of one who has just escaped physical or emotional pain - to know the value of Mr Hubbard’s work.

^{"You may have been taught that the mind is a very difficult thing to know about. This is the first principle of Scientology: It is possible to know about the mind, the spirit and life."—L. Ron Hubbard}

A Chapter a Day Keeps the Blues Away?

I've been taking time every day to real LRH books (books by L. Ron Hubbard).

You can take the time to read the directions of how to use some new gadget, IPod, how to upload your videos on a site, how to take digital pictures. But what if it was just as simple, even easier, to read a manual about you -- about how you tick, why you sometimes do irrational things, why people can be really hard to be around, why that last relationship didn't work out quite as well as you thought it would....

That and a lot more is what you get from reading Scientology books.

I have to say it's quite brilliant what David Miscavige has done with the release of all the basic Scientology and Dianetics books and lectures. (David Miscavige is the one who announced the new release of all these books and lectures last month).

To really understand Scientology you have to read and understand these books and listen to these lectures. They are the record of Ron's research and they are what lets you in on everything he learned about how people tick. It's still such an exciting route to read about, even though I've been a Scientologist for many years.

Mr. Miscavige described what it took to get these lectures and books out in 16 languages (15 plus English). We're talking man hours like you wouldn't believe!

So, I'm on Dianetics, the Modern Science of Mental Health. And what a ride this is!

Frankly I'd forgotten what a great book it is, and this version (it has a really extensive glossary making it so easy to understand) is just gorgeous. But it's what's inside that really makes it special.

I would recommend this book to ANYONE.


^{"You may have been taught that the mind is a very difficult thing to know about. This is the first principle of Scientology: It is possible to know about the mind, the spirit and life."—L. Ron Hubbard}