Alexis Valerie Hubbard born.
(The Roots of Scientology)
Another mention of the upcoming article about the new science of
Dianetics is made in "Astounding Science Fiction,": "A technique that gives
any man a perfect, indelible, total memory, and perfect, errorless ability
to compute his problems. A basic answer, and a technique for curing-not
alleviating ulcers, arthritis, asthma, and many non-germ diseases. A totally
new conception of the truly incredible ability and power of the human mind."
(The Roots of Scientology)
Dianetics: Evolution of a Science published. (CofS)
A piercing scream against Dianetics arose before the first book was
published in 1950. Press was hot against it before the first foundation was
formed.
For seven months before there was personnel or personal troubles
publicized, the bulk of articles against Dianetics had already appeared. At
one time three national magazines were simultaneously on the stands screaming
in lead articles about Dianetics and myself – and this was five months
before and "divorce" publicity. (LRH:
Terror Stalks, 13.4.61)
The long awaited article on "Dianetics" appears in "Astounding Science
Fiction" magazine. (The Roots of Scientology)
Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health published. (CofS)
In 1950 Ron Hubbard decided to write a popular handbook on Dianetic theory and therapy, and used his Science Fiction
contacts to get it published. What emerged was 'Dianetics Modern Science of Mental Health'. It was a 400 page book
divided into three sections. The first covered the fundamental philosophy, the
second a theory of Dianetics and finally a practical therapy section.
The form of presentation contrasted strongly with the closely qualified academic style in which ideas on medical science are
usually presented. Hubbard wrote the book with characteristic colourful phrasing and humorous asides. It is unfortunately
marred by some extravagant claims for unvarying effectiveness, which were not subsequently substantiated. The book does
however outline a theory and methodology which many found plausible, and were willing to try.
Groups of people eager to become practitioners of Dianetics sprang up in self-help groups throughout the United States and
abroad. Ron Hubbard had said that Dianetic therapy techniques were accessible to all and that anyone
with the common sense and guts to follow the instructions could help others. That is exactly what they did. Hubbard was now at the centre of a
growing movement for self-improvement with an enormous number of requests for information and clarification being
directed at him. (The Sad
Tale of Scientology, Eric Townsend, Chapt. 4, pg. 13)
Until May, 1950 I received only favorable publicity – on expeditions or
comings or goings. In May 1950 there was a concerted shriek from people who
(a) had not read the books and (b) who knew nothing bad about me.
These howls came from both conservative and liberal groups alike – the
AMA – The Commies, The Socialists, the Roman Catholics.
- Many truly dangerous practices have risen up amongst man such as a new
Indian version of whirling dervishism now rampant in England;
- Brainwashing was introduced in the past eleven years by the Russians;
- A dozen violent and harmful psychiatric treatments have been developed.
And no sustained protest has continued to be made in the press against
these.
Looking at all of these things, then it would seem that protests against
Dianetics and Scientology do not stem from a knowledge of myself, they do not
stem from a knowledge of the substance of the work, they do not stem from
conservative or liberal groups, and they are not a protest against philosophy,
philosophers, or evil practices, and they are not an effort to protect the
public. (LRH: Terror
Stalks, 13.4.61)
LRH: Just about the time DMSMH hit the stands, I was in
Washington DC, the very same city. A very high-ranking officer comes walking
up the steps, on a Monday, and says to me, "Well, Hubbard, how are you?
How would you like to work for the office of Naval Research?" I said,
"Doing what?" "Oh, using what you know about the mind to make
people more suggestible."
I won't announce this man's rank or name, not in public. But I
said, "Well, sir," sir was in italics, "I'm not
interested." The book had just been published, the foundation was just
forming, we were just kicking off, and this guy wants to drag me into the
Navy. He said, "You'd better watch out, because I can pull you back into
service at your old rank." Here we go.
I got on the telephone. I had to find someplace in the United
States a naval district that would let me resign and I found them - the
Potomac River Naval Command. It was set up during the Civil War to patrol a
Confederate state and was still a full Naval district. It had admirals and
everything.
I went in coughing, I had a service record and my health
record and resignation all written out. I showed the old Admiral how I could
never be of any use again to the Navy. He says, "You poor fellow. Yes,
I'll accept your resignation." They got an assistant to the Secretary of
the Navy to OK it.
On Thursday when the high brass came back to see me again, he
says, "Well, have you decided?" I said, "Yes, I've decided not
to go in." He says, "Then I guess I have no other choice but to
draft you in at your old rank." I said, "I'm very sorry," -
omitting the sir, italicized - "but I am no longer a member of the armed
services. Here it is." And that was an end to the beautiful friendship
with the American government.
... Any government these days is terribly interested in how
the mind works, but dead against anybody that knows more about it than they
do. The commie doesn't like us, not because they wouldn't be happy to use the
information, not because they're against anything we believe in, but I said
no.
We have kicked in the teeth the Russian government and the
American government. It goes right back to that engram, Office of Naval
Research, "Hubbard said no. To hell with him." That's an important
point. They didn't make up their minds that we were no good until we had said
no.
We have not made friends or influenced people in those
departments. But it has left us free and we are today probably the only free
organization on the face of Earth. And that is saying something. We float free
of political committments. This is the one organization on Earth that isn't
owned and owes no favors.
They have to think of their jobs or the party line or
something of the sort, they have to be alert to what they say, they can never
be totally honest.
If we are for something, we simply think it's a good thing to
be for. If we're against something, we just think they're no good. We can be
honest. (LRH:
Tape Lecture 6012C31 AHMC-1 The Genus of Dianetics and Scientology)
Alert watchdogs of the AMA began sniffing at Dianetics almost from the moment
it first appeared in public.
Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health was published in May 1950.
Within weeks, AMA strategists began secretly laying the groundwork for a
full-scale attack on the new and uncanonical therapy. (O. Garrison, Hidden
Story of Scientology, pg. 70)
On June 1, 1950, Dr. Austin Smith, then editor of the Journal of
the American Medical Association, sent a number of letters to doctors and
medical societies throughout the U.S., asking their help.
In his letters to the profession, he solicited authoritative statements
that would convince the layman that Dianetics was a new and dangerous form of
quackery.
Dr. Smith also sent a memorandum to Oliver Field, director of the
AMA's Bureau of Investigation, urging covert action against both Dianetics and
its discoverer, L. Ron Hubbard.
Another colleague whose help Dr. Smith requested was organized medicine's
man in government, Dr. Erwin E. Nelson, then director of the Food
and Drug Administration.
In a very short time, the AMA had a full-scale propaganda offensive in
operation. In keeping with established policy, the medical organization
remained in the background, using other groups and agencies for the
dissemination of false information aimed at discrediting the Dianetics
movement.
As in other campaigns of the kind, the AMA's chief ally was the various
media, covering the full spectrum of reader interest, from the Southern
California Clergyman to the Wall Street Journal.
The modus operandi was to plant "background" material with news
reporters and magazine writers and to commission stories by the in-house hacks
who wrote for medical publications. Reprints of these derogatory, and
sometimes libelous, articles were then distributed to a wider audience than
that represented by the respective periodicals themselves. (Omar
V. Garrison - Playing Dirty, pg. 17/18;
Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation established. This was the first
organization of Dianetics and headquartered, until 1951, in Elizabeth,
New Jersey. Branch offices were located in New York, Chicago,
Washington, DC, Los Angeles and Hawaii. (CofS)
...the publication of 'Dianetics - Modern Science and Mental Health' in 1950 caused a wave of interest around the United States, At the same
time the Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation was set-up in Elizabeth, New Jersey. This was close to
Bay Head, New Jersey where Hubbard was living at the time. The Board of Directors of the Foundation included Hubbard's
main two supporters at the time, John W. Campbell, editor of 'Astounding Science Fiction',
and Joseph Winter, a medical doctor.
During 1950 demand grew for auditing facilities. Branches of the Foundation were established in Los Angeles, New York,
Washington, Chicago and Honolulu.
The main auditor training centres were in New Jersey and Los Angeles. Graduates of the four week course were certified as
professional auditors.
In parallel with this, 'grass-roots' groups emerged who began training themselves and co-auditing. Some publicised their
activities in the papers, some wrote to booksellers or the Foundation to make contact with others in their area interested in
Dianetics. Extensive written communication took place between the groups and with the Foundation. This correspondence
discussed case histories, new ideas on therapy and practice, and ideas on development of the movement.
Groups started to produce their own newsletters and the Foundation produced its own journal. This included articles by
Hubbard and other Foundation staff plus details of courses and books available.
There was no attempt however by the Foundation to control or structure the field groups. Auditors trained by the Foundation
were left to apply their new skill how and where they wished. Some joined or led local groups, others set up as
solo-practitioners.
None of the Board members of the Foundation were obviously good administrators and the central organisation was not well
managed. Hubbard himself was primarily concerned with research and lecturing at this time and was commuting between
Los Angeles and New York. When he did get involved in administration, his authoritarian style antagonised other Board
members.
Staff were recruited in large numbers and money was spent in the belief that the booming interest in Dianetics would
continue. (The Sad Tale of
Scientology, Eric Townsend, Chapt. 5, pg. 16/17)
LRH: In 1950, I’ll give you some background history on this, I started a
Foundation. I didn’t have control of this Foundation, it was started by a
number of business men who were in who believed in human betterment, and they
began a Foundation called the Hubbard Research Foundation, Elizabeth, N.J.
At that time I wasn’t ever owning up to having done the research. I had
written a book and it had become a bestseller, and they had taken over and the
Foundation to continue the researches. I was actually at that time backing out
of the whole thing… It was riding the top of the Best Seller list throughout
the summer of 1950, it was a sellout all over the place and so I said all right
I’d give them a hand until July, and then I would have to go on and do
something that was more in my line of country, you see. (LRH Conference With The Investigators 17 August 1966)
LRH: The enemy objective is to discredit, in our case, and then build on this a
denial of rights under law. Their first bad articles were in the New York Times
Sunday magazine section in mid 1950. Their first blast was the San Francisco
papers, Sept 1950, quoting the publisher Ceppos being critical of me (he was a
Communist, publisher of Book One) followed by the LA papers, pushed then by the
Sara Kamkesadamanov (alias Northrup) "divorce" actions, followed by
attempted kidnapping of myself. Other details were pushed into it including
murder of four and so on. This was a full complete covert operation. At the back
of it was Miles Hollister (psychology student) Sara Kamkesadamanov (housekeeper
at the place nuclear physicists stayed near Caltech) Gene Benton and his wife
– secretary of the Young Communists League.
That was a full war against Dianetics. (To: The Guardian WW 2 December 1969)
LRH: By July I found out that people were doing things with this technology which
had been released which were not necessarily harmful just terribly off beat,
messed up, and I saw that it was all about to go down the river, and the Board
at that time begged me to stress the fact that I had done the research, and the
work was basically mine, and that I should take some Administrative control for
this. Well, so I took some Administrative control.
Well, if you ever saw a shambles it had begun right at that moment, not
because I was in Administrative control but just shambles. It was so bad there
were about 4 people killed out in California, there was an effort to kidnap me,
which only my somewhat hard won knowledge of Judo and so forth got me out of –
I put two blokes in the hospital – very very adventurous. A woman sued me for
divorce to whom I was not married; she was the mistress of a scientist, an
atomic scientist, and he had been my friend, and he had died. Well anyway, to
make a long story short, she haunted me – and it was just too thick –
offices were being robbed and Oh my goodness.
By this time there were 5 of these branch offices to the Foundation – I
still had no Administrative control over this and the Boards would pass all
sorts of resolutions and spend money in all different directions – I had no
control over this, but I did have control over the fact that we were being
knocked around badly, so I went down and saw a friend of mine who was an
assistant of Hoover’s, J. Edgar Hoover, and he said "Well, Ron, I can’t
do anything for you by telling you anything about your staff, but if you give me
a list of all of your staff members of all of these Foundations, I will give you
back a list which will startle you, and tell you which ones of them are not
members of the Communist Party. I’ll give you back that list". That was
news to me, what was this? So I gave him that list that included a 1000 staff
members in these 5 organizations, and he gave me back a list and it had 257
names missing off it.
Well, he wised me up just to this point, "Communists", he said,
"are under orders to infiltrate all sorts of organizations, and you are
just getting more than your share of popularity and if they can bend this
activity over to their own uses they would be very excited about it and so
forth". (LRH Conference With The Investigators 17 August 1966)
Time: Title: Of Two Minds
A new cult is moldering through the U.S. underbrush. Its name: dianetics. Last week, its bible, "Dianetics: The Modern Science of
Mental Health," was steadily climbing the U.S. bestseller lists. Demand was especially heavy on the West Coast. Bookstores in
Los Angeles were selling "Dianetics" on an under-the-counter basis. Armed with the manual, which they called simply "The
Book," fanatical converts overflowed Saturday night meetings in Hollywood, held dianetics parties, formed clubs, and "audited"
(treated) each other. (Articles on Dianetics /
Scientology)
The Nation: A Cure for all Ills
(MILTON R. SAPIRSTEIN)
... ORDINARILY, a new book which offers a generalized cure for all the ills of mankind - guaranteed, within twenty hours - would not be reviewed in these columns. This new book on "Dianetics," by L. Ron Hubbard, however, is in a class by itself. In the first
place, the author seems honestly to believe what he has written. His own powerful conviction, in turn, seems to have convinced
many others - apparently intelligent people who would be inclined to toss aside a book of this type.
... From a psychoanalytic point of view, one is willing to overlook the fact that Hubbard presents no conception of human
relationships, that he has no psychodynamic point of view. One can also forgive him for encouraging neurotic people to avoid all
professional sources of help, and even for deluding people into expecting salvation through guaranteed solutions for their
problems. After all, there have been many other "faiths," movements, or special therapies which have failed to fulfil these criteria
and have still helped people where the experts have failed.
The real and, to me, inexcusable danger in dianetics lies in its conception of the amoral, detached, 100 per cent efficient
mechanical man - superbly free-floating, unemotional, and unrelated to anything.
(Articles on Dianetics /
Scientology)
Newsweek:
BOOKS Industry: Best Seller
In June "Dianetics" began to sell in California. In July it sold 13,000 copies on the West Coast. Meanwhile dianetic auditing
groups appeared throughout the country; there are fourteen in New York City, 500 in the United States. Last month, sales were
about 3,000 a week, and the book was climbing steadily on the best-seller lists. Three weeks ago they jumped to 4,000 a week.
Total sales to date are 55,000, a Japanese edition has already been translated, French and German editions are being
translated now, and a sequel, "Dianetics: What It Means to You," is scheduled for late fall.
(Articles on Dianetics / Scientology)
New York
Times: Psychologists Act Against "Dianetics"
The American Psychological Association today called on psychologists, "in the public interest," not to use in therapy the
techniques "peculiar" to a new approach to mental health called Dianetics. It is outlined in a book of the same name.
The action was taken in a resolution unanimously adopted by the association through the Council of Representatives, its
governing body, at its closing session.
The association stated that "in view of the sweeping generalizations and claims regarding psychology and psychotherapy made
by L. Ron Hubbard in his recent book, "Dianetics," the American Psychological Association adopts the following resolution:
"While suspending judgment concerning the eventual validity of the claims made by the author of 'Dianetics,' the association calls
attention to the fact that these claims are not supported by empirical evidence of the sort required for the establishment of
scientific generalizations. In the public interest, the association, in the absence of such evidence, recommends to its members
that the use of the techniques peculiar to Dianetics be limited to scientific investigations designed to test the validity of its claims."
(Articles on Dianetics /
Scientology)
Publisher's Weekly:
Psychologists Hit "Dianetics" - New Title Due This Winter
In what is believed to be the first concerted action against the science of mental health set forth by L. Ron Hubbard in the
best-selling "Dianetics" (Hermitage Hourse), the American Psychological Association, meeting last week in State College,
Pennsylvania, unanimously adopted a resolution cautioning its 8,000 members against utilizing the techniques of dianetics except
in scientific test of its "validity."
... In regard to the original title, which was published this spring, the following resolution was adopted by the American Psychological
Association: "While suspending judgment concerning the eventual validity of the claims made by the author of 'Dianetics,' the
association calls attention to the fact that these claims are not supported by empirical evidence of the sort required for the
establishment of scientific generalizations. In the public interest, the association, in the absence of such evidence, recommends
to its members that the use of the techniques peculiar to Dianetics be limited to scientific investigations designed to test the
validity of its claims." (Articles on Dianetics /
Scientology)
NEWSWEEK: Poor Man's Psychoanalysis
But the majority of psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, and other doctors who have read the amazing volume refuse to dignify dianetics
as a serious scientific effort. The 39-year-old Hubbard has no medical degree. He is an engineer, explorer, and writer of science
fiction and, as such, beneath the professional notice of practicing physicians. To most doctors, the dianetics concept is
unscientific and unworthy of discussion or review.
... "The writer of this weird volume suffers apparently from a cacoëthes scribendi," Fishbein writes. "Some of his paragraphs are
lush outpourings of exuberant diction funnier than anything attempted in the verbal caricatures that distinguished Robert
Benchley."
... "The United States is overwhelmed with mind-healing cults," Fishbein concludes. "A new one like dianetics simply adds to the
fun and the fury. Sooner or later some official agency will give this method a name -- either the practice of medicine, mind-healing,
or some other classification covered by the laws of the individual states. Meanwhile, dianetics is good stuff for resort
conversation; perhaps by next summer something even more comical will come along."
(Articles on Dianetics / Scientology)
In an interview given shortly after the creation of Dianetics, Hubbard was
more candid about his war wounds. The December 5, 1950, issue of Look magazine
quoted him as saying he had been suffering from "ulcers, conjunctivitis,
deteriorating eyesight, bursitis and something wrong with my feet." This
description fits very well with Hubbard's Navy and Veterans Administration
records. (Jon
Atack: A Piece of Blue Sky, pg 85)
Of course, these psychs never even bothered to read the book. This document, we have since uncovered, illustrates the point:
It is from Dr. Wiprund - the Executive Director of the Medical Society of Washington DC - to the
AMA. In this letter, Wiprund states that he hasn't read the book himself but that unnamed psych sources said and I quote: "Among the very best psychiatrists - Dianetics is nothing but the bunk!" Unquote.
...In any event - the AMA ran these words of wisdom in critical reviews in their own publications. Then they took these published reviews and handed them out to the press where they were promptly requoted as authority in magazines like "Slime" and "Tripe".
Having covered their tracks, the psychs then forwarded these new reviews to government agencies such as the
Food and Drug Administration and the FBI asking them to investigate
Hubbard and his Dianetics Foundations. Only this year did we finally obtain the documents which prove the government did that, and more. They not only began investigations at the urging of the psych community, but we now know the Feds had an informant and infiltrator in the first Dianetic Foundation from the day it was formed. I say infiltrator because he wasn't just there to get information, but in fact had specific orders to disrupt the organization and destroy it.
(David Miscavige's IAS speech, 8 October 1993)
LRH: ... we, innocently, moved forward in 1950 and came straight across
this very very broad plot (talking about the secret influence groups in RJ76)
. If there was a cure to mental illness, then people would say you had better
send him to an auditor and would begin to ask questions if someone was
electric-shocked or given a prefrontal lobotomy, for as only by
electric-shocking and prefrontal lobotomies could they effectively remove
their political enemies or objectors. (Ron's Journal 67)
...during a series of lectures which he gave in California in 1950, an inventor and electronics expert named Volney G. Mathison heard Hubbard mention the problem and set to work constructing an instrument which
would be capable, as Hubbard put it, "of measuring the rapid shifts in density of a body under the influence of
thought and measuring them well enough to give an auditor a deep and marvelous insight into the mind of his
preclear". This first device was known as the Mathison Electropsycho-meter. During the ensuing years, the instrument
was refined and modified through several generations and in accordance with data provided by continuing
research. (Omar
V. Garrison - Hidden
Story of Scientology, pg. 65)
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