MEET L. RON HUBBARD

From the release of Dianetics, further advancement was continuous, methodical and at least as revelatory as what had preceded it. At the heart of what Mr. Hubbard began to wrestle with through late 1950 and early 1951 was yet another key philosophical point. That is, if Dianetics constituted the definitive explanation of the human mind, then what was it that utilized the mind? Or more precisely, what was it that constituted life itself? In a decisive statement on the matter, he explained, “The further one investigated, the more one came to understand that here, in this creature Homo Sapiens, were entirely too many unknowns.”

The ensuing line of research, embarked upon some 20 years earlier, proved nothing short of momentous. In another critical statement on the matter, Mr. Hubbard wrote, “I have been engaged in the investigation of the fundamentals of life, the material universe and human behavior.” And if many before him had “roved upon this unmapped track,” he added, they had left no signposts. Nevertheless, in the early spring of 1952, through the course of a pivotal lecture in Phoenix, Arizona, the result of this research was announced: Scientology.

Scientology applied religious philosophy is contained in more than 40 books and over 3,000 tape-recorded lectures. The materials of Dianetics and Scientology comprise the largest body of information ever assembled on the mind, spirit and life, rigorously, refined and codified by L. Ron Hubbard through five decades of research, investigation and development. All told, these works represent a statement of man’s nature and potential, and even if echoed in various ancient scriptures, that statement is absolutely the Scientology philosophy: man is an immortal spiritual being; his experience extends well beyond a single lifetime; and his capabilities are unlimited even if not presently realized. In that sense, Scientology represents what may be the ultimate definition of a religion; not a system of beliefs but a means of spiritual transformation.

Yet if Scientology represents the route to man’s highest spiritual aspirations, it also means much to his more immediate existence — to his family, career and community. That fact is critical to an understanding of Scientology philosophy and is actually what Scientology is all about: not a doctrine, but the study and handling of the human spirit in relationship to itself, to other life and the universe in which we live. In that respect, L. Ron Hubbard’s work embraces everything.