Campbells letter Sept 15, 1949 - 8 pages long.
"Dear Bob:-
You haven't heard from me in some time, because I've been busy, and because the thing I most wanted to discuss was still incompletely digested, but I have enough of a hold on it to be able to give some coherent outline of it. It's Ron Hubbard's work, the new science of human thought which he calls dianetics- (Source: Greek for "thought").
"Ron has been studying the human mind, in an informal, free lance way, since he started reading Freud, Jung and Adler at about 12 years old. He has, however, included in his calculations and considerations a study of Christian Science, Catholic Mircale-Shrines, voodoo practices, native witch doctor work, and the witch methods of European tradition as well as modern psychology's teachings."
Campbell tells Bob the analogy of the human mind being a calculating machine and of unrealized capability.
"Now we take off on Ron's work. Evidently the brain was eloved to serve a function---and the only function recognized by evolution is survival. The function of the brain is, then, to calculate solutions to life problems, and derive answers that promote survival. The one, overriding command that is built into human organisms is SURVIVE!"
"that it must have four main drives.
1. Personal security.
2. Family security---sex, reproduction, etc.
3. Group survival
4. Race survival."
"But he operating under "dark enchantments", as Ron once called them. And, by damn, that's precisely what they are? Technically, Ron calls them "impediaments"; they are the source of all aberrations in human thought and behaviour."
"Certainly there is this. Ron can cure ulcers. He can cure asthma, arthritis, allergies, migrane headaches. He hasn't had time and opportunity to do all the research that is needed, but I firmly believe this techique can cure cancer. Any kind of cancer."
"Now as to why it doesn't, and how to overcome the situation. We can start with General Semantics, which contains a large hunk of the basic truth, but fails because of a false axiom that has not been recognized. General Semantics holds, in brief, that sanity requires recognition of distinctions, differences, and enforced control over the thallamic-emotional reactions by the critical thoughtful processes. The famous cortico-thallamic pause. But it contains the hidden axiom "All psychologically important incidents occur during conscious awareness." The axiom is wrong; the correct axiom is that "All psychologically important incidents involve unconsciousness and pain."
"To establish an impediment, two things are necessary---and only two things. 1. Unconsciouysness. 2. Physical pain. To make it a deep impediment that really sticks, a third may be added(as in our example) 3. Antagonism."
Campbell goes on about everybody having a birth with pain and antagonism. Then he talks about his own birth with a cord wrapped around his neck and what happened.
"Now. This stuff. I want to warn you most carefully is sheer essence of insanity. It is the root fiber of human thought. It is medicine so strong it will cure any form of insanity not rooted in organic lesions."
"I have left out many details, and elided parts of thgis material; I have done so because it is too damned dangerous to toss around. I most solemnly assure you that, with the knowledge I now have, I could turn most ordinary people into homicidal maniacs within one hour."
"I am now about 80% through with Ron's therapy; it has been slower than normal. because I am simultaneously being treated, and being trained as an operator. I have done some operating myself, and have watched Ron working on other cases."
"Once you are cleared, Drive Three makes it impossible for you to act as a criminal---the good of the group takes precedence over your personal benefit."
"This has been logish; I think you'll be interested. This is, I am certain, the greatest story in the world---far bigger than the atomic bomb, because this the story of controlling thought that controls atomic energy. It is a story that must be spread, though, and spread fast."
Closing line by Campbell:
"The problem today is very simple: Ron is the only fully-trained dianetics operator in the world, and even he doesn't know how to select and train new operators. He's practicing on me and a friend of mine. But damnit, Bob, right now the key to world sanity is in Ron Hubbard's head, and there isn't even an adequate written record!"