Affirmations - new Wikipedia article

[Claire Swazey]

Other thoughts on this:

Hubbard had asked for help from some psychiatrist or other, back during the 40s, wasn't it? That's pretty well known. The letter he wrote then has been posted a number of times on a.r.s and a few other places, IIRC. He clearly had mental problems of some sort or another for years and years.

He also, as we know, dabbled in occultism heavily, before creating Dn and Scn. I'm neither defendng or decrying it. I'm stating historical fact and nothing more. Affirmations are an occult technique.

I have occasionally speculated that that and similar occult practices are where he got his theories about postulates, or, anyway, how he started off with those theories. (by which I mean it may've started out that way but he certainly put his own spin and redefinitions on that stuff.)

So I wasn't surprised at all when I first read about his affirmations. I gather a lot of others were shocked and continue to be so.

 

[Gadfly]

So I wasn't surprised at all when I first read about his affirmations. I gather a lot of others were shocked and continue to be so.

People tend to be shocked for two reasons.

First, because the techniques are clearly and obviously drawn from occult and magickal sources. Some Scios reel heavily when they realize that Hubbard was into such things. Though, they can also explain that away as "part of Ron's extensive research into the mind and spirit".

Second, and more importantly though, because the CONTENT of Hubbard's affirmations are so megalomaniacal, ego-driven, and in some regards truly nasty and evil.