AnonKat
Crusader
Do You Believe in Magic?
http://leavingscientology.wordpress.com/2010/08/07/do-you-believe-in-magic/#comments
Don’t get me wrong – I love magic as much as the next person. I loved the Harry Potter books and films. As a kid, I loved magic shops where I could check out the latest sleight-of-hand paraphernalia.
But I try not to let it influence my thinking.
“Magical thinking” is, in simple terms, seeking a causal relationship between things that may not be related or connected at all. Superstitions fall into this type of thinking: “step on a crack and break your Mother’s back.” Sports is rife with these: for example, Michael Jordan (a graduate of North Carolina) always wore his blue North Carolina shorts under his Bulls uniform for good luck. Some sports fans always wear a certain article of clothing on game day to ensure their team wins.
Young children sometimes project their emotions onto the world around them: “It’s raining because I’m sad.”
And of course religions have many of these things: praying to a certain god or saint, going through a certain prayer, chant or ritual to please the gods, or avoiding certain taboos.
Scientology, of course, doesn’t indulge in anything as irrational as magical thinking.
Or does it?
Enter Barbara Dews, Flag Service Consultant and magical thinker. She recently sent out an amazing e-mail called “An OT Boom of Unimaginable Proportions: 10,000 on Solo Nots.” It’s worth analyzing in some detail. She begins:
“We have passed the halfway point in our quest to get to 10,000 at the top of the Gradation Chart. Yes, that does mean we now have over 5000 New OT VIIs & OT VIIIs on earth!”
Let me stop you right there, Barbara. Not to quibble over details, but a former Solo Nots D of P posted some numbers over at ESMB that you might want to look at. There is a tag system for Solo NOTs Auditors and, according to this poster, they break down like this:
1,000 Green tags: Auditing 4 to 6 sessions daily and coming for 6-month checks.
1,100 Grey tags: Auditing less than 4 sessions daily and not coming for 6 month check.
900 Orange tags: Not allowed to solo audit due to an out-ethics situation.
800 Purple tags: Not allowed to audit because of illness.
1,500 Black tags: Disaffected with the Church (or, as we like to say, disinfected).
And, in case you hadn’t noticed, Barbara, there has been a major exodus of VIIs and VIIIs. But do go on – you were saying?
“This is massively good news, of course, for the planet and the handling of this society! But what is actually more important is the next stage, getting the next 5000 onto Solo NOTs to bring us up to the 10,000 figure.
“Why 10,000?
“Per calculations done when the target was first launched it was estimated that these OTs, now Cause Over Life or close to it, would produce a large enough volume of field activity to get all orgs to Saint Hill size and consequently bring about the release of New OT IX and X. It was a mathematical equation, all extrapolated out.”
Oh really? It was a mathematical calculation? Well, then it must be valid if it was mathematical!
Sorry to be skeptical, Barbara, but I think the only calculation used to come up with that 10,000 number was:
MG
X = ——————-
$$$$
where MG equals Miscavige’s Greed and $$$ represents the projected amount each Scientologist will spend between OT Levels, IAS and Ideal Orgs.
If you have a different “mathematical calculation,” I’d love to see it.
But do go on.
“From the real physical universe effects this would create in terms of case gain and resultant third dynamic activity, including mid – New OT VIIs and New OT VIIIs joining staff, it was estimated we would achieve the goal of bringing about the release of New OT IX and X.”
Just a note here Barbara: read Marty’s latest post. There is no OT IX and X. Or hadn’t you figured that out after 24 years?
OK, now we get to the magical thinking:
“But not only that – it was also estimated that 10,000 on or through New OT VII would be able to do a lot of “steering or leading”… and thus the achievement of this target would go a long way towards handling our society.
“There is another aspect to this: the technical fact is, that as one progresses up the Gradation Chart, one has a direct destimulating effect on the fourth dynamic.
“When one hits the Second Wall of Fire (New OT V to New OT VII) this become a real factor. In fact, it has been said, very truthfully, that this level of The Bridge, “Every session counts.”
“Thus, when discussing the target to have 10,000 Scientologists at the top of The Bridge grade chart we are talking about a combination of the very tangible, direct effects these OTs create, combined with the not so tangible, but just as important, theta factors involved.
“Having now made several thousand Golden Age of Tech Solo Nots auditors and over 1400 New OT VII completions, activity in the physical universe more than confirms the theory above – we are seeing more and more major, planet-changing type activity every single week, with mid-New OT VIIs and New OT VIIIs as one of the major thrusts behind all of these advances.”
So let me understand this: if we make 10,000 OT VIIs, they would take leadership positions on a planetary basis? Really? Maybe you can tell me of some of the existing OT VIIs who are in leadership positions in the world. I’m not aware of any, but I’m willing to hear some examples.
And even if they don’t take hands-on leadership roles, just the fact of them having attained that state will somehow magically destimulate the entire planet.
And Barbara says we are already experiencing major, planet-changing activity every week. Really? Would it be too much trouble to ask for some specifics? What have these VIIs changed about the planet?
I remember when the Berlin Wall fell in November, 1989, it was said that the reason for this was because of all the OT VIIIs being made aboard the Freewinds. Even though none of them had anything to do with the liberalization of the Eastern Bloc’s authoritarian systems or the erosion of Soviet-bloc power. No, it was magical! OT VIIIs were made, and bingo! – the wall came down. Scientologists seriously advanced this as the “reason.”
Barbara carries on that tradition. All we need to do to “handle the planet” is make 10,000 OT VIIs. And amazingly, there are people who will believe this.
And not see it for what it is – a sales pitch.
For those who believe in magic.
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