Sylvia Calhoun
- Thread starter SuperstarNeilC
- Start date
Barile
Well-known member
What a sweet lady. I only recognized her from some of the earlier photos, as I never knew her name, but used to see her around LA/Hollywood all the time. It is odd how with few exceptions, I knew all the same people she talked about.
I suppose I'll have to admit to being an admirer of the Bill of Rights myself, and so cheers to that, and throw in a side of the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.
She does not strike me as an "X Scientologist"... merely a disaffected one. Not that there's anything wrong with that...
The reason I identify as an "X" ( see what I did there? ), is because I'd never belong to any club that would have someone like me as a member.
( thanks to my Peruvian Shaman for explaining that to me )
Veda
Well-known member
Might as well combine these.
The comments under the YouTube video - apart from a few entheta beings nattering - show that there is a, non-CofS, contingent of L. Ron Hubbard fans, who are delighted to hear how wonderful it was on the ship under Commodore Ron; although, if one carefully listens to what Sylvia is saying, it's more complicated that that.
I think Sylvia enjoyed the attention, which is fine, but she knew she was being interviewed by a person who uses the moniker Theta N, and who is a fan of Hubbard and whose audience consists of Hubbard fans.
"Theta to the Nth" degree - to the utmost extent - was Hubbard's explanation to Scientologists for the word "thetan."
In the book Science of Survival, during 1951, Hubbard introduced the term "theta," which had the dual meaning of life, elan vital, harmony, constructive action, cheerful emotion, and that which was approving of Hubbard. One of the easy ways of determining a person's position on the Tone Scale (Hubbard Chart of Human Evaluation) was to note his opinion of L. Ron Hubbard, Dianetics, and Scientology.
These two definitions are mixed together. First the person agrees with "theta" as meaning life, then the person agrees with the second part of the definition. Very very sneaky and tricky.
The word "thetan" is a more subtle variation of the same trick.
Much of foundational - 1950s - Scientology is recycled Aleister Crowley
Self portrait by Crowley
Hubbard got hold-over Dianeticists to agree with the idea of "theta," and to agree with the idea that they were "theta beings." OK.
Then, Hubbard got them to agree that each was a "thetan."
As early as the 1960s, it was spotted that "thetan" (original American pronunciation) was "Satan with a lisp."
Hubbard's sardonic sense of humor was making a joke at Scientologists' expense.
This minor point, aside from reminding us of Scientology's origins, also highlights the difficulty of reaching people who have fallen for one of Hubbard's tricks, especially when it becomes part of their own identity and boosts their self esteem.
This is the person who interviewed Sylvia. Theta N, "Theta to the Nth degree."
Now perhaps this person sees though the silliness of his moniker, or perhaps soon will.
But, it's a sign of vulnerability to Hubbard's trickery, and we also were, at one time, vulnerable, so this is not a criticism of anyone, since we've all (all ex's) have been similarly tricked.
The sneaky, dual, definition of "theta," and many other terms in Scientology, when not recignized, as tricks, can reduce a person to a playing piece on the Hubbard chess board.
And it can be very comfortable being a playing piece on someone's chess board when there is no game happening and one is simply resting there collecting dust.
There's no reason to change.
Thus we have an L. Ron Hubbard fan club consisting of people who are a safe distance from Hubbard's Scientology machine.
The "get out of jail" card for Hubbard seems to be that the bad guys were after Hubbard, attacking Hubbard, from 1950 onward, and Hubbard was forced to adopt some unpleasant policies because the bad guys were attacking him.
I've even heard it rationalized that Hubbard was forced to adopt the ideas and methods of his own hoax "Russian" Brainwashing Manual, as the blueprint for the Scientology movement, out of necessity, because of the intensity of the attacks from the bad guys, on this insane prison planet, because that was the only way to get enough people "in session," and get enough "Tone Arm motion," and, ultimately, to process the "4th dynamic engram" of OT 3.
The rationalizations know no bounds.
The comments under the YouTube video - apart from a few entheta beings nattering - show that there is a, non-CofS, contingent of L. Ron Hubbard fans, who are delighted to hear how wonderful it was on the ship under Commodore Ron; although, if one carefully listens to what Sylvia is saying, it's more complicated that that.
I think Sylvia enjoyed the attention, which is fine, but she knew she was being interviewed by a person who uses the moniker Theta N, and who is a fan of Hubbard and whose audience consists of Hubbard fans.
"Theta to the Nth" degree - to the utmost extent - was Hubbard's explanation to Scientologists for the word "thetan."
These two definitions are mixed together. First the person agrees with "theta" as meaning life, then the person agrees with the second part of the definition. Very very sneaky and tricky.
The word "thetan" is a more subtle variation of the same trick.
Much of foundational - 1950s - Scientology is recycled Aleister Crowley
Self portrait by Crowley
Hubbard got hold-over Dianeticists to agree with the idea of "theta," and to agree with the idea that they were "theta beings." OK.
Then, Hubbard got them to agree that each was a "thetan."
As early as the 1960s, it was spotted that "thetan" (original American pronunciation) was "Satan with a lisp."
Hubbard's sardonic sense of humor was making a joke at Scientologists' expense.
This minor point, aside from reminding us of Scientology's origins, also highlights the difficulty of reaching people who have fallen for one of Hubbard's tricks, especially when it becomes part of their own identity and boosts their self esteem.
This is the person who interviewed Sylvia. Theta N, "Theta to the Nth degree."
Now perhaps this person sees though the silliness of his moniker, or perhaps soon will.
But, it's a sign of vulnerability to Hubbard's trickery, and we also were, at one time, vulnerable, so this is not a criticism of anyone, since we've all (all ex's) have been similarly tricked.
The sneaky, dual, definition of "theta," and many other terms in Scientology, when not recignized, as tricks, can reduce a person to a playing piece on the Hubbard chess board.
And it can be very comfortable being a playing piece on someone's chess board when there is no game happening and one is simply resting there collecting dust.
There's no reason to change.
Thus we have an L. Ron Hubbard fan club consisting of people who are a safe distance from Hubbard's Scientology machine.
The "get out of jail" card for Hubbard seems to be that the bad guys were after Hubbard, attacking Hubbard, from 1950 onward, and Hubbard was forced to adopt some unpleasant policies because the bad guys were attacking him.
I've even heard it rationalized that Hubbard was forced to adopt the ideas and methods of his own hoax "Russian" Brainwashing Manual, as the blueprint for the Scientology movement, out of necessity, because of the intensity of the attacks from the bad guys, on this insane prison planet, because that was the only way to get enough people "in session," and get enough "Tone Arm motion," and, ultimately, to process the "4th dynamic engram" of OT 3.
The rationalizations know no bounds.
Veda
Well-known member
Very recent.
link to 2:03:59: Message to those who fell off the Bridge.
There appear to be two edits in this segment - content that was removed.
There's a numerical table of contents below the video.
It's too much theta for us entheta beings. We can't handle it.
But, hey, I and others did respond.
It's an interesting video, and the interviewer's reactions, and the reactions of those making comments under the video, are interesting.
Barile
Well-known member
that's... a bummer, dude.
I'll post another story.... for contrast
I read some of the comments and some people were nostalgic about the idealism back in the good old days when people thought scn was going somewhere good.
You identify as an "X"? I don't get it. Please explain what the Peruvian Shaman explained to you. Lol
The only thing I can think of that's close is one time a guy said, "Here's my advice - You can have it, I don't want it."
Barile
Well-known member
The initial exposure to a group or hive mind kind of enthusiasm was intoxicating likely due to the rarity of the experience.
I could only compare it to playing on a winning high school baseball team and feeling like we were gonna beat the 69 Mets...
but that was even before the 69 Mets.
The thing about intoxicating experiences, they wear thin, and then you watch other people go through the initial exposure and assimilation into the group and feel the euphoria and subsequent 'reality sinking in', and you start to see the pattern. They start to use artificial 'logic snippets' to try to justify why their life is in a shambles but it's all worth it because: < reasons >. Yes, a the hive mind, understand the social programming, understand the justification for each of the variables so you don't need to examine for a fallacy later, teach the social programming, don't even think about leaving the road.
Only thing I was ever nostalgic about was some good friends. That and the baloney sandwiches for dinner.
Barile
Well-known member
no can do... NDA's.....
Veda
Well-known member
During early 1974, Hubbard had a motorcycle accident on the Portuguese island of Madeira.
To cheer him up someone came up with the idea of publishing the 1955 tongue-in-cheek poem called Hymn of Asia, where Hubbard announced himself as the returned Buddha.
Some of the fans of Hubbard still take the Hymn of Asia, and Hubbard as the returned Buddha, very seriously.
Especially for those who were in Scientology during that period, it can be a humongous aberrative pleasure moment from which recovery is difficult.
HelluvaHoax!
Well-known member
..
.
In all my Scientology related experiences (both in and out of the cult) I have never read nor heard anyone claim that Hubbard's poem Hymn Of Asia was "tongue-in-cheek".
Where did you get that idea?
How would it possibly be "tongue in cheek" if Hubbard seriously presented that poem to a Buddhist convention and to Scientologists—subsequently publishing it as a serious hardcover book, even in a deluxe leather-bound collectors edition?
Stumped, do tell more. . .
[wikipedia]: "The idiom tongue-in-cheek refers to a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a serious manner."
..
During early 1974, Hubbard had a motorcycle accident on the Portuguese island of Madeira. To cheer him up someone came up with the idea of publishing the 1955 tongue-in-cheek poem called Hymn of Asia, where Hubbard announced himself as the returned Buddha.
Some of the fans of Hubbard still take the Hymn of Asia, and Hubbard as the returned Buddha, very seriously.
.
In all my Scientology related experiences (both in and out of the cult) I have never read nor heard anyone claim that Hubbard's poem Hymn Of Asia was "tongue-in-cheek".
Where did you get that idea?
How would it possibly be "tongue in cheek" if Hubbard seriously presented that poem to a Buddhist convention and to Scientologists—subsequently publishing it as a serious hardcover book, even in a deluxe leather-bound collectors edition?
Stumped, do tell more. . .
[wikipedia]: "The idiom tongue-in-cheek refers to a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a serious manner."
..
Veda
Well-known member
My source on this is John Sanborn, a really Old Timer, going back to 1950. Other than Nibs (Ron Jr.) and Mary Sue, he was as close to a Hubbard confidante as existed. I last spoke with him in the 1990s when he contacted me seeking the address of Hubbard's red headed daughter by Sara. He had known Sara, and he remembered Alexis, Sara's daughter, who he had baby sat. He wanted to send them both a Christmas card and say hello. He knew Alexis had written to me, requesting help, but that's a long story.
In any event, I had access to all the audio tapes of Sanborn being interviewed in 1985, and he was quite a colorful and fun person. I spoke with him later and asked him many additional questions.
He and Hubbard used to drink together. In later years, such as on the flagship during the late 1960s, Hubbard drank alone, usually in the wee hours of the night through dawn.
It was during his drinking with Hubbard that Hymn of Asia was conceived and written. It took about five minutes to write. My guess is that it was probably recorded on a tape recorder first, then transcribed by Nibs' wife Henrietta later in the day.
Hubbard heard the Buddhists were having some sort of convention and he was going to pretend to be Buddha, and use the drunken "poem" Hymn of Asia to convince them.
As far as I know, nothing ever came of it.
It was a (private) running gag, during the Phoenix lectures, in 1954. Hubbard had told Scientologists the precise year when the Vedas had been beamed down (from a flying saucer?) to Earth, implying that he had been present during the beginning of wisdom on Earth.
Privately, Hubbard disliked Gautama Buddha, and thought he was a girlie man.
The poor Scientologists who, during the 1978 Dianetic Clear frenzy, "cognited" that they had "gone Clear" while disciples of Buddha (Ron), 2500 years ago, and thought it would be acceptable because Buddha was Ron, found out very quickly that Ron did not approve. Hubbard dismissed Buddha's monks as "garbage eaters."
The ruse of pretending to have been Buddha was the farthest thing from Hubbard's mind at the time. He was concerned, more than ever, with cash flow IN to him (that's largely what prompted the invention of "Dianetic Clear" and even, briefly, "natural Clear.") And of course, he was concerned about staying out of prison (for his Fair Game activities), and making sure that Mary Sue was amenable to taking the rap for him.
Tongue-in-cheek is my characterization for less than sincere.
*
A little more on John Sanborn.
During the early 1950s, John Sanborn was the editor of many of Hubbard's 1950s books, and Editor of Ability magazine.
It was Sanborn who gave Hubbard the outline for the 1954 Phoenix Lectures presentation on Eastern philosophy and religion, the aim being to make Scientology believable - and respectable - as a religion.
Sanborn also compiled the list of names, of great thinkers, in front of both Science of Survival and Scientology 8-8008, so as to give Scientology respectability and gravitas.
It was also Sanborn who unsuccessfully attempted to edit out the more bizarre and crazed content from Science of Survival.
This manual appeared in 1955.
He regarded Hubbard as having reached "peak brilliance" in 1954, and decided to edit the 1954 Phoenix lectures into a book, published in 1968. The last book he did was Scientology 0-8, the Book of Basics in 1970.
Back of the 1970 first edition Scientology 0 - 8 the Book of Basics
"The simplicity of observation, the simplicity of communication itself and only itself, is functional and will take Man from the bottom to the top. And the only thing I am trying to teach you is to look."
The quote on the back was one liked by Sanborn and was placed there by him.
"The simplicity of observation, the simplicity of communication itself and only itself, is functional and will take Man from the bottom to the top. And the only thing I am trying to teach you is to look."
The now out of print 1968 book, The Phoenix Lectures:
As mentioned, he tried unsuccessfully to have Hubbard remove the Draconian and crazed content from Science of Survival, and was with Hubbard - they sometimes drank and socialized together - when the idea of writing the Hymn of Asia was hatched, first as a prank, then as a PR action forwarding Hubbard's "religion angle" and his desire for respectability, although it was so outrageous, it wasn't published until twenty years later.
During the same year, 1955, Hubbard dictated, into a tape recorder, the contents of the "Russian textbook" on Psycho-politics. Sanborn was there then too. This was a propaganda action to smear psychologists and psychiatrists as communists or communist sympathizers.
Thirty years later, Sanborn recommended plumbing through the strange little "Russian" manual for insight into what Hubbard was really doing. In his own way, Sanborn was making amends for what, at the time, he had thought was an innovative force for good, which turned out to be something very different.
Sanborn was also present during the issuance of the first SP Declare. "He [Hubbard] was thrilled like a kid, to see how his new dictatorial system was going to work."
He admits that he had been a fan of Hubbard. As for Scientology, he stated that he didn't realize, in its early stages, what Hubbard was going to do with it.
One of the first Declared "SPs" was also the first person to have become a "Doctor of Scientology" years earlier, and that was Jack Horner.
About Jack Horner: https://www.scientolipedia.org/info/Jack_Horner
Horner broke with Hubbard in the 1960s. He disagreed with the idea of Hubbard as the single "Source."
For his disobedience he was spied upon, hounded, and assaulted, and Fair Gamed in other ways.
Here's his "SP Declare":
There were people around Hubbard who thought that Hubbard had something to contribute and, for them, for a while, Hubbard had been the center of gravity.
*
And, responding to another post, people becoming disillusioned with Hubbard is not something that started happening in the 2000s, 1980s or even 1960s. It began in 1950 with Dr, Winter (wrote Dianetics Intro) and in 1951 with John Campbell (editor of Astounding Science Fiction).
Veda
Well-known member
For Sylvia.
A change of pace.
In case you haven't seen this, here's a hodgepodge of items that might be of interest:
Link to Space Station 33
People who wanted to explore consciousness went down many avenues. They were foolish at times, but at least they were curious.
The book, The Middle Pillar, was written by Israel Regardie in 1936.
Regardie was both a student of the writings of Carl Jung and Aleister Crowley, working for Crowley for a while.
Excerpt from The Middle Pillar:
Analysis is the logical precursor of spiritual attainment and magical experiment... Not until the mind and the emotional system have been cleansed and unified by the cathartic process... can the full spiritual benefits of magical work be reflected into the mind of man.
We should remember the parables of the archaic philosophical religions whose fundamental tenet was that within man was a spirit, a dynamic center of consciousness which, because of its contact and association with matter, had been plunged into a profound sleep, a state of somnambulism...
By endeavoring to extend the horizon of consciousness, to enlarge the field of awareness so as to embrace what previously was unconscious, is obviously a logical method. To become aware of all our actions, our thoughts and emotions and unsuspected motives, to regard them in their true light as actually they are and not as we would like them to be or as we would wish an onlooker to perceive them. It requires, to take this step, an extraordinary degree of honesty and courage... The more of this suppressed and forgotten material stored in this at one time unknown or dormant side of our nature that can be raised to the clear light of day, by exactly so much do we awake from the inert stupor into which we have in the past been plunged.
From Aleister Crowley's Equinox, of 1911:
Described as "the practice of expanding consciousnesses the stars and planets":
Link to Batrachophrenoboocosmomochia (the antecedent of Hubbard's Grand Tour in the book Creation of Human Ability)
*
Beat author William Burroughs became involved in 1959, as a distant, curious, "public," by reading books, and, ultimately, became much more deeply involved during the late 1960s, even traveling to St. Hill in England.
*
The 1972 book, Naked Scientology, is a compilation of William Burroughs' critiques of Scientology, and attempts to explain why he endured Scientology's control and invasions of his privacy, which, even though he was a celebrity, had eventually become noticeable to him as he traveled deeper into Scientology:
"Like an anthropologist who has, after unspeakable indignities, penetrated a savage tribe, I was determined to hang on to get the big medicine."
*
Also during the late 1960s, the psychedelic Scottish folk music group, the Incredible String Band, became involved.
*
From before Scientology involvement
After leaving, ISB co-founder Mike Heron called his involvement in Scientology "silly," because he should have seen "that the control it exercised over me was stronger than anything I could have learned from it."
These days, people who hang around long enough (too long), and descend into Scientology deeply enough, experience their own peculiar assortment of indignities and absurdities.
A little bit of Scientology can sometimes be a good thing; a lot of Scientology seldom is.
A change of pace.
In case you haven't seen this, here's a hodgepodge of items that might be of interest:
Link to Space Station 33
People who wanted to explore consciousness went down many avenues. They were foolish at times, but at least they were curious.
The book, The Middle Pillar, was written by Israel Regardie in 1936.
Regardie was both a student of the writings of Carl Jung and Aleister Crowley, working for Crowley for a while.
Excerpt from The Middle Pillar:
_______________Begin quote________________
Analysis is the logical precursor of spiritual attainment and magical experiment... Not until the mind and the emotional system have been cleansed and unified by the cathartic process... can the full spiritual benefits of magical work be reflected into the mind of man.
We should remember the parables of the archaic philosophical religions whose fundamental tenet was that within man was a spirit, a dynamic center of consciousness which, because of its contact and association with matter, had been plunged into a profound sleep, a state of somnambulism...
By endeavoring to extend the horizon of consciousness, to enlarge the field of awareness so as to embrace what previously was unconscious, is obviously a logical method. To become aware of all our actions, our thoughts and emotions and unsuspected motives, to regard them in their true light as actually they are and not as we would like them to be or as we would wish an onlooker to perceive them. It requires, to take this step, an extraordinary degree of honesty and courage... The more of this suppressed and forgotten material stored in this at one time unknown or dormant side of our nature that can be raised to the clear light of day, by exactly so much do we awake from the inert stupor into which we have in the past been plunged.
____________End quote____________
From Aleister Crowley's Equinox, of 1911:
Described as "the practice of expanding consciousnesses the stars and planets":
Link to Batrachophrenoboocosmomochia (the antecedent of Hubbard's Grand Tour in the book Creation of Human Ability)
*
Beat author William Burroughs became involved in 1959, as a distant, curious, "public," by reading books, and, ultimately, became much more deeply involved during the late 1960s, even traveling to St. Hill in England.
*
The 1972 book, Naked Scientology, is a compilation of William Burroughs' critiques of Scientology, and attempts to explain why he endured Scientology's control and invasions of his privacy, which, even though he was a celebrity, had eventually become noticeable to him as he traveled deeper into Scientology:
"Like an anthropologist who has, after unspeakable indignities, penetrated a savage tribe, I was determined to hang on to get the big medicine."
*
Also during the late 1960s, the psychedelic Scottish folk music group, the Incredible String Band, became involved.
*
After leaving, ISB co-founder Mike Heron called his involvement in Scientology "silly," because he should have seen "that the control it exercised over me was stronger than anything I could have learned from it."
*
During the 1960s, Scientology tried to recruit Frank Zappa.
Zappa, although he never became involved, was influenced by some of Hubbard's books from the 1950s.
From the 1967 album
From Van Morrison's Inarticulate Speech of the Heart album of 1983:
During the early 1980s Van Morrison was briefly "on lines,"
and received "Life Repair" auditing.
Morrison apparently liked the auditing,
but did not wish to become further involved.
Three years later he released another album titled
No Guru, No Method, No Teacher.
During the 1960s, Scientology tried to recruit Frank Zappa.
Zappa, although he never became involved, was influenced by some of Hubbard's books from the 1950s.
From Van Morrison's Inarticulate Speech of the Heart album of 1983:
and received "Life Repair" auditing.
Morrison apparently liked the auditing,
but did not wish to become further involved.
Three years later he released another album titled
No Guru, No Method, No Teacher.
These days, people who hang around long enough (too long), and descend into Scientology deeply enough, experience their own peculiar assortment of indignities and absurdities.
A little bit of Scientology can sometimes be a good thing; a lot of Scientology seldom is.
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