Caroline
clerk #2
It may be helpful to look at some at least of what Hubbard called "the abyss:" that psycho-spiritual chasm over which his system claims to provide a safe bridge to higher planes of existence for Scientologists. In Dianetics: The Original Thesis, Hubbard wrote, "It is a purpose of Dianetics to pass man across the abyss of irrational, solely reactive thought and enter him upon a new stage of constructive progression to the ultimate goal."
Hubbard's abyss, as hypothesized in his basic writings, is clearly the "Reactive Mind." Hubbard mentioned "the abyss" specifically several times in lectures. In 1963, he ascribed it to the Goals-Problems-Mass, which he defined as the core of the reactive mind, the subject and target of the lower levels of his "Bridge to Total Freedom:"
Emphasis mine.
Hubbard's abyss, as hypothesized in his basic writings, is clearly the "Reactive Mind." Hubbard mentioned "the abyss" specifically several times in lectures. In 1963, he ascribed it to the Goals-Problems-Mass, which he defined as the core of the reactive mind, the subject and target of the lower levels of his "Bridge to Total Freedom:"
Well, the mystic had what they call the abyss. The Buddhist had certain things about all this. But the abyss was very interesting. We had a plateau, a low plateau, and then there was a higher plateau where man could be happy or more cheerful or more able, freer and so forth, where he could attain his various ambitions. And lying between these two plateaus was a deep chasm, an enormous chasm, bottomlessly deep. And the trick was to get across that chasm without dropping into the abyss.
This, actually, is older than Buddhism. The Buddhist not only fell into the abyss but deified it! That's nirvana.
You would laugh if it weren't so sad. Imagine this fellow trying, by meditation, by being silent, by being good, by never causing anything, by this, by that, by fantastic practices, imagine his final goal: He can get into the GPM without an auditor. No map! Nothing.
You read the Buddhistic descriptions of nirvana after you've been through a GPM -- you take a look at those and you'll say, “Hey, those characters are talking about a GPM. They're talking about these personalities and they're talking about this and they're talking about that and how it's all this way and how it's all that way and. . . “ And you look at a Buddhist picture sometimes-it's not accurate for an auditing map but you want -- clip one out of a book sometime if the pc wants to know what his GPM looks like, just take Buddhist nirvana and say, “Well, there, that's it.” Camels and horses and little men sitting around. Man, a total reward.
Now there -- there is the illusion of the abyss. In other words, you can get well if you don't fall in. And this was the message of the mystic. And that's a perfectly accurate message and is perfectly true today.
You had to go through, however, you had to go through and across and over this chasm. And that chasm still exists and what is it? Well, it's the reactive bank and it's a certain number of items and we know exactly what it is and it hurts like the dickens and it knocks your head on and off again and on again. And the pc sits there and he goes, “Huch!” And you say, “What's the matter?” And he says, “Oh-oh, I just got a nice somatic,” you know? He gets plenty of somatics going through this thing. Well, inexpert auditing could drop him into the middle of the abyss. Partial knowledge of this thing could drop him into the middle of the abyss. An inability to handle the pc could drop him into the abyss, don't you see?
So, the mystic's ancient, ancient illusion is still with us. That's very good. I said at the end of Book One, I said, “For God's sakes build a better Bridge.” Remember?
Well, we did. Been working ever since. And when you can run engrams- I don't know how long space one item covers, but it covers an awful long term in time -and when you can run all the engrams in half a thousand lifetimes by saying to the pc, “What opposes a catfish catcher?”
And the pc looks and he says, “A-a no catfish catcher.” Tschsss! “What's that? Which way did that go? What's this?” The meter goes boom! Bang! Rocket read, blowdown and so forth. What have you just done? It's utterly fantastic. You've taken the central fixation which was with him for many lifetimes and on which he operated for many lifetimes and you've now vanquished the enemy and the person who thought that was an enemy. And you've unfixated his attention across those spans of lifetimes in just that flash-two minutes. That's why I tell you the thing's incredible. Absolutely incredible. It's unbelievable. Don't try to believe it, do it.
Hubbard, L. Ron (1963-04-20) What Clearing Is. Professional Auditor's Congress. East Grinstead, Sussex.Emphasis mine.