What do you think?
Rate this book
Win a free print copy of this book!
1 day and 07:15:58
10 copies available
U.S. only
Dianetics: The modern science of mental health : a handbook of Dianetics procedure
Win a free print copy of this book!
1 day and 07:15:58
10 copies available
U.S. only
Discover how to eradicate the SOURCEof stress, anxiety and depressionIf you've ever felt there was something holding you back in life, you were right. It's called the subconscious, unconscious or reactive mind the hidden part of your mind that stores painful experiences, then uses them against you. The Modern Science of Mental Health, the New York Times and International bestseller, shows you how to get rid of the reactive mind for a happier, healthier life. The revolutionary book everyone must read. 20,000,000 copies in print Used daily in 154 nations Translated into 53 languages Paperback edition, Spanish* Comes with a free DVD containing a special presentation on how to use Dianetics.
628 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
319 people are currently reading
10199 people want to read
About the author
L. Ron Hubbard
1,933 books651 followersL. Ron Hubbard is universally acclaimed as the single most influential author and humanitarian of this modern age. His definitive works on the mind and spirit—comprising over 350 million copies in circulation and more than 40 international bestsellers—have resulted in a legacy benefiting millions and a movement spanning all cultures.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 964 reviews
May 30, 2008
Just kidding...
September 23, 2010
Strolling through Barnes and Noble, I saw this book on the used rack, and picked it up out of curiosity.
Funniest thing I have ever skimmed.
Ever.
I love how L. Ron felt the need to define words throughout the book. Words like idyllic, procreate, tome, pallid and testosterone. What does he think of his readers to have to define such challenging words? Perhaps they are not intelligent enough to use a dictionary.
I laughed out loud at this:
Coitus Chain, lover. First incident, embryo... all painful because of enthusiasm of lover.
Constipation chain. Firsts incident, zygote... Each incident building high pressure on child.
Masturbation chain. First incident, embryo. Eighty succeeding incidents. Mother masturbating with fingers, jolting child and injuring child with orgasm.
No wonder the world is so screwed up. And no wonder this was in the used section. I certainly would not want this rubbish on my shelves.
One word you don't need to define for your readers, L. Ron : crap.
Funniest thing I have ever skimmed.
Ever.
I love how L. Ron felt the need to define words throughout the book. Words like idyllic, procreate, tome, pallid and testosterone. What does he think of his readers to have to define such challenging words? Perhaps they are not intelligent enough to use a dictionary.
I laughed out loud at this:
Coitus Chain, lover. First incident, embryo... all painful because of enthusiasm of lover.
Constipation chain. Firsts incident, zygote... Each incident building high pressure on child.
Masturbation chain. First incident, embryo. Eighty succeeding incidents. Mother masturbating with fingers, jolting child and injuring child with orgasm.
No wonder the world is so screwed up. And no wonder this was in the used section. I certainly would not want this rubbish on my shelves.
One word you don't need to define for your readers, L. Ron : crap.
August 21, 2012
The reviews here are largely based on the bipolar division into the scientology apologists, on the one hand, and the anti-scientology bigots, on the other hand. I consider myself neither.
This book contains fabrications, inventions, unsubstantiated claims and outright falsehoods.
It is the beginning of what, probably, started out as L.Ron Hubbard's conscious plan to start a cult based on himself, on his grandiose intellectual fantasies, and on his not-inconsiderable skills as a prose writer and armchair philosopher. This book is an example of all of those things.
Dianetics is the embryo out of which scientology grew. It contains the nuts and bolts of auditing (the process of dianetic therapy) and the basic terms of what later became the cult - and religion - of scientology, although still in the secular guise of self-help procedures and a kind of do-it-yourself, mock-up psychotherapy whose aim is the alleviation of ALL non-physical ailments of man and of ALL psychosomatic illnesses, and the achievement of the (rather improbable but alluring and fascinating) state of "Clear": a kind of perfectly rational, clear-headed Randian/Nietzschean class of "supermen" who are entirely without any hang-ups or other "normal-human" problems.
Such grandiose claims are, of course, without merit, but they are only one side of the coin.
The other side of the coin - the one that fascinates me - is the story of "what could have been": namely, how great a philosopher and thinker L.Ron Hubbard COULD have been, had he only been less - well, greedy and evil, I suppose.
The fabrication of physical "engrams" and the gnostic fantasy of the superhuman "clear" are only a twisted vesion of a true and perfectly reasonable philosophy hidden within the core of the book.
There are glimpses of his greatness in the book. The first half of the book is a kind of continuation of the work of centuries of moral philosophy aimed at the gradual perfection of man, combined with the modern science of Social Darwinist and psychological approaches to human life and human consciousness. The result is a reasonaby interesting thesis about the functioning of the human body. I find it very convincing. The bulk of the document, the root, is solid. Only the tree that grows out of it is rotten and murky. L.R. Hubbard unfortunately doesn't stick with solid reality but enters into science fiction territory as soon as you can say "c-h-a-r-l-a-t-a-n"!
The sad fact is that Hubbard was not content to stick within clear-headed thinking, and instead followed the more selfish and self-serving urge (common to all confidence men) to "spice up" his sound philosophical ideas (most of which, to be sure, he borrowed from others, like Freud and Spencer) with a lot of outrageous nonsense and cultish fanaticism, to make it more sellable and appealing to desperate readers looking for a quick fix. This makes the whole book feel like a missed opportunity.
Of course, superficially the book was anything but a missed opportunity. After all, it spawned a whole religion and has sold millions upon millions of copies. But in the end, it is the sort of book that, in a hundred yeears, will be forgotten. It will never rank a great leap in human thinking, or achieve the sort of intellectual fame that Hubbard probably, despite all his BS, deep-down wanted. So Hubbard's story is more tragic than it appears. He COULD have been one of the most important thinkers of the 20th century. He had the brains and the writing skills and the charisma for it. Instead, he chose to be one of the most popular deceivers of mankind of the 20th century. That sordid business, to be sure, takes dedication. But it also means he missed the boat to greatness. He doomed himself to oblivion through a comet-rise to temporary fame.
I find it a sad but compelling story. The tale spun by the history of what followed is the story of a tragic man who couldn't choose between fiction and fact, and chose to blend the two in the most ingenuous - and arguably evil - way possible. He wanted to be Mohammed or Moses for the 20th century. He also wanted to be the Tolkien of psychology and the beloved of the rich and famous. He learned all the wrong lessons from Aleister Crowley. He took only the beastly aspects of the man and emulated his selfish pursuit of fame, ignoring Crowley's love of truth. He wanted to be a creator of worlds. The fact that he almost succeeded is a mind-boggling feat. It is also a cautionary tale of the lure of power and the cost of fame. Such fame is a devil's bargain. Hubbard stepped into the world of dreams and fiction and purposefully destroyed his own reputation in exchange of a few gold coins - and a few million gleamy-eyed followers!
But all of this does NOT negate the fact that Dianetics is a worthy book to study and read. It contains clever insights into the nature of the human condition. The combination of Darwinism and Freudianism is beautiful. It is the desktop writings of an almost-genius level of a thinker. It is ALMOST a science, it is ALMOST a psychology, it is ALMOST a philosophy of man worthy of the promised revolution of thought. And even though it is ONLY ALMOST all of those things, it still contains more than a few nuggets of real gold and philosophical insight - hidden within the steaming pile of malicious, cult-spawning manure.
Recommended with the caveat: upon first encountering this pile of dung, watch where you put your spoon, and don't eat the manure. Set it aside and dig for the ice cream and creamy goodness within. It exists. It is good. It is sad. It is beautiful. Taste it. Feel it. "Build a better bridge!" to quote the very last words of the book.
Learn from Hubbard, learn from Hitler, learn from Faust: when the devil comes, don't sell your soul.
This book contains fabrications, inventions, unsubstantiated claims and outright falsehoods.
It is the beginning of what, probably, started out as L.Ron Hubbard's conscious plan to start a cult based on himself, on his grandiose intellectual fantasies, and on his not-inconsiderable skills as a prose writer and armchair philosopher. This book is an example of all of those things.
Dianetics is the embryo out of which scientology grew. It contains the nuts and bolts of auditing (the process of dianetic therapy) and the basic terms of what later became the cult - and religion - of scientology, although still in the secular guise of self-help procedures and a kind of do-it-yourself, mock-up psychotherapy whose aim is the alleviation of ALL non-physical ailments of man and of ALL psychosomatic illnesses, and the achievement of the (rather improbable but alluring and fascinating) state of "Clear": a kind of perfectly rational, clear-headed Randian/Nietzschean class of "supermen" who are entirely without any hang-ups or other "normal-human" problems.
Such grandiose claims are, of course, without merit, but they are only one side of the coin.
The other side of the coin - the one that fascinates me - is the story of "what could have been": namely, how great a philosopher and thinker L.Ron Hubbard COULD have been, had he only been less - well, greedy and evil, I suppose.
The fabrication of physical "engrams" and the gnostic fantasy of the superhuman "clear" are only a twisted vesion of a true and perfectly reasonable philosophy hidden within the core of the book.
There are glimpses of his greatness in the book. The first half of the book is a kind of continuation of the work of centuries of moral philosophy aimed at the gradual perfection of man, combined with the modern science of Social Darwinist and psychological approaches to human life and human consciousness. The result is a reasonaby interesting thesis about the functioning of the human body. I find it very convincing. The bulk of the document, the root, is solid. Only the tree that grows out of it is rotten and murky. L.R. Hubbard unfortunately doesn't stick with solid reality but enters into science fiction territory as soon as you can say "c-h-a-r-l-a-t-a-n"!
The sad fact is that Hubbard was not content to stick within clear-headed thinking, and instead followed the more selfish and self-serving urge (common to all confidence men) to "spice up" his sound philosophical ideas (most of which, to be sure, he borrowed from others, like Freud and Spencer) with a lot of outrageous nonsense and cultish fanaticism, to make it more sellable and appealing to desperate readers looking for a quick fix. This makes the whole book feel like a missed opportunity.
Of course, superficially the book was anything but a missed opportunity. After all, it spawned a whole religion and has sold millions upon millions of copies. But in the end, it is the sort of book that, in a hundred yeears, will be forgotten. It will never rank a great leap in human thinking, or achieve the sort of intellectual fame that Hubbard probably, despite all his BS, deep-down wanted. So Hubbard's story is more tragic than it appears. He COULD have been one of the most important thinkers of the 20th century. He had the brains and the writing skills and the charisma for it. Instead, he chose to be one of the most popular deceivers of mankind of the 20th century. That sordid business, to be sure, takes dedication. But it also means he missed the boat to greatness. He doomed himself to oblivion through a comet-rise to temporary fame.
I find it a sad but compelling story. The tale spun by the history of what followed is the story of a tragic man who couldn't choose between fiction and fact, and chose to blend the two in the most ingenuous - and arguably evil - way possible. He wanted to be Mohammed or Moses for the 20th century. He also wanted to be the Tolkien of psychology and the beloved of the rich and famous. He learned all the wrong lessons from Aleister Crowley. He took only the beastly aspects of the man and emulated his selfish pursuit of fame, ignoring Crowley's love of truth. He wanted to be a creator of worlds. The fact that he almost succeeded is a mind-boggling feat. It is also a cautionary tale of the lure of power and the cost of fame. Such fame is a devil's bargain. Hubbard stepped into the world of dreams and fiction and purposefully destroyed his own reputation in exchange of a few gold coins - and a few million gleamy-eyed followers!
But all of this does NOT negate the fact that Dianetics is a worthy book to study and read. It contains clever insights into the nature of the human condition. The combination of Darwinism and Freudianism is beautiful. It is the desktop writings of an almost-genius level of a thinker. It is ALMOST a science, it is ALMOST a psychology, it is ALMOST a philosophy of man worthy of the promised revolution of thought. And even though it is ONLY ALMOST all of those things, it still contains more than a few nuggets of real gold and philosophical insight - hidden within the steaming pile of malicious, cult-spawning manure.
Recommended with the caveat: upon first encountering this pile of dung, watch where you put your spoon, and don't eat the manure. Set it aside and dig for the ice cream and creamy goodness within. It exists. It is good. It is sad. It is beautiful. Taste it. Feel it. "Build a better bridge!" to quote the very last words of the book.
Learn from Hubbard, learn from Hitler, learn from Faust: when the devil comes, don't sell your soul.
September 11, 2017
5 stars if you read it drunk as a comedy.
1 star if you incorporated this book into your life, chose it to be your new reality or converted to Scientology after reading it.
⚠️WARNING ⚠️ : Concepts in this book may be dumber than they appear.
1 star if you incorporated this book into your life, chose it to be your new reality or converted to Scientology after reading it.
⚠️WARNING ⚠️ : Concepts in this book may be dumber than they appear.
February 6, 2009
This book changed the way I view people and myself. It explains exactly why people are the way they are and what causes us to some times act irrationally. It gives an exact technology to help us get rid of the "reactive mind" and all negative aspects of ourselves so we can once again live a rational and happy life. I've seen the miracles of this science and I'm glad to finally have read the book first hand to understand how it all works.
March 15, 2009
He was kidding, right?
October 29, 2007
To better fight the enemy, know the enemy.
The funniest blend of hypnosis and psychoanalysis to come along in a good long while. Hey guys, it's a science! And by science we mean a collection of information about a thing. To explain the workings of the brain we've made up some anthropomorphic devices that remove any blame for misdeeds committed. You can see more concepts being invented in the author's mind as the book goes on, as if the whole work were a stream of consciousness exercise. It's hard to imagine this crazed pseudo-science being the seed for such a twisted and deranged enterprise like Scientology.
The funniest blend of hypnosis and psychoanalysis to come along in a good long while. Hey guys, it's a science! And by science we mean a collection of information about a thing. To explain the workings of the brain we've made up some anthropomorphic devices that remove any blame for misdeeds committed. You can see more concepts being invented in the author's mind as the book goes on, as if the whole work were a stream of consciousness exercise. It's hard to imagine this crazed pseudo-science being the seed for such a twisted and deranged enterprise like Scientology.
December 3, 2007
I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys writings like:
"The potential value of an individual or a group may be expressed by the equation
PV = ID^x
where I is Intelligence and D is Dynamic. The worth of an individual is computed in terms of the alignment, on any dynamic, of his potential value with optimum survival along that dynamic. A high PV may, by reversed vector, result in a negative worth as in some severely aberrated persons. A high PV on any dynamic assures a high worth only in the unaberrated person."
"The potential value of an individual or a group may be expressed by the equation
PV = ID^x
where I is Intelligence and D is Dynamic. The worth of an individual is computed in terms of the alignment, on any dynamic, of his potential value with optimum survival along that dynamic. A high PV may, by reversed vector, result in a negative worth as in some severely aberrated persons. A high PV on any dynamic assures a high worth only in the unaberrated person."
May 12, 2008
I bought this book because I am reading it for a book club. Now, I am afraid eBay and Half.com are going to recommend things to me based on this purchase. So, on the the review.
This book is worthless. It's poorly written, disorganized, absolutely not science, and a pipe dream of a self-help process. That anyone was enticed to make use of it, not to mention actually got anything out of it is beyond my understanding. There are no new concepts of "self-help" or psychology in this book. It is just repackaged as a new "science of the mind," which, again, is no science at all. This book is ABSOLUTELY NOT science! There is no place in a science book for terms like "almost," "seems," "perhaps," "wild guess," etc. When things are asserted as scientific fact, the words above have no place in the discourse. There are many, many examples of this throughout the book. In addition the author makes assertions as "scientific fact" with no proof or even explanation. It is extremely frustrating to read this as a person with a scientific education and background. I find it very hard to believe that anything in this book relating to the "science" of Dianetics is true or to be believed. There is nothing to convince the analytical person of the truth of any of the assertions.
Whether this book has helped anyone I cannot say. I will not speak to that. The first major sections of the book make becoming "A Clear" sound very desirable. However, to anyone who has an independent thought, it should sound like hogwash and/or a pipe dream.
The author is overly fixated on attempted abortion, something that may have been a problem in the first half of the 20th century in America but has ceased to be a serious issue in the 21st century. Keep in mind that this book was published in 1950!
L. Ron Hubbard was an outcast of society and a failed science fiction writer before he wrote this book. This is the kind of book that would come from the pen of a person like that.
I urge anyone who reads this book to take it from an analytical point of view and asses what you read carefully. Do not take what is presented here at face value.
This book is worthless. It's poorly written, disorganized, absolutely not science, and a pipe dream of a self-help process. That anyone was enticed to make use of it, not to mention actually got anything out of it is beyond my understanding. There are no new concepts of "self-help" or psychology in this book. It is just repackaged as a new "science of the mind," which, again, is no science at all. This book is ABSOLUTELY NOT science! There is no place in a science book for terms like "almost," "seems," "perhaps," "wild guess," etc. When things are asserted as scientific fact, the words above have no place in the discourse. There are many, many examples of this throughout the book. In addition the author makes assertions as "scientific fact" with no proof or even explanation. It is extremely frustrating to read this as a person with a scientific education and background. I find it very hard to believe that anything in this book relating to the "science" of Dianetics is true or to be believed. There is nothing to convince the analytical person of the truth of any of the assertions.
Whether this book has helped anyone I cannot say. I will not speak to that. The first major sections of the book make becoming "A Clear" sound very desirable. However, to anyone who has an independent thought, it should sound like hogwash and/or a pipe dream.
The author is overly fixated on attempted abortion, something that may have been a problem in the first half of the 20th century in America but has ceased to be a serious issue in the 21st century. Keep in mind that this book was published in 1950!
L. Ron Hubbard was an outcast of society and a failed science fiction writer before he wrote this book. This is the kind of book that would come from the pen of a person like that.
I urge anyone who reads this book to take it from an analytical point of view and asses what you read carefully. Do not take what is presented here at face value.
June 11, 2009
By far, one of the most important books that I have ever read in my life. I would have to say that at first I was a little initimated by it because of its length. However, after I got started I learned a lot more about myself and why I am the way that I am. Anyone who has read this book and has not been changed in some way shape or form, is simply not a normal person. This is one of those books that will change your life.
Any Scientologist will tell you that this book is a stepping-stone to many greater things, and they are right. As you continue on the Basics, you will gain more knowledge about yourself and others around you than you will ever get from any other book in existance. Truly this book and those that follow will be the most important books you will ever read.
Any Scientologist will tell you that this book is a stepping-stone to many greater things, and they are right. As you continue on the Basics, you will gain more knowledge about yourself and others around you than you will ever get from any other book in existance. Truly this book and those that follow will be the most important books you will ever read.
March 15, 2009
Rambling, illogical, fantastical, and a total mess.
I'd only recommend this to somebody who wants to know more about how batshit insane Scientology is. Other than that, don't bother.
I'd only recommend this to somebody who wants to know more about how batshit insane Scientology is. Other than that, don't bother.
Read
September 10, 2016Prompted by the Church of Scientology I passed on the UT Austin campus nearly every day last month, I decided to finally watch Going Clear, Alex Gibney’s excellent documentary on Scientology. While watching the old footage of L. Ron Hubbard on his boat, king in his own self-created reality, I realized that he seemed somehow familiar. Not his physical body, perhaps, but something about his face, his expressions and mannerisms…
At one point in the footage, a reporter asks Hubbard, "has it occurred to you that you may be quite mad?" Hubbard smiles an insane little smile. That's when it hit me. Of course- L. Ron Hubbard is Donald Trump!
Hear me out. Trump University, for example, is not a university, in the same way the Church of Scientology is not a church; they're both bait-and-switch money-making schemes. Trump and Hubbard both tested out their acts in the realm of entertainment (Trump on TV, Hubbard in science-fiction pulp magazines, where he included in his short fiction many of the ideas that would resurface as doctrine in Scientology) before attempting to present themselves as serious to mass audiences. Trump has applied the sensibility of reality TV to politics; Hubbard applied the sensibility of science-fiction to religion. Both deliberately capitalized on Americans' susceptibility to celebrity (Trump on his own, Hubbard by starting the first church of Scientology in Hollywood and cultivating actors as apostles). Both encourage a nostalgia for a mythical time that never existed (Hubbard 75 million years ago, when humans lived, on another planet, much like 1950s Americans, Trump an undefined time when America was "great"), and blame the loss of that past prosperity on enemies (Xenu the Galactic Overlord and roaming hordes of illegal immigrants, respectively). Trump’s campaign can be seen (charitably) as a satire of politics, and Scientology can be seen as a satire of religion.
I’m genuinely curious, come to think of it, why an organization like Scientology has never fielded a candidate for President (at least as far as I know). Surely Travolta or Cruise could easily get 5%, especially this year? I did a Google search, and unfortunately it does not seem as though the Church of Scientology has endorsed Trump. Disappointing, but there's still time.
March 9, 2009
In a word: Tripe.
In two words: Utter Tripe
In three or more: Utter and Complete Tripe
A better title would have been "Dianetics: The Modern Science of the Mentally Unstable" or "Ways In Which I Show I Have No Idea What I Am Talking About" by L. Ron Hubbard. His science fiction was and always will be terrible, and I include this bunk in that pile, though to use the word "science" at all is overly misleading. At no point are the methods for these "scientific facts" ever mentioned or brought up. This Is Fiction. Through and through. Fiction. Written by probably the only person who's writing I like LESS than Stephenie Meyers'. Though I am ashamed to admit I even touched this book let alone read it I'm writing this as a heads up to anyone who might be curious: Read it if you're up for a good laugh but be prepaired to lose some braincells.
In two words: Utter Tripe
In three or more: Utter and Complete Tripe
A better title would have been "Dianetics: The Modern Science of the Mentally Unstable" or "Ways In Which I Show I Have No Idea What I Am Talking About" by L. Ron Hubbard. His science fiction was and always will be terrible, and I include this bunk in that pile, though to use the word "science" at all is overly misleading. At no point are the methods for these "scientific facts" ever mentioned or brought up. This Is Fiction. Through and through. Fiction. Written by probably the only person who's writing I like LESS than Stephenie Meyers'. Though I am ashamed to admit I even touched this book let alone read it I'm writing this as a heads up to anyone who might be curious: Read it if you're up for a good laugh but be prepaired to lose some braincells.
January 15, 2024
I originally read this book in 1978. I realized while reading it why I was doing street drugs and completely quit. I also realized why I was having so much trouble with relationships. I am so glad that part of my life is over and I've never regretted it for a second! I've now remained drug free, have been married 26 years to the same wonderful man, have 2 children both now adults and living very well on their own. My quality of life changed so much with this book that I want to share it with others.
January 16, 2008
Reading it made me high.
January 18, 2008
This book answered many questions for me. It helped me sort out my life and begin to take control. If you are having trouble with anything in your life, this book can help.
May 21, 2011
Thus far it makes sense. This is not an easy read considering the plethora of new words that my ESL studies did not cover in the past. Fortunately I found an awesome reference in the Basic Study Manual that helps me speed up my study progress. This book was way ahead its time and half century later the majority of the people still ridicule it like people ridiculed Galileo Galilei who stated the Earth is not flat.
The more negative opinion I see about this book the more it reinforces its value to me.
Have you see the Time Magazine top 100 most influential people list lately? Well, take a look at it and there you go, a real good snapshot of the global consciousness as to what popularity is about.
If you are an intelligent reader and do have an educated counterpoint of view, please share it. Thus far I did not meet, nor hear any valid counter argument against any one of the 194 axioms of this book nor any other statement in this or other LRH books. If on the other hand you are also a serious student of Dianetics and looking for a Twin Study Buddy, let me know. I am still searching.
Z
The more negative opinion I see about this book the more it reinforces its value to me.
Have you see the Time Magazine top 100 most influential people list lately? Well, take a look at it and there you go, a real good snapshot of the global consciousness as to what popularity is about.
If you are an intelligent reader and do have an educated counterpoint of view, please share it. Thus far I did not meet, nor hear any valid counter argument against any one of the 194 axioms of this book nor any other statement in this or other LRH books. If on the other hand you are also a serious student of Dianetics and looking for a Twin Study Buddy, let me know. I am still searching.
Z
April 18, 2015
Wonderful book. Changed my life. Using the Dianetics techniques I no longer have chronic pain in my back--it's been 22 years since I broke it. I've been pain-free for 17 years. It was 17 years ago I discovered Dianetics. I'm a miracle story. Highly recommended.
February 21, 2008
I flipped through it to see what it was about. Here is a good quote by Robert Carroll regarding the book.
"What Hubbard touts as a science of mind lacks one key element that is expected of a science: empirical testing of claims. The key elements of Hubbard's so-called science don't seem testable, yet he repeatedly claims that he is asserting only scientific facts and data from many experiments. It isn't even clear what such "data" would look like. Most of his data is in the form of anecdotes and speculations ... Such speculation is appropriate in fiction, but not in science."
For a "religion" that supposedly combines science and spirituality I find their disregard of the scientific process to be rather disturbing.
"What Hubbard touts as a science of mind lacks one key element that is expected of a science: empirical testing of claims. The key elements of Hubbard's so-called science don't seem testable, yet he repeatedly claims that he is asserting only scientific facts and data from many experiments. It isn't even clear what such "data" would look like. Most of his data is in the form of anecdotes and speculations ... Such speculation is appropriate in fiction, but not in science."
For a "religion" that supposedly combines science and spirituality I find their disregard of the scientific process to be rather disturbing.
July 17, 2013
While no one can deny that Tom Cruise's life has really taken off since starting up scientology, I don't like the use of the word "Dianetics". Just because Hubbard's wife, Diane, became an android after her death, doesn't mean that the rest of us want to hear about it.
November 24, 2007
WAIT! I'm serious: Read this and LAUGH. If you have ever questioned the origin of religion, or the power of brainwashing: READ THIS BOOK! I started to read it out of sheer curiosity, then became fascinated by the number of "tear-out" sign-up slips that litter every-other chapter. Honestly: cult applications. It's SCARY, but REAL. There is confirmation that JRR Tolkein and LRonHubbard INVENTED these middle-earths: Elron/LRon...get it? REAL people pay to be CLEARED. Save yourself from the rest: Read this and LAUGH.
February 13, 2014
I am currently reading this book for the third time. It has been read by over 20 million people and has been a bestseller for over 50 years. So do yourself a favour and read it. Then you can make up your own mind about it.
All I can say is it works! How do I know that? Because I have used it to make Clears!
All I can say is it works! How do I know that? Because I have used it to make Clears!
May 25, 2017
A book that started a movement in 1950 that is still doing good in the world today. I've used the procedures as outlined in the book on friends and family with good results. I suggest its companion How-To video to really explore and understand what Dianetics is about. Begin the adventure.
February 15, 2009
This book is worth reading because 1)it's an interesting read, and 2) it's nice to learn about something that is somewhat prevalent in the news (Scientology). I know Scientology has gotten a lot of bad press lately, but I think the book can stand on its own as a good read. The book claims a lot, especially as it concerns healing the mind to the point where you don't get sick, your vision improves, and your memory jumps through the roof. These claims are a weak part of the book, but at least they keep you interested. There are hundreds of books that relate general health to the power of the mind/brain, and this one is decent. The book claims that only a specialist of Scientology can help clear your mind of the engrams (things in your unconscious that hold you back, make you depressed, etc.). The unfortunate thing is that it seems only the well-off can benefit from this specific therapy. The rest of us can at least think about the mind/body connection, and perhaps discover an alternative route to Scietology to help heal our brains.
August 27, 2008
This book actually pretty much saved my life when I was young and going off the right course morally and otherwise. My life would not be today what it is had I not read and applied what's in this amazing book. What really hit home to in this book over other self-help books, is that it is so well researched and scientific. It is not airy-fairy and full of maybes. It is full of researched facts that anyone can go and try out for him/herself.
February 13, 2011
I was raised Roman Catholic as a child. Years of nuns and private schools armed me with ammunition needed to argue the Christian religion with an informed opinion. I make a big deal about this because I CAN'T STAND people who defend OR chastise religion without actually having researched it beyond "that's what I was told in church."
I was made to read the entire Bible when I was growing up.
Today I don't prescribe to any specific religion. I believe what I believe and that is good enough for me.
That said, Scientology has become THE "go to" religion for an easy joke about crazy people in our population (with Mormons hitting a close second thanks to South Park.) I have always avoided stating an opinion on Scientology since I had no basis for discussion.
Then I decided to read Dianetics.
[SPOILER ALERT] Yup. Scientology is Crazy McCrazy.
According to this book, all the negativity and stress I carry in life is due to my parents arguing before I was born and because (allegedly) my mother tried to have me aborted.
(I checked with mom and she claims this isn't true... but why would L. Ron lie?)
I DO RECOMMEND THIS BOOK if you are (or want to be) in sales. The writing used the assumptive sales method of stating absolutes. A number of times you read the phrase "this is fact" because, according to the author, it is. If you say something is true enough then people will believe it and (eventually) you will even get your own religion.
Credit where it is due, though: L. Ron Hubbard's explanation of the human mind in comparison to a computer was ahead if its time. Written in the early eighties, he is describing the concept of cleaning and defragging your personal hard drive: the brain. There's some logic there, but it's lost in the message he is trying to feed you with it.
I was made to read the entire Bible when I was growing up.
Today I don't prescribe to any specific religion. I believe what I believe and that is good enough for me.
That said, Scientology has become THE "go to" religion for an easy joke about crazy people in our population (with Mormons hitting a close second thanks to South Park.) I have always avoided stating an opinion on Scientology since I had no basis for discussion.
Then I decided to read Dianetics.
[SPOILER ALERT] Yup. Scientology is Crazy McCrazy.
According to this book, all the negativity and stress I carry in life is due to my parents arguing before I was born and because (allegedly) my mother tried to have me aborted.
(I checked with mom and she claims this isn't true... but why would L. Ron lie?)
I DO RECOMMEND THIS BOOK if you are (or want to be) in sales. The writing used the assumptive sales method of stating absolutes. A number of times you read the phrase "this is fact" because, according to the author, it is. If you say something is true enough then people will believe it and (eventually) you will even get your own religion.
Credit where it is due, though: L. Ron Hubbard's explanation of the human mind in comparison to a computer was ahead if its time. Written in the early eighties, he is describing the concept of cleaning and defragging your personal hard drive: the brain. There's some logic there, but it's lost in the message he is trying to feed you with it.
March 26, 2015
Honestly this is an amazing book.
It explains SO MUCH about life!
I'm not sure why some people rated it badly but wow, if you can read and use the glossary at the back, it's amazing. It ACTUALLY explains how the mind works and it MAKES SENSE!
Finally someone with actual logical scientific thinking decided to do some research into how the mind works.
L. Ron Hubbard is a fantastic writer, and holy crap he had an enormous vocabulary!!!
Highly recommended! Onto 'Science of survival' now :)
It explains SO MUCH about life!
I'm not sure why some people rated it badly but wow, if you can read and use the glossary at the back, it's amazing. It ACTUALLY explains how the mind works and it MAKES SENSE!
Finally someone with actual logical scientific thinking decided to do some research into how the mind works.
L. Ron Hubbard is a fantastic writer, and holy crap he had an enormous vocabulary!!!
Highly recommended! Onto 'Science of survival' now :)
Read
October 23, 2014I picked up Dianetics in an effort to understand more about American religions. Did I read all 500+ pages? Was I thoroughly fascinated? Am I ready for my e-meter reading? Yes, yes, and no.
This review is mostly about the rhetoric of scientology and why (in my opinion) it is so persuasive.
The actual book looks like a cross between a scientific reference book and scripture. The layout allows for quick reading and contains a glossary of terms and a short section on Dianetics and L. Ron in the news. The books boasts about its spot on the NY Times bestseller list. The book promises that Scientology is eclipsing the known world, converts are pouring in, and that science is confirming every aspect of Dianetics.
The book is written in a scientific style. Terms are presented, defined, and then used in examples. Half of the book is an explanation of the scientific background for Dianetics and then second half is a manual for auditing (a type of therapy). As a self-contained work, L. Ron is very convincing. He is a master of rhetoric, appealing to both the intellect and the emotion. At the end of the book, one feels that L. Ron has explained life in a revolutionary way. You feel equipped to embark on a career as an auditor. Mr. Hubbard constantly urges readers to "get busy and build a better bridge." The tone is uplifting throughout, promotes peace (there is never "justification for war"), and focuses on the good derived from obtaining "release" and becoming "clear." The "Auditor's Code" pleads that auditors not judge their applicants, listen thoroughly, not diminish emotional experience, express kindness. The book uses lots of power words, like: war, voyage, chaos, fundamentals. Everything is focused on the emotional experience of the individual. Every problem (from the common cold to bad eyesight) (there is "no national problem in the world today which cannot be resolved by reason alone" - presumably the reason of Dianetics) is overcome through Dianetics.
Although the idea of engrams is interesting, it has not been confirmed scientifically, despite the repetitive insistence to the contrary from Scientology. Engrams are just the beginning of Mr. Hubbard's inventions. Just as there is no outside, third-party evidence for transubstantiation, the law of attraction, or that native Americans are really Israelites. The religious have their internal, spiritual confirmations on each of these "facts" but there is no real world analogue. For my part, I'm skeptical that these are manipulations for praise and profit.
Despite the science, the uplifting tone, and purported emotional peace, I felt that Mr. Hubbard was thoroughly manipulating me. In my opinion, our mental and emotional lives are too complex for science. Religion rushes in to fill those gaps. And the fragility of our emotional lives can lead us to believe in things that are not true, rational, or just. In other words, we are wide open to manipulation and our minds too readily dwell in bias. As discussed in Thinking Fast and Slow by Kahneman, our minds search for a unified explanation of the world, cherry pick evidence, and reject contradictions. Overcoming these manipulations requires deeper thinking, comparing our ideas/values/religious ideas to reality and conflicting information, and identification of methods of manipulation and bias.
One common method of manipulation is maintaining a closed system. All religions reject information from outside sources. They have the same screed: society hates us because we have the truth, they reject and defame our prophets/leaders, you can't rely on their information. So as a religious convert, you are stuck reading the material sold at your church's bookstore. From the Scientology perspective, they offer a myriad of texts. One can obtain a doctorate in Dianetics. And judging from reviews of Dianetics, there are some extraordinary intelligent people invested in the cause. Dianetics states that it is based on "considerable research" and is scientific fact, not a theory, and is as "real a discovery as gravity." (Page 192). Throughout the book, Mr. Hubbard insists that it is based on scientific research but there is never a footnote.
A Scientologist can claim that Scientology is good and wholesome, there is nothing destructive or hateful about it (I could almost agree). And whether you believe it as absolute truth doesn't matter; just look at the good that it does/can do in the world. They could urge you to focus on the positive aspects -- just see the many testimonials, the charitable work, and the magnificent buildings (pictures in the back). A Scientologist friend urged me to keep reading more, keep investigating, open my mind and heart, and it will eventually become clear (no pun intended). But I am troubled by the lack of third-party evidence, the allegations of leader worship and abuse, of high financial contributions, and the thorough defamation of members turned detractors. Scientology, as with all religions, seek the emotionally vulnerable, make a convincing internal arguments, create systematic distrust in the outside world, and require absolute obedience and high financial contributions. Whether this good is worth the high cost, is up to the individual.
This review is mostly about the rhetoric of scientology and why (in my opinion) it is so persuasive.
The actual book looks like a cross between a scientific reference book and scripture. The layout allows for quick reading and contains a glossary of terms and a short section on Dianetics and L. Ron in the news. The books boasts about its spot on the NY Times bestseller list. The book promises that Scientology is eclipsing the known world, converts are pouring in, and that science is confirming every aspect of Dianetics.
The book is written in a scientific style. Terms are presented, defined, and then used in examples. Half of the book is an explanation of the scientific background for Dianetics and then second half is a manual for auditing (a type of therapy). As a self-contained work, L. Ron is very convincing. He is a master of rhetoric, appealing to both the intellect and the emotion. At the end of the book, one feels that L. Ron has explained life in a revolutionary way. You feel equipped to embark on a career as an auditor. Mr. Hubbard constantly urges readers to "get busy and build a better bridge." The tone is uplifting throughout, promotes peace (there is never "justification for war"), and focuses on the good derived from obtaining "release" and becoming "clear." The "Auditor's Code" pleads that auditors not judge their applicants, listen thoroughly, not diminish emotional experience, express kindness. The book uses lots of power words, like: war, voyage, chaos, fundamentals. Everything is focused on the emotional experience of the individual. Every problem (from the common cold to bad eyesight) (there is "no national problem in the world today which cannot be resolved by reason alone" - presumably the reason of Dianetics) is overcome through Dianetics.
Although the idea of engrams is interesting, it has not been confirmed scientifically, despite the repetitive insistence to the contrary from Scientology. Engrams are just the beginning of Mr. Hubbard's inventions. Just as there is no outside, third-party evidence for transubstantiation, the law of attraction, or that native Americans are really Israelites. The religious have their internal, spiritual confirmations on each of these "facts" but there is no real world analogue. For my part, I'm skeptical that these are manipulations for praise and profit.
Despite the science, the uplifting tone, and purported emotional peace, I felt that Mr. Hubbard was thoroughly manipulating me. In my opinion, our mental and emotional lives are too complex for science. Religion rushes in to fill those gaps. And the fragility of our emotional lives can lead us to believe in things that are not true, rational, or just. In other words, we are wide open to manipulation and our minds too readily dwell in bias. As discussed in Thinking Fast and Slow by Kahneman, our minds search for a unified explanation of the world, cherry pick evidence, and reject contradictions. Overcoming these manipulations requires deeper thinking, comparing our ideas/values/religious ideas to reality and conflicting information, and identification of methods of manipulation and bias.
One common method of manipulation is maintaining a closed system. All religions reject information from outside sources. They have the same screed: society hates us because we have the truth, they reject and defame our prophets/leaders, you can't rely on their information. So as a religious convert, you are stuck reading the material sold at your church's bookstore. From the Scientology perspective, they offer a myriad of texts. One can obtain a doctorate in Dianetics. And judging from reviews of Dianetics, there are some extraordinary intelligent people invested in the cause. Dianetics states that it is based on "considerable research" and is scientific fact, not a theory, and is as "real a discovery as gravity." (Page 192). Throughout the book, Mr. Hubbard insists that it is based on scientific research but there is never a footnote.
A Scientologist can claim that Scientology is good and wholesome, there is nothing destructive or hateful about it (I could almost agree). And whether you believe it as absolute truth doesn't matter; just look at the good that it does/can do in the world. They could urge you to focus on the positive aspects -- just see the many testimonials, the charitable work, and the magnificent buildings (pictures in the back). A Scientologist friend urged me to keep reading more, keep investigating, open my mind and heart, and it will eventually become clear (no pun intended). But I am troubled by the lack of third-party evidence, the allegations of leader worship and abuse, of high financial contributions, and the thorough defamation of members turned detractors. Scientology, as with all religions, seek the emotionally vulnerable, make a convincing internal arguments, create systematic distrust in the outside world, and require absolute obedience and high financial contributions. Whether this good is worth the high cost, is up to the individual.
September 17, 2010
I thought it was a bit of a tough read but worth it. It was really really interesting and I think it was ahead of its time. I have seen it work because I tried it -- you can do the process just by reading the book. Go ahead, think for yourself. Also, I like the people I met who use it. They seem pretty cool to me! Maybe there is something to it.
February 15, 2013
The best self-help book ever written if you ask me. The information in here is astounding. This is not "play-around" stuff. It's the real deal. Amazing discoveries about the mind! Very educational reading.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 964 reviews