DIANETICS:
From Main Street to Malibu the question that every reader of science fiction is asking or being asked is "what you think of Dianetics?" Fandom has been known to go wild over new ides before. It was not so long ago that General Samantics was the watch word where ever fans of intellect gathered. But with G.S. the fans stepped into a field alleady well established after many years of work. With Dianetics they got in on the ground floor, some even on the basement, and are now riding it for all they are worth. Weather you are like Bradbury and think Dianetics is "Thrrrup!", or like van Vogt, who is heading the Dianetic center out here, it is making an effect felt on fandom, and through it on you. This is merely an attempt to relate what I've seen happen, and a few of the conclusions I have reached. An I begain by stating that I have not read the Book, nor have I been in a reverie. Thus do I feel I can judge the marits of the question as a science. I believe it is doing something, which atleast for the present is helping thos that use it.
DIANETICS IN ASTOUNDING:
The article had been talked about for so long before it appeared that everyone was glad when it did, so that they could talk of something else. (Such dreamer.) It is doubtfull if anyone really believed that the article would couse quite the sensation that it did. My first reaction was one of mixt doubts. As I wrote Campbell shortly afterward, as a result of my reading of science fiction I had learned to except all theories as possable untell proven falce. Yet, to doubt anything that clamed to be the panacea for all man's ills as Hubbard made Dianetics out to be.
Almost from the begainning you realize that the article tells you nothing about what Dianetics is, only what he claims it dose. He ritacules the blind faith some people have in "athorities" yet expects you to believe what he says, on his athority. Well, no,. He doesn't ask you to believe him, but he does ask you to go out and by his book, and see if it doesn't work. Infact, nomater what you say about the article, it is good advertisement for the book.
An think, most publishers have to pay $150 a page for space, and here Campbell pays Hubbard, for making Hubbard rich. (Hubbard says the money he gets from the book are being turned over to the Dianetic Foundation, but he must be getting his lunch money from some where.)
The falt I find with the article is that it clames to much. It clames it it will work on everyone, that you can become a clear, and it will cure almost anything. How, after only 200 cases, can he be sure it will work on everyone, that the result will last, or even what a full-release is? Campbell and Hubbard have exalted the scientific attatude and resurch that went into the founding of Dianetics, yet they turn a Pandora's box over to the readers. It seems to me the scientific me method is to test and re-test, and the more astounding the result. Then to turn it over to compatent experts in the field. It is aquivalent to publishing plans on how to build your own atomic motor. It might work. It might work for a few years. It might work for experts. But when you get varuables to the Nth degree, what is scientific about that?
There is only one flaw in the article I have yet to have explained. Though Hubbard raves against hypnotism (everyone agrees out here that dispite this, the "reverie" is a light trance) he talks of using stemalents to bring his cases back to the "now". It would seem that this would be needed only if they were under a hypnotic influence. Also, none of the people I have talked to out here talk of having to use stemalents. Just another case off statements not agreeing. There seems a great deveation as to the number of "clears" there are. One time you hear 200, another time it is only Mrs. Hubbard, or one of his helpers. Then some one else says, "only 5 persons know they are clears, but don't let it out as they can't be bothered with people wanting to experament on them."
DIANETICS IN THE BOOK:
Not having read it, I can gave only the reactions of others. Thos I've talked to that were willing to speek objectively say it is badly written. Like Science And Sanity, it requires a number of readings before you understand it, if at all. One friend objected strongly to the fact that the system of putting a person into a reverie was not written in chronalogical order, but skipped back and forth through the book. His salution was to copy out the parts he he wanted, in the proper order for using them, then study thses thouraly..
Some say that parts of the book doesn't sound like Hubbards writtings. It does seem amazing that he could conduct experaments, turn out the large quantity of science fiction he has been, and still find time to write this book. Anyway, I doubt that you, unless you are a fastreader, can read the book in six hours as some have clamed to have done, and then go out and start audating people. Though they say you don't have to have read the book to be audided.
The book has something that will appeals to everyone.. It is all things to all men. He is in favor of almost everything, that has people with $4 that might by the book in it. He has presented theories that the psychologist, psychiatrest, and hypnotherapist can except under the quise of a new science, when in reality they are but a mixture of what they have already be using. (With the possable exception of his non-directive therapy)
DIANETICS IN FORUMS:
Seemingly as soon as anyone read the book, they started having forum, letures, lunchens, dinners.. Everyone is trying to give talks. This will all reach a peak nodoubt on August 15th, w when Hubbard arrives. They have rented the Shrine Autatoriam for the avent. The Shrine autotoriam on the coast. What this all is doing I can't say. As all these meeting cost to attend, some were there must be money going. The confusion lies in that there are so many people giving talks. If one was cynical. one might say they were trying to cash in on the deal before the ballon brakes.
I attended oneform. I was in a theather. A revival meeting was going to be held next door, and I imagin it would have been just as interesting. Atleast the rutean was simalar. First a local psychologist and hypnotherapist came out and told everyone not to believe Hubbard. No, we should read the book, then try it ourself. He then went on to give a testimonial as to how he had first scoft at Dianetics. How he "knew it was just some old stuff did over". Then how he tryed it, and found it work.. Then on into telling some of the remarkable things it had done. Things that seem almost unbelieveable, yet happen. Then they brought out R.P. Schofield, P.A., F.D. (Perfesional Auditor, Fellowship of Dianetics) who had just returned from back East, after taking the se day course with Hubbard. I'd seen him once before at the Westercon, when he got up (at our request) to explain that the rumor that Hubbard was going to be there and talk was untrue. At the time he was a bundel of nerves. Now that he is returned, supposedly a "high release", he is only nervous. He told very little about what he had undergone, but spent quite a bit of time talking about the new Hubbard Dianetic Resurch Foundation to be set up here, and headed by van Vogt. Hubbard will arive the 15th, and stay 6 weeks. During that time he and his helper plan to train 100 people to be P.A.'s. The cost is merely $500 a head. But afterward you are supposed to beable to go out and work on anyone. Ofcourse most of us thought all you had to do was read the book, but now it seems that is only good for working on your friends and relatives. The few questions they answered he eather answered by talking in circles, or turning it to a further plug for the Foundation. A girl sitting next to me said that it sounded like the same sales talk used by Arthur Murry dance teachers. If she hadn't already been helped by Dianetics, she said, this talk would have driven her away from it.
DIANETICS IN THE RHODOMAGNETIC DIGEST:
Rd has run a couple reports on Dianetics, and in their #7 issue, carry a letter by Campbell. He brings up two things that are a little puzzeling, and an example of the sort of thing that is hurting Dianetics, or atleast cousing wonderment among it's less rable followers.
Campbell says that of the 200 cases that Hubbard worked on, many, or a large percent even, were from around Los Angeles. He goes on to say that fans and even professional psychiatrists have been present when Hubbard was using his system, with out them knowing what was being done. This is odd in that no one out here can yet remember anything that resembled the treatment in the book. But then in the jumble of hypnotism, and mystsim and mind reading that went on, it isn't to surpprising at that. I wonder, though, if his friends knew he was trying out a new theory on their minds?
Campbell later complains that the "professionals" are sitting and studying the writtings and theories of Hubbard reather than going out and working on it. He says that the physical scientist, given the instructions on how to conduct an exparament with tools readily at hand, would go out and try it, reather than sitting around wating for some one else to prove it worked. -- But then a page later, he says that the reason Hubbard (in his article) didn't outline the technique of dianetic therapy, was that it couldn't be outlined. That it would be like outlining a way to make nitroglycerin, with out giving details. He says "An outline of dianetic therapy, misunderstood and misapplied, is a first class way of producing psychotics; YET THEY SAY THE BOOK ISN'T DANGEROUS!! What is to assure one some one reads the book that they will handle it right? According to one fellow who was boosting the book said, when I asked him the question, not even if you tried, could you louse things up ... But Campbell says you can ...
Still Campbell wants everyone to go out and start poking around in each others minds like monkeys looking for fleas. I doubt if an atomic physicist would try spliting an atom with a tack-hammer and nut-cracker with out first checking to see what happened afterward. I can't help wonder, are the people trying it, fifty million monkeys, guinea pigs, or just plain suckers.
DIANETICS AND FANS:
When the article came out there was a flood of people to LASFS to see what others thought. Beside the usual 30 members the number of guests jumped to 15 or 20. The better part of two meetings was devoted to it. Mostly the locals were disbelieving. Even the staunchest supporters of Astounding were doubtfull... The statement that people had remembered back to 24 hours after conception stired up alsorts of arguements. Finally the book appeared, and a few lucky (?) ones got copies. More talk resulted. More guests came to see, hear, but seldom to return. After a month though, there was a large number of members who were getting bored with such talk, and wanted to go back to talking about science-fiction. So the result was the ones interested in Dianetics started to, and have since, been meeting at other times and elsewhere, and Dianetics at the meetings has been confined to announcements.
As far as the local fans go, it has been a pretty middle of the road attitude. Thos that have become interested, and started auditing have had a number of interesting results. Ackerman and a few others say they need less sleep. Better memories also are being claimed. No one though is really wild about it. It is all on a experamental level, and even the most active have expressed their doubts on some of the things that have happen.
The guest (?) I can not say the same for. Now that there are Dianetic centers around they aren't showing up, but some of them are real fanatics. It would seem their devotion to dianetics is in direct relation to their apparent need for such treatment. It is unfortionet for Dianetic that it is basically attractive to crackpots and fath-healers. I rather think that if it is to progress on a ethical level that there will have to be a devision of the sheep from the goats before long.
The people I saw at the Form seemed very average. A little better fed, better dressed than average fans, but otherwise you couldn't tell the difference. A quiet and sincere lot, yet I'd not say devote. There were a surprising number that had not read the book.
Those that are following Dianetics are finding that it is a good thing they need less sleep, and can remember more; they are finding themselves doing twice as much work, trying to answer the questions of others. This applies to the ones professionally interested in it, and those just studying it. We were a little worryed if maybe van Vogt was giving up writting, to work on Dianetics. Well, he is working a 1w our day on it right now, busyly trying to answer 7 phones and 7 million fool or importen questions. But he says that he has signed contracts for more books. Acouple reprints, including SLAN, and a new book, that will not see magazine sale. Oh, and while on Science fiction, he has no idea what changes Campbell has in mind for Astounding this Fall.
IN GENERAL:
Fans throughout the country are studying Dianetics. It is 5th in the national non-fiction best seller list. Dianetics gets results. I know people who have been helped by it. Lots of sincear and intelligent people our studying dianetics, and getting results. Thus you have a case of a new science which has for it's greatest stubbeling block the poor background of thos sponcering it, and it's automatic popularity. I doubt that it will change fandom. In a few months it will move off to leave science fiction go its way. It wont hurt fandom like Shaverism. As a science it is quite respectable. It is just that some of the people that run it our slobs.
--oo00oo--
SPACE MEN IN LOS ANGELES:
The permotion scams of Hollywood press agents are known for the mad things they do to to get interest in different new pictures. With Destination Moon soon to be out, one could expect almost anything, as long as it was out of this world. The news that they were building a rocket ship two stories high on the front of one show house was nothing. That they were going to build one that would lean half way across Broadway was not supprising eather. But the news that they wanted to higher men to walk up and down Hollywood Blvd. in space sutes is seemingly down right foolish. As any one knows who has even heard some one talk about the Great big Strret, you can wear anything and walk up Hollywood blvd. and no one will look at you. ... The only question I'd have to ask is weather it was with or with out a helmet. Them things in the picture Heinlein asures us was hot. And Hollywood this time of the year is most surely hot.
PROGRESSION TO THE END:
This column was though of over 6 weeks ago, when the interest in Dianetics first came to Los Angeles. At the time it was planed for a regular size SPACEWARP.. Then along come the insurgent element and deside to put out two issues for the muchly overworked Rapp. So Burbee says do a real BIG article.. I say sure. You is a Big Man, I'll do you a big article. But, as the man behind the man in fandom I was busy, and put it off. So suddenly a letter comes from AHRapp saying that he has gone into the army and SPACEWARP was going to fold unless his friends wanted to take over. So now I was going to write for the last issue issue of another mag. (I is a curse to editors. All mags I write for fold.) So now all I have to do is write the article and finish off the insurgents.. But I is lazy, so I don't cut my own stincels and wate tell I get to Burbee, and he talks me into believeing he is a BIG MAN, and he cuts my article. And now I is talking like Pogo, and most Insurgently ending this most Insugent article while looking at his most Insurgent Face.
Text versions and page scans Judy Bemis
Data entry by Judy Bemis
Updated June 19, 2015. If you have a comment about these web pages please send a note to the Fanac Webmaster. Thank you.