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The whereabouts of L. Ron Hubbard chronology (1)  or
     A closer look at 1972, 1977 & 1982

(L. Ron Hubbard or not? (1972): Introduction, The years 1972, 1977 & 1982, Stanford Research Institute, Remote-Viewing, Original OT VIII, ...)
(to other Scientology pages)

>> Do you want to help with preserving the original technology? <<  Consult my want list here!

Please note that words with an asterisk (*) are defined at the bottom of this page! Only first appearances are indicated.

        
“So anybody that knows the remedy of this subject—anybody that knows these techniques—is himself actually under a certain responsibility; that's to make sure that he doesn't remain a sole proprietor. That's all it takes; just don't remain a sole proprietor. Don't ever think that a monopoly of this subject is a safe thing to have. It's not safe. It's not safe for man; it's not safe for this universe.”
        
  L. Ron Hubbard            
  (from Philadelphia Doctorate Course lecture #20 “Formative State of Scientology, Definition of Logic”, given on 6 Dec 52)  

 

The whereabouts of L. Ron Hubbard chronology  (page 1, index page)

This particular study aims to give an overview of the various thoughts and theories that go around in regards to the whereabouts of L. Ron Hubbard. The years 1972, 1977 and 1982 are the ones that often are named in relation to that someone other than L. Ron Hubbard had taken control over the subject of Scientology. The focus is put on the published sources and the things they relate, and to follow the tech line.
The main focus has been put on from which time on basic tech may have been counteracted. In particular that which has not been reversed since.

 
Index:

    
Introduction & disclaimer
(page 1)
  The years 1972, 1977 & 1982 
               - In the year 1972 ... (Includes: ‘The Missing Ten Months’ (4 Dec 72 - mid-Sept 73); ‘The Scientology Connection’; The ‘Dane Tops Debrief’; The tale of Ken Urquhart & ‘My Meeting with LRH’ (Fall 1973) (by Pierre Ethier))
         - In the year 1977 ...  (Includes: HCOB 24 Jan 77 “Tech Correction Round-up” & The early ’80s)
         - In the year 1982 ...
 
Relevant events in chronological order
  ‘Stanford Research Institute’ (SRI) and the ‘Remote-Viewing Program’  (Jun 72)
  The dropping out of the original OT VIII  (1972: The scope of Scientology)
      (OT VIII: The end of the line... cancelled?;  The story of the original OT VIII  (A chronological track);  Mention of OT levels above OT VIII  (A brief chronological track))
 
Sec Checking (1):  Integrity Processing/Confessionals  (Dec 72-Jun 76)
(page 2)
  Reported technical developments in the period 1972-76
      - Published printed materials 1972-76
- Taped lectures 1972-76  (Includes:  ‘New Vitality Rundown’ (NVRD) (Oct-Nov 75))
  Operation ‘Snow White’ (Apr 73) & ‘Operation Freakout’ (Apr 76)
         (Includes:  Ethics and justice A.D. 1970)
  An L. Ron Hubbard that is drastically changing his working operation? (establishing an unit that wrote LRH issues) (1973-82)
  A redefinition of PTS or How the condition turned from handling in auditing to a matter of concern for ethics (Aug 73)
  Restricting the freedom of the auditor (1):  Demand for ordination  (Sept 73)
  The era of adoration celebrates its birth  or  The presentation of L. Ron Hubbard through the years (Sept 73-present)
        
(‘Hymn of Asia’; ‘LRH room’; Idolatry;  SO #1 Line’ or ‘Write to Ron’; Biographies; His family)  
  The establishment of the ‘Rehabilitation Project Force’ (RPF)  (Jan 1974)
      (Introduction and FO 3434;  Its origin;  Authorship of FO 3434 and its subsequent series;  RPF working conditions)
  The ‘Primary Rundown’  vs  The incidence of a technical slip  (Apr 72-Aug 74)
  The significance of GPM's in regards to the reactive mind dismissed  (Jun 75)
 
Why ‘Flag Land Base’?  or  The move ashore  (Sept 73-Nov 75)
(page 3)
         - Going onshore...
- ‘Playing Dirty’
- A ‘sea captain’ turning to ‘musician’?
  Into artistry: Music (since 1973-74) and Cine (since 1976-78), and onward
         (Music: ‘The Apollo Stars’ (1973-74);  ‘RJ 28’, ‘Space Jazz’, ‘The Road to Freedom’, ‘Mission Earth’ (1976-89);  Film: ‘The Secret of Flag Results’ & ‘The Case He Couldn't Crack’ (1977-78);  Technical training and dissemination films (1978-90))
  Pricings for services are being interfered with  (Sept 76-late 84)
  The year 1977...: A reversal in tech (Jan 77)  &  A matter of copyright (May 77)
  “1978—The Year of Lightning Fast New Tech”  
      (Includes notes about: ‘New Era Dianetics’ (NED) replacing ‘Standard Dianetics’ (St Dn) (Jul 78); Clear redefined, ‘New Era Dianetics for OTs’ (NOTs) & Scientology grades V-VII abandoned (Sept 78))
  Re-interpreting E-Meter reads  (since Dec 76/Jul 78)
      - (a) Alteration of the definition of a ‘floating needle’ (Dec 76/Jul 78)
- (b) The ‘still needle’ phenomenon (Apr 82)
- (c) ‘Ten main needle actions’ versus ‘Sixteen main needle actions’ (1988)
- (d) Mark Super VII Quantum E-Meter (May 96)
  Witch hunts (1) (late ’70s): ‘List 1 Project’ & ‘Rock Slams’  (1977-78)
      - Where was L. Ron Hubbard?
- ‘List One’
- Establishing ‘Pacific Area Command’ (PAC) base (1977)
- A redress of the RPF assignments
- About Paulette Ausley/Cohen
- ‘Rock Slam’ (1962-78)
 
Restricting the freedom of the auditor (2):  Making a profit (any and all practicing Scientologists must now pay a license)  (Feb & Nov 79, Apr 82)
 
L. Ron Hubbard's return to fiction writing since the late ’70s
(page 4)
  Non-LRH turns LRH or The quest for the Cramming Series  (1981)
  Dianetics to be received after the grades  (Nov-Dec 1981)
  Witch hunts (2) (early ’80s): The dawning of ‘Religious Technology Center’ and new management  (1982-83)
      (A new management dawns (an array of new corporations, 1979-84);  RTC (Jan 1982);  The KR system established, rough ethics and ‘scare’ factor (1982- );  Turning from a non-profit to a for-profit corporation?;  The hunt for expansion, more income and control through the Birthday Game;  A manhunt on ‘squirrels’ spearheaded by RTC (1982- );  Are all unlicensed Scientologists squirrels?;  Practice of Disconnection reinstated, Change of rules for Declares (1983))
  Original OT levels (OT IV, OT V, OT VI & OT VII) dropped  (Jan-Mar 82)
  Sec Checking (2):  ‘No-Interference Area’ outruled?  (since Mar 82)
  ‘L. Ron Hubbard Breaks Silence’  (February 1983, Rocky Mountain News)
         (Includes:  Overview & Three letters )
  Sec Checking (3):  ‘False Purpose Rundown’ (FPRD)  (Jun 84)  
  The official version of the death of L. Ron Hubbard  (Jan 86)
      - Official announcements and referrals from the Church of Scientology
- The ‘last’ Flag Order
- The incidence of the three wills (1979, 1982 & 1986)
- A few things to ponder about ...  (Includes:  1) Mary Sue Hubbard not considered as a Trustee or other on any of the wills;  2) Mary Sue Hubbard entitled to “all ... tangible personal, residential and household effects of every kind” in 1979 will, but dropped in 1982 and 1986 will;  3) No display of the physical remains (not even for Mary Sue Hubbard);  4) An autopsy first prohibited in late 1983, and again in the 1986 will;  5) The fingerprints issue;  6) Pat Broeker versus Mr. David Miscavige;  7) The 1986 will details about copyrights/trademarks contrasting with HCO PLs from 1958)
 
Theorizing, summaries, and considerations
 
1973 - The turning point?
(page 5)
      (Includes:  ‘Full publication reference list’)
- 1970 - We have the technology
- The status quo of A.D. 1972 – Following the Tech, Admin and Publication line
  Chronological overview with annotations (Sept 73)
      Introduction;  a) Rougher times & attention on Sec Checking, Confessionals and reporting;  b) Into artistry: music, film, and returning to writing fiction;  c) The move ashore;  d) The Tech line;  e) Limiting the freedom of the auditor;  f) Theorizing about Clear and OT;  g) The financial angle;  h) Photographic record (and film);  The recurring ‘September 1973’
  Additional interesting observations relating to these matters
      - The year 1968: ‘Fair Game’, ‘Sec Checks’ & ‘Practice of Disconnection’ abolished
- How to determine if some person is the real L. Ron Hubbard and when not?
- ‘Old tech’ is ‘valid tech’
  Will L. Ron Hubbard be returning?
      - Main sources for the rumours
- The work completed?
- On guard forever?



 
Back to Main Index Introduction & disclaimer


“Tell us more, grandpa!”

Various theories exist concerning the whereabouts of L. Ron Hubbard in different time eras. It has amongst other been proposed that L. Ron Hubbard would have been replaced by an imposter, or may even have been ‘PDH’ed (subjected to Pain-Drugs-Hypnosis = brainwashed). The years that are in particular noted from which year he supposedly was not himself anymore vary from 1972, 1977, 1980, 1982 and some name 1984. The official version is that he passed away in 1986, and yes it has been questioned if this was really L. Ron Hubbard. This page starts with a gathering of various rumours or conspiracy theories that have been proposed or that are going around. Alongside this I offer a chronological overview of various facts that have occurred in this same time frame. Foremost I have chosen to follow the tech line. With this I mean that I try to establish from which time on valid tech got invalidated or simply was dropped and not reversed by L. Ron Hubbard. All these theories may all be very nice, but if it be that there has been an imposter then one should ask oneself the question what the motivation would have been to go through all that trouble. For sure it would not have been done without a reason. Now L. Ron Hubbard lived for his technology, therefore the continued workability of this technology could be used as a measure of some sort to determine if he was still around or not. While going over these things one should also look past any possible bias and/or various claims made. You look, you don't listen.

Let's assume for a moment that L. Ron Hubbard indeed did develop a valuable technology that does better man. Then some persons could worry about some things, these some persons would then do all they can to maintain their already established control. And they may work along the line that certain knowledge should be available only for a few. Now what is the best way to achieve that purpose? Forbid this technology? This will not work, as people will grab on to it more arduously than ever before. Now what about continue to represent it as the real thing, but meanwhile implement officially approved changes. Distraction tactics also work very well. To make it stick you also have to coordinate a massive public relation acknowledging that what you want people to believe. It would be very smart to leave many false tracks behind you, many rumours contradicting each other should be going around all over the place. In this respect I can confirm that it is very hard to determine what is head or tail. One person says this, and another says something else. That which is found on the Internet is rather confusion. Why should one believe one person and not the other? First of all one should actually establish what criteria should be used to determine which is correct.

My data is taken primarily from the published printed materials. And as I explained earlier, it is my choice to follow the tech line. It actually comes down to ensure that we are still actually having and/or using the correct technology (ref. HCO PL 7 Feb 65 “Keeping Scientology Working”).


Disclaimer

Various entities will not appreciate that I am delving in these things and are drawing attention to them. The reality is however that so very many different confusing stories are circulating out there on the Internet. I have simply made an attempt to sort out various rumours and offer this information alongside various historical facts in chronological order. If these conspiracy theories are untrue then they will have to enervate themselves. As always data has to prove itself for its truthfulness or correctness. There may be arguments in favour of them and there may be arguments that counteracts them. Let it be very clearly understood that I investigate materials. If possible conclusions that I may draw are to be found offensive then this can not be helped. I follow the leads where ever they may take me. This is simple plain research. The attempt has been to enforce logic on the occurrences. Please understand well that it has not been my intent to forward a particular interpretation of such rumours. It is all presented as-is. It can not be denied however that there are indications that seem to be in alignment of some of the claims made, but then this not mean either that we have to swallow all of it. I challenge any out there to actually think for themselves. Firstly I relate about the conspiracy theories that are around and secondly I relate about the historical facts. In my last chapters I play around with it and theorize a little. You however will have to figure out which is true for you.

Feel free to contact me about anything you may find that I would be in error about. I have received and do receive many advices and hints from people. If you have a good point, in time I will implement your information onto my pages.

Go to index

 
Back to Main Index The years 1972, 1977 & 1982
  • In the year 1972 ...
            - ‘The Missing Ten Months’ (4 Dec 72 - mid-Sept 73)
            - ‘The Scientology Connection’
            - The ‘Dane Tops Debrief’
            - The tale of Ken Urquhart
            - ‘My Meeting with LRH’ (Fall 1973) (by Pierre Ethier)
  • In the year 1977 ...
            - HCOB 24 Jan 77 “Tech Correction Round-up”
            - The early ’80s
  • In the year 1982 ...

These are years that are referred to as from which time L. Ron Hubbard (according to some) that he was not in control anymore of the direction that Scientology was taking onwards. Other years may have been noted, although the ones that I picked here are the significant ones.

 
Go back In the year 1972 ...

It has been reported by various individuals, and even confirmed by the Church of Scientology, that L. Ron Hubbard was not being around (or available) during the 4 Dec 72 / mid-Sept 73 time frame. Ken Urquhart, listed as the LRH Personal Communicator, tells that he had accompanied L. Ron Hubbard to the airport. Reportedly 2 more persons travelled with L. Ron Hubbard and stayed with him during that time span. These were Jim Dincalci, a Flag Medical Officer, and Paul Preston, acting as steward and body guard, a previous green Beret in the US army as a sergeant and later in the special forces.
We do have it confirmed from a variety of sources that indeed L. Ron Hubbard was not in reach during all of this time. Detailed testimonies and reports do exist from amongst other Ken Urquhart and Ken Dincalci (both confirmed). Then we have also various confirmations from people that relate about that L. Ron Hubbard was out of sight.
‘The Technical Bulletins of Dianetics and Scientology: Volume X, 1972-1976’ (1991 release) says on page 1: 1972  Late in the year, Ron left the Flagship and traveled to New York City to conduct an intensive sociological study.”. His return is then noted on page 469 at “1973”. However in ‘What Is Scientology?’ (1991 edition) on page 765 we get a time indication, it says: 1973  Returning to the Apollo from several months spent in New York City doing sociological studies, Mr. Hubbard carried out research in the areas of vitamins and nutrition.”. Jim Dincalci also relates about this research with vitamins and things, but this was already during the time that he was not available We are also kept a little in the dark here as “several months” is not the same as ten months.

 
Go back
‘The Missing Ten Months’ (4 Dec 72 - mid-Sept 73)

A strange story got posted on a newsgroup on the Internet on 12 February 1998 by an anonymous poster. We are actually being challenged: “You will scoff--at first. You are welcome to scoff. But please read to the end of the document, even if only to prove how righteous you are in scoffing”. Indeed at first there is much reason to actually scoff, which is actually exactly what I did. Then when one goes into it a little deeper things may not be that evident anymore. One has to admit that the person that put this together speaks from a certain know-how, or it must be that this person did some research in order to put a plausible fairy tale together. So, which is it? Many details can be confirmed for their historical accuracy, however this does not automatically mean that the conclusion drawn is correct as well! So, if it can be enervated, then let's try to get it enervated.

Now, why do I make this available here? It is not because of the story and the claims made themselves. It got however everything to do with the time era in which this supposedly occurred. Now, at which time got workable tech put aside and not counteracted and put back into use again!

Below you may consult this supposed fairy tale and test it for its accuracy:
    “L. Ron Hubbard--The Missing Ten Months”  (pop-up window)

 
Go back
‘The Scientology Connection’

Another story got posted on another newsgroup on the Internet on 14 December 2002 also by an anonymous poster using a remailer service. With this particular posting we really find ourselves in what is commonly referred to as conspiracy theories. The person that wrote it however does appear to be knowledgeable and did his homework. This all may just be inventive imagination or it may have various truths mixed into it. It does support the theory that since 1973 the ruling of the Scientology organization basically had been taken over by some other.
    “Why the U.S. is Slave to Israel - the Scientology Connection”  (pop-up window)

 
Go back
The ‘Dane Tops Debrief’

Yet another of such a writing circulated amongst the Scientologists so about mid-1983. It was spread through it being copied many times. Although it focuses on the happenings from the early ’80s, we find also the following notice which puts us at about 1972-73:
        
“Don't expect Ron to save us. The SO 1 [write to Ron] line does not exist. For over ten years teams of persons have been answering your mail to Ron. The ‘signature’ is a rubber stamp. He is not running the Church of Scientology. He is not running to our rescue any longer.”
        
    “Dane Tops Debrief (mid-1983)”  (pop-up window)

 
Go back
The tale of Ken Urquhart

Ken Urquhart 1984
Ken Urquhart at the
Advanced Ability Center in Santa Barbara, California in 1984
It bears particular significance that what this person tales about, after all he functioned basically as the butler of L. Ron Hubbard, offcially being posted as the LRH Personal Communicator. How he came to write however that infamous Flag Order that established this Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF) in January 1974 is to me a bit unclear regarding him being a butler of sorts and all that. Let's suffice to say that it is a bit well strange! Last but not least he was actually one of the 3 persons actually present when L. Ron Hubbard disappeared for these noted 9½ months. Also Ken Urquhart has not been silent about his experiences and he frequently has shared his views on these and other events.

My focus of course will be on what he had to say about this particular time frame. Since 1997 he has been a frequent contributor in the bimonthly periodical ‘International Viewpoints’ (issued from Denmark). It was however not until 2008 when he created this blog of his on the Internet and where he started to share some very interesting details about that time frame. On that blog, on Wednesday, 19 March 2008 he posted a particular article entitled “Notes on Main Reasons for the Degeneration of Scientology”. The passages in this article of particular relevance to the topic are printed here below:
        
“Up until 1972, when LRH left the ship to spend a year in the US (so as to avoid extradition from Morocco to France for trial), I had known him as capable always of great kindness. On his return to the ship in 1973, a year later, he had changed substantially. He became more and more bitterly angry but still capable of occasional kindness. By early 1975, when I last saw him, he had become all but unbearable.
        
 
One could argue from this that one reason that Scientology deteriorated as it did is that LRH allowed too many people to become executives who were not trained auditors and who had not proved themselves willing and able (and courageous enough) to go into session with another human being and see the session through to a good result time and time again. I will go so far as to say that this is a major Why. ...
 

The foregoing day on Tuesday, 18 March 2008 he presented an “Introduction” to this newly created blog in where he additionally says:
        
“In the mid-seventies, he changed his direction, and I could not follow him. ...
        
 
I last saw LRH in 1975, when he left Clearwater, Florida, for Washington, DC, and then for California. I was no longer a trusted confidante of his: I could not nor would not be the kind of goon that he grew to want his assistants to be.”
 

I could almost let these passages speak for themselves. Thus “On his return to the ship in 1973, a year later, he had changed substantially.” and “By early 1975, when I last saw him, he had become all but unbearable.”. Had a possible different person returned, as in an imposter?
What follows in a next passage from the article is an additional interesting notice where Ken Urquhart says that “LRH allowed too many people to become executives who were not trained auditors and who had not proved themselves willing and able”? This in fact is rather remarkable. You see, the organization has always only been a means to be able to deliver the processing technology more effectively. This indeed is a very major downgrade, and this is very unlike L. Ron Hubbard that he would have allowed that to happen. Are these early signs of a take-over? This then supported by another person that returned, as in an imposter?
And then in “In the mid-seventies, he changed his direction”? Now, what the hell for? What reason is given for something like this? Ken Urquhart does not tell and does not explain! Interestingly to note here is that this earlier mentioned Flag Order that established the RPF in early 1974 carries his actual authorship! Adding to this, Ken Urquhart in an interview with Russell Miller in McLean, Virginia in Apr/May 86, in where he reveals: I set up the RPF and excused himself with followingly saying: “but it became very much different from what I envisaged”.
Finally then Ken Urquhart resigns from the organization because as he reveals “I could not nor would not be the kind of goon that he grew to want his assistants to be.”. Indeed, this returning L. Ron Hubbard was then a very changed person ...

A comment has to be made here that these articles are not found anymore on his blog. The blog itself is still there, but not these articles, they are gone. I know it was still on the blog in 2009 when I saved it off-line, but it is not there at least since the end of 2010. The articles themselves however are still found at some places on the Internet, but it is not always indicated that Ken Urquhart actually authored them. It does seem though that ken Urquhart gave up this original blog and transferred these articles to some Independent Scientology website, the only difference here being that the articles posted there are not carrying their original release date.

When being asked the exact question in February 2007 Ken Urquhart responded via email:
        
“Yes, he left the ship in 1972 and returned the following September. I don't recall the date of his departure. I remembered it as in September also, but may be wrong.
        
 
I know he left because I put him on the plane out of Lisbon to the States.
 
 
When he came back he was different, but to say that he was PDHed or replaced by an impostor is completely ridiculous. He was changed by his experience of the ‘outside’ world, his more intimate contact with the culture and society of the time, and by having so much time to himself for so long rather than having the daily crush of the affairs of the ship and of international scientology coming at him.
 
 
LRH never left a scene without returning to it full of fresh ideas. Whether the changes were good or bad is a matter of viewpoint. I would say that a good rule of thumb to use in evaluating the rumours about LRH is that the wilder it sounds, the less likely it is to be true.
 
 
Very many people rattle their brains, wag their tongues, and flap their lips without having any idea of what they are talking about; it's just part of the human condition.”
 

I personally find his “rule of thumb” proposed here not a very good one. The problem we are facing here is that there are just too many rumours around. And these rumours are rather persistent, they have not gone away. Someone or something tries to confuse us. A better “rule of thumb” to have it indicated that we are likely dealing here with a take-over or conspiracy. This has turned to be true in regards to the murder of JFK, but also the 9/11 twin-tower catastrophe. So, I would rather propose here “that the wilder it sounds, the [less] MORE likely it is to be true”.

My further response at the time to this was “Interesting is that he does acknowledge that he was different. I however am skeptical about the explanation of Ken why this would be so. It was a period of 10 months. LRH would had already figured out those things about society and all that long since. And this would now account for that he was different?
Interesting here is to find out if there were changes in his actual character, in his personality. Did he do things which he would not have done prior to 1973. This does not come out very clearly here.
Tech wise we did have a different person. This one did not lecture publicly, pictures were not taken anymore and published (see for example book ‘Images of a Lifetime’). He released new tech releases not himself in person anymore, which he used to do prior to 1973. This one went instead into music (Apollo Stars) and films (Cine).”

In a follow up email Ken Urquhart tells:
        
“He left for the US because at that time he was living with MSH in their house in Tangiers. Morocco, of course, has close ties with France. Then, there was a big court case in Paris against scientology for which he was wanted as a witness and potentially as an accused person. The GO found out that the French authorities were getting a warrant to extradite LRH from Morocco to France for the questioning. So he skipped.
        
 
That's all there was to it. He went into hiding from the French police.”
 

In fact I find this very illogical indeed! It does not explain that he in fact would need to be in hiding from everyone! It would have sufficed to just hide (keep away) from French territories and such. And thus, NO, this answer will certainly not do!

Either way, in my book I have the person Ken Urquhart indicated as being suspect. His evaluations regarding the matter I do not find very logical. His explanations simply do not sufficiently explain all the information that have come forward about the happenings or his telling. Ken Urquhart is a sensitive person, but not particularly a strong person. That is the impression I have of him. I did watch a variety of the video's that he had made and some more things. A younger Ken Urquhart appears briefly on the promotional video that was released by the group of David Mayo so about 1984. That what adds to my suspicion is the kind of involvement he had with the RPF getting established, the RPF set up by a person who took care of the household at the estates of L. Ron Hubbard, a butler? In my opinion he had also being very naïve indeed regarding this RPF outset! And why was that Flag Order issued under his name, if, so he claims, L. Ron Hubbard would be behind the whole thing?
You can read about the details about his RPF involvement in the link here below:  (separate window)
    “The establishment of the ‘Rehabilitation Project Force’ (RPF) (Jan 74): Authorship”

 
Go back
‘My Meeting with LRH’ (Fall 1973) (by Pierre Ethier)

Finally an interesting story is also related by Pierre Ethier on his website:
    “My Meeting with LRH” by Pierre Ethier.  (pop-up window)

Even though that Pierre Ethier asserts: “This is LRH!!!” and figures that “There was no denial about his true identity.”, still one should be investigative about if that really was the case. The reputation of L. Ron Hubbard was that he always was in communication with people, but here we have Pierre Ethier relating about a “man who was friendly staring at me straight into the eyes across the room” and that was introduced as a “‘Mr Harris’ who was described as an ‘Old personal friend of LRH’”. It all strikes me as a bit odd. Pierre Ethier then states that he was “being an introverted type person at the time”, without giving any (satisfying) explanations about why this would be like that.

A note probably should be made here as well about the character of Pierre Ethier. Per many reports and the behavourial pattern observed he appears to be a person that is very proud of himself and thinks he knows better than others. He was not an easy person to deal with, not to say rude. If that is the case then he really would prefer that it really was L. Ron Hubbard that he had met there back in 1973.
Then I got this opinion of this person that is heading one of the main Ron's Orgs (Free Zone) organizations here in Europe: “To be honest I don't consider Ethier a real reliable source.”. Then I have had my personal clashes with this Pierre Ethier, and these are, to say it nicely, really not very promising or confidence giving at all!  You can read more about that here (separate window). The tale about this ‘meeting’ related by this Pierre Ethier is interesting, let's leave it at that.

 
Go back In the year 1977 ...

 
Go back
HCOB 24 Jan 77 “Tech Correction Round-up”

The 1977 argument finds its base in the consideration that this HCOB 24 Jan 77 “Tech Correction Round-up” was the last clean-up in the tech that L. Ron Hubbard was able to perform. That what drove various persons to this consideration is also that questions had been raised about if L. Ron Hubbard was actually behind New Era Dianetics (NED) and NED for OTs (NOTs), which respectively had been released in July and September 1978. Not to mention the rather significant change in that was considered a Clear (Dianetic Clear = Clear) abolishing Grade V, VA, VI and Clearing Course and thus the Scientology Clear this since September 1978.
Further it is noted that the Hubbard Association of Scientologists International (HASI) had gone defunct on 10 May 1977. For the sole reason that the Corporation Annual Report had not been send in to the Arizona Corporation Commission for the fiscal year that was ending on 30 April 1976. A Delinquent Notice (reminder) dated 22 January 1977 simply had been returned as it could not be delivered to the addressee for which reason the HASI corporations’ licence automatically got revoked on 10 May 1977 (see my copyright analysis on my A New Order page, or my Membership: HASI vs IAS page elsewhere on my website for details and documents). Then only 2 months later on 7 July 1977 the Scientology's headquarters in Washington, DC and Los Angeles (including the Guardian's Office) were raided by the FBI. It is reported that thousands of incriminating documents were seized. Consequentially 11 persons (including Mary Sue Hubbard) were charged for various legal misdoings supposedly concocted by the Guardian Office. And things went downhill.
Another observation is that starting from so about early 1977 we see indications that would confirm that references started to be released that would at first appear to have been written by L. Ron Hubbard, but were actually compiled by some assistant. We read in HCOB 24 Jan 77 “Tech Correction Round-up”: “If anyone helped compile it or wrote it, my name is followed by ‘Assisted by_____’ the person who helped get it back together at my directions.”  LRH.  Be it noted here that we never learn about if there had been any “directions” or of what nature these would have been! It is rather obvious that this turns matters rather vague and evasive in regards to actual authorship. However it appears that the very earliest of such contributions from assistants date already to October 1974, but they turned into a common practice condoned with the release of that HCOB starting with 13 January 1977, the assistant being Paulette Ausley. Further pertinent annotations/evaluation about these assistants and the significance of HCOB 24 Jan 77 and its consequences can be consulted in the link here below (separate window).
    “Solving a problem: ‘compilers’ turn ‘assistants’”

It is obvious that we have some odd indicators here. Why for instance was the HASI allowed to go defunct? An answer could be the copyrights of Scientology that thus far were kept by the HASI. With the HASI out of the way they resided (fell back) for a short while to the Church of Scientology of California (CSC). They afterwards transferred these copyrights back to ‘L. Ron Hubbard’ on 4 May 1978. But L. Ron Hubbard had already 20 years earlier –and by blanket assignment– assigned all of these trademarks and copyrights into perpetuity to HCO. Why would he have wanted them back? All these questions remain unanswered to this day.

Either way these combined happenings marked for various people the beginning of the end of the old era.

You can read more about the HCOB in link here below:  (separate window)
    “Analysis of HCOB 24 Jan 77 “Tech Correction Round-up” or A prelude to a deliberate ‘change of direction’?”

 
Go back
The early ’80s

The happenings that occurred since 1977 culminated into that what happened during the early ’80s. So to say the former directly caused the latter! Nonetheless some support the 1980 argument that L. Ron Hubbard was still considered in control during the ’70s, but that he was not from about 1980 or so and forward. May be the year is just chosen out of convenience? It has been reported that the person L. Ron Hubbard lastly appeared in public may be October 1979, some say January 1980. It is also reported that Mary Sue Hubbard lastly is claimed to have seen him somewhere in 1980. Then the first release of ‘The Technical Bulletins of Dianetics and Scientology: Volumes I-XII’ cover the period up till December 1979 (volumes published 1976-80). Some individuals have decided to only regard these volumes as valid technology. Or one may just like the round number that closes off the ’70s decennium? It in itself is actually quite contradictorily in my opinion. If you want to accept/believe in a take over, you should not say from 1980 and onwards, you should start already in 1977. Those that support the 1980 argument then also do accept the technical breakthroughs of 1978 as valid technology.

It may even be perceived as somewhat odd if you would in effect adopt the idea of a take over of the organization but then choose the year 1980 for that occurring, as you then disregard the various setbacks of the Scientology organization from 1976-77 that in turn gave cause to the later introduced changes. Here you would thus find yourself still being favourable towards these announced technical breakthroughs and various more changes that were introduced and implemented in the year following. It is as if one is wholly blind towards that these technical changes in effect caused an array of previous established basics to change! The main ones being:

  
          Opposed to:
 July 1978:   1.  New Era Dianetics (NED)  Standard Dianetics (1969)
 September 1978:   2.  NED for OTs (NOTs), NED or Dianetics never run on OTs  Dianetics run on OTs (1970)
 3.  Change in definition of Clear  (abandoning
Grade V, VA, VI & Clearing Course and thus abandoning the Scientology Clear)
 Definition of Clear established (1965)

 
Go back The year 1982

This is by far the most adopted option.

This year marks the founding and corporation of the Religious Technology Center (RTC). The publication ‘What Is Scientology?’ (1992 edition) relates on page 649 & 662:
  
Date: Corporation:
1 JANUARY 1982       Formation of the Religious Technology Center.
16 MAY 1982:  Religious Technology Center (RTC) incorporated. L. Ron Hubbard donated all trademarks of Dianetics and Scientology to RTC.

This new entity since then is regarded as the protector of Scientology. It is said to own all the trademarks and service marks and to control their licensing and use. This may all together not be entirely true however. The Religious Technology Center has to answer to another corporation registered as the Church of Spiritual Technology (CST) incorporated 28 May 1982. This CST holds the ‘L. Ron Hubbard Library’ registered copyright (not to be confused with the ‘L. Ron Hubbard’ copyright). This CST is also claimed (by some) to still own 8 of the most important trademarks. It is noted that the Church of Scientology does not make particular mention of this Church of Spiritual Technology corporation, its outward face is the Religious Technology Center.

The birth of the Religious Technology Center coincided with various new developments in the structure of the Scientology organization. A rough and hectic few years commenced (for details see chapter “The dawning of ‘Religious Technology Center’ and new management (early ’80s)”. Consult here, separate window).

Either way these happenings motivated various people to adopt the notion that L. Ron Hubbard since this time did not have control over his spiritual legacy anymore. Since then it is reported that references that were released carrying the signature of L. Ron Hubbard were simply written by someone else. Although this is proven to have started already at least so mid-1981 (consult my page “Non-LRH turns into LRH?”, see Scientology index page).
Considering the option that the openly advocated ‘take over’ by some RTC would in reality have been a probable diversion tactic, then we may conclude that it was a very successful action. The changes introduced in September 1978 could by some be seen as the most damaging ones. As I noted already the 1982 explanation is the most popular and accepted option amongst those who practice Scientology technology outside of the reign and control of the Church of Scientology. It is reported that in these groups for example Grade V, VA, VI and Clearing Course (VII) are very rarely delivered. However these used to be the standard steps that any had to do prior to September 1978. Often a choice still can be made between receiving Standard Dianetics or its replacement New Era Dianetics (NED). That what is being delivered is all subject to what those that run those various groups decided upon.
I elaborate on the consequences of the changes implemented in September 1978 in chapter “1978: The year of technical breakthroughs”, see especially “(2) The definition of Clear (Sept 78)” but also “(3) ‘New Era Dianetics for OTs’ (NOTs) (Sept 78)”.

Go to index

 
Relevant events in chronological order

Back to Main Index ‘Stanford Research Institute’ (SRI) and the ‘Remote-Viewing Program’  (Jun 72)

It has been proposed that the Church of Scientology had been taken over by US government forces due to the successful demonstrations of actual OT abilities by some Scientologists named Ingo Swann and Pat Price. In particular this was about remote-viewing. If any such experiments would have been successful, it can be safely assumed that various government agencies and other would be very interested. It likely would also increase the danger of infiltration and possibly even a seizure of the organization. Various secret agencies display these tendencies that no other than they themselves should be able to develop or have access to particular advantages. Either way it is fact that L. Ron Hubbard since the early ’60s had made several announcements about an imminent danger of infiltration.
        
“... the United States government and the efforts of that government since 1955, stepped up since 1963, to seize Scientology rather than forbid or stop it ... .”          LRH    
(from HCO PL 14 Jun 65 III “Politics, Freedom from”)
        

True is that the so-called OT levels did not get released until 1966. However research had been well on its way and there were some evident expectations. In 1963 L. Ron Hubbard wrote:
        
“We now have O.T. in direct and real sight with only a few hundred hours of actual skilled auditing intervening. This is an astonishing break through, a real by-the-boot-straps necessity level research sprint.
        
 
We are then only months away from having O.T.s, a year at the most.
 
 
No Scientologist need be told what that means.”          LRH
(from HCO PL 25 Jun AD13 “An International Objective” - all indications are that this never has been published, only available as a manuscript)
 
The official releases of the various original OT-levels: OT I: Aug 66;  OT II: Sept 66;  OT III: Sept 67;  OT IV, V, VI: Jan 68;  OT VII: Sept 70.

It was this Stanford Research Institute (SRI) that in about June 1972 had instigated a remote-viewing program headed by one Harold Puthoff. Rumours tell that this was financed by the CIA. It is said that Harold Puthoff was a Scientologist. He in its turn attracted 2 other Scientologists to this program, these were Ingo Swann and Pat Price. They went to do their OT levels in the Scientology organization and subjected themselves to experiments in the remote-viewing program that turned up with positive results. This may have caused that some wanted to make up this plan to then effectively infiltrate and take over the Church of Scientology. There are various theories about what the details would be about how this was done and what the results were. Much of it can not really be substantiated by proven fact. However we can make various observations when we study the history of the developments within Scientology. In essence this is what my project The Whereabouts of L. Ron Hubbard was aiming at to study.
A realistic aspect of it is most definitely the fact that we have seen changes in these series of the original OT levels. I address this in detail in below link:  (separate window)
    “The disappearance of the original OT levels”
          (Includes:  A theory proposed about why we may have missed out on these original OT levels)”

There is also found a bit of information in this anonymous posting:  (pop-up window)
    “Why the U.S. is Slave to Israel - the Scientology Connection”
Mind however that these are just theories. Some of it may be correct, some other may not.

Interesting notes and additional information about this is given by Jon Atack in a forthcoming book in following chapter:  (pop-up window)
    “The Central Intelligence Agency and the Church of Scientology” by Jon Atack
Mind though that Jon Atack like his literary mentor and one time collaborator Russell Miller, may play fast and lose with the facts.

A historically accurate account we find in the following work for which I have received the permission of the author to quote various selections from:  (pop-up window)
    ‘Remote Viewing: A Brief History’ by Robin Adair

Suspicious circumstances are also surrounding the fate of Pat Price:
        
“Wednesday, 16 July 1975
  OT III Pat Price arrives in Las Vegas, en route first to SRI, then to Los Angeles. In Vegas, Price is met by an old friend named Bill Alvarez and his wife, Judy. The three check into the Stardust Hotel and go into the restaurant for dinner. Price begins to complain that he doesn't feel well, and tells the Alvarezes that someone ‘had seemed to slip something into his coffee’ at dinner in Washington the night before. Price soon feels so bad that he goes up to his room to lie down. He feels even worse and calls the Alvarezes. They come to his room and find him on the bed apparently in cardiac arrest. Bill Alvarez calls paramedics, who try without success to resuscitate Price. He is declared dead in the local hospital's emergency room. A mysterious ‘friend’ of Price's turns up at the emergency room with ‘a briefcase full of his medical records,’ which, along with the statements of the emergency room's physician, are enough to waive an autopsy—which would normally be performed on an out-of-towner who had died outside the hospital.”

(source: Jim Schnabel; ‘Remote Viewers: The Secret History of America's Psychic Spies’; Dell 1997)
        
Are these just coincidences or does it mean something else? More about the death of Pat Price can be found here (external link) (last checked: 10 Apr 2013).

If in fact there is any truth in all this (and you have to make up your own mind about all that), then my question would be if this plan could have been carried out as long as L. Ron Hubbard would still be around? This in its turn raises some interesting issues. Namely it does coincide with that L. Ron Hubbard was out of reach during 4 Dec ’72 till mid-Sept ’73. Some tell that it was not the same L. Ron Hubbard that returned, others claim that he was in hiding for tax purposes. It is interesting to see how many contradicting information and theories that actually are going around in regards to these time periods. Probably the only viable criteria that can be used is to determine when some part of Scientology became less workable (because of implemented changes), or workable parts that were either invalidated, discontinued or replaced with other that may have acted against Tech basics.


Ingo Swann


Ingo Swann (1977) at OT Symposium

“Ingo Swann:  Ingo is a well-known modern artist whose works hang in many public and private collections and have been featured in several exhibitions. He states Scientology had a decisive influence on his art as he expanded his awareness and increased his abilities by going up the Grade Chart. Then in 1971 after Ingo completed Section III OT, he began demonstrating his regained OT abilities under strict scientific conditions with trained scientists. This included changing the state of objects at a distance without physical means. In 1975, among hundreds of other experiments, he did ‘out-of-the-body’ explorations of Mercury and Jupiter, astounding the scientific community with the remarkable accuracy of his descriptions of those planets later verified by unmanned rocket flights. Numerous articles and mentions of Ingo and his advanced abilities have appeared in newspapers and magazines, including ‘Time,’ ‘The Smithsonian,’ and ‘Psychic.’ He is Clear 2331, full OT VII, Class VI Auditor.”
(from ‘Advance! 44’, (Jan 77))

There are 2 articles/interviews with Ingo Swann found in the Scientology periodical Advance!. The full articles can be consulted here below:  (pop-up windows)
    ‘Advance! 21’, Oct-Nov 73 “An Interview with Ingo Swann”
  ‘Advance! 53’, Jul-Aug 78 “An Interview with Ingo Swann”

He also appears at an OT Symposium (first ever) that “brings together a distinguished and very active group of OTs to discuss questions not only pertinent to the world-view of OTs, but also to all who are following Ron's Bridge to Clear and OT”  (as printed in ‘Advance! 44’, (Jan 77), see pages 17-21). Participants were Heber Jentzsch, Chick Corea, Ingo Swann, Yvonne Jentzsch and Bonnie Bishop.

What happened with Ingo Swann? What is he doing today? I found the below posted on a forum on the Internet. It is probably correct.
        
“Ingo ceased involvement with Scientology in the early 1980s. ...
        
 
He was as much interested in, and influenced by, his involvement with the Monroe Institute as with Scientology, but did enjoy his role - for a time in the early/mid 1970s - as a ‘Scientology celebrity,’ being also a painter of some note.”
 
The Monroe Institute also made studies about remote-viewing or as Robert Monroe called it: Exteriorization.


A few links for further studies:  (all external links) (last checked: 1 Dec 2012)
    Remote Viewing—The Real Story: An Autobiographical Memoir by Ingo Swann
  Ingo Swann Tribute (site is down, at least since 1 Dec 2012)
  Remote Viewing Timeline (site is down since Dec 2012) (alternate link)
  STAR GATE [Controlled Remote Viewing]

Go to index

 
Back to Main Index The dropping out of the original OT VIII  (1972: The scope of Scientology)

‘LRH ED 117 Int’, 26 Aug 70 “Current Cases” had announced:
        
COMPLETE DIANETICS - 1969.
        
 
COMPLETE SCIENTOLOGY - 1970.”          LRH
(from ‘LRH ED 117 Int’, 26 Aug 70 “Current Cases”)
 

“Section VIII OT” as listed on the Grade Chart from June/Dec 1970 read: “Ability to be at cause knowingly and at will over thought, life, form, matter, energy, space and time, subjective and objective” & “Freedom from inability to be totally free and at total cause as a being”, which would have been the end of the line, but it was not to be.

The mystery of the original OT VIII that although a release was announced for years, it never was released. It truns for the worse as it gets cancelled altogether years later, and with it was also cancelled the Scientology Clear (turning Grade V-VII conditional) and the original OT levels V-VII. Here the Bridge had turned complicated, lenghty and also costly. The question is who had the hand in this? Was it L. Ron Hubbard or someone/something else?

Consult a chronology of the original OT VIII and its circumstances at below link:  (separate window)
    “The history and dropping out of the original OT VIII”

 

Vocabulary:

     ..R, ..RA, ..RB (etc) or #R, #RA (etc):
For example: ‘HCO PL 24 Sept 70R’ & ‘HCO PL 24 Sept 70RA, etc. The given date denotes the first time it has been published in issue-form. The R, RA indication may also follow after an issue-number. The R stands for ‘Revision’ and would refer to that it has been revised since it was first published. If it is revised a 2nd time it is indicated as RA, a 3rd time RB, then RC, and so on.
     AD..:
After Dianetics ..’. The main book ‘Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health’ was first published in 1950. Therefore for example AD8, AD12, and AD29 would respectively give the years 1958, 1962 and 1979.
     audit, auditing, auditor:
The application of Scientology processes and procedures to someone by a trained auditor (listener). The goal of the auditor is to make the receiver of the auditing look at incidents and reduce the mental charge which may lay upon them. The auditor may not evaluate and has to adhere to the Auditor's code.
     Flag Order (FO):
This is the equivalent to a policy letter (HCO PL) in the Sea Org (senior organization within the Church of Scientology). Contains policy and sea technical materials. They are numbered and dated. They do not decay, HCO PLs and FOs are both in effect on Sea Org orgs, ships, offices and bases. Black ink on white paper. Distribution to all Sea Org members. It is vital for SO units to have master files and quantity of FOs from which hats can be made up for SO personnel and courses. (HCO PL 24 Sept 70R)
    HCO PL:
Hubbard Communication Office Policy Letter’. Color flash–green ink on white paper. Written by LRH only, but only so starting from January 1974. These are the organizational and administrative issue line. For more information go here (separate window).
     LRH:
An usual abbreviation for ‘L. Ron Hubbard’.
     Operating Thetan (OT):
1. Willing and knowing cause over life, thought, matter, energy, space and time. And that would of course be mind and that would of course be universe. (SH Spec 80, 6609C08)  2. An individual who could operate totally independently of his body whether he had one or didn't have one. He's now himself, he's not dependent on the universe around him. (SH Spec 66, 6509C09)  3. A being at cause over matter, energy, space, time, form and life. Operating comes from “able to operate without dependency on things” and thetan is the Greek letter theta (θ), which the Greeks used to represent “thought” or perhaps “spirit” to which an “n” is added to make a new noun in the modern style used to create words in engineering. (Book of Case Remedies, p. 10)
     org(s):
Short for ‘organization(s)’.
     OT:
Short for ‘Operating Thetan’. See at that entry in vocabulary.
     PDH, PDHed:
Pain Drugs Hypnosis’. A person is put into a trance through use of pain, drugs and hypnosis and is told things. Roughly it means you have become stimulus response without really having control of yourself anymore.
     ‘The Technical Bulletins of Dianetics and Scientology’:
This is a series of books that contain the HCOBs, and any references that are primarily dealing with technical matters. The HCOBs are printed in red ink on white paper, and the volumes themselves come in red bindings. The references are arranged in chronological release order (per issue date). These books may also be referred to as the ‘red volumes’. The ‘old red volumes’ then would refer to the 1976-80 release, the ‘new red volumes’ instead to the 1991 release. See a listing of published volumes here (pop-up window).


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