Volume 5, Issue 9, page 6


began some remarkable experiences. Sometimes as many as five or six visitors
would be sitting in on a session, as these
young men, taking turns being auditor and
pre-clear, ran vivid pre-natals.

I tried my hand at auditing some of my
neighbors -- first a young woman who asked
me to try it on her. How well I recall.
This was to be a 15-minute session, but
she immediately went to the moment when,
as an 11-year-old, she had come into the
kitchen to find her father a suicide on
the floor. The Book had said to be sure
and run it out, so I stayed with it for
two hours, feeling very guilty for having
gotten this friend into this horrible experience. But as we ended it, she said
with a yawn: "Oh, I feel a lot better
about that now."
I had my first session as pre-clear
with one of the young physicists as my
auditor, and shortly thereafter, my doctor said: "This is the most amazing thing
I have ever seen", regarding the change
in me.

At first there were large public gatherings. San Francisco was really interested. As was to be expected, there were
those who moved in, hoping to make a bit
of fast money, but most were sincere,
seeking people, to whom this meant hope
when hope had been lost.

By September, Dianetics had a good
start, and the Mental Health Society was
put on the spot to recognize it. A public
meeting was called. A panel of four psychiatrists and an attorney were asked to
discuss the subject: "Is Dianetics a Panacea?'' The turnout was good. The school
auditorium was filled, including the balcony. I judge about 1,500 were there -- an
eager, expectant crowd. Present were t h e
first auditors, recently returned from
training under L. Ron Hubbard himself,
eager to express themselves.
certainly coined some excellent words and
had given good names to parts of the mind
like "analytical" and "reactive" (one
even admitted their patients were coming
to them with the book "Tianetics " under
an arm and offering to analyze the analysts), each one went on to seek out anything they could criticize about the processes, and to manufacture things to
criticize. One said it was hypnosis. Another said he had long been aware that if
a person were able to relive an experience he got better, but he added: "They
get stuck and after that they get worse."
The audience laughed at that one because
the book carefully explained why people
get stuck and how to unstick them.

When all had completed their criticisms, the chairman took the floor with a
sheaf of papers and droned on and on. For
a man who had introduced the subject by
saying he was unprepared and had only had
time to glance briefly at the book in
question, he certainly had a lot of notes.

The audience was patient. It was customary at these meetings to have a discussion period, but it never came. The
professional auditors were never allowed
to speak at all. Nor was one question allowed from the floor. One young man sitting near me held up a sheet of paper
with the words "SIT DOWN" printed in
large letters, but the doctor droned on
and on until the janitor blinked the
lights signaling the meeting must end.

Of those who came eagerly and hopefully, many left sad and discouraged. But
a large group gathered on the platform
around the attorney. I wanted to speak to
him too, but couldn't get near, so seeing
one of the doctors standing alone, completely ignored, I spoke to him. (I had
had a high regard for this man before
this evening.)
"Dr. -- -", I said, "When you see this
working every day as I am seeing it, you
cannot doubt it."
"Oh, I know," be answered. "I've been
using it for two years."
"Then what's the matter with you?"
"Oh, Dr. -- - and I are in the affirmative on this. We are only trying to slow
it up."
As far as I know, there were no more
large gatherings to discuss Dianetics in
San Francisco. A fair-sized group continued in the East Bay for a long time. But
large public groups do not seem the way
A few days before I had been present
when one of them had done an assist before a group of 20 or more. Our hostess
had burned her wrist and it had raised
quite a blister and was very painful. We
asked that he demonstrate an assist. I n
20 minutes, there was only a faint pink
line where the blister had been.

But now we sat expectantly along with
the others, eager to hear what the socalled "authorities" would have to say
about this new-found miracle worker.

The meeting was called to order. The
chairman of the panel, a prominent psy- to advance anything as close and personal
chiatrist, introduced the first speaker. as Dianetics can be. There are always
The attorney spoke briefly on what be had those who are seeking the limelight. And
observed that had been beneficial and the crowd is always seeking someone "to
made the statement: "If this continues do it for me %
to work as we have observed it to work Those who are really "clear " or very
in the past three months, we can wipe out high do not go about proclaiming it to
juvenile delinquency in San Francisco in the public. They are much more liable tosix months!" Then he sat down and one be going quietly among people, helping
after the other, the psychiatrists took neighbors, friends, and family.
the floor, and while each stated that the For those of us who have been with Dibook was well written and Mr. Hubbard had (PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 121
6 T h e K B E R R E E JANUARY-FEBRUARY, 1959