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If you're reading this, then you're almost certainly sat at some kind of computer
screen and it is probably on a table. Reach out and touch the table (or any other
solid object near to you for that matter). Done that? Fine. It will almost certainly
not astound you to know that what you just touched is part of what we call the
physical universe. No problem with that, is there! The physical universe is
something we all have a lot of agreement about.
Right, now touch your arm. Feels reasonably solid too, doesn't it. That, of course,
is your body. And it is also part of the physical universe. Again, no great problem,
I suppose, with us all being able to agree up to this point.
Now, close your eyes and get a picture of a cat. This is something that, to some
degree, we can all do. Some people reading this will see a cat they know of from their
past or present. Others will see a real enough looking cat, but it is probably
imaginary. Yet others will, maybe, see a stick image of a cat. It might be a small
cat, it might be big. Some will picture the cat in colour, others in black and white.
Some will regard their cat as quite solid. Others will think it quite transparent and
so on.
Now, next question, and perhaps a rather harder one this time. Where is the cat? Many
of you are going to say something like, "Duh, dude, there is no cat. It is a figment
conjoured by my brain." Hmm. I'm certainly am not going to argue with you that when
you picture a cat there isn't anything going on inside your head. But, and it is an
important but, I want to point out that you didn't answer my question. I asked,
"Where is the cat?" and not what happens in order for you to see the cat.
Close your eyes again and re-picture the cat. With your eyes still closed, try to
reach with your hands and touch the cat. If you're like most people you probably
tried to touch somewhere a short distance in front of your face or, if not, somewhere
else quite close.
OK, so now you have a cat and you've established where, as far as you're concerned, it
is. Now do you suppose that anyone else can see your cat? And, if someone else were
doing this exercise beside you, do you think you could see their cat? Well, actually
there may be a few people who claim an ability in this regard, but, for most mortals
these days, I guess we generally reckon that we can't see the cats pictured by others.
So, not only do we have a cat and know where it is, but we also have this peculiar fact
that it is a cat only so far as you are concerned.
In Scientology we say that the picture is in your mind. Further we regard your mind
in much the same way as the physical universe, but with the difference that the physical
universe is a shared, mutually perceived universe, whereas your mind is a universe
peculiar to you. And, I guess some of you are spluttering to say, "ah, but the mind
and the brain are the same thing". Well, personally I'd disagree with you, but, you
know, it doesn't matter whether the brain and the mind are, for the purposes of this
discussion, the same thing or not. In Scientology we find it is sufficient to
recognise that the mind is something peculiar to you, that you are responsible for it
and (if it is not too much of a pun), that you can change your mind about it!
If you're still with me up to this point then you may be wondering where this discussion
is leading. Well, here comes the killer question. Close your eyes and look again at
your picture of a cat and then answer this. Who is looking at the cat?
That's right. You are! In Scientology we suggest that you are doing that and that
you are not your body, or your brain, or anything pertaining to the physical universe
nor even anything in your mind. You are that which is capable of perceiving these
things, but you are something which is none of those. Other religions and belief
systems tend to call this other thing the spirit, or your soul. Well, they're right!
In Scientology, however, we tend not to use any of those words, not because they're
wrong, but because, as you'll see if you delve into the matter in any depth, this is
a subject that has some fairly exact definitions for things
and we don't want to get confused with earlier ideas and teachings. We call the
spirit or soul a thetan (rather more commonly pronounced thaytan as opposed to theetan,
but we'll understand what you mean either way!)
So Scientology is a subject which addresses the thetan and its relationship to its
own universe (the mind), the physical universe and the universes of others (those
personal universes created by other thetans). It is a fairly vast subject, but, if
it confines itself to that which is workable, you might imagine that it could never
the less be a very interesting and useful subject.
And, if you've still got attention on that thing about the brain, hey, that's OK. Many, in the
West at least, have these days. Let me just point out that you don't have to believe a
word of this. Scienotology is a subject which, OK so it has some theories about
things, but the emphasis is very much on, can you do something worthwhile with those
ideas. The emphasis is on application.
Now read about Dianetics
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