L. Ronald Hubbard was an author, philosopher, humanitarian, and founder of the Scientology religion. He was born on March 13, 1911, in Tilden, Nebraska, and died on January 24, 1986.
His long and daring journey of discovery began at a very young age, reading well above his age level: Shakespeare, Greek philosophy, and a range of classics. At the same time, he tamed wild horses with the best local cowboys in Montana. Later, he fraternized with the Blackfeet Indian tribe, earning the rare status of Blood Brother. At thirteen, he had already distinguished himself as the country’s youngest Eagle Scout.
However, what most distinguished the young Ronald was an insatiable curiosity, along with an innate desire to improve the human condition. At a very young age, he studied Freudian theory but was left with many unanswered questions.
By the age of 19, he had traveled over 400,000 miles and crossed much of China and India, gaining deep Eastern knowledge, concluding that the legendary wisdom of the East did nothing to alleviate the suffering and poverty in those overpopulated and underdeveloped lands.
Upon returning to the United States in 1929, Ronald resumed his formal education and enrolled the following year at George Washington University. There, he studied mathematics, engineering, and attended America’s first course on atomic and molecular phenomena.
To complement his university days, he also became one of the leading pioneers of American aviation and a sensation in Midwest air shows. In the end, however, especially in light of what passed for “mind science” in university psychology labs, he could only conclude that Western academia had no answers.
But never losing sight of his primary quest, he continued his main research with remote expeditions to primitive lands. Eventually, he would study twenty-one races and cultures in his search for an underlying “common denominator of existence” upon which to build a functional philosophy for the betterment of Man. In early 1938, he isolated that common denominator as Survive!
In recognition of his exploratory achievements throughout those years, in 1940 Ronald was admitted to the famous Explorers Club, ranking among the most prominent adventurers of his time. As a result, all his subsequent expeditions were carried out under the coveted Explorers Club flag, beginning with a journey to Alaska in late 1940. There, he not only conducted landmark studies of Pacific Coast Indian tribes but also first used a long-range navigation system that would later be employed across all maritime and aerial channels until the late twentieth century.
Having been left partially blind and lame from injuries sustained in combat during World War II, Lieutenant L. Ronald Hubbard was diagnosed in 1945 as permanently disabled. By then, however, he had developed the first functional method of mental therapy, as well as practical procedures for alleviating traumas. He tested these procedures on former prisoners of war who, despite receiving intensive medical treatment, had not regained their health. Using the initial techniques of Dianetics to remove the “mental blocks” that inhibit response to medicine, all those Ronald treated recovered quickly and extraordinarily. Using the same procedures, he also recovered his health, to the dismay of his doctors.
With peace restored, Ronald set out to conduct further tests of Dianetics’ functionality among hundreds of people from all walks of life. Through continuous refinement in this “real-life laboratory,” he prepared a detailed essay outlining both the underlying theory and the techniques. This essay was Dianetics: The Original Thesis. Initially, copies of the manuscript were distributed to medical and scientific circles. Almost immediately, these copies were enthusiastically replicated and passed on to others, until Ronald’s Original Thesis was literally circulating around the world.
Through further research in 1951 and 1952, Ronald effectively contacted, measured, and provided a means to experience the human soul. Thus was born the religion of Scientology, as “the study and handling of the spirit in relation to itself, universes, and other life forms.”
Consequently, Ronald oversaw the worldwide growth of Scientology while systematically organizing an exact and standard route by which individuals could ascend to higher levels of consciousness.
Later, aboard a research vessel in the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Caribbean before returning to the United States, he built upon the main body of Scientology procedures to develop a series of social betterment technologies. For information:
- L. Ronald Hubbard’s drug rehabilitation procedures are currently used in about 50 nations. They have proven to be five times more effective than any other similar program.
- His criminal reform program is now in operation in more than 2,000 prisons and penal institutions internationally and has produced an 80 percent reduction in recidivism.
- His technology for learning and literacy is delivered in over 70 countries.
- The acclaimed universal moral code and guide to better living, The Way to Happiness, is non-religious and has statistically proven effective in reversing moral decline trends in entire communities, with around 100 million copies distributed in more than 90 languages across over 150 nations.
But of course, the great story of L. Ronald Hubbard could only conclude upon completing his primary research. Before dying in 1986, he systematically organized all Dianetics and Scientology materials so they could be applied across every level of society and to reach the highest spiritual heights.
Today, these materials comprise tens of millions of published words, recorded lectures, and films. With over 250 million copies of his works in circulation, L. Ronald Hubbard has inspired a movement of millions of people spanning all continents.
Values of L. Ronald Hubbard
L. Ronald Hubbard established a series of values and principles that are fundamental to the followers of this religion. These values include:
- Freedom: Hubbard emphasized the importance of individual freedom and the belief that everyone has the right to seek their own path to truth and personal development.
- Personal Improvement: Hubbard promoted the idea that every individual has the potential to improve and achieve their maximum level of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
- Personal Responsibility: Hubbard believed in the importance of taking responsibility for one’s own actions and working towards a greater degree of control over one’s own life.
- Respect for Life and Diversity: According to Hubbard, all forms of life are valuable and deserve respect. The diversity of experiences and perspectives is enriching and should be valued.
- Search for Truth: For Hubbard, the search for truth and knowledge was fundamental. He encouraged his followers to question and explore, always with the aim of achieving a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them.
- Helping Others: Hubbard promoted altruism and helping others as an essential part of life. One also helps oneself.
Famous Quotes by L. Ronald Hubbard
L. Ronald Hubbard left numerous phrases and quotes throughout his life. Here are some of the most well-known:
- “Never regret yesterday. Life is in you today and you make your tomorrow.”
- “You don’t have a soul; you are your own soul. In other words, you are not this book, your social security card, your body, or your mind. You are you.”
- “When a culture has entirely shifted from spiritual pursuits to materialism, one must start by proving that each one is a soul, not a material animal.”
- “Nothing in Scientology is true for you unless you have observed it and it is true according to your observation.”
- “A man is as alive as he can communicate.”
These are just some of the most well-known quotes by L. Ronald Hubbard, reflecting his beliefs, values, and life philosophy.