Don Carlo wrote:
Fanboy, are you being ironic about the demonic pact or do you believe Hubbard had seekrit powerz?
Look at an old Hubbard quote:
"If it's true for you, it's true."
Like so much of Hubbard's writing, it reveals more about HIM than it does about YOU.
I don't personally have to believe that Hubbard contacted a Duke (or higher-ranking member of Hell) and signed a pact trading power for souls and vessels. All I have to know is that Hubbard never truly lost touch with his black magic past - and that this is what HE almost certainly believed.
1) The statements from LRH Junior in the Playboy article
2) the history that we know he had with Jack Parsons
3) the way that many Scientology techs mesh and match with black rotes - "exteriorization" my ass!
4) the way that his powers suddenly seemed to expand in the early-mid '60's and
5) just as suddenly CRASHED hard, when he lost so much of his influence with the outlying branches and people of Scientology who weren't in direct communication with him.
Was there a successful FZ splinter group before the 70's? And was that because LRH was still alive and insisted on crushing any splinter groups, or because his power over people somehow managed to extend even to people who'd never met him, and no one would have been able to even consider rebelling without considerable personal difficulty?
When did the first big wave of disaffected Scientologists hit?
My personal beliefs on magic and unseen powers are... complicated. Most of the time, I don't believe 'em at all and laugh scornfully - until
something happens that I can't explain away.
While I've read about black rotes and strict cautionary warnings on how far one can take it before damaging one's body and... more permanent... institutions (as research for a paper and dice RPG that I used to play), I never really considered it possible until I matched it with the rise and fall of Hubbard here.
By the way, the name of the game was Call of Cthulhu - much research was necessary for me to properly enjoy the game, but man, did I ever have fun... even though your characters ALWAYS end up either dead or insane.
Or both.
and BWH11, I feel it - that needle's floating like a witch being dunked at a trial!
