In the spring of 1950, the world was still emerging from the rubble of World War II, a conflict that had advanced technology to inflict death and destruction on an apocalyptic level: a man-made catastrophe born of a perfect storm. crazy. , hate and fear never seen before in history.
The postwar world was groping for answers. The United Nations essentially arose to prevent any future global conflagration by bringing combatants to the table instead of the battlefield.
But scholars and philosophers, theologians and scientists alike knew that politics and diplomacy alone could not provide a permanent solution to the problems of madness, criminality and its ultimate fruits, conflict and bloodshed.
On May 9 of that year, a book emerged that identified both the problem and the solution: “Attack unreason, not society or man,” it proclaimed, adding “There is a higher goal, a better goal, a most glorious victory. than cities destroyed and dead burned by radiation. There is freedom and happiness and abundance and a whole Universe to win.
Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health hit the world 73 years ago this May 9th.
The seminal work of L. Ron Hubbard, which introduced the revolutionary idea that a person can improve their own mental health without resorting to drugs, hypnotism, or “professionals,” became the number one self-help book of its kind. in history, giving rise to a worldwide movement that encompasses Dianetics study groups, foundations, organizations, and grassroots groups in more than 160 countries.
Hubbard’s “attack on unreason, not on society or man” remained in the weekly editors bestseller list for an unprecedented 100 weeks, earning it that publication’s Century Award.
The passage of time has made Dianetics no less relevant today than it was almost three-quarters of a century ago. Man’s lack of humanity towards man, his use of force instead of speech, and his habit of resolving arguments through weapons instead of reason remain the modus operandi.
The statistics tell the story.
In 2016, suicide it was among the 10 leading causes of death in Eastern Europe, Central Europe, Western Europe, Central Asia, Australasia, southern Latin America, and in high-income areas of North America. In the United States in 2019, and consistently in recent years, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death.
He domestic violence numbers they are also gloomy. An average of 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States—more than 12 million women and men in a year. At the same time, nearly half of all adults in the US have experienced psychological assault by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
Drugs abuse it is rampant in our enlightened era, at a cost of more than 35 billion dollars in taxes annually to curb a scourge that has engulfed large sectors of the population, regardless of race, creed, or gender.
If you tried an illegal drug before age 13, you have a 70 percent chance of developing a drug problem within seven years, while if you wait until age 17, your chances “improve” to 27 percent.
It is not surprising, then, that 77 percent report who experience stress that affects their physical health, 73 percent have stress that affects their mental health, and 48 percent of people have trouble sleeping due to stress. Overall, for more than half of Americans, the stress level is getting worse.
Hubbard’s assertion 73 years ago that Man’s enemies do not include Man is as true today as it was then. “How much can Man conquer?” he asks. “He loses if he conquers Man. He wins if he conquers his own fears and conquers the stars”.
Likewise, the viability of Dianetics, a precision technology of the mind based on proven facts rather than theories and assumptions, has been proven a million times over the years. “The way is open,” writes Hubbard, “the paths are laid out sufficiently for you to travel safely into your own mind and recover there all your inherent potential, which we now know is not low but very, very high.”
At 73, Dianetics shows no signs of slowing down. There is no ivory tower complexity meant for the elite, it is a technology for the people, open to anyone who can read the book and apply it. Or, as Hubbard wrote, “the adventure is yours.”
