In auditing, the counseling practice of Scientology, one is often looking for the earliest incident in a series of related occurrences. That earliest incident is called “basic” as it is the one upon which all other similar incidents build. One of the major discoveries of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, was that once the basic incident in a series of occurrences was fully viewed then all of the emotional and psychosomatic trauma regarding it would disappear. The person receiving the counseling feels great relief and the matter being audited will no longer bother them.
For instance a man may tell you the reason he is afraid of dogs is because of a neighbor’s dog that bit his arm when he was 5 years old, but he gets no better from telling you that. However, in auditing the person discovers that there was an earlier and similar incident in which the family dog nearly smothered him when he was 2 – and upon viewing that incident he rids himself of the feeling of helplessness and is no longer afraid of dogs. He found basic.
But the concept of “basic” applies in other parts of life as well. Mr. Hubbard said:
“People can live a happy existence and accomplish their goals in any area of life – individually, with the family, the job and so on. The aims an individual once visualized for himself can be accomplished.
“If such goals are not being attained or if one is in a situation that has deteriorated or worsened, there is a valid, locatable cause for this. This concept is one people often do not realize – things are actually caused. They don’t just happen. There are reasons behind every situation – reasons that people themselves can control.”
Teachers catch on to this early. “I don’t have my report done because the computer didn’t work.” Well, the student could have handwritten the report, right? So the real reason might have been something like they didn’t feel like doing the homework or they waited until it was too late. A truly astute teacher would talk to the student to find out what the real cause was, help them overcome that, and then the next time the homework would get done. When the basic cause is found it is always something that can be improved.
But our society all too often uses force instead of intelligence in cases like this. Criminals are sent to prison, but the reason they got there is not handled. Perhaps it was a drug addiction, illiteracy, or a traumatic childhood. Simply incarcerating a person doesn’t handle what was basically wrong.
Another example is the drugging of children. Getting poor nutrition at home (like sugar-covered cereal for breakfast), insufficient sleep or an underlying medical problem may cause the child to be agitated and inattentive in the classroom. They are given a prescription for a medication to handle their “ADHD”, but thereafter their grades suffer even more. The basic cause wasn’t found.
You can always look for the basic, underlying reason for a problem. It is there somewhere – and just knowing that fact can be very uplifting as it gives hope.
For more information on this subject, or to take a free online course in this aspect of L. Ron Hubbard’s technology, visit the Scientology Volunteer Ministers website at www.volunteerministers.org.
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