From THE MAKING OF A SPIRITUAL MOVEMENT: THE UNTOLD STORY OF PAUL TWITCHELL AND ECKANKAR

Appendix Two


THE SCIENTOLOGY CONNECTION

Paul Twitchell and L. Ron Hubbard
     Paul Twitchell was highly influenced by L. Ron Hubbard and his religion Scientology. Recently, a number of important documents have surfaced which shed more light on Twitchell's involvement with the group. A former scientologist and friend of Paul Twitchell in the 1950's recollects:
     "Paul Twitchell was a writer hired by L. Ron Hubbard to be in charge of selecting articles on Scientology submitted by parishioners to be published in either Scientology publications or elsewhere as a testimony to the worth of Scientology. When Paul Twitchell found out about the inner workings of Scientology, I remember him saying, "Boy, there is a lot of money in religion."
[Ex-Scientologist member, personal letter, June 23, 1987.]
     Paul Twitchell regularly wrote for a Scientologist magazine entitled, Ability, which was published in Silver Spring, Maryland. For instance, in issue 61 of "Ability" Twitchell wrote an article called "The Psychology of Slavery" and in issue 70 he composed a piece titled "Outsight." In both articles Twitchell speaks very highly of L. Ron Hubbard. Below are two pertinent excerpts which exemplify Twitchell's keen regard for the founder of Scientology:

     "To build an attitude of defeat into the mind's of the enemy is the constant goal of the dictators. Fortunately for the human race there are capable individuals who, like L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology, leader of one of the many groups, are working to help man free himself from such ruthless control. Freedom from artificial conditioning of ingrained reflexes against enslavement of the reactive mind makes such individuals dangerous to the totalitarians. Scientology can undo, fortunately, the poison of psychology the mass-mind has been fed.
[Paul Twitchell, "The Psychology of Slavery," Ability (Issue 61, 1957), page 6.]

     "Some religious teachings, especially the Hindu practices, affirm that one needs a Guru, or Teacher, for guidance even though the pupil can exteriorize at will. The difference between Scientology and these religious practices is that Ron Hubbard shows us what to do before and after exteriorization. Then following exteriorization we can have use of this ability of OUTSIGHT at its maximum level.

     "In other words, Ron teaches us to stand upon our own feet asthetansand not depend upon a Guru to be at our side at all moments instructing us what to do, as the Hindus teach. However, a thetan must be granted beingness in order to gain experience in the handling of his capabilities, and without interference from another.

     "That is why Ron never dictates or interfers with our beingness or personal lives, for he realizes that as long as a Scientologist depends upon another to help him he is still effect, not working from cause point, and his self-determinism is low."
[Paul Twitchell, "Outsight," Ability (Issue 70, 1958), page 9.]

     What is most controversial about Twitchell's involvement with Scientology, though, is the fact that he blatantly plagiarized from L. Ron Hubbard's works. A classic example of this comes from Letters to Gail where Twitchell copies L. Ron Hubbard's "The Axioms of Scientology" without mentioning his source. The implication is that Twitchell invented the axioms. The following is a comparison study of Paul Twitchell's plagiarism:

THE AXIOMS OF SCIENTOLOGY
By L. Ron Hubbard

Axiom 1. LIFE IS BASICALLY STATIC. Definition: a Life Static has no mass, no motion, no wave-length, no location in space or in time. It has the ability to postulate and to perceive.

Axiom 2. THE STATIC IS CAPABLE OF CONSIDERATIONS, POSTULATES, AND OPINIONS.

Axiom 3. SPACE, ENERGY, OBJECTS, FORM, AND TIME ARE THE RESULT OF CONSIDERATIONS MADE AND/OR AGREED UPON OR NOT BY THE STATIC, AND ARE PERCEIVED SOLELY BECAUSE THE STATIC CONSIDERS THAT IT CAN PERCEIVE THEM.

Axiom 4. SPACE IS A VIEWPOINT OF DIMENSION.

Axiom 5. ENERGY CONSISTS OF POSTULATED PARTICLES AND SOLIDS.

Axiom 6. OBJECTS CONSIST OF GROUPED PARTICLES AND SOLIDS.

Axiom 7. TIME IS BASICALLY A POSTULATE THAT SPACE AND PARTICLES WILL PERSIST.

Axiom 8. THE APPARENCY OF TIME IS THE CHANGE OF POSITION OF PARTICLES IN SPACE.

Axiom 9. CHANGE IS THE PRIMARY MANIFESTATION OF TIME.

Axiom 10. THE HIGHEST PURPOSE IN THIS UNIVERSE IS THE CREATION OF AN EFFECT.

LETTERS TO GAIL [FEBRUARY 22, 1963]
By Paul Twitchell

1] Life is basically a divine spark. Therefore, this life spark has no mass, no motion, no wavelength, no location in space or in time. It has the ability to postulate and to perceive.

2] . . . It is capable of postulates and powers.

3] . . . Space, energy, objects, form, and time are the results of the powers or agreements by the Soul, they are perceived solely because Soul realizes that It can perceive them.

4] SPACE is a viewpoint of dimension.

5] ENERGY consists of postulated particles in spaces.

6] OBJECTS consist of grouped particles.

7] TIME is basically a postulate that space and particles will persist.

8] The APPARENCY OF TIME is the change of position of particles in space.

9] CHANGE is the primary manifestation of time.

10] . . . That the highest purpose in the universe is the creation of an effect.



The Delhi Connection