This is in response to some emails I have received.
It was in the late 50's, in Reno, Nevada, that some of us became interested in Dianetics. There was a gal, forget her name, 21 dealer at Harold's, who had a rather miraculous recovery from poor eyesight as a result of some "therapy" by a Dianetician (I think he was called) in Reno. He was in to hypnotism and used some of this knowledge in his work.
He apparently had taken her back to a point in her life where some thoughts were buried, and when she realized this, her eyesight improved. That we all knew for a fact, so that created the interest.
I remember borrowing the book and reading it. To me, Dianetics was a book on basic psychology, but one where you would read a little, and agree with what it said, it explained many everyday things that happened in ones life.
I am not sure why he was in Reno, perhaps at the invitation of the above practitioner, but L. Ron Hubbard was holding a seminar/talk type thing on the 7th Floor of Harold's Club, and I was invited to attend. My main memory of the afternoon was meeting Mr. Hubbard, and a few of his comments.
One that stands out, and seems contrary to what I have since read, was that somehow there was an association between some German research found at the end of WWII and Dianetics. I remember an association between the German Superman and a "clear," or a subject after therapy and all the "engrams" removed which offers greater use of the brain. I all made sense, and still does.
So that was my meeting with L. Ron Hubbard, hearing him speak, meeting him, and then really delving into his book, experimenting some with his theory, as a group of us did, and still being an advocate of the teachings in his basic theory.
I still feel that Basic Dianetics has some good things in it.
