L. Ron Hubbard
18th July, 1960
Dr. W.P.G. Swann,
Franklin Institute,
Philadelphia, Pa.My dear Doctor,
I was quite interested in your lecture as reported in the Journal of the Franklin Institute, Vol. 269, No.3, concerning a fundamental life “entity”.
A series of axioms, etc., on this subject were done by myself in 1951 and revised in 1954. I only have this copy of the 1951 Axioms to hand. The material embraces a subject called “Scientology”. These 1951 Axioms were saluted mainly in Europe where they are termed the first attempted axiomatic presentation of life.
By 1954 after considerable experiment and expense ways were found to isolate and identify “theta”.
The qualities of this have been further defined elsewhere and some ten thousand cases have been accumulated and the character of death has been lately discovered.
As you say in your lecture, much criticism greets this work in a materialistic world. I worked first on this in 1930 while studying “atomic and molecular phenomena”, as nuclear physics was then called, at George Washington University and the work required another twenty-five years to develop. Indeed, it still develops.
Certain other things have come about such as the quality of zero and why C varies.
The work is embraced by many people in atomic energy fields and has a lay following, through its organizations today of about two million, distributed around the various continents where we have offices. The popularity of the work with the lay public exceeds its popularity with U.S. science as the medical doctor and psychologists see their fields invaded by physics.
While the later axioms are far more precise and are easier to demonstrate, this booklet, I think, you may find of interest.
You are quite correct in supposing “the entity” has neither space nor time. A “Thetan” in the 1954 Axioms is defined as having no mass, no location in space or time, and no wavelength but has certain definite abilities by which it is identifiable by means to which an engineer is accustomed.
As these Definitions, Logics and Axioms, as begin on page 29 of this booklet, have been published in journals only in Europe, and as it would be strange to let them be buried under neglect in America, I wonder if you could do me the favor of publishing them, just as they are, in your Journal. You need take no responsibility for them beyond saying they were developed by L. Ron Hubbard, B.S. in C.E., Ph.D., and sent you for possible interest. It would help me and it might help somebody struggling along on the same project. If any interest was expressed, you could later have published the 1954 list.
Abroad so long I no longer publish in journals in America, and I see no reason this material should be known abroad and not in America as I am informed it has had some use and have been startled now and then by Russian interest.
Possibly you would not care to since it is true that considerable criticism greets this work, but I would be very appreciative if you did.
Respectfully,
L. Ron Hubbard
Saint Hill Manor,
East Grinstead,
Sussex.
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