Scientology 1.0.0 – addendum 4
The following are thoughts regarding the Ethics Conditions. They are my opinions, Same as is most of what I write that isn’t direct fact or a quote, to suggest that there may be substance behind any confusion about the subject and warrant further investigation.
For readers who aren’t familiar with the subject and who might be interested, the source material is Introduction to Scientology Ethics.
Spotting Conditions
Observing interconnected aspects of existence, such as health, finances, work, and family, can help in identifying various of the Conditions. This statement pertains to the areas within each dynamic over which an individual has—or could have—control. In simpler terms, one’s health and behaviour serve only as indicators of the Conditions that an individual may actually be in.
For instance, an individual in good health might suggest that they are in Normal Operation; turmoil within a family could indicate an Enemy or Treason condition for one or both parents; and a poorly managed business may signify a Danger condition. By examining how a person functions and how they manage their responsibilities, valuable insights can be gleaned regarding their prevailing Condition.
Spotting one’s condition enhances self-awareness and brings order to any situation. As a result, understanding these Ethics Conditions can facilitate a more effective evaluation of various life situations. However, the main point I’m making here is that the MEST being observed is merely an indicator; the crucial point is that an individual’s condition is ultimately defined by their ratio of order to disorder within themselves.
Thermodynamics
One of the clues to understanding the Ethics Conditions might be thermodynamics.
Thermodynamics is a branch of physics that deals with energy and work. Thermodynamics is a very simple representation of exchange and is useful to know because it is easily observed.
The first law of thermodynamics states that energy is needed to do work.
The second law is about a disorder called ‘entropy’. Entropy is a thermodynamic quantity that represents the loss of energy available to work if not resupplied. Without energy input, any energy output runs down, such as an unfed hamster will eventually stop running in its wheel (poor little guy). Any ordered system does not maintain order without an outside organising system, such as you being the one to feed the hamster (happy little guy). A house left alone will fall apart, a battery will lose its charge without recharging – you get the point.
Obviously no individual as a spiritual entity is subject to thermodynamics, but their sanity level is indicated by how they are managing these laws in their environment. An insane individual is forever operating as if these rules do not apply, whereas a sane individual works with them.
Calories
Another clue that allows one to think with these conditions is calories: thermodynamics for carbon-burning engines, such as the human body. The process involves balancing the intake of calories with the production of calories for future consumption. All survival equations stem from caloric intake, a common denominator of all physical life.
A calorie is a unit of energy that represents the heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°C. Our bodies need fuel in the form of food to generate sufficient heat and energy so we can… gather more food and reproduce.
If something needs more energy than it can generate or gather, it will cease to function. The average adult human requires approximately 2,300 calories per day for survival (caloric balance), which, if used properly to produce calories for future consumption, helps ensure future energy availability.
When an adult individual consumes more calories than they are actively working to produce, relying instead on the calories generated or gathered (worked for) by others, or by ‘society’, that individual can be considered a parasite (children, the sick, the disabled and the elderly excepted, of course). A parasite represents a liability. Conversely, when a person generates more energy than they consume, they are functioning normally.
Exchange
In this addendum, the terms “give”, “take”, and “exchange” specifically refer to survival; it is important to remember that in Scientology 1.0.0, “survival” encompasses more than just “subsistence despite difficult circumstances”; it signifies succeeding in growth and becoming more across all dynamics, which is referred to as Normal Operation or ultimate survival, known as Power. Because of this definition, ‘proper’ exchange requires always giving more in terms of quality than one gets or takes, called ‘exchange in abundance’, without which no Normal Operation or Power condition for an individual or group can exist.
The Conditions represent gradients and types of exchange that can be explained by the degree to which order is achieved and disorder is either properly resisted (i.e., self-defence) or corrected. Alternatively, ‘out-exchange’ occurs when disorder is disregarded, or order is dysregulated or attacked. In other words, proper exchanges require correct management.
The essential point of going on about energy and food is that they are such foundational forms of exchange. Exchanges—defined as the reciprocal act of giving and receiving, or interchanging—are critical for maintaining order, and there are many types and kinds, such as admiration, friendship, and altruism, which can be more complex to calculate.
Overlooking these exchanges, of whatever kind, can lead to deterioration within any system, human or otherwise, ultimately resulting in disorder and diminishing survival. Each condition that falls below Normal Operation indicates a failure to adequately observe and engage with these exchange factors. In essence, all conditions ranging from Emergency to Confusion represent varying degrees of disorder signifying exchanges that are inadequate, improper, or harmful — referred to as ‘out-exchange’ in Scientology terminology. (Attempting to obtain something for nothing is called ‘criminal “exchange”‘.)
Dynamics
The dynamics as dynamics are neutral. The dynamics themselves cannot be “in” any condition. A pile of “disorderly” stuff is just a pile of stuff; the condition applies only to whoever is responsible for it. In addition, the dynamics cannot be a condition regarding the individual or any other dynamic (“Mankind, the universe, or God is my enemy”, etc.). I make this point because a person or group in a lower condition can become peevish about life and start “assigning” conditions to the dynamics themselves, like “mankind is in Enemy on the 5th dynamic!” (eco-misanthropy), or God is in Treason on the 1st dynamic (atheists), or “the 6th dynamic is evil junk!” (gnostics). Any such idea is Confusion because it constitutes blaming the game itself for one’s own failure to play properly. Blame of any kind is always Confusion, period.
Whenever an individual or group attempts to exert control over an entire dynamic—such as socialists aiming to govern the 1st dynamic, globalists attempting to dominate the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th dynamics, or materialists seeking to influence the 6th dynamic—significant confusion ensues.
The main point to consider is that a thetan, as the 1st dynamic, expresses the notion, “I am MEST to some degree.” Therefore, the thetan possesses a certain level of control over MEST and is perpetually in a state of one condition or another. Consequently, the prevailing condition of the 1st dynamic, when interacting with the 2nd and 3rd dynamics, affects the status of specific families and groups. For instance, if an individual betrays their own principles, they will undermine the condition of their family or group, assuming these entities were previously in a higher condition.
Ultimately, humanity’s overall condition is shaped by the aggregate of these individual conditions, alongside the status of the systems and technologies that have been developed, relied upon, and sufficiently understood to properly maintain or enhance. This point holds immense significance.
For example, a bunch of people evolve farming (a system). Maybe they are always in some danger from predators or droughts and other stuff, but they handle the land (a system) well, and that would be Normal, and Normal ensures their survival. Soil, food, and markets are powerful systems, and if they are maintained and built upon, that’s Normal. Mankind has had a lot of truly rough times, but since there hasn’t been some natural disaster of any magnitude to wipe him out recently, and since he has been figuring himself out, more or less, we could say that the 4th dynamic has been doing okay, somewhat, for now… and that’s very possibly Normal. Massive amounts of room for improvement, and many traps and pitfalls to overcome, sure, but it’s a work in progress, see? So it might be odd for someone to say that mankind (the 4th dynamic) is in Danger or even Emergency, since dangers and emergencies are part of the game and are Normal. If they do assume that mankind has any condition below Normal Operation then they might have a fear of games, and that’s possibly… Confusion? On the other hand, man is rather easily enslaved, so that is a pretty big problem. All this is open to speculation, I suppose. I bring this stuff up, however, because some people and groups have been known to think of mankind as degenerate or as a cancer, and that’s some self-defeating nonsense, to be sure. As long as mankind protects and maintains the systems he depends upon for survival, then steady improvement can occur, possibly until such a time as the majority of people on the planet are sane. This steady improvement, no matter how dangerous man’s predicament, could be said to be Normal.
Most importantly perhaps, an individual or group cannot be in a lower condition regarding one dynamic while simultaneously being in a higher condition in another; thinking this way is akin to assessing oneself as Normal while suffering from a gangrenous foot and dismissing the severity by stating, “Well, my arms are strong and I have pretty knees, so I must be fine!” The rule is that the lowest condition of any dynamic applies universally to all of one’s dynamics, regardless of appearance, because the eight dynamics are a way of analysing a singular entity: you
Recipes for change
Note: there is a way to do the conditions as one descends and another as one rises. In other words, if one was in Normal and drops, each condition comes with a degree of discipline necessary to restore order. However, it can happen that a person can discover that they have never been in Normal (which can be quite a shock), so rising up the conditions looks different. In which case disciplinary actions might take on a different colour. Either way, applying the formulae to oneself is quite an art. Here I’ll only cover them in reference to descending.
Like a parent on a troubled aeroplane, you must first put on your oxygen mask, then your child’s. The same goes for society; the individual must first attain something at least like Normal before they can effectively help any group without potentially causing more damage than harm.
People can work very extensively at improving things for the society, but when they are in any of the lower conditions, it can be a real problem; too often, they end up exporting their own condition, causing further disorder for the project or society at large. In a more perfect world, it would be wisest to focus on achieving Normal Operation for oneself before volunteering to help others or groups achieve it. “First be the change you wish to see in the world” might be the way to go… in a more perfect world. In this one, it seems muddling through is the order of the day. Still, it don’t change the fact that lower Conditions export confusion.
Anyway, to move up from one condition to another, there are decisions and actions one must make. Anyone who is moving up or down the conditions is actually following these steps, usually by instinct, circumstance, or even accident. Either way, only by accomplishing these steps, or failing to do so, or by violating them, does a condition change for better or worse. There is absolutely no getting around these steps.
If you do follow the formula for your condition, you’ll be in the next condition up or higher. Failure to apply the steps or misapplying them will lower the condition. Or, if one is already in Confusion, the condition will simply increase until 0.0, Death, is finally reached (assuming that this is the lowest one can go).
If one “knows” the specific outcome of any of the steps being taken while following these formulae, then either one isn’t in the condition being applied or one isn’t applying its solution properly. In other words, knowing the result beyond the intention to get better belies the process. If one “knows” the outcome, then one is not doing the formula. For example, assuming one knows what Normal Operation would look like while working on Liability either means one isn’t in Lliability or is so much in Confusion that they are short-circuiting the process.
These formulae can be applied regarding just about anything in life, great or small. They can be applied to a relationship, one’s finances, or business goals. However, all these things are mere reflections of their condition. The Condition being applied is to one’s state of being, rather than merely their financial situation, social standing, or other various positions, as these factors have zero bearing on the objective of Scientology 1.0.0. While some Scientologists may already be or may become quite wealthy and powerful, the majority are unlikely to progress beyond what is necessary to achieve their modest goals or to exceed the middle class economically — which, in any case, represents the largest economic category if there is to be societal stability. In other words, what one has is irrelevant; only what they do with it matters.
Every individual possesses the potential to attain the condition of Power, which is a level of stability and integrity, also called ‘sovereignty’, that is impossible to disrupt or dismantle.
The lower conditions
Okay, so, here are some rough descriptions of what constitutes each condition. These are my descriptions only and should probably not be used as any sort of guideline. All I am doing is throwing out ideas that show that there is something to these conditions that deserve proper consideration. To see their actual formulae in full, click here.
For the full and proper description of these ethics conditions, read Introduction to Scientology Ethics.
Confusion
‘Confusion’ is defined as uncertainty about what is happening, intended, or required. It is disorder, upheaval, tumult, chaos, and a failure to act according to time and place. A correlation is the Scientology definition of insanity: the inability to associate or differentiate properly.
When there is a confusion, everything is chaotic; all motion seems random and uncontrolled; no one factor or thing seems defined or clear. In terms of being, though, a person in Confusion is having great difficulty in discerning between differences, similarities and identities. In such a person’s mind, things that ought to be recognised as different are thought to be identical (i.e., “transgenderism”), a word is the same as an action (i.e., “hate speech”), and things that are quite similar are thought to be different (i.e., “left” and “right”). The mastery of categorising differences, similarities, and identities is so poor that the mind is in a swirl.
There are, of course, degrees to which anyone can be confused, from being mildly disoriented and dysfunctional to bouncing off of rubber walls or being unseasonably dead, yet the underlying concept remains the same: an individual is not properly aware of their position in time or space, thus hindering their ability to be discerning and therefore effectively direct the actions necessary for survival.
All the conditions below Normal Operation represent gradients of confusion—disorientation from the state of optimal survival described at Normal. The condition of ‘Confusion’, however, stands for the lowest state of disorder to which any person or group can descend before it ceases to exist altogether. That is, complete non-being, at least for the self, if not for everything else.
A person’s confusion can manifest not only through disorganised possessions, unfinished projects, and neglected and undermined symbionts but also through certain types of “order”—an excessively rigid degree of “order”. Someone might be so meticulous that they scurry to return anything you touch to its original place. The confusion here may stem from a misunderstanding of the purpose of order: the degree of organisation necessary to achieve a useful goal in an appropriate amount of time. In the context of beingness, the goal would be a calm and joyful life. Too strict and arbitrary “organisation” is actually another aspect of tones below 2.0, and so is disorder, which has often tarnished the idea of genuine order.
Many more individuals are in a state of confusion than one might realise, probably because of the — somewhat greater — order maintained by the rest of the group or society, which can prevent them from rapidly spiralling into oblivion. Consequently, they may remain in this condition for years, perhaps even a lifetime. Unfortunately, this is one of the significant disadvantages of modern civilisation: its capacity to extend support to the perpetually confused also encourages their proliferation, which is a harsh fact. Overly lenient societies tend to become overrun by the perpetually confused, which might explain the popularity of the zombie genre these past decades.
Although the fundamental goal of all the conditions below Normal Operation is non-being, the intentional drive towards non-being (extinction) across all the dynamics is the common denominator of the lowest three conditions. Essentially, Confusion is the result of having failed to obtain non-being by being either in Enemy or Treason.
The exchange factor for Confusion is not just zero give and all take, but a person or group in Confusion continuously contributes to the disorder of others and the group.
Confusion formula
From the smallest level to the largest, the universe is composed of “bits” of highly ordered data, each piece forming a part of a vast, organised, and comprehensive, and therefore understandable, whole. For a person in Confusion, the universe is a giant and thoroughly mysterious jumble of utter chaos and total pandemonium; if, that is, it exists at all for them. The solution for a person in this regrettable state is to take hold of just one bit, no matter how insignificant it may seem, and get it located (made to be still). Once the piece is still and its location is known, observe how the other bits function in relation to it; the more one can do this, the closer one becomes to mastering the condition. Keep locating one thing and then another and relating it, and then another, and so on, and one can resolve any confusion completely.
For instance, picture yourself as a business owner facing the IRS, with a stack of bankers’ boxes containing seven years’ worth of bills and receipts collecting dust in your “office”. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the chaos, focus on one small item, such as a restaurant receipt, and place it in a folder labelled “personal expenditures”. Next, take another receipt, perhaps for office utilities, and file it in a folder marked “business expenditures”. Do this with all the receipts and then arrange them all chronologically, starting with the earliest date. By beginning with that one small bit, a receipt, you are on your way.
Many individuals navigate their lives amidst a constant confusion of papers and particles; their thoughts are often in disarray, and their surroundings frequently reflect this disorder. If one can help them identify even a single aspect of their environment in relation to space and time, it could lead to a restoration of some semblance of calm. Additionally, helping them recognise their own position in space and time might even pave the way to some semblance of happiness. As one becomes adept at arranging elements in relation to one another, it is conceivable that one could extend this skill to ever-expanding realms of information or even zones of influence. Imagine, for instance, being able to make connections across an entire economic or political system, which could eliminate confusion on a national scale; if not for the nation then for oneself. What a relief that would be!
So, the formula for getting out of the condition of Confusion is to “find out where you are”. This includes both where one is in space as well as time.
To address such severe confusion, there are three additional steps one could take:
1) A locational on the area in which one is. (‘Locational’ is a Scientology term for a process that helps a person locate things and themselves in the environment.)
2) Comparing where one is to other areas where one was.
3) Repeat steps 1 and 2 until the person receiving the process visibly improves and is located where they are and in the present time.
Whatever degree someone is disoriented, it’s because they aren’t really here now. In this case, the ability to differentiate and associate—categorise according to differences, similarities, and identities—is severely hampered, which results in an inability to establish or create any order at all. In the case of “orderliness” that isn’t, the formula for Confusion is also very effective, as such cases have order out of time somehow. In other words, they are attempting to conquer disorder in some other past moment, perhaps, or even are nervous about some sort of future disorder. If anyone in Confusion can engage with now, they can see that their disorder is unhelpful and can be improved.
By the way, chaos is not inherently negative; its implications depend on the system in question. For example, when an organism breaks down into decayed matter, it serves as nourishment for other organisms. However, the deterioration phase of the MEST cycle does not necessarily have to manifest in any way concerning the existence of individuals or the proper functioning of groups, made up of actually spiritual entities as they are — according to Scientology philosophy. In other words, the stresses of the MEST game do not have to be copied and dramatised (acted out) by the individual as their actual selves. This is a rather important point because individuals and groups routinely act as if they should be automatically immune to deterioration, which ironically guarantees that they will fail to manage it properly by maintaining a sufficiently exterior position to MEST, which, to be perfectly fair, does require terrific skill. This misapprehension is quite possibly the essence of the condition of Confusion because it’s a failure to recognise the cyclic nature of this plane of existence, which is where we happen to be. Now. (Of course, gradients, as they are climbed, will quite likely show eventually that this is not where we are at all.)
Note: if anyone is unable to resolve any of the other lower conditions between Treason and Emergency in an optimum amount of time, then the correct condition is Confusion. In other words, if one cannot follow and apply the formula for any of each of the other conditions, then it must be Confusion.
Treason
Treason is the betrayal of a trust or confidence; breach of faith; treachery. The action of betraying someone or something.
This condition describes individuals or groups who, although slightly less confused than those in Confusion, harbour a hidden intent to propagate or instigate disorder. This defect may manifest in severe cases, such as a criminal or psychopath who seeks to gain trust in order to embed themselves within a relationship, thereby facilitating their ability to create disorder. Alternatively, it may be as commonplace as a persistent failure to be trustworthy—making commitments yet consistently failing to honour them. Those in a condition of Treason have grappled with self-trust for a while already, the undermining of the self-confidence they could otherwise possess. The seemingly genuine self-confidence of those in the higher state of Enemy has transformed into a need to adopt a covert persona, as their more overt actions have not succeeded in achieving non-being.
Treason always constitutes a betrayal of the trust one must have in oneself to be in any of the higher conditions. For instance, take the person who works at a job they don’t like, rationalising that they “need to pay the bills”, yet continues to consume beyond their means and overuses credit. Or the person who leads a healthy lifestyle, eating salads throughout the day, but indulges in candy bars and chocolate milk late at night. Or consider the individual who wants to be a painter or actor and who never paints anything or goes to auditions. Self-betrayal engenders deep resentment for oneself and spreads through the environment.
How a person or group manages their finances is a particularly useful means of quickly assessing their condition. Perpetual overspending by a person or company or nation is always at least a condition of Treason. That’s perpetual or habitual, mind you, not transitory. Seemingly rich and successful people engage in deficit spending as a matter of “good business practice”, but such habits generally narrow focus and increase stress, preventing the use of general attention functions that need to be more fluid for normal or above-average consciousness. As attention narrows, stress increases, more mistakes are made, and soon, utter confusion abounds.
Then there are individuals who engage in “self-harm” who are in Treason regarding their bodies. Similarly, those who attack a republic under the guise of an ideology, such as “national security”, are in Treason concerning the country, as their aim is not to protect workable systems, such as privacy, but to tear them down.
Everyday politics is a useful index in discovering a person’s condition, which may be discerned by observing to what degree they are willing to aid, rather than resolve, any social confusion. Just look at any issue and see if you can spot the confusion and who’s willing to support it, and there you will find the always symbiotic relationship between Confusion and Treason. Politically, the slide is from Enemy: overt socialisms (national socialism, fascism, “democratic” socialism), to Treason: covert socialisms (communism, “people’s republics”, etc.), which are considerably more violent, into even more insane (and more violent) forms of kakistocracy.
The exchange factor of this state is characterised by a one-sided dynamic: all taking, no giving; or any giving is to insert disorder into a system. Or, Trojan horse-like, giving is merely a tactic to gain trust for the purpose of instigating disorder. They frequently expect and demand something for nothing, a common trait among criminals of all stripes, including those who commit extreme crimes such as murder or rape. (Actually all crimes are just forms of theft; murderers are people who steal other people’s lives and rape steals everything.) Their actions or omissions involve the covert generation of Confusion in others, transforming order into disorder. In terms of their being, the individual has resolved that symbionts must be covertly eliminated, leading ultimately to self-destruction, which is the actual goal of anyone in this condition. The proactive drive towards non-being (extinction) across all the dynamics is the common denominator of the lowest three conditions.
A person in Treason is better off than a person in Confusion because they know where they are. However, they are deceiving themselves (and others) about their proper identity – what they are. Pretending to be one’s own friend while acting to succumb (and be any kind of friend or ally to others) is more common than most people realise.
Treason is, in short, a person’s inability to be intellectually authentic with themselves. Knowing what one is actually means understanding that any kind of deception is unworkable because the individual, as spirit, always knows. “Send not to know for whom the bell tolls…” etc., etc.
Enemy
Enemy is defined as a person or group who feels antipathy for, fosters harmful designs against, or engages in hostile activities against another person or group; an adversary or opponent.
In Scientology 1.0.0, Enemy is not merely the other side of a conflict, rather Enemy is an irrational adversarial stance. A person in Enemy opposes what could otherwise be survival vectors, thus undermining their own survival. Opposing themselves, no one else can be a true friend or ally.
This condition is not quite as insidious as Treason, though, because it is overt and thus, being detectable, is more readily treatable.
‘Enemy’ denotes an individual or group that seeks to destroy or defeat anyone striving for survival, including themselves. In the context of Scientology ethics, it encompasses any overt actions that contribute to disorder. Individuals or groups that subscribe to the belief that “the end justifies the means”—using tactics like violence, habitual rule-bending, and other methods usually described as “pragmatic”—often infringe upon the rights of others, resulting in societal decay. Concerning their personal well-being, such individuals may conclude that symbionts ought to be more or less openly suppressed, even eliminated, ultimately leading to their self-destruction, frequently to their astonishment. However one is doing this, covertly or overtly, the goal is non-being.
Again, perennial attempts to get something for nothing are common among those in the lowest three conditions.
Note: one of the clearest indicators that a person or group is either committing treason or acting as an enemy is their persistent focus on what they oppose or seek to eliminate rather than offering clear and specific plans to resolve what are often misrepresentations of an actual issue. It can be observed that the very moment a sane person becomes insane is when he begins to obsessively or compulsively stop things. Perhaps at first he may be right in trying to stop something, but then he goes too far and becomes insane on not only one thing but then it metastasises: he gets fixated on stopping something else and so on until he is totally insane trying to stop everything: utter Confusion. It all stems from the initial attempt to stop something. Conversely, when they express support for something positive, it is often framed in vague terms, such as “people should be able to make ends meet or feel safe on their streets” or other such bromides, as if normal people don’t want these things. As is often the case in politics, they frequently lack a clear plan for how to achieve these goals; and if a “plan” does exist, its implementation often leads to a worsened condition.
If one does not know who one is, they will misidentify any symbiont as an adversary. Alternatively, one might misidentify the wrong person or party as the source of a problem and attack them instead of addressing the actual cause. Prosaic examples: hate your job, beat up wife. Hate your husband, ruin your kids. Hate Mom, burn your arms with cigarettes, and so on. Who does this? Certainly no friend or even ally; certainly not the real you.
The exchange factor is where everything is taken and nothing of value is given; what is provided, though, is intended to cause harm, as resources are used to turn order into disorder.
Following the Enemy formula allows for the exploration of the circumstances that led to self-abnegation and the possible discovery of who one really is.
However, the formula for Enemy is tricky. Discovering one’s true identity is akin to a koan, yet it does possess an answer. The challenge lies in the fact that understanding one’s true identity is a significant undertaking that yields multiple answers over time, with each revelation providing deeper insights as one improves. Only by reaching the state of Power can the answer be fully revealed, provided that one manages to rise to and maintain a level of 8.0. At that point, one truly understands their identity. Really.
So, possibly the way to go is to get the answer that allows one to be able to get oneself up through the Conditions.
The three “lowest” conditions could be the “where”, “what”, and “who” conditions. Where are you? What are you? And who are you? These three questions are asked and answered by wise souls through the entire course of their lives because the wise are always changing and evolving.
The fact of the matter is, fully answering just these three questions completely could be said to be the whole point of the Scientology Bridge (the training and procedures that make up all the Scientology services), especially and finally, “Who are you really?”
However, that’s pretty deep stuff, and anyone fully and correctly answering that question would either be noticeably different than the rest of man (thoroughly unengaged from man’s entanglements) or so completely disentangled that he or she would either not be noticeable at all or possibly even utterly invisible to the rest of us. Engaging with the world requires a significant amount of emotional baggage, given the current conditions, and it is understandable that many people might hesitate to fully address these conditions for fear of walking alone.
I suppose it’s lucky that there are gradients of understanding that allow these condition formulas to be done little by little, applying them just enough to see improvements until one is truly ready to take the plunge, whatever that might be.
Doubt
Doubt is defined, to be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitation; ambivalence resulting in a lack of proper action.
Everyone who has a brain should practice healthy scepticism, as it enhances their ability to determine whether information is not only true but also important. But that’s not the doubt described here.
The Doubt condition represents the threshold between fully intending to give in to non-being and considering alternative options. Doubt is a state in which an individual remains uncertain about any activity they engage in, to the extent that it impedes their optimal survival and promotes suboptimal behaviours, potentially causing harm to themselves and others. While remaining inactive, they are effectively still relying on the energies and goodwill of external sources, which drains resources. This condition might persist for a short while until a real emergency or danger arises that requires action; however, due to their equivocations, the person fails to respond, leading to a worsening of circumstances. This syndrome is a condition that contributes to the successes of any enemy by means of omission: a failure to defend or support oneself or one’s own group or protect the symbionts upon which they depend for survival.
Doubt is an attempt to maintain neutrality in a universe that is not tolerant of prolonged stasis.
Exchange-wise, this state does not aggressively oppose any survival vector, so it is somewhat less obvious than Enemy, but it remains harmful because it takes much more than it gives, if it gives anything at all. Doubt creates ambiguity that ultimately leads to disorder and unintentionally contributes to chaos in situations where order is essential for survival. A person in doubt, where they are at work, often leads to the production of goods or services that not only lack value but also can cause real damage.
Basically, in terms of oneself, there are two choices: succumb or survive. Or, non-being or being. If survival is the option, then one must do everything within one’s power to get up to Normal Operation as soon as possible or risk dropping into Doubt again or even lower.
Liability
Liability is defined: a person or thing whose presence or behaviour is likely to put one at a disadvantage.
This condition is above Doubt because it is more conscious, if still in a hazy manner, and more inclined to order while risking disorder. The actions undertaken by individuals or groups in Liability seem to be aimed at survival, but the nature of actions taken continuously risks leading to non-survival consequences. This person often presents themselves or others with genuine support, but in reality, their actions are often dishonest. For instance, attempting to “save time” by “cutting corners” could lead to substandard work that requires a redo or even results in damage.
A person in Liability is one whose presence or behaviour is likely to disadvantage themselves and others. It is a higher harmonic of the lowest conditions, though. It’s less serious than Doubt because the person is trying slightly to survive but still takes unnecessary risks. This disorder is the condition of continuous small accidents and errors and occasional close calls.
This condition describes a person who, despite having the means to pay off their debts, never does so; as life’s emergencies arise, they fall deeper into financial trouble, where one serious incident could lead to bankruptcy or worse, dependency. Alternatively, there are individuals who frequently arrive late or consistently break small agreements, among other behaviours. A person in Liability is like a driver speeding along a cliff’s edge; one gust of wind could send them over. Regular non-survival habits and routines outshine the survival strategies they employ.
Thinking that the “end justifies the means” or preferring unnecessary rapid, hurried actions over more considered ones is the essence of Liability. As optimum survival requires large margins for error or chance, one is only pretending to be one’s own friend, pretending to survive; but unlike lower conditions, this pretence is far more available for analysis.
The exchange factor involves a certain amount of reciprocity; there is some give, but still too much take, yet there is always the potential for greater harm to oneself or others. This behaviour appears to seek order, yet it does so haphazardly; as a result, the actions taken inadvertently risk disorder, which can dangerously escalate personal or social instability and potentially lead to real harm.
Getting out of this condition consists of making up for any damage that might have been caused as well as taking action to reduce or eliminate any disordered activities one was contributing to.
Non-existence
Non-existence is the state of not being present. In Scientology, it is the condition where one is not providing what is necessary for survival. Unlike Liability, Non-existence isn’t creating risk or harm – yet – but is rather a lack of action or the proper taking of a position that will then provide what is valuable.
This condition isn’t necessarily always a lower condition, as the formula is also applied when arriving in a new situation, but it does happen that, if the formula isn’t applied, one drops into a lower condition rather quickly.
Falling from Danger can find a person simply not accomplishing what needs to get done.
It’s resolved by determining what is necessary for optimal survival and identifying one’s responsibilities.
The exchange factor involves lack of viability. It is not sustainable because some form of take must occur eventually to secure survival, and if they don’t do or produce for that intake, then they become a liability; while they are inactive and causing no disorder, their absence or inactivity hinders maintaining necessary order.
Danger
The condition of Danger refers to the potential for experiencing harm or injury due to entrenched habits or routines. Individuals in this condition are not aggressively putting themselves or others at risk, such as with the Liability condition, but things are beginning to go more wrong and will cause harm if not corrected. If this behaviour continues for an extended period, it could lead to the emergence of more severe conditions, which is why it is called “Danger.” This state is often identified through the stressful coping mechanisms exhibited by individuals or groups, yet it frequently goes unnoticed, as such coping is commonly regarded as normal. Such stressful behaviour may even be viewed as “necessary” until it becomes apparent that there are no solid plans in place to modify and enhance the operational framework.
Danger refers to a person who is providing for their survival, but doing so in a careless or haphazard manner. Self-discipline is inadequate.
While not actively engaging in risky behaviour (Liability) and still being useful, this is the condition that requires and seeks constant oversight and supervision, always needing direction or instruction from others when it could be obvious what is required to do better. Danger arises from a continuous, unnecessary, and undesirable dependence on external minds or energies.
A significant aspect, arguably the most crucial factor, of this condition is dependency. Individuals or groups often struggle to function independently, relying excessively on external support such as revolving credit, loans (along with the oversight typically associated with them), government assistance, continuous advice from others, or various forms of ongoing supervision or oversight. In the Danger condition, these external sources of assistance are used moderately compared to the dependency levels seen in the lower conditions; such dependency begins at Danger and intensifies as one descends. It is important not to be misled by seemingly “powerful” individuals in the Enemy condition or lower, as their need for validation (dependency) from others is palpable. Nonetheless, prolonged reliance on these supports can lead to resource depletion or, more worryingly, a complete loss of the limited autonomy that remains (such as happens at Liability and below).
Exchange factor: there exists an imbalance of give and take; disorder increasingly overshadows order, with the level of order being lower than the disorder that inevitably emerges in any activity or system (entropy). Intentional and unintentional actions or inactions contribute to chaos in situations where survival demands order.
Note: It is darkly ironic that anyone who votes for government subsidies or support of any kind is inviting this condition upon themselves in perpetuity, and so it is no wonder that the state will allow conditions that will force the rest of the population into economic stressors that will give them no choice but to also accept such “assistance” as they lose their savings and estates. The citizen, allowing this sort of bypass of their autonomy, throws all participants quite quickly into Confusion. An insidious factor is the existence of dysfunctional marketplaces or parasitic institutions (“crony capitalism”) that benefit entirely from the excessive “supervision” of others (the state), a phenomenon referred to as ‘bypass’ in Scientology. Other examples of such bypassing are people who have been “in therapy” for years, others who live on revolving credit, and many others who actually think it makes sense to be stuck in surveillance cults, such as the U.K., or who require continuous subsidisation, such as certain U.S. industrial farmers under the thumb of predatory banking interests. These “services” endanger not only individuals but entire nations, and if the issues are not addressed, they will eventually deteriorate further.
Possibly the best and most obvious sign that a person is under the influence of true authoritarianism is being in a situation where they cannot act ethically, meaning independently of any arbitrary authority, without risking disgrace, expulsion, or arrest. In the context of our contemporary economy, acting ethically most likely will risk bankruptcy and imprisonment.
To improve, one must take responsibility for themselves and their zones of control and become self-reliant and disciplined to achieve autonomy.
Independence is being free from outside control. Autonomy is the condition of self-control. Applying the formula for Danger achieves and assures both.
Emergency
An emergency is normally defined as a serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action. ‘Emergency’, in Scientology, though, is observed as a condition of unhelpful stasis. That is, equilibrium in a dynamic system, such as this universe, cannot stand overlong.
Emergency is equilibrium: a state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced. Sounds good, but as regards the Conditions, on this scale, equilibrium refers to a state where a process and its reverse occur at equal rates, resulting in no overall change. This condition is therefore stasis in a universe that is in dynamic flux and constant change, so one must always be at least one step ahead. When in Emergency, the actions taken by the individual to achieve an optimal level of survival align too closely with their survival needs: they are merely fulfilling the basics and never striving for the increase that will keep entropy at bay and so ensure such things like reserves. In another instance, a person in Emergency doesn’t take time to learn new things, an activity crucial to basic survival; especially now when technologies are rapidly modifying how things get done.
So, Emergency refers to a person who is not yet in any danger; rather, they are not engaging in creative thinking and are only performing what is necessary, all while assuming that their environment will remain unchanged. In terms of personal development, individuals make no efforts to continually improve themselves. For example, after completing school, no further education is pursued. To function normally according to Normal Operation, personal enhancement must be sought throughout one’s life.
Everything in this universe maintains, overall, a constant state of equilibrium through constant fluctuations. However, such balances are constantly changing and actually expanding in terms of qualities and quantities. This indicates an ‘abundance factor’ built into nature and is a key component of Natural Law.
For instance, as noticed by early farmers, things grown properly always produce a means of reproduction in excess of themselves. For instance, one corn plant usually produces only one ear of corn, but one cob produces as many as 800 kernels. That’s potentially 800 new plants. Or cattle: one cow might produce as many as 10 calves in its lifetime. Then a farmer can make a transaction with another farmer for things of equal value but of a different kind. As long as the qualities and quantities of these different kinds of things are maintained optimally and exchanged properly, business can expand for both sides indefinitely, a virtually endless source of resources. Added to the equation are improvements in technologies such as plough shears and adding nutrients to the soil; such systems do in fact become ever-expanding and inexhaustible if maintained properly, something socialists and materialists find utterly baffling.
When more is given than taken, an imbalance occurs in the quantity and quality of exchanges, prompting a shift to a new level that seeks to maintain the impossible equilibrium. Simply said, in order for any individual or society to continue existing, their production of goods and services must outstrip consumption; in every case, the output must exceed the input. When the balance between inputs and outputs is achieved, the production of goods and services must increase to maintain the necessary level for normal operations and, crucially, to withstand any challenges. Every kind of life relies on intricate, ever-changing systems of inequalities and rebalancing to stay afloat. However, only humans can proactively and rapidly adjust to new circumstances.
Practical economics (rather than theoretical) is the subject of numerous volumes and stems from all this. (Stay away from John Maynard Keynes, though. His idea is that deficits create the necessary imbalance rather than abundance, an idea that inevitably leads to extinction. Unfortunately for us, global economics is based on his ideas.)
Anyway, Emergency is detected by recognising that one is in a state of mild cope (stressing rather than managing successfully) as the constant operating basis when in this condition. While it’s not as severe as the Danger cope levels, it will still lead to a decline in conditions if maintained for too long.
The exchange factor: the amount given is too nearly equal to the amount received. Disorder is threatening to become greater than order; order is incorrectly level with the disorder that naturally sets in any activity or system (entropy); this is a condition where an individual or group, although contributing nothing to disorder, yet fails to create enough order to defend against disarray, thereby accomplishing optimum survival of self and the society, called ‘Normal Operation’.
As for MEST, resolving this condition consists of increasing the amount and – or – quality of the goods or services one is producing as well as ensuring that these goods or services are properly broadcast as available in order to attract attention (marketing). The formula emphasises initiating change intentionally, rather than letting change happen passively, while also adopting a creative approach to life. Same goes for beingness.
Speed of resolution
Some people think that you have to solve the environment in order to resolve a lower condition. This is not always true. These conditions are used to resolve one’s operating basis, after which the environment will come into order.
In other words, anyone spending days, weeks, or even months applying the Danger formula, for instance, to finally pay off all debts is making a grave error, as only when one is in Normal can one accomplish such a task without risking dropping down into an even lower condition. Being in the cope levels that are indicative of Danger, are overtaxing by their very nature and disallow the level of sweeping and general attention that is required to operate normally; cope consists of fixed attentions, and so more optimum solutions to any issue undergoing correction might go unnoticed or ignored, thus creating an increase of risk.
It is possible for someone to rise from the lowest conditions so quickly that all the formulas can be done in a day. This is not to imply that there aren’t still many things in the environment that don’t need special care to resolve, possibly taking more time, sometimes years, but that resolving any non-optimum situation in life is best handled from Normal Operation.
Keeping oneself in Danger, or any other lower condition, until all is flowers and sunshine is a perfect guarantee that the condition of Confusion will become normalised to such a degree that it might become permanent.
The upper conditions
Normal Operation is exchanging in an optimum fashion where order is greater than disorder. This means contributing more to survival than is necessary for it.
This is the the beginning of realising oneself as the Sovereign Individual. The Sovereign Individual is self-ownership. This condition means being independent in body and autonomous in mind.
One is their own greatest ally. External influences may affect them, yet they possess the resilience to recover within an optimal time frame.
One is useful to themselves (and others) and finds it easy to make the extra effort to ensure goodwill towards themselves. When the inevitable emergency or dangerous situation arises, a person functioning in Normal Operation can tackle the problem and resolve it.
In this condition, a person effectively can distinguish between differences, similarities, and identities. They are intellectually honest and know when they don’t know but also when they do. Their thinking is usually correct, and they creatively use their mind to manage the spirited change inherent in all dynamics.
Normal Operation is arguably the most misunderstood condition of all, possibly due to its alignment with Natural Law and its thorough illustration of the Taoist concept of ‘wu wei’.
‘Wu wei’ is commonly translated as “non-action”, “inaction”, or “effortless action”, although these interpretations can be misleading. ‘Wu’ means ‘not’, while ‘wei’ translates to ‘interfering’, which offers a markedly different concept. Some interpret it as a harmonious state of free-flowing and unforced activity; while such an interpretation isn’t entirely wrong, wu wei actually means “not interfering”.
In the West, many individuals feel compelled to “act”—to “do something,” which often interferes with systems they do not fully comprehend. Because doing nothing is seen as weak, some believe they must constantly take action, even though such action is only warranted in situations that fall below normal operating conditions. People frequently oscillate between states of Emergency and Danger, managing emergencies until they slip into a state of Danger, then frantically seeking to escape Danger and revert to Emergency without adequately addressing either condition. Their behaviour could be motivated by a fear that, if they successfully handle these situations, they would be left with nothing to do (a terrifying thought!). Blaise Pascal once observed, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” Actually, now that I think about it, one might consider whether the doubt surrounding normalcy that leads to continuous states of Emergency and Danger, isn’t, in actual fact, the condition of Confusion. Just a thought.
Many of us have our whole identity bound up in “fixing things!” and “making things go right!” which arguably just creates further situations that naturally seem to “cry out” for further attention (yay!). Ironically, constantly “making things go right” is perceived as normal by individuals or groups experiencing confusion.
But sadly, folks, it gets worse. If our governments ran on what was actually going right, people would think they weren’t doing anything. Nobody votes for a politician who didn’t have to handle some “crisis” or “emergency” of some kind, always after the fact, mind you, whatever it was. I mean, 9/11s and “COVID 19s” are such absolute godsends for our “leaders”; it’s shocking that there aren’t more of them. If any elected official ran his office in Normal their whole term, we’d get rid of ’em, lickety-split! No, elected officials must be perceived as fixing problems, which only leads to the creation of more issues that need to be addressed. And by the time they leave the office, they’ve happily sown the seeds of more mayhem—the very mayhem that the next guy “promises” to “solve.”
This procedure is similar to road workers who, while filling potholes on backroads, are sure to leave behind a few drops of diesel oil that gradually dissolve the asphalt, leading to more potholes needing repair next year. However, most of us unwittingly create an endless stream of pothole problems: the real issue lies with the electorate, who are constantly clamouring for busybodies to run the country… into the ground.
The hardest trick if one wants to achieve the good life is to pay attention enough to see how things work when they are left alone. Then, either collaborate with them, contribute to them, or leave them alone; in other words, at least avoid interfering. Certainly there are situations that need correction, but not life – life doesn’t need “fixing”. The goal is to get things in order where you don’t have to cope all the time. But don’t live this way unless you want to risk dropping off the map; not stressing and coping is a very unusual state today and could possibly leave you out of step with your friends and associates. If you work for an organisation that views life as something that needs to be endlessly “handled,” “fixed,” or even (shudder) “saved” (“Vaccines forever!”), beware of actually achieving Normal as oneslf, it’s like waving a red flag in front of a bull.
Besides, thinking that one can succeed in making things right in the world without being in Normal Operation could be said to be the height of folly.
So. After all that kvetching, I should describe what Normal Operation is rather than isn’t. Normal Operation is when a person or group is managing life by actively taking the regular and routine steps to ensure order; no rush, no “hill 10s” (circumstances requiring energy reserves), no “flaps” (something that generates an uproar), no noisome nonsense at all. Life is quite relaxed but yet cruising at a pace that so consistently outpaces entropy that unusual expenditures of energy are very rarely required. That’s rarely, mind you, not never, as this is an ever-changing and dynamic universe, and bursts of vitality are occasionally required to shift gears every now and then. A person or group in Normal Operation is ever vigilant as to these changes; however, because attention is focused on the environment generally rather than fixed on some one thing. Therefore with an abundance of resources and time, along with a typically enthusiastic disposition, sudden shifts are often predictable, allowing for appropriate adjustments to be made. If the change is not predictable, the person or group is still not in any danger due to the reserve of resources and energy that any person or group in this condition is consistently contributing to and managing.
The formula for Normal, when properly applied, leaves one with a fair amount of time on their hands, which is why it is avoided by people in the lower conditions (and lower tones bands). If one experiences “down time” in any of the tones between 2.0 and 0.1, it’s an agony; being alone with your thoughts can be pure torture. So these people have got to stay in frenzied action obtaining the only peace they can conceive of: non-being. A person in Normal, on the other hand, will have no trouble at all sitting quietly in a room alone. Alternatively, they may become creative and use their time in a constructive manner. Even better, they will use this time to get curious about life and seek to learn more about it.
Exchange factor: more give than take; order is greater than disorder; contributes nothing to any disarray, instead creates gradually improving degrees of order, ensuring the long-term survival of self and, by extension, society.
Affluence
Affluence is normally defined as an abundance of money, property, and other material goods. It can be understood as a plentiful supply of anything beneficial; a profusion. In this context, though, affluence is defined as an abundance of resources or understanding that, if managed effectively, could ensure a higher level of survival than what was previously considered normal, along with the potential to create even new forms of order that render older systems obsolete.
Mundanely however, an increase in material resources may happen as the result of Normal Operation or come about otherwise. But keep in mind that these examples also relate to beingness, meaning that affluence can represent a significant shift upwards in perspective or an elevated state of awareness or understanding (possibly as a result of using all the freed-up time in the Normal Operation condition to learn a little something about how reality actually might work).
This state is the most tricky of all conditions, though, because it is a degree of change that requires a thorough review of how one was operating previously, even if that condition was Normal Operation. Actually, this applies especially if any affluence occurs as a result of Normal Operation because usually it is unwise to change anything that seems to be working. To stabilise an actual Affluence, however, it will require some or many aspects of a normal operation to be modified: what was once normal has to be morphed into something new, a feat that is not always straightforward because what is novel is unknown, and if the wrong decisions are made before understanding the new circumstances, it can throw things into disorder.
To elaborate further, the danger of Affluence lies in the all too common failure to establish a new kind or a higher level of Normal Operation. A particularly mundane example of Affluence violation illustrating its misapplication is a windfall: rather than using the money to settle past obligations (such as mortgages, credit cards, leases and loans) and investing in what is necessary to establish stability, possibly including the creation of reserves, an individual may embark on a spending spree, ultimately ending up not only bankrupt but potentially in even more debt than before. (Possibly the most powerful financial advice anyone could follow is: don’t spend more than you make. Easier said than done in today’s funny-money economy, I know, but spending more than one makes is typical of the condition of Liability — or lower — and if a person in Liability gets a windfall and stays in Liability, well, they’ll figure out some way to throw it all away.)
Again, the common mistake is to continue operating as one did before the increase, regardless of their previous condition. For example, when an individual realises that their previous normal operating basis, though adequate, is less integral and perfect than it appeared, they may gain a greater understanding of ethics, which can lead to increased wisdom; however, if they continue as if nothing has changed, they will risk collapsing into a lower condition because the old perspective no longer aligns with the new paradigm.
An example of such an occurrence might be if someone was working for a company that was profiting from subsidies provided by the state at taxpayer expense. One day they somehow wake up to the fact that such practices are actually unethical but decide to stay on because, “Hey, many companies are ripping off the country.” Such an episode might seem like a trivial scenario, but this sort of thing happens all the time; perhaps the whole world would be in better shape if more people listened to their little “wake up” calls. In any case, returning to business as usual after such a surge in insight can be quite catastrophic.
The exchange factor for Affluence is a sudden abundance of resources available for survival, which has created a need to reorganise to achieve stability at a higher level of Normal… or even, possibly, Power.
Power
With enough Affluences and higher Normals stabilised, an individual could ultimately find themselves in a condition of Power.
Power is a potential for or application of a very high level of work or force, but more importantly it is also such a lofty degree of being (individual sovereignty) that no other vector, especially an adversary, can change their position or viewpoint without their consent.
“Know thyself” is the most powerful of all advice. Integrity is its fulfillment; individual Sovereignty its realisation.
Anyone in Power also always acknowledges and embraces all friends, allies, and other symbionts and endeavours to ensure their survival (as much as they will allow or is possible).
A person or group in Power is exceedingly difficult to destroy. While everything in this universe can be dismantled, true Power, which naturally adheres to the principles set forth by Natural Law, exhibits such order and creativity that dislodging anyone from their position, project, or perspective is very difficult, if not impossible. This form of power should not be conflated with the MEST forms of power, which are frequently possessed by individuals or groups who are often in significantly lower conditions. These possessors, despite having powerful resources and arsenals, remain emotionally fragile, even fearful, and are too often treacherous. Their anxiety that others might be in an actual condition of Power, with or without the attendant MEST, is what keeps tyrants tossing and turning at night.
Commonly, people appear to gain this level financially or through influence, but they are rarely ever in Power as themselves, which unfortunately makes a mockery of material wealth and authority. For instance, the majority of U.S. presidents, supposedly the “most powerful men in the world” these past 125 years, haven’t even been able to achieve any condition much higher than Treason. When one truly grasps what these conditions and their formulae represent, you begin to see what’s being talked about here and what might be actually happening in the world.
Actual Power, on the other hand, is the condition where one’s being is impossible to destabilise.
Regarding the condition of individual existence, a person’s integrity remains steadfast. They could be hauled off by the Inquisition and tortured half to death, dragged in front of a tribunal, and sentenced to burn at the stake, but they will not compromise their honour. Power is a level of intellectual honesty and authenticity that is unshakeable. It is the certainty that one will usually make the proper formulations and arrive at the correct conclusions. This is the Sovereign Individual par excellence.
The exchange factor refers to a situation where there is an abundance of giving compared to taking; the value of what is given greatly surpasses the value of what is consumed, resulting in a high level of order being created and maintained. The apparent natural “disorder” in the universe is not attacked but rather used where needed. That is to say, the forces of the universe are not violated, but instead an increasing degree of harmonious cooperation is obtained as a matter of Normal Operation (wu wei). Power is a High Normal; a very high form of Normal Operation. In Power any disarray is easily resolved, leading to long-term survival for the individual, the group, and society as a whole.
To be in any high condition, the assistance given to the dynamics must exceed what is received in return by means of creative thought and action. This exchange factor pertains to a scenario in which there is a substantial imbalance between giving and taking; the worth of what is given far exceeds that of what is consumed as regards dynamics 1 – 6, thereby fostering a very high level of order that is both creative and sustained and thereby promoting a much greater connection with 7 and 8.
The seemingly natural “disorder” present in the universe is not violated but rather used or transformed when necessary. In other words, the forces of the universe are not contravened; instead, an increasing degree of harmonious cooperation is achieved as an integral aspect of normal operations. Power signifies an elevated standard, representing a superior form of Normal Operation. Any inapplicable chaos is rectified, ensuring long-term survival for the individual, the group, and society as a whole.
The twelfth condition.
Power Change is the stepping out of a power condition to play another game.
This is the condition that a person must apply so that they can leave a new game without ruining it for those who remain as well as not be pulled back into it.
An example of such a scenario might be a leader of something, like a family or any business, retiring to start a new life, perhaps a more contemplative one, as has been traditional in some societies, and turning over the business to a new director. If the transition is not managed properly, the previous life (game) may compel the former player to return due to the disorder that arose as a result of the departure.
The formula is two-sided: steps for the person leaving Power and a step for a person acquiring the Power position. Done well, no part of the previous life interferes with the new one, and whoever is left behind is not lessened. Applying the formula for this condition leaves a person free to achieve new goals and play other games.
To conclude
Understanding and comprehending these conditions can illuminate the true situation of any individual, group, society, or entire civilisation.
Ultimately, existing in any elevated Condition, what is given across the dynamics must surpass in quality what is received. The entire MEST universe game is set up on the basis of abundances of creation and exchange; there is no limit to how intelligently and aesthetically thought or MEST can be managed. Much more importantly, the individual self is an infinite source of creativity, and knowing this fact and manifesting it despite all odds is true power. Achieving this level of consciousness requires transcending the limited principles of energy conservation exhibited in dynamics 1–6, utilising creative thought (the 7th dynamic), and fostering a greater connection and union with the 8th dynamic.
After all, that’s the main point of philosophy, mysticism and any true religion.
Arthur Ronald Conway Hubbard 