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Understanding the reasons behind the addition to Scientology lexicon of the word “theta” to indicate “spirit” and “soul” is crucial for a proper discussion of Scientology 1.0.0.

The spirit is the non-physical part of a person that is considered their true self and capable of surviving physical death or separation. It comes from Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French, from Latin spiritus “breath, spirit,” from spirare “breathe.”
 
The soul is defined as the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal that is considered immortal. It’s origin is: Middle English soule, from Old English sawol, “spiritual and emotional part of a person, animate existence; life, living being,” from Proto-Germanic saiwalō.

Scientology 1.0.0 describes two distinct yet analogous universes. The physical universe, called the “MEST universe,” and the spiritual reality, called the “theta universe.”

‘MEST’ stands for matter, energy, space, and time which is, of course, the physical universe. This term was created, however, because the word physics, meaning “the branch of science concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy,” leaves out space and time, although they are implied. But both space and time are so vitally important in Scientology’s curative procedures that the four properties of physics always get specifically listed, resulting, eventually, in the acronym ‘MEST’. I mean, who doesn’t have at least some trouble with one or all four of these specific things?

Well, that’s one universe; as to the other:

Theta is the eighth letter in the Greek alphabet. In the 6th century BC, Greek mathematics began to emerge as a distinct discipline—as opposed to earlier times, when numbers were inextricably connected to specialised subjects such as bookkeeping, histories, and astronomy, and it became traditional to use Greek letters to represent certain mathematical concepts as well as ideas in science and engineering. My father’s approach to mental health and spiritual well-being was derived from the engineer’s perspective, which, put most colloquially, is: if the idea about building or fixing a thing don’t result in something useful, then the idea ain’t no good. In the 1950s there were many ideas about healing minds but few improvements; ergo, those ideas fell somewhat short. Hence his approach, which was to come up with better ideas that had potentially greater value.

Anyhow, Scientology’s use of the word theta (and its symbol, θ, or Θ), besides being synonymous with spirit or soul, has an additional significance. Or emphasis might be the right way to think about it.

In Scientology, theta is life itself and is defined as the energy peculiar to life that acts upon the material of the physical universe and animates, mobilises, and changes it. Rather than only saying that theta is an immortal, immaterial, or non-physical part of a person, the word “theta” takes the “breathe” and “animated existence” aspects of “spirit” or “soul” and stresses a causal factor.

Animate means bring to life and comes from Latin animat– “instilled with life,” from the verb animare, from anima “life, soul.” “Life (theta) breathes life (living existence) into life.” This is a crucial point as it directly addresses the typical approach to problem-solving, which involves addressing the root causes whenever possible. Treating symptoms while ignoring causes is very common in such fields as medicine and mental health, but it’d probably be better for everyone if, instead, they treated the causes of physical and mental illness where and when possible. Theta can get stuck in lower levels of consciousness and to get unstuck, it needs proper recognition as that which animates life and all the potential stickiness that goes with it so that it might be reoriented as to its own cause in its own condition.

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Thetan
 
As for the word “thetan”:
 
In Scientology life is understood by breaking it down into eight dynamics:

8, God.

7, Theta. 

6, MEST.

5, Living things.

4, Mankind.

3, Groups.

2, Sex and as family.

1, Self.

To get to our current material reality, theta creates and seeks certain kinds of particular experience through dynamics 6 through 1. The first dynamic is theta’s expression and experience as the individual, so by adding “n” to the word “theta,” you get the noun “thetan.”
 
Theta is the quality of conscious causality. Thetan represents the individual beingness as such.

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