A Visitor Sees Phoenix "In Action" (continued)

the others. Enthusiasm and certainty was evident. As Dr. Wood remarked, "With the spirit that group has, they can't fail." I agree.

Monday evening we attended another group processing session, this time at 816 North Third Street, the headquarters of the Freudian Foundation of America. Again we found a competent auditor, Burke Belknap, and some good processing along with a group of about 20 people. We heard that the Freudian communication line to the public has not worked out very well, that the Church communication line was proving more effective.

Monday night we also visited with Joe and Marilyn Wallace, Joan Neilsen, Bob Cantwell, and John Sanborn. Again we got an impression of a new enthusiasm and hopefulness concerning Scientology--and some of these folk have been around the science a long time, and have been thru the discouraging times and the times of high hopes which failed to come true.

Tuesday night we attended one of the group retraining sessions at 403A East Roosevelt. Here we found about 30 people from the Phoenix area present, many of them HDAs. This group is being trained to HCA level of performance by the HASI. As a person qualifies, he will be given an intensive booster course by Ron, his HCA degree, and his certificate as a minister. Then, an area of the city will be assigned to him, and he will perform the work of the Church in that area. This may involve many tasks, but the one which was mentioned at this meeting was that of visiting the ill in hospitals, talking with them, straight wiring them, using simple techniques to help them. This is already being done by the staff auditors of the HASI in Phoenix with excellent results, we heard.

Tuesday night we also visited Ross and Lynn Lamoreaux. We were disappointed to find Ross and Lynn out of the main stream of Scientology in Phoenix, with Ross going into a "Clinical Psychology" practice. However, I feel that it will not be long until they are back working in the field of Scientology again.

On Wednesday we visited Gordon Beckstead, and found him busy with his Tape Library, along with the assistance of a secretary and his wife. Again, I was amazed that Gordon knew so little of what was going on in Scientology in Phoenix, but he said he had withdrawn, until Hubbard stabilized things and stopped making fantastic claims. Meanwhile, Gordon is self-processing, using the "practice of the presence of God" as his technique. As one who has indulged in this among other techniques, I reminded Gordon that first one must be CERTAIN that this is God whose presence one is practicing, and not merely some ancient mock-up! Secondly, I could not and cannot understand the attitude of some Phoenicians like Gordon who have benefitted from the use of the techniques of Dianetics and Scientology, but who now have failed to keep in communication with Hubbard and the offices of the HASI which are making every effort to make available the necessary processing and training so that Scientologists can get into action and effectively do something about the "state of mankind". Anyway, Gordon will apparently continue to supply data on tape so that the tape-worshippers of Dianetics and Scientology may continue to gather around their spinning prayer wheels and absorb data, data, and more data.

Bill and Rae Perrier were eating supper as we made our last stop before leaving Phoenix. We found them doing a good job as auditors, working particularly with a very tough psychotic case. Again, we found little knowledge of what went on in Phoenix right now in the field of Scientology. Bill informed us that out of curiosity he had inquired as to the status of Scientology with the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce and Better Business Bureau, and found that it had a high rating with these agencies--good news for those who recall what dismal reports the Better Business Bureau used to give to those who inquired about Dianetics.

In Los Angeles we stopped at Scientology Council and found Joanna and Hardin Walsh busy auditing. These folk are specializing on acceptance level communication of Scientology, and have just finished training a group of doctors and chiropractors. They jam the large home, which is their headquarters, with metaphysicians of every type, and are enthusiastic about their success in reaching this group of people. Here, again, I found the air of certainty and enthusiasm which I had seen in action at the HASI in Phoenix.

The time for data gathering seems to be over in the sections of Scientology at which I looked on this trip. Scientologists are in action.

What about Ron Hubbard? Very busy helping direct the activities of Scientology in action, rewriting and adding to the Auditor's Handbook for a new deluxe edition, and, I hear, writing a history of religion which should make most interesting reading.