The idea of a silent birth was a concept presented in Dianetics, The Modern Science of Mental Health, based on the premise that words spoken during pain or unconsciousness could have adverse effects on a person later in life. I’ve observed it to be true myself, both from my own personal recall and from applying Dianetics techniques to others. However, there are those who can’t quite wrap their wits around the idea that information IS recorded during pain or unconsciousness.
Dr. Allan J. Hamilton, author of The Scalpel and the Soul, was the subject of an interesting video interview. In the video and in the book he talks about a patient who was not just unconscious but completely brain-dead and still remembered things that happened in the operating room. He is a brave man to buck the system and publicly say what many doctors and nurses have personally observed but which goes against the “official position” of the medical community.
There really IS a difference between the mind, the body (which includes the brain) and the person him/herself (the soul or spirit).
Last night (Saturday) was one of the major events within the Church of Scientology - the celebration of L. Ron Hubbard’s birthday. There is an international event in Clearwater, Florida which is video’ed and then shipped out to all the out-lying Churches so the parishioners there can watch it. I went to the event in Portland.
It’s a 5 hour drive each way, so we generally go for an extra day and take that time to visit with the grandbaby, shop or go on course at the Church. This trip I spent time with my grandson and my daughter took me to a local spa for a birthday treat (it was wonderful).
The LRH Birthday event was quite spectacular. I particularly liked the presentation by the LRH biographer which chronicled LRH’s early years traveling through the orient, as documented by his journal, later recorded lectures that mentioned his adventures and letters from people received at the time.
I was also very impressed with the new iteration of the Church of Scientology’s main website, www.Scientology.org. It’s now video-based, with short videos covering all different aspects of Scientology and Scientologists, including interviews, reviews of basic tenets and beliefs, information on outreach programs into human rights, drug rehabilitation, criminal rehabilitation, study and literacy outreach, disaster response and much more. Personally, I’m really proud of what my church and my friends within it have been accomplishing at home and around the world to help improve conditions.
Anyway, the website is really great and I invite you to take a look at it.
If, for some reason, you can’t access the site or it takes to long to load on your internet connection, please let me know (you can email me personally). Our church has also made DVD’s of the videos available for free, so I have copies that I can send to you if you can’t see it on the web.
I was my birthday yesterday. Yes, I’m 29. Again.
The rule in our house is that on your birthday you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. It’s a great rule. I’ve used it over the years to spend all day in bed or all day watching television, to work on my scrapbooks, to quilt and to go shopping.
This year I took advantage of my special gift to sleep in and skip my chores. Then I felt the pull of my desk…. and decided to go sit there for a while and do something.
Funny thing, I did what would - on any other day - be considered “work”. But since I didn’t HAVE to do it, it didn’t seem like work. In fact, it seemed fun. I took extra time to organize a little bit and rearrange my filing system , something I generally “don’t have time to do”. Amazingly, by dinnertime (which I didn’t have to cook) and evening chores (which I didn’t have to do), my desk was clean, my slips of paper handled, filing done and my accounting up to date!
I came away from my birthday feeling refreshed, un-pressured and pleased by my day - and today, as I sit down to write this, I’m continuing to enjoy my birthday because my desk is clean and a bunch of things I’d been “meaning to get to” are done!
The 2nd edition of my book, Soap and Cosmetic Labeling, is finally at the printer! Hurray!!! They’ve told me it will ship out on March 28th.
I thought it was going to be a relatively easy project to edit and update it, but it turned out to be a much larger endeavor than I had anticipated. Based on questions I received from readers, I had to delve into several long-held beliefs about the difference between labeling soaps and cosmetics and what makes something one or the other. It ended up being a weeks-long exchange with the FDA, new reviews of the statutes and the addition of a completely new chapter in the book.
I also re-did the front cover graphics for it. Rather than having the title as a label on a bottle, I put the title separate and a big ? on the label. That’s what it’s about, right? What do I put on the label?? So I thought the graphic communicated a little better. I’d like to get your feedback on it, if you have any comment.
The new copies are coming here by freight and should arrive about April 7th. I’ll be sending out the advance orders immediately. There’s a special deal if you have already purchased the first edition.
