One client reported doing quite a bit of indulging in experiencing uncomfortable mental material between sessions, and so I reminded them that with my approach, making liberal use of Power Processing and other techniques that unearth and dissolve great volumes of negative mental material, the changes continue for awhile after the session, resulting in an uncomfortable “lack of mass”, or “low havingness” feeling. Because this mental mass typically continues to discharge after the ending point of the session, I do not interrupt this process, while it is occurring, by running a havingness process to remedy this in the session; instead, I’ve sent each of my clients a file explaining this phenomena and instructing them to go out into the environment when the discharging subsides, to take in the expansiveness around them and expand their presence in and of the present time environment, and thus replace the charged mass with here-ness and now-ness. This ciient questioned what he took to be my advising him not to think about his case, which was a misinterpretation, and an idea that is promoted in “standard Scientology” in the C of S.
I think my response to that is worth sharing here:
I don’t believe in placing restrictions on mindful, conscious exploration of anything; but there is a difference between that and an automaticity of drawing in mental material in place of expanding one’s presence in the present time environment.
When this becomes a habit, then no expansion or empowerment is being exercised, and processing becomes a substitute for life itself, which is always HERE and NOW. I have seen many indoctrinated Scientologists become inverted into the idea that life exists to facilitate processing, instead of the reverse, of processing being meant to be a tool to facilitate the experiencing and creating of one’s life. Sometimes people fall into the trap of habitually diving into their mental “case” as a retreat or escape from being present in the world and actively pursuing their goals across the dynamics. I think that a processing session can be a “temporary strategic retreat” from present time experience to fortify one’s ability to experience, and create their present, but then it should be quickly followed with advancing onward in life. When processing becomes senior to life, we have the hamster endlessly spinning the treadmill, which I think is a good metaphor for what the C of S has been creating and maintaining, all the time holding up the carrot of the picture of being “totally free” while always pushing its public back into the treadmill, which itself then becomes the trap.
Love, Dex
Thank you for that informative and useful article on processing. You answered some questions I had about why some people continue to dive into their mental case and for pointing out that the COS keeps people paying and staying with that CLEAR carrot. I believe we will never be totally CLEAR once and forever.. I like to enjoy where I am right now. When something comes up I will handle it.
You’re very welcome, Eleanor! Scientology’s “state of clear” has been redefined several times through the year, and I think most of us can agree that as defined, particularly in the Dianetics book, is a theoretical state and a promise that has yet, if ever, to be delivered. I certainly have never comes across any evidence that this perfect state of being completely free of undesirable or inappropriate reactions or feelings has ever been achieved by any means, and I don’t think it ever will be, although it can still be something to aspire to. More practically, at least for the most part, in my observation, through good processing one can become clear of specific individual spiritual or emotional issues that one needs or wants to resolve, which can be a wonderful thing, and is more to the point.