Sandy's Good News

Call your mom more often!

Its my birthday. I just got home and heard my mom's voice singing on my answering machine- "Happy Birthday" from "Your ever lovin' mom." I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge my mom, without whom I would not be writing happily here today.

We did not always get along as well as we do today. Do we get along 100% of the time and agree on everything? No. We have found that the answer to that is more communication. Not less. About a year ago, we decided to talk to each other at least once every day. Suddenly, we had so much more to say, and more genuine interest in each other. I find that on many days, I pick up the phone to call mom more than once a day, because there are topics that I enjoy discussing. They are not long calls, but pretty frequent.

We should have done this a long time ago. There is a very basic Scientology principle along these lines: Understanding is composed of Affinity, Reality, and Communication. L. Ron Hubbard suggests in his basic texts, that if you want to improve one or more of these points, all you have to do is work on ONE of these aspects, and the others will improve. I never realized how much improvement we would get by just increasing the frequency of our communication. It worked on an immediate basis. Learn more about this by clicking here.

Call your Mom! Particularly if she is older, think about calling her every day. She will appreciate it. After all, you wouldn't be where you are without her!

More on Personal Integrity- Think For Yourself

When I was a teenager, thinking for myself was not something I always did. I wasn't a bigot or anything, but there were certain types of thoughts that would fly into my head, and I would repeat them to others as facts, without examining the source of them. I had an awakening one day, when my art teacher, Mr. Rabinowitz, called me on some "fact" I had just spouted. There was a well traveled route in my town where a very strange house was being built. Its roof looked like a Japanese pagoda. "Everyone" knew that the owner had abandoned it after going bankrupt. My teacher asked where I got my data from. I told him- my parents. I found out from my teacher that the house was actually complete and was the second home of an artist friend that he knew. That was one of my first lessons on the fact you can't believe everything that you hear. Interesting that the lesson came from an artist, because artists are famous for thinking for themselves.

My second and more major turn around on the subject was in my early studies of Scientology. Scientology has everything to do with truthful communication and clarifying thought. In a lecture I heard, by L. Ron Hubbard, he explained something I found very useful in thinking for myself. It is far better to confront a subject by studying the subject itself, than to confront and study the opinions of another about the subject. I learned that even further down the scale, people confront and study evaluations about others opinions, and so on.

This reminds me of what is happening in the news. A reporter has an opinion that he states as fact. Others repeat it, so it MUST be true. Someone is interviewed that has a bad opinion of the person or subject being reported on. Well, if they "knew" the person or subject, then it MUST be true.

Consider the source of where your data comes from. Did you see it for yourself? Or did you just read the Cliff Notes?

What is Personal Integrity? A core belief of Scientology

Scientology is a popular subject on the internet these days. There are many opinions being stated as to what are the core Scientology beliefs. I have my own opinion, which I'll share. Having been around the subject for over 34 years, and studied nearly every existing level of Scientology from beginner to advanced, my very favorite piece of Scientology is contained in an essay by L.Ron Hubbard called "Personal Integrity". It describes what is at the core of Scientology. He starts off by saying "WHAT IS TRUE FOR YOU is what you have observed yourself and when you lose that you have lost everything." click here to continue reading "Personal Integrity"

My personal experience is that "auditing", the therapy that is offered in Dianetics and Scientology, is an exact system that has helped me to organize my mind. Its enabled me to realize what viewpoints and opinions I was carrying around that I hadn't fully inspected for myself. Its helped me to be able to think more clearly, and has sharpened my observation. Its enabled me to find my OWN core beliefs.

So on the one hand I got a LOT out of reading Ron's essay "Personal Integrity"; on the other hand, the auditing has left me with more ability to stick to my guns and apply what I've read.

What is Scientology?

Everybody seems to have an idea in their mind as to what Scientology is. But do you really know? Its one thing to form an opinion based on others opinion, good or bad, but what is it really?

The true answers are now available in video format. If you watch these videos you will have a sneak peak into what its really like to be a Scientologist, what it stands for, what Scientologists believe, and what they are interested in. Here is the link to the new Scientology Video Channel.

A simple (and totally free) way to help lift depression

I was suprised at the effect that one simple little booklet, "The Way to Happiness" by L. Ron Hubbard had on my moral. It is a non-religious moral code with 21 precepts that anyone can follow for a happier life. For years it has been handed out in troubled areas of the world with the effect of calming down the environment. Its so simple, but powerful. Read it and see if you aren't just a bit more happy!

Here is an example of one of the precepts, which is conveyed so well in this touching little video:

Fox News Gets it Right

Another horrifying shooting. The media, as expected blames the lack of gun control and not ENOUGH drugs, while Fox News has the real story: click here

A former psych drug saleswoman confesses

Here is a very interesting video by Gwen Olsen, a former drug rep and author of "Confessions of an Rx Drug Pusher- God's Call to Loving Arms". She explains how she was instructed to minimalize dangerous side effects and avoid full disclosure about the drugs. She describes her instructions from her district manager: "Any time anybody isn´t for psychiatric drugs, if you just label them a Scientologist, that will discredit them, because everybody knows they are crazy." Click here to view Gwen's revelations.

What was Tom Cruise talking about? The inside skinny

A few weeks ago, a video of Tom Cruise speaking to Scientologists at a Scientology event was circulating around the internet. It was from a celebration that occurred four years ago. It was a pirated video. It was edited down from a three hour film, not necessarily to try and make Tom or Scientology look good! You can see the real video at any Church of Scientology and get the true context.

In one part that I recall, Tom was saying that when we pass a car accident, we are the only ones who can handle it. I would like to shed light on what the "it" was that he was referring to. It was not the accident itself, as everyone knows that paramedics are necessary in that type of situation. The "it" was something else...Tom was referring to something called the Reactive Mind. Read all about it here.

How does Scientology help with depression?

Before I found out about Scientology, I was more than a little depressed. I was a student at Northwestern University. I was majoring in Radio, T.V., and Film. I was struggling through a number of required classes that did not seem to have a purpose for me. Get this- one of my classes was called "Philosophy as preperation for Death"! As you might guess, it was not a very uplifting class. We studied a bit of Plato, Kierkegaard, and some other funky dead German dudes. Interesting to read about what they thought, but none of it very helpful in making my life any easier, and certainly none of it was anything you could apply in real life. One day, I was walking past the Scientology center in Evanston. There were dozens of success stories lining the windows. Each one described big wins achieved upon taking the communications course that was being delivered at the center. Each one was more enthusiastic than the next. As I looked in, I could see many productive people buzzing around the place happily doing work. I soon after took my first class.

On my first day, I noticed a sign on the wall quoting L. Ron Hubbard: "Production is the basis of moral". I had a few considerations about this! First of all, I had always been taught that a major goal of life is: 1) make money, 2) RETIRE. I did not think that work was something to aspire to, rather it was just something you had to do before you RETIRE. Having watched more than my fair share of T.V. as a kid, I think I had turned into Doby Gillis, that famous character that was allergic to work. So at first, all I could do was disagree. Then I realized its probably a true datum, but what a bummer! This gave way to the next stage. I was really starting to get good production on my course. I was learning the actual principals of communication, and having wins applying it to life. Its not that I was being taught completely new concepts. It was more like a lightbulb went off and the most important ideas were illuminated and reaffirmed for myself. I became gradually more and more confident as I became more competant, by drilling and practicing the communication principals. I began to be able to differentiate data, sorting out whats true for me and whats false. I started to learn more and more how to think for myself. I began to formulate real goals and work towards them, and the more I did, the more stable and happy I became.

This was a long time ago, and I never looked back.

Here is an article that spells out what Scientology really is. It reminds me of those early days.

Depression is sometimes from a physical situation

˜Psychiatrists long ago decided to make depression into a disease. Any time you try and make a symptom into a whole disease in and of itself, there's got to be a financial motive- at least thats what my doctor says. But anyway, they've decided that they "own" depression and that only they have the cure for this "disease" which they will be quick to tell you, is antidepressants, and MORE antidepressants. I'm sorry, but I just can not accept this analysis of the situation.

In a book I am reading, Hypothyroidism: The unsuspected illness, by Dr. Broda Barnes, reknowned and respected thyroid expert, I am learning that as early as the 1970's he found that 40 percent of the population was suspect of having a thyroid problem. It is epidemic in our country. Many other doctors who at first thought that this estimate was outlandish latter found that it was spot on, even a bit low according to thryoid expert Dr. Stephen Langer in his book "Solved, The Riddle of Illness". Well, guess what? Depression is a for sure sign that you need to check out the status of your thyroid, because it is a major symptom of a thyroid gone haywire.

I've come to learn that the general population, including most modern day doctors do not understand the necessity of screening for this very basic health issue. They do not understand which tests should be ordered, and they very often do not understand how to interpret your tests even if you are lucky and they ordered them. You right now might be walking around with a thyroid disorder and you may not know it and you may be trying to solve a health riddle that could very well be coming from your thyroid. You may be spending thousands of dollars and going from doctor to doctor. Worse yet, you may have been convinced to take an antidepressant instead of giving you a standard physical check-up such as you would have received say, in the 1960's or earlier.

So why isn't this epidemic of hypothyroidism, that is increasing every day as we pump more chemicals into the environment that antagonise the thyroid, why isn't it big time news? Well, the cure for the majority of patients is not patented because it is just dried porcine thyroid and it has been successfully used for over a hundred years. It is CHEAP.
Do you suppose there could be some vested interests that do not want you to know about this? I'm sure as you are reading this you have asked yourself the question who might profit from your ignorance of these facts and you've undoubtedly figured that one out.

The good news is that most cases can be screened with a simple test that you can do at home, and its free! It was developed by Dr. Barnes decades ago. Simply take a thermometer and shake it down and place it next to your bed. As soon as you wake up and without getting out of the bed and as little movement as possible, put the thermometer under your armpit for ten minutes. Do this and average if for a few days. Make sure you do not have an infection, or your period. If you get a reading below 97.8 find a doctor who will do the the correct tests. Start reading for yourself because your doctor is not likely to know the correct tests and how to interpret them. A good place to start are the two books I've mentioned, and patient advocate Mary Shoman's website at thyroid.about.com/.

Understand this- every year there are millions of folks who do have a thyroid condition but are being told that it has already been successfully treated, or that they simply do not have a thyroid condition when they do. The doctor does some blood tests, not necessarily the correct ones, and not with the correct interpretation. Despite the patient complaint and misery, the patient is often told that the reason is all in their mind and they need antideppresants. The risk here is great. Untreated, what started as a fairly simple and extremely common malady can set one up for future heart disease, obesity, certain forms of cancer, and a great deal of unhappiness. And if its a child, the parent will be pressed into believing that the child has "ADD" and given ritilin.

I LOVE talking about Dianetics and Scientology because for over 33 years, that is what has gotten miraculous results for myself, my family and my friends. But a body is a body and living in the environment that we do, it pays to have an understanding of what we are going up against. If you've really had a standard physical exam and have ruled out curable medical conditions as a cause of your depression, then you might find my follow-up posts helpful. I am going to point out many aspects of handling depression using Scientology and the works of L. Ron Hubbard. They are my favorites because I've seen them work on myself and others countless times.