Scientology: The Components of Understanding

Chap 3.
book Page 1 Monday, September 24, 2001 9:01 PM
SMaking
CIENTOLOGY
the World a Better Place
Founded and developed by L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology is an applied
religious philosophy which offers an exact route through which anyone can
regain the truth and simplicity of his spiritual self.
Scientology consists of specific axioms that define the underlying causes and
principles of existence and a vast area of observations in the humanities, a
philosophic body that literally applies to the entirety of life.
This broad body of knowledge resulted in two applications of the subject:
first, a technology for man to increase his spiritual awareness and attain the
freedom sought by many great philosophic teachings; and, second, a great
number of fundamental principles men can use to improve their lives. In fact, in
this second application, Scientology offers nothing less than practical methods
to better every aspect of our existence—means to create new ways of life. And
from this comes the subject matter you are about to read.
Compiled from the writings of L. Ron Hubbard, the data presented here is
but one of the tools which can be found in The Scientology Handbook. A
comprehensive guide, the handbook contains numerous applications of
Scientology which can be used to improve many other areas of life.
In this booklet, the editors have augmented the data with a short
introduction, practical exercises and examples of successful application.
Courses to increase your understanding and further materials to broaden
your knowledge are available at your nearest Scientology church or mission.
Listings are available at www.scientology.org.
Many new phenomena about man and life are described in Scientology, and
so you may encounter terms in these pages you are not familiar with. These are
described the first time they appear and in the glossary at the back of the booklet.
Scientology is for use. It is a practical philosophy, something one does. Using
this data, you can change conditions.
Millions of people who want to do something about the conditions they see
around them have applied this knowledge. They know that life can be improved.
And they know that Scientology works.
Use what you read in these pages to help yourself and others and you will
too.
CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
Chap 3.book Page 2 Monday, September 24, 2001 9:01 PM
T he self-improvement shelves of bookstores, the airwaves and self-help

speakers who travel the lecture circuit all offer myriad solutions to the
problems of understanding life. Yet the endless stream of man’s
difficulties still do not resolve.
In this booklet, L. Ron Hubbard goes beneath all these “solutions” to
provide the basic knowledge of what actually constitutes understanding.
What can you do with this knowledge? By knowing what
understanding really is, you have the tools to handle life itself. This
means that you have the tools to increase your understanding of just
about anything—including the people you know and come into contact
with.
This knowledge will enable you to help others who are experiencing
the travails caused by misunderstandings, differing viewpoints, broken
relationships and other ills that make man’s life a string of successive
hardships. You will learn the components of understanding, how they
interrelate and bring about understanding. With the skills one can
acquire from a study of the fundamentals contained herein, you can help
bring others back into understanding with their fellow man and the world
around them.
Although only a portion of the full technology Mr. Hubbard developed
on this subject is contained here, it is enough to change your approach to
life. And its use will help you flourish in any aspect of human activity.
If lack of understanding is, indeed, a source of man’s problems,
imagine his potentials without this hindrance. Millions of people who
apply this knowledge are reaching heights they once only dreamed of—
and are successfully assisting others to do the same.■
2
AFFINITY, REALITY
AND COMMUNICATION
here are three factors in Scientology which are of the

utmost importance in handling life. These three factors
answer the questions: How should I talk to people?
How can I give new ideas to people? How can I find
what people are thinking about? How can I handle my
work better?
These three factors in Scientology are called the ARC

triangle. The abbreviation ARC (pronounced A-R-C rather than arc) is one of
the most useful terms yet devised.
The ARC triangle is called a triangle because it has three related points.
The first of these points is affinity. The second of these points is reality. The
third of these points and the most important is communication.
These three factors are related. By affinity we mean emotional response.

We mean the feeling of affection or lack of it, of emotion or misemotion
(irrational or inappropriate emotion) connected with life. By reality we mean
the solid objects, the real things of life. By communication we mean an
interchange of ideas between two terminals (persons who can receive, relay
or send a communication). Without affinity there is no reality or
communication. Without reality there is no affinity or communication.
Without communication there is neither affinity nor reality.
Application of the ARC triangle in the day-to-day circumstances one

encounters in life requires an understanding of each of the triangle’s
components and their interrelationship.
3
Affinity is any
emotional attitude
which indicates the
degree of liking for
someone or
something.
Reality is the degree

of agreement
reached by people. It
also includes the
solid objects, the real
things of life.
Communication is
the interchange of
ideas across space.
4
Affinity
The first corner of the triangle is affinity.
The basic definition of affinity is the consideration of distance, whether
good or bad. The most basic function of complete affinity would be the ability
to occupy the same space as something else.
The word affinity is here used to mean love, liking or any other emotional
attitude. Affinity is conceived in Scientology to be something of many facets.
Affinity is a variable quality. Affinity is here used as a word with the context
“degree of liking.”
Man would not be man without affinity. Every animal has affinity to some
degree, but man is capable of feeling an especially large amount. Long before
he organized into cities, he had organized into tribes and clans. Before the
tribes and clans there were undoubtedly packs. Man’s instinctive need for
affinity with his fellow human beings has long been recognized, and his
domestication of other animals shows that this affinity extends also to other
species. One could have guessed that the race which first developed affinity to
its highest degree would become the dominant race on any planet and this has
been borne out.
A child is full of affinity. Not only does he have affinity for his father,
mother, brothers and sisters and his playmates but for his dogs, his cats and
stray dogs that happen to come around. But affinity goes even beyond this.
You can have a feeling of affinity for objects: “I love the way the grain stands
out in that wood.” There is a feeling of oneness with the earth, blue skies, rain,
millponds, cartwheels and bullfrogs which is affinity.
Affinity is never identification (becoming one with another in feeling or
interest) nor does it go quite so far as empathy (the power or state of
imagining oneself to be another person and even share his ideas or feelings).
You remain very much yourself when you have affinity for something but
you also feel the essence of the thing for which you have affinity. You remain
yourself and yet you draw closer to the object for which you have affinity. It
is not a binding quality. There are no strings attached when affinity is given.
To the receiver it carries no duties and no responsibilities. It is pure, easy
and natural and flows out from the individual as easily as sunlight flows
from the sun.
5
Affinity begets affinity. A person who is filled with the quality will
automatically find people anywhere near him also beginning to be filled with
affinity. It is a calming, warming, heartening influence on all who are capable
of receiving and giving it.
One can readily observe the level of affinity between individuals or groups.
For instance, two men talking with each other either are in affinity with each
other or they aren’t. If they are not, they will argue. If they are in affinity with
each other, two other things have to be there: they have to have agreed upon
a reality and they have to be able to communicate that reality to each other.
This brings us to the next corner: reality.
Reality
Reality could be defined as “that which appears to be.” Reality is
fundamentally agreement. What we agree to be real is real.
Reality, physical-universe reality, is sensed through various channels; we see

something with our eyes, we hear something with our ears, we smell something
with our nose, we touch something with our hands, and we decide, then, that
there is something. But the only way we know it is through our senses and those
senses are artificial channels. We are not in direct contact with the physical
universe. We are in contact through our sense channels with it.
Those sense channels can be blunted. For instance, a man loses his
eyesight, and as far as he is concerned there is no light or shape or color or
depth perception to the physical universe. It still has a reality to him, but it is
not the same reality as another person’s. In other words, he is unable to
conceive a physical universe completely without sight. One can’t conceive
these things without senses. So the physical universe is seen through these
senses.
Two men can take a look at a table and agree it is a table. It is made out of
wood, it is brown. The men agree to that. Of course, one understands that
when he says “brown” and the other hears “brown,” brown actually to the first
man may be purple but he has agreed that it is brown because all his life
people have been pointing to this color vibration and saying “brown.” It might
really be red to the second man, but he recognizes it as brown. So both men
6
Eyewitnesses at the scene of an accident or crime often present differing accounts of

what occurred. Each person here has a different reality of what happened to a woman
who had her purse snatched.
are in agreement although they might be seeing something different. But they
agree this is brown, this is wood, this is a table. Now a third fellow walks in
the door, comes up and takes a look at this thing and says, “Huh! An
elephant!”
One man says, “It’s a table, see? Elephants are …”
“No, it’s an elephant,” replies the third man.
So the other two men say the third one is crazy. He doesn’t agree with
them. Do they attempt further to communicate with him? No. He doesn’t
agree with them. He has not agreed upon this reality. Are they in affinity with
him? No. They say, “This guy is crazy.” They don’t like him. They don’t want
to be around him.
7
Now let’s say two individuals are arguing, and one says, “That table is
made out of wood,” and the other says, “No, it is not. It’s made out of metal
which is painted to look like wood.” They start arguing about this; they are
trying to reach a point of agreement and they can’t reach this point of
agreement. Another fellow comes up and takes a look at the table and says,
“As a matter of fact, the legs are painted to look like wood, but the top is wood
and it is brown and it is a table.” The first two men then reach an agreement.
They feel an affinity. All of a sudden they feel friendly and they feel friendly
toward the third man. He solved the problem. The two individuals have
reached an agreement and go into communication.
For an individual, reality can only consist of his interpretation of the

sensory perceptions he receives. The comparative unreliability of this data is
clearly shown by the varying reports always received in the description of, say,
an automobile accident. People who have studied this phenomenon report
that there is an amazing degree of difference in the description given of the
same scene by different observers. In other words, the reality of this situation
differed in details for each of the observers. As a matter of fact, there is a wide
area of agreement, extremely wide, the common agreement of mankind. This
is the earth. We are men. The automobiles are automobiles. They are
propelled by the explosion of certain chemicals. The air is the air. The sun is
in the sky. There is usually an agreement that a wreck happened. Beyond this
basic area of agreement there are differing interpretations of reality.
For all practical purposes, reality consists of your perception of it, and
your perception of reality consists, to a large extent, of what you can
communicate with other people.
Communication
The third and most important corner of the ARC triangle is
communication. In human relationships this is more important than the other
two corners of the triangle in understanding the composition of human
relations in this universe. Communication is the solvent for all things. It
dissolves all things.
How do people go into communication with each other?
8
In order for there to be communication, there must be agreement and

affinity. In order for there to be affinity, there must be agreement on reality
and communication. In order for there to be reality and agreement, there must
be affinity and communication—one, two, three. If you knock affinity out,
communication and reality go. If you knock reality out, communication and
affinity will go. If you knock communication out, they will all go.
There are several ways to block a communication line (the route along
which a communication travels from one person to another). One is to cut it,
another one is to make it so painful that the person receiving it will cut it, and
another one is to put so much on it that it jams. Those are three very
important things to know about a communication line. Also, that
communication must be good communication: the necessary data sent in the
necessary direction and received.
All that communication will be about, by the way, is reality and affinity
concerning the physical universe. Discussions will be whether there is or is
not affinity, or whether there is or is not agreement and where the agreement
is particularly disagreed with on the physical universe.
Affinity can be built up in a number of ways. You can talk to people and
build up an affinity with them. But remember this is communication, not just
talk. There are many, many ways to communicate. Two people can sit and
look at each other and be in communication. One of the ways to go into
communication is by tactile, the sense of touch. You can pet a cat, and the cat
all of a sudden starts to purr; you are in communication with the cat. You can
reach out and shake a person’s hand and you are in communication with him
because tactile has taken place. The old-school boys with the tooth-and-claw
idea that “everybody hates everybody really, and everybody is on the defensive
and that is why we have to force everybody into being social animals” said that
the reason men shake hands is to show there is no weapon in the hand. No, it
is a communication. In France, Italy, Spain and so forth they throw their arms
around each other; there is lots of contact and that contact is communication.
If a person is badly out of communication and you reach out and pat him
on the shoulder and he dodges slightly (he considers all things painful) even
though he doesn’t go on, you will find he is also out of communication
vocally. You try to say something to him. “You know, I think that’s a pretty
9
If one corner of the

ARC triangle is
knocked out the
remaining corners
also get knocked out.
Here, a child
cheerfully approaches
his mother to give her C
flowers.
R
A
Preoccupied with
housework, the
mother ignores the
child’s communication,
which becomes
knocked out, followed
soon after by less
affinity and less
reality. C
R A
good project, Project 342A, and I think we ought to go along with it.” He will
sit there and look at you and nod, and then he will go down and complete
Project 36.
You say, “Project 36 has just been thrown out. We weren’t going to go
through with that at all,” but he hardly knows you are talking to him. He
dodges everything you say. Or he may talk to you so hard and so long you
don’t get a chance to tell him you want to do Project 342A. That is dodging
you, too. In other words, he is out of communication with you. Therefore his
affinity is low and he won’t agree with you either. But if you can get him into
agreement, communication will pick up and affinity will pick up.
10
This is about the most important data run across in the field of
interpersonal relations.
You can take any group of men working on a project and take one look at
the foreman and the men and tell whether or not these people are in
communication with one another. If they aren’t, they are not working as a
coordinated team. They are not in communication, perhaps, because they are
not agreed on what they are doing.
All you have to do is take the group, put them together and say, “What are
you guys doing?” You don’t ask the foreman, you ask the whole group and the
foreman, “What are you guys doing?”
One fellow says, “I’m earning forty dollars a week. That’s what I’m doing.”
Another one says, “Well, I’m glad to get out of the house every day. The old
woman’s pretty annoying.” Another one says, “As a matter of fact, I
occasionally get to drive the truck over there and I like to drive the truck, and
I’ll put up with the rest of this stuff. I drive the truck, and I’ve got to work
anyhow.” Another man might say, if he were being honest, “I’m staying on this
job because I hate this dog that you’ve got here as a foreman. If I can devote
my life to making him miserable, boy, that makes me happy.”
All the time you thought that those men thought they were grading a road.
Not one of them thought they were grading a road. You thought they were
building a road. Not one of them was building a road; not one of them was
even grading.
This crew may be unhappy and inefficient, but you get them together and
you say, “Well, you know, some day a lot of cars will go over this road. Maybe
they’ll wreck themselves occasionally and so forth, but a lot of cars will go
over this road. You boys are building a road. It’s a pretty hard job, but
somebody’s got to do it. A lot of people will thank you boys for having built
this road. I know you don’t care anything about that, but that’s really what we
are doing around here. Now, I’d like a few suggestions from you people about
how we could build this road a little bit better.” All of a sudden the whole crew
is building a road. Affinity, reality and communication go right up.
11
THE ARC TRIANGLE

Every point on the ARC triangle is dependent on the other two, and every
two are dependent on one. One can’t cut down one without cutting down the
other two, and one can’t rehabilitate one without rehabilitating the other two.
On the positive side, one can rehabilitate any point on the triangle by
rehabilitating any other point on it.
The interrelationship of the triangle becomes apparent at once when one
asks, “Have you ever tried to talk to an angry man?” Without a high degree of
liking and without some basis of agreement there is no communication.
Without communication and some basis of emotional response there can be
no reality. Without some basis for agreement and communication there can
be no affinity. Thus we call these three things a triangle. Unless we have two
corners of a triangle, there cannot be a third corner. Desiring any corner of the
triangle, one must include the other two.
The triangle is not an equilateral triangle. Affinity and reality are very
much less important than communication. It might be said that the triangle
begins with communication, which brings into existence affinity and reality.
Since each of these three aspects of existence is dependent on the other
two, anything which affects one of these will also similarly affect the others. It
is very difficult to suffer a reversal of affinity without also suffering a blockage
of communication and a consequent deterioration of reality.
Consider a lovers’ quarrel: One of the pair offers affinity in a certain way
to the other. This affinity is either reversed or not acknowledged. The first
lover feels insulted and begins to break off communication. The second lover,
not understanding this break-off, also feels insulted and makes the break in
communication even wider. The area of agreement between the two inevitably
diminishes and the reality of their relationship begins to go down. Since they
no longer agree on reality, there is less possibility of affinity between them and
the downward spiral goes on.
There are three ways of reversing this spiral. One is through raising of the
necessity level of the individual. Another is by the intervention of some
outside agency which will force the two lovers to agree or communicate. The
third is by Scientology processing.
12
COMMUNICATION
U N D E R S TA N D I N G
REALITY AFFINITY
Affinity, reality and communication form the ARC triangle, with each point dependent
upon the other two. These are the component parts of understanding.
13
Scientology processing is a precise, thoroughly codified activity with exact

procedures. It is a very unique form of personal counseling which helps an
individual look at his own existence and improves his ability to confront what
he is and where he is.
Unless one of these three ways of reversing the spiral is utilized, eventually
all of the reality of the relationship which had grown up between this pair of
lovers would vanish and both of the people would be damaged in their total
reality, their total ability to communicate, their total capacity for affinity.
Fortunately the spiral works both ways. Anything which will raise the
level of affinity will also increase the ability to communicate and add to the
perception of reality.
Falling in love is a good example of the raising of the ability to

communicate and of a heightened sense of reality occasioned by a sudden
increase in affinity. If it has happened to you, you will remember the
wonderful smell of the air, the feeling of affection for the good solid ground,
the way in which the stars seemed to shine brighter and the sudden new
ability in expressing yourself.
If you have ever been alone, and in a dwindling spiral, only to have the
telephone ring and the voice of a friend come across, you will have
experienced the halting of a downward spiral through a lift in
communication. This is particularly true if the friend happens to be a person
with whom you converse easily and who seems to understand the
communication which you try to give him. After such an experience, you are
probably aware of a great deal more interest in the things around you (reality)
and the increase of the feelings of affinity within you.
A troopship was slowly approaching the Golden Gate Bridge filled with
troops who had been overseas for several months. As the ship slowly
approached the bridge, all on board grew very quiet until at last no one was
talking at all. Suddenly, as though by prearranged signal, just as the bow of
the ship cleared the bridge, the men standing there broke into a tremendous
cheer which carried on down the length of the ship as she went under the
bridge. Suddenly everyone was talking to everyone excitedly. Men who
scarcely knew each other were pounding each other on the back as though
they were brothers. America regained some of its reality for these men and
communication and affinity suddenly went up. Fast!
14
A person’s ARC can

be in a low state…
R A
…but can be
raised rapidly by
communication from
someone with whom
ARC is high.
R A
Affinity, reality and communication are part of everyday life—from a child

going to school, through familial relations to governing a nation. And
ignorance of their existence and application is equally as widespread;
otherwise, one would not be continually swamped with the daily news of
turmoil, strife and suffering due simply to lack of understanding.
However, knowledge of these components will only carry one so far. They
must be applied. But how is that done?
15
How to Raise ARC
A principal application of ARC is to increase affinity,

reality and communication, and thus understanding,
between oneself and another. How does one talk to
somebody else?
The way to do this is to establish reality by finding

something with which you and the other person
agree.
Ph o
tog
rap
h y
Photo
grap
h y
Then you attempt to maintain as high an affinity

level as possible by knowing there is something
you can like about him.
All three corners of

the ARC triangle
will have been
established and
you are then able
to talk to him.
Understanding
will be possible
because the three
components of
life—affinity,
reality and
communication—
are present.
17
HOW TO USE
THE ARC TRIANGLE
Given these principles of the ARC triangle and its components, how would
you talk to a man?
You cannot talk adequately to a man if you are in a subapathy (a state of

disinterest below apathy) condition. In fact, you would not talk to him at all.
You would have to have a little higher affinity than that to discuss things with
anyone. Your ability to talk to any given man has to do with your emotional
response to any given man. Anyone has different emotional responses to
different people around him. In view of the fact that two terminals, or, that is
to say, two people, are always involved in communication, one could see that
someone else would have to be somewhat real. If one does not care about
other people at all, one will have a great deal of difficulty talking to them, that
is certain. The way to talk to a man, then, would be to find something to like
about him and to discuss something with which he can agree. This is the
downfall of most new ideas: One does not discuss subjects with which the
other person has any point of agreement at all. And we come to a final factor
with regard to reality.
That with which we agree tends to be more real than that with which we
do not agree. There is a definite coordination between agreement and reality.
Those things are real which we agree are real. Those things are not real which
we agree are not real. On those things upon which we disagree we have very
little reality. An experiment based on this would be an even joking discussion
between two men of a third man who is present. The two men agree on
something with which the third man cannot agree. The third man will drop in
emotional tone and will actually become less real to the two people who are
discussing him.
How do you talk to a man then? You establish reality by finding something
with which you both agree. Then you attempt to maintain as high an affinity
level as possible by knowing there is something you can like about him. And
you are then able to talk with him. If you do not have the first two conditions,
18
it is fairly certain that the third condition will not be present, which is to say,
you will not be able to talk to him easily.
Affinity, reality and communication are interdependent one upon the

other, and when one drops the other two drop also. When one rises the other
two rise also. It is only necessary to improve one corner of this very valuable
triangle in Scientology in order to improve the remaining two corners. It is
only necessary to improve two corners of the triangle to improve the third.
Understanding
Understanding is compounded of affinity, reality and communication.
When an individual’s understanding is great, his ARC is quite high, and when
an individual’s ability to understand is small, his ARC is accordingly small.
When we have raised these three parts we have raised somebody’s

understanding. It is use of the ARC triangle which accomplishes this.
This triangle is the keystone of living associations. It is the common

denominator of all life activities. Its use means a greater understanding of life
itself.■
19
PRACTICAL EXERCISES
The following exercises will help you understand ARC better and increase
your ability to apply it.
1 Look around the environment and spot ten instances where an

individual is displaying affinity.
2 Look around the environment and spot ten examples where two or more
individuals have reality on something.
3 Look around the environment and spot ten examples of communication.
4 Spot more examples of affinity, reality and communication, noticing

how they interrelate. Continue to spot examples of affinity, reality and
communication as above until you clearly see the relationship between
these and are sure that each depends on the other two.
5 Using the data you have learned about the ARC triangle, raise the reality
between yourself and another person. Establish reality by finding
something with which you and the other person agree. Repeat this with
different people as many times as needed until you can raise reality
between yourself and another with ease.
6 Using the data you have learned about the ARC triangle, increase the
affinity between yourself and another person. Find something you can like
about the person, and note the difference in affinity you have for the
person as a result. Repeat this with different people as many times as
needed until you can raise affinity between yourself and another with ease.
7 Using the data you have learned about the ARC triangle, raise the
communication level between yourself and another person. Repeat this
with other people, over and over, until you are confident you can raise
the communication level between yourself and others.
8 Using the data you have learned about the ARC triangle, raise the ARC
between yourself and another person. Repeat this with other people,
over and over, until you are confident you can raise ARC between
yourself and others.
20
Chap 3 Results.fm Page 21 Monday, September 24, 2001 10:33 PM
RESULTS FROM APPLICATION

Those who know and use the compo- A court reporter in Los Angeles was
nents of understanding—affinity, reality having tremendous difficulty getting
and communication—gain control over along with her parents. She had upset
situations that, without this knowledge, them and, consequently, could no
could leave them impotent to act. The longer face them and had stopped
mechanics of ARC are simple yet powerful communicating with them. Her father
when used to resolve aspects of life. sent letters which expressed upset with
her and which, in turn, upset her
In dealing with others, whether it be immensely since she loved and respected
creating new relationships, maintaining her parents. A friend came along about
good relationships or repairing those this time and showed her L. Ron
that have gone awry, the use of the ARC Hubbard’s materials on ARC to help her
triangle is the key that unlocks with this situation. Here is what came to
previously closed doors to harmony and pass:
understanding.
“My parents and I had become more
Lovers’ spats, relatives who won’t speak to and more estranged. This data from Mr.
one for years, angry bosses, “natural” Hubbard showed me exactly what was
antipathies, the generation gap, all wrong and gave me a very easy-to-apply
dissolve under the soothing balm of ARC. solution. I was able to communicate with
Once learned, the use of the ARC triangle my parents without upsetting them by
is never forgotten or left unused; it swiftly establishing reality with them. After that,
becomes a way of handling life. Those my dad wrote to me and for the first time
who use it say they couldn’t imagine ever in my life, said, ‘I love you.’ I could
surviving without. That it is one of the have died of happiness. Applying this data
“ABCs” of life is reflected in the examples not only restored our relationship, it made it
that follow. warmer than it had ever been.”
RELATIONSHIPS
The zing had gone out of the
77.7% marriage of a couple with five
Have A recent survey reflects
honest how people consider children. A friend of theirs listened
67.3% friends it vital to improve to the wife complaining that they
Have I trust
57.9% close understanding in their no longer had anything in common
Improve friends relations with others, have
under- close friends and friends and were drifting apart. She decided
standing that one can trust. By
in to do something to help both the
applying the data in this
relations
with booklet, numerous children and the couple.
people individuals have overcome
the barriers that have kept “To do something about this, I told
them
from achieving better my friend about the ARC triangle, and
relations. went over all the parts of it with her.
21
She realized that she and her husband were achieve them. He realized when talking to
not in communication and had no common me that the abandonment of his goals had
reality anymore. She was involved with probably led him into doing drugs in the
raising her five children, while he was first place. After that, my brother handled
involved with work. It was quite different his drug problem and began to take even
from when they courted as teenagers. more positive actions to improve his life. He
previously had gone from one relationship to
“So we worked out a solution. They another for years, but after that, he actually
went out, just the two of them. She used the settled down and got married. Our
tools of the ARC triangle to get in relationship improved from that point and
communication with her husband about he now respects me for what I do.”
points of common reality, which started with
a movie that they had seen together. From
that point, they got into further
By the end of high school, a young
man had transformed from being an
communication with one another and the extroverted, happy teenager to an
marriage improved and continued to introverted and miserable one. Abilities
improve. It was really great to be able to use he had enjoyed previously, such as the
such a basic and simple tool to keep a family simple ability to help people just by
with five children together.” listening to them, and a native ability to
I n Los Angeles, a young woman had a cheer people up and make them feel good
about themselves—all of these seemed to
troubled relationship with her brother.
Since childhood they had always picked have vanished by the time he graduated
on each other, clashing constantly. Her school. He was using drugs and was
brother had become involved with hard confused and losing.
drugs and grew more and more critical of
others. The woman, after learning some “I thought I would never get those
of the fundamental principles about abilities back. Then I found Scientology, and
affinity, reality and communication in things changed. I learned about a very
Scientology, decided to handle this simple but powerful principle known as the
relationship and his criticism of her and ARC triangle. Anyone can use this principle
life in general. She applied her new skills in day-to-day living. I found that with it,
and got into communication with him. I could improve any part of my life. I
learned exactly how to use communication
“I applied what I had learned about with other people to increase affinity and
communication and found the exact thing reality and bring about understanding. It
ruining his life. He had been one of the most works. I can help people as never before,
promising athletes in his high-school years, through my new understanding of
but had failed to follow through on his goals. communication and the ARC triangle. There
He told me that he wanted to have things to is such a thing as real help, and real hope, as
strive for in life and that he wanted to long as Scientology is in use by people like
22
you and I. But don’t listen to me—read couldn’t even begin to measure the stress,
L. Ron Hubbard’s books and see for personal bad feelings and upset it’s saved me
yourself!” and others. A definite bonus!”
A n electrician found that the upsets and A Medford, Oregon woman handled an
misunderstandings that can arise in uncomfortable situation in her family
working closely with others could cut not with ease, using the ARC triangle.
only his efficiency, but his satisfaction
with his work. Using the principle of the “For years my brother and sister and I
ARC triangle brought a welcome change dreaded visiting our mother. The reason?
for the better. She would insist that we listen to her long,
drawn out and detailed commentary on the
“I used to have trouble trying to deal
latest article or book she was reading, then
with many of my customers and fellow
expect us to add our own views or
workers. I just ‘didn’t get along with them.’ I
comments. We didn’t dare disagree with her
thought this was just the way life was, and
or it would cause a big upset. We decided the
though I didn’t like it, there didn’t seem to be
best thing to do was just to stay away.
anything I could do about it. I don’t know
how much time I wasted with arguments,
“After studying Mr. Hubbard’s data on
lack of cooperation and misunderstandings.
the ARC triangle, I realized that Mother was
Not to mention the slowdowns that can
just trying to establish some reality between
happen when people who are supposed to be
us. She was lacking anyone to agree with
working together don’t get along. It seems
her, so her ARC had gone down to a very
like anything that can go wrong in such
low point. The next time I saw her I made it
circumstances does go wrong, and that
a point to listen well to what she had to say,
makes matters worse.
then let her know that I really did
“I’ve found repeatedly that when I dis- understand what she was talking about. It
like someone, if I take the time to get into worked like magic! The reality went up,
communication with the person, no matter the affinity went way up and we were able
how ‘minor’ or ‘unimportant’ the subject, the to carry on with some very good
dislike diminishes or just vanishes com- communication for the first time in years.
pletely. It works like magic. This is impor-
tant in my work, where I come into contact “I told my brother and sister what I’d
with quite a lot of people. done and why. Now we have no problem in
communicating with our mother and we’re
“Being able to prevent upsets and all very much happier for it.”
disagreements, or handle them if they do
come up, is invaluable. It has saved me A major improvement in her relationship
hundreds and hundreds of hours that with her father was an English girl’s reward
otherwise would have gone to waste. And I for putting the technology of ARC to work.
23
“A few months ago I saw my father Scientology counseling technology. I was

after I’d been away from home for several amazed at this person’s ability to
years. The last time I’d seen him I was pretty communicate. It was beyond anything I
young and I had never really had much of a had experienced.
meaningful conversation with him. This
time, I had the technology of ARC and I “We became very good friends and I
applied it as we talked. was able to talk to him as I had never talked
to anyone before. I knew he understood
“Though he was happy to see me, it was what I had to say. Once I let him know I
obvious there was something troubling him needed to tell him something that to me was
so I got the conversation around to how he very important and very difficult to talk
was really doing. He told me some of the about. He took me to a quiet place and then
troubles he had run into. This raised my waited patiently as I got my courage up to
reality of what was bothering him, and I let be able to say it. I told him and then
him know I could really understand the experienced from him the most perfect
scene. acknowledgment I could have imagined.
“Just with that simple action he gave “It was totally clear to me that he had
a great sigh of relief, sat up straighter in reality on what I’d said and that he
his seat and looked a lot brighter—like understood it perfectly. And of course the
life wasn’t so impossible to live anymore. I affinity between us at that point was
would swear he looked at least two years tremendous. I appreciated him and his
younger! I don’t think anyone had actu- ability beyond belief. It was another
ally understood his communication and demonstration for me of the power of the
acknowledged it in a long time. ARC triangle.”
“For the remaining few days of our
visit, we could talk about anything, just like
Knowing that communication is the
universal solvent and that real friendship
talking with an old friend. Our reality and
is based on ARC, a German Boy Scout
affinity for each other soared. It was great!”
was able to resolve an upset that had
T he principle of the ARC triangle forms shattered his friendship with another boy.
the basis for any close relationship, as a
“I had a very good friend who was in
Philadelphia woman experienced:
the same Boy Scout troop and he decided to
“Shortly after I began studying leave the group. I was very upset with him
Scientology I had a remarkable experience and was not willing to have much to do with
that demonstrated to me the power of the him anymore; on the other hand I was sad
ARC triangle. because we had been very good friends.
“I made a new friend, a person who “One afternoon his brother wanted to
had done some professional training in go to the movies with the two of us.
24
“I reluctantly agreed, then decided talk too much with people; however, after
‘Okay. I am just going to get back into ARC reading about ARC, I was getting in real
with him and find out exactly what communication and exchange of ideas and
happened and tell him honestly how it upset feelings with other people.
me when he left our scout group.’
“The funny thing is that I started to
“I told him all that and immediately felt gain more and more reality about myself
much better. He explained to me why he had and others and got to a point where I was in
made that decision. I could now understand control of any situation I was facing.
what had happened because my reality had
increased through communication. Once we “I started to get done what I wanted to
had this upset cleared out of the way we get done, and my ability to predict what was
were the best of friends again.” going to happen became something amazing
to me. I started to communicate with the
A student at Barcelona University was individuals of my class and to get a
constructive viewpoint; people would come
having considerable difficulty dealing
with people and situations. His solution to me to congratulate me just for the mere
was to withdraw from life—until he fact of communicating and putting some
found out about the interrelationship of purpose in the normally apathetic course
affinity, reality and communication. rooms of the university.
“I first learned about ARC several years “Before having any idea of the ARC
ago when I was attending university. I triangle my viewpoint was that the best
realized that I was able to communicate, but solution to all my problems was to become a
my communication was lacking affinity. hermit, get lost in an isolated farm, or in a
When I understood what affinity was, I classroom teaching literature, and ignore
started to put more in my communication what is going on in this world. From an
with others and to look at them from introverted and passive attitude I changed to
another viewpoint. one that is positive and dynamic. Just by
understanding what affinity is. I feel affinity
“I immediately saw that the affinity for people and I feel affinity for this planet.
that I was putting there was coming back And I know that if more persons understand
multiplied by ten. It might seem something this data we will be able to create a place
normal, but for me it was quite miraculous. where all can be truly happy. Which, after
I used to mind my own business and didn’t all, is what we all want.”
25
ABOUT
L. RON HUBBARD
N o more fitting statement typifies the life of L. Ron Hubbard than his
simple declaration: “I like to help others and count it as my greatest
pleasure in life to see a person free himself from the shadows which darken
his days.” Behind these pivotal words stands a lifetime of service to
mankind and a legacy of wisdom that enables anyone to attain
long-cherished dreams of happiness and spiritual freedom.
Born in Tilden, Nebraska on March 13, 1911, his road of discovery and
dedication to his fellows began at an early age. “I wanted other people to be
happy, and could not understand why they weren’t,” he wrote of his youth;
and therein lay the sentiments that would long guide his steps. By the age of
nineteen, he had traveled more than a quarter of a million miles, examining
the cultures of Java, Japan, India and the Philippines.
Returning to the United States in 1929, Ron resumed his formal education
and studied mathematics, engineering and the then new field of nuclear
physics—all providing vital tools for continued research. To finance that
research, Ron embarked upon a literary career in the early 1930s, and soon
became one of the most widely read authors of popular fiction. Yet never
losing sight of his primary goal, he continued his mainline research through
extensive travel and expeditions.
With the advent of World War II, he entered the United States Navy as a
lieutenant (junior grade) and served as commander of antisubmarine
corvettes. Left partially blind and lame from injuries sustained during
combat, he was diagnosed as permanently disabled by 1945. Through
application of his theories on the mind, however, he was not only able to
help fellow servicemen, but also to regain his own health.
After five more years of intensive research, Ron’s discoveries were
presented to the world in Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. The
first popular handbook on the human mind expressly written for the man in
the street, Dianetics ushered in a new era of hope for mankind and a new
26
phase of life for its author. He did, however, not cease his research, and as
breakthrough after breakthrough was carefully codified through late 1951,
the applied religious philosophy of Scientology was born.
Because Scientology explains the whole of life, there is no aspect of man’s

existence that L. Ron Hubbard’s subsequent work did not address. Residing
variously in the United States and England, his continued research brought
forth solutions to such social ills as declining educational standards and
pandemic drug abuse.
All told, L. Ron Hubbard’s works on Scientology and Dianetics total forty
million words of recorded lectures, books and writings. Together, these
constitute the legacy of a lifetime that ended on January 24, 1986. Yet the
passing of L. Ron Hubbard in no way constituted an end; for with a hundred
million of his books in circulation and millions of people daily applying his
technologies for betterment, it can truly be said the world still has no greater
friend.■
27
GLOSSARY
acknowledge: give (someone) an acknowl- misemotional would be synonymous with
edgment. See also acknowledgment in this being irrational. One can fairly judge the
glossary. rationality of any individual by the correct-
acknowledgment: something said or done ness of the emotion he displays in a given set
to inform another that his statement or of circumstances. To be joyful and happy
action has been noted, understood and when circumstances call for joy and happi-
received. ness would be rational. To display grief
without sufficient present time cause would
affinity: love, liking or any other emotional be irrational.
attitude; the degree of liking. The basic
definition of affinity is the consideration of processing: a special form of personal
distance, whether good or bad. counseling, unique in Scientology, which
ARC triangle: a triangle which is a sym- helps an individual look at his own exist-
bol of the fact that affinity, reality and ence and improves his ability to confront
communication act together to bring about what he is and where he is. Processing is a
understanding. No point of the triangle can precise, thoroughly codified activity with
be raised without also raising the other two exact procedures.
points, and no point of it can be lowered
without also lowering the other two points. reality: that which appears to be. Reality
is fundamentally agreement; the degree of
communication: an interchange of ideas agreement reached by people. What we
across space between two individuals. agree to be real is real.
communication line: the route along
which a communication travels from one Scientology: an applied religious philoso-
person to another. phy developed by L. Ron Hubbard. It is the
study and handling of the spirit in relation-
confront: to face without flinching or ship to itself, universes and other life. The
avoiding. The ability to confront is actually
word Scientology comes from the Latin scio,
the ability to be there comfortably and
which means “know” and the Greek word
perceive.
logos, meaning “the word or outward form
misemotion: irrational or inappropriate by which the inward thought is expressed
emotion. It is a coined word taken from mis- and made known.” Thus, Scientology means
(wrong) + emotion. To say that a person was knowing about knowing.
misemotional would indicate that the person
did not display the emotion called for by the terminal: a person, point or position which
actual circumstances of the situation. Being can receive, relay or send a communication.
28
Chap 12.book Page 29 Saturday, September 15, 2001 11:46 PM
Bridge Publications, Inc. NEW ERA is a trademark and service mark.

4751 Fountain Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029 Bridge Publications, Inc. is a registered trademark and
ISBN 0-88404-910-8 service mark in California and it is owned by
Bridge Publications, Inc.
©1994, 2001 L. Ron Hubbard Library. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America
Any unauthorized copying, translation, duplication,
importation or distribution, in whole or in part, by any means,
including electronic copying, storage or transmission,
is a violation of applicable laws.
Scientology, Dianetics, Celebrity Centre, L. Ron Hubbard,
Flag, Freewinds, the L. Ron Hubbard Signature, the Scientology
Cross (rounded) and the Scientology Cross (pointed) are ®
trademarks and service marks owned by Religious Technology An L. RON HUBBARD Publication
Center and are used with its permission.
29
Inside Back Cover.fm Page 1 Saturday, September 15, 2001 5:48 AM
THE SCIENTOLOGY HANDBOOK

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO BUILDING A BETTER WORLD
Effective actions to take
to assist the ill
The exact formula of and injured
communication and how to
apply it effectively Workable rules for creating
a successful marriage
The principles of how to The reasons people
raise happy children turn to drugs and alcohol
and what to do to help them
The laws of predicting
human behavior Fundamental ethics
technology to restore honesty
Basic methods of
and integrity in the world
increasing efficiency
at work The three components
The fundamentals of understanding and how
of how to set and they apply to life
achieve goals
The law that underlies
unresolving conflicts and
Over 900 pages with more how to use it
than 700 photographs and illustrations
The booklet you have just read was taken children, handle dissident elements in the society,
from The Scientology Handbook which contains get families flourishing and prospering, solve
many other basic principles and techniques from human conflict, eliminate illiteracy, resolve drug
Scientology applied religious philosophy. and alcohol problems and much, much more. It is
Scientology embraces all of life and provides the key reference used by Volunteer Ministers in
the individual with a step-by-step road that leads their crusade to build a better world by helping
one to spiritual freedom and higher states of their fellow man.
existence. Study The Scientology Handbook and gain
Many people want to help others and would if practical knowledge you can use to help yourself
only they knew what to do. The Scientology and others improve conditions in life, the
Handbook fills that need. It provides miracle- environment, the community—in fact, the world.
working Scientology technology on how to Put to use, the technology contained in this
preserve marriages, straighten out delinquent book will change your life.
BUY THE SCIENTOLOGY HANDBOOK

Enroll on The Scientology Handbook Extension Course. Send in your lessons and
receive certification upon completion. Available at your local Church of Scientology.
You can order direct from the publisher: Bridge Publications, Inc., 4751 Fountain Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029
or call 1-800-722-1733 www.bridgepub.com

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Chap 3.

book Page 1 Monday, September 24, 2001 9:01 PM

T he self-improvement shelves of bookstores, the airwaves and self-help

here are three factors in Scientology which are of the

These three factors in Scientology are called the ARC

These three factors are related. By affinity we mean emotional response.

Application of the ARC triangle in the day-to-day circumstances one

Reality is the degree

This brings us to the next corner: reality.

Reality, physical-universe reality, is sensed through various channels; we see

Eyewitnesses at the scene of an accident or crime often present differing accounts of

One man says, “It’s a table, see? Elephants are …”

“No, it’s an elephant,” replies the third man.

For an individual, reality can only consist of his interpretation of the

How do people go into communication with each other?

In order for there to be communication, there must be agreement and

If one corner of the

THE ARC TRIANGLE

Scientology processing is a precise, thoroughly codified activity with exact

Falling in love is a good example of the raising of the ability to

A person’s ARC can

Affinity, reality and communication are part of everyday life—from a child

How to Raise ARC

A principal application of ARC is to increase affinity,

The way to do this is to establish reality by finding

Then you attempt to maintain as high an affinity

All three corners of

You cannot talk adequately to a man if you are in a subapathy (a state of

Affinity, reality and communication are interdependent one upon the

When we have raised these three parts we have raised somebody’s

This triangle is the keystone of living associations. It is the common

1 Look around the environment and spot ten instances where an

3 Look around the environment and spot ten examples of communication.

4 Spot more examples of affinity, reality and communication, noticing

RESULTS FROM APPLICATION

“A few months ago I saw my father Scientology counseling technology. I was

Because Scientology explains the whole of life, there is no aspect of man’s

Bridge Publications, Inc. NEW ERA is a trademark and service mark.

THE SCIENTOLOGY HANDBOOK

BUY THE SCIENTOLOGY HANDBOOK

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