[dropcaps]L.[/dropcaps] Ron Hubbard was an American science fiction writer and pioneer of the Church of Scientology. Considered a child prodigy in his youth (able to read and write by age four), Hubbard received tutoring from his mother; this allowed Hubbard to explore unique educational experiences rare for a boy his age, such as befriending Blackfoot Indian tribes at the age of 6, becoming the youngest Eagle Scout at age 13, and studying Freudian theory under Naval Commander Joseph C. Thompson that same year.
In 1927, at the age of 19, Hubbard embarked on his first of many journeys to Asia. It was here he noticed that despite the wisdom of the ancient texts and religions of the East, there was still not a clear answer to as why the miseries of the human condition still existed, observing beggars barely surviving and children in rags. Hubbard’s determination to discover the answers pertaining humanity would develop as he returned to the United States, enrolling in George Washington University and authoring over 200 science fiction novels.
In 1945, he was hospitalized at Oak Knoll Naval Hospital in Oakland, CA after serving as Navy Lieutenant in World War II. It was during his recovery that he took the opportunity to experiment with the theory that mental blocks can prevent medical treatments from working effectively. He found this theory to work well on not only himself, but hundreds of other patients he shared his theory with. These procedures would be formally developed as “Dianetics,” eventually giving birth to Scientology today.
The Facts
Name: Lafayette Ron Hubbard
Who: science fiction author, founder of Scientology
Date of birth: March 13, 1911 in Tilden, Nebraska
Date of death: January 24, 1986 in Creston, California
Sources:
• Lronhubbard.com. L. Ron Hubbard. Web. 21 Feb. 2014
• Miller, Russell. Bare-faced Messiah: the true story of L. Ron Hubbard. London: Joseph,
1987. Print.