L. Ron Hubbard

Early Life

L. Ron Hubbard was born on 13 March 1911 in Tilden, Nebraska — in the heart of the Great Plains. He grew up in a period of American expansion and exploration. His grandfather operated a large cattle ranch in Montana, and young Hubbard spent much of his early youth riding horses, exploring the frontier, and learning from the ranchers, cowboys, and Native Americans of the region.

By the age of nineteen, Hubbard had traveled over a quarter of a million miles, including expeditions to Asia where he studied and observed a wide range of cultures and philosophies. These experiences gave him an unusually broad perspective on the human condition.

Writing Career

Before founding Dianetics and Scientology, Hubbard was a prolific and successful writer. He published hundreds of stories and novels across multiple genres — adventure, science fiction, mystery, and western. He was one of the most widely read authors of the 1930s and 1940s, writing for publications such as Astounding Science Fiction, Argosy, and Thrilling Adventures.

His writing career was not merely a livelihood but a laboratory — through fiction, he explored questions about the mind, human behavior, and the nature of existence that would later form the basis of his research.

Dianetics

In May 1950, Hubbard published Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. The book became an immediate bestseller, reaching the top of the New York Times bestseller list. It presented a practical approach to understanding the mind and eliminating the sources of unwanted sensations, emotions, and psychosomatic illness.

Dianetics introduced the concept of the reactive mind — a portion of the mind that records painful experiences (called engrams) and plays them back under similar circumstances, causing irrational behavior and physical illness. The practice of Dianetics auditing provided a means for individuals to locate and address these recordings.

The Wichita Foundation (in Wichita, Kansas — less than three hours from the Great Plains region AOGP serves) was one of the early centers for Dianetics research and practice, making this region historically significant to the development of the subject.

Scientology

Building on the discoveries of Dianetics, Hubbard continued his research into the nature of the human spirit. In 1952, he identified that the individual is not a mind or a body, but a spiritual being — which he termed a thetan. This discovery led to the founding of Scientology as a religious philosophy and practice.

The first Church of Scientology was founded in 1953. Over the next three decades, Hubbard developed a comprehensive body of work including:

• The Bridge to Total Freedom (the Grade Chart) — a precise path of spiritual advancement
• Study Technology — methods for effective learning
• The Ethics and Justice system — tools for personal integrity and group survival
• The Organizing Board — a system for structuring groups and organizations
• Hundreds of books, over 3,000 recorded lectures, and thousands of written policy letters and technical bulletins

The Great Plains Connection

The Advanced Organization of the Great Plains is situated in a region with deep historical ties to the development of Dianetics and Scientology. The Wichita Foundation, established in the early 1950s, was instrumental in the early growth of the subject. AOGP carries forward the tradition of delivering standard technology in this historically significant area.

Legacy

L. Ron Hubbard passed away on 24 January 1986, leaving behind one of the largest bodies of written and recorded work by a single author in history. His research spans over 5,000 writings and more than 3,000 recorded lectures.

AOGP is committed to preserving and delivering the technology exactly as Hubbard developed it — without alteration, addition, or deletion.