A variation of technique which is of value to the auditor is "positive processing." This consists of addressing the theta on the case and bringing it to view. The auditor may become so engrossed in addressing entheta directly that he may overlook the fact that theta may be buried under the entheta. By looking for and bringing to view the theta, the auditor may improve the preclear’s tone considerably.
Below many areas of entheta on a track there may be what we could call deposits of theta. The theta of the auditor and preclear addressed to such deposits of theta will disenturbulate the entheta which may overlie such moments.
Pleasure moments are, one could say, deposits of theta. Such deposits assist the conversion of entheta to theta. The running of pleasure moments then materially assists the raising of tone. One can use this in many ways and all these ways could be grouped under "positive processing." There are probably innumerable variations of positive processing. The running of a pleasure moment just as though it were an engram, until all perceptics are recovered, is just one instance of positive processing. The scanning of chains of pleasure moments is another variation. The running of "future pleasure moments" ties in the imagination but is just another variation of positive processing. Affinity, reality and communication can be used to excellent advantage in positive processing. The auditor, in this instance, is not looking for ARC locks when ARC was enforced or inhibited. He is looking for moments when they existed. By straight memory the auditor causes the preclear to recall moments when he actually felt he was receiving or giving affinity or communication, or actually experiencing reality. The preclear fairly well down the scale may have to search for some time before he can recall an instance when he actually felt affinity for something or some person or actually felt he was receiving affinity. Similarly, the preclear may have difficulty finding a moment of actual communication -- he may be in an audience or talking with a friend or even simply talking to a dog. Further, the auditor should remember that communication extends to perception and that actually seeing something or recalling that something was heard or felt may discover a theta deposit. Causing the preclear to recall something he knew was truly real or even recall somebody agreeing thoroughly with him is another instance of positive processing.
Straight memory on ARC positives is very valuable on low- tone cases. Further it is valuable in any case as a means of ending a session. The auditor will find sometimes that when he gives positive processing he will get yawns from the preclear. This is particularly true of scanning pleasure moments. These yawns indicate that the preclear has pleasure suppressors -- that something makes him feel guilty for experiencing pleasure. By some standards, not survival ones, pleasure is seen to be wicked and the engrams of the preclear will be found to contain admonitions against pleasure.
Occasionally the auditor will find a preclear breaking into tears under positive processing. Here, evidently (though several opinions could be advanced) the suppression of pleasure is such that the overlying entheta is of the same value as that in a secondary engram. The tears of relief signify the progress of the preclear up from apathy through grief in certain incidents. For any incident, irrespective of the preclear’s tone, has its own position on the tone scale and, as it is reduced, comes up the scale in stages.
There was once a whole philosophy devoted to pleasure -- hedonism. Survival is pleasure, but idle satisfaction of the senses without plan or progress toward any goal is itself (like Aesop’s grasshopper) destructive in the long run. It was this idle and purposeless gratification of the senses at which the moralist raged -- and with considerable justification. But better terminology should have been used. Pleasure is something neither man nor a civilization can do without -- its omission results in succumbing. In that happiness can be found to be the overcoming of not unknowable obstacles toward a known goal or the contemplation of goals, one can see that idle pleasure would have to be static or destructive sensual gratification. Pleasure is seldom idle in that sense, but it is as often lazy and relaxing as it is dynamic and constructive. Man cannot live without it. And the auditor, using positive processing will find it a helpful ally.
The goal of processing is to raise the individual on the tone scale. Part of this procedure is the running out of all engrams in order to make the rise permanent. But the important thing is the rise itself. The behavior of a 4.0, or even a 3.5 is so far superior to normal human behavior, the ability of these higher levels to provide happiness, accomplishment, creation, and joy in living is so great, that we tend to think of them as distant goals simply because they are so high. But they are not so distant. Even as this book is completed, new methods, new approaches to a case are developing which make the higher ranges of the tone scale easier to reach for more and more cases. The validation or positive approach to the case, the advent of dynamic straight wire (in which the effect of each dynamic on every other discovers all possible locks), the discovery of the fundamental nature of MEST locks and the development of MEST technique, are but some of the new things that are coming off the "drawing boards." Dianetics does not rest or stay, it does not flag or halt. As the auditor and preclear continue their progress up the tone scale, they may be encouraged not only by their own successes but also by the fact that as they approach the goal, it is approaching them. A fact which has been forgotten in this time of war and spiritual pestilence is that there have been times in man’s history and pre- history when he has succeeded. It has not all been gloom and hopelessness, else we would not be here today -- even as poorly as we are. Men have lived to conquer all other forms of life, from the mastodon to the microbe. Men have lived to build walls and roads and pyramids which have defied the elements for thousands of years. Men have lived to write music which has pleased the gods and lines which have made the angels sigh and the devil weep. This is a time for man to succeed again. Here is the word, the technology, the goal. The job is cut out: and its name is Survive!