CONNECTEDNESS AND MATCHED TERMINALS

by Frank Gordon USA

In the previous Another Look at Basics-#16 in IVy 35, "Connectedness and Havingness," we saw that under the Reality Scale,(1) Hubbard related Connectedness(2) to Havingness,(3) and narrowed its meaning to: "the basic process on association of theta with mest." He then, as was his practice, applied this concept of Connectedness directly by: "Get the idea of making (indicated object) connect with you" in order to make the pc more self-determined about connections, and improve his abiliy to run Havingness.

I didn't see, at first, how closely related Connectedness was to Havingness until I realized that the idea of making something connect with me included getting the idea of owning, possessing, or having it.

Hubbard's Bulletins often have the flavour of laboratory notes; where he looks for something, finds it, formulates it to his satisfaction, and then moves briskly on. He did this with Connectedness, but brief as his mention of it was, there is an important basic embodied in "Get the idea of making that connect with you."

In order to resist, fight or struggle with something (i.e., have a game), I must first have it, and make it (or let it) connect with me. Also, Connectedness can be expanded by: "Get the idea of making that (object, body, physical universe, etc.) connect with you." Further exploration reveals the reverse flow to "clearing, exteriorizing from, or getting rid of something." For example, running Connectedness revealed my own computation: "I've got to hold on to it, in order to work on getting rid of it." Fascinating.

Looking at connectedness and matched terminals

Hubbard also wrote briefly about Matched Terminals, and we can look at these together with Connectednes to form a more general combined concept.(4) To do this, let's go back to May-June 1953, where Hubbard, again briefly, explored the phenomena of Matched Terminals.

Hubbard describes them by: "the way one does Matched Terminals is to have the preclear facing the preclear or his father facing his father (using mock-ups); in other words, two of each of anything, one facing the other. These two things will discharge one into the other. Thus running off the difficulty."(5)

I have not found an exact reference, but I believe the general principle is that flow or discharge occurs on the recognition of a similarity, and ceases on the recognition of a difference. Another advantage of using Matched Terminals is that they help free fixed attention from an Only One.(6), If we apply Matched Terminals to postulates, we can consider several different kinds of matches.

Shared postulates

Shared postulates (agreements) are duplicates. A says, "Life can be beautiful."(7) B replies, "But not when my mother-in-law is around." Then A says, "I didn't say life is ALWAYS beautiful, I said it CAN be." Finally B agrees, "OK, I'll go along with that; Life CAN be beautiful."

So communication can be viewed as the establishment of matched terminals (or shared postulates). The sender has the intention of getting the receiver to duplicate his idea. If the connection is successful, matched terminal phenomena results. Flow occurs and discharges on a similarity, so that the communication is self-clearing.

Opposing postulates

The simplest pair of opposing postulates is some variation of "You will! - "I won't!" - "You will! - "Make me!" with a resulting game requiring the development of strategies,(8) tactics, and tricks (including service facsimiles); along with the use of force and undue influence(9).

In the case of opposing postulates, it is likely that the line between the terminals will massify into a formidable LINE-Biff!Pow!Bang!-RIDGE. In this case, Double Terminaling(10) might be appropriate, where the lines themselves (the mess they've made) are discharged against one another.
 

Complementary postulates

Here one postulate requires another to complete it.(11) A good example is a communication which requires both a sender and a receiver to be completed. A: "I want to say something." B: "I want to hear what you have to say."

Using complementary postulates with other processes

My first contact with a complementary postulate occurred while I was doing Tone 40 on an ashtray at a Congress. I was plowing in. Ron came up and told me, "Put the thought in that ashtray that it wants to be thanked." I did so, and laughed.(12)

Thus, Ron had me place what Dennis Stephens later called a pan-determined or complementary postulate.(13) This was helpful. I've also found it helpful when running havingness to pair up my postulate's "could have" with the chosen object's postulate of "could be had." This gives a nice flow.

Other pairs may be workable: "To confront" and "To be confonted." "To contribute to," and "To be contributed to," and so on.

Complementary exchanges

Man: "I need some oxygen." Tree: "Here is some." Tree: "I need some carbon dioxide." Man: "Here is some." This kind of mutual exchange is characteristic of many forms of symbiosis.(14)

Summary

Does considering Connectedness and Matched Terminals together help establish an additional alignment of the data of Scientology as per Logic 10? I think it does.

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1 Given here again for your convenience. The Reality Scale: Postulate, Consideration (continuing postulate),  Agreement (shared consideration), Terminals as solids or masses (proof of the consideration), Lines, then "No terminal, no line." He related this Scale to the CCHs. Tech Vol III, p.139.

2 Connectedness. Most generally, the quality or state of being connected. For how Hubbard applied this, see Tech Vol III, p.163, and "Connectedness and Havingness," IVy 16, p.--.

3 "the Havingness Scale .. consists of doingnesses with regard to mass. And they begin at the top with Create, go down at once into Contribute to, into Confront, into Have, into Waste, and on down into Substitute. That all belongs at Mass; these are all the things you do with mass." "On Havingness" IVy 34, p.--.

4 It may be that a higher concept, combining both Connectedness and Matched Terminals, will provide additional aligning power as per Logic 10: The value of a datum (note: or concept) is established by the amount of alignment (relationship - note: connectedness) it imparts to other data. Logic 10 has also been discussed in IVy 19, 21, and 22.

5 Tech Dict 72, p.243. Also Scn 8-8008, p.127, and see Index, Tech Vol I)

6 See "The Only One and Logic 8," IVy 18, p.5. Logic 8 is: A datum can only be evaluated by a datum of comparable magnitude.

7 This saying was engrained into me by my oldest brother, Alfred. (See "The Science of Knowing How to Know According to Alfred," IVy 7, p.12.) The complete version was: "Have another cup of coffee. Have another piece of pie. Life can be beautiful. God bless America."

8 For a good overview of military strategy see the book Strategy by B.H. Lidell Hart, Praeger, 1967. Hart emphasizes the value of an indirect approach, and the frequent failures of direct assaults against a stronghold. (e.g., Pickett's charge and Stalingrad). He disagrees with Hubbard's dictum of "never defend, always attack." Hart favors a flexible elastic defense as often superior to direct attack.

9 Undue influence. Any improper or wrongful constraint, machination, or urgency of persuasion whereby the will of a person is overpowered and he is induced to do or forbear an act which he would not do or would do if left to act freely. Influence which deprives person influenced of free agency or destroys freedom of his will and renders it more the will of another than his own. Black's Law Dict. West Publishing 1979. (This is another view of an overwhelm)

10 Double Terminaling. When one has two opposing terminals (like a cop and a robber), he can mock up a cop facing a robber, and also a duplicate cop and robber parallel to this. This produces four terminals and two communication LINES. The LINES are more important than the terminals and will discharge one against the other. Tech Dict 72, p.122. Also Scn 8-8008, p.32.

11 Complementary. adj. Serving to fill out or complete. Mutually satisfying each other's lack.

12 "The Missing Biography," IVy 3, p.5.

13 See the TROM book review in IVy 31, p.30.

14 Symbiosis n. (fr. Gr. symbiosis, a living together) The living together in intimate association of two dissimilar organisms, where the association is advantageous to one or both. This could also be applied to especially intimate similar organisms.