This file last updated February 8, 1998 (added German and Australian articles) The following is a list of *early* newspaper and magazine articles concerning Dianetics and Scientology that I have located in local libraries, with the help of various on-line databases, printed periodical indexes, and bibliographies. I post it here in case anyone wants to do some research on his or her own. This list covers only the period from 1950 to 1969. After that, the number of relevant articles goes up substantially. I may someday post that list too, but it will be very long. Except where otherwise indicated, all journals are published in the United States. I welcome corrections and additions to this list. ----- Advancement of Science (UK), June 1966, pages 60-64: Two contemporary cults: Aetherius Society and Scientology, by John A. Jackson American Mercury: August 1951, pages 74-81: Boiled engrams: an elegy to dianetics, by Willard Beecher and Calder Willingham American Psychiatric Association Psychiatric News: March 1969 (I haven't been able to track this one down for more specifics) Astounding Science Fiction, May 1950. Dianetics: The Evolution of a Science, by L. Ron Hubbard The article that started all this. Though published in a Science Fiction magazine, the article was printed as fact. John W. Campbell, the editior of ASF at the time, was one of the first people duped by Hubbard. Better Homes and Gardens, April 1951, pages 6,9,209,211: Peace of mind in dianetics? by Frederick L. Schuman, a professor of government at Williams College. Schuman is an enthusiastic advocate of dianetics and describes how it has helped people in his small town of Williamstown, Mass. His does temper his claims with some acknowledgment of the critics' positions, unlike his earlier letters to The New Republic (September 11, 1950) and The New York Times Book Review (August 6, 1950) CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, vol. 16, no. 4, July-August 1966: "Unproven Methods of Cancer Treatment: Hubbard E-Meter and Hubbard Electrometer" Christianity Today August 30, 1968, p 42: LRH refused entry to UK November 7, 1969, pp 6-9: Scientology: Religion or Racket? part 1 November 21, 1969, pp 10-13: Scientology: Religion or Racket? part 2 December 19, 1969, pp 35-36: Cult wins round one (in battle with the UK's National Association for Mental Health, which they were trying to take over by running candidates for office in their annual election) Consumer Reports: August 1951, pages 378-80: anonymous, unfavorable book review of "Dianetics" Der Spiegel [Germany]: see under "S" below Dissertation Abstracts, 1954, volume 14, page 390: Abstract of a Ph.D. thesis by Harvey Jay Fischer at New York University, 1953, entitled "Dianetic therapy: an experimental evaluation. A statistical analysis of the effect of dianetic therapy as measured by group tests of intelligence, mathematics, and personality." Fischer took three groups of 36 subjects each. One group got 36 hours of dianetic therapy over 60 days, one group got 18 hours (supposedly the recommended amount at the time) and one group got 0 hours. He subjected all the groups to a battery of tests of intelligence, mathematical ability, and ability to handle personality conflicts (because he said these were the only 3 claims being made for dianetics at that time). Fischer's result? Dianetic therapy had no positive or negative effect on any of the three characteristics tested. Economist (UK) August 3, 1968, page 40: Scientology: to be a thetan (Anderson report from Australia, ban on visiting Scientologists in the UK) February 1, 1969, page 44: Scientology: what has changed? (UK orders Foster inquiry; Scientology claims to discontinue coercive measures, security checks, and the writing down of confessions) ETC, A Review of General Semantics, Summer 1951, pages 280-293: From science-fiction to fiction-science, by S. I. Hayakawa (unfavorable book review of "Dianetics") Harper's magazine, January 1951, page 101: "After hours" column by "Mr. Harper" JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association July 29, 1950, p. 1220. "Queries and Minor Notes." An unnamed doctor asks how he should answer patients' questions about dianetics, two (also unnamed) "authorities" reply. January 13, 1951, p. 106. Letter from Dr. Samuel J. Ravitch, expressing alarm about the spreading popularity of dianetics, and fretting that it may become established like chiropractic. Life magazine, November 15, 1968, pages 99-100 and 100B-114: "Scientology: a growing cult reaches dangerously into the mind", and "A True-Life Nightmare", by Alan Levy, about the author's brief but intense journey through Scientology, where he traveled to Saint Hill Manor to audit out a non-existent engram, and nearly destroyed his marriage in the process. This is a truly chilling article. December 6, 1968, page 30A: letters to the editor from L. Ron Hubbard and others The Listener (UK -- published by the BBC) May 19, 1966, pages 715-16: Two contemporary cults, by John Jackson (about the Aetherius Society and Scientology. Jackson claims that such cults may possibly have a therapeutic value in modern society) Look magazine, December 5, 1950, pages 79-85: Dianetics: Science or hoax? by Albert Q. Maisel Maclean's magazine (Canada), August 20, 1966, pages 22, 36-38 Is this the happiest man in the world? by Wendy Michener (the title refers to "first clear" John McMaster, but it's a general article about Scientology in Toronto, and not specifically about McMaster) Mademoiselle, December 1969, pages 136-7: Jai Baba! Hare Krishna and all that, by Peter Rowley (article about a number of cults, including Scientology) Mayfair magazine (UK): William S. Burroughs wrote a number of essays regarding Scientology some time between 1969 and 1972, but I have not seen any of them and don't know the exact dates. The Nation: August 5, 1950, page 131: unfavorable book review of "Dianetics", by Milton Sapirstein September 29, 1969, pages 311-315: Total freedom and beyond, by Donovan Bess The New Republic, August 14, 1950, pages 20-21: unfavorable book review of "Dianetics", by Dr. Martin Gumpert New Society (UK), August 22, 1968, pages 259-261: Scientology: A Visit to Saint Hill Manor, by Anne Lapping New Statesman (UK): March 17, 1967, page 358: The Scientologists and their critics, by Donald Gould. (Anderson commission in Australia, Health minister Kenneth Robinson in UK, etc.) August 23, 1968, page 220: Why pick on Scientology? by C.H. Rolph October 18, 1968, page 493-4: Now I know what I know, by Donald Gould. (reporter takes personality test, reads some of their books) New York Herald Tribune Book Review, September 3, 1950, page 7: unfavorable book review of "Dianetics", by Erich Fromm New York Times September 9, 1950, page 19: American Psychological Association questions dianetics March 30, 1951, page 15: Dr. Gregory Zilboorg denounces dianetics April 24, 1951, page 32: LRH's wife Sara seeks divorce, claims LRH is paranoid schizophrenic, and that he tried to beat her, strangle her, and deny her sleep (very short United Press article) May 15, 1951, page 29: Printer attaches Dianetic Foundation bank account & furniture for unpaid bill; complaint in New Jersey state medical board (very short AP article) June 13, 1951, page 18: LRH wins divorce; Sara gets custody of daughter Alexis, plus $200/month child support (very short AP article) December 8, 1963, page 30: Victoria (Australia) opens probe into Scientology August 1, 1968, page 9: Scientology & UK August 18, 1968, page 65: more Scientology & UK February 6, 1969, page 39: Court rules FDA must return E-meters February 15, 1969, page 21: Scientology sponsors piano concert March 19, 1969, page 33: Scientology expelled from Greece November 13, 1969, page 11: Scientology tries to take over UK's National Association for Mental Health December 7, 1969, page ??: Charles Manson and Scientology New York Times Book Review July 2, 1950, page 9: "Dianetics" reviewed (unfavorably) by Dr. Rollo May August 6, 1950, page 22: Letters to the editor from L. Ron Hubbard and Dr. Schuman, and reply by Rollo May Newsweek August 21, 1950, page 85: Best seller (about the success of the book "Dianetics") October 16, 1950, page 58: Poor man's psychoanalysis (Dianetics denounced by Dr. Morris Fishbein) August 26, 1968, page 6 A farewell to Scientology? ("Where are they now" column: about the UK's ban on visiting Scientologists, and LRH living on a ship) Parents magazine, June 1969, pages 48-49, 82-86 The dangerous new cult of Scientology, by Arlene and Howard Eisenberg This may be the first article ever that reported the quote from LRH, "If you really want to make a million, the quickest way is to start your own religion" The article gives as its source Sam Moscowitz [sic], who claims LRH made the statement at a 1948(?) Eastern Science-Fiction Association convention in Newark, New Jersey. Postgraduate Medicine, September 1950, pp. 242-243. "Dianetics or the 'poor man's psychoanalysis' " (editorial by Dr. Morris Fishbein) Punch (UK), August 14, 1968, page 230: Science - falsely so-called, by Quentin Hogg. Questions UK government treatment of Scientologists. Psychological Newsletter, volume 10, 1959, pages 131-134: An experimental investigation of Hubbard's engram hypothesis (dianetics) by Jack Fox, Alvin E. Davis, and B. Lebovits. This study was done with the cooperation of the Dianetic Research Foundation in Los Angeles. A subject was knocked out with sodium pentothal and read a 35-word passage from a physics text while receiving pain, in an attempt to create an engram. Subsequent auditing failed to retrieve any of the contents of that text. (Note: this publication was subsequently renamed "Journal of Psychological Studies" and may be indexed that way in your library catalog.) Publisher's Weekly June 17, 1950, page 2627: At American Bookseller's Association convention, Dr. Fredric Wertheim denounces Dianetics as "neither a good book nor a hoax," but a "harmful mixture of science and science fiction". July 15, 1950, pages 200: Report on New York Science Fiction convention of July 1-3, which found SF fans divided about Dianetics. The publication "Science Fiction Newsletter" demanded that _Astounding Science Fiction_ fire Campbell for publishing Hubbard's "Dianetics" article July 15, 1950, page 214: report on sales of the Dianetics book September 16, 1950 page 1124: Psychologists hit "Dianetics"; new title due this winter September 2, 1968, page 61: "Dianetics" released in paperback Saturday Evening Post, March 21, 1964, pages 81-85: Have you ever been a boo-hoo? by James Phelan, who interviewed LRH at Saint Hill Manor Science Digest: October 1950, pages 45-46: What about dianetics? (question & answer column) Scientific American, January 1951, pages 57-58: unfavorable book review of "Dianetics" The Spectator (UK), August 16, 1968, pages 217-18 Scientology under the microscope (cover editorial: asks UK government to start an inquiry) Der Spiegel [Germany] January 9, 1952, page 30 Quacksalber: Supermann in zwei Lektionen [Charlatans: Superman in Two Lessons] August 6, 1953, page 53 Ich war eine Muschel [I was a Clam] The Sunday Times (London, UK): July 25, 1968 August 8, 1968 page 2 August 25, 1968 page 3 February 2, 1969 August 10, 1969 November 17, 1969 October 5, 1969 December 28, 1969 Time magazine: July 24, 1950 page 64, 67: Of two minds (all about "Dianetics") August 14, 1950, pages 2 & 4: letter to the editor from LRH -- suprisingly modest! September 3, 1951 page 51: Departure in dianetics (Dr. Joseph Winter breaks ties with LRH, publishes his own book) December 22, 1952 page 34: Remember Venus? (LRH introduces the word "scientology", the E-meter, and the idea of past-life engrams, possibly on other planets) August 23, 1968 page 40: Meddling with minds (Scientology's troubles with the UK government) February 14, 1969 pages 76 & 79: Victory for the Scientologists (U.S. federal court orders FDA to return confiscated E-meters) Today's Health, December 1968, pages 34-39: Scientology -- Menace to Mental Health, by Ralph Lee Smith This magazine is published by the American Medical Association, and I think that Scientology sued the AMA over this article. Training School Bulletin, January 1951, pages 220-229: A critique of the evolution of dianetics, by Parker Davis, Ph.D. This journal is published by The Training School at Vineland, New Jersey and publishes articles "dealing with all aspects of mental retardation". They published this one because LRH's Dianetics claims that "a large proportion of allegedly feebleminded children are actually attempted-abortion cases" whose mental growth is inhibited by "engrams" Wall Street Journal: August 21, 1968, page 1, column 5 (Tax Report) July 30, 1969, page 1, column 5 (Tax Report) Both short articles about Scientology being denied a tax exemption, because it is too commercial and is operated for the private profit of its founder (LRH), his family, and others. West Australian [Australia] September 16, 1959: Police Allege Epilepsy Cure Was Claimed Scientologist charged with unlicenced practice of a medical service. January 29, 1969: Police seize Scientology material - 300 NZ Files Burnt - Lawyer To Inquire Into Cult. Second police raid under legislation banning Scientology in West Australia.