Hours In The Chair
I recently noticed the following extract, posted by Ralph Hilton to the Marcabian bulletin board called alt.clearing.technology:
From: Ralph Hilton <ralph@fzint.org>
Newsgroups: alt.clearing.technology
Subject: Re: Ron on SAFEGUARDING TECHNOLOGY
Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 00:18:09 +0100...
Forget the sob stories about being held up on the bridge.
I started in scn around April 1971 at the age of 18 and attested Clear mid 1974 after around 500 hours of auditing. I ran about 1000 hours on OT3.
After leaving the CofS I have run around 10,000 hours solo and I still have a long way to go.
...
The reason I found this interesting is that here is a supposedly 'high ranking' individual in the 'FreeZone', offering himself up as a comparison as to what can be expected as one traverses up the bridge to total freedom.
I believe that Ralph is taking the long and hard road to get to wherever he is that he is going.
All cases are stacked up differently, that is one point that should always be remembered.
Whatever anyone else offers as a 'standard' unto which your own progress should be measured is not only invalidation, but evaluation as well. It takes what it takes and takes how long as it takes, FOR YOU. Time, in whatever way someone wishes it to be measured, has nothing to do with anything other than one's own measure of other's progress.
People can race all they want up the bridge to total freedom, but you will invariably find that once they 'achieve' the status being looked for, it comes to be as empty as the truth that has been bypassed along the way - all in the name of 'getting there first'.
There is no rush, but there is progress. True progress. And when that true progress is realized hours on either side of the table mean little.
But of course, one has to actually do and work at progressing up the real bridge.
As an alternative to Ralph's experience, I offer up my own:
In the CoS I probably racked up a whopping 28 hours of auditing time. That includes 25 hours for the Happiness Rundown (when it first came out) and 3 hours for the staff auditor to fill in as my co-auditor simply because the C/S decided things went better that way.
Out in the 'FreeZone', I racked up about 60 hours total with Rey Robles at a cost (including barter value) of about $7,000. Of the 60 hours, I'd say about 35 hours were allotted to the L's. (These figures are a bit misleading as Rey includes C/Sing time in the total hours purchased.)
From Marianne Hagen I racked up a whopping 2 hours or there abouts.
Solo, I probably spent about 50 hours working with the materials of L. Kin, CBR and Filbert. Total cost: Meter: $150, Scn library: $400 (these are rough estimates).
Lastly, with Geoffrey Filbert (who I do not consider to be a part of the 'FreeZone'), I spent about $6,000 which equates to 50 hours of auditing time. (Filbert does not charge for C/Sing so auditing time is a true figure). With Filbert there was a bit of L's cleanup, OT levels and some other processes as mostly described in his book "Excalibur Revisited".
I have no certifications or awards and I don't think that I ever attested to a darn thing.
So what it comes down to is this: Going up the bridge to total freedom can be as easy as you make it or as hard as you want it to be.
Believe me, it is easy and it is not hard.
So you see, When I told Tommy Thompson last year that I had just a little auditing, I told him the truth. I have had a little auditing. I find it amazing when people exchange titles and hours in the chair as being full of meaning and only worthy of respect when the same road as themselves has been traveled by others. How sad.
There are a lot of examples out in the 'FreeZone' of those with 'certs' and 'awards' and yet who demonstrate a lack of proficiency in both the 'levels' achieved and the insight that should have been realized.
If you are going to go up the bridge, do it right.
It's not a long road or a hard road. It's A road, and it's actually fun to travel. When it stops being fun, perhaps it would then be time to find the real road because the one that you are on certainly isn't it.
So the next time you hear of someone having a 'long way to go' after already spending tons of time auditing, realize that what they are saying is that they made their case long and difficult, but that has nothing to do with your case. Perhaps the road that you make for yourself will be different, perhaps not. Either way, make it real and do it right the first time.
- If Rey or Marianne would like to check my pc folder and provide a more accurate account of hours purchased, please do so.