In October of 1970 my life had completely bottomed-out. After spending my entire high school career being a hippie, I found myself out of school, out of work and virtually unable to talk to anyone. I was smoking marijuana on a daily basis and when I smoked it I would become so paranoid that I could not stay in a room with anyone else in it.

     My girlfriend had taken up with another guy which I solved by leaving town with a friend to drive across the country to join a commune. We never made it due to having a traffic accident along the way.

     I knew that at the age of 19 I was in serious trouble.

     Fortunately for me, my best friend and probably the only person I respected enough to listen to had decided to take his first Scientology course. Luck was on my side then, because I never would have made such a change on my own. My friend’s endorsement allowed me to overcome my resistance to trying something new and I signed up too.

     By the end of the course I had no further desire to use drugs. I discovered that I had been hiding from people, from responsibility and from life. I realized that I could change things that I did not agree with and that I could live life on my own terms and define success by my own standards.

     Since then I have learned much about the mind, and what makes people act the way they do. I understand why I rebelled as a youth. Best of all I have been able to lead an ethical and prosperous life without abandoning my ideals or my quest for happiness.

     I have been happily married for 25 years and I have two teenage daughters with whom I get along well.