Grade Zero
Communication Processes

What the pc can expect from the Communications Grade is simply an increased ability to communicate to others.

We are not shooting for sudden miracles of mental or physical recovery. Level zero is there to get the pc's feet on the ladder and make a first important step up towards more abilities than they ever hoped for.

Communication and Level Zero is taking up an area from which beginning pc's usually can make the most gains. Sometimes it can seem miraculous.

All we go for at Grade zero is this: Recovering the pc's ability to talk to others freely.

Earlier in the manual we have in great detail gone over how a pc isn't in-session unless he is willing to talk to his auditor. You now have to realize he can't be in life until he is able to communicate freely with others.

Any process that forwards this is Level Zero material. Any process that doesn't, does not belong here.

Pc's may be frantic to go Clear quickly; but no matter how frantic they are, the most gain and the best start is accomplished by doing Grade 0.

The more hysterical the pc may be about getting advanced and powerful processes the less likely he is to benefit from it. This frame of mind actually indicates, he needs a feather light touch (see Effect Scale).

What we do at Grade 0 is simply this:

1. Recover the pc's ability to talk freely.

Often in processing we go for 'Negative Gain', meaning eradicating a disability. On Grade 0 we go the opposite way, Increasing a natural ability by validating what is right about the pc.

2. We teach the pc by example, that the auditor is safe to talk to and won't betray, punish or reprimand him.

By putting the 'magic of communication' in fully the pc is likely to benefit tremendously.

3. We apply the Effect scale by not using desperate measures. Real lasting gains in beginning auditing is best achieved by light, positive gain processing.

On Recall processes we improve the pc's recall and his access and control over mental image pictures.

On communication processes we work directly with coaxing the pc's ability to communicate, even about difficult subjects. This leads directly to steady gains, an increased ability and a greater ability to take an active role in life.

Style of Auditing
The auditing style used is Listen Style. The auditor is a good listener and puts in minimum control. The whole purpose is to get the pc talking happily and with confidence. The use of TR-3 is minimal. TR-2 1/2, half acknowledgments are used when appropriate to keep the pc talking. You can use "OK, tell me more about it" as a half ack if the pc starts out with hesitant answers or you can use the Prompters below. The pc is allowed to wander around a bit as long as he is going in the direction of freer communication.

The Prompters
In Listen Style: When the pc stops talking, the auditor must adjudicate whether the pc is simply no longer interested in the subject, or has become unwilling to talk about some bit of it. If the auditor believes the pc has stopped because of embarrassment or some similar reason, the auditor has The Prompters he can use:

Prompter (a) "Have you found something you think would make me think less of you?"
Prompter (b) "Is there something you thought of that you think I wouldn't understand? "
Prompter (c) "Have you said something you felt I didn't understand. If so, tell me again."
Prompter (d) "Have you found something you haven't understood? If so, tell me about it."

The auditor must know these prompters. He uses as many as needed, in the sequence given, to start the pc talking again.

On Grade 0, everything done in the processes are in the direction of free communication. The processes and the Meter Assessments are used to find areas that needs to be freed up.

EP's of Subjects and Processes
A chosen subject/person or process is not left until the pc is comfortable about it. By this is meant, the pc would not feel disturbed talking to the subject or person chosen.

 If pc is shy, uncertain, or if he is aggressive or annoyed, the process or subject is not flat or EP'ed.  A subject or process is not left until the pc really can respond cheerfully. When this is accomplished, a new process or subject is chosen and the Grades processes are continued, using the new process or subject.

R Factor to PC
On Grade 0 the auditor "tells the pc the purpose of the session (Reality Factor) "I want to get you used to talking to another." "I want to improve your reach," etc. It's the auditor's goal at this level, not the pc's. Pc's don't get a chance to set goals in Listen Style as they would set goals they can't attain at this level and wouldn't have enough reality on auditing anyway to be sensible about it."

Processes

As taught in TR-0, part of communication is to be there and perceive, recognize and be aware of somebody or something to communicate to. The Awareness level of Grade 0 is Recognition (see Grade Chart).

The next process is done on a list of charged terminals (persons, pc has charge on as revealed in worksheets or interviews or from PC Info Sheet). You take a hot terminal and fit that item into the following commands: (As an example, assume it was "Dad"). 
Rule: The command (with item) has to read on clearing the command or checking (including buttons) to be run. (see 'Clearing Commands')

Next, you have them: "Think a thought" until they get an EP.

"The first and most basic definition of any part of communication is, that it is a consideration. As duplication is a consideration, communication is possible to the degree that the preclear can freely make considerations."
In case of short hesitant answers, say something like: "OK, tell me about it", which is TR 2 1/2.

Then, you run 'PAB 54'.
(In case of short hesitant answers, say something like: "OK, tell me about it", which is TR 2 1/2).

This process tends to separate MEST from thought. Keep in mind to get the pc talking about his thoughts.
In case of short hesitant answers, say something like: "OK, tell me about it", which is TR 2 1/2.

The next process you run is 'A Basic comm Process'. Keep in mind to get the pc talking about his recall.

The next process is run alternately between two commands to EP. One is an in-ARC command and one is an out-of-ARC command. We are basically interested in the out-of-ARC command running; you are using the in-ARC command as a relief, so the pc won't go down-scale in session. Most pc's wouldn't be up to just running: "Recall another's no communication with you" over and over. So, you give them a breather with an in-ARC command. 

The next 16 processes are the 'universe processes'. There are four 'universes' or parts of life the pc is involved with. They are somewhat superimposed as far as space is concerned. There is the physical universe, the universe of the body, the universe of the mind, and the universe of the thetan. You run each of these four universes through the  four commands below (making it 16 commands total):

Run: The physical universe, a Body, a Mind, a Thetan (if commands reading, see 'Clearing Commands').

So, on your first four you put "the physical universe" in the brackets; then, you put "a body" in the brackets; then, you put "a mind" in the brackets; and then "a thetan" in the brackets. Take these to EP. 

What you are doing with these processes is bringing up pc's awareness that he have had the four universes collapsed and they are separate. Ironically, you will often find the pc completely stuck in one of these four, and you will get them pried out of that. They are either very much a body, very much a mind, very much a spirit, or unfortunately, very much the physical universe. Thusly, you bring them into balance.

Whatever body part pc complains about the most you plug into the next process, whether it is a back, head, shoulders, bowels, a neck or whatever. A lot of people have either neck problems, back problems, headaches, etc. Women may have regular menstrual pains.

Run on charged body parts, culled from worksheets or make a list of body parts from pc, assess, and run on items reading in the command (see 'Clearing Commands').

The next thing you do is assess male bodies, female bodies, bodies, matter, energy, space and time. Normally one or more of them will read.
Then clear command with item and run reading commands.

The next one is a similar process except it is on 'victim':

The next load of processes is R2-60, out of 'Creation of Human Ability'. In these processes you have someone spot things, and after they have spotted them, you ask them, "Are you spotting it in the physical universe?" If they say "Yes", you have them point to it and they do. Then you ask them, "How far away does it seem?" and they will tell you. That is the best way for it to run.

If they tell you "No" after you have asked them "Are you spotting it in the physical universe?", then you can just leave it at that and ask next time around. 

What you want to do is get them to where they can recognize these things out in the environment, run it on the physical universe, and not on their own think. If they run off a few of their own at the beginning, which takes 5 minutes or 5 hours, it's OK. You want to get them to where they can recognize stuff in the physical universe. So, each one of these, you run to EP. Your commands are:

You run the same four commands next except you replace the word "hidden" with "protected". You run these four commands to EP.

Then, you run:

Then, you run:

Then, you run the same way (spotting):

Then, you run:

Assess a group of terminals culled from worksheets (or a prepared Assessment list by the C/S  "a Body, a person, a father, a mother, a girlfriend/boyfriend, a wife, a husband, a son, a daughter, a boss, etc.").

Run each reading item (per 'Clearing Commands') in the following :

Repeat above four flows using each of the following in place of  "hidden":

A protected to EP     _________

An owned to EP       _________

A false to EP            _________

A no to EP               _________

An unwanted to EP  _________

A necessary to EP   _________

A desirable to EP    _________

An interesting to EP _________

An unknown to EP _________

A known to EP      _________

Next you run :

15. GRADE ZERO QUADS

So, then, you go to the second step:

Then, you go to the third step. You pick up a hot item off a prepared list, God, Jesus, their mother, wife, etc. It is a good idea to pick someone that they are having hassles with and do a nice, long run on this in accordance with the Tone Scale (it's not flat until pc is cheerful about it) because you will bring them up permanently, if you will pick a very real terminal to them. Let's say it is the "father" that is such a terminal:

On the 3rd flow you pick two people who have difficulty talking to each other. (Examples: a Darwinist and Priest. A wife and a prostitute. A policeman and a criminal. Two opposing soldiers. 'An Iraqi soldier and an American soldier'. Maybe 'father and mother', if divorced).

The whole of Routine 0-A is flat when the pc feels far more comfortable about talking to specific items and isn't shying off from items on the list. It is flat when an ability is regained on specific items on the list and the list items aren't producing big new changes in the pc's communication ability.

On the final step here, you use a canned list of things which are banned from social, everyday communication and they are not generally considered acceptable for social communication. So, you could use crude, swear type of words material, bathroom material, sexual material, the roughest stuff you can imagine; very profound things like wasting a lifetime, the coming dark ages, or endless spiritual death. It's your choice. The main thing is that you want to grind off their social machinery. Having sex with chickens, in very crude terms, using the actual four letter words will produce a slightly different EP. It depends on what is real to your preclear. Anyway, you pick subjects and what you run is:

By then pc should be able to proclaim that his comm. is totally unrestricted. If it looks like the Communication Release is complete you go on to the Havingness process for the Grade:

Your regular Exam step is not done in session, but after C/S OK's it: Have pc read over the Flows EPs of Grade 0 and see if they made them.  Many pc's on this Grade will start going exterior on all those spot process, start seeing fat ladies down the street, men eating hot dogs, people having sex, etc. They will be doing more than recognizing, they may even have attained some of the abilities promised at the upper levels. Over 1/2 the pc's go very exterior and have a ball looking at their neighbors. But have them look over these EPs; that is what you are interested in:

This is a 4-flow statement of Communications Release. Examiner asks, have you attained this (Flow x) ability?

At Examiner the pc should have a Floating Needle of each of the statements of the four flows.

End of normal processes for Communication Grade

Re: Grade 0  - There do exist a compilation of all applicable processes developed by Ron Hubbard for this Grade. They are published as HCOB of 14 November 1987. In the rare case, the pc does not make it on the processes included, the correct action would be: Go over the reports of auditing already done on the Grade (do a folder error summary). Interview pc about the difficulty. Handle any By-passed Charge (including missed earlier actions as needed). Correct anything found and flatten unflat processes. If necessary, use additional processes not run, including processes for the Grade from above HCOB.