We've all seen a child throw a tantrum or someone exhibiting a fit of rage. You've probably seen people go through a whole irrational set of actions. It's as though in these moments we're not really being ourselves, and in fact, do you really think you're gonna talk to

me when an engram gets re-stimulated? We may act exactly like the people contained in that engram. Don't you ever talk to me like that! That's what you get for sass. And your father, that's what you get for doing and saying exactly the same things done and said

to us. That's what you get. That's what you get. Let's look again at the woman who receives an engram in which she's knocked down and kicked. She's told that she's a faker: 'You're such a faker.' That she's no good: 'You are no good.' And

that she's always messing things up. In the engram, a chair is knocked over, and a vase is thrown to the floor. A motorcycle is passing by in the street outside. Sometime later in life, when this woman is tired or stressed, she hears a man yelling at someone if

someone else wants a job, as a motorcycle passes by. These things are similar enough to the perceptions in the earlier engram to cause it to become re-stimulated without her knowing it. She starts to feel nervous, but she doesn't know why. When her child knocks over a vase, she

begins to act out or dramatize the earlier engram: 'You're always messing things up.' In other words, she'll say and do the same things contained in the engram or make the same decisions demanded by the engram. 'You're such a faker. You're no good.'

This behavior is called dramatization. Dramatization is a replay in the present of something that happened in the past. There are degrees of dramatization. If an engram is only partially re-stimulated, the degree of dramatization will be mild.

But when it's fully re-stimulated, a person dramatizing an engram is like an actor playing his dictated part word for word, going through a whole series of irrational actions. "Can't do this anymore. It's over. I can't do this anymore. It's over." A

dramatization is like a recording which can be played over and over. "I can't do this anymore. It's over." "What are you talking about, Dan?" An engram can even command you to be someone else. An engram containing this statement, "You are just like your grandfather,"

could later make you assume the personality of your grandfather, acting, thinking, or suffering or feeling just like your grandfather. This can go so far that if Grandpa has a habit of wearing a hat in the house and eating with his knife, so will you, because you're dramatizing

his personality. In Dianetics, this personality is called a valence. A valence is an identity. A person has his own valence, in other words, his own identity. Then there is available to him the valences or personalities of all persons who appear in his engrams.

When you're stimulated, you'll dramatize the valence of one of the people present in the engram. In the case of the woman being knocked down and kicked, there were two valences present: hers and her husband's. Which will she later dramatize? Well, in a

dangerous situation, the thing to do is survive. So who survived better? Who won? Sick of it. I'm so sick... Well, she didn't, she got hurt. Her husband won. Therefore, it's her husband's valence that will be dramatized. Let's look again at what happened when

the engram got restimulated. Her reactive mind stupidly thought that she was in the same dangerous situation again, but this time it wanted her to win. So it commanded her to act like the winner in the engram. Be like him, you're always messing things

up. So she dramatized her husband's valence. She said and did to her child exactly what her husband said and did to her: 'You're such a faker.' But hitting a child is not acceptable behavior in most societies. If society won't let her dramatize the

winning valence, the reactive mind takes on the other valence, the losing valence. What would happen in the same situation if she dramatized herself instead? She'd have to think that she's always messing things up. 'Okay honey, it's okay.

It's not your fault. It's not your fault. I'm always messing things up.' And she'd have to feel the re-stimulated pain from all those blows. You have a basic personality, your own true identity, but you color or drown your personality with valences as you win or

lose in life. 'It's okay honey, I'll pay for it. Okay, it's not your fault. Not a big deal. It's just a little base.' When you're in your own valence, you're being yourself. With Dianetics, you can be restored to your own basic personality.

Your own true self, dramatizations, valences, and other effects of engrams are covered in the chapter entitled "The Cell and the Organism, You"

5-Dramatizations and Valences-Using Dianetics: The Modern Science Of Mental Health

Captain Joe

People's actions during tantrums or rage are described as irrational and not reflective of their true selves.

The concept of engrams and their restimulation leading to mimicking behavior is introduced.

An example of a woman receiving an engram involving verbal and physical abuse is presented.

The restimulation of the engram is triggered by similar sensory inputs later in life.

The woman's reaction to a similar event replays the engram, demonstrating dramatization.

Dramatization is defined as a replay of past events in the present, with varying degrees of intensity depending on engram restimulation.

Full restimulation leads to acting out the engram like a script, involving irrational actions.

Engrams can even dictate assuming another person's personality (valence).

An example is given of adopting a grandfather's habits due to engram dramatization.

Valences are defined as identities available from people present in engrams.

The example of the abused woman is revisited, focusing on which valence is dramatized (husband's due to survival instinct).

The reactive mind's attempt to 'win' by adopting the winning valence is explained.

Societal constraints can lead to adopting the losing valence instead.

The consequences of dramatizing the self (losing valence) are described.

The concept of a basic personality, colored by valences, is explained.

Dianetics is presented as a method to restore one's basic personality.

Further information on engrams and their effects is referenced.

5-Dramatizations and Valences-Using Dianetics: The Modern Science Of Mental Health

Scripts