Written in 1947, this is the first formal record of L. Ron Hubbard's researches into the structure and functions of the human mind. In his introduction, he writes: "Dianetics® offers the first anatomy of the human mind and techniques for handling the hitherto unknown reactive mind, which causes irrational and psychosomatic behavior. It has successfully removed any compulsions, repressions, neuroses and psychoses to which it has been applied."

The Dynamics of Life was Mr. Hubbard's original thesis and includes the first description of auditing principles, including the code of conduct an auditor should follow, the nature of engrams and their effects upon individuals, and case histories showing the results of early Dianetics® auditing. When it was first circulated, Mr. Hubbard was deluged with requests for more information. This led him to write his landmark manual of Dianetics procedure, Dianetics®: The Modern Science of Mental Health®.