November 21 in Scientology history

If you have watched either The Vow on HBO, or Seduced on Starz about NXIVM, or The Aftermath or Going Clear about scientology, this article will ring a lot of bells. Many of the specific control mechanisms Dr. Burkley cites about NXIVM have direct parallels in scientology. As she says, "the psychological tricks Raniere used are not particularly special. In face, his ability to ensnare so many victims is rooted in his reliance on several core psychological principles — principles to which each of us is vulnerable." One of the great accomplishments of The Vow was how it showed why people got involved and how the slow process of brainwashing is carried out.

Tags: Academic, Brainwashing, David Miscavige, Facebook, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, HBO, John Sweeney, Keith Raniere, Lucifer, Mark Vicente, NXIVM, Panorama, Quicky, Scientology and the Aftermath, Sea Org, Sleep deprivation, Stanford University, The Hole, Twitter

This summer we told you that another court found that a Florida couple, Matt and Kathy Feshbach, were trying to get out of a huge tax debt by claiming to be too poor to pay it, while at the same time documents clearly showed they were spending money in outrageous ways, including ridiculous amounts on personal chefs and expensive boarding schools. These entitled richies couldn't even be bothered to pretend to be low on cash in order to make their lies look plausible, multiple judges have found, and so they have repeatedly been denied the ability to get out of paying the IRS about $3.5 million in back taxes. What made it especially interesting to us was not only that Matt and Kathy were part of the legendary Feshbach Scientology clan, but that Matt was one of the first people to experience Scientology "Super Power," decades before the Super Power building itself was opened to church public in 2013.

Tags: 1950, 1980, 1990, 2002, 2013, Australia, Cyrus Brooks, Dianetics, Dundas, Feshbach, Florida, IRS, James Packer, Kathy Feshbach, Matt Feshbach, Quicky, Super Power, The Sun, US Supreme Court

Jim Watkins, the current owner of 8chan/8kun, was summoned to testify in September by the Committee on Homeland Security, to "answer questions on the site's extremist content." Before testifying, Watkins was steadfast that the website would continue to be a bastion of free speech, but after the closed-door Congressional hearing, he ended up vowing to implement changes, including security measures like locking a message board if the content is flagged as illegal or indicates a violent act is to be carried out. What followed was the continuation of a very public battle for 8chan to return to the mainstream internet, as Fredrick Brennan, the original creator of 8chan but who is no longer affiliated with the site, wages a continuing campaign to keep pulling the site offline.

Tags: 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 4chan, 8chan, 8kun, Alt-Right, Christchurch, Congress, Conspiracy, Department of Homeland Security, Donald Trump, El Paso, FBI, First Amendment, Fredrick Brennan, Gamergate, Jim Watkins, Muslim, Neo-Nazi, New Zealand, Ohio, Philippines, QAnon, Ron Watkins, Russia, Skype, Twitter, US Supreme Court, YouTube

Yesterday we told you that when we learned Scientology leader David Miscavige notified the Los Angeles Superior Court that he had been improperly served a lawsuit regarding rape allegations against Scientologist actor Danny Masterson, we took a stab at what we thought might be the argument his attorneys would be making. We noticed that by California law you can do "substitute service" of someone like Miscavige if you deliver court papers to someone at the office which he uses as a mailing address. And that's when we noticed something interesting. We knew that the legal team behind the lawsuit had sent a process server to Scientology's "Hollywood Guaranty Building" (HGB) at 6331 Hollywood Blvd. But we found letterhead from Miscavige showing that as the leader of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), Scientology's nominally controlling entity and a defendant in the lawsuit, he used a different address: 1710 Ivar Ave, 11th floor. Now, those two addresses — 6331 Hollywood Blvd and 1710 Ivar Ave — are actually two separate entrances into the same building, the HGB.

Tags: 1950, 2012, 2017, Brian Kent, California, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Chrissie Carnell, Church of Scientology International, Danny Masterson, David Miscavige, Dianetics, Flag Land Base, Hollywood, Hollywood Guaranty Building, Jeffrey Riffer, Lewis Miranda, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Superior Court, Marci Hamilton, Matthew Hinks, Maureen Orth, Narconon lawsuits, Nazanin Boniadi, OT, Philadelphia, Religious Technology Center, Sea Org, Suppressive Person, Tom Cruise, Vanity Fair, Warren McShane, William Forman

"Christmas" seminars... On how to make money. Only $50...

Tags: Christmas, Facebook, Field Staff Member, Freewinds, Jesus, L. Ron Hubbard, Los Angeles, New Year's Eve, OT, Quicky, Sea Org, Tampa, Thursday Funnies, Twitter

Kasem's children have filed a wrongful death suit against Jean, who has filed a counter wrongful death suit. A judge may rule on the case next spring, and the outcome could decide who inherits Kasem's fortune. The children's 2015 suit alleges that Jean is responsible for elder abuse and emotional distress due to the limited access she granted them to their father. Jean's 2017 suit alleges wrongful death, negligence and fraud.

Tags: 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, California, Casey Kasem, Celebrity, Elder abuse, Entertainment Weekly, Google, Jean Kasem, Julie Kasem, Kerri Kasem, Liberty Kasem, Linda Myers, Microsoft, Mike Kasem

In the acclaimed documentary Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, a number of accusations were made against Tom Cruise, the Church of Scientology's most famous member. According to Marty Rathbun, a high-ranking Scientologist and sometime enforcer, "I was to facilitate the breakup with Nicole Kidman." In the film, Rathbun alleged the church took a number of measures to convince Cruise to cut ties with his then-wife, a non-believer, including wiretapping her phone, "auditing" Cruise day and night, and "re-educating" their adopted children so they would turn against Kidman. Cruise ultimately split from Kidman in 2001, and was awarded the church's highest honor, the Freedom Medal of Valor, in 2004. Cruise is also best friends with Scientology's controversial leader David Miscavige, who served as Cruise's best man during his 2006 wedding to Katie Holmes.

Tags: 2001, 2004, 2006, 2013, A&E, Commodore's Messenger Organization, David Miscavige, Facebook, Freedom Medal of Valor, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, Hollywood, Int Base, Katie Holmes, King of Queens, Leah Remini, Marty Rathbun, Mission, Nicole Kidman, Quicky, Scientology and the Aftermath, Tom Cruise, Tom DeVocht, Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology

Tony Ortega posted this Scientology ad on the Underground Bunker today. The young lady shown in this Scientology ad is not a Scientologist; she is a stock photo. In general legal terms, companies that purchase and use stock photos for advertising may only use them for commercial purposes. Stock photo purchasers may not use the images to imply that the model has embraced a certain political or religious views. For example, it would violate contractual rules to purchase a stock photo to imply that the model embraced a certain religious or political view. In the Scientology ad the model in the stock photo is used to imply that:

Tags: Alicia Selverson, Catherine Bernardini, Clear, Europe, Fair Game, Fake, Fraud, Google, Kirstie Alley, Leah Remini, Mike Rinder, Narconon, Quicky, Scientology and the Aftermath, Sea Org, Silver, Stacy Francis, STAND, State of Clear, Taryn Rinder, Tom Cruise, Tony Ortega, Twitter, Underground Bunker

This ad aired multiple during Sunday night's episode of The Aftermath: The woman "Sadie" IS a real person. She was at Golden Era productions in the Sea Org with her husband Axel (her husband in the ad). Sadie is infamous for an incident at the base where David Miscavige commanded her to run over Marc Yager (then CO CMO International) in her car (she had a VW Beetle).

Tags: Abortion, Claire Headley, CMO Int, David Miscavige, Golden Era, Int Base, Marc Yager, Quicky, Sea Org

In our day-to-day life, we often assume the worst about people based on one or two things we have heard or seen about them. This is not just a logical fallacy but is a breakdown in our critical thinking, a natural tendency we have to think in terms of personalities rather than circumstances. In this short video, I break down what is called the fundamental attribution error and how it affects us all. SHOP FOR CRITICAL MERCHANDISE http://shop.spreadshirt.com/chrisshelton

Tags: Audio, Quicky, Scientology: A to Xenu

Our thanks to Rasha for bringing us some holiday cheer in the form of this year's holiday catalog from the Church of Scientology, with so many sparkly gifts to get for the Hubbardite on your list. Truth be told, this year's catalog looks a lot like last year's, but even so we never get tired of the looking at the baubles Scientologists are offered, along with the hefty prices. But hey, who wouldn't want to find these beauties under the R6 Christmas tree this year! Speaking of gifts, we're also super fortunate to hear from Erin Hodges Plumb who has gone on yet another adventure.

Tags: Erin Hodges Plumb, Ireland, Narconon, Quicky

Frankly, anyone who has watched Mat speak on The Aftermath has no doubt that he is a straight-shooter and an all-around stand up guy. Nobody believes the tripe scientology says about him, not even the people that wrote it. But they think they might be able to convince some of their KoolAid drinkers it's true, maybe. I feel Mat (and anyone else who has appeared on the show) should have a forum here to respond to scientology if they wish, though I am pretty sure it's not necessary. But on the other hand, sometimes it is cathartic to just get it out of your system, put it on paper, and have it there for the world to see.

Tags: 1978, 1983, 1988, 2000, Abortion, Amy Scobee, Anonymous, California, Clearwater, Coachman, David Miscavige, Debbie Cook, Don Jason, Flag Service Organization, Florida, Fort Harrison, Hemet, International Management, IRS, Long Island, LSD, Mary Kahn, Mat Pesch, Mexico, Passport, Quicky, Rehabilitation Project Force, Religious Technology Center, Scientology lawyer, Sea Org, Sleep deprivation, Suppressive Person, Tax exempt, The Hole, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely, Tijuana, Tom Cruise, Tony Ortega

Our favorite duo is back tonight at 8 pm to wrap up their second season with a clips show to answer questions submitted by viewers. And so while you wait for tonight's episode to air, we're going to take a look back at the this season from Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath and ask you once again to tell us which chapter was your favorite. The questions that Leah Remini and Mike Rinder take on tonight are generally pretty standard. They're the sorts of questions we see over and over again at places like Facebook and Twitter: What was life like in the Sea Org? How does the church recruit? Why hasn't law enforcement stepped in? And the like. But why at 8 pm? Well, you know A&E wouldn't pass up one last opportunity confuse viewers. It's just how they roll.

Tags: 1990, 1997, 1998, A&E, Aaron Poulin, Atlanta, Bridge to Total Freedom, Bruce Hines, CCHR, Chantal Dodson, Child abuse, Christi Gordon, Danny Masterson, David Miscavige, Elizabeth Gale, Facebook, Flag Land Base, Fred Oxaal, Gary Morehead, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, Hana Whitfield, HBO, Int Base, Jeffrey Augustine, John Brousseau, Karen Pressley, LAPD, Lauren Haggis, Leah Remini, Los Angeles, Marie Bilheimer, Mat Pesch, Mike Rinder, Mimi Faust, Mirriam Francis, Narconon, Nathan Rich, OT 8, Paul Haggis, Philip Gale, Quailynn McDaniel, Quicky, Ramina Nunnelee, Reddit AMA, Russell Miller, Saina Kamula, Scientology and the Aftermath, Scientology celebrity, Sea Org, Sherry Ollins, Tara Reile, Tayler Tweed, The Way to Happiness, Tom Cruise, Twitter, Vicki Marshall, Volunteer Ministers, Wally Hanks

This is the intro the the who operation that has happened in Plymouth and that is still happening in different Orgs Link to group on facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/12737...

Tags: Plymouth, Quicky

Some thoughts on the latest "ideal org" to open in San Diego this weekend. Shermanspeak Ah, the magnificent prose: Follow the Pacific Coast Highway down Southern California's meandering shoreline along a 70-mile stretch of sandy beaches basking in the most perfect weather—anywhere—and you'll arrive to the city of San Diego. Such was the location for a sunbaked Saturday afternoon amid San Diego's downtown skyline—a sublime setting to celebrate the city's new Church of Scientology.

Tags: 1993, AOLA, ASHO, Australia, Bart Billings, Beatriz Villarreal, Brussels, Buffalo, California, Californians for Drug-Free Youth, Congress, David Miscavige, Disconnection, Estela De Los Rios, Fines, Google, Hemet, Honolulu, Human trafficking, Ideal Org, International Association of Scientologists, Japan, John Redman, L. Ron Hubbard, Medical, Moscow, OT, Quicky, Red Cross, Sacramento, San Diego, Sea Org, Shermanspeak, Shrine Auditorium

When a member fails to obey orders it is off to scientology's re-education camp. The RPF (Rehabilitation Project Force) was created so that "redemption" can occur. It is an abusive counterfeit to Ephesians 1:7 ~"In Christ we are set free by the blood of his death, and so we have forgiveness of sins. How rich is God's grace"

Tags: Clearwater, Office of Special Affairs, Pat Harney, Quicky, Rehabilitation Project Force

(Vivian Kubrick and Shelley Duvall) On Friday morning, we described our own encounter five years ago with Shelley Duvall and her sad mental state. In a phone call, she tried to convince us that Scientologists were trying to get into her Texas house to assassinate her. We suggested that she get some professional help, and we decided not to write a story about it. As we explained Friday, journalists get calls and messages like this all the time, if not always from former Hollywood figures. Now, 'Dr. Phil' McGraw has put Duvall on his show, airing long segments of his interview with her talking bizarrely about her delusions. McGraw said he was doing it because he wanted to get her help. But after he got her to a Los Angeles clinic, Shelley refused to give her consent to receive care, and she would not take medication. She flew back home. McGraw said he had then arranged for her to get care locally, and her caregivers were trying "alternative" methods because Shelley still refused any meds. "We'll keep you updated on her progress and hope — hope, hope, hope — that there's a happy ending to this story," he said.

Tags: 1980, 1995, 1999, 2009, Alex Jones, Clearwater, Dallas, Entertainment Weekly, Flag Land Base, Florida, GoFundMe, Hollywood, Hollywood Reporter, John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Lisa McPherson, Los Angeles, Mark Ebner, Quicky, Raul Lopez, Shelley Duvall, Stanley Kubrick, Texas, Tom Cruise, Vanity Fair, Vivian Kubrick

As reported in a Tony Ortega exclusive, the Church of Scientology has launched yet another of its sleazy attacks against actress and former Scientologist Leah Remini. With the first episode of Leah Remini's televised A&E series on Scientology and Disconnection set to air next week on November 29, 2016 the Church of Scientology had its spokesperson Karin Pouw channel a typically smarmy Scientology letter from craven Cult Leader David Miscavige to Mr. Alex Weresow, the Executive Producer of Leah's show: Church of Scientology International September 9, 2016

Tags: 1998, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2015, A&E, Andre Barkanov, Austin, Bob Adams, Chicago, Church of Scientology International, Claire Headley, Cult, David Miscavige, Disconnection, Documentary, Erin McMurtry, Facebook, Fair Game, Guns, IRS, Karin Pouw, LAPD, Leah Remini, Lois Reisdorf, Los Angeles, Marc Headley, Mike Rinder, Office of Special Affairs, Police, Queens, Quicky, Ron Miscavige, Scientology executive, Sea Org, Texas, Tom Cruise, Tom DeVocht, Tony Ortega, Twitter, USA Today

Learn how this cult uses fraud and mind control to manipulate people in giving them all their money and taking control of their lives. Follow the path of Brian Sheen, who after achieving some of the highest levels they offered and having an opportunity to work with Hubbard aboard his Flag ship in 1974, left and withdrew as he found the organization didn't deliver what it promised. Yet unbeknownst to him he was kept in an hypnotic state for 45 years before he awakened to discover the massive fraud and mind control he had become a victim of. This wake up call sadly ripped apart his family because of this cults policy of disconnection,which wasn't used while he was involved. For more see www.ScientologyHostage.com or www.BrianSheen.com

Tags: 1974, Cult, Disconnection, Fraud, Quicky

The show where I answer your questions. Please leave any comments or feedback in the comments section here below. I see everything and want to hear from you. If you can't or don't want to comment here but have a question you would like to ask me, you can also email me at AskChrisShelton@gmail.com. Subscribe to my new podcast at http://sensiblyspeaking.com

Tags: Critic, Patreon, PayPal, Quicky

As you can probably imagine, things here in the Underground Bunker are rather hectic, and in order for a new story to pop up every day, a lot happens behind the scenes that doesn't necessarily get reflected in what we present to our readers. Just yesterday, for example, we had one completed story ready for you, and another mostly sketched out, and then we had to toss both of them in the trash as conditions changed. Ay, carumba. The drama. But it was still a good day — we had a lovely dinner with one of our most famous sources, who happened to be in town. Much gossip was exchanged, and if we can ultimately share any of it with you, we definitely will. Most of our sources, like our dining companion last night, are a joy to work with. Others can be a little exasperating — which is completely normal and we're not complaining. Well, maybe a little. There's this one person, for example, who has been driving us batty for several years now.

Tags: 1950, 1951, 1953, Alex Gibney, Bare-Faced Messiah, Bremerton, Cuba, Dianetics, Emma Schamehorn, Fort Harrison, Lisa McPherson, Margaret Grubb, Quicky, Richard de Mille, Room 174, Russell Miller, Sara Northrup, Saturday Night Live, Valerie Demange, Wichita

Because they document the true state of scientology, which is pretty boring and hopeless — here are some recent minutes from the Valley "OT" Committee. Remember, Valley is, according to them "the most important ideal org on earth" right there in the center of the "greatest concentration of scientologists on earth" with their "very own OT Warrior Princess, Honorary Governor of the Vast Valley Territories: NC herself!" led by "OT's at cause" and yet they seem incapable of accomplishing ANYTHING. Reading these minutes is like watching Groundhog Day, except its weekly. The minutes repeat the same meaningless drivel over and over. Contrast it to the trumpeted hype of the recent IAS event: Epic. World-changing. Powering Up the Planet. Monumental.

Tags: Ben Ghiora, Bob Welch, Bobbi Kassowitz, Bonita Wilson, Carol Loweree, Cause Resurgence Rundown, CCHR, Charlene Thorburn, Dali Bahat, David Wilson, Debbie Suplee, Diane Temps, Disconnection, Division 1, Division 2, Division 4, Division 6, Donation, E-meter, Eric Krackow, Freewinds, Hagit Ron, Heelah Cohen, Ideal Org, International Association of Scientologists, Irad Ron, John Massey, Karen Brown, Kathy DiGalbo, Kathy Morrill, Kathy Welch, L. Ron Hubbard, Lauren Perreau, Linda Massey, Mark Anderson, Marty Kassowitz, Mary Elizabeth Glosup, Mary Lee Krackow, Nancy Parodi, New Year's Eve, Ofrah Bahat, OT, OT Committee, OT IX, OT X, OTC, PAC Base, Quicky, Rafferty Pendry, Ralph Temps, Rochelle Goodrich, San Diego, Scientology Handbook, Sue Kattoo, Susan Jacobs, The Way to Happiness, Truth About Drugs, Valley Ideal Org, Vered Ziv

A judge today denied a request by the three oldest children of Casey Kasem for an order directing Norwegian officials to return the remains of their father so the radio icon can be buried at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Clifford Klein said that although he had jurisdiction to act on the matter, the law is clear that Kasem's widow, Jean, has the authority to dispose of the body as she wishes so long as she does not ignore the matter and do nothing.

Tags: Adrian Sawyer, Casey Kasem, Embalming, Jean Kasem, Judge Clifford Klein, Judge Daniel Murphy, Julie Kasem, Kerri Kasem, Linda Myers, Los Angeles Superior Court, Martha Jo Patterson, Mike Kasem, Norway, Rick Hernandez, Stein Olay Hoble

Here is the latest scientology footbullet. People from Portland "Ideal Org" are required to travel to Sacramento to attest to Clear. Which probably also means Seattle isn't clearing anyone either, as that is closer to Portland than Sacramento. And apparently Sacramento wants the world to know their ideal neighbor to the north is merely a feeder for their "big brother" in California's capital. They don't just announce a Clear, they headline it with how he traveled from Portland. Not very considerate, showing up your fellow org as liars and failures. It's like a public Knowledge Report.

Tags: California, Clear, DEA, Ideal Org, Knowledge Report, Portland, Portland Org, Quicky, Sacramento, Seattle

We have another exclusive from our man in Paris, British journalist Jonny Jacobsen, who filed this report today... Two Swiss politicians are suing Scientology in the latest twist of a long-running battle to expose the movement's links to an anti-drugs group there. They filed their case in response to a Scientology spokeswoman's comments dismissing their efforts to get the drugs group to come clean about the connection.

Tags: 2012, Alexandre Démétriadès, Amelia McDonnell-Parry, California, Elisabeth Ruey-Ray, Foundation for a Drug-Free World, Jessica Jaccoud, Jonny Jacobsen, Los Angeles, Mike Rinder, Narconon, Nyon, Paris, SEC, Suzanne Crausaz, Switzerland, Voice for Humanity

To Mr. David Miscavige COB RTC ———————————- Günther Völler Public Scientologist 13 November 2013

Tags: 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1991, 1996, 2005, 2006, 2007, Basel, Basics, Chairman of the Board, CIA, Class IV, Clear, Code of Honor, Congress, David Miscavige, Dianetics, Donation, Ethics, Field Staff Member, Flag Service Organization, Golden Age of Tech, Günther Völler, Hubbard Communications Office Bulletin, Hymn of Asia, Ideal Org, Independent Scientologists, International Association of Scientologists, Keep Scientology Working, L. Ron Hubbard, Life Repair, Master at Arms, OT, OT Committee, OT VII, Passports, Potential Trouble Source, Quicky, Religious Technology Center, Saint Hill, Sec Check, Study Tech, Suppressive Person, Switzerland, Volunteer Ministers, Word Clearing, Zurich

Due to a relatively sudden trip out of town mandated by my Global Capitalism HQ overlords, I was unable to get the Daily Digest done last night. Tonight is not looking great, either. I expect to be back in the saddle with a Daily Digest on Friday night. I apologize for the lack of notice on this one, and thank you for your understanding. If time permits on the trip, I'll try to get something done on a story about the scenario for Independent Scientology, which I would love to publish in the next week or two. I would welcome your thoughts in the comments section below. Note for the purposes of this analysis that I do not think it necessary to distinguish between various "flavors" of people attempting to practice their own flavor of Scientology apart from the official Church of Scientology. In other words, I'm looking for a scenario that encompasses Ron's Org, Freezone, Milestone Two, "indies" affiliated with none of these other groups, etc. I believe that one general scenario is possible.

Tags: Freezone, Independent Scientologists, Independent Scientology, Milestone Two, Quicky, Scientology practice, Tony Ortega

Somewhat random thoughts after returning from an out-of-town trip. Cognitive dissonance has reached an art form within the walls of the RCS bubble. Cognitive dissonance is described this way:

Tags: 1919, 1950, Church of Scientology International, David Miscavige, Disconnection, Fundraising, Grade IV, Ideal Org, Jefferson Hawkins, L. Ron Hubbard, Leon Festinger, OT, Quicky, South Africa, Tony Ortega

The Stockton Unified School District rejected Mayor Anthony Silva's push for a new anti-drug program after discovering it has ties to the Church of Scientology, and that the mayor may have ignored the rules. Silva calls it one of the most effective and widely used programs to combat teen drug use used by law enforcement and schools across the country. It's called The Truth About Drugs, and it's produced and promoted by the Church of Scientology. That's leading the Stockton school district to just say no to the program.

Tags: Allen Sawyer, Anthony Silva, Boys and Girls Club, Leon Williams, Sharon Simas, Stockton, Stockton Unified School District, Truth About Drugs

Jefferson Hawkins was once the top marketing executive for the Church of Scientology and helped it reach its greatest extent with the famous "volcano" TV ads in the 1980s. He's told his tale of getting into and out of the church with his excellent books Counterfeit Dreams and Leaving Scientology, and he's helping us understand the upside-down world of Scientology "ethics." Where are we going today in L. Ron Hubbard's world of ethics, Jeff? JEFFERSON: This week we have a treat — Scientology leader David Miscavige's favorite L. Ron Hubbard essay. It's Chapter 6 of the book Introduction to Scientology Ethics, and it's called "Responsibilities of Leaders."

Tags: 1952, 1980, Bolivar, Catholic Church, Counterfeit Dreams, David Miscavige, Ethics, Jefferson Hawkins, Leaving Scientology, Quicky, Responsibilities of Leaders, Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me, Sea Org, South America, Spain, Suppressive Person

After Many years I am back on lines ! To all my friends and acquaintance, hello. Those of you who wondered how come I disappeared from your familiar scene, or why I am not active in the subject which was always important to me and close to my heart: spiritual work and development, here is finally the official explanation. despite the various events, difficulties and twists, it is important for me to state that in the end of the day, this is a happy story and full of hope. The first part, is the story in brief. In the 2nd part there's an elaboration and further details on important points for those interested.

Tags: 1970, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1990, 1993, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, Advanced Org, Claudio Lugli, Clear, Dani Lemberger, David Miscavige, Dianetics, Dror Center, Ethics, Ethics Officer, Geir Isene, Haifa, Ideal Org, Independent Scientologists, Inspector General, International Association of Scientologists, Israel, Italy, Karen de la Carriere, Keep Scientology Working, L. Ron Hubbard, London, Luis Garcia, Martin Luther King, Mike Rinder, Office of Special Affairs, OT, OT 8, OT IV, Potential Trouble Source, Quicky, Religious Technology Center, Renata Lugli, Saint Hill, Sea Org, Sec Check, South America, Steve Hall, Super Power, Suppressive Person, Tami Lemberger, Tel Aviv, UK

Much is being made in the press that today, Kelly Preston will appear on television and for the first time acknowledge that her late son Jett Travolta was autistic. Jett died in 2009 after having a seizure in a bathtub while the family was in its Bahamian estate. At the time, a family spokesman confirmed that Jett had been prescribed anti-seizure medicine, but his parents — actors John Travolta and Preston, longtime Scientologists — had taken him off the medicine. In the years since, the press has insisted that in Scientology, autism is a fiction of the evil psychiatry industry, which is why Travolta and Preston could never admit that their son suffered from it and instead promoted the idea that he had a rare condition called Kawasaki disease. Acknowledging publicly that their son was actually autistic, it was believed, would go against their religious beliefs.

Tags: 2009, Autism, Brooke Shields, Doctor, Epilepsy, Jett Travolta, John Travolta, Kaw, Kelly Preston, Mike Rinder, Prozac, Quicky, Tom Cruise, Tommy Davis, Tory Christman

For the last week, the excellent journalists over at the St. Petersburg Times have outdone themselves with their best series on Scientology ever -- a look at the desperate fundraising by the church, which runs employees ragged and puts intense pressure on ordinary church members. Naturally, the church has denied everything in the SP Times series, which is based on the recollections of members who recently left the organization. Today, one of our many tipsters alerted us to the existence of this video, which gives us a chance to watch that desperate fundraising first hand. Let's see the church deny this.

Tags: 2010, Clearwater, Flag Service Organization, Florida, Fundraising, Harvey Jacques, International Association of Scientologists, Joe Childs, New Year's Eve, Quicky, St. Petersburg Times, Taiwan, Tom Tobin, WhyWeProtest

The St Petersburg Times has pretty much proven what we have been saying here for years now, the Super Power building is nothing more than a Ponzi scheme, or as Luis Garcia put it "a cash cow." See Monday's lead article, POWER PLAY.

Tags: David Miscavige, IRS, Luis Garcia, Ponzi, Ponzi scheme, Quicky, Review, St. Petersburg Times, Super Power, Tax exempt

The St. Petersburg Times has a big feature this weekend on the shameless "money machine" that is Scientology. Example number one: A Seattle couple who gave seven figures to the church only to be later be written up for "insufficient generosity." The Times story explains through multiple accounts from former church members how Scientology fundraisers are relentless -- to an almost sociopathic level -- in their demands for money from parishioners.

Tags: Bert Schippers, Knowledge Reports, Lynne Hoverson, St. Petersburg Times

Part 4 of the epic Scientology series at the St. Petersburg Times hit the web last night and hits streets in Florida this morning. This fourth installment focuses on Scientology's biggest construction project: its "Super Power" building that was started a decade ago and still isn't finished. Whether or not its spacey facilities (see photo) will really provide high-level Scientologists with the awesome superpowers they've been chasing throughout their careers, the building also served a very different purpose for the church, write St. Pete Times journalists Joe Childs and Tom Tobin. Telling church members that completing the building will heal the problems of a troubled planet, Scientology has pried at least $145 million from its parishioners.

Tags: 1978, 1998, 2003, 2009, David Miscavige, Florida, Joe Childs, Lisa McPherson, Quicky, St. Petersburg Times, Super Power, Tom Tobin

I sometimes get annoyed by the a=a mentality of some attackers out there that attribute behavior to me or friends of mine because "look at what the church of Scientology is doing now." Hey, we've copped to some rather fanatical stuff; but 2011 is not 2001 is not 1991. Some people lose sight of the speed with which Miscavige's dwindling spiral psychosis has spread throughout his cult. That thought occurred to me while reading the stories of Bert Schippers and Lynne Hoverson and Rocio and Luis Garcia in the St Petersburg Times. Reading the knowledge reports on these four people posted on the St Pete Times website prompted this post. Knowledge report on Lynne and Bert. Knowledge report on Rocio and Luis.

Tags: 1991, 1999, 2001, Bert Schippers, David Miscavige, Ed Dearborn, Inspector General, Knowledge Report, Luis Garcia, Lynne Hoverson, Quicky, Religious Technology Center, St. Petersburg Times, Violence

I'm reading a fascinating book: The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil by Phil Zimbardo, the Stanford professor who conducted the famous Stanford Prison Experiment in 1971. A good one to add to your reading list. In this experiment, he took a group of college boys, carefully tested them to ensure there was no sign of mental illness, sociopathy or sadism, then randomly assigned them to play the roles of guards and prisoners in a mock prison set up in the basement of Stanford's Jordan Hall. After just days, the experiment spiraled out of control, with the guards ultimately submitting the prisoners to sadistic abuse far beyond the needs of role playing, and the prisoners descending into very real depression and apathy. In The Lucifer Effect, Zimbardo describes the experiment in detail, correlating it with much later research by himself and others, including his work with Abu Ghraib prison guards. Of course, as I was reading the book, my mind went to my own experiences at the Int Base, which were eerily similar to the abuses, degradation and mind games carried out by the SPE "guards."

Tags: 1968, 1971, 1980, 1990, 2005, Allstate, Apple, Arizona, Company, Counterfeit Dreams, David Miscavige, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Holocaust, Int Base, Jewish, Lawsuit, OT, Poison, Potential Trouble Source, Quicky, Sea Org, Wall Street Journal

The boys are back in town with Tithing Through The Teeth, http://www.tampabay.com/news/scientology/scientology-benefits-when-miami-dentist-runs-up-patient-bills/1135436 I suggest you read the article, then read Samuel's comment and Don's comment below which adds info and connects some dots: The WISE Directory for 2006 lists "Rene Piedra & Associates" as "MAKH – Model of Admin Know-How – Winner, 4 years" and as a CEO Circle Member (highest, some $ 30K per year, WISE membership status). The article already says that the c of m is about to pay 350K in a settlement to bar suits against Scientology entities (although Tommy Davis stated that the c of m has no involvement with what Piedra did – so why pay, if you are not involved?). Only thing missing is an SP Declare on Piedra to show the c of m's "outrage" over what Piedra did and how they know nothing of the oh how so off-policy actions he has committed bla bla bla (has happened to others before – earliest case I am aware of was in Germany, IAS donors, went to jail and got declared, somewhere in the 80's) … only, I don't think we'll ever see such a SP Declare – way too public and up for scrutiny!!!. Maybe a new SP category (SSP = Secret SP) or did Jeff already have a better label for them. There will come a point and hopefully soon where the c of m simply cannot buy itself out of the trouble it created with the money it defrauded from its Kool-aid drinking members . - Samuel

Tags: 2006, Criminal, Disconnection, Flag Service Organization, Germany, Implants, International Association of Scientologists, OT, Quicky, Rene Piedra, Tommy Davis, WISE

The church claims its detoxification program developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard uses "exact technology" and is the only successful drug and alcohol dependency treatment in the world. But the clinical nurse manager at the Tennant Creek Hospital this week advised the NT Government that the detoxification regime was dangerous and "potentially fatal" to renal patients. Renal disease is common among Aborigines in the NT. The pamphlet gives a formula for a high dose "drug bomb" vitamin supplement to supposedly break drug dependency, which it warns can corrode the stomach and cause ulcers. It advises to take aluminium hydroxide tablets which gives adverse nervous system side-effects - to ease any upset.

Tags: Australia, Detox, Drug bomb, Kevin Chapman, Kon Vatskalis, Northern Territory Health Department, Vicki Dunstan, Volunteer Ministers

Piedra's contributions helped land him in bankruptcy, owing $3.9 million to a long list of creditors. A lawsuit in Miami alleges that Scientology groups played a key role in his downfall. Bankruptcy trustee Barry Mukamal contends Piedra schemed "to defraud patients in order to transfer large sums of money" to the Church of Scientology and related groups. Involved, Mukamal alleges, were nine Scientology-related entities, three church members and a Pinellas County management training firm run by Scientologists. He sued them all, seeking to recover the thousands they got from Piedra. Scientology denies any involvement.

Tags: 1961, 1993, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, Adi Amit, Alfonso Maldonado, Anita Pandey, Bankruptcy, Barry Mukamal, Bridge to Total Freedom, Broward County, Capital One, Carlos Nogueira, Church of Scientology Religious Trust, Clearwater, Cornerstone, Dentist, Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Freewinds, GE Money Bank, Gregory Winteregg, Indira Blyskal, International Association of Scientologists, IRS, Kansas City, Key Contributors, Marcus Group, MGE Management Experts, Miami, Monica Albarello, Org Board, Orly Maldonado, OT, Personality test, Pinellas County, Power Program, Rene Piedra, Rosa Hernandez, Scientology organization, St. Petersburg Times, Stephen White, Success Congress Course, Sunshine Rundown, Super Power, Tampa, Thomas C. Tobin, Tommy Davis, Vanessa Estevez, Wachovia Bank, WISE, World Institute of Scientology Enterprises

"Religious freedom did not mean the Catholic or Anglican churches were not held accountable for crimes and abuses committed by their priests, nuns and officials, albeit belatedly. Ultimately, this is not about religious freedom. In Australia there are no limits on what you can believe. But there are limits on how you can behave. It is called the law, and no one is above it." The good senator should pause and reflect on his closing statement: our elected representatives are not above the law and they have no right to use parliament to pursue religious organisations contrary to section 116 of the Australian Constitution.

Tags: Australia, Justice Brennan, Justice Mason, Kevin Rudd, Nick Xenophon

Angry ex-members of the Church of Scientology staged a protest outside the Surry Hills headquarters on Saturday, calling for the organisation's tax-exempt status to be revoked. Spurred on by Senator Nick Xenophon's latest focus on Scientology in the Federal Parliament, the protestors accused the organisation of drawing in vulnerable young people, taking their money, then making it hard for them to leave by threatening to release damaging personal details.

Tags: Anonymous, Australia, Nick Xenophon, Sydney

Although he rose to executive director of the Canberra branch, Detheridge was always below the poverty line. He worked 15-hour days for the Church of Scientology, plus another three hours in the early morning as a cleaner to feed his family. Days off were rare. He told The Age how he learnt to lie, bully, intimidate and humiliate people and particularly to extort money in service of the church and its ostensible aim, the greatest good of the greatest number. Now he calls it "a crock of shit".

Tags: Aaron Saxton, Abortion, Ana Detheridge, Auditing, Australia, Canberra, Carmel Underwood, Cult-Counselling Australia, David Miscavige, Dean Detheridge, France, Kevin Rudd, Nick Xenophon, Paul Haggis, Paul Schofield, Personality test, Peta O'Brien, Phillip Adams, Raphael Aron, Rehabilitation Project Force, Sea Org, Suicide, Vicki Dunstan, Wikipedia

Federalist Society executive vice president Leonard A. Leo laughed when asked about the wilderness remark, saying, "I know the media likes to talk about us in terms of power and influence." But he said the group's primary goal has always been discussion of legal interpretation and limited constitutional government, and that that "remains as important as it was on November 3rd." The organization has always believed that the promotion of judges who share its conservative views is the most lasting way to enshrine its principles, and it has been extremely successful. The liberal Alliance for Justice estimates that 46 percent of Bush's appointments have ties to the Federalist Society. At one of the group's events last month, Bush bragged that he has appointed more than a third of the federal judiciary that will be in place when he leaves office. While he has appointed slightly fewer appeals court judges than Clinton -- 61 to 65 -- Bush's mostly young appointees will soon make up nearly two-thirds of the judges at that level, and Republican-appointed judges are in the majority on 10 of the 13 circuits.

Tags: 2007, Africa, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Brookings Institution, Chicago, CIA, Company, Congress, Federalist Society, Illinois, Mitch McConnell, North Carolina, Planned Parenthood, Politics, Republican, University of Chicago, US Supreme Court, White House

The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation examined the appeal against the decision of the St. Petersburg City Court to close down the Scientology Center public organization. According to the press-service of the prosecutor's office in St. Petersburg, Russia's supreme judicial instance considered the decision of the 'Northern capital' City Court reasonable, left it unchanged and did not remedy the appeal of the organization's representative.

Tags: Purification, Russia

The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation examined the appeal against the decision of the St. Petersburg City Court to close down the Scientology Center public organization. According to the press-service of the prosecutor's office in St. Petersburg, Russia's supreme judicial instance considered the decision of the 'Northern capital' City Court reasonable, left it unchanged and did not remedy the appeal of the organization's representative.

Tags: Russia

A contractor is caught in a business battle over religion. He is struggling to get the Michigan Church of Scientology to pay its bill for air conditioning work performed in June. FOX 2's Bill Gallagher worked to get some answers and got stonewalled.

Tags: Detroit, Farmington Hills, Michigan, Video

A controversial Church of Scientology treatment used on World Trade Center emergency responders is being used in Utah to "detoxify" cops who raided methamphetamine labs in the 1980s and 1990s. The Utah Meth Cops Project is treating around a dozen former and current police officers at taxpayers' expense, using a regime devised by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard at a Bio-Cleansing Centers of America facility in Orem, Utah.

Tags: Bio-Cleansing Centers, Gerald Ross, Mark Shurtleff, New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project, Utah, Utah Meth Cops Project

Officers have received sought-after free invitations to film premieres and £500-a-head charity dinners where the guest of honour is Hollywood superstar and renowned Scientologist, Tom Cruise. They have even been provided with the free use of a £5,000-a-night jazz band to play for officers and guests at a police station function. As a result of the revelations, an internal review of the force's hospitality policy has been launched.

Tags: 1954, BBC, Charity, East Grinstead, Family Action Information Resource Centre, FBI, Hollywood, Jive Aces, Ken Stewart, Kevin Hurley, L. Ron Hubbard, London, Mission Impossible, Police, Sussex, Tom Cruise

Dick Anthony, a forensic psychologist based near Berkeley, Calif., and co-author of "In Gods We Trust: New Patterns of Religious Pluralism in America," spearheaded the effort to brand brainwashing testimony as bunk. "No reasonable person would question that there are situations where people can be influenced against their best interests," he says, "but those arguments are evaluated on the basis of fact, not bogus expert testimony." By the 1990 case U.S. v. Fishman, in which the defendant pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to mail fraud charges, alleging Scientology brainwashed him into committing crimes, the judge dismissed brainwashing testimony outright as unscientific and inadmissible. Brainwashing has been a hard case to crack in court since. But Alan Scheflin, professor of law at Santa Clara University and author of the 1989 book "Trance on Trial," says there's been plenty of research on the power of human susceptibility, group mores and subjection to hypnotism, isolation, sensory deprivation and obedience training -- all elements of brainwashing.

Tags: 1950, 1956, 1961, 1962, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1984, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2002, Academic, Alan Scheflin, American Psychological Association, Benjamin Zablocki, Brainwashing, Brooklyn, China, Chinese, CIA, Court case, Dick Anthony, Elizabeth Smart, Freedom of Information Act, Heaven's Gate, James Richardson, Jim Jones, Jonestown, Kansas City, Massachusetts, Medical, Patty Hearst, Philip Zimbardo, Robert Lifton, Rutgers University, Steven Fishman, Stockholm syndrome, Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism, Trial, Unification Church, University of Nevada

About 100 female legislators from the United States will visit the state prison in Ensenada today to see firsthand the results of a program for drug-addicted inmates. The state began the program, called Segunda Oportunidad, or Second Opportunity, seven years ago, based on the Church of Scientology's prisoner rehabilitation program, called Narconon. It is based on the philosophies of the late L. Ron Hubbard.

Tags: Criminon, Narconon, National Foundation for Women Legislators, Second Chance

David Miscavige, chairman of the board for Scientology's "Religious Technology Center," said recently that the IRS decision to grant his corporate empire a tax exemption was "a major victory for us." He added: "We were under siege. . . . Now we've been vindicated." His smugness aside, the business of Scientology, which is to sell vulnerable people counseling services at rates up to $800 an hour, was not vindicated by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. It was merely exempted from taxation.

Tags: 1980, 1991, Clearwater, Congress, David Miscavige, Internal Revenue Service, IRS, Michael Bilirakis, Religious Technology Center, Tax Court, Tax exempt, USA Today

MADRID, Spain -- Fifty-one leaders of the Church of Scientology from eight nations face charges of extortion, forgery and tax offenses following police raids, a judicial source said Monday. Hebert Jentzsch of Los Angeles, 53, worldwide director of the faith, was among the 69 suspects detained Sunday during an international scientology congress at a luxury hotel in downtown Madrid. Eighteen of those arrested were released Monday, the source said. Among those being held were Scientology leaders from the United States, Britain, Portugal, Denmark, Venezuela, Switzerland, Italy and Spain.

Tags: 1950, Brian Anderson, Church of Scientology International, Denmark, Dianetics, Germany, Hebert Jentzsch, Italy, Judge Vazquez Honrubia, Los Angeles, Madrid, Narconon, Police, Portugal, Quicky, Spain, Switzerland, Sylvia Stanard, Venezuela, Washington