Whether it’s about the shocking way people have been treated at a remote Tennessee facility, or the infamous death of a woman in Florida, for years we’ve been writing about Scientology’s poor record of handling the needs of the mentally ill. Now, Chris Shelton and Sunny Pereira are beginning a series of discussions specifically about Scientology’s ideas about mental health. We think you’re going to find it very interesting. Here’s what Chris has to say about today’s first installment…
About a year ago, you all might recall Tony’s story about Marc Vallieres and the charges brought against him and two other Scientologists for holding two people against their will in shacks on their Tennessee property. Those were Scientologists attempting to use L. Ron Hubbard’s methods to “cure” people who had real mental health issues.
L. Ron Hubbard claimed from the earliest days of Dianetics that he had methods that could treat and even cure the insane, and he wasn’t bashful in his boasts. This week, former Scientologist and highly trained Sea Org member Sunny Pereira and I talk in detail about Scientology’s “tech” on medicine and mental health treatments. Over the following episodes in this series, we’ll be taking apart the Introspection Rundown piece-by-piece. This is grim material but we do our best not to get too serious about all this, because the tragic consequences of this is all-too-obvious and all-too-painful for those who have had to live through it. With Scientology TV ramping up its anti-psychiatry rhetoric, I figured it was time to put some truth out there about Scientology’s so called “solutions.”
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HOWDYCON UPDATE
We’re just a little more than two months out, and Chee Chalker is working hard to make sure things are going to run smoothly at this year’s HowdyCon in Chicago, June 21-23. As in past years, we’re looking forward to meeting readers of the Bunker, culminating in Saturday night’s main event.
The biggest difference this year is that our Saturday night event is separate from that evening’s dinner. Chee is setting up an inexpensive pizza dinner that you don’t need to pay for ahead of time, after which we’ll walk over to the theater where our event, hosted by Chicago Fire star Christian Stolte, will take place.
Because it’s a separate event, we’re asking that you pay $10 each to get into the Saturday night event, which will help us recoup what the Bunker paid for the venue. (We have never made a penny on our HowdyCon meetups, we only try to break even.)
Please email your proprietor (tonyo94 AT gmail) in order to reserve your spot for Saturday night’s main event. Seating is limited, and we’re going to have some really interesting people on stage and they may make a few announcements that you don’t want to miss.
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Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,082 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 1,685 days
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 228 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,291 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,065 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 2,839 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,185 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 2,679 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 1,719 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,431 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 957 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,046 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,186 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 2,506 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 2,481 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 837 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,139 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,245 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 1,648 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 1,520 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,102 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 1,607 days.
Mary Jane Sterne has not seen her daughter Samantha in 1,851 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 12,960 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on April 12, 2018 at 07:00
E-mail tips and story ideas to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We post behind-the-scenes updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2017 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Undergound Bunker (2012-2017), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Learn about Scientology with our numerous series with experts…
BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of L.A. attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists
GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice
SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts
Other links: Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news
