Rod Keller has the scoop on David Miscavige’s first real expansion in three decades…
Scientology leader David Miscavige will ring in the new year under African skies having accomplished something for the first time since he assumed power 31 years ago. The long awaited Advanced Org & Saint Hill for Africa will open on January 1, 2019. Unlike orgs such as New York, Berlin or Tokyo, an Advanced Org is staffed entirely by Sea Org members serving their billion-year contracts. Under L. Ron Hubbard Scientology established five such AOs which are responsible for delivering the OT levels to public Scientologists who travel from all the regular “Class V” orgs. They are AOLA (Advanced Org Los Angeles); Flag Land Base in Clearwater, Florida; Saint Hill in East Grinstead, England; AOSH Europe in Copenhagen; and AOSH ANZO in Sydney (which was moved to a new location by Miscavige).
Add to that list the new AOSH AF at the Kyalami Castle in Midrand, Gauteng Province in South Africa. As we previously reported it is a wacky fantasy castle built in 1992 and purchased by Scientology in 2008. The ten years since have been spent raising funds for renovations and now the work is complete. It’s the most important event in Scientology since the opening of the Super Power building in 2013 and everybody wants to attend the festivities.
Scientology is making it surprisingly affordable from the US. We couldn’t match the prices from Los Angeles or Tampa on any online airline site. Scientology is offering flights at $1,100 while we could only get $1,500 from LA and $1,700 from Tampa at Expedia. From Europe it’s not a good deal. We found $900 from London Heathrow and $1,100 from Moscow. The Scientology flight is $1,700.
Scientology has secured group discounts at nearly every hotel in the area from the most luxurious down to the modest Holiday Inn Express. We say nearly all because there are several hotels close to the castle owned by Ernest and Gaye Corbett, Scientologists for 42 years who donated many millions to Scientology and its Ideal Org projects. They left the church and were declared SPs in 2013 and also filed a lawsuit against the church. So their hotels are verboten.
The festivities should be lavish and Scientology has spent abundantly to make this AO the most opulent. “Five star” chefs from the AO have been catering events at South African orgs. We think this will be marketed to Scientologists as the place to be pampered while working on OT levels, particularly in comparison to the industrial National Acoustics Lab building in Australia. It will likely also be attractive financially. Johannesburg has always been popular with visitors because exchange rates make it a cheaper option than other orgs.
Since our last article in June, the political situation in South Africa has deteriorated significantly. Political assassinations are on the rise, and some are predicting a civil war as the Parliament has approved transferring land from white owners without compensation. Scientology might even lose Kyalami Castle in that expropriation process. But for now the party is on, David Miscavige is on the way, the chefs are prepared, and the gold elevators are ready to transport visitors to all levels of the new AOSH AF.
— Rod Keller
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
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Now on sale: Twice the Miss Lovely!
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. What a pleasure it is for us to work with her on this after we wrote about her ordeal as a victim of Scientology’s “Fair Game” campaigns in our 2015 book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, which is also on sale in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions.
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] DID BOB BLOW? Evidence that Scientology may have lost its biggest donor of all time
[TWO years ago] Disconnection, neglect, and suicide: Scientology, it’s even worse than you think
[THREE years ago] Document leak: When the FBI investigated Scientology’s bizarre New Mexico vault
[FOUR years ago] Scientology ambush! Another crazy encounter, this time with Marc Headley at Int Base
[FIVE years ago] Scientology asks for psychiatric examination of Laura DeCrescenzo in forced-abortion lawsuit
[SIX years ago] Sunday Funnies: Scientology Needs Your Cash!
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Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,293 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,424 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 1,926 days
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Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 469 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 357 days.
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Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,532 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,306 days.
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Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,426 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 10,992 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 6,912 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,079 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 2,660 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 2,920 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 1,960 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,672 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,198 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,287 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,427 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 2,747 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 7,603 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 2,722 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,078 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,380 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,486 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 1,889 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 1,760 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,343 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 1,838 days.
Mary Jane Sterne has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,092 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,201 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on December 9, 2018 at 07:00
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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 Underground Bunker (2012-2017), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
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BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of L.A. attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
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