Rod Keller brings us more nuttiness from Scientology’s rank and file…
Last week we reported on a new Scientology front group that is offering military veterans, as an alternative to mental health care, Scientology’s unscientific “Purification Rundown,” a regimen of sauna use and extreme vitamin intake.
Two new claims for the effectiveness of the Purif other than for detoxification came to us this week. The first is a promotion from the Auckland, New Zealand ideal org that the Purif helped cure a woman of bipolar disorder, and that she no longer needs or takes her medicine.
Former members we spoke to expressed shock that somebody who had been under psychiatric care would be allowed on the program at all. Encouraging members to stop taking prescription medicine is one of the most dangerous aspects of Scientology, both for the patient and in some cases, for the staff and publics at the org.
The second claim comes from the St. Petersburg, Florida Life Improvement Center, which primarily serves the Nation of Islam members of Scientology. The Scientologist in this photo is wearing a hat with the insignia of the FOI, or Fruit of Islam. FOI is a paramilitary group within the Nation of Islam that provide security for the group. The group was re-established by NOI leader Rev. Louis Farrakhan after being disbanded in 1975. In the 1990s the FOI attracted attention for patrolling public housing complexes in U.S. cities.
The success story written by this member claims that the Purif improved his vision, and healed an old inner ear injury. L. Ron Hubbard often claimed to have cured himself using Dianetics, but we have never heard such claims for the Purif until now.
—–
According to an eyewitness, David Miscavige played this year’s Super Bowl ad during Scientology’s New Year’s Event in Los Angeles (which was actually taped December 22), but we’re still waiting to see the ad for ourselves. In the meantime, we’ve heard that Scientology has a goal to distribute 500,000 booklets for the Foundation for a Drug Free World front group outside Mercedez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, from January 26 until the big game on February 3 between the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots.
Scientology is calling for volunteers by the hundreds, but as usual we expect to see them in the dozens. Even 100 volunteers would be hard pressed to distribute 500,000 booklets. Each one would have to give out more than a booklet per minute for eight hours a day for each of the nine days to reach the goal. The booklets are important as part of the “fourth dynamic” campaigns of Scientology, but there’s another motivation — money. Scientology doesn’t print them for free even though they own two large printing plants. Somebody has to donate to make it happen, and the cost to print is a small fraction of the size of the donations requested from members.
— Rod Keller
——————–
Start making your plans!
——————–
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!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] His words are wise, his face is beard: 10 years ago, Anonymous got some good advice
[TWO years ago] Scientology, why are you keeping a cancer patient from seeing his only daughter?
[THREE years ago] 30 years ago today: ‘L. Ron Hubbard discarded the body he had used in this lifetime’
[FOUR years ago] Why Alex Gibney’s ‘Going Clear’ is scaring the crap out of Scientology
[FIVE years ago] More fallout in France: Scientologist who asked for damages ends up paying instead
[SIX years ago] Sunday Funnies: Africa is Done!
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology vs Marty Rathbun: An Unfair Fight?
——————–
Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,342 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,473 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 1,975 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,455 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 518 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 406 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 3,713 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,581 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,355 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,129 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,475 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,041 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 6,961 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,128 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 2,709 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 2,969 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,009 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,721 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,247 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,336 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,476 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 2,796 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 7,652 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 2,771 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,127 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,429 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,535 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 1,938 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 1,809 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,392 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 1,887 days.
Mary Jane Sterne has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,141 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,250 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on January 27, 2019 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post 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 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. Our book about Paulette, 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, 1995-2018 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2018), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | 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 | 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
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
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
