A letter of surrender, written from the basement of Scientology’s ‘Big Blue’ HQ

Last time, Sunny Pereira described how she was declared a “suppressive person” because she had briefly dated another woman in the Sea Org. (Homosexuality is considered a “perversion” in Scientology.) Sunny’s punishment? Four months being held in the basement of Scientology’s “Big Blue” headquarters in Los Angeles, three floors down below the entrance door you see in the photo above. Sunny now has another letter for us to see, one she wrote her mother from that basement.

In Feb 2004, after I had been under 24/7 watch and given a suppressive person declare order, I had done the first two steps of “redemption” as covered in Hubbard policy.

Shortly after writing that Step B, I reneged on my public announcement and wanted to get everything reviewed. I did not agree that the SP declare was correct. I simply did not feel that the “crime” deserved the “punishment” of being cast away, never to see my family again. I felt like I had worked hard for many years in the Sea Org and to end it in this way seemed a little unjust. I still wanted to leave, but maybe I was a little scared of being SP declared.

I was fed up once and walked out. They did not restrain me but followed me down the street two blocks. I realized they had my ID and passport and I demanded them. The guard acted like they didn’t know anything about it and suggested I call in. I called in from a pay phone and security told me to come on in and they would give me my stuff. Of course when I got back, I was back in the basement (the guy with access to my ID and passport “wasn’t there”) and so I was stuck. They acted like they would just let me leave after getting my things but then once back inside you can’t go. They won’t give you your stuff until everything is to their satisfaction.

My mom made regular visits to see me in the basement. I voiced my concerns to her, and she apparently passed these on to other people. This resulted in my “dismissal” process taking longer. There was no plan on anyone’s part to see what was right or just, or really even look into everything. I was being SP declared and that was that.

I found this letter that I had written to my mom at the time. It was from April 2004 (two months after my previous letter).

Dear Mom,

I’m very sorry about our last comm cycle. I’ve been trying since that day to get OK to talk to you.

Anyways, what I’ve been trying to tell you:

1) I do not intend to request a review Comm Ev. It is right as is. I need to do A to E.

2) Standard Tech works. If I do the steps honestly, I will not have any trouble getting them done.

3) I plan to work my ass off to make money to pay off the F/L [Freeloader] Bill. I will do 2-3 jobs if needed. Additionally, I plan to write books and hopefully do well there. (With a pen name, not my real name.)

4) If there is ever an amnesty, I will take it immediately. Please, if that ever occurs, make sure CJC informs me, as I will take it right away.

5) I believe you can stay in comm with CJC WUS on my progress — like how much I’ve done on the steps and so forth.

I want you to know that I love you very, very much and I’m very sorry to put you through this. I will think of you after and want you to know I do want to handle this and not give up.

I love you very much.

ML,
Sunny Pereira

Clearly I was upset because they were not letting her see me anymore. Or she simply wasn’t coming to visit. I can see from this letter how frantic I was trying to backpedal on being a terrible SP. I was two months waiting under constant interrogations to change my mind to accept that I was an SP and it was time for me to get on the path of redemption. It was somehow important to them that I show ethics change and willingness to work my way back into Scientology so they could send me out to continue on that path.

I’m showing here in a letter to my mom (which most definitely ended up in the hands of everyone involved in my handling) that I plan to go ahead and make good on the wrong things I have done to Scientology in my decades of working for them.

So, in a nutshell, I thought that 17 years dedicated to the Sea Org deserved a deeper review than they wanted to give. They wanted me to accept the SP declare and get going on redeeming myself, and there was absolutely no way I would be leaving until I showed I was on the same page as them. From Feb to April 2004 was wasted with me not with the program with them. As soon as I wrote this letter, things started rolling again and I was quickly allowed to leave. This letter shows I am on the same page as they are.

And then, shortly after that, the very last letter from my mom (with the lighthouse), which is, in essence, her disconnection from me…

 
Ten days after that, I was out of the Sea Org and settled in, I received a letter accepting my “public apology” step, which would be sent out from the Continental Justice Chief Office to all orgs, showing I was fully on my path to redemption.

I haven’t seen my mother since.

 
— Sunny Pereira

 
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Bree Mood in the Daily Mail

You probably remember that Chris Shelton interviewed Bree Mood for the Underground Bunker back in January. Now Bree is featured in a Daily Mail piece and on Daily Mail TV.

For us, the thing that really strikes us about her story is that Scientology is still, today, forcing young women in the Sea Org to have abortions, nine years after that practice was exposed by the Tampa Bay Times, and after it cost them a whopping court settlement to Laura DeCrescenzo.

Isn’t forcing abortions enough, on its own, to get this malicious organization shut down by a government agency? Especially under a Republican administration in the White House? What is it going to take?

 
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HowdyCon 2019 in Los Angeles

Janis Grady has set the June 22 combined event. Her annual reunion and barbecue will coincide with the Saturday event for HowdyCon. If you wish to attend, you will need to RSVP with Janis (janisgrady@gmail.com), and there will be a small contribution she’ll be asking for to help pay costs.

We are very close to securing our Friday night venue in Los Angeles, and we’ll provide another update on that as soon as we have it confirmed. All we can tell you at this time is the Friday night event will be more like a presentation in a theater (like the final night last year in Chicago), and the Saturday event will be a more casual barbecue setting.

 
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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!

Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?

 
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THE WHOLE TRACK

[ONE year ago] New memoir ‘Flunk. Start.’ richly illuminates the appeal — and betrayal — of Scientology
[TWO years ago] Keep your Oscars, we won a Scientology ‘bigot’ award!
[THREE years ago] Augustine: How Scientology makes it so hard to get your money back
[FOUR years ago] Gerry Armstrong’s full 1997 ‘Secret Lives’ interview about L. Ron Hubbard
[FIVE years ago] Is Ukraine’s proposed new prime minister a Scientologist? Says his niece: ‘That’s crap’
[SIX years ago] Lori Hodgson Appeals to Scientology’s “Spin Doctor,” Michael Sitrick
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology’s Secret Behind “Ideal Orgs” Revealed At Last

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on February 27, 2019 at 07:00

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