This week Scientology opened an ‘Ideal Mission’ in San José, Costa Rica. They have abandoned the plan to open an Ideal Org in the capital city and have sold the property they purchased for that purpose. As they did in Panama, an Ideal Mission will have to serve in place of Latin America’s third Ideal Org (the other two are in Mexico City and Bogotá).
Scientology in Costa Rica came to our attention in 2015 when the organization bought the Ambassador Hotel. The 74-room hotel was in disrepair but came complete with large conference rooms, business offices and a casino license. The new building is much smaller, with only two stories instead of the Ambassador’s six. The abandoned hotel was sold and the new owners have renovated it.
We don’t have a list of the speakers at the opening ceremony in yet, but the event featured a troupe of local dancers that performed before the ribbon cutting.
Costa Rica has almost 5 million inhabitants and San José about 2 million. The country is experiencing a transformation from agriculture to an industrial economic base and GDP per capita has been rising for the last 10 years. Electronics and textiles are now the primary exports rather than bananas and coffee, which have dominated until recently. That should be enough to allow Scientology to invest in an Ideal Org, but that plan has fizzled. Their seemingly bottomless well for Ideal Orgs ran dry for Costa Rica.
[Courseroom]
Costa Rica is in Scientology’s spotlight this year. The Scientology TV series Voices for Humanity premiered an episode on Braulio Vargas in January. He has been promoting Youth for Human Rights in Costa Rican schools, sports programs, churches and with government officials. Look for Vargas to win a Freedom Medal in the next few years.
— Rod Keller
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Ventura went off
Got photos of yesterday’s event? Send ’em our way.
Naturally, Nancy Cartwright made the scene.
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Jon Atack: Saint Hill & Superpowers!
Another new video from the highly esteemed historian and our friend, Jon Atack…
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“The reactive bank is a thing. It’s got sort of mushy looking electronic masses and it’s got pictures and locks and other things associated with this, it is a thing. Well, the physical universe and the remaining dynamics, of course, are themselves a thing. And that’s what we mean when we say our universe and the other fellow’s universe and everybody’s universe. There were three universes, if you can remember rightly. Well, that apparently is very true, there are apparently three universes, but we were speaking of the reactive bank as meaning one of those universes where, as a matter of fact, that’s a little bit of a curve in the line. It turns out that there was his universe, you know, his brick walls, and we’re not sure right now whether or not they’re his brick walls and everybody’s brick walls or only his brick walls, or exactly what’s the status of these brick walls, because we’re right up a bunch, right up against the ability to disintegrate matter, all these various phenomena that — a yogi has been known as a good yogi if he could, you know, something or other, if he could levitate, you know, you’ve heard all these tricks and nonsense pieces and that sort of thing. Kid game stuff. This is the level you’re looking at. You see?” — L. Ron Hubbard, February 23, 1965
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“I may wind up doing OT 9 in Reno with Rey Robles. I haven’t decided yet. Also, keep in mind that in Marty Rathbun’s 1st book, he recommended that any OT 7 who wants to do more can, on their own, discover for themselves new levels of awareness.”
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“‘Ness is More.’ It’s Hubbard’s version of his favorite book ‘1984″ ‘Reduce the language down to its most base level and you can control what people think and it also separates them from the rest of society. Hubbard was already fairly knowledgeable about mind control techniques and hypnotism before he wrote Dianetics, so I don’t know why anyone would think his specific control techniques were by accident.”
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Start making your plans…
Head over to the convention website and meet us in St. Louis!
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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] Leah Remini pays for vexing Tom Cruise with Scientology’s ‘Truth Rundown’
[TWO years ago] Laura DeCrescenzo fires back at Scientology’s desperate new federal court gambit
[THREE years ago] Scientology’s Celebrity Whisperer: An inside account of life in the fame-obsessed church
[FOUR years ago] Scientology tried to suppress this video, and that’s why you’re seeing it here today
[FIVE years ago] Scientology Australia spills its guts, and you can thank Bryan Seymour and Nick Xenophon
[SIX years ago] Five things to watch for in today’s first Scientology wedding in the UK
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology Mythbusting with Jon Atack: Fair Game!
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology Demands the Right to Employ Slaves in Australia While Getting Puff Pieces in DC, Florida
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Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,857 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,361 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,881 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 901 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 792 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,099 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,967 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,741 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,515 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,861 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,427 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,346 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,514 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,095 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,356 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,394 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,107 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,632 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,159 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,722 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,862 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,182 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,037 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,157 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,512 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,815 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,921 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,323 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,195 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,778 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,273 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,527 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,636 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on February 23, 2020 at 07:00
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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, 14 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
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