Friday we began our countdown of Scientology superpowers that Tom Cruise can expect as an OT Scientologist and million-dollar donor.
Today, we thought we’d tackle the astounding claim that Cruise made during his infamous “black turtleneck video” which was recorded in 2004 and leaked to the Internet four years later. You must have seen it. (If not, what are you waiting for?)
During that renowned 9-minute segment, Cruise utters the following words:
“Being a Scientologist, when you drive past an accident, it’s not like anyone else. As you drive past, you know you have to do something about it, because you know you’re the only one that can really help.”
That sure sounds like superpower talk if you ask us! But what the heck did Tom mean by it? We thought we’d turn to an expert.
Chris Shelton is a former Scientology Sea Org member who has explained a lot of Scientology mysteries at his YouTube channel. And sure enough, he has thought about that utterance by Tom multiple times. We asked him to help explain what Tom was talking about for those of us who were never in the organization. Here’s what he sent us…
Oh, that black turtleneck video. It was never meant for broad public consumption and it says so much about the real Scientology. In a way, that video is really as informative of Tom Cruise’s character as the Affirmations are of L. Ron Hubbard’s. You can see the unguarded, crazed intensity in Tom’s eyes that he really only allows out on screen when he’s playing a kind of abuser or psycho like Frank Mackey in Magnolia or Vincent the assassin in Collateral. Unfortunately, those characters reflect more of Tom Cruise’s real personality, at least as far as I can assess in listening and watching him.
In explaining what he was ranting about when he said that only Scientologists are capable of any real help in an accident scene, you have to understand the delusions that L. Ron Hubbard instills in Scientologists about the subject of Scientology. In order for them to believe they are saving the world from itself, Hubbard carefully inculcates the idea that Scientology is superior in every way to any other subject or discipline. Hubbard insists Scientology has “the only workable technology on the planet” and as a Scientologist, “if they’re aboard, they’re here on the same terms as the rest of us — win or die in the attempt.” He also wrote ““I think of a [Scientology] auditor as a person with enough guts to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. This quality is rare and this quality is courageous in the extreme. It is my opinion and knowledge that auditors are among the upper tenth of the upper twentieth of intelligent human beings. Their will to do, their motives, their ability to grasp and to use are superior to that of any other profession.”
Scientologists lap this stuff up and, as we see with Cruise, develop this superiority complex. So they imagine themselves as authorities on not just the mind and spirit, but about everything. Cruise and other Scientologists first think that healing a body (setting a bone or treating an injury) is no big deal. Anyone can learn how to do it, and medical personnel cause more trauma in the course of doing their jobs than they help. Sure, they think, doctors and first responders are good to have around because someone needs to set broken bones, but don’t think that’s anything special. What is special, Scientologists think, is the unique knowledge and skills they bring that no one else can.
Cruise imagines that Scientologists have higher IQs and better observational skills, that they keep their heads better in an emergency (“they keep their TRs in”), that they can spot the source of the problem immediately while other people are still trying to figure out what’s going on, that they have a faster reaction time than non-Scientologists so therefore they act quickly and without hesitation, that they are more ethical than anyone else so they would easily be able to tell if someone was lying to them or trying to cover something up about the accident and take appropriate action and, finally, that their superior understand of physical and mental healing is such that they could bring order out of chaos and motivate people around them to do all the specific things that would need to bring calm and order.
That is how, a guy like Tom believes, a Scientologist is the only person who can really help at the scene of a car accident.
Now having said all that, I can now give a more accurate description of the two or three real-world activities which Scientologists might actually engage in which could provide some degree of “assistance.” First, though, it is obvious but needs to be said anyway that the mere fact that anyone is a Scientologist does not mean they are qualified or competent to deal with running an emergency services operation, performing life-saving first aid, putting out a fire, dealing with a potential gas or other energy disruption or any of a host of other specialized skills which qualified First Responders and Emergency Services Personnel are highly trained in. There’s simply no comparison between your average Scientologist and your average EMT (as just one example) in terms of their levels of knowledge, training or competency.
The assistance Scientologists can offer (in order of actual importance) are (1) first aid, when otherwise trained to do so; (2) logistical support for First Responders to perhaps assist in a non-professional capacity to bring in any supplies, keep the accident scene free of busybodies or otherwise help with moving heavy or cumbersome equipment; (3) Scientology assists, which have no physically curative results and really are only helpful to a select few because they can help a traumatized or anxiety-ridden person to sit or stand and calm down, have someone to talk to or something to focus on besides the accident or injury. The value of the first two activities is self-evident but Scientologists have the third (Scientology assists) blown all out of proportion and believe their “assists” can sometimes produce miracle cures, which they most assuredly cannot. The lame have never walked and the blind have never been able to see because of anything Scientology has ever done, but that never stopped Hubbard from claiming it could.
Let’s never forget that Scientology is a spiritually abusive practice that does create and reinforce narcissistic tendencies in its followers. That’s a fact and not just my opinion. We see this in Tom Cruise’s video, in the claims he’s made publicly since (and had to publicly apologize for) and in the ridiculously exaggerated nonsense put out by the Church of Scientology itself. Narcissists have an overblown sense of themselves beyond any basis in fact and I don’t know if this has ever been more aptly demonstrated than by Tom Cruise in the turtleneck video. When he said he wanted to go out and be a paragon of Scientology for the whole world to see, he actually did do that. It’s funny how it didn’t have the result he thought it would though.
— Chris Shelton
Tom Cruise’s Scientology superpowers
1. Shattering the suppression from a 15-year-old
3. Resisting between-life amnesia
4. Destroying a planet with the touch of a finger
5. Leaving his body with full perception
6. Resuscitating the recently deceased
7. Pulling in objects with tractor beams
8. Recovering unspeakable acts from the past
9. Mocking up an automobile out of thin air
10. Drying out from space coke
11. Levitating an ashtray
12. Resisting illnesses with his mind alone
13. Communicating with anyone on any subject
14. Helping at the scene of a car accident
15. Always finding the best parking spot
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“There was Scientology One, that’s for the public. That’s your PE-level Scientology. And we’re putting out a plea to one and all to please contribute any data they think is vital and necessary to be in this. And then there’s Scientology Two, which is healing, which we haven’t had too much to do with. That’s care of the body, and so forth. And HPA/HCA levels probably get quite a bit of Scientology Two. And then there’s Scientology Three, and that’s advanced auditing, advanced Academy courses, that sort of thing, leading up to the area of Clear, such phenomena as we’ve had in the past. Now, it doesn’t happen to be a well wrapped up area, because we jumped off of that area to go into Scientology Four. And this occasioned even some of you quite a few headaches, because there was a necessary speed-up in research, and the place to research toward, of course, was OT. Now, that’s Scientology Four. And the material which you’re learning right now is Scientology Four. And then there is Scientology Five. And Scientology Five is the social, political, organizational levels of Scientology. This is a takeoff from the level of OT. And that isn’t just Scientology applied to political problems. That would be a misnomer although it would read like that in a textbook, and so forth. That isn’t that at all. It’s actually what does an OT do about it? That makes quite a different subject, doesn’t it?” — L. Ron Hubbard, August 8, 1963
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“HALF RATIONS: As soon as the new proper system for serving food is fully functioning the order re half rations will be cancelled.” — The Commodore, August 8, 1969
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“In the past few months, I took a group of participants to view meteor craters where we encountered long-dormant spirits. In subsequent events, we visited Stonehenge and later some sacred sites around the world. I terminated these visits after discovering that many of the participants were getting restimulated in two ways by participating in these events. The first mode of restimulation was from observing the site and having one’s spiritual companions getting triggered by the visit. The second mode of restimulation was from picking up spirits from the site. This unexpected restimulation can be mitigated in part during the remote viewing part by directly addressing the problem and making sure that all participants are back in present time at the end of the session. However, there is no easy way to determine if we have picked up spirits from the site without running processes designed to flush out new arrivals, and this is not practical with a large online group. I am currently running repair sessions on participants who picked up hitchhikers from visiting sacred sites, as I notice a drop in tone level of all those who participated.”
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2000: Der Spiegel published an article describing the behavior of Scientologists towards Ursula Caberta during her recent trip to Clearwater. “Ursula Caberta, Director of the Work Group on Scientology in the Hamburg Interior Agency, had to leave the USA in a hurry. Caberta met with Scientology opponents Stacy Brooks and Bob Minton and took part in a press conference on the practices of the psycho-concern. Then she unexpectedly left the country one day earlier than planned. Caberta had no sooner landed at the airport in Tampa than she was received by Scientologists screaming ‘Nazi go home’; she was subsequently followed at every turn. The German Consul General in Florida urged that she leave: Caberta had had a summons to a deposition by Scientology attorneys shoved under her hotel room door. It said she would have to sit through a five-hour hearing in the business’s center in Clearwater. It had to do with the case of Lisa McPherson, who died under unexplained circumstances in the USA. She left the country in secret ‘before anything worse happened.’ Caberta lost her belief in the American legal system. She had never experienced anything like that before. ‘One hears about that only in dictatorships.'”
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“According to Hubbard the average Black South African thought Apartheid was too lenient.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Next hearing set for August 9. Trial tentatively scheduled for early November.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay sentenced to 9 years in prison. Jeff’s sentencing to be scheduled.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Pretrial conference August 21 in Los Angeles
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Sept 9.
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30, 2020 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition to US Supreme Court submitted on May 26. Scientology responded on June 25.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: California Supreme Court granted review on May 26 and asked the Second Appellate Division to direct Judge Steven Kleifield to show cause why he granted Scientology’s motion for arbitration. Oral arguments scheduled for Oct 5.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Dec 17: Feshbachs sign court judgment obliging them to pay entire $3.674 million tax debt, plus interest from Nov 19.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Third amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, Cannane victorious, awarded court costs. Case appealed on Dec 23. Appeal hearing scheduled for Aug 23-27.
Concluded litigation:
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
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THE PROSECUTION OF DANNY MASTERSON
We first broke the news of the LAPD’s investigation of Scientology celebrity Danny Masterson on rape allegations in 2017, and we’ve been covering the story every step of the way since then. At this page we’ve collected our most important links, including our four days in Los Angeles covering the preliminary hearing and its ruling, which has Danny facing trial and the potential sentence of 45 years to life in prison.
After the success of their double-Emmy-winning, three-season A&E series ‘Scientology and the Aftermath,’ Leah Remini and Mike Rinder continue the conversation on their podcast, ‘Scientology: Fair Game.’ We’ve created a landing page where you can hear all of the episodes so far.
LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH
An episode-by-episode guide to Leah Remini’s three-season, double-Emmy winning series that changed everything for Scientology watching. Originally aired from 2016 to 2019 on the A&E network, and now on Netflix.
SCIENTOLOGY’S CELEBRITIES, from A to Z
Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Other links: SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks. Scientology’s Ideal Orgs, from one end of the planet to the other. 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 a weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] The Top 25 People Enabling Scientology, No. 25: DirecTV and filmmakers buffing Dave’s channel
[TWO years ago] ‘Aftermath’ supporters put Scientology on notice in its own ‘spiritual mecca’
[THREE years ago] Fake medals and kiddie diddlers: Scientology’s cruise ship scandal gets even worse
[FOUR years ago] Stephen Colbert: Do you believe Scientology is a religion at all? Leah Remini: No
[FIVE years ago] Whale watching update: Your 2016 mid-year guide to who’s propping up Scientology
[SIX years ago] Why is the press so timid about outing Scientology’s many front groups?
[SEVEN years ago] DOX: Here’s Monique Rathbun’s response to Scientology’s appeal of its anti-SLAPP defeat
[EIGHT years ago] LEAH REMINI FILES MISSING-PERSON REPORT ON SCIENTOLOGY LEADER’S WIFE
[NINE years ago] VH1’S Mimi Faust On Scientology: ‘At 13, They Told Me I Was a Freeloader’
[TEN years ago] A Scientologist’s Open Letter to the Village Voice and its Readers
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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 2,386 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,891 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,411 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,431 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,322 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,629 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,497 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 3,271 days.
Doug Kramer has not seen his parents Linda and Norm in 1,601 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 4,075 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,391 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,957 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,876 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 4,044 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,625 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,886 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,924 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,637 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 2,162 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 517 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,692 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 6,243 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,392 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,712 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,567 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,686 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 2,042 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,345 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,451 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,849 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,725 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,308 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,803 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 3,057 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 14,166 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on August 8, 2021 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, 1995-2020 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2020), 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, 15 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 | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
