Late last year, we got some eye-opening reports on how hard the pandemic has been on Scientology from someone inside the organization. We dubbed them The Insider, and they told us about chaos caused by Covid, new details on the ‘Chase Wave’ financial debacle, a detailed description of the Ideal Org scam, and even told us about the new ‘Golden Age of Admin’ that was on the way. Now they wanted to give us yet another look inside an ailing Scientology movement. – T.O.
For several months, I’ve been leaking information about Scientology’s activities over the course of the Pandemic. Namely, the misuse of the ‘Decon 7’ cleaning agent, the insane protocols Scientologists have been forced to follow, the abuses against Sea Org members at PAC in LA, and of course the nationwide credit and bank fraud operation known as the Chase Wave.
What I would like to try and explain now is the current state of Scientology. To use L. Ron Hubbard terminology: I want to bring you all up to present time.
You already know that every single Sea Org “registrar” on the planet was removed from post quite literally overnight in 2019. Now I want to tell you about the people who replaced them, and what they’ve been doing for the last two and half years.
Hubbard wrote a policy on what he called “musical chairs.” He uses this term derisively to describe moving people around from post to post constantly. It’s something he said must never be done. When current leader David Miscavige ordered the registrars (called “regges” for short) removed from their posts, and their positions filled, it resulted in the largest musical chairs ever.
Hundreds of people were ripped off whatever job they had been doing to become registrars. (The position involves selling Scientology courses and processing to members and bringing in as much money as possible.) It was another example of Miscavige blatantly violating Scientology policy — not that I would defend the policy either.
Being a “reg” requires a certain type of personality. Hard selling is the only type of selling done in Scientology. The most successful regges and fundraisers are always incorrigible liars willing to do or say anything necessary to get your money. The problem was, every single one of those types of personalities in the Sea Org had just gotten busted down to cleaning toilets. What’s left were people who absolutely dreaded the idea of being a reg.
People that had been in technical or administrative positions — often times non-public facing — were thrown on post as registrars. The only reason the previous regges had been financially successful is because they were breaking the law. There was no “training” for the newly minted regges. They were mostly told what not to do, i.e., don’t commit fraud.
The gross income statistics planet-wide crashed hard. Not only were these not sales people, but most Scientology “public” (non-employees) were and are so overwhelmed with debt (much of which has been defaulted on) that they couldn’t give more money even if they wanted to. That’s why COVID was, in some ways, Miscavige’s salvation. It was the perfect scapegoat for the crashing statistics.
The Class V orgs were ordered closed for months. For the entirety of the pandemic, and to this day, the Purification Rundown and the Survival Rundown — which are the first two steps on the Bridge — cannot be delivered by Class V orgs.
At Sea Org orgs, there was a mandated two week quarantine, followed by not being able to leave the base until you’re done, being required to wear masks and gloves, and having to constantly subject yourself to toxic levels of Decon 7. And if you did happen to get sick, you would be subjected to the highest level of Scientology justice procedure: a committee of evidence.
On top of all of this, as of today the staff are still wearing masks and gloves, and all Scientologists are still being exposed to Decon 7.
These factors, combined with the new registrars and no real system to replace the old successful (criminal) system, have resulted in an organization-wide crash of statistics.
Yet despite all this, Miscavige stated at the L. Ron Hubbard Birthday event in March that over the course of the pandemic Scientology has seen across-the-board expansion. That he had no actual Birthday Game statistics to present was not overlooked by all.
The reality is, Scientology is going down the drain at an increasing rate.
Unfortunately, as we expose more we also turn up the heat on those still in. Management operates by reacting to a crisis with further draconian measures. As more people leave or leak information, they tighten down even further and turn up the heat. This results in more people leaving, and therefore more heat and pressure and so on.
In my estimation, the number of active public has been cut by a third as a result of the last couple of years. Those that remain who aren’t among the minority of wealthy Scientologists are drowning in debt and have no way to pay. And the registrars now responsible for relieving Scientologists of all their money aren’t very good at it.
Examining these factors alone, you can imagine the current state of the statistics within Scientology.
Ideal Orgs are not only empty of public, but because of the “Golden Age of Admin” training program currently running at the Flag Land Base in Clearwater, Florida, they are empty of staff as well.
The Golden Age of Admin itself is doomed from the start. No amount of training in Hubbard Policy — which doesn’t work anyway — is going to solve the problem of having no public with any money. The only possible solution to this would be a sudden influx of brand new people; which would be nothing short of a miracle.
In order for Scientology to function as intended, it has to maintain a certain membership size. Yes, they could survive on donations from their wealthy “whales” for years. But when it’s gotten to the point that there’s no one left but the whales to reg, what do you even have to sell them on?
I couldn’t posit the exact number, but there is a certain number of members required to keep the scam going. When international events have fewer and fewer people in attendance (when they happen at all) while Miscavige still proclaims worldwide expansion, people start to notice. It’s this and other reasons so many people have left recently. This is why I believe the number of people leaving Scientology is growing.
I tell you this not to make you think that the end is nigh and therefore you need not do anything but watch it collapse. Quite the contrary, I see Scientology’s swan song is our rallying cry.
Never in its history has it been this weakened. What’s needed now is the final push to send it over the edge.
It may be that nothing less than federal intervention will be able to render Scientology wholly inert, but every new voice speaking out gets us closer to that happening. And there are more “insiders” leaking information now than ever.
What we need is more people that are still in, exposing the abuses of Scientology in real time.
If you’re reading this while still in and on the fence, speak out. You can do it anonymously or not, but do something. I can help you. The Aftermath Foundation can help you.
You can contact me through reddit at u/0theinsider0
Or the Aftermath Foundation at their website: theaftermathfoundation.org/
I look forward to hearing from you.
— The Insider
Today’s Scientology happy news. Yes, an excerpt from an actual press release put out by the church this week.
The International Religious Freedom Summit 2022 was held last week in Washington, DC, to organize civil society and government toward protecting religious believers and non-believers from persecution around the world.
“Even while the global religious freedom movement has been launched, levels of persecution and restriction based on faith or belief have increased around the world. It is time to think big,” announced the International Religious Freedom Summit in an appeal to groups to submit new innovative recommendations to improve religious freedom initiatives.
“With nearly 80 percent of the world’s population living in areas where the right to religious freedom is highly restricted, it will be up to civil society working together with government to help curb the atrocities. We need to rethink how the peoples of all countries can help stem the rising tide of religious genocide, murder, incarceration, ‘re-education’ concentration camps, beatings, and governmental control,” said Rev. Susan Taylor from the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office in Washington, DC, who joined others in addressing the Civil Society Congress, organized as part of the summit.
“Collaboration has always been one of our great strengths in the International Religious Freedom field,” she continued. “We need to increase our forces by bringing in other similar groups who are working towards a better world.”
Rev. Taylor proposed outreach programs working toward peace, human rights, justice, and human dignity. Civil society needs to reach deep into communities to change the hearts of citizens and government. She gave an example of a program sponsored by the Church of Scientology which is used to teach youth about human rights based on the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This program, Youth for Human Rights International, is used around the world with educational videos and materials in 17 languages.
The overall motto of the summit was “religious freedom for everyone, everywhere, all the time.”
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Now available: Bonus for our supporters
Episode 2 of the Underground Bunker podcast has been sent out to paid subscribers, and it’s a doozy: Claire Headley talks to us about the way she called out Tom Cruise on Facebook recently, and describes her interactions with him in surprising new detail, as well as revelations about Tom that came directly from David Miscavige! Meanwhile, we’ve made episode 1 available to everyone, it’s Marc Headley on what it must be like for Miscavige living in Clearwater, Florida. It’s Marc at his most irrepressible! Go here to get the episodes!
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“One patient, who all morning, every morning, had to be kept in an institution in a wet pack, promptly at noon with a smile would jump out of bed, after having been in a fetal position all morning, very happily get dressed, go around and talk to everybody, as sane as anyone you wanted to meet. But the attendants would come around the next morning and there she would be curled up in a fetal position, so they would again put her in a wet pack until noon. This went on every day, and had been going on for five years — an interesting example of a time clock running on an engram.” — L. Ron Hubbard, July 8, 1950
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“TREATMENT: I have been reading a book in which water and bathing is covered as a cure for everything from hangnails to leprosy. It began in 1829. In 1850 Dr. John Bell of Philadelphia brought this treatment to a fine art. His book was called ‘Dietical and Medical Hydrology: A Treatise on Baths; including Cold, Sea, Warm, Hot, Vapour, Gas and Mud Baths…All this has nothing to do with soap or getting clean. It’s how the MDs treated various diseases in the 19th Century — soaking, boiling chilling patients. (The psychiatrist is still stuck in that period and still uses wet packs and shocks, namely an ‘Electric Bath’.) It’s all very funny. So you see, throwing people overboard is NOT disciplinary at all. It’s the practice of Hydropathy (water treatment) guaranteed to cure them of anything they have. As the medicos did it for nearly a century and psychiatry still does it, then of course, it is the thing to do. Thus we should immediately get in a Hydropathic Registrar and Invoice line for all flubbing students or recruits and sign them up for ‘A Hydropathological Treatment’ and throw them overboard. Who are we to go against a century and a half of solemn medical tradition?” — The Commodore, July 8, 1971
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“Scientology operates on the Organizing Board. It is its own form of government. The Org Board can be used to run an org, the freezone, a country or the planet. The field in Europe has its own authorities. Only the American indies have a cowboy mentality.”
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1998: A Scientology press release publicized a marathon being run to support the claims that Scientology is discriminated against in Germany. “The run, which will go through eight European countries, will end on August 10 in Frankfurt with a big demonstration for religious freedom, at which celebrities, as well as several thousand visitors, are expected [to attend]. Leisa Goodman, human rights expert of the Church of Scientology International, said that the six week series of events is also meant to remind European opinion leaders of the meaning of religious freedom – of a time in which repressive governmental measures undermined the declaration’s ideals of tolerance and human rights. The marathon began on June 25 in England, and will run through cities in Holland, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Germany, and will culminate in a march in Frankfurt on August 10 with several thousand people. Leisa Goodman said that the German government’s mass hysteria against new religious movements was the reason for growing intolerance of individual governments in Europe. German state and federal administrations have excluded Scientologists from civil service and political parties. They are violently attacked, their businesses are put on blacklists by the administration, their children are harassed and thrown out of schools and kindergartens; artists are prevented from performing by government officials when it becomes known that they are Scientologists. Austrians will also participate in the marathon for religious freedom. 500 participants from Austria are expected at the final demonstration in Frankfurt. The highlight of the demonstration will be the address and unveiling of a public work by Perli Pelzig, the Jewish artist.”
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“Why does any henchman remain loyal to a corrupt leader? It’s because they are reaping some of the rewards also, whether it be money or power, or in Mary Sue’s case, both.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Trial scheduled for October 11.
— ‘Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’ (a/k/a Justin Craig), aggravated assault, plus drug charges: Last hearing was on January 18, referred to grand jury. Additional charges also referred to grand jury after January 5 assault while in jail.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay sentenced to 9 years in prison. Jeff’s sentencing to be scheduled.
— Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Readiness hearing scheduled for August 22 in Los Angeles
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud: Next pretrial conference set for September 19.
— Yanti Mike Greene, Scientology private eye accused of contempt of court: Found guilty of criminal and civil contempt.
Civil litigation:
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Complaint filed April 28 in Tampa federal court.
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Selection of arbitrators underway. Next court hearing: February 2, 2023.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Appellate court removes requirement of arbitration on January 19, case remanded back to Superior Court. Stay in place, next status hearing October 25.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Third amended complaint filed, trial set for December 6.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: New trial ordered after appeals court overturned prior ruling.
— Chiropractors Steve Peyroux and Brent Detelich, stem cell fraud: Lawsuit filed by the FTC and state of Georgia in August, now in discovery phase.
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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] John P. Coale, OT 6 Scientologist, among attorneys suing Big Tech for Trump
[TWO years ago] Scientology celebrity Catherine Bell’s July 4th was on fire!
[THREE years ago] David Miscavige misses out on $30 billion building project proposed by Scientologists
[FOUR years ago] Masterson witness fears for safety as investigation drags on and on
[FIVE years ago] Scientology and the Spoonbenders: Jon Atack on a previously unpublished Ingo Swann essay
[SIX years ago] Our money man takes another look at new (and grim) Scientology financial disclosures
[SEVEN years ago] NYTimes reports link between Scientology and hack of two who appeared in ‘Going Clear’
[EIGHT years ago] Ryan Hamilton files lawsuit 16 against Scientology’s drug rehab network
[NINE years ago] Scientology Leader’s Twin, Denise Gentile, Pleads Guilty to Lesser Charge, Pays Fines
[TEN years ago] Katie Holmes Will Get Custody, But Tom Cruise Will Save Face For Scientology
[ELEVEN years ago] Tom Cruise Not a Kook! Pfizer Protest Linked to Scientology, But Don’t Tell the Protesters That
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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 2,719 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 3,224 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,774 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,764 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,655 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,960 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,830 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 3,604 days.
Doug Kramer has not seen his parents Linda and Norm in 1,935 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 4,408 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,724 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 12,290 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 8,209 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 4,377 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,957 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 4,219 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 3,255 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,970 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 2,495 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 850 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,025 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 6,576 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,725 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,045 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,900 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,019 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 2,375 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,678 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,784 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 3,182 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,058 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,641 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 3,136 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 3,390 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 14,499 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on July 8, 2022 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, 1995-2021 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2021), 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
Tony Ortega at The Daily Beast
