Scientology grand opening set for another L. Ron Hubbard historic property

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Scientology’s deification of founder L. Ron Hubbard continues with yet another property about to have a grand opening after purchase and renovation by the church. This time, it’s the miserable place (Sara hated it) where he first put out his Dianetics shingle. Hip, hip, hooray! [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

 
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Technology Cocktail

“Sexually it is common for someone on drugs to be very stimulated at first. This is the ‘procreate before death’ impulse as drugs are a poison. But after the original sexual ‘kicks’ the stimulation of sexual sensation becomes harder and harder to achieve. The effort to achieve it becomes obsessive while it itself is less and less satisfying. The cycle of drug restimulation of pictures (or creation in general) can be at first to increase creation and then eventually to inhibit it totally. If one were working on this biochemically the least harmful pain depressant would be one that inhibited the creation of mental image pictures with minimal resulting ‘woodenness’ or stupidity and which was body soluble so that it passed rapidly out of the nerves and system. There are no such biochemical preparations at this time. These tests and experiments tend to prove that the majority of pain and discomfort does come from mental image pictures and that these are immediately created.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1969

 
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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 as Danny faces a potential sentence of 45 years to life in prison. NOW WITH TRIAL INDEX.

 
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THE PODCAST: How many have you heard?

[1] Marc Headley [2] Claire Headley [3] Jeffrey Augustine [4] Bruce Hines [5] Sunny Pereira [6] Pete Griffiths [7] Geoff Levin [8] Patty Moher [9] Marc Headley [10] Jefferson Hawkins [11] Michelle ‘Emma’ Ryan [12] Paulette Cooper [13] Jesse Prince [14] Mark Bunker [15] Jon Atack [16] Mirriam Francis [17] Bruce Hines on MSH

— SPECIAL: The best TV show on Scientology you never got to see

[1] Phil Jones [2] Derek Bloch [3] Carol Nyburg [4] Katrina Reyes [5] Jamie DeWolf

— The first Danny Masterson trial and beyond

[18] Trial special with Chris Shelton [19] Trial week one [20] Marc Headley on the spy in the hallway [21] Trial week two [22] Trial week three [23] Trial week four [24] Leah Remini on LAPD Corruption [25] Mike Rinder 2022 Thanksgiving Special [26] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part One [27] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part Two [28] Claire Headley on the trial [29] Tory Christman [30] Bruce Hines on spying [31] Karen de la Carriere [32] Ron Miscavige on Shelly Miscavige [33] Karen de la Carriere on the L’s [34] Mark Bunker on Miscavige hiding [35] Mark Plummer [36] Mark Ebner [37] Karen Pressley [38] Steve Cannane [39] Fredrick Brennan [40] Clarissa Adams [41] Louise Shekter [42] John Sweeney [43] Tory Christman [44] Kate Bornstein [45] Christian Stolte [46] Mark Bunker [47] Jon Atack [48] Luke Y. Thompson [49] Mark Ebner [50] Bruce Hines [51] Spanky Taylor and Karen Pressley [51] Geoff and Robbie Levin [52] Sands Hall [53] Jonny Jacobsen [54] Sandy Holeman [55] Mark Bunker [56] Trish and Liz Conley [57] Trish Conley [58] Alex Barnes-Ross [59] Alex Barnes-Ross [60] Alex Barnes-Ross [61] Alex Barnes-Ross [62] Alex Barnes-Ross [63] Alex Barnes-Ross [64] Tory Christman [65] Tammy Synovec [66] Dennis Erlich [67] Alex Barnes-Ross [68] Valerie Ross [69] Kat in Austin [70] Mark Bunker [71] Phil Jones

 
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Source Code

“Suzette Hubbard is assigned to the post of Quartermasters Mate Div IV Ship and her pay resumed when she takes post. She did this post well but was both overloaded by added duties and given no assistance on major work actions. She has in the past done several posts well but overload and overwhelm has driven her off them. She is to learn coastal and celestial navigation in part time study so as to be able to train personnel in them. There are too few reliable navigators aboard.” — L. Ron Hubbard, April 11, 1970

 
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Avast, Ye Mateys

“WELCOME ABOARD: Three new arrivals, Evelyn Webster-Parsons who is our WW Representative, Paul Preston who is Deputy Ops for US Area, and Janice Tidman, returning to the ship, are welcomed aboard. …MORALE: I am getting a steady flow of reports of increased morale. I think we can have a happy ship.” — The Commodore, April 11, 1970

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“The main question is: Do we ‘need and want to have a unified Freezone’? The answer is a definitive YES! A unified and organized Freezone will survive ‘lower beings’ well organized and wanting to take the planet down. What is meant by ‘lower beings’? It could be for example wog anti-Scienos and ex-Scienos organized on Suppressive Groups like SPs r Us, or the Andreas Heldal-Lund group. The creation of the Freezone was by Capt. Bill Robertson. In short, the inhabitants of this planet are (by decree of the government of this galaxy) guinea pigs for an experiment, and they are not to be interfered with by external influences (Marcabian ETs) nor being subjected to atomic or biochemical warfare. We are expected to make Scientology run the planet. Anyway, the shadow government for this planet is going to use or is already using Scientology against the planetary population. Reverse Scientology to enslave. The other alternative is the Marcabians in the EU creating their One World Government. The other alternative would be the Scientologists running the planet. But how are American Scienos going to do that if they ‘don’t like’ organizations, the Sea Org, and much less a One World Government?”

 
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Past is Prologue

2000: The St. Petersburg Times published a column by Mary Jo Melone on the criminal and civil cases being heard in the Tampa area. “Do you think it’s possible that those Scientologists, those believers in e-meters and psychological audits and goose-stepping group-think, are transmitting weird radio signals that have addled some of the best minds in Pinellas County? How else to explain the mental nose dives of the medical examiner and the chief circuit judge when they were confronted with the story of the slow, miserable death in 1995 of Scientologist Lisa McPherson at the Fort Harrison Hotel? Last week, Judge Susan Schaeffer, who is presiding over the criminal case, dropped hints heavy as bricks that she may throw out the criminal charges against the church, for negligence and practicing medicine without a license. She even said she ‘felt sad’ that members of the so-called church had to see pickets in Clearwater protesting McPherson’s death. Did Schaeffer have any concern for the feelings, confused, depressed and psychotic though they may have been, once possessed by Lisa McPherson? Apparently not. She even said McPherson went to the hotel, after a car accident and a bizarre episode in which she took off her clothes, quite willingly. Schaeffer said she was troubled by the state attorney’s decision to prosecute the church, and not individuals, because this could be taken as an infringement on the right to practice religion. If what they do at Scientology headquarters in Clearwater is a religion, then I’m a planet. Saturn, say, rings and all. Hillsborough Circuit Judge James Moody has the civil case, a wrongful death suit filed by McPherson’s estate. On Friday, church lawyers asked him to throw out the suit, based on some of the nonsense Judge Schaeffer had swallowed. They again said Lisa McPherson was not out of her mind and made a free and independent decision after her car wreck to go to the hotel. Moody refused. He said whether McPherson had acted freely was in dispute. The judge also said he would do everything possible to keep religion out of the case. Is it the differences between two judges and their personalities? Or are the politics of placating Scientology in play? Clearwater’s city manager, Mike Roberto, spends half his time making nice with the e-meter crowd. Worry that some of the best minds in Pinellas County have been cowed by Scientology.”

 
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Random Howdy

“Ingo Swann was a Scientologist at one time and also a superstar of the make-believe magical circus. He was confirmed as being a ‘genuine psychic’ by Professors Dumb & Dumber (Russell Targ and Harold Puthoff), the same suckers who were conned by Uri Geller.”

 
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker

Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Found guilty on two counts on May 31, remanded to custody. Sentenced to 30 years to life on Sep 7, 2023. DA’s response to appeal brief due May 14.
— ‘Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’ (a/k/a Justin Craig), aggravated assault, plus drug charges: Grand jury indictments include charges from an assault while in custody. Next pretrial hearing April 25.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, convicted of fraud. Pre-sentencing conference was held April 4. Next hearing scheduled for April 14.

Civil litigation:

 
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SCIENTOLOGY: FAIR GAME

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] Scientology’s obsession with secrecy is in its DNA, and it results in absurdities
[TWO years ago] L. Ron Hubbard 2.0 starting new Scientology offshoot and says he’s getting out of jail soon
[THREE years ago] Scientology’s saddest celebrity, Eddie Deezen, arrested again
[FOUR years ago] Scientology social media: Never a better time for learning to shatter suppression!
[FIVE years ago] Scientology’s desperate response to pandemic is to let us see just how creepy it really is
[SIX years ago] Pageant official: Miss New Yorks are clueless about Scientology and we’re OK with that
[SEVEN years ago] A new academic book takes apart Scientology and pop culture, and the apologists hate it
[EIGHT years ago] Federal judge to Scientology: I’m taking over the arbitration, and it’s jail if you interfere
[NINE years ago] Spying, intimidation, and ruin: Two lives caught up in Scientology’s notorious ‘Fair Game’
[TEN years ago] Garcias ask for reconsideration on judge’s error: ‘We never agreed that Scientology is a religion’
[ELEVEN years ago] VERDICT: Scientology’s Quebec rehab facility violated human rights of David Love and 2 others
[TWELVE years ago] Dianetics: Your Life Was Ruined Before Birth by Your Parents and Their Dumb Culture

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on April 11, 2025 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, 1995-2023 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2023), 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

 

Tony Ortega at Rolling Stone