TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: It’s Scientology’s well-worn strategy to attack a reporter rather than address the problems exposed by their reporting. But you have to see this shrieking letter from the church demanding The Times take down its recent undercover investigation. It’s a classic! [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“In all except severe cases, a child may be successfully processed by a parent. In all cases, however, it is more difficult for a parent than an outside auditor, since the parent, by dint of being a parent, is a restimulator for the child. Even the tone of a parent’s voice, without similarity of word content, will sometimes act as a restimulator. Nevertheless, with some intelligence and objectivity on the part of the parent, it can be done. It should be set up as a well defined program occurring in a slightly different form than any other household happening. It should be a new, different, exciting game in which the rules are slightly different from those of other forms of play. Even if the processing is done by an auditor from outside the household, the parents still form an essential part of the child’s environment, and must be educated into acceptance of the facts of Dianetics.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1950
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“You’ve heard time and again how dangerous it is. You mustn’t fool around with the mind! Perfectly all right to take a meat ax to the brain, but you mustn’t fool around with the mind! I got my belly so full in 1950 of psychoanalysts telling me how dangerous it was to fool around with the mind. But I finally more or less rejected it with laughter, because I looked at who was talking. And when he said fool around, man, he meant fool around, because I found out he could not study Dianetics; he could not do it. And do you know our main departure from training psychoanalysts and psychiatrists and medical doctors is not really based on the fact we are antipathetic toward them at all. It’s the fact that they can’t seem to duplicate study materials. And it’s just so hard, it’s so tough.” — L. Ron Hubbard, August 18, 1966
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“CONDITION: Bill Blundell, on Dep LRH Comm data of 3 days absence from Qual as an auditor, and from Dir Rev on insolence and refusal to audit is assigned DOUBT. If Bill persists with his SO record of invisibility, the condition will be lowered. There comes a time when all men have to stand up and be seen and do their jobs in life. That time has arrived for Bill Blundell.” — The Commodore, August 18, 1969
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“So how come you keep bashing LRH 2.0 (Justin)? Have you talked to him, have you studied the tech he is putting out, have you run the processes? I have done all three. I have known the being that is LRH for many, many years and lifetimes. I tell you and all who listen that he is LRH and this new tech of LRH’s is magic. Magic that works in days not years. His game had been to find a one-shot Clear process. He never got that, came close on SCS. But this tech is as close to a one-shot OT as has ever been created. So instead of giving your opinion get some of the facts then talk.”
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1996: Grady Ward posted news this week of Scientology’s investigation into his computer files, and the (poor) state of negotiations towards a settlement. “The Special Master has informed me that Madame Kobrin has asked her to retain a PC expert to attempt to ‘crack’ a series of pgp-encrypted multi-megabyte files that were seized along with more than a compressed gigabyte of other material from my safety deposit box. Ironically, they phoned to ask for assistance in supplying them with a prototype ‘crack’ program that they could use in iterating and permuting possibilities. I did supply them a good core pgpcrack source that can search several tens of thousands of possible key phrases a seconds; I also suggested that they should at least be using a P6-200 workstation or better to make the search more efficient. This morning, I received e-mail from Thomas R. Hogan, chief counsel for RTC in the RTC v Ward litigation before Judge Whyte of San Jose, California soundly rejecting my final offer for settlement. The cult and I have had two settlement meetings so far in which no agreement was reached and in fact I felt that they were interpreting my willingness to talk as capitulation rather than a good faith effort to promote some kind of win-win situation. So now I am in it for the long haul.”
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“Not only are there numerous loopholes allowing dangerous cults to operate freely, there are numerous loopholes allowing idiots to buy wild, endangered animals. A portion of these animals end up at canned hunting operations in Dumbfuckistan where they are gunned down by Dick Cheney and evil fucks of that ilk. It’s gotta stop.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Sentenced to 30 years to life on Sep 7, 2023. Appeal now fully briefed, oral arguments scheduled for June 25. Masterson has also submitted a habeas corpus petition.
— ‘Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’ (a/k/a Justin Craig), aggravated assault, plus drug charges: Grand jury indictments include charges from an assault while in custody. Pleaded guilty on Nov 10 to a 17-year prison sentence. Now serving time in state prison.
— Aaron Matthes charged for SA of child under 12 years old: OT Scientologist facing multiple mandatory life sentences. Next pretrial court hearing set for June 19.
Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Some defamation claims were removed by Judge Hammock. Judge Hammock’s ruling is on appeal, which is now fully briefed. Oral arguments hearing set for July 23.
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ 15 days of arbitration completed, Val waiting for further word from the IJC.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson. Judge Upindra Kalra’s ruling denying Scientology’s motion to strike upheld on appeal. Scientology expected to file additional petitions before case can return to Kalra’s court.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Scientology moves for religious arbitration. Trial has been set for January 10, 2028.
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Other links: The prosecution of Danny Masterson. Leah Remini’s Fair Game Podcast. Leah Remini’s A&E Series. Scientology’s Celebrities, from A to Z. Bryan Seymour’s suppressed series, 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 lifer writing letters to dead people instead of to her own grandkids
[TWO years ago] Ready for OT superpowers, pilgrim? Scientology is waiting for you to come aboard!
[THREE years ago] The time Scientology healing was used on a broken bone at Tom Cruise’s house
[FOUR years ago] EXCLUSIVE: An eyewitness account of the place where Scientology is keeping Shelly Miscavige
[FIVE years ago] Laura Prepon claims she’s out: ‘For Scientology this is catastrophic’ says Mike Rinder
[SIX years ago] Leah Remini’s podcast: Paulette Cooper, Scientology’s ‘OG of Fair Game victims’
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology is staffing its Narconon in Ireland like it’s already won court approval
[EIGHT years ago] From Jon Atack’s ‘Blue Sky’: Reorganizing Scientology as L. Ron Hubbard’s life waned
[NINE years ago] As he predicted, Pastor Willy Rice gets the Scientology ‘Fair Game’ treatment
[TEN years ago] New Scientology financial disclosures reflect the dire state of its chief drug rehab
[ELEVEN years ago] Google helps Scientology huckster Per Wickstrom bury a rehab patient death
[TWELVE years ago] Scientology graduation videos from Copenhagen? Yes, please!
[THIRTEEN years ago] Sunday Funnies: A Scientology Advertising Bonanza!
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Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Joe Reaiche (1958-2024) did not see his daughter Alanna Masterson in his final 6,999 days.
Mike Rinder (1955-2025) did not see his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in his final 7,589 days.
Tammy Synovec has not seen her daughter Julia in 3,724 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 4,228 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,734 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 4,284 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,660 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 3,155 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 6,461 days.
Marc Headley has not seen his mother Trudy in 5,110 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 4,328 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,882 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 5,223 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,794 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,710 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,877 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 5,463 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,722 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 4,470 days.
Marie Poulin has not seen her mother June in 4,039 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 2,350 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 3,525 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 5,207 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 5,544 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 10,397 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 5,513 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,875 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,674 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 4,558 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 4,133 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,634 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,894 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,998 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on August 18, 2026 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter.
Our book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is 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, 1995-2025 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2024), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
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Tony Ortega at The Daily Beast
