
TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: While Scientology leader David Miscavige’s plans for expansion at the UK headquarters keep running into opposition, he’s got a large structure going up in South Africa. But what is it? Dave usual crows about big projects, so we would love some help on this. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
——————–
Technology Cocktail
“A Cramming Officer does not need to be trained on or be an expert in the materials or subject on which he is cramming another. The liability, if he is so trained, and is himself out-ethics, is that often he may enter his own false data, misunderstoods, confusions and/or misinterpretations into the scene. However, the Cramming Officer must be able to readily locate the correct source materials or other valid materials that apply to the cram, and get these studied, duplicated and drilled by the individual who needs correction. It is important that if he encounters a misunderstood of his own in such materials he gets it cleared so that he is capable of handling the cramming action correctly. Flubbed or half-done crams can result from the Cramming Officer dramatizing his own misunderstoods.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1981
——————–
“I had an example of this. I had a couple of words on a line plot, when I was auditing, and they didn’t make much sense, and I let them go by! They didn’t make any sense to me and by George, we had a wrong item! And as soon as we got the thing straightened out and they did make sense, and so forth, they rocket read, and we went ahead beautifully. The point I’m stressing here is even though you have those forms, don’t try to gobbledygook it. Because gobbledygook won’t work. But sometimes it looks a little gobbledygooky, let’s get the idea of ‘to be Catholic.’ Let’s say that somebody had a goal like that. Got it down in the Vatican or somewhere, they got implanted, and ‘to be Catholic,’ you know. And you get down to the ‘-ness’ form of the goal. And you say, well that’s obviously the beingness of a Catholic. But by George, that doesn’t work! And you finally find out that it’s ‘Catholicness.’ Makes sense, doesn’t it? Catholicness. It isn’t an English word, but it’s a perfectly decent concept. It’s the ‘-ness’ ness of being a Catholic. See? And Catholicness, you’ll find out will fire right at that point, very nice.” — L. Ron Hubbard, April 18, 1963
——————–
“NAME CHANGE: The harbour recognized the ship but not the flag or name and were curious. So you better know why so you can explain it. The Hubbard Exploration Co Ltd was the original owner. It was a British Company. Because of currency restrictions the ships were sold to me, then to Operation and Transport Corporation of Panama, a Panama Company so the flag and name had to be changed. We run student cruises and came from Cadiz and will eventually be returning there. We cruise on the coasts of the Western Med.” — The Commodore, April 18, 1969
——————–
“One applies the capability to postulate at a level of pure static. Previous auditing actually accomplished this in varying degrees but it didn’t knowingly use that residual free theta to wisely postulate at that moment of conversion – a knowing and willing CAUSE. I exteriorized from whole track identities and realized it was who I thought I was. The beingness called basic personality was just a collection of winning identities up the track. I looked at the winning identities and said ‘that’s me’; lo, even these as-is and static regains with more wisdom.”
——————–
2001: The National Post reported on the efforts of Scientology to oppose the use of Prozac and Ritalin. “In a lavish ceremony, Priscilla Presley recently presented a human rights award to a courageous New York mother, Patricia Weathers. Mrs. Weathers had fought a long battle with her son’s school to get her 11-year-old son Michael off Ritalin, which she said caused him mental harm. Mrs. Weathers’ plight is well-known in the United States, where a backlash against such psychiatric drugs as Prozac and Ritalin is in full swing. What is less well-known is that this backlash has been orchestrated by the controversial Church of Scientology. Indeed, some argue that the Church has triggered the uproar almost single-handedly. Ms. Presley is a Scientologist. The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) – which awarded Mrs. Weathers its prize – was formed by the Church in 1969. In fact, the Washington lawyer who launched a U.S. class-action suit against Ritalin’s makers and the American Psychiatric Association is also a senior Scientology official. Scientology, in its fight against Ritalin, is pursuing a broader agenda: to undermine the psychiatric profession. ‘While alerting parents and teachers to the dangers of Ritalin, the real target of the campaign is the psychiatric profession itself,’ the Church stated over a decade ago in its newspaper, Scientology Today. Scientology has also won a reputation for taking its enemies to court. Beginning in the late 1980s, it supported a series of lawsuits across the United States, attacking psychiatrists and schools with claims that attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not a valid diagnosis, stimulant drugs are overprescribed, and the doctors who make such prescriptions are corrupt or unethical. Many of these cases were handled by John Coale, a Washington lawyer and senior Scientologist. None of the cases has been successful in court. These efforts have created a climate of fear among physicians, parents and educators and have sown anxiety and confusion among the general public, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported in 1998. Church operatives also work at raising awareness of potential side effects of psychiatric drugs, often with great success. In the wake of the massacre at Columbine, Col., CNN interviewed Dr. Mary Ann Block, author of the book No More Ritalin-Treating ADHD Without Drugs. She quoted a study noting Ritalin’s similarity to cocaine in its ability to cause psychotic episodes.”
——————–
“It would be fun if there were real monsters, but the only real monsters on this planet are us.”
——————–
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, waiting for 2nd Appellate District court to set a hearing date. 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 (eligible for parole in two to three more years). Awaiting transfer to 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 March 9.
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. Awaiting the setting of an oral arguments hearing.
— 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 is on appeal. Appeal fully briefed. Motion to replace Jane Does’ AI-tainted brief denied by court. Oral arguments hearing on March 3.
— 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.
——————–
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?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] She worked with Scientology’s spies and celebs, and still has photos to prove it
[TWO years ago] Rebecca Minkoff’s Scientology involvement in the news, thanks to ‘RHONY’
[THREE years ago] Day one at the Danny Masterson retrial was wild, what’s in store for day two?
[FOUR years ago] How it went down: Transcript of Judge Olmedo denying Danny Masterson’s latest subpoenas
[FIVE years ago] Scientology social media: Taking the planet higher than it’s ever been
[SIX years ago] Scientology denied: Watch Clearwater church members calling Mark Bunker a bigot
[SEVEN years ago] When Scientology is caught spying, it always pretends it was the victim
[EIGHT years ago] Spinning cars, self-healing cuts — more ‘OT’ ghost stories from Scientologists
[NINE years ago] DOX: Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard’s nutty scheme to strong-arm America’s psychologists
[TEN years ago] Louis Theroux’s ‘My Scientology Movie’ premieres at Tribeca: Our on-scene report
[ELEVEN years ago] Scientology hit with another federal lawsuit over refunds — but with a twist
[TWELVE years ago] The rising business star, his mother, and Scientology’s attempt to rip them apart
[THIRTEEN years ago] Hysterical Hyper-Sight, and Other Lost Concepts of Dianetics
——————–
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 3,602 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 4,106 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,612 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 4,162 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 3,152 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,538 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 3,033 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 6,337 days.
Marc Headley has not seen his mother Trudy in 4,988 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 4,206 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,760 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 5,101 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,672 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,588 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,755 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 5,341 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,600 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 4,348 days.
Marie Poulin has not seen her mother June in 3,917 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 2,228 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 3,403 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 5,085 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 5,422 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 10,275 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 5,391 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,753 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 4,164 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,552 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 4,436 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 4,000 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,512 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,772 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,876 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on April 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, 1995-2024 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)
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates.

Tony Ortega at The Daily Beast







