TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: In 2020, Scientology’s pals in Clearwater politics were so offended that Mark Bunker had won a seat on the city council, they changed council election law. Yesterday, that new law benefited none other than Mark Bunker, who has qualified for a November runoff! [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“The parent should attempt to avoid the language which is in the child’s reactive bank. The emotions accompanying this language should also be avoided, as well as any known duplication of situations which are likely to have been recorded by the child’s reactive mind. If the parent cannot recall the incidents in which engrams might have been created, or if he cannot remember the language used at that time, he can soon determine by the child’s reactions what sets of words and what kinds of emotion are in the child’s reactive bank. He should then be very careful to avoid this language, especially when situations exist which might be engramic. Any aberration in a child is evidence that a key-in has occurred, and the situations in which the aberrations are most apparent will have similar perceptics to the perceptics which were present when the engram was laid in.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1950
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“As there are sharks about the ship, the overboard ceremony is about to be resumed for Dianetic Auditors who flub commands, fail to complete sessions or fail to let PCs have wins or who fail to complete study from the Coaudit group and get onto auditing. Two flubbed Dn sessions out of 10 is about what we’re running just now and that is 2 too many. Dianetics is very simple to do. The great auditors are the VIIIs. We have had several Dianetic auditors who were great. They are now moving on up through VI to VIII. This new scarcity of flubless Dianetic auditors results I am sure from lazy study and false passes on materials and TRs 101 to 104. I want a flood of new Dianetic Auditors who have actually passed their bulletins and drills.” — L. Ron Hubbard, August 19, 1969
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“SQUIRRELS: Been hearing reports on a couple squirrels — Bernie Green (in NY) and Jack Horner (in LA). They’ve been goofing it up for ages. Typical no case gain cases, up to their ears in undisclosed overts. They’d sell their grandma for a fast buck. Horner is wildly opposed to organizations or systems of any kind. He has the trick of talking somebody off the third dynamic into the first dynamic. He shows them how the system is doing them in and how it should all be only for No. 1. B. Green evidently got that way as a Terrorist in the Middle East. Horner totally flipped when he ruined one too many women. The first dynamic and the fast buck and how all systems are bad seem to be a common denominator to these poor nuts.” — The Commodore, August 19, 1970
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“LRH said, ‘No squirrel has lasted more than 2 or 3 years in the past sixteen years. And there have been many.’ See how Justin emerged in 2017 and by 2020 see how he crumbled and as a revenge, he is declaring ‘Scientology dead’ and developing his own stuff with its own name. He is now in the process of splintering. The same thing that the previous squirrels did.”
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1997: Former Scientologist David Alexander reported on Scientology’s attempt to reclaim him into the cult. “They didn’t call me, but had their private investigator, Ted Banas, call me last Tuesday the 12th, and say nice things to me. Ted’s the same ex-LAPD they sent last September and October. He still insists he’s not a Scientologist, but fills their need for a ‘disinterested party’ to contact people who I guess would jump out of their skin if confronted by a Scientologist. It still causes me much enturbulation every time I relive/review the fear and domination I felt as a very devoted Scientologist. So I guess there is something to hiring non-Scientologists for this work. I guess I disappointed them by telling Ted I was preparing prosecution at the invitation of the Attorney General, and that I was making progress with the help of a forensic Psychiatrist… My favorite Private Investigator called me again today, Tuesday at 5:30pm, with a message to relay to me from OSA. OSA wants to assure me that the door is always open. I think I’ve heard that somewhere before. Well I’m sure ‘into’ the RPF is always open, and I feel there has always been an eagerness to hand out punishments of sorts. Ted, ‘my’ PI, says they want to return my money minus everything that it paid for. What I remember the most is what I’ve learned over the past few years–most notably the truths I’ve learned on ARS, such as, Hubbard is agnostic–in it for the money, the church will stop at nothing to enforce their reality, Hubbard was God and could ‘do no wrong’, larceny by false promise, many deceptions. But most of all I remember the sadistic handling of my children and the poverty they have endured while COS proved to me it was in possession of some balls or something. I remember hobbling on mangled ankles because I blew the money for surgery on holy parlor games or something.”
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“I know of two people who left the Jehovah’s Witnesses and joined Scientology. You might be surprised at the amount of cult cross-pollination that goes on. There is a certain ‘follower’ personality type in this world.”
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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] What it was like to run a Scientology drug rehab in Narconon’s heyday
[TWO years ago] Scientology’s greatest ever justification for its expensive TV channel is here
[THREE years ago] PODCAST: Sands Hall updates us on her Scientology memoir adventure!
[FOUR years ago] Danny Masterson lawyers telling tales of woe ahead of October rape trial: Another strategy?
[FIVE years ago] Tom Cruise’s Scientology superpowers, No. 9: Mocking up an automobile out of thin air
[SIX years ago] Valerie Haney reacts to setback in lawsuit against Scientology: ‘I will continue to fight’
[SEVEN years ago] Even when it gets good press, Scientology reminds us that it uses slave labor
[EIGHT years ago] Oh gross: Scientology Sea Org now saluting donors who give for ‘Ideal Orgs’
[NINE years ago] What Scientology itself says about the way it’s going to change how your mind works
[TEN years ago] Gawker goes dark, but its impact on Scientology — and Tom Cruise — will never be forgotten
[ELEVEN years ago] Why Steve Fishman — of the notorious Fishman Papers — is today serving 21 years in prison
[TWELVE years ago] LAWSUIT: OKLAHOMA OFFICIALS HID WRONGDOING AT SCIENTOLOGY DRUG REHAB
[THIRTEEN years ago] How Does Scientology’s Cosmology Really Work? Historian Jon Atack Has a Theory
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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 3,725 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 4,229 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,735 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 4,285 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,661 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 3,156 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 6,462 days.
Marc Headley has not seen his mother Trudy in 5,111 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 4,329 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,883 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 5,224 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,795 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,711 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,878 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 5,464 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,723 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 4,471 days.
Marie Poulin has not seen her mother June in 4,040 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 2,351 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 3,526 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 5,208 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 5,545 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 10,398 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 5,514 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,876 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,675 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 4,559 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 4,134 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,635 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,895 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,999 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on August 19, 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
