New book on Beck details his involvement in — and abuse by — the Church of Scientology

 
TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: A powerful new book makes the case that you can’t understand the life and career of the musician Beck without understanding his involvement in — and abuse by — the Church of Scientology. We got a review copy, and we think this is going to be huge. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

 
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Technology Cocktail

“Insanity can be of two kinds: acute and chronic. An acute insanity we can think of as one which flares into existence for a few moments or a few days and then subsides, leaving a relatively normal person. A chronic insanity is one which, having appeared, does not subside but holds the individual in an abnormal state. Each has the same genesis, the engrams, and each is decidedly harmful to the individual himself and to society. The acute insanity is most commonly seen in a rage or a tantrum. It is no less an insanity because it subsides. An engram has been momentarily restimulated so that the individual is temporarily bereft of his analytical mind. When so bereft of analytical power he may do numerous things, as dictated by the engram in restimulation. He may even murder or commit mayhem which, afterwards, will cause him to be punished by society. The chronic insanity is an acute insanity with the time factor lengthily extended. Most chronic insanities are, of course, complications of several engrams.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1951

 
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Source Code

“Today we’re processing the present. We’re processing energy flow — live energy flow — in present time. We’re processing ‘right now.’ And ‘right now’ gets affected by ‘then,’ just as you learned in the first book and just as you learned in subsequent publications, and all you’ve been practicing to date. ‘Then’ affects ‘now.’ But all you will have to process, really, to get rid of ‘then,’ is ‘now.’ So you can process ‘now.’” — L. Ron Hubbard, September 21, 1952

 
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Avast, Ye Mateys

“The WHY we face now is absence of recruiting, lack of full hats with checksheets and packs. The why of that was failure to make the materials filed accessibly and collateable. So it’s a snake eats its tail. No hats then brought a condition of no data available in files. A true dwindling spiral. And no hats traces to the introduction of Ethics into HCOs and that it is easier to assign a condition than to compile or checkout a hat. Hats went out when Ethics came strongly in. Without Ethics in HCO, HCO can only make stats recover by org form and hats. Ethics has a role — after all else fails. But hats and Ethics can’t belong in the same Division.” — The Commodore, September 21, 1970

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“Note that after the McPherson Affair there was a radical change in the delivery of Scientology known as the Golden Age of Tech. Coincidence? Sure if you believe in such things. Personally I don’t think many Scientologists can confront that much evil so they create a synthetic terminal like ‘Miscavige,’ ‘DM’ or ‘COB’ and fixate on him as the cause of all evil and that anyone who suggests otherwise is a ‘conspiracy theorist’ or an ‘OSA plant’ or whatever. Worse they support such idiocies as signing a petition calling on the *in*justice department and the FBI to ‘investigate’ Scientology. As far as I’m concerned Lisa McPherson and the ‘Trust’ that followed was a planned covert operation allowing former plants like Robert Vaughn Young and others to ‘defect’ and further discredit the subject and make absurd claims that it was the Introspection RD that caused her demise. Interesting fact is that the Introspection Rundown if properly done would eliminate the need for Psychiatry and their monopoly over the ‘insane.’ An existential threat to their existence for sure.”

 
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Past is Prologue

1995: An interesting description was posted this week of Hubbard from Harlan Ellison in his intro to Angry Candy, a collection of his short stories. “Ron Hubbard and Emily went in January of ’86. I hadn’t seen Ron in decades, but we’d exchanged a few letters; and despite the looneytunes scene his Dianetics and Scientology had become, he was always still just Ron Hubbard, who’d written ‘To The Stars’ and ‘Final Blackout’ and ‘Fear’ and ‘Typewriter in the Sky’ and ‘Slaves of Sleep,’ all of which were great pulp fiction I can still reread with pleasure; and he was not some sort of mysterious recluse with a worldwide following of dippy ‘clears’ who are so scared someone will let light into their cultish religion that they sue people who talk in their sleep, one supposes, rather than suffer any negative comment. He was just Ron, and I kinda liked him, mostly because he wrote well, and I never felt he took all that Scientology nonsense seriously but knew how to make a good buck, and he liked me, and … well, he was a friend who died. As Emily was a friend who died.”

 
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Random Howdy

“I wish that the OSA or their private dickheads would show up were I live because I live in the toughest building on the toughest street in my city. The cops are afraid to come in here. Also, I am much beloved by the denizens.”

 
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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 catches Masterson victim attorneys with AI-fudged citations in court filing
[TWO years ago] Scientology celebrates 20 ‘Ideal’ years in Madrid — but leaves out Tom Cruise!
[THREE years ago] When Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard tried for the 2nd time to become a bigamist
[FOUR years ago] What is this ‘Substack’ thing anyway, and what’s going on at the Underground Bunker?
[FIVE years ago] A very brief note on Tom Cruise and his daughter Suri
[SIX years ago] SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS, Episode 6: Dirty tricks are a sacrament in this ‘church’
[SEVEN years ago] The new ‘Freewinds’: Founder L. Ron Hubbard says Scientology is ‘supermagic’!
[EIGHT years ago] Is David Miscavige making changes to Scientology to fend off media glare?
[NINE years ago] Federal judge says he has the Scientologists for a justice panel, but Garcias say, ‘not so fast’
[TEN years ago] DRONE FLYOVER: Scientology’s secret ranch where L. Ron Hubbard departed this Earth
[ELEVEN years ago] United Kingdom sees Scientology documentary ‘Going Clear’ tonight on Sky Atlantic
[TWELVE years ago] Scientology Sunday Funnies: Turning begging for cash into an art form
[THIRTEEN years ago] FEAR: Jon Atack on Scientology’s Essential Ingredient

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on September 21, 2026 at 07:00

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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.

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