We’ve posted a lot of stories here at the Bunker from people who have left Scientology. People who were abused as children, who had their families ripped apart when they left, and some that are still struggling to understand what they went through.
And it always strikes us that they are all of them so consistent with each other.
We’d like you to keep that in mind as you look at this great Super Power success story from Source magazine. It sure paints a different picture than what defectors are telling us, doesn’t it?
Which do you find more credible?
The Operating Manual for OT
Burton Campbell expected a lot from Super Power. It delivered far more.When this whole stay-at-home/work-at-home thing started, I knew I was not going to let this opportunity go to waste. So I came to Flag to do Super Power. The very fact that I could take advantage of this chaotic time by being in the theta environment of Flag made all the difference.
When I first got into Scientology, some 20 years ago, it was a brand-new door that opened in my life. I can tell you now with no exaggeration that Super Power was the second door opening up a whole new life for me as a thetan. It was such a wonderful rundown. My life is new again!
While on Super Power, I immediately discovered something that was an eye-opener. I was not in touch with my First Dynamic as I thought. Then I began to see that the First Dynamic is partly a partnership between the body, which I am using as a vehicle to interact in this universe, and myself as a thetan. As I completed each successive step, my awareness of myself as a being just kept growing and growing.
In session after session, I found myself incredulously asking the same question: “There’s more?” And when my auditor assured me there was, I was always astounded. I really found myself more deeply and confidently than ever before. I found the true meaning of life as a game, and all that it implies from knowing yourself, your body, Mankind, all of life and the spiritual universe.
Some physical limitations evaporated as my perceptions opened up one by one. I feel limitless. Super Power was far more than I expected, and I expected a lot. There is nothing that I cannot confront. My ability to create my future is unleashed without restraint. Super Power is my operating manual as an OT.
Super Power is a gift. Give it to yourself and expand like never before. Now is the time to come to Flag and make that change for a new and brighter future.
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Continuing our year in review: The stories of September 2020
Early in September we were watching the Dennis Nobbe case, which was getting very strange, fast. After being arrested for insurance fraud and PPP loan abuse, Nobbe was then in trouble with prosecutors for trying to influence witnesses.
More ‘Scientology Black Ops’ episodes showed up online, and we had the videos and transcripts for each of them. Episode 2: ‘Witness X’; Episode 3: The Tristan Silverman story; Episode 4: Tom Cruise’s dirty plot against his publicist Pat Kingsley; Episode 5: Paul Haggis and his sister, used to attack him; Episode 6: Dirty tricks used by the church; Episode 7: Celebrities seeking godhood through David Miscavige.
Our old friend Andreas Heldal-Lund sent us a letter about Scientology by J. Edgar Hoover that had showed up in newly released files.
We were intrigued by how Tommy Davis ended up being a bit player in the bestselling book ‘Melania and Me.’
Scientology Super Power icon Matt Feshbach and his wife Kathy were told they were arrogant spendthrifts by yet another court, the US Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld earlier rulings saddling them with a $3.5 million tax debt.
David Miscavige continued to evade service in the lawsuit filed by Danny Masterson’s accusers, and his attorney Jeffrey Riffer said Miscavige was too busy saving Scientology from Covid to accept papers in the case.
Leah Remini won a second Emmy, for the series finale episode of ‘Scientology and the Aftermath’
We included the Los Angeles Times among Scientology’s enablers at #14.
As the case of witness tampering began to build against him and he was ordered to await trial in jail, Scientologist chiropractor Dennis Nobbe dropped dead while on the phone with his attorney.
Danny Masterson made his one and only (so far) criminal court appearance on September 18. He was scheduled to be arraigned on rape charges, but his attorney submitted a “demurrer” trying to get him out of the charges, and his arraignment was put off a month.
Kansas City, Kansas rejected a request by Scientology to create a dorm there for its Ideal Org workers.
Top Scientology donor Trish Duggan turned out to be a major multi-million dollar donor to the Trump campaign. We wondered if that new scrutiny might make people interested in our earlier investigation of her that she had tried to suppress.
We learned that Valerie Haney had filed a petition with an appellate court, hoping to get a writ that would allow her to appeal a lower court ruling without having to submit to Scientology’s “religious arbitration” first.
We had a fun surprise when we learned that not only was a Scientologist running for city council in Oregon, but it was a former Sea Org official with ties to some of Scientology’s darkest secrets.
Ray Jeffrey took part in Leah Remini’s podcast, and yes, he talked about the betrayal by his former client, Marty Rathbun. Wow!
We stumbled across something pretty wild in federal court files: For years, Danny Masterson has been suing his mortgage holders in a nutty series of lawsuits. We wondered if it could affect bail in his criminal case.
A LOOK BACK AT SEPTEMBER 2019: Miscavige was having even more success with donors, both the lesser whales and the big leviathans. New daily features: Source Code, Overheard in the Freezone, and Random Howdy. Michelle “Emma” Ryan announces she’s archiving the ESMB forum. The Islams try sovereign citizen craziness in court. Dream team files its third lawsuit, on behalf of a Jane Doe in Miami. The strange tale of how Mike Rinder ended up with Richie Acunto’s Scientology trophy.
A LOOK BACK AT SEPTEMBER 2018: Two upstate New York Scientologist chiropractors charged in an $80 million Medicare scam. We decoded David Miscavige’s chest ribbons. Jeffrey Augustine tangled with a Scientology PI. Jeffrey also detailed the history of the Freewinds. The US government adopted a Russian Scientologist as a ‘prisoner of conscience.’
A LOOK BACK AT SEPTEMBER 2017: On national television, Leah Remini and her mother Vicki Marshall exposed OT 8 for the shameful scam it is. And then we posted the actual New OT 8 materials for the first time to prove it. Clarissa Adams told us her disconnection story. John Brousseau, Karen Pressley, and Paul Haggis appeared on Aftermath, and Haggis answered Marty Rathbun’s smears. And we said goodbye to Bernie Feshbach.
A LOOK BACK AT SEPTEMBER 2016: Marty Rathbun goes on the attack against Ron Miscavige and Louis Theroux. The anonymous drone pilot begins premiering his footage of Scientology bases. Jason Lee ditches Scientology. And Steve Cannane’s excellent book Fair Game comes out.
A LOOK BACK AT SEPTEMBER 2015: We marked a full decade since Shelly Miscavige first vanished. Alex Gibney’s documentary Going Clear took home three Emmy awards. And we broke the news that Jim Carrey’s girlfriend, Cat White, was a Scientologist on the SRD when she killed herself.
A LOOK BACK AT SEPTEMBER 2014: Nancy Cartwright makes perhaps the creepiest Scientology ad ever. Jim Jackson remembers Lyman Spurlock. And Scientology crows about getting money from Google.
A LOOK BACK AT SEPTEMBER 2013: Scientology’s private dancer, live-blogging at the Monique Rathbun temporary restraining order hearing, and day two’s live-blog which set a then-record number of comments for a single blog post at the Bunker (3,442).
Five of our favorites from the most-upvoted comments of September 2020
September 2: Mighty Korgo of Teegeeack
Farrakhan might not be getting any money from Scientology. But I have to be skeptical. I was told repeatedly that Hubbard was only getting twenty-five dollars a week from Scientology.
September 10: Andrew Robertson
Superior beings like the Feshbachs should have remembered what happened to the tax dodgers on Marcabia 75 million years ago. At least they won’t be put in a volcano and blown up. That must be some consolation for them!
September 17: J. Swift
There is a Scientology crime wave going on. It is mostly white collar crime and it is being perpetrated by public Scientologists in their 20-70’s. Ponzi schemes, real estate scams, Medicare fraud, elder abuse, securities fraud, insurance fraud, credit card fraud, etc. These people are all going to be caught, exposed, and arrested. Dennis Nobbe was part of the Scientology crime wave. Now he is dead and his legacy is that he was a Scientologist and a white collar criminal.
September 18: Andrea “i-Betty” Garner
I want to lift up the two women whose rapes took place outside the statute of limitations, and the women whose cases DA Lacey decided not to proceed with. I see you, I hear you, and I believe you. All of you – and all the women hurt by Danny Masterson who have never come forward – are just as much a part of these proceedings. I join with all of you in supporting the three women whose cases have made it this far.
September 24: Richard
If Scientology had taken over the planet in 1969, all of us here would now be happy, dedicated Scientologists. And The Underground Bunker would have been a very different affair, giving us all daily Scientology theta news. But what about the comments…
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“I got a frantic wire the other day from a scientific congress that was occurring in, I think, Boston, and they wanted to know if I had any proof I could offer that thought created matter. They’d suddenly stumbled onto some mathematical proof of this one way or the other, and they wanted to know if I had any proof of this at all, and I sent ’em back a wire telling ’em that, yes, we’d had somebody mock up large mock-ups and stuff ’em into his body and increase his weight thirty pounds in a few weeks and then, by getting the reverse flow, to reduce his weight back again. We’ve actually made that experiment. That’s quite an experiment to make, by the way, because it takes a devilish lot of auditing and the fellow has to be awfully good at solid facsimiles and mock-ups and things of that character before you can perform the series. But we have done it, taking thought alone, without increasing somebody’s diet, and increasing his weight and decreasing it. So, I sent ’em this data and I got back a highly enthusiastic wire saying that my data, as sent to them, had been of great assistance, so I hope they were all edified. That’s all I’ve heard about it.” — L. Ron Hubbard, December 29, 1957
“LIBERTY: You may have a proper 24 hour liberty under more favorable weather conditions in the near future. The barometer, Neptune and acts of god and perils of the sea have operated to delay the 24 hour liberty. Consensus is, Who wants any liberty in this weather? As it is dangerous to use the sled in such weather for large parties and too hard on Division IV, we will run only minimal shore boats and only then for vital business. So that no one can say you had one when you didn’t, we will cancel this one for now.” — The Commodore, December 29, 1970
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“Suddenly, in this lonely universe, on a heavy gravity planet on the edge of nowhere, you’re presented with a definite hope of freedom. The catch: that promise of freedom comes at the price of your loyalty to an organization, one organization which is the exclusive owner of the way out. Despite its resemblance to every trap you’ve ever encountered before, it looks like a worthwhile bargain. And so you sign up. And you do get some increases in perception, ability, and the like. But remember, you made an unspoken promise: you would be loyal to this entity, and they would continue to provide you with periodic tastes of freedom, the freedom you hoped for for trillions of years. And as time wears on, this organization to whom you’ve implicitly sworn your allegiance, starts to look like every betrayer you’ve ever encountered down the track. And that freedom they promised you starts to look more and more precarious. You want the freedom. You want it like nothing you’ve ever wanted in the whole rest of your existence. But it starts to look further and further away. And your loyalty to the ones providing it begins to turn to horror at the trap you now seem to find yourself in. Welcome to a carbon copy of the last however many trillions of years of your existence. Can you say ‘confusion?’ And you’re stuck. Because, guess what? You promised.”
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1995: The proceedings of the New Year’s event at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles were posted this week. Keith Spurgeon wrote: “Miscavige begins to speak — he immediately launches into an attack against lies, liars, and the tech of how to get to the bottom of lies; he says that the culprits for the ‘lies’ are the ‘whole track psychs.’ Miscavige does not get into any more detail about it; this is the most interesting speech I’ve ever seen Miscavige give in an event. I’ve never seen Miscavige look paranoid or scared, although most watching probably didn’t have the same impression that I did. The statistical growth of Scientology is presented throughout the event by Church bigwigs such as Marc Yager, Ray Mithoff, Ronnie Miscavige, Guillaume Leserve, etc. Even Heber Jentzsch makes a speech, which is enlightening only to the extent that it reveals Heber’s mental condition. Too many laps around the pole, I guess.”
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“To my mind all religion is organized superstition and magical thinking that was created to explain the unexplainable and to get people to behave. Also, financial reward and social power for the creators has sometimes played a significant role. Some of it was made up thousands of years ago, some of it was made up much more recently. If you can get people to believe it’s a religion…it’s a religion.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Masterson’s demurrer denied Oct 19, arraignment delayed to Jan 6.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing delayed for ‘Fatico’ hearing on Jan 19.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition for writ of mandate denied Oct 22 by Cal 2nd Appellate District. Petition for review by state supreme court denied Dec 11.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Dec 18, re-hearing on motions to compel arbitration, awaiting ruling; Jan 29, Masterson’s request to stay discovery pending the criminal case
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Nov 18: Feshbachs indicated they will enter into consent judgment to pay the debt.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
Concluded litigation:
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, Cannane victorious, awarded court costs.
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
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SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks
The Australian Seven News network cancelled a 10-part investigation of Scientology and its history of dirty tricks. Read the transcripts of the episodes and judge for yourself why Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis might not have wanted viewers to see this hard-hitting series by journalist Bryan Seymour.
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’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 sneaky front groups and building projects under the microscope in 2019
[TWO years ago] How Marc and Claire Headley’s Scientology lawsuit is being used by the NXIVM defense
[THREE years ago] Scientology sues Laura DeCrescenzo in latest plot to kill her 8-year forced-abortion claim
[FOUR years ago] The disturbing detail other media missed about TMZ’s Scientology scoop yesterday
[FIVE years ago] Scientology’s 2015 in review: In September, Erika Christensen was out of this universe
[SIX years ago] One Scientologist is out to teach HBO a lesson for its upcoming documentary
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology’s 2013 in review: A summer of delicious scoops!
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology’s 2012 in Review: Parting Shots from a Year David Miscavige Won’t Soon Forget
[NINE years ago] Scientology Goes Upstat for the Final News Roundup of the Year (And Why We’re Grateful)
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Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,165 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,669 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,189 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,209 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,100 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,407 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,275 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 3,049 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,853 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,169 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,735 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,654 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,822 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,403 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,664 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,702 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,415 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,940 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 295 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,470 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 6,021 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,170 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,490 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,345 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,464 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,820 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,123 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,229 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,631 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,503 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,086 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,581 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,835 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,944 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on December 29, 2020 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
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, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), 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
