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 On Sundays, we like to reveal to you the wackiest Scientology e-mails, fliers, and other come-ons that were sent out to church members during the past week. And this week, the most exciting news that they received was about one of their celebrities, Marisol Nichols.
Nichols reached new heights of fame after her role as Special Agent Nadia Yassir in 24‘s sixth season. But she’s also reached new heights in her career as a Scientologist. As you’ll see in an exciting e-mail that was sent out to church members, Marisol has reached the pinnacle of spiritual achievement, and she’s going to speak at her graduation on Friday at the Hollywood Celebrity Centre! Continue reading Marisol Nichols prepares for her greatest role: Scientology space cadet!
 ALSO IN TODAY’S POST: Is there a subliminal message from Lisa Marie Presley on the back of this T-Shirt? See below! A Piece of Blue Sky . Atack now has a new edition of the book out, and it reminded us what an encyclopedic resource he is. So we had an idea. In the world of Scientology watching, we noticed that there seem to be some legends, myths, and contested facts that tend to get hashed and rehashed in books, articles, and especially on the Internet. With Atack’s help, we’re going to tackle these issues one by one, drawing on Jon’s deep knowledge and sharp sense of humor.Jon, this week we wanted to ask you about one of Scientology’s most hurtful and notorious legacies — its history of going after people with what it calls “Fair Game.” Continue reading Scientology Mythbusting with Jon Atack: Fair Game!
 A bill regulating drug rehab centers in Oklahoma that could spell big trouble for Scientology’s Narconon flagship operation there passed the state Senate 46-0 this week, and now it goes before the House.
Its House co-sponsor is Jason Murphey, a young Republican representative known for his commitment to modernizing government and ethics reform. We talked to him yesterday about the bill’s chances in the House, as well as what he’s seen from Scientology as lobbying efforts to prevent the bill from becoming law. Continue reading Oklahoma Rep. Jason Murphey on Scientology’s Lobbying: “It’s Some Spooky-Looking Stuff”
 Welcome to our ongoing project, where we blog a 1950 first edition of Scientology’s bible, Dianetics, with the help of ex-Scientologist, Bay Area lawyer, blogger, and author Vance Woodward. Go here for the first post in the series.
We’ve now reached the chapter titled “The ‘Demons’,” and after a superfluous flourish, L. Ron Hubbard gets to his subject: that his “engrams” explain what mankind had thought of as demons plaguing the mind. In case the reader might think he was being literal, he writes “There are no real demons in dianetics” in italics. “That’s underscored in case some mystic runs around telling people that a new science of the mind believes in demons.” After the disclaimer, however, Hubbard then goes about describing how his engram-demons are capable of demonic possession, sapping a person of his or her ability to access the self-agency of their analytical minds. We’re all just slaves to our engrams, apparently. Continue reading Blogging Dianetics, Part 8: The Demon Seed
 Eric Tenorio It’s been stunning to watch Scientology’s drug rehab network, Narconon, plunge into crisis over the last year after several deaths at its facilities in Oklahoma and Georgia. But a key part of that crisis has been the emergence of former Narconon employees who have come forward to detail the network’s deceptive practices. Last year, we published the first damning accusations by Narconon Arrowhead’s former president, Luke Catton, who has become a vocal source about Narconon’s methods (and he has a new book out). And now, another formerly high-ranking Narconon employee has gone public with damning new allegations that are quickly having an effect. Because of Eric Tenorio’s allegations about the way Narconon has certified its employees as drug counselors, some of those certifications are being revoked as a new investigation is being launched, the Underground Bunker has learned. Continue reading Narconon Staff Certifications in Jeopardy After New Whistleblower Comes Forward
 On Tuesday, we noted that Scientology not only has still not opened its “Super Power” Building — which it started building almost 15 years ago — but that it says its Clearwater, Florida “mecca” won’t be complete until it builds a major new auditorium — the L. Ron Hubbard Hall — on Super Power’s south side.
The Hall was always part of the plans dreamed up for the mecca in the 1990s, but we wondered if waiting for the Hall to be built will set back the opening of Super Power even further. We don’t know about that yet, but one of our tipsters did us a favor by visiting the site of the future Hall to snap some photos yesterday. After the jump, our tipster’s report on what the place looks like. Continue reading Super Power: No Signs of Construction for New Hall
 Sen. Tom Ivester Yesterday, Oklahoma’s Senate voted 46-0 to approve a bill authored by Sen. Tom Ivester which will require drug rehab facilities to be licensed by the state mental health board. Senate Bill 295 now goes to the House, and if it’s approved there, will go to Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin for signing. If the bill becomes law, it will take affect on November 1. And if that’s the case, Scientology’s flagship drug rehab facility, Narconon Arrowhead, could be in big trouble. Earlier today, we talked to Senator Ivester about his bill and its chances of becoming law. Continue reading Oklahoma Drug Rehab Bill Passes Senate: Scientology’s Narconon Days Numbered? Advertisement
 Herb Richardson, helluva guy We want to thank Professor David Touretzky of Carnegie Mellon University, who sent us down this rabbit hole a few days ago. He pointed us to a news item that has grabbed considerable attention in the academic world, although Gawker thinks it can’t be any more boring. Here’s the thumbnail: An academic librarian at McMaster University in Ontario named David Askey is being sued for millions because in 2010, when he was still a tenured associate professor at Kansas State University, he wrote a blog post criticizing the quality of books put out by an academic publisher, Edwin Mellen Press. Who cares, Gawker asks. Well, we think you might care after you hear more about Edwin Mellen Press, about the odd way Scientology is involved, and about a guy named Herbert Richardson. Continue reading Herb Richardson, Please Don’t Sue Us
A year ago, we made public hundreds of schematics showing plans for Scientology’s “Flag Mecca,” known colloquially as the “Super Power” building. The city-block-sized, 300,000-square-foot monstrosity across the street from the Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater, Florida first broke ground in 1998, and even after the church was forced to pay $413,500 in penalties to the City of Clearwater in 2011 because of delays in its construction, there’s still no indication when it will open. One of our tipsters noticed that this video featuring the Super Power building was posted Saturday on the church’s official YouTube channel. Hidden near the end of the segment — about 50 seconds from the finish — there’s news of yet another major project to be built next door to the Super Power building, one that looks like it could take several more years and millions more in construction All hail “L. Ron Hubbard Hall,” David Miscavige’s newest excuse to delay opening his major fundraising boondoggle! Continue reading SUPER POWER UPDATE: Scientology Has Even More Excuses Not to Open Its Boondoggle
 Last week, we learned that Tom Cruise is playing hardball in his $50 million defamation lawsuit against Bauer Media, publishers of In Touch and Life & Style. Cruise sued after the magazines said he’d “abandoned” his daughter Suri following his split with Katie Holmes last summer. Cruise has indicated that he’ll use depositions and document discovery to portray Bauer as a publisher of porn and magazines that appeal to neo-Nazis.
But if Cruise goes forward, he’ll be subject to his own deposition by Bauer, and that gave us an idea. What sort of questions might the actor be asked, and how might he answer — if he were being completely truthful, that is? An actual deposition could take months to happen, but we’ve asked some people who know a lot about his involvement in Scientology to help us come up with this simulated interrogation. We only hope the real thing turns out to be half as fun! Continue reading Tom Cruise Under Oath: We Have His Deposition Questions!
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On Sundays, we like to reveal to you the wackiest Scientology e-mails, fliers, and other come-ons that were sent out to church members during the past week. And this week, the most exciting news that they received was about one of their celebrities, Marisol Nichols.
