Scientology Mythbusting | The Underground Bunker

PODCAST: Jon Atack has some things to say about Mike Rinder’s new book on Scientology

The big news this week of course is that former Scientology spokesman and Leah Remini’s costar Mike Rinder has released his really terrific book about his experience in the church, A Billion Years: My Escape from a Life in the Highest Ranks of […]

Scientology at a crossroads: When the ruthless upstarts pushed out the less compliant

[Alan Walter and Dean Stokes]

Our proprietor has asked me to make some comment on his splendid, corrected transcript of the Mission Holders’ Conference of 1982. I’ve long regarded this conference as the fatal turning point in Scientology, where any pretense at compassion was rejected by David Miscavige – at this time not the leader but […]

Heads on pikes: L. Ron Hubbard’s lasting legacy of ruthlessness in Scientology

In a new video, Jon Atack and Karen de la Carriere discuss one of Scientology’s most hallowed sacraments: The finding of scapegoats so founder L. Ron Hubbard or David Miscavige after him would have a “head on a pike” to answer for any […]

Jon Atack: Is Scientology really a ‘church’?

Perhaps no one understands the early history of Scientology like Jon Atack, author of one of the most famous books on the subject, 1990’s ‘A Piece of Blue Sky,’ which was more recently expanded and […]

Scientology in England faces huge tax bills on its properties, and keeps failing to evade them

[The staff at the swingin’ London Ideal Org]

In a recent blog post, Mike Rinder reports Scientology’s failure to obtain tax exemption for three of its buildings in England. On this side of the pond, an annual tax is paid on the ratable value of a building – whether domestic or […]

Jon Atack and Mike Rinder on Scientology’s wackiest book: ‘A History of Man’

We’re very glad that Jon and Mike have taken on this awesome task, and you might also look at the fun we had when we read this most insane of Scientology textbooks with biologist PZ Myers in 2013. Now, here’s Jon’s introduction to today’s video, which is worth the price of admission all on its […]

Mike Rinder on the myth of the ‘reactive mind’ and how Scientology still ropes in new people

Jon Atack is back with another conversation with his old nemesis, former Scientology spokesman Mike […]

When Rinder met Hubbard: A Scientology story for the ages

Jon Atack and Mike Rinder are continuing their conversations about Scientology and we are the […]

VIDEO: Jon Atack talks to Mike Rinder about his first months aboard Scientology’s ‘Apollo’

[Mike Rinder at 18, in Madeira]

I’ve spoken with more than a thousand Scientologists over the years, but Mike Rinder’s interview is the most vivid and appalling account of daily life aboard the ship run directly by […]

Jon Atack quizzes Mike Rinder: Scientology’s former spy chief on L. Ron Hubbard’s paranoia

Hey, this is fun. Jon Atack, the legendary author of ‘A Piece of Blue Sky’ and a major presence here at the Underground Bunker, has a conversation with former Scientology spokesman Mike Rinder about the formerly secret documents that underlie Scientology’s spying and dirty tricks […]

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