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Claire Headley is taking us on our journey to train as Scientologists. She and her husband Marc were Sea Org workers who escaped from Scientology’s International Base in 2005. She spent years working with Scientology’s “tech,” and was trusted to oversee the auditing of Tom Cruise. Go here to see the first part in this series.
Claire, last week on our trip up the Bridge to Total Freedom we completed New Era Dianetics and went Clear. That was a big moment. But you were telling us that in recent decades, there’s been an additional step at this point to make certain that we’ve actually gone Clear. Do we have that right? CLAIRE: Yes, the Clear Certainty Rundown, or CCRD, is a set of steps to confirm the state of Clear, once the person has voiced the Clear cognition. Continue reading Scientology Catechism: Claire Headley Puts Our State of Clear to the Test!
 Last night, on Dancing With The Stars, Leah Remini was heard telling her dance partner, Tony Dovolani, that Scientology, which she left this summer, wants her to fail on the program so its members would think that’s what happens to anyone who leaves. “You’re used to taking a lot of negativity on yourself,” she said about being a part of Scientology.
We wanted to ask another actor who left the church recently what he thought about her words. We spoke to Jason Beghe last night and asked him, was Leah Remini correct to say that Scientology wants her to fail? Beghe left Scientology in 2008 in a very public way, recording a YouTube video denouncing the church. Since then, the veteran film and television actor’s career has taken off with recurring roles in Californication and Chicago Fire, and now he’s filming episodes for his own spinoff series, Chicago PD. But in spite of that success, he’s dealt with severe harassment from Scientology since he left, and he told us there was no question that Remini was right about what she said on television last night. “It’s not just that they want you to fail. It’s kind of like they want you to die.” Continue reading JASON BEGHE ON LEAH REMINI: She’s Right, Scientology Does Want Her to Fail
 Leah Remini continues to use her access to a huge media platform to jab the Church of Scientology in the ribs.
Previously, she had prominently displayed ex-Scientologist Marc Headley’s book about escaping Scientology, Blown For Good, while on her way into rehearsals for ABC’s Dancing With The Stars. And tonight, on the show itself, she was heard to tell her dancing partner Tony Dovolani that she has to do well because her former church wants her to fail. Continue reading LEAH REMINI: Scientology Wants Me to Fail on Dancing With The Stars
 Since the Tampa Bay Times broke the news Wednesday afternoon that Scientology had postponed indefinitely the October 6 grand opening of its “Super Power Building,” we’ve been digging for answers to why that decision was made, and what it might mean.
Formally known as the “Flag Building,” the massive edifice in Clearwater, Florida has been in progress for 15 years, and for at least a decade Scientologists who have been asked to fund its construction have been told it was on the verge of opening for business. The Tampa Bay Times estimates that about $145 million has been raised for its completion, but some former top Scientology executives say the true figure is closer to $200 million to $230 million. It’s a 300,000 square foot, seven-story structure with hundreds of auditing rooms, dozens of space age installations, and a giant indoor running track. And finally, after months of frenetic activity to finish up preparations, it was supposed to open on October 6 in a grand opening that the city was told would draw 10,000 Scientologists. But then the event was suddenly cancelled. Why? Continue reading Why Scientology Postponed The Super Power Event: Our Archeological Dig For Answers
 On Sundays we like to reveal to you the mailers and fliers that our network of tipsters forward to us during the week.
This week we received something unusual and enlightening. While we’ve been focusing lately on major crises gripping the top echelons of the Church of Scientology, it’s useful to remember there are still quite a few folks out there in far-flung locations, doing what they can to “clear the planet” — spread the word about Scientology so it can take over the world. And what better way to do that than with ads placed on Craigslist? Continue reading The Scientology Guide to Craigslist
 Jon Atack is the author of A Piece of Blue Sky, one of the very best books on L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. He has a new edition of the book for sale, and on Saturdays he’s helping us sift through the legends, myths, and contested facts about Scientology that tend to get hashed and rehashed in books, articles, and especially on the Internet.
Jon, we’ve seen some amazing bravery on the part of people speaking out about the abuses in Scientology. Just yesterday, Jenna Miscavige Hill’s response to Barbara Walters really took guts, and we’ve seen many other examples of people like Lori Hodgson and Monique Rathbun daring to speak out or take on the church in litigation. But you know as well as we do that the vast majority of people who leave Scientology with similar experiences never speak out about them. We’ve talked to people who were shockingly mistreated, but years later they still can’t talk about it publicly. You said you had something to tell us that might help explain that situation. Continue reading FEAR: Jon Atack on Scientology’s Essential Ingredient
 On Tuesday, Barbara Walters once again came to the rescue for Scientology, this time sticking up for the church’s “educational programs” on The View.
Whoopi Goldberg started the discussion by bringing up Jaden Smith’s infamous tweet, in which the 15-year-old actor encouraged kids to drop out of school. Jenny McCarthy then brought up Scientology, which the Smith family has been said to dabble in. At that point, Walters spoke up, saying, “I’m not going to speak about Scientology in general, but Scientology has a pretty good educational program. They’re not telling people to drop out.” That surprised Sherri Shepherd, who remembered that the program had recently had a guest who said just the opposite. “She said they pulled her out and put her in a camp. What kind of school is that? It’s like it was a hard labor camp. She built the doggone — the huts that they lived in.” Shepherd was speaking, of course, of Jenna Miscavige Hill, who had visited The View in February. And Jenna has a message for Barbara Walters. Continue reading JENNA HILL RESPONDS TO BARBARA WALTERS ON SCIENTOLOGY EDUCATION
 We’re certain that Scientology will soldier on for years to come. But for now, we can’t help feeling that the End Days are upon us.
Continue reading Scenes from Scientology’s Armageddon
 Charlie Frago at the Tampa Bay Times has big news this afternoon. With the Church of Scientology facing a 5 pm deadline today to turn over more information about its scheduled October 6 grand opening event for its “Flag Building” (also known as the “Super Power Building”) the church sent word that the event would instead be postponed indefinitely.
“I don’t remember a calamity like this that played out in the public ever before,” former Scientology spokesman Mike Rinder told Frago, and we have to agree. This appears to be the most obvious evidence yet that Scientology leader David Miscavige is quickly losing control of an organization gripped in crisis. Continue reading MISCAVIGE BLINKS: SCIENTOLOGY POSTPONES SUPER POWER INDEFINITELY
 Claire Headley is taking us on our journey to train as Scientologists. She and her husband Marc were Sea Org workers who escaped from Scientology’s International Base in 2005. She spent years working with Scientology’s “tech,” and was trusted to oversee the auditing of Tom Cruise. Go here to see the first part in this series.
Claire, it seems like we’ve come a long way now. Where do we go next after finishing the Expanded Grades? CLAIRE: Next will be NED — New Era Dianetics. The premise and theory of this level is covered in L. Ron Hubbard’s book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. It used to be that Dianetics auditing was first on the grade chart. That was before my time. Then later on, the grades were added as prerequisites to NED. The idea behind it was that the grades would address a person’s particular life problems, so by the time they get to Dianetics they’re in better shape and will keep their gains on this level. But really, to sum it up, this is where you will run out all your engrams and go Clear. THE BUNKER: Wait a minute. You mean, we’re going CLEAR this week? Continue reading Scientology’s “Bridge:” Claire Headley Gets Us to CLEAR!
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