|
|
[Cyril Vosper]This week in our ‘Scientology Lit’ series we’re looking back at a real classic and one of the most fun reads in the genre, 1971’s The Mind Benders by Cyril Vosper (1934-2004). It was the first book by a former Scientologist to expose the organization, beating Robert Kaufman’s Inside Scientology, which came out the next year. Long out of print, Vosper’s book is worth tracking down for its sense of humor as well as its cutting insights into L. Ron Hubbard and his ideas. (Prof. Touretzky at Carnegie Mellon maintains a page with the entire text.) We’ve chosen Vosper’s excellent chapter on Scientology’s secret upper levels, which, keep in mind, the outside world truly knew nothing about at the time. We think you’ll enjoy it.
Continue reading Cyril Vosper: The mind-bending illogic of Scientology’s upper levels
[Kathy and Matt Feshbach]Last year, we told you that Scientology’s first “Super Power” recipient found out that his super powers didn’t extend to the legal arena, where he got his head handed to him by a bankruptcy judge. Well, now we can tell you that it’s happened again. Continue reading Scientology’s ‘Super Power’ poster boy gets dunked on by yet another irked judge
We have just learned that a little more than a year ago, a man named Eric Saldarriaga died after battling esophageal cancer. He died the day before his 44th birthday, leaving behind a wife and two young sons. Continue reading Eric Saldarriaga, private eye who took the fall for Scientology, 1973-2017
Hey, let’s see what we can find in the electronic archives of Pinellas County, Florida — which includes the city of Clearwater, the seaside town bum-rushed by the sneaky Church of Scientology in 1975 and which is today its “spiritual mecca” where rich Scientologists come to be fleeced for “Super Power.” Continue reading Records of Scientology leader David Miscavige’s speeding tickets contain a small surprise
Tonight, Leah Remini and her co-star Mike Rinder tack into uncharted territory. Before the third season of their Emmy-winning A&E series Scientology and the Aftermath begins in two weeks, they are airing tonight at 9 pm Eastern a two-hour special on another subject entirely. Continue reading Shifting gears: Leah Remini talks about tonight’s two-hour special on Jehovah’s Witnesses
[Dr. Ben and his glamorous daughter, Meghan]New York City school infiltrator, NYPD gladhander, Queens dentist, and Scientology Freedom Medal winner Dr. Bernard Fialkoff just never rests. Continue reading AUDIO: Scientology fundraising throws in a little conspiracy-mongering for effect
Rod Keller digs in to a small mystery happening in Michigan… In early October this sign appeared on a property in Birch Run, Michigan. Residents noticed; some began to Google “Narconon” and found it to be associated with Scientology. Township officials became concerned. They had received an application for an alcohol and drug rehab facility in February 2018 and had responded in August with a letter noting some deficiencies in the application. They haven’t heard back since. The application hadn’t mentioned Narconon, now were they opening the rehab facility without getting the proper permits? Continue reading Michigan Catholic couple appears to open a Scientology drug rehab without a permit
[Homer Schomer, Mike Rinder, and Bent Corydon at a recent get-together in Los Angeles]We have another classic for you this week in our ‘Scientology Lit’ series — a chapter from Bent Corydon’s landmark 1987 book, L. Ron Hubbard, Messiah or Madman? Bent was a mission holder in Riverside, California who lost his mission but fought successfully to hold on to the building it was in. He also had to fight litigation from the church over his book, and also had to deal with his co-writer, L. Ron Hubbard Jr., pulling one of his flip-flops and turning on him. We chose a chapter that features Bent himself, talking about the drama of the infamous 1982 Mission Holder’s conference in San Francisco, when a young David Miscavige began to exert his authority on behalf of Hubbard, who was in hiding at the time. The SF conference came ten months after a Florida meeting when the Mission Holders had voiced their concerns about the increasingly heavy-handeded methods of Hubbard’s new young lieutenants… Continue reading Bent Corydon on Scientology’s Sunday night massacre: ‘We all clapped at the right places’
[Lawrence Wright (Credit: Jana Birchum)]More than five years after the publication of his epic history of Scientology, Going Clear, and three years since the hugely successful HBO documentary of the same name, Lawrence Wright is still the target of stupid dirty tricks and harassment. Continue reading Someone is faking Lawrence Wright emails — and this one is about the Underground Bunker
[Tom Cruise and the Skyview in downtown Clearwater]Clay Irwin signed a deal today to sell his downtown Clearwater bar, the Lucky Anchor, after a little less than two years operating a watering hole in the shadow of Scientology’s spiritual mecca. Continue reading Is Tom Cruise buying up downtown Clearwater to create a Scientology entertainment mecca?
|
