Strupp, Joe, "The Press vs. Scientology," Salon, June 30, 2005, www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/06/30/scientology/
Swiatek, Jeff, "Lilly's Legal Tactics Disarmed Legions of Prozac Lawyers," Indianapolis Star, April 23, 2000
Tobin, Thomas, "David Miscavige Speaks," St. Petersburg Times, October 25, 1998
———. "The Man Behind Scientology," St. Petersburg Times, October 25, 1998
———."A Place Called Gold," St. Petersburg Times, October 25, 1998
Urban, Hugh, "Fair Game: Secrecy, Security, and the Church of Scientology in Cold War America," Journal of the American Academy of Religion, volume 74, number 2, June 2006, pp. 356–89
Verini, James, "Missionary Man," Salon, June 27, 2005, www.salon.com/entertainment/feature/2005/06/27/cruise/index.html
Vick, Karl, and David Dahl, "Scientologists Profit from New Members," St. Petersburg Times, October 15, 1993
Waldrip, Cheryl, "Mystery Surrounds Scientologist's Death," Tampa Tribune, December 15, 1996
———. "Scientologist's Death: A Family Hunts for Answers," Tampa Tribune, December 22, 1996
Wallace, Mike, "The Clearwater Conspiracy," 60 Minutes, CBS, June 1, 1980
———. "Scientology," 60 Minutes, CBS, December 22, 1985
Waxman, Sharon, "Tom Cruise's Effusive 'Oprah' Appearance Raises Hollywood Eyebrows," New York Times, June 2, 2005
Wright, Lawrence, "The Apostate: Paul Haggis vs. the Church of Scientology," The New Yorker, February 14, 2011
Scientology Publications, Tapes, and DVDs
Church of Scientology International, Scientology: Theology and Practice of a Contemporary Religion, Los Angeles: Bridge Publications, 1998
———. What Is Scientology? Los Angeles: Bridge Publications, 1998
Hubbard, L. Ron, Advanced Procedures and Axioms, Los Angeles: Bridge Publications, 2007
———. "All About Radiation," Los Angeles: Bridge Publications, 1990
———. Clear Mind, Clear Body, Los Angeles: Bridge Publications, 2002
———. Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Heath, Los Angeles: Bridge Publications, 2007
———. Dianetics and Scientology Technical Dictionary, Los Angeles: Bridge Publications, 1975
———. The Freedoms of Clear, VHS tape, Golden Era Productions, 1987
———. The Hymn of Asia, Los Angeles: L. Ron Hubbard Library, 1974
———. "An Introduction to Scientology," taped lecture, Los Angeles: L. Ron Hubbard Library, 1966
———. Introduction to Scientology Ethics, Los Angeles: Bridge Publications, 1968
———. London Congress on Dissemination and Help and the London Open Evening Lectures, Lectures 1–7, Los Angeles: L. Ron Hubbard Library, 1978
———. Mission into Time, Los Angeles: The American Saint Hill Organization, 1968
———. Modern Management Technology Defined, Los Angeles: Bridge Publications, 1976
———. "Opinion Leaders," Hubbard Communications Office Policy Letter, May 11, 1971
———. The Organizational Executive Course, volumes 1–7, Los Angeles: Bridge Publications, 1991
———. The Original LRH Executive Directives, Series 1–3, Los Angeles, Bridge Publications, 1983
———. Philadelphia Doctorate Course Transcripts, volumes 1–8, Los Angeles: Bridge Publications, 1982
———. The Phoenix Lectures, Los Angeles: Bridge Publications, 1968
———. Science of Survival, Los Angeles: Bridge Publications, 2007
———. Scientology: 8–8008, Los Angeles: Bridge Publications, 2007
———. Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought, Los Angeles: Bridge Publications, 1983
———. Scientology: A History of Man, Los Angeles: Bridge Publications, 1988
———. Scientology: A New Slant on Life, Copenhagen: New Era Publications
———. "The Story of Dianetics and Scientology" (lecture), Los Angeles: L. Ron Hubbard Library, 1978
——— Technical Bulletins of Dianetics and Scientology, volumes 1–16, Los Angeles: Bridge Publications, 1991
WISE: Your Guide to Membership, membership packet; WISE International, 1990
Acknowledgments
This book would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of Jann Wenner and Will Dana, my editors at Rolling Stone, who first assigned me a story about Scientology in 2005 and then gave me the time and resources to develop it in a way few editors are willing to do. I am also indebted to the many others at Rolling Stone who offered their guidance and support, notably Sean Woods, Eric Bates, Jodi Peckman, Jim Kaminsky, and Coco McPherson.
My agent, Laurie Liss, was the first person to encourage me to expand my research into a book and helped shape the proposal as well as offer her tireless support and advocacy in the years since. Numerous individuals at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt made this book possible, among them Eamon Dolan and Webster Younce, who acquired the book and were early, and enthusiastic, supporters; the amazing Andrea Schulz, who saw the book from first draft to publication and worked relentlessly to make it the very best it could be; Lisa Glover, who managed production, and Susanna Brougham, who provided expert copyediting; and Christina Morgan, who took care of every other detail. In addition, an extra special thanks is due to Will Blythe, a longtime mentor and friend, for being the rare editor who can take a disorganized pile of pages and give them shape, structure, and depth. I truly could not have written this book without his help.
Of the many former and current Scientologists, academics, and researchers who spoke with me, I am most grateful to the woman I have called "Sandra Mercer"; without her insights, encouragement, and guidance, I would never have understood the first thing about Scientology. I am also deeply indebted to Nancy and Chris Many, who, over countless tuna sandwiches and cans of Diet Coke, educated me about the Sea Organization, provided me with a library of Scientology texts and other documents, and offered their house as a refuge and meeting place. A special thank-you also goes to Anne, Jeffrey, and Anthony Aylor; Chuck Beatty; Jason Beghe; Maureen Bolstad; Larry Brennan; Caroline and John Brown; Tanja and Stefan Castle; Neville Chamberlin; Art Cohan; Jana Daniels; Mark Fisher; Steve Hall; Jeff Hawkins; Marc and Claire Headley; Mike Henderson and Donna Shannon; Bruce Hines; Gale Irwin; Don Jason; Jason Knapmeyer; Dan Koon; Sinar Parman; Mat Pesch; DeDe Reisdorf; Glenn Samuels; Amy Scobee; Teresa Summers; Tom De Vocht; Natalie Walet; the late Alan Walter; Kendra Wiseman; Astra Woodcraft; and the many other former and current Scientologists who shared with me their joys, sorrows, fears, hopes, and disappointments during my five years of research into this mysterious and often incomprehensible church. That a number of them still value L. Ron Hubbard's technology, if not the organizational management of the Church of Scientology—and were eager to differentiate between the two—is a testament to the growing number of Scientologists who hope to form an independent, and free, movement. I wish them all the best of luck in doing so.
On the academic front, Drs. Stephen A. Kent and J. Gordon Melton, with their distinctly different views on Scientology, have each spent years painstakingly collecting Scientology's vast trove of doctrine, publications, and other materials; they made that research available to me. I am also deeply indebted to Kristi Wachter, who patiently scanned many of the key documents on the Lisa McPherson case and posted them online, and to Mark Bunker, of XenuTV, for his massive archive of news and video footage, articles, transcripts, and other materials. In Clearwater, Lee Strope and his colleagues in the law enforcement community proved invaluable when it came to understanding the Lisa McPherson case.
Of the many friends and colleagues who provided assistance and support, I want to particularly thank my father, Alan Reitman, a meticulous line editor and the man who inspired me to become a journalist and who never ceased to amaze me with his generosity, love, and guidance. Josh Hammer and Shannon Burke read early drafts of the book and offered valuable criticism, as did Richard Leiby, who knows more abou
t Scientology than most journalists and shared his knowledge and insights freely. Nora Connor, my researcher, spent months synthesizing complex legal data and poring over documents and transcripts; Alex Provan fact-checked every paragraph; Amelia McDonnell-Parry transcribed my interviews and also organized my office and files—not an easy task. Chris Steffen did additional transcribing and reporting. Raney Aronson at PBS's Frontline and Lisa Santandrea were amazing friends and sounding boards. To all I say thank you.
Finally, Lee Smith, an amazing journalist who understands better than most the emotional and financial costs of this profession, not only insisted I write this book but stuck it out with me through all the years it took me to finish it. Key chapters could not have been completed without his editorial guidance; the entire book could not have been written without his patience, encouragement, and most of all his love. Thank you for enduring ... and Bode, too.
Footnotes
* The issue of Time published on May 6, 1991, bore the cover story "Scientology: The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power," which accused the church of "Mafia-like tactics"; it remains one of the most scathing exposés of the church ever written. In response, Scientology sued Time and the reporter Richard Behar for libel, and lost, though the suit cost the publisher, Time Warner, millions of dollars.
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* Hubbard, an avid Boy Scout, became an Eagle Scout at the age of twelve, making him the youngest Eagle Scout in the country at the time, according to the Church of Scientology.
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* Staff at the New York Times would later tell the biographer Russell Miller that they had no record of ever buying any photographs from Hubbard or making any agreement to do so.
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* The Church of Scientology has long held that L. Ron Hubbard had two war records, one possibly used as a front. In the official record released by the U.S. Department of the Navy, Hubbard's achievements are meager. But church officials have explained this by stating that most of what is in the record is falsified to cover up Hubbard's more sensitive and covert activities as a member of naval Intelligence.
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* In 1969, in response to an investigation by the London Sunday Times into Hubbard's relationship with Parsons, the Church of Scientology issued a statement explaining that Hubbard had been sent to 1003 South Orange Grove Avenue by U.S. Naval Intelligence, assigned to infiltrate and break up a so-called black magic cult. The church gave as evidence the fact that the Agape Lodge ultimately dissolved and that a number of high-ranking physicists associated with Parsons were ultimately put on a U.S. "enemies list" and stripped of security clearance. A few historical facts support this claim: by the 1940s, a widespread anti-cult campaign was sweeping the country, and numerous groups and individuals suspected of cult activity, including Parsons, had been investigated by the FBI. But, as many of Hubbard's critics have pointed out, no evidence substantiates the claim that he was assigned intelligence work, and though, because of his odd activities, Parsons's FBI file had grown quite thick, he retained top-secret security clearance until his death in 1952. Hubbard is not mentioned in connection to Parsons in any FBI papers.
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* No evidence has been found in Hubbard's medical records to suggest he was ever crippled or blinded in World War II, or at any other time.
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* Though Hubbard had been discharged from active duty in the navy, he remained a commissioned officer until October 30, 1950.
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* With the halcyon days of the Parsonage at an end, Parsons and Marjorie Cameron moved into a smaller house in Pasadena. In 1952, at the age of thirty-six, Parsons was killed in a mysterious chemical explosion in his garage. It was, as many have noted, a fitting way for a black magician to die.
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* Polly filed for divorce in 1947, still unaware that Hubbard had remarried. Later that year, he scandalized his parents by bringing Sara to Washington, where they settled, briefly, into the house he and Polly, and their two children, had once shared. The divorce was finalized in 1948.
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* This is an actual scientific term defined by Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary as "a hypothetical change in neural tissue postulated in order to account for persistence of memory called also memory trace."
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* In his first edition of Dianetics, Hubbard acknowledged "fifty thousand years of thinking men without whose speculations and observations the creation and construction of Dianetics would not have been possible," giving particular credit to "Anaxagoras, Thomas Paine, Aristotle, Thomas Jefferson, Socrates, René Descartes, Plato, James Clerk Maxwell, Euclid, Charcot, Lucretius, Herbert Spencer, Roger Bacon, William James, Francis Bacon, Sigmund Freud, Isaac Newton, van Leeuwenhoek, Cmdr. Joseph Thompson (MC) USN, William A. White, Voltaire, Will Durant, Count Alfred Korzybski, and my instructors in atomic and molecular phenomena, mathematics and the humanities at George Washington University and at Princeton." Later editions of the book, however, do not carry this acknowledgment.
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* In a 1983 interview with Penthouse magazine, Hubbard's eldest son, L. Ron Hubbard Jr., maintained that he was the result of a failed abortion, according to his father. "Nibs"—who would later change her son's name to "Ronald DeWolf" in an attempt to distance him from his father—also recalled that when he was six years old, he'd watched his father try to perform an abortion on his mother, using a coat hanger. "There was blood all over the place ... A little while later a doctor came and took her off to the hospital. She didn't talk about it for quite a number of years. Neither did my father." Nibs later retracted these and many other denigrating statements he'd made about Hubbard Senior.
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* Sara Hubbard had, in fact, written to the head of the Elizabeth Foundation, stating that she felt her husband was a paranoid schizophrenic and urging him to help get Hubbard psychiatric care.
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* In 1971, Alexis, now a twenty-one-year-old college student, went looking for her father. In response, Hubbard sent two church officials to visit her, with a letter asserting that he was not her real father. According to Hubbard, Sara had been his secretary in Savannah, Georgia, in 1948, and in 1949, "destitute and pregnant," had come to find him when he was living in Elizabeth, New Jersey, writing a movie. As Sara later testified in Armstrong v. The Church of Scientol-ogy in 1984, Hubbard also told her daughter that Sara had been a Nazi spy and that the couple had never been legally married. As Jon Atack would later point out, the wording of the letter was crucial: "Hubbard did not deny his marriage to Sara, simply its legality. He was technically correct; the marriage, being bigamous, was illegal, but that was hardly the fault of either Alexis or Sara."
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* Contrary to Hubbard's claims, the E-meter was not a new invention. It was technically a variation of a Wheatstone Bridge, which is an electronic meter that measures resistance to various electrical flows. Constructed to measure the tiny electrical fluctuations under the surface of the skin, "psychogalvanometers," as they were called, were used as far back as the nineteenth century, and Carl Jung, for one, enthusiastically embraced the devices as a therapy tool.
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* In 1956, the Founding Church of Scientology, in Washington, D.C., was granted tax-exempt status by the IRS; soon many other Scientology churches would be granted similar exemptions. In 1959, the Washington church's tax exemption was revoked (though several other Scientology organizations would remain tax-exempt). Upon review, the U.S. Court of Claims found that Hubbard was profiting from Scientology beyond what would have been considered standard remuneration.
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* Even mor
e controversial was Hubbard's assertion that low-toned individuals should be exiled from society. "The sudden and abrupt deletion of all individuals occupying the lower bands of the tone scale from the social order would result in an almost instant rise in the cultural tone and would interrupt the dwindling spiral into which any society may have entered," Hubbard wrote. "It is not necessary to produce a world of clears in order to have a reasonable and worthwhile social order; it is only necessary to delete those individuals who range from 2.0 down, either by processing them enough to get their tone level above the 2.0 line"—a task that might take as few as fifty hours or more than two hundred, according to Hubbard—"or simply quarantining them from the society."
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* Homosexuality was decreed one such "perversion."
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* Hubbard had by then begun to downplay his degree from Sequoia University on his résumé.
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* Burroughs would later denounce Scientology's organizational policies and Hubbard's "overtly fascist utterances" as suppressive of freedom of thought, though he maintained that some of Scientology's techniques were valid.
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† In the late 1980s, Scientology produced a cassette tape titled "Can We Ever Be Friends?" to help members repair relationships with their families and "help you gain wide acceptance of Scientology in your area," as one promotion read. The forty-five-minute cassette presented Scientology as a tolerant, mainstream religion, not in any way a cult, as some families believed it was.
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* The term, an acronym for Worthy Oriental Gentleman, is a holdover from British imperialism, once used to describe people of African or Asian descent.
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* The twelve conditions, ranging from highest to lowest, are Power, Power Change, Affluence, Normal, Emergency, Danger, Non-Existence, Liability, Doubt, Enemy, Treason, and Confusion.
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* According to a number of followers, Hubbard had become convinced during an auditing session that he was the reincarnation of Cecil Rhodes, the flamboyant adventurer and founder of the African country of Rhodesia. Acting on this belief, Hubbard had journeyed to southern Africa, hoping to "safe point," or establish, a safe haven in what is now Zimbabwe, to build a Scientology community. Some believed he planned to turn the realm of Cecil Rhodes into a country of Scientologists. "The entire objective," recalled one former follower, Hana Eltringham Whitfield, who would become a close aide to Hubbard, "was to find a place that Hubbard could eventually turn into his own kingdom, with his own government, his own passports, his own monetary system, in other words his own principality, of which he would be the benign dictator."
Inside Scientology Page 49