Inside the town Scientology built. Clearwater, Florida. [View all]

[madfloridian]

Exclusive photos show the extent of Scientology's grip on the city

The lives of Scientologists, especially hardcore Sea Org members - the top of the Scientology food chain - seems like another strange universe.

But for one area of Florida, Scientology's impact has been devastating. It's where it has built its headquarters and rules the place with an iron fist. The beautiful resort of Clearwater has millions of tourists every single year - but few ever set foot in the downtown area.

Even residents steer clear and avoid annoying the city's real power brokers. Welcome to Scientologyville. It's taken over the city in the last forty years and now owns dozens of buildings worth well in excess of half a billion dollars.

Kirstie Alley's waterfront mansion in Clearwater. Alley's company bought it in 2000 from fellow Scientologist Lisa Marie Presley for $1.5 million

Many interesting pictures. This one caught my eye.


This room is not a scene from a futurist space movie, it is a room in the Super Powers Building, where training includes 'enlightened heightened perception' courses. The anti-gravity simulator is a gyroscope that spins trainees around while blindfolded to improve their perception of compass direction

Mike Rinder was in Going Clear speaking out.

If you're married, then you'll be sharing a two-bedroom apartment with two other couples, one will be in the living room. If you're single, then there's six people in each room in bunk beds, including the living room.

'They're earning $50 a week, seven days a week where the day starts at seven in the morning and ends at midnight. You never get to see your family. That's how it was for me. I was there from 1973 to 2007, on and off in Clearwater.

'I very rarely saw my kids and wife for many, many years out of that time. My wife and I were often in separate locations.

'It's an exclusive and elite group of people who rise above that level. Even David Miscavige, the Church's leader, stays at the Hacienda, but there is a section of those apartments devoted to him.