The New York Times covers the Pasadena Ideal Org

An Ideal Org is a large meeting house for Scientologists.  They can get high level, and more expensive, talk therapy and training here than at missions or orgs. Hence they can be more profitable but they must be larger.  Some courses are so high level that even Ideal Orgs can's offer them.  You have to take a vacation to FLAG Land Base in Clearwater, Florida or on the cruise ship The Freewinds to receive them.

Scientology purchased the four-story 50,000 square foot Braley Building in downtown Pasadena in 2006 at the top of the real estate bubble.  Prices have since crashed.  Next they threw out or bought out the tenants but did nothing with the property until 2010. If they had waited until 2010 to purchase the property they would have saved a bundle but logical thinking is not always their forte.  Locals began to complain that it was looking dilapidated after years of neglect by the new owner. People were protesting there two years before it even opened in July 2010. The Church claims they can handle up to 300 scientologists daily here with 173 staff.  I saw three public people there and two of them were us protesters. The theming is impeccable with consistent yet customized signage, logos and sculptures throughout.

If every Ideal Org is this "one of a kind" then that is a lot of work. Everything here is done in the arts & crafts style associated with Pasadena.  The lush production values are meant to say "It's looks expensive therefore it must work."

The opening day featured a big production with ribbons, balloons and Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard.  Cultists were brought in from as far away as Seattle to boost the crowd to about 1,000. The Scientologists claimed 4,000 but that is preposterous.  Attendees were forced to walk past sign waving protesters, some in Guy Fawkes masks.

When AnonOrange and I visited the Org one week later we were almost the only guests.  A middle aged white lady had followed us in.  She just wanted to use the bathroom!




The Church has themed the ideal org to fit the local "image." Pasadena's image reflects the history of the building and the area. In this case that means the style of Art Nouveau, Frank Lloyd Wright, etc.  even down to the bathroom signs. The Berlin Ideal Org is themed to the German Bauhaus look.  South Africa's Ideal Org is so themed to that area. Just as Disneyland is one big phony bunch of BS, but each area looks different to impress you.