Essay: The Babalon Working by Michael Staley (1989)

In 1969, the “Sunday Times” newspaper published an article on the lines of “Founder of Scientology involved in Black Magic”, in which they recounted details of the Babalon Working. The article was based on details gleaned from the Gerald Yorke Collection at the Warburg Institute, to which the reporters had gained access. Hubbard instituted legal proceedings for libel, and the “Sunday Times” for reasons of their own decided not to fight it. Subsequently, Yorke withdrew from the Warburg those papers relating to the Working. They were, incidentally, returned some years ago, following Yorke’s death, but are under a 25-year seal. At the time of the action, the Church of Scientology made a statement alleging that Hubbard had been sent in as an FBI agent^[1] to break up a “Black Magic group” which had included several prominent scientists. The operation had, they continued, succeeded beyond the wildest expectations: he rescued a girl that they were “using”, and the group was dispersed and never recovered.¹

1. ↑ I have not seen any Church of Scientology statement referring to Hubbard’s role as an FBI agent. Scientology representatives have claimed Hubbard was sent in by either US Naval intelligence or the Los Angeles Police Department. See, e.g., Attorney Jeremy Malcolm letter of 3 April 2001. The rest of Mr. Staley’s description sounds similar to Hubbard’s statement to the London Sunday Times 28 December 1969.

Notes