Purification Rundown

The Purification Rundown, also known as the Purif[1] or the Hubbard Method,[2] is a controversial detoxification program developed by Scientology's founder L. Ron Hubbard and used by the Church of Scientology as an introductory service.[1][3] Scientologists consider it the only effective way to deal with the long-term effects of drug abuse or toxic exposure.[3] It forms the basis for drug rehabilitation and detoxification programs operated by church-affiliated groups such as Narconon,[4] Criminon,[5] Second Chance,[6] and the International Academy of Detoxification Specialists.[7] The program combines exercise, dietary supplements and long stays in a sauna (up to five hours a day for five weeks).[8] It is promoted variously as religious or secular, medical or purely spiritual, depending on context.[2][5]

Although supported by numerous testimonials, the rundown has been criticized by many doctors for being unproven and potentially dangerous.[9][10] Scientology's own literature reports dehydration, electrolyte disturbances including hyponatremia (low sodium level) and hypokalemia (low potassium level), and heat-related illnesses, such as hyperthermia, as being frequent side-effects of the program.[8] The program uses large doses of vitamin B3 (Niacin) and hot saunas, both beyond what is considered a safe level.[7][11] Participants are encouraged to take the side-effects as evidence that toxins are being flushed out.[12] The combination of pills and high temperature has been described as potentially fatal.[13] Some families have sued the Church of Scientology, claiming that the Purif was responsible for the death of a relative.[14]

Contents

Background

Hubbard put forward his ideas about niacin in a book called All About Radiation. He claimed to have discovered that large doses of vitamins could both alleviate and prevent radiation sickness.[15] He marketed this anti-radiation mixture in the form of a tablet, calling it "Dianazene". 21,000 such tablets were seized and destroyed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1958.[16]

The 1979 predecessor of the Purification Rundown was known as the 'Sweat Program' and was similarly designed to remove traces of LSD which, according to Hubbard, remained for long periods in the body.[3][17] The participant had a restricted diet, including large doses of vitamins and a teaspoon of salt, and spent at least an hour a day jogging in a rubberised suit. For some, this regimen lasted for months.[17]

The Purification Rundown was developed for use in Narconon,[18] and was published in Hubbard's Technical Bulletins of Dianetics and Scientology as well as the book Clear Body, Clear Mind.[3][7] Two other books describe the procedure, Purification: An Illustrated Answer To Drugs[3] and Narconon New Life Detoxification Program: the effective purification program by L. Ron Hubbard. The term "Purification Rundown" is a trademark of the Religious Technology Center (the governing body of the Church of Scientology), though an RTC spokesman has denied any licensing arrangement with Narconon.[19]

Process

The program usually takes several weeks. As well as spending time in saunas, people are required to do light exercise including calisthenics, treadmills, and other similar activities.

The program consists of a course of doses of vitamins (niacin in particular), long periods in a sauna, exercise, and consumption of a blend of vegetable oils, in the belief that the subject will sweat out the toxins and replace the oils in the body's fatty tissues with the vegetable oil.[20] Clear Body, Clear Mind recommends that participants maintain their normal diet throughout the procedure, supplemented with fresh vegetables.[21]

The Purification Rundown requires its participants to ingest the following at regular intervals:

Hubbard specified that each participant must complete a daily report form, listing the amounts of vitamins, minerals, Cal-Mag and other fluids taken, which is reviewed to make sure they are complying with every aspect of the program.[25]

The cost of the Purification Rundown was reported as about US$2,000 in 1990[2] $1,790 "with discounts" in 1996[22] (though another 1996 source claims around $4,000 for a four-week programme),[12] $1,200 in 1998[19] and $5,200 in 2009.[26]

The book Clear Body, Clear Mind contains a disclaimer which states that the Purification Rundown is not a medical treatment.[7] A similar disclaimer appears in the Hubbard Communication Office Bulletins noting that the treatment is not a medical process but a purely spiritual activity.[7] Hubbard recommends that the participant should sign a waiver noting that Purification is not medical treatment.[7]

Promotion

The Purification Rundown is promoted as having physical and mental benefits such as lowering cholesterol, relieving pain, and improving memory. Scientology's promotional materials claim it can boost IQ by up to 15 points.[7] Scientologists are strongly encouraged to take part in the program as a necessary step in their spiritual progress.[1][19] Scientology promotes the Rundown to the public as a "detoxification" program, while it also works with allegedly non-religious but Scientology-affiliated groups such as Narconon to offer this program as a treatment for addiction and high levels of stress. Conditions that are said by Scientologists to respond to Purification include cancer, AIDS, heart problems, kidney failure, liver disease and obesity.[14]

In a January 1980 announcement, Hubbard told his followers that a nuclear war was imminent and that the Rundown would enable them to deal with heavy fallout.[27] He warned that only those who completed the Purification Rundown would survive.[27]

The Church of Scientology unsuccessfully tried to have the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Hubbard for his invention of the Purification Rundown.[27][28]

In California, two organizations have been set up by Scientologists to try to give scientific legitimacy to the program. These were Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education and the HealthMed Clinic. The Executive Director of the Church of Scientology was involved in creating the Foundation and later described it as a "front group". The Foundation funded research and published articles by Scientologists hailing the effectiveness of Hubbard's procedures. HealthMed, an ostensibly independent organization, used this material to promote the Rundown to public agencies all over the state. Both bodies were strongly criticized by a group of physicians from the California Department of Health Services.[2][29]

The Purif, as delivered by HealthMed, is heavily promoted in the book Diet for a Poisoned Planet by journalist David Steinman, who denies any connection with the Church of Scientology.[30][31] The book was the subject of a paper from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration which accused Steinman of distorting facts.[31] C. Everett Koop, the former Surgeon General of the United States, also criticized the book, recommending that the public stay away from Hubbard's "detoxification" procedure.[5]

Reception

Theoretical basis

The theory behind the Purification Rundown is that toxins, drugs, and radioactive particles are stored in body fat, which are released through the exchange of fats (thus the oil consumption) and exercise, and then finally released via perspiration and other normal mechanisms such as body waste.[20] Independent scientific evaluations report that the concentration of toxins or drugs in the sweat is negligible, as they are primarily removed from the body through the liver, the kidneys and the lungs.[7][19] The notion that toxins from fatty tissue can be sweated out is categorically denied by toxicology experts.[7][14] Evidence offered for the rundown has not demonstrated that detoxification is actually taking place.[32][33]

A 1995 review at a medical conference described the mega-doses of niacin as inappropriate, especially since they cause the release of histamine, which is counter-productive when dealing with chemical sensitivity.[34] Psychologist Herman Staudenmayer describes the Purif as part of a trend for diagnosing and treating a "Multiple Chemical Sensitivity" disorder which does not correspond to any known disease and is likely to be psychophysiological.[12] He adds, "The position statements of medical societies [...] are unambiguous about the lack of scientific evidence for these practices."[12]

A group including five doctors and nine health education experts reviewed Narconon and its materials on behalf of the California Department of Education. The report, published January 2005, described the key assumptions of the Purif as unscientific and inaccurate.[35] Three experts consulted by The Buffalo News criticised the weak evidence and dubious assumptions behind the program.[36]

David Root, a medical doctor affiliated with Narconon, has administered the Purif for twenty years and stands by the theory behind it.[10] A non-scientologist, he denies that the program collects money or new members for Scientology.[10]

Effectiveness and safety

An investigation by the New York Press asked a number of independent doctors about the evidence for the Purification Rundown. None of them endorsed the program's effectiveness and some explicitly described it as dangerous. Several said that no peer-reviewed research on the rundown had been published in any medical journal.[7] Some apparently supportive studies have been published, but these lack control groups and have other scientific failings.[37]

Newkirk Herald Journal editor Robert W. Lobsinger solicited a number of medical experts' opinions on the Purification Rundown in 1989.[38] Dr. James Kenney of the National Council Against Health Fraud condemned those administering the "unproven" treatment as guilty of health fraud. He wrote that "[...] the scientific evidence shows the exact opposite of what Hubbard's theory predicts", warning that large doses of niacin could cause liver damage, gout, gastritis, and other serious side-effects. Dr. David Hogg of Toronto said that the program may be detrimental to participants' health.[38] Dr. C. Mark Palmer of Ponca City, rebutted the theory that sweating would clear out drugs, stating that "No matter how much a patient were made to sweat, it could not significantly increase his clearing of most drugs,"[39]

After reviewing materials published by Narconon, University of Oklahoma biochemistry professor Bruce Roe described the program as "a scam" based on "half-truths and pseudo-science."[40] In a 1988 report, Dr. Ronald E. Gots, a toxicology expert from Bethesda, Maryland, called the regimen "quackery", and noted that "no recognized body of toxicologists, no department of occupational medicine, nor any governmental agencies endorse or recommend such treatment."[41] In 1991, the Board of Mental Health in Oklahoma refused to certify the Purification Rundown for use in a Narconon facility on the grounds of potential danger from its high vitamin and mineral doses.[42] A report on Narconon for the Department of Health in California described the mega-doses of vitamins as "hazardous" and "in some cases lethal".[43] Prof. Michael Ryan, a pharmacologist at University College Dublin, told a 2003 court case that the Purification Rundown is scientifically unverified and medically unsafe.[44]

Those who market the Purif insist that it has been proven safe and effective.[14][45] They present anecdotal evidence for the Rundown's effectiveness. Some doctors who have observed the treatment have been impressed by the testimonials but asked for evidence that improvements are caused by the program itself rather than suggestion, delusion or the placebo effect.[40] In 2007, psychopharmacology expert John Brick said of his visit to a Manhattan clinic, "Whether it's from some mysterious combination of vitamins or just good diet and exercise, I can't say. But the bottom line is that it helped the patients I talked to." He emphasized the importance of independently verifying the validity of the program, conceding that no causal relationship between the results and the program had been demonstrated.[40]

In a 1999 French court case, five staff members of the Church of Scientology were convicted of fraud for selling the Purif and other Scientology procedures.[46][47] In Russia, the Purification Rundown has been banned by officials as a threat to public health.[48]

Adverse outcomes

Paride Ella and Giuseppe Tomba, clients of Narconon in Taceno, Italy, died in 1995 during the vitamin phase of the program, suffering kidney problems and a heart attack respectively.[49]

In 1996, journalist Mark Ebner described the case of a woman who had suffered heatstroke and anemia while on the program.

One day, she was found blue-lipped on the waiting room floor, hemorrhaging. Instead of taking her blood pressure or calling an ambulance or even a doctor, they explained away her bleeding as "restimulation" from radiation she had absorbed from ultrasound testing she'd had years before.[22]

In 1997, two emergency room doctors reported treating a 45-year-old man who had participated in the Rundown.[8] Previously healthy, he had developed tremors while on the program, for which the Church of Scientology recommended further Purification as treatment. Put back in the sauna, he developed seizures and was taken to hospital in an incoherent state. He was diagnosed with severe hyponatremia but three days of treatment returned him to normal. In a similar case, the wife of a Medina, Ohio dentist required hospitalisation after developing hallucinations and other bizarre symptoms during Purification.[14] In 2004, a former participant in the UK told reporters that Purification had gravely worsened his physical condition, and that he had been denied medical treatment.[50]

A 25-year-old man in Portland, Oregon died from liver failure having taken the Purif. His parents sued the Church of Scientology and the case was settled out of court.[14] Scientology officials blamed the death on prior medical problems.[51]

Adoption by public bodies

The City Council of Shreveport, Louisiana approved 20 firefighters to take the Purif via HealthMed in the late 1980s.[52] The city's insurers commissioned an evaluation from toxicologist Dr. Ronald E. Gots, who dismissed the program as "quackery", saying it "served no rational medical function."[41][52] As a consequence, Shreveport ended its support.[41]

In 1994, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets funded an alcoholic to go to Narconon for detoxification, but the council withdrew funding when the Church of Scientology connection was revealed.[53] The woman stayed on, funded by Narconon's trustees.[53]

Second Chance

Main article: Second Chance Program

"Second Chance" is a program administering the Purif to substance abuse offenders. Its first center was set up in Ensenada, Mexico in 1995 with a mix of state and private funding.[54] In October 2001, two officials from Erie County Holding Center in Buffalo, New York visited the Mexican center at a Scientology patron's expense.[5] They were impressed enough to appeal for $700,000 to introduce Second Chance to their own prison, although lack of funds put the project on hold.[5]

In September 2006 a Second Chance project was set up in Albuquerque, New Mexico.[54][55] This center took in hundreds of referrals in its first year but ran into financial trouble.[56] Some judges, unconvinced of its effectiveness, refused to refer offenders.[54] In October 2008, Curry County commissioners ended their contract with the project, after an independent study revealed the center had inflated its success rates.[55][57] In the two years prior, the center had received $1.57 million in federal and state funding.[55] In December 2008, the center was forced to close down after Mayor Martin Chavez accused it of "misrepresentation and deceit".[6][58]

New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project

Main article: New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project

An initiative in New York City, co-founded by Tom Cruise, provides Purification Rundowns for public-sector employees who were exposed to toxins in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. It has administered the Purif to over 800 rescue workers.[59] Many participants have claimed positive results, and some local government figures have supported the project,[41] which was awarded public funding.[7][60] However, it has drawn criticism for exposing rescue workers to the potential dangers of the Purif,[32] for encouraging them to give up conventional medical treatments,[61] for recruiting into Scientology[62] and for channeling funding to Scientology-related bodies.[7]

Utah Meth Cops Project

Inspired by the New York project, a center in Orem, Utah administers the Purif to Salt Lake City police who complain of health effects from exposure to meth lab toxins.[63][64] This is done under the name of Bio-Cleansing Centers of America and has received public money in addition to private donations.[65] Many police who have taken part claim to have benefited, though a medical doctor associated with the Utah clinic acknowledged in 2007 that there were no studies of the Purif's effect on people who had been exposed to meth labs.[26]

The major supporter of the clinic has been State Attorney General Mark Shurtleff.[66] In 2007 and 2008, his office spent $140,000 to pay for 20 police to take the Purif, and requested a total of $440,000 from the Utah State Legislature.[66] The legislature advanced $240,000 of this further funding.[26] In 2009, Republicans in the State Legislature approved an additional $100,000 for the project in the closing days of a session, bypassing a committee which would have reviewed the payment.[26]

Other endorsements

Scientologist actress Kelly Preston has endorsed the program and credits it for helping her late son Jett.[67][68]

In a 1998 interview, Heber Jentzsch, president of the Church of Scientology International, credited the Purif with curing radiation sickness that he allegedly suffered as a result of childhood exposure to nuclear testing in Utah.[19] No cases of radiation sickness have ever been reported in Utah, due to the low level of fallout involved,[69] although some cases of leukemia may have been associated with the tests.[70]

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