Purification Rundown
Encyclopedia
The Purification Rundown, also known as the Purif or the Hubbard Method, is a controversial detoxification program developed by Scientology's founder L. Ron Hubbard
and used by the Church of Scientology
as an introductory service. Scientologists consider it the only effective way to deal with the long-term effects of drug abuse or toxic exposure. It forms the basis for drug rehabilitation
and detoxification programs operated by church-affiliated groups such as Narconon
, Criminon
, Second Chance, and the International Academy of Detoxification Specialists. The program combines exercise, dietary supplements and long stays in a sauna (up to five hours a day for five weeks). It is promoted variously as religious or secular, medical or purely spiritual, depending on context.
Although supported by numerous testimonials, the rundown has been criticized by many doctors for being unproven and potentially dangerous. 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.
The program uses large doses of vitamin B3 (Niacin)
and hot sauna
s, both beyond what is considered a safe level. Participants are encouraged to take the side-effects as evidence that toxins are being flushed out. The combination of pills and high temperature has been described as potentially fatal.
Some families have sued the Church of Scientology, claiming that the Purif was responsible for the death of a relative.
. He claimed to have discovered that large doses of vitamins could both alleviate and prevent radiation sickness
. 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.
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. 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.
The Purification Rundown was developed for use in Narconon
, and was published in Hubbard's Technical Bulletins of Dianetics and Scientology as well as the book Clear Body, Clear Mind
. Two other books describe the procedure, Purification: An Illustrated Answer To Drugs 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.
, 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. Clear Body, Clear Mind
recommends that participants maintain their normal diet throughout the procedure, supplemented with fresh vegetables.
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.
The cost of the Purification Rundown was reported as about US$2,000 in 1990 $1,790 "with discounts" in 1996 (though another 1996 source claims around $4,000 for a four-week programme), $1,200 in 1998 and $5,200 in 2009.
The book Clear Body, Clear Mind contains a disclaimer which states that the Purification Rundown is not a medical treatment. A similar disclaimer appears in the Hubbard Communication Office Bulletins noting that the treatment is not a medical process but a purely spiritual activity. Hubbard recommends that the participant should sign a waiver noting that Purification is not medical treatment.
, relieving pain, and improving memory. Scientology's promotional materials claim it can boost IQ
by up to 15 points. Scientologists are strongly encouraged to take part in the program as a necessary step in their spiritual progress. 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
.
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
. He warned that only those who completed the Purification Rundown would survive.
The Church of Scientology unsuccessfully tried to have the Nobel Peace Prize
awarded to Hubbard for his invention of the Purification Rundown.
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.
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. The book was the subject of a paper from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration which accused Steinman of distorting facts. 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.
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. 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
. He adds, "The position statements of medical societies [...] are unambiguous about the lack of scientific evidence for these practices."
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. Three experts consulted by The Buffalo News
criticised the weak evidence and dubious assumptions behind the program.
David Root, a medical doctor affiliated with Narconon
, has administered the Purif for twenty years and stands by the theory behind it. A non-scientologist, he denies that the program collects money or new members for Scientology.
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. Some apparently supportive studies have been published, but these lack control groups
and have other scientific failings.
Newkirk Herald Journal editor Robert W. Lobsinger solicited a number of medical experts' opinions on the Purification Rundown in 1989. 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. 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,"
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." 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." 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. A report on Narconon
for the Department of Health
in California described the mega-doses of vitamins as "hazardous" and "in some cases lethal". Prof. Michael Ryan, a pharmacologist at University College Dublin
, told a 2003 court case that the Purification Rundown is scientifically unverified and medically unsafe.
Those who market the Purif insist that it has been proven safe and effective. 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
. 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.
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. In Russia, the Purification Rundown has been banned by officials as a threat to public health.
in Taceno
, Italy, died in 1995 during the vitamin phase of the
program, suffering kidney problems and a heart attack respectively.
In 1996, journalist Mark Ebner
described the case of a woman who had suffered heatstroke
and anemia
while on the program.
In 1997, two emergency room doctors reported treating a 45-year-old man who had participated in the Rundown. 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. 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.
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. Scientology officials blamed the death on prior medical problems.
approved 20 firefighters to take the Purif via HealthMed in the late 1980s. 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." As a consequence, Shreveport ended its support.
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. The woman stayed on, funded by Narconon's trustees.
in 1995 with a mix of state and private funding. In October 2001, two officials from Erie County Holding Center
in Buffalo, New York
visited the Mexican center at a Scientology patron's expense. 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.
In September 2006 a Second Chance project was set up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This center took in hundreds of referrals in its first year but ran into financial trouble. Some judges, unconvinced of its effectiveness, refused to refer offenders. In October 2008, Curry County
commissioners ended their contract with the project, after an independent study revealed the center had inflated its success rates. In the two years prior, the center had received $1.57 million in federal and state funding. In December 2008, the center was forced to close down after Mayor Martin Chavez
accused it of "misrepresentation and deceit".
, 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. Many participants have claimed positive results, and some local government figures have supported the project, which was awarded public funding. However, it has drawn criticism for exposing rescue workers to the potential dangers of the Purif, for encouraging them to give up conventional medical treatments, for recruiting into Scientology and for channeling funding to Scientology-related bodies.
administers the Purif to Salt Lake City police who complain of health effects from exposure to meth lab
toxins. This is done under the name of Bio-Cleansing Centers of America and has received public money in addition to private donations. 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.
The major supporter of the clinic has been State Attorney General Mark Shurtleff
. 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
. The legislature advanced $240,000 of this further funding. 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.
has endorsed the program and credits it for helping her late son Jett.
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
. No cases of radiation sickness have ever been reported in Utah, due to the low level of fallout involved, although some cases of leukemia
may have been associated with the tests.
L. Ron Hubbard
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard , better known as L. Ron Hubbard , was an American pulp fiction author and religious leader who founded the Church of Scientology...
and used by the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
as an introductory service. Scientologists consider it the only effective way to deal with the long-term effects of drug abuse or toxic exposure. It forms the basis for drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
and detoxification programs operated by church-affiliated groups such as Narconon
Narconon
Narconon is a residential program aimed at substance abusers, headquartered in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It operates through several dozen treatment centers worldwide, chiefly in the United States and Western Europe. Each Narconon center is independently owned and operated under a license...
, Criminon
Criminon
Criminon is a program for rehabilitating prisoners using L. Ron Hubbard's teachings. Criminon International, a non-profit, public-benefit corporation managing the Criminon program, was spawned from Narconon International in 2000, and is part of Association for Better Living and Education's public...
, Second Chance, and the International Academy of Detoxification Specialists. The program combines exercise, dietary supplements and long stays in a sauna (up to five hours a day for five weeks). It is promoted variously as religious or secular, medical or purely spiritual, depending on context.
Although supported by numerous testimonials, the rundown has been criticized by many doctors for being unproven and potentially dangerous. Scientology's own literature reports dehydration
Dehydration
In physiology and medicine, dehydration is defined as the excessive loss of body fluid. It is literally the removal of water from an object; however, in physiological terms, it entails a deficiency of fluid within an organism...
, electrolyte disturbances including hyponatremia
Hyponatremia
Hyponatremia is an electrolyte disturbance in which the sodium concentration in the serum is lower than normal. In the vast majority of cases, hyponatremia occurs as a result of excess body water diluting the serum sodium and is not due to sodium deficiency. Sodium is the dominant extracellular...
(low sodium level) and hypokalemia
Hypokalemia
Hypokalemia or hypokalaemia , also hypopotassemia or hypopotassaemia , refers to the condition in which the concentration of potassium in the blood is low...
(low potassium level), and heat-related illnesses, such as hyperthermia
Hyperthermia
Hyperthermia is an elevated body temperature due to failed thermoregulation. Hyperthermia occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate...
, as being frequent side-effects of the program.
The program uses large doses of vitamin B3 (Niacin)
Niacin
"Niacin" redirects here. For the neo-fusion band, see Niacin .Niacin is an organic compound with the formula and, depending on the definition used, one of the forty to eighty essential human nutrients.Niacin is one of five vitamins associated with a pandemic deficiency disease: niacin deficiency...
and hot sauna
Sauna
A sauna is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities....
s, both beyond what is considered a safe level. Participants are encouraged to take the side-effects as evidence that toxins are being flushed out. The combination of pills and high temperature has been described as potentially fatal.
Some families have sued the Church of Scientology, claiming that the Purif was responsible for the death of a relative.
Background
Hubbard put forward his ideas about niacin in a book called All About RadiationAll About Radiation
All About Radiation is one of the books by L. Ron Hubbard that form the canonical texts of Scientology. Its first printing was from HASI by way of the Speedwell Printing Company, Kent, England, 1957. Later editions were published by the Church of Scientology's in-house publisher Bridge Publications...
. He claimed to have discovered that large doses of vitamins could both alleviate and prevent radiation sickness
Radiation Sickness
Radiation Sickness is a VHS by the thrash metal band Nuclear Assault. The video is a recording of a concert at the Hammersmith Odeon, London in 1988. It was released in 1991...
. He marketed this anti-radiation mixture in the form of a tablet, calling it "Dianazene
Dianazene
Dianazene was the name given by L. Ron Hubbard to a vitamin supplement containing iron, Vitamin C, and various B vitamins, including especially large doses of niacin. Hubbard promoted it as a form of protection against radiation poisoning during the 1950s, saying that "Dianazene runs out radiation...
". 21,000 such tablets were seized and destroyed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1958.
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. 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.
The Purification Rundown was developed for use in Narconon
Narconon
Narconon is a residential program aimed at substance abusers, headquartered in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It operates through several dozen treatment centers worldwide, chiefly in the United States and Western Europe. Each Narconon center is independently owned and operated under a license...
, and was published in Hubbard's Technical Bulletins of Dianetics and Scientology as well as the book Clear Body, Clear Mind
Clear Body, Clear Mind
Clear Body, Clear Mind is a book published in 1990 by the Church of Scientology's publishing house Bridge Publications. It is credited to L. Ron Hubbard who died four years earlier, and is largely a compilation of material he wrote in the 1960s. It is one of the canonical texts of Scientology and...
. Two other books describe the procedure, Purification: An Illustrated Answer To Drugs and Narconon New Life Detoxification Program: the effective purification program by L. Ron Hubbard. The term "Purification Rundown" is a trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
of the Religious Technology Center
Religious Technology Center
The Religious Technology Center is a Californian non-profit corporation. RTC was founded in 1982 by the Church of Scientology in order to control and oversee the use of all of the trademarks, symbols and texts of Scientology and Dianetics, including the copyrighted works of Scientology founder and...
(the governing body of the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
), though an RTC spokesman has denied any licensing arrangement with Narconon.
Process
The program usually takes several weeks. As well as spending time in saunas, people are required to do light exercise including calisthenicsCalisthenics
Calisthenics are a form of aerobic exercise consisting of a variety of simple, often rhythmical, movements, generally using multiple equipment or apparatus. They are intended to increase body strength and flexibility with movements such as bending, jumping, swinging, twisting or kicking, using...
, treadmills, and other similar activities.
The program consists of a course of doses of vitamins (niacin
Niacin
"Niacin" redirects here. For the neo-fusion band, see Niacin .Niacin is an organic compound with the formula and, depending on the definition used, one of the forty to eighty essential human nutrients.Niacin is one of five vitamins associated with a pandemic deficiency disease: niacin deficiency...
in particular), long periods in a sauna
Sauna
A sauna is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities....
, 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. Clear Body, Clear Mind
Clear Body, Clear Mind
Clear Body, Clear Mind is a book published in 1990 by the Church of Scientology's publishing house Bridge Publications. It is credited to L. Ron Hubbard who died four years earlier, and is largely a compilation of material he wrote in the 1960s. It is one of the canonical texts of Scientology and...
recommends that participants maintain their normal diet throughout the procedure, supplemented with fresh vegetables.
The Purification Rundown requires its participants to ingest the following at regular intervals:
- A multi-vitamin cocktail, the main ingredient of which is NiacinNiacin"Niacin" redirects here. For the neo-fusion band, see Niacin .Niacin is an organic compound with the formula and, depending on the definition used, one of the forty to eighty essential human nutrients.Niacin is one of five vitamins associated with a pandemic deficiency disease: niacin deficiency...
. Clear Body, Clear Mind recommends initial doses of 100 mg, increasing to 5,000 mg over the course of the program. This contrasts with the medically recommended level of about 15 mg: larger doses can have severe, even potentially fatal side effects. The participant is told to expect toxic symptoms due to the release of poisons or radiation from their body fat. Thus the effects of Niacin overdose, which include skin irritation, flushingFlushing (physiology)For a person to flush is to become markedly red in the face and often other areas of the skin, from various physiological conditions. Flushing is generally distinguished, despite a close physiological relation between them, from blushing, which is milder, generally restricted to the face, cheeks or...
, dizzinessDizzinessDizziness refers to an impairment in spatial perception and stability. The term is somewhat imprecise. It can be used to mean vertigo, presyncope, disequilibrium, or a non-specific feeling such as giddiness or foolishness....
and headacheHeadacheA headache or cephalalgia is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and neck. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain because it lacks pain receptors. Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of the...
, are interpreted as a positive effect of the rundown. - Mineral supplements, including calciumCalciumCalcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
, magnesiumMagnesiumMagnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
, ironIronIron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, zincZincZinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
, manganeseManganeseManganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
, copperCopperCopper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, iodineIodineIodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The name is pronounced , , or . The name is from the , meaning violet or purple, due to the color of elemental iodine vapor....
and potassiumPotassiumPotassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...
. - Up to half a cupful of pure oils per day, to replace the oils that are sweated out in the sauna.
- "CalMag", a drink which Clear Body, Clear Mind describes as a solution of calcium gluconateCalcium gluconateCalcium gluconate is a mineral supplement.-Hypocalcemia:10% calcium gluconate solution is the form of calcium most widely used in the treatment of hypocalcemia. This form of calcium is superior to calcium lactate, but it only contains 0.93% calcium ion. Calcium gluconate is a salt of calcium and...
, magnesium carbonateMagnesium carbonateMagnesium carbonate, MgCO3, is a white solid that occurs in nature as a mineral. Several hydrated and basic forms of magnesium carbonate also exist as minerals...
and vinegarVinegarVinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, the acetic acid being produced through the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional...
in water, in such proportions that the mix has twice as much elemental calciumCalciumCalcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
as magnesiumMagnesiumMagnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
. This is taken up to three times per day. - Enough liquids to replace the fluids lost in the sauna.
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.
The cost of the Purification Rundown was reported as about US$2,000 in 1990 $1,790 "with discounts" in 1996 (though another 1996 source claims around $4,000 for a four-week programme), $1,200 in 1998 and $5,200 in 2009.
The book Clear Body, Clear Mind contains a disclaimer which states that the Purification Rundown is not a medical treatment. A similar disclaimer appears in the Hubbard Communication Office Bulletins noting that the treatment is not a medical process but a purely spiritual activity. Hubbard recommends that the participant should sign a waiver noting that Purification is not medical treatment.
Promotion
The Purification Rundown is promoted as having physical and mental benefits such as lowering cholesterolCholesterol
Cholesterol is a complex isoprenoid. Specifically, it is a waxy steroid of fat that is produced in the liver or intestines. It is used to produce hormones and cell membranes and is transported in the blood plasma of all mammals. It is an essential structural component of mammalian cell membranes...
, relieving pain, and improving memory. Scientology's promotional materials claim it can boost IQ
Intelligence quotient
An intelligence quotient, or IQ, is a score derived from one of several different standardized tests designed to assess intelligence. When modern IQ tests are constructed, the mean score within an age group is set to 100 and the standard deviation to 15...
by up to 15 points. Scientologists are strongly encouraged to take part in the program as a necessary step in their spiritual progress. 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
Narconon
Narconon is a residential program aimed at substance abusers, headquartered in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It operates through several dozen treatment centers worldwide, chiefly in the United States and Western Europe. Each Narconon center is independently owned and operated under a license...
to offer this program as a treatment for addiction and high levels of stress
Stress (medicine)
Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
. Conditions that are said by Scientologists to respond to Purification include cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, heart problems
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
, kidney failure
Renal failure
Renal failure or kidney failure describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood...
, liver disease
Liver failure
Acute liver failure is the appearance of severe complications rapidly after the first signs of liver disease , and indicates that the liver has sustained severe damage . The complications are hepatic encephalopathy and impaired protein synthesis...
and obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
.
In a January 1980 announcement, Hubbard told his followers that a nuclear war
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
was imminent and that the Rundown would enable them to deal with heavy fallout
Nuclear fallout
Fallout is the residual radioactive material propelled into the upper atmosphere following a nuclear blast, so called because it "falls out" of the sky after the explosion and shock wave have passed. It commonly refers to the radioactive dust and ash created when a nuclear weapon explodes...
. He warned that only those who completed the Purification Rundown would survive.
The Church of Scientology unsuccessfully tried to have the Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
awarded to Hubbard for his invention of the Purification Rundown.
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.
The Purif, as delivered by HealthMed, is heavily promoted in the book Diet for a Poisoned Planet by journalist David Steinman
David Steinman
You may also be looking for David B. Steinman, builder of bridges.David Steinman is an environmentalist, journalist, consumer health advocate, publisher and author...
, who denies any connection with the Church of Scientology. The book was the subject of a paper from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration which accused Steinman of distorting facts. C. Everett Koop
C. Everett Koop
Charles Everett Koop, MD is an American pediatric surgeon and public health administrator. He was a vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and served as thirteenth Surgeon General of the United States under President Ronald Reagan from 1982 to 1989.-Early years:Koop was born...
, the former Surgeon General of the United States
Surgeon General of the United States
The Surgeon General of the United States is the operational head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government...
, also criticized the book, recommending that the public stay away from Hubbard's "detoxification" procedure.
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. 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. The notion that toxins from fatty tissue can be sweated out is categorically denied by toxicology experts. Evidence offered for the rundown has not demonstrated that detoxification is actually taking place.A 1995 review at a medical conference described the mega-doses of niacin as inappropriate, especially since they cause the release of histamine
Histamine
Histamine is an organic nitrogen compound involved in local immune responses as well as regulating physiological function in the gut and acting as a neurotransmitter. Histamine triggers the inflammatory response. As part of an immune response to foreign pathogens, histamine is produced by...
, which is counter-productive when dealing with chemical sensitivity. Psychologist Herman Staudenmayer describes the Purif as part of a trend for diagnosing and treating a "Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Multiple chemical sensitivity
Multiple chemical sensitivity is a chronic medical condition characterized by symptoms the affected person attributes to exposure to low levels of chemicals. Commonly suspected substances include smoke, pesticides, plastics, synthetic fabrics, scented products, petroleum products and paints...
" disorder which does not correspond to any known disease and is likely to be psychophysiological
Psychophysiology
Psychophysiology is the branch of psychology that is concerned with the physiological bases of psychological processes. While psychophysiology was a general broad field of research in the 1960s and 1970s, it has now become quite specialized, and has branched into subspecializations...
. He adds, "The position statements of medical societies [...] are unambiguous about the lack of scientific evidence for these practices."
A group including five doctors and nine health education experts reviewed Narconon and its materials on behalf of the California Department of Education
California Department of Education
The California Department of Education is a California agency that oversees public education. The department oversees funding and testing, and holds local educational agencies accountable for student achievement...
. The report, published January 2005, described the key assumptions of the Purif as unscientific and inaccurate. Three experts consulted by The Buffalo News
The Buffalo News
The Buffalo News is the primary newspaper of the Buffalo – Niagara Falls metropolitan area, and the area's only daily newspaper. It is the only newspaper owned by Berkshire Hathaway.-History:...
criticised the weak evidence and dubious assumptions behind the program.
David Root, a medical doctor affiliated with Narconon
Narconon
Narconon is a residential program aimed at substance abusers, headquartered in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It operates through several dozen treatment centers worldwide, chiefly in the United States and Western Europe. Each Narconon center is independently owned and operated under a license...
, has administered the Purif for twenty years and stands by the theory behind it. A non-scientologist, he denies that the program collects money or new members for Scientology.
Effectiveness and safety
An investigation by the New York PressNew York Press
New York Press was a free alternative weekly in New York City, that was published from 1988 to 2011. During its lifetime, it was the main competitor to the Village Voice...
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
Peer review
Peer review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility...
on the rundown had been published in any medical journal. Some apparently supportive studies have been published, but these lack control groups
Scientific control
Scientific control allows for comparisons of concepts. It is a part of the scientific method. Scientific control is often used in discussion of natural experiments. For instance, during drug testing, scientists will try to control two groups to keep them as identical and normal as possible, then...
and have other scientific failings.
Newkirk Herald Journal editor Robert W. Lobsinger solicited a number of medical experts' opinions on the Purification Rundown in 1989. Dr. James Kenney of the National Council Against Health Fraud
The National Council Against Health Fraud
The National Council Against Health Fraud is a 501 non-profit, US-based organization registered in California, that describes itself as a "private nonprofit, voluntary health agency that focuses upon health misinformation, fraud, and quackery as public health problems." The NCAHF has been...
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
Gout
Gout is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected . However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate...
, gastritis
Gastritis
Gastritis is an inflammation of the lining of the stomach, and has many possible causes. The main acute causes are excessive alcohol consumption or prolonged use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Sometimes gastritis develops after major surgery, traumatic...
, and other serious side-effects. Dr. David Hogg of Toronto said that the program may be detrimental to participants' health. 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,"
After reviewing materials published by Narconon
Narconon
Narconon is a residential program aimed at substance abusers, headquartered in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It operates through several dozen treatment centers worldwide, chiefly in the United States and Western Europe. Each Narconon center is independently owned and operated under a license...
, University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
biochemistry professor Bruce Roe described the program as "a scam" based on "half-truths and pseudo-science." In a 1988 report, Dr. Ronald E. Gots, a toxicology
Toxicology
Toxicology is a branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms...
expert from Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
, 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." In 1991, the Board of Mental Health in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
refused to certify the Purification Rundown for use in a Narconon
Narconon
Narconon is a residential program aimed at substance abusers, headquartered in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It operates through several dozen treatment centers worldwide, chiefly in the United States and Western Europe. Each Narconon center is independently owned and operated under a license...
facility on the grounds of potential danger from its high vitamin and mineral doses. A report on Narconon
Narconon
Narconon is a residential program aimed at substance abusers, headquartered in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It operates through several dozen treatment centers worldwide, chiefly in the United States and Western Europe. Each Narconon center is independently owned and operated under a license...
for the Department of Health
California Health and Human Services Agency
The California Health and Human Services Agency is the state agency tasked with administration and oversight of "state and federal programs for health care, social services, public assistance and rehabilitation" in the U.S. state of California. The agency is headed by the Secretary of the...
in California described the mega-doses of vitamins as "hazardous" and "in some cases lethal". Prof. Michael Ryan, a pharmacologist at University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
, told a 2003 court case that the Purification Rundown is scientifically unverified and medically unsafe.
Those who market the Purif insist that it has been proven safe and effective. They present anecdotal evidence
Anecdotal evidence
The expression anecdotal evidence refers to evidence from anecdotes. Because of the small sample, there is a larger chance that it may be true but unreliable due to cherry-picked or otherwise unrepresentative of typical cases....
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
Suggestion
Suggestion is the psychological process by which one person guides the thoughts, feelings, or behaviour of another. Nineteenth century writers on psychology such as William James used the words "suggest" and "suggestion" in senses close to those they have in common speech—one idea was said to...
, delusion
Delusion
A delusion is a false belief held with absolute conviction despite superior evidence. Unlike hallucinations, delusions are always pathological...
or the placebo effect
Placebo
A placebo is a simulated or otherwise medically ineffectual treatment for a disease or other medical condition intended to deceive the recipient...
. In 2007, psychopharmacology
Psychopharmacology
Psychopharmacology is the scientific study of the actions of drugs and their effects on mood, sensation, thinking, and behavior...
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.
In a 1999 French court case, five staff members of the Church of Scientology were convicted of fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
for selling the Purif and other Scientology procedures. In Russia, the Purification Rundown has been banned by officials as a threat to public health.
Adverse outcomes
Paride Ella and Giuseppe Tomba, clients of NarcononNarconon
Narconon is a residential program aimed at substance abusers, headquartered in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It operates through several dozen treatment centers worldwide, chiefly in the United States and Western Europe. Each Narconon center is independently owned and operated under a license...
in Taceno
Taceno
Taceno is a comune in the Province of Lecco in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 60 km north of Milan and about 20 km north of Lecco. As of December 31, 2004, it had a population of 498 and an area of 3.7 km²....
, Italy, died in 1995 during the vitamin phase of the
program, suffering kidney problems and a heart attack respectively.
In 1996, journalist Mark Ebner
Mark Ebner
Mark Charles Ebner is an American investigative journalist and the host of TruTV's Rich and Reckless. Ebner writes primarily about issues in the Los Angeles area, including pit bull fighting in South Central, Scientology, and celebrity scandal. He has covered celebrity culture for Spy, Rolling...
described the case of a woman who had suffered heatstroke
Hyperthermia
Hyperthermia is an elevated body temperature due to failed thermoregulation. Hyperthermia occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate...
and anemia
Anemia
Anemia is a decrease in number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. However, it can include decreased oxygen-binding ability of each hemoglobin molecule due to deformity or lack in numerical development as in some other types of hemoglobin...
while on the program.
In 1997, two emergency room doctors reported treating a 45-year-old man who had participated in the Rundown. 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
Hyponatremia
Hyponatremia is an electrolyte disturbance in which the sodium concentration in the serum is lower than normal. In the vast majority of cases, hyponatremia occurs as a result of excess body water diluting the serum sodium and is not due to sodium deficiency. Sodium is the dominant extracellular...
but three days of treatment returned him to normal. In a similar case, the wife of a Medina, Ohio
Medina, Ohio
In the city the population was spread out with 29.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males...
dentist required hospitalisation after developing hallucinations and other bizarre symptoms during Purification. 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.
A 25-year-old man in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
died from liver failure having taken the Purif. His parents sued the Church of Scientology and the case was settled out of court. Scientology officials blamed the death on prior medical problems.
Adoption by public bodies
The City Council of Shreveport, LouisianaShreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
approved 20 firefighters to take the Purif via HealthMed in the late 1980s. 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." As a consequence, Shreveport ended its support.
In 1994, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...
funded an alcoholic to go to Narconon for detoxification, but the council withdrew funding when the Church of Scientology connection was revealed. The woman stayed on, funded by Narconon's trustees.
Second Chance
"Second Chance" is a program administering the Purif to substance abuse offenders. Its first center was set up in Ensenada, MexicoEnsenada, Baja California
Ensenada is a coastal city in Mexico and the third-largest city in Baja California. It is located south of San Diego on the Baja California Peninsula. The city is locally referred to as La Cenicienta del Pacífico, or, The Cinderella of the Pacific...
in 1995 with a mix of state and private funding. In October 2001, two officials from Erie County Holding Center
Erie County Holding Center
The Erie County Holding Center in Buffalo, New York is a pre-trial, maximum security, detention facility that serves Erie County. Capable of housing 680 inmates, it is the second largest detention facility in New York State outside of New York City. Inmate "Over-flow" is housed at the Holding...
in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
visited the Mexican center at a Scientology patron's expense. 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.
In September 2006 a Second Chance project was set up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This center took in hundreds of referrals in its first year but ran into financial trouble. Some judges, unconvinced of its effectiveness, refused to refer offenders. In October 2008, Curry County
Curry County, New Mexico
Curry County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The population was approximately 45,044 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Clovis. It is named in honor of George Curry, territorial governor of New Mexico from 1907 to 1910...
commissioners ended their contract with the project, after an independent study revealed the center had inflated its success rates. In the two years prior, the center had received $1.57 million in federal and state funding. In December 2008, the center was forced to close down after Mayor Martin Chavez
Martin Chavez
Martin Joseph Chávez Chávez is a former three-term mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico and New Mexico State Senator. He currently serves as the Executive Director of ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability USA. and Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Center for Green Schools at U.S. Green...
accused it of "misrepresentation and deceit".
New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project
An initiative in New York City, co-founded by Tom CruiseTom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
, provides Purification Rundowns for public-sector employees who were exposed to toxins in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. It has administered the Purif to over 800 rescue workers. Many participants have claimed positive results, and some local government figures have supported the project, which was awarded public funding. However, it has drawn criticism for exposing rescue workers to the potential dangers of the Purif, for encouraging them to give up conventional medical treatments, for recruiting into Scientology and for channeling funding to Scientology-related bodies.
Utah Meth Cops Project
Inspired by the New York project, a center in Orem, UtahOrem, Utah
Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the north-central part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is about south of Salt Lake City. Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Utah and...
administers the Purif to Salt Lake City police who complain of health effects from exposure to meth lab
Clandestine chemistry
Clandestine chemistry is chemistry carried out in secret, and particularly in illegal drug laboratories. Larger labs are usually run by gangs or organized crime intending to produce for distribution on the black market...
toxins. This is done under the name of Bio-Cleansing Centers of America and has received public money in addition to private donations. 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.
The major supporter of the clinic has been State Attorney General Mark Shurtleff
Mark Shurtleff
Mark Shurtleff is the current attorney general of the state of Utah, United States, a position he has held since January 2001...
. 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
Utah State Legislature
The Utah State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. It is a bicameral body, comprising the Utah House of Representatives, with 75 Representatives, and the Utah Senate, with 29 State Senators...
. The legislature advanced $240,000 of this further funding. In 2009, Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
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.
Other endorsements
Scientologist actress Kelly PrestonKelly Preston
Kelly Preston is an American actress and former model.- Early years :Preston was born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother, Linda, was an administrator of a mental health center, and her father, who worked for an agricultural firm, drowned when Preston was three years old...
has endorsed the program and credits it for helping her late son Jett.
In a 1998 interview, Heber Jentzsch
Heber Jentzsch
Heber Carl Jentzsch has served as president of the Church of Scientology International since 1982.-Biography:Heber Jentzsch grew up in a Mormon family, and identified himself as a "believing Mormon". He is the son of polygamist Carl Jentzsch and Carl's third wife Pauline; Heber has 42 siblings...
, president of the Church of Scientology International
Church of Scientology International
The Church of Scientology International, Inc. is a Californian 501 non-profit corporation. Within the worldwide network of Scientology corporations and entities, CSI is officially referred to as the "mother church" of the Church of Scientology....
, credited the Purif with curing radiation sickness
Radiation Sickness
Radiation Sickness is a VHS by the thrash metal band Nuclear Assault. The video is a recording of a concert at the Hammersmith Odeon, London in 1988. It was released in 1991...
that he allegedly suffered as a result of childhood exposure to nuclear testing in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. No cases of radiation sickness have ever been reported in Utah, due to the low level of fallout involved, although some cases of leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
may have been associated with the tests.
Promotional sites
- Purification Program - Scientology Purification Rundown Procedure
- Frequently Asked Questions - Answer to FAQFAQFrequently asked questions are listed questions and answers, all supposed to be commonly asked in some context, and pertaining to a particular topic. "FAQ" is usually pronounced as an initialism rather than an acronym, but an acronym form does exist. Since the acronym FAQ originated in textual...
s - Narconon International - Official Narconon site
- Utah Meth Cops Project - Official site
- http://www.cleanseanddetoxprogram.org - Scientology of Orange County Purification site
Critical sites
- Narconon Exposed
- Stop Narconon
- Junkfood Science: A cautionary tale of poor science, politics and money gone astray
- Narconon Drug Abuse Prevention Program Evaluation Report published by California Department of Education