fwd: Narconon in Russia

From: tilman@berlin.snafu.de (Tilman Hausherr)
Subject: fwd: Narconon in Russia
Date: Thu, 04 Jul 1996
newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology,soc.culture.russian

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * METAPHRASIS * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Religious information service

Moscow, prospekt Mira, 36, of.244 Tel/fax: +7 (095) 280-1287 E-mail: mf@glas.apc.org

Editor-in-Chief - Sergei Chapnin Editor - Alexander Morozov

No.25 (46) 21 - 27 June, 1996

* COMMENTARY *

June 19 Alexander Tsaregorodtsev, the minister of health protection and medical industries of the RF, issued an order prohibiting the advertising and use in health protection of any methods following from the teaching of Ron Hubbard. Those who waged the long-drawn struggle against penetration of scientology into Russia have scored an important victory. The RF ministry of health protection has refused government support to Hubbardist narcotics and alcoholic drinking treatment cen ers. The minister has assumed personal control over the implementation of his order. Authoritative ministry officials told Metaphrasis that they had been alarmed over use of Hubbardist methods reading critical press publications, particularly, those in 'Tverskaya 13' newspaper. The growing cooperation between the ministry and the ROC has also played an important role.

The 'Church of Scientology' founded by R.Hubbard is considered as one of the most aggressive totalitarian sects. Since the early 1990s scientologists have been intensifying their activities in various Russian cities. 'Narconon' and 'Hubbard College', both being affiliate scientology organizations, are the most successful ones. Ron Hubbard wrote in 1966: 'Churches are looked upon as reform groups.

Therefore we must act as a reform group.' Since then dozens of cover organizations have been set up by the sect. All of them figure as independent but in fact they use Hubbard me hods, scientology and dianetics. Some of them are meant to create a positive image of scientology in wide public circles, others recruit new members. 'Narconon' is the most notorious scientology organization. It was founded in the mid-1960s in the USA by William Benitez, a convicted criminal and drug-addict. 'Narconon' calls itself a rehabilitation program for alcoholics and drug-addicts. It manag d to receive short-lived state support in several countries. The support was withdrawn as soon as the close connection to scientology became known and the methods were proven as failed. 'Narconon' operated jointly with the scientological company 'Say No To Drugs.' 'Narconon' tried for several years to found a large center in the state of Oklahoma. In December 1991 the mental health board of the state of Oklahoma refused a license to the center, ruling that there does not exist a single reliable scientific proof of the effectiveness of the Narconon program. The program was found not safe for health. The board noted that the number of medical workers in the Narconon group was less than required; moreover, the drug addicts and alcoholics who had completed the program were immediately listed as organization personnel. 'Narconon' patients did not receive any education regarding the nature of drug addiction and prospects for overcoming the habit, they were simply run through the program. The board said also hat the "Narconon' program was too general and applied to all patients without any individual adjustment. The board was particularly preoccupied by the fact that the organization customers, especially alcoholics, were told that if they continued abusive consumption of alcohol after being through the program, that would mean they had not completed the program. Board members were shocked finding 'Narconon' allowed the alcoholic and drug patients to have access to medicine and administer it to other patients, monitor the sauna process and oversee treatment of mental patients. 'Narconon' did not have a single certified psychiatrist, psychologist or drug addiction specialist. The 'Narconon' technique is described by experts as non-medical since they use primarily methods of affecting human conscience, but a substantial part of the program includes use of large doses of vitamins and daily alterations of five-hour-long jogging and sauna therapy.

Hubbard who announced this program in 1978, was so pleased with himself that he allocated unlimited resources for an extensive introduction of the project, hoping to receive the Nobel award. But neither medical experts nor the Nobel committee were particularly enthusiastic about the 'purification rundown.' Victims of scientological experiments suffer this effect daily for months on end, up to six months sometimes. A doctor who oversaw such 'rundowns' for several months, admitted they were 'potentially lethal.' Even Hubbard's personal doctor who helped o develop the 'rundown' insisted on having professional doctors to oversee the procedure. 'Purification rundown' patients almost never receive follow-up professional observation, and cases have been registered in Britain, the Netherlands and in the USA when customers died during the procedure. The greatest danger is seen in the overfatigue of the body due to long effect of high temperatures in sauna, which may cause irreversible changes in the brain, as well as in the use of overdoses of B3 vitamin. The Oklahoma board was particularly worried over the use of B3 in the niocin form, large doses of which may lead to cessation of liver function. The commission said that 'Narconon' patients were forced to take extremely large doses of niocin in order to cleanse the organism from radioactive substances. But substantive medical evidence shows the high degree of risk in taking high niacin doses.

'Rundown' victims experience sensations similar to narcotic intoxication. Scientologists say that this happens because narcotics and waste products leave the organism. In reality this state is resulting from the overdose of vitamins. Leading diet specialists note that 'rundown' B1 overdoses may cause a disorienting effect nd hallucinations. Vitamins are sold to customers for a price which does not correspond to their actual cost, while it is prohibited to buy them outside of the system. When Hubbard proclaimed himself a nuclear physicist in the 1950s, he published, together with an anonymous 'physician,' a primitive book under the presumptuous title of 'All About Radiation.' Hubbard said in the book that atomic disease and even canc r can be cured by employing a 'unique' complex of vitamins called 'dianazene'.

Soon afterwards, on instructions from the US department for food and medical industries, a huge shipment of 'dianazene' was confiscated and destroyed. In spite of this failure, Hubbardists claim that the 'purification rundown' also chases radioactive substances from human body. The Oklahoma board concluded that high sauna temperatures are far from safe for any person and may become deadly for heroin addicts. The 'Church of Scientology' began to win Russia in 1990. Cosmonaut Pavel Popovich was the first to visit the London scientology headquarters. He was accompanied by narcotics specialist Vladimir Ivanov, Izvestia newspaper deputy editor-in-chief Igor A dreyev and general director Leonid Todorov of the 'Soyuz Theater.' They went to Britain at the invitation of 'Narconon.' Although medical experts in major countries of the world qualified 'Narconon' rehabilitation programs as not only ineffective, bu also as harmful to health, the members of the Soviet delegation, overwhelmed by the hospitality of the scientologists, agreed to establish in Moscow a 'Narconon' center for 400 beds. The cosmonaut did not forget about his relatives and his daughter as employed by the Swedish 'Narconon' soon afterwards. The Fund for Saving Children and Teenagers from Narcotics, headed by Vladimir Ivanov, became the chief advertiser of the program in Russia. V.Ivanov created the All-Union Society for Saving Children and Teenagers From Alcoholism and Narcotic Addiction and in 1993 he gave an interview to Literaturnaya Gazeta as chairman of the Society for Protection of Children and Teenagers Against Narcotic Addiction. He said that other forms of dealing with drug addiction were inefficient because in Russia militia are part of the drugs traffic business and psychiatry in the West has become a channel of drug trafficking. 'Narconon' Hubbard follower organized for Ivanov trips to Germany, Sweden, Denmark and the USA, where he visited drug addict centers. Ivanov claimed that the Hubbard methods not only cure drug addiction but also educate people in moral values. He said there exists even a cour e for calculating the success formula in business and private life. That was the main aim of the Hubbardist program - to make one an adapt of the doctrine. The center plans were realized in 1994 when the Fund helped to open the anti-narcotic rehabilitation center 'NARCONON-Russia. The detoxication program is used not only for drug addiction treatment. In 1991 the Russian academy of medical sciences financed the use of the 'rundown' in the treatment of Chernobyl victims.

Three highly placed scientologists were sent to direct th experiment. Despite the absence of any sound results, the three scientologists - David and Sheila Gaiman and Dorothy West were given government awards. They were invited to come back to Russia for more experiments. The Gaiman couple held executive posts in the notorious 'Guardian's Office' (GO) of the 'Church of Scientology' whose eleven managing personnel (including Mrs.Hubbard) were arrested and imprisoned after which the GO was changed into 'Office for Speci l Affairs'.

During the recent trial in Canada the entire 'Church of Scientology' was found guilty because of GO's illegal penetration into government and law-enforcement structures.

The Gaimans own the 'G and G Vitamins' receiving handsome profit fro selling the huge vitamin doses for the 'purification rundowns'. Mrs.West experienced serious problems because of unlawful methods used to recruit members into the scientological organization. The Gaimans, David and Sheila, who also give sometimes their name as the Gaims, call themselves the managers of certain 'International Humanitarian Detoxication Services,' as well as of the 'International Service for Detoxication of Humans.' They were the ones who secured from deputy minister of health protection V.Agapov the unlawful approval of the 'purification rundowns.' Having the support of the deputy minister, David and Sheila Gaiman went to the country hospital of the RF president management department (directed by A.Romanov) and the nearby children's sanatorium 'Vasilyevskoye' (directed by N.Belova and her deput S.Kavun). They were heartily welcomed and opened in the hospital a commercial bureau named 'Prekom' 'to service' patients for cash. In this way the sect took hold of the 'new Russians' who went for treatment in the Kremlin hospitals. They were not p rticularly impressed by the sweet scientological phraseology but, trusting the hospital status, gave obediently to the 'Prekom' 1000 dollars per session. It remains unknown how many of them signed up to new scientological programs after being through the 'rundown...'According to some information, the scienological sauna was visited by such a giant of the Russian show business as Vladimir Presnyakov. The sect has prepared no less than ten doctors who became their 'fifth column' in the Kremlin hospitals. Using those doctors, the scientologists began to introduce their program into the 'Vasilyevskoye' sanatorium which treated Chernobyl children f r somatic ailments. The chief doctor directed for a group of 13- and 14-year-olds to be taken off any other treatment and given into the cares of the Gaiman couple and the freshly-baked scientologist N.Vorontsov who had become the general director of the Russia Hubbard program. The experiment of 'taking out the radiation' involved 27 children who went through the full cycle of the 'purification rundown'. The sect members were not discouraged either by the control testing which showed that radionuclides had not been taken out of the children's organisms, or by the giddiness, heightened heartbeat and the 'disorienting effect' experienced by the young p tients. Not by the complications such as profuse appearance of carbuncles which began with seven children after the 'marathon', not by the sanitarium personnel who pointed out to the dangers of the experiments.

Despite the discouraging results, the scientologists held a conference at the sanitarium May 15, 1995, to speak about successful detoxication, attended by highly placed officials of the ministry of health protection and directors of various health-im rovement facilities. There was a lot of jubilant speeches. The most important statement came from David Gaiman who said he was extremely happy over the success of the Vasilyevskoye experiment, for the first time anywhere in the world! They had not be n given children anywhere else. Russia turned out to be the only country which 'accorded' children to the sect, seriously sick children. Lutheran pastor Thomas Gandow, a leading expert on expansion of 'new religious movements' in Eastern Europe, noted that the recent order of the ministry represents 'a big success of explanatory work done by the Center of St Martyr Irenaeus of Lyons o the ROC.' European experts are well aware of the scientologists' advance in Russia and have been warning from the very outset that 'there takes place an intervention of scientologists into Russian health protection organizations.' Said pastor Thomas Gandow:'I take the ministry order as a definite success of the Russian government. But it would be a mistake to stop at that. Next the government of Russia should conduct a serious investigation of scientologist activities in the military and defense industries, particularly of the so-called Hubbard college.' It must be pointed out that the order should not be interpreted in any wider sense than it actually carries. 'Moskovsky Komsomolets' wrote June 24 that the order directs 'to introduce stringent control over the religious organizations employing psych logical methods of influencing people.' The ministry of health protection does not control religious organizations, and the order does not limit worshipper rights or prohibit officiation in hospitals.

x x x

In the preparation of the above commentary use was made of articles by Jon Atack and Alexander Dvorkin. Following is the text of the order of minister Tsaregorodtsev and excerpts from the official commentary thereof.

x x x

Ministry of Health Protection and Medical Industries of the RF Order No. 254 June 19, 1996 Moscow

'On Cancellation of 'Detoxication Program' Technique Recommendations'

Aiming at conformity with the active legislation of the standard-setting basis of the Ministry of Health Protection and Medical Industries of the RF, I herein order the following

1. The directors of health protection bodies of the Subjects of the Russian Federation and the directors of the federal health protection bodies, including research, preventive and educational institutions, should consider as null and void the 'Detox cation Program' Technique Recommendations' approved August 5, 1994, by V.K.Agapov, deputy minister of health protection and medical industries of the RF. Health protection bodies should not allow any advertising or use of detoxication technique or other scientology or dianetics methods following from the teaching of R.Hubbard.

2. I assume personal control over the execution of this Order.

Minister A.D.Tsaregorodtsev

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

for Order No.254 'On Cancellation of 'Detoxication Program' Technique Recommendations' of the Ministry of Health Protection and Medical Industries of the RF of June 19, 1996

/shortened version/

This Order cancels the 'Detoxication Program' Technique Recommendations' approved August 5, 1994 by V.K.Agapov, deputy minister of health protection and medical industries of the RF. The said document was signed in violation of the standards of the active legislation, including Article 43 of the Basic Legislation of the RF on Health Protection for Citizens of the RF. This order prohibits practical use in health protection of the technique of detoxication or other scientological or dianetics methods following from the teaching of R.Hubbard. The above measure was made necessary in view of the fact that the techniqu s claiming medical value have failed to pass state licensing in any country and have not been allowed for practical use. Moreover, state expert evaluations made in a number of countries have shown the antiscientific nature and destructive effect of R.Hubbard's methods for human organism and psyche. World scientific literature and a number of protocols from courts of ju tice have registered numerous cases of serious mental disorders leading to suicide. It is a known fact that the inventor of the technique R.Habbard is not a certified physician and has not received any higher education at all. He was a man with a disturbed psyche. In 1947 he underwent psychiatric treatment in Oak Knoll naval hospital. According to Hubbard's son, a considerable part of his father's 'scientific discoveries' 'was made' in a state of strong narcotic intoxication. His son writes that Hubbard who engaged in various sexual perversions, suffered for many years from V.D. and mental disorders. He was involved in most repulsive forms of occultism.

It is known that R.Hubbard proclaimed lies as the only efficient method of controlling people. According to the rules of the scientological organizations, every word spoken or written by R.Hubbard is 'holy scripture,' or absolute truth... Court hearings on Hubbard's organization have been held in a number of countries. L.R.Hubbard is known internationally for his constant sharp confrontation with official medicine and psychiatries of all countries and particularly strong opposition to all official medical institutions/.../ According to foreign expert commissions, scientologists, acting without a license, resort to methods of hypnotic influence upon human psyche. With rare exceptions, the scientological personnel have no adequate medical training for use of methods of s ggestion and hypnotic influence /.../