The
medical validity of
Narconon's practices
The basis for Narconon's therapeutic
practices was devised by L. Ron Hubbard in the early
1970s. Hubbard's ideas have been criticised by
non-Scientologists as pseudoscientific and frequently
inaccurate, particularly in his assertions that IQ can be
raised through such treatment and that drug residues are
stored in fatty tissues. Particularly noteworthy are the
claims in Hubbard's book Clear Body, Clear Mind
that radiation - not just radioactive particles, but
actual electromagnetic radiation - is somehow stored in
the body and can be sweated out, through the process
known in Scientology as the "Purification
Rundown" and in Narconon as the "New Life
Detoxification Program." (See the essay "Hysterical Radiation and
Bogus Science" for more on Hubbard's
peculiar views on the medical and physical properties of
radiation.)
Medical literature for and against
Narconon is very scarce. The United States National
Institute on Drug Abuse, based in Maryland, does not know
of a single peer reviewed piece scientific literature to
support the program. The only generally-known report to
substantially address the medical validity of Narconon's
theories appears to be that produced by the Board of
Mental Health, State of Oklahoma in December 1991. Its
findings do not express much support for Narconon:
"The Narconon
drug treatment modality treats all drug addictions
the same. No scientific evidence was produced to show
that all drug addictions are properly treated in the
same manner ...
The Narconon
[detoxification] program requires its patients to
sweat up to five hours per day, seven days a week,
for approximately thirty days. The rationale,
according to Narconon for the sweat-out is to rid the
body of fat-stored drugs and chemicals through sweat.
However, there is no scientific basis for the
technique. Most drugs of abuse are removed from the
body by detoxification and excretion through the
liver, kidneys and (in some instances) through the
lungs. Although minute quantities of some drugs may
be found in sweat, the amount represents such a small
fraction of drug elimination that no matter how much
an individual sweated through exercise or saunas, the
clearance of most drugs of abuse would not be
significantly increased ...
The vast majority of
time spent in the Narconon treatment plan and course
work does not in any way relate to or involve
education about drug and alcohol abuse treatment,
issues, and/or addiction. The Narconon treatment plan
thus has deficiencies which render it ineffective.
The Narconon treatment plan is general in nature,
applies categorically to all students and is not
individualized. The treatment plan also lacks
measurable individualized objectives which the
students should seek to achieve in the program. For
instance, the treatment plan sets a patient's
objective as follows: To have a clear mind. This
objective is essentially meaningless. In order for a
bonafide drug treatment plan to be effective it is
essential to have individualized measured objectives
which Narconon's treatment plan lacks ...
There is no credible
scientific evidence that the Narconon program is
effective in the treatment of chemical dependency.
There is no credible
scientific evidence that exercise speeds up the
detoxification process.
Large doses of niacin
are administered to patients during the Narconon
program to rid the body of radiation. There is no
credible scientific evidence that niacin in any way
gets radiation out of the patient's body. Rather, the
more credible medical evidence supports the existence
of potential medical risks to persons receiving high
doses of niacin.
There is no credible
evidence establishing the safety of the Narconon
program to its patients.
There is no credible
evidence establishing the effectiveness of the
Narconon program to its patients.
No scientifically
well-controlled independent, long-term outcome
studies were found that directly and clearly
establish the effectiveness of the Narconon program
for the treatment of chemical dependency and the more
credible evidence establishes Narconon's program is
not effective. The Board determines that the Narconon
Program is not effective in the treatment of chemical
dependency."
(Findings
of Fact regarding the Narconon-Chilocco Application
For Certification by the Board of Mental Health,
State of Oklahoma, 13 December 1991)
When the huge Narconon facility in
Chilocco, Oklahoma, was established in 1989, the owner
and editor of The Newkirk Herald Journal, Bob
Lobsinger, wrote to a number of independent experts about
the medical theories expounded in the Purification
Rundown / New Life Detoxification Program. They were
unanimous in describing Hubbard's ideas as, in the words
of one, "pure unadulterated cow pies". Some
extracts:
"The material is
full of generalizations that have no substantiation
in fact. There are internal inconsistent statements.
There is no documentation. The Purification Rundown
is somewhat patterned after many reputable
detoxification programs in which diet, exercise,
education and behavioral modification are used. But
due to the above mentioned deficiencies as well as
several outright untruths, I think that it is fair to
say that the Purification Rundown is without
merit."
(C. Mark
Palmer, M.D., Ponca City, Oklahoma - letter to
R.W. Lobsinger, 14 August 1989)
"My overall
comment on Mr. Hubbard's literature is that there is
an absolute lack of data to support his assertion
that the Purification Rundown succeeds in doing what
the presently adopted programs fail to do. The
documents reviewed also contain many truths and
half-truths ... Overall the program proposed by Mr.
Hubbard is pure unadulterated "cow pies".
It is filled with some scientific truth but mainly is
illogical and the conclusions drawn by Mr. Hubbard
are without any basis in scientific fact."
(Bruce A. Roe,
Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Oklahoma - letter to R.W. Lobsinger, 4 August
1989)
"Basically
Hubbard's theories in general are just that -
theories without controlled proof. He flings facts
around wildly in excess, i.e., to drown the reader in
facts in order to convince them that he knows, but he
has little to reference and document the facts. A
review of Hubbard's communications is that these
directives are only theoretical observations without
substantiating facts or details and with no reference
for the reader to "check the source out."
"
(William B.
Svoboda, pediatric neurologist, Wichita, Kansas - letter to
R.W. Lobsinger, 30 April 1990)
"To subject
people to potentially serious side effects on the
pretense that they are being "detoxified",
"cleared" or "purified" is
quackery."
(James J.
Kenney, Ph.D., R.D., National Council Against Health
Fraud, Santa Monica, CA - letter to
Dr. John Chelf, copied to R.W. Lobsinger, 5 January
1991)
The Mayor of Newkirk, Garry Bilger, also
wrote to the United States Department of Health and Human
Services to enquire about the Narconon drug treatment
programme. The Assistant Surgeon General, Everett R.
Rhoades, M.D., replied that
"in general
because of a lack of empirical data, the
"Purification Rundown" concept cannot be
considered medically sound."
(Everett R.
Rhoades, M.D., Assistant Surgeon General - letter to
Garry Bilger, Mayor of Newkirk, Oklahoma, 22 December
1989)
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