Uncovering Narconon: The Controversial Rehab Linked to Scientology

What if the very rehabilitation program you trusted to save your loved one from addiction was built on controversial and unverified methods? This episode pulls back the curtain on Narconon, a drug treatment program with deep ties to Scientology, founded by William "Bill" Benitez after being inspired by L. Ron Hubbard's teachings. We scrutinize the origins and operations of Narconon, questioning the safety and efficacy of its practices, which are often administered by staff members lacking proper medical training.

Join us as we uncover the questionable practices and troubling statistics behind Narconon rehab centers. From inconsistent success rates to flawed studies and misleading data, we leave no stone unturned in exposing the program's dubious credibility. We investigate the failed attempt to establish a facility in Bouquet Canyon, California, and the regulatory violations that came to light, further casting doubt on the integrity of Narconon's operations.
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Resources 

https://www.cs.cmu.edu/

https://www.youtube.com/@XENUTV

Transcript

Uncovering Narconon: The Controversial Rehab Linked to Scientology

[00:00:00] Abraham Aurich: The following content may include discussions or topics that could be triggering or upsetting to individuals who have experienced similar traumas. Viewer discretion is advised.

[00:00:09] Sandi McKenna: Picture this. You're watching someone you love, a brother, sister, or child. Slowly disappear into the grip of addiction. You're desperate and scared. You've tried everything. Counseling, rehab centers, interventions. Nothing seems to break through the darkness. Then, like a beacon of hope, you hear about Narconon. They claim a miracle.

A success rate of 70 to 90. Unheard of in the world of addiction recovery. But, as with any miracle cure, you? must ask. What aren't they telling you? Behind Narconon's promises lie secrets. This is no ordinary rehab. It's rooted in the controversial teachings of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology. Families who walk the road you're about to travel often end in grief, yet again with more questions than answers.

Welcome to the Sins of Scientology. I'm Sandi McKenna, and along with Abraham Aurich, we pull back the curtain on Narconon, a rehab program connected to Scientology that has left behind a trail of shattered lives, mounting lawsuits, and untold tragedies. Together, we'll explore the origins, methods, and expansion, and most chillingly, the actual human cost of putting faith in a cure that promises so much yet hides so much more. But before we dive in, ask yourself one question. Would you risk your life or the life of your loved one to break free from addiction? 

[00:02:11] Abraham Aurich: Let's go back to the beginning. By age 31, William "Bill" Benitez had been battling heroin addiction for 18 years and spent 13 of those years behind bars. He'd seen the best of it, including a federal prison stint. In December of 1964, Bill found himself back in court, pleading guilty to possession of narcotics. As a habitual offender, he was facing a mandatory sentence of 15 years to life. During the trial, Bill told the court official that he still believed he could kick his drug habit and even dreamt of starting a program to help others. The response was harsh. The man told him it would be better to quote, take you behind a building, and put you out of your misery end quote. That's the kind of low point Bill was at.

 His lawyer managed to get him in front of the judge, right before Christmas hoping the holiday spirit may work in his favor. Bill made an impassionate plea to the judge, recounting how he had tried everything to quit drugs, joining the Marines, committing himself to psychiatric hospitals, isolating himself in remote towns and even going through two marriages. But nothing had worked. Despite his failures. He told the judge; that he hadn't given up hope. Apparently, the judge saw a flicker of something in Bill, sentencing him to a minimum of 15 years instead of life. 

So Bill returned to Arizona State Prison, but something transformative happened. A friend handed him a worn-out copy of L Ron Hubbard's Fundamental of Thought. The book sparked something in him. He read it repeatedly soaking in Hubbards ideas about human abilities and how to develop them. He began to see he's addiction, not as a personal failing, but as a disability something that could be overcome if he could just tap into his own potential. 

On August 2nd, 1965. After months of studying Hubbard's work, Bill jumped down from his bunk and marked a big decision on his prison calendar. Decision to set up Narcotic Foundation. He wanted to create a program to help other addicts in prison, but prison officials rejected his request for six months. They couldn't imagine a program like that coming from an inmate. But Bill didn't give up and eventually, he got the green light to start on a trial basis.

 On February 19th, 1966, the first Narconon program was born with 20 inmates. Word spread quickly and soon over 60 prisoners were participating. Bill was so committed to his program, that when he had a chance to leave prison early, due to a legal technicality, he actually requested to stay behind to see his students through. He called it the best and hardest decision he ever made. 

With support from Hubbard and donations of materials, Narconon expanded fast, by the time Bill was released from prison in 1967 there were Narconon programs in 14 other prisons across the US. Bill then moved to California to take Narconon to the streets. By the 1970s. Narconon had grown beyond the prison system and became an international presence. Scientology saw an opportunity, not only to help addicts, but also to spread Hubbard's teachings to new audiences. Today Narconon operates in over 30 countries claiming to offer a revolutionary solution to addiction. 

But here's where things get complicated. Unlike traditional rehab programs, which focus on evidence-based treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy, medically supervised detox or 12 step programs, Narconon follows methods directly derived from Scientology. And let's not forget Hubbard wasn't a medical doctor or an addiction expert. He was a science fiction writer turned self-help guru.

[00:05:57] Sandi McKenna: But perhaps the most alarming aspect of Narconon is who's running the show. Narconon claims to be secular and separate from the church of Scientology. But this is far from the truth. In reality, Narconon's methods and leadership, are directly tied to Scientology. Narconon International oversees, the operation of Narconon centers worldwide, and many of its directors and executives are members of the sea organization. Scientology's elite paramilitary wing. These individuals are not trained, medical professionals or addiction experts. Instead, they're devoted followers of Hubbard's teachings trained in Scientology's doctrines. 

Let's examine the connection between Narconon and Scientology. On the surface, Narconon claims to be completely non-religious saying it only uses L Ron Hubbard's secular research for drug rehab. That's important because in the U.S., there's a separation between church and state and the government can't fund religious programs. Narconon sticks to that line to keep its funding options open. But when you really start peeling back the layers, the connection between Narconon and Scientology becomes impossible to ignore. For starters, almost every part of the Narconon program mirrors a corresponding course in Scientology. The names may differ slightly, but the content and the methods are the same. For example, Narconon's therapeutic TR's course is basically a mashup of two introductory Scientology courses. The success through communication course and the Hubbard qualified Scientologists course. In both Narconon and Scientology, these courses are designed to get people started on what Scientology calls the bridge to total freedom.

Even the exercises in the program, the infamous training routines, TR's, are rooted in Scientology. The TRS were originally developed to train Scientologists. In the 1950s. They involve drills like sitting perfectly still or staring at someone for long periods without blinking. And while they might seem like harmless communication exercises their real purpose is much more spiritual in the Scientology context.​These TRS are meant to prepare you for auditing the core practice in Scientology, where you clear your mind a past traumas or engrams.

The TRs are just the beginning. Narconon's New Life Detoxification program is nearly identical to Scientology's purification rundown, both involve a controversial process where participants spend hours in a sauna, supposedly sweating out toxins and drug residues paired with mega doses of vitamins. Scientology believes this also cleanses spiritual and mental impurities. This detox program has been widely criticized by medical experts for lacking scientific evidence and even being potentially dangerous. Hubbard's claims, especially the idea that you can sweat out radiation stored in your body are dismissed as pseudoscience by the broader medical community. What's also worth noting is the ups and downs in life course, and the personal values and integrity course in Narconon. They're straight out of Scientology's playbook. They teach participants to spot suppressive persons or SPS, those who supposedly bring negativity and chaos into their lives. The Scientology, SPS, are people who criticize or oppose the church and they're seen as the root cause of all personal problems, including addiction. Narconon takes the same concept and applies it to their students teaching them that negative people in their lives might be the reason they turn to drugs in the first place.

Many patients have described these processes as mentally and emotionally draining and without any therapeutic benefit, they can leave patients more confused and vulnerable than before. Former patients have spoken out about how these techniques made them feel lost. It is often said that the objective processes felt more like brainwashing than therapy. There was no science behind it just endless repetition and a growing sense of confusion.

Narconon also removes some of the most overt Scientology terms to maintain its claim of being secular. For example, they swap out terms like Thatan, the spiritual being in Scientology for more generic terms, like person. But the underlying concepts remain the same. This attempt to mask the connection is thin at best. 

So while Narconon insists that it's not religious, the deeper you look, the clearer, it becomes that Narconon is essentially Scientology in disguise. 

[00:10:55] WSBTV2 News: A worldwide drug treatment program that has denied its affiliation with the Church of Scientology faces new scrutiny tonight. Channel 2 Action News has uncovered documents that tie Narconon of Georgia to the controversial church in part three of our investigation. Jody Fleischer here with what the program fought for years to keep secret.

Just in the record show, the Georgia program director knew staff were drinking and doing drugs with patients. But whistleblowers tell us the focus was on image, not on fixing the problems. And that the church really uses Narconon to make money and recruit vulnerable addicts into Scientology. Is it what it pretends to be?

Absolutely not. Lucas Catton says he knows the Narconon drug treatment program better than almost anyone. He went through it as a student, then rose to become president of the flagship Arrowhead facility in Oklahoma. Narconon is essentially, it is Scientology. From the start, patients are given mega doses of vitamins like niacin so much.

The state requires they sign a consent form acknowledging health risks. Addicts spend roughly five hours a day in a sauna intended to rid their body of drug toxins, and they study communication techniques written by Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. They did weird things. You had to get to different levels.

Colleen Desmond is suing Narconon of Georgia after her son Patrick died while enrolled there. Records show he got drunk with his housing monitor, then used heroin for the first time. Her attorney questioned Narconon's medical director under oath. Did you know you were listed as their medical director?

I'm not really, I don't know. All I know is that I was hired by them to do the physicals on their patients. Did you ever visit the sauna? No. Did you ever visit the Narconon facility? No. There's no truth to say except we're helping people. But Narconon's executive director Mary Reeser knew of problems. In this internal memo, she wrote about a bad situation at housing and she felt the students were in danger.

It was pretty common knowledge that the Narconon here in Georgia was very disorganized, that there, there was a higher incidence rate of drug and alcohol use within the facility by the students. Within days after Patrick's death, A memo was sent from Narconon of Georgia to the OSA, which is the Church of Scientology.

I have arranged for a minister to come. He is not going to flap PR wise, wrote Reeser. Catton says that means wouldn't create a public relations problem. That's not just a connection. It is a direct channel. I've never seen anything like this public before now. I am a Scientologist. Okay, that's my church.

But they don't have, um, They don't manage here. You sent this letter to the National Church advising them of Patrick's death within the days after his death. Why? Well, I'm not going to speak to why I did that, but that's not a governing body for me. And if I you know, that is my church. So I don't know if I've been a Baptist, I might have told my church.

Why don't they just say this is Scientology? Because people won't come. Um, and there's, there's not enough money in it. So if you're trying to legitimize it in the public eye as much as possible, then it is easier to be able to get more money, more recruits. He says the church gives recruits who've gone through Narconon credit for the communication and sauna sessions they've already finished.

Patrick's mom says she had no idea. How could they do that to young people? How could they do that to families? Addicts and their families have told us they paid between 15, 000 and 30, 000. Hatton left the Church of Scientology and his job with Narconon more than a year ago. He says when he was there, the U. S. program was bringing in about a million dollars a week in revenue. Oh, that is something. And Jody, did he say that as a result of your investigation, he expects any changes? Well, you know, he didn't know for sure because he's out of the church now, but I can tell you we have already noticed a Narconon International changed its website since our story started airing.

The state is also considering some changes. I'll have much more on all of that coming up tonight at 6. And it just keeps going. 

[00:14:59] Sandi McKenna: The techniques, the beliefs, and even the materials are pulled directly from Scientology's playbook. It's not just inspired by Hubbard's work, it is Hubbard's work repackaged and presented as secular, but still very much rooted in spiritual doctrine. That's something to think about. If you, or a loved one is considering Narconon for rehab. 

And here's where the danger becomes clearer. Many of the staff members working at Narconon centers are former patients. After completing the program, they're recruited to become counselors despite having little to no formal training in addiction treatment or medical care. So when a medical emergency arises and in addiction recovery, these are inevitable the staff is ill prepared to handle it. The lack of training has sometimes led to devastating consequences. 

[00:15:54] Abraham Aurich: Narconon claims to have these incredibly high success rates. Sometimes they see it's 75, 78, or even 86%, depending on where you look. You'd think, wow, those are amazing numbers for a rehab program. But when you dig deeper things, get a little murky to say the least. 

The problem is the Narconon doesn't provide much data to back up these claims most of the time, they just throw out these percentages without telling us where the numbers came from, who conducted the studies or even how they measure success. And when they do give a source, it's usually vague like an independent organization without naming names or providing any real transparency. So it's hard to trust those numbers. 

Let's break it down a bit. One of the studies they often referred to is from Sweden back in 1981. According to Narconon the study showed that 85% of the people who completed their program were still drug-free a year later. Sounds impressive. Huh? But when you actually look into the study, things fall apart. Out of 61 people who entered the program only 14 completed it. That's a 23% completion rate. And of those 14 people, seven admitted to using drugs again within the year. So at least only six people out of 61 were drug-free after a year that's more like a 10% success rate. 

Then there's the Spanish study from 1980s where they claimed a 78% success rate. But like the Swedish study, the math doesn't quite add up. The sample size was only 52 people. And when you dig into it, it looks like most of the people who responded to the survey were working for Narconon. So it's hard to believe those results are unbiased.

And let's not forget about Oklahoma Narconon Arrowhead. One of their bigger centers has reported graduation rates around 50% with about 70% of graduates staying drug-free. But here's the catch that only includes people who actually completed the program, not the large percentage who dropped out before finishing. If you factor everyone in the real success rate is much lower, closer to 40%.

Now, why does all this matter? . Well, if you're looking for help with addiction. You want to know the program you choose is going to give you the best chance of success and with Narconon there's a big question mark hanging over their claims. They seem to be more interested in selling a success story than actually proving one and that's something we have to be cautious of, especially when lives are on the line..

In the end, it seems like most people who start the Narconon program don't finish. And those who do a significant number end up going back to drugs. It's a far cry from the near-perfect success rates they like to promote. 

[00:18:40] Sandi McKenna: In 2006, Narconon found itself under intense scrutiny when it applied for a conditional use permit to establish a drug and alcohol rehab facility in Bouquet Canyon, California. The Los Angeles county board of Supervisors had to decide whether Narconon a program claiming to help addicts through L Ron Hubbard's methods was fit to operate in this community. However, the testimony provided by Narconon representatives, raised a lot of red flags, sparking an investigation into the credibility of their claims. 

Narconon representatives painted a glowing picture of their operations during public hearings, claiming everything was above board. They compared the proposed Bouquet Canyon facility to the existing Warner Springs facility and dismissed concerns from the community members as wild rumors. But something didn't sit right with the locals and an investigation was launched to verify whether what Narconon was saying lined up with reality.

The investigation revealed a series of discrepancies between what Narconon representatives said under oath and the facts obtained from the state records and other official sources. For instance, Narconon claimed they didn't admit minors. Yet the investigation, uncovered documents, showing intake forms for adolescent males aged 14 to 18. Narconon also said they only accepted clients who voluntarily sought help, but state documents revealed cases where individuals were pressured by family or even court-ordered into a program.

 One major issue was Narconon's failure to disclose key problems at their other facilities, especially the one in Watsonville. Narconon conveniently left out that this rural facility had been plagued with complaints from trespassing issues to violations of state regulations, including letting an unlicensed employee drive a van, posing a risk to the public.

The investigation also found that Narconon had no legal ability to keep addicts on their property once they wanted to leave, despite Narconon claiming that they could find and return clients who left the facility they had no legal authority to do so. In fact, trying to bring them back could easily cross the line into kidnapping. So much for keeping the community safe. Right. 

Narconon's, credibility took further hits when it was revealed that they accepted clients still under the influence of drugs, despite claiming otherwise. There were also serious issues with staff qualifications. Narconon had been caught operating without properly trained personnel, including those without CPR certification. This raised concerns about the safety of their operations, especially in emergency situations.

To top it all off Narconon positioned itself as a charitable organization, making it seem like they were driven by a sense of altruism. But internal documents painted a different picture. Narconon was also in the business of selling how to packages for starting new facilities. And pushing Scientology onto clients, despite claiming they were non-religious.

At the end of the day, the investigation made one thing clear Narconon, wasn't telling the whole truth. Their failure to provide accurate information and to comply with state laws made them an unreliable operator. The community was justified in its concerns and the recommendation was simple, Narconon shouldn't be rewarded with a permit to open in Bouquet Canyon.

This case, highlighted Narconon’s pattern, of bending the truth to the public and government officials. Whether it was intentional or out of ignorance the outcome was the same Narconon simply couldn't be trusted.

00:22:41] Abraham Aurich: Let me tell you the story of Daniel Locatelli, who went to Narconon for help, but found himself trapped in a nightmare. Daniel's fiancé Sarah Locatelli thought she was doing the right thing when she paid for his rehabilitation at a Narconon facility in California. She had no idea what they were really getting into. 

From the start Narconon promised life-changing rehab, claiming to be a secular program. But as Daniel discovered it was deeply rooted in Scientology practices. Instead of receiving proper treatment, Daniel was subjected to bizarre and degrading therapy sessions where staff verbally attacked him often with homophobic slurs despite the fact that Daniel isn't gay. When he needed medical care, they denied it and when he asked to leave, they wouldn't let him go. Daniel was essentially held captive for four days. His belongings were confiscated, and the staff refused to let him walk out. It wasn't until he found a way to escape that he finally broke free. 

But the story doesn't end there. Sarah devastated by what her fiancé had endured, tried to get a refund from Narconon, they ignored her. So she took matters into her own hands and filed the lawsuit. In it, she exposed how Narconon had misled them from the very beginning. The program was run by Scientology though they had hidden that fact and the services provided were dangerous and not as advertised. The complaint also revealed the disgusting culture with Narconon where verbal abuse, homophobia, and neglect were commonplace. 

It turns out Daniel's experience wasn't an isolated incident. Other lawsuits and complaints have shown that Narconon regularly deceives people through fake referral sites, luring desperate families into their program. They make promises of medical care and therapy but once inside patients are subjected to Scientology teachings and abusive treatment. What's worse, some are even kept against their will just like Daniel. 

Narconon a so-called secular arm of Scientology hides its true identity and misleads, vulnerable people searching for help. It's not just about the money, although they charge upwards of $20,000 per patient. It's about the trauma and harm inflicted on people like Daniel. Families are tricked, patients are mistreated and Narconon keeps running its deceptive practices seemingly without consequence. Sarah and Daniel's story reminds us to always be cautious when seeking help for a loved one. They trusted Narconon its promise and its cost them dearly, not just financially, but emotionally. Sarah's lawsuits is one step towards holding Narconon accountable but it's a long road. Many others have faced similar horrors at the hands of this organization and it's vital that their stories are heard.

[00:25:33] Sandi McKenna: Greg Beha's story centers around his stepson who was struggling with drug addiction and their efforts to get him into a long-term rehabilitation program at Narconon Stone Hawk in Michigan. / Greg and his wife found the center through a hotline, and they were told it would be a comprehensive three to six-month program costing $23,500. However, the experience turned into a nightmare.

After just two days at the facility, Jeff's stepson was hospitalized due to severe dehydration and vomiting blood. While Narconon staff assured the family that they dealt with addicts regularly, Greg felt misled. Following the hospitalization the young man was sent back to the center where he struggled with Narconon's therapeutic training routines course, a course designed to teach communication and confrontation skills.

On July 18th after only 18 days at Narconon the center dropped Greg's stepson off at a cheap motel, 26 miles away, giving him just $10 and abandoning him. The reason given. Greg's stepson had made negative remarks about Scientology founder, L Ron Hubbard. Greg was left with no recourse and the center refused to refund the $23,500 claiming their policy was nonrefundable.

Despite contacting various officials, including the president of Narconon international Clark Carr, Greg received no help in getting his money back. 

The situation left Greg and his family devastated, forced to seek another rehab for their son while still facing significant financial strain due to Narconon's policies. This story highlights a disturbing pattern of behavior at Narconon where their clients are often mistreated, misled, and left in precarious situations without support.

[00:27:34] Abraham Aurich: In late November 2007, a family from Michigan was desperately looking to help their son who was struggling with drug addiction. They found Narconon Stone Hawk through a web search and got in touch with the owner Per Wickstrom. While the cost of the program was steep Per had a solution, he helped the families apply for credit cards and secured, $20,000 line of credit to pay for the program and associated services. 

On December 2nd, the family dropped off their son at Narconon Stone Hawk in Albion Michigan. Only a few days later, their son called begging them to come back and get him. He described the appalling conditions. The facility was rundown the food was terrible and the staff, many of whom were former drug users themselves seem unqualified and untrustworthy. Disturbed by their son's report the family picked him up on December six after just a few days at the center.

The family soon found themselves stuck in a frustrating battle to get a refund. Despite their son's short-stay and the fact that he hadn't started the main program. Narconon refused to return their $20,000. The family spent weeks trying to speak to staff members, including Wickstrom himself. But we're given the run-around. When they did manage to get in touch, they were told the money was nonrefundable due to the signed contract. Even though their son had only completed detox and not the full treatment. 

The father Jeff wrote a heartfelt letter to Per explaining how the program's Scientology based practices were against their beliefs and pleading for a refund. Wickstrom eventually responded, but he mostly defended the program and reiterated the nonrefundable policy. He did suggest that he might be willing to refund part of the money, but the family was left, uncertain about how much they could expect to get back. 

Throughout this ordeal, the family also reached out to Narconon board members, local officials, and the credit card companies to dispute the charges, but progress was slow. Despite the financial strain, the family focused on finding new treatment for their son who fortunately stayed clean after leaving Narconon. 

This story highlights, not only the questionable practice of Narconon but also the financial burden placed on vulnerable families seeking help for their loved ones.

[00:29:55] Sandi McKenna: In this story, a couple was convinced by an admissions representative named Kyle that Narconon would provide alcohol counseling and holistic treatment for the husband's alcohol addiction. They were told that the treatment would last about two and a half months starting with a three-week sauna detox.

However, the experience turned out to be very different. The husband underwent a 10 day withdrawal period before even starting the sauna detox, which lasted an additional four weeks longer than initially described. The couple also said that they could exchange letters, but Narconon delayed the delivery of these letters claiming that doing so would help the husband focus on his treatment.

Instead of alcohol counseling, the husband was subjected to Scientology practices, which included strange routines, like staring at a fellow patient for hours at a time. His personal books were confiscated and he was only allowed to read materials written by L Ron Hubbard. Furthermore, the facility administered dangerously high doses of niacin during the detox process and the husband had to share a sauna with another patient who had hepatitis C raising health concerns.

This account reveals troubling in consistencies between what was promised and what was actually delivered by Narconon highlighting the controversial nature of their treatment methods.

[00:31:20] Abraham Aurich: A parent shared their troubling experience with Fresh Start a drug rehab program, where their adult child battling heroin addiction was enrolled for treatment. They paid $33,000 for the program but encountered several serious issues.

The parent was never informed that Fresh Start was affiliated with Narconon’s controversial rehab program tied to Scientology. They were misled about their son's ability to use prescription medications for depression and anxiety. Although the program's website claims that nonnarcotics prescriptions were allowed, the staff refused to let him take his prescribed medication after initially permitting him to use medication during detox.

The staff who mostly appear to be former addicts in recovery themselves, move the son back and forth between Nevada and California, four times within the first few weeks. Ignoring his wishes. Despite a psychiatrist recommending medication for his depression Fresh Start staff denied all medications though they allowed him to continue smoking cigarettes.

After four weeks of instability, including a visit to the hospital for his mental health Fresh Start completely lost track of the son, making no attempt to follow up or contact him after his discharge. 

The son eventually went missing for several weeks and relapsed into drug use with Fresh Start, never contacting the parents about his whereabouts or status. To make matters worse, Fresh Start never returned his personal belongings, despite numerous calls and voicemails.

[00:32:54] Sandi McKenna: In June, 2017, a desperate parent enrolled their son in Fresh Start, a Narconon rehab facility, believing it was a medical treatment center. 

After researching drug rehab options in Wisconsin, they found Fresh Start, which was advertised as having a 90% success rate. The parent paid $33,000 for a five-month program and $6,000 for an intervention. They were promised medical detox, professional counseling education, and even job training. But after their son arrived, the parents grew suspicious. 

Further investigation to reveal disturbing information about Narconon practices, which included pseudo-scientific methods and potentially dangerous treatments.

After just four days, the parents visited the facility, which they found to be overcrowded, dirty, and run down. They immediately removed their son from the program and requested a refund. As their paperwork indicated eligibility for a refund if the stay was less than seven days. Despite this, the facility tried to charge them $22,000 for the brief stay, leaving the family with significant financial losses. The parent later discovered that Narconon uses deceptive marketing practices, owning multiple search engines to trick families into believing they are contacting local facilities when it's actually Narconon. This experience left the parent determined to warn others about the scam they encountered.

[00:34:23] Abraham Aurich: This is the story of a former Narconon employee who witnessed firsthand the disturbing reality behind the program. He shares his experience anonymously fearing retaliation from diehard Scientologists and Narconon bosses who once threatened him.

 Narconon, he says is a scam, a front for Scientology who prey on vulnerable drug addicts and their desperate families. They promise a high success rate around 80%, but the reality couldn't be further from the truth. During his seven months working at one of Narconon's facilities in California, over 80 people graduated from the program. Yet he personally knew 71 of them who relapsed and when they returned to Narconon, instead of getting real help, they were subjected to humiliating ethics cycle, forced into manual labor as a form of punishment.

The employee paints a grim picture of life inside Narconon. The facility was overcrowded taken in far more people than it was licensed for. And the conditions were horrendous. To save time, kitchen staff would defrost meat in the bathtub while students were still using the bathrooms. Whole rooms were crammed with beds, leaving little room to breathe let alone recover. 

Supervision was minimal leading to rampant drug use on the premises with addicts sneaking off to get high in their surrounding neighborhoods. But that wasn't the worst of it. Students were driving around in uninsured vehicles by unlicensed staff members putting their lives at risk. The overcrowded facility was so poorly managed that Narconon started putting students in apartments miles away with zero oversight. These makeshift living arrangements weren't licensed or known by state authorities. 

The shocking part is that many graduates didn't just relapse they were convinced to work at Narconon. These recovering addicts were manipulated into thinking that leaving Narconon would lead them back to drugs. So they were persuaded to stay working 12-hour shifts, six days a week for just $50. They're training it didn't come from professionals or medical experts it came straight from Scientology. These counselors who are themselves, former addicts had no formal qualification in addiction treatment they were just recent graduates paid to perpetuate the system. 

Narconon wasn't just taking advantage of addicts it was also lying to their families. Desperate people trying to save their loved ones were charged over $22,000 for treatment convinced that insurance would cover it only to discover later that it didn't. Much of that money was funneled into Scientology with thousands going to buy Scientology books from an organization tied to the church. The employee's role at Narconon was to recruit new students and he was told to lie about everything. They fabricated success rates, making up numbers based on old non-existent studies. They even claimed insurance coverage that didn't exist. Leading families to hand over their life savings hoping for reimbursement that will never come.

 Narconon's so-called success was a lie and the staff knew it. Graduates relapsed almost immediately with families calling in despair, asking why their loved ones had fallen back into addiction so soon after completing the program. Yet Narconon continues to boast about its supposed 80% success rate.

This former employee saw staff members relapse too including the facility's only licensed medical professional. A nurse who had gone through the program herself. In his time there, students and staff alike were frequently expelled for drug use inappropriate behavior or even labeled suppressive for not falling in line with the teachings of Scientology. 

Ultimately this whistleblower left Narconon after confronting his bosses about the deceptive practices he could no longer ignore. But his departure didn't come without consequences. He received threatening messages from his former employers, Scientologists who didn't want him sharing the truth. 

Despite the danger he felt compelled to speak out in the hopes of saving just one person for falling into Narconon strap. His message is clear. Narconon it's not what it seems. It's a predatory organization that takes advantage of addicts and their families tearing lives apart in the process.

[00:38:55] Sandi McKenna: Another former employee of Narconon counts for time working at the facility, painting a disturbing picture of what it was really like behind the scenes. /

She recalls upon joining the strange environment quickly became evident when she noticed that the only picture on the wall was that of Scientology founder, L Ron Hubbard. 

She was immediately drawn to the group mentality, believing that she and the other staff were helping people. However, she soon realized that instead of rehabilitation, the center offered nothing resembling the traditional drug treatment, that there was no 12-step programs, no discussions about addiction triggers or any therapy sessions. 

Instead, clients were told that their addiction was entirely their own fault, regardless of their past traumas or circumstances. Her job included collecting payments from desperate families. She recalled cases where they convinced family members to mortgage their homes or cash out the retirement funds to pay for treatment. 

She also observed that all the rehabilitation methods were based on Scientology courses, which could easily be found in any church of Scientology. These courses involved, bizarre activities like having people stare at each other for hours without moving, techniques that the employee described as a form of hypnosis. 

The employee said the treatment also included the purification rundown, which now we know required patients to sit and spend hours in a sauna, supposedly sweating out toxins. Patients were given dangerously high doses of niacin and forced to exercise before even entering the sauna. The former staff member said that these practices were not only in effective but also harmful, especially for people in fragile, physical and mental states.

The employee shared stories of staff mistreatment as well, including her own experience of being sent to a Narconon facility, on a native American reservation in Oklahoma when she tried to leave. She was held there for three months before escaping with the help of strangers. Her account also includes stories of patients in crisis, such as one man, who was detoxing from alcohol and began smashing his head against the wall while hallucinating with no medical staff available to help. 

[00:41:17] H Gavin Long: John Cunningham was 58 years old, retired from Boeing after a 35 year career as a mechanic working on airplanes, married 25 years to the only woman he ever loved, had two daughters. He injured his back and got addicted to Vicodin. Then finally one day he just came clean to his family, he says, look guys.

I'm addicted to medications. And they went and started looking for rehab facilities and found this wonderful place called Redwood Cliffs. Redwood Cliffs told them, look, we've got doctors here. We've got one on one counseling. And in the midst of all that, the Redwood Cliffs So don't you, you need to detox first before we do rehab here.

So John was taken to this bright future. Detox is withdrawal is mismanaged terribly after five days of being at bright futures. This 25 year old owner couldn't find John in the house. She goes into his bedroom and he's hanging in there in the closet with his own belt. When the family finally learned that this bright future was just open for about six weeks before John goes there.

Up until the time they just knew of Redwood Cliffs. Was Narconon Redwoodos. No doctors in sight, no medications. They got a 25 year old girl who knows nothing about how to properly manage a detox. And the verdict was the largest suicide verdict against a rehab in California history. John took his life.

Only got hit with 15 percent responsibility. If you are under medicating somebody, you are going to torture them to death. And if you don't manage that, you're just going to push that person. Eventually they're going to end the torture themselves. 

[00:43:02] Abraham Aurich: Gabriel Graves October 2011. Gabriel Graves a 32 year old man was found dead at Narconon Arrowhead in October 2011. He had enrolled in a program to overcome drug addiction but died suddenly under mysterious circumstances. His death was attributed to unknown causes but it sparked initial concern about the facilities medical practices.

Hilary Holten April 2012. Just a few months later in April 2012, 21 year old Hilary Holten died at the facility. Holten reportedly had a pre-existing medical condition and her family alleged that the facility had failed to provide proper medical care. Narconon Arrowhead faced accusations of negligence and misrepresentation regarding their ability to manage medical conditions. 

Stacy Dawne Murphy July 2012. The most publicized of the deaths occurred in July 2012 when 20 year old Stacey Dawn Murphy was found dead at Narconon Arrowhead after an apparent drug relapse. Murphy had been allowed to return to the facility unsupervised after completing a sauna-based detox despite being in a vulnerable state. Her death led to widespread media coverage and promoted further investigation into Narconon arrowhead practices. Let's take a look at this clip of Susan and Robert Murphy at a rally for their daughter.

[00:44:27] Susan & Robert Murphy: It does our heart good to know that there's people that are beside us and to support us because we care so much for all these people that have, that are even in there now. You know, we hope in our hearts that things are being done to help them. Um, But justice needs to be done and things need to be looked into and laws need to be obeyed.

And in order for these laws to be obeyed, I guess we need to be doing what we're doing right now in order for them to listen because nobody else seems to be listening right at this moment. 

[00:45:00] Sandi McKenna: These deaths led to investigations by multiple agencies, including the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. / The department expressed concerns about the lack of medical oversight at the facility, especially given that Narconon Arrowhead was marketing itself as a comprehensive rehab center with claims of high success rates. In the wake of the deaths, Oklahoma officials began a thorough review of the facility's treatment protocols, including its use of the purification rundown.

You know, that sauna-based detox program derived from Scientology teachings. As we know, this program combines high doses of vitamins and niacin. It was criticized for its lack of scientific basis and potential danger, particularly when used without proper medical supervision. As a result of these investigations, in 2013, the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services revoked Narconon Arrowhead's certification to provide medical detox services. This was a significant blow to the facility, limiting its ability to operate a full-service rehabilitation center. The families of Gabrielle Graves, Hillary Holton, and Stacy Murphy, filed wrongful death lawsuits against Narconon Arrowhead, accusing the center of negligence and misrepresentation.

They alleged that Narconon had failed to provide adequate medical care, neglected to properly supervise patients, and used deceptive marketing practices to lure families in to paying for substandard services.

[00:46:41] Abraham Aurich: So why, despite these tragedies does Narconon continue to operate? The answer may lie in part in its celebrity connections. John Travolta, Tom cruise, Kristie Alley. These are just a few of the famous names associated with Scientology and by extension with Narconon. Their public support of the program has helped shield Narconon from scrutiny and given it an air of legitimacy.

John Travolta's story is particularly tragic. His son, Jett Travolta suffered from a seizure disorder and autism. But instead of seeking traditional medical treatment, Jett was treated with alternative methods rooted in Scientology. When Jett passed away in 2009, the Travolta family faced intense public scrutiny over the decision to follow Scientology's teachings rather than conventional medical advice. 

Celebrities like Travolta and Cruise have donated large sums of money to Narconon keeping the program alive and allowing it to expand. Their public endorsement are often featured in Narconon promotional material, giving the program a veneer of credibility. But the truth is these celebrities are not addiction experts. They may genuinely believe in Narconon's mission, but their endorsement have consequences for the desperate families who turn to Narconon in moments of need. 

Kirstie Alley shared a very personal account on her struggle with drug addiction and how Narconon helped her overcome it. She recalled being heavily addicted to cocaine, which almost destroyed her career and life. After moving to Los Angeles in 1979, she sought help at Narconon and completed their program which she described as a turning point. Alley credited Narconon with saving her life and setting her on the path to becoming an actress. After completing the program, she remained drug-free and became an international spokesperson for Narconon Chilocco a rehabilitation center that helps people recover from drug and alcohol addiction, especially native Americans in the Oklahoma region. 

 Kirstie emphasized that Narconon's approach is based on L Ron Hubbard's methods and she advocated for the program because of its success in stopping the revolving door of addiction. Unlike traditional rehab programs Narconon not only accepts individuals who make the personal decision to quit, which Alley believed was crucial in her own recovery. Until her death on December 5th, 2022, she remained committed to helping others through Narconon using her platform to raise awareness and share our journey from addiction to sobriety.

[00:49:17] Abraham Aurich: Let's take a look at this clip from Entertainment Tonight where Kristie Alley talks about her addiction.

[00:49:23] Kirstie Alley: One of the sentences that opened up one of the chapters in your book really stuck out at me. You said, or you wrote, I did enough cocaine to kill several people. Yeah, I did. Did you ever think that you were going to overdose? You said you were taking your pulse after every night. I thought I was going to overdose almost every time.

There was about, A year span that I did cocaine that I was doing it. You could say more occasionally on the weekend. Then my weekend became a three day weekend that became four and then it became five. But I would do so much at a time. Um, that I would, you know, I start the coke and then I'd sit there and I take my calls.

I'm dying. I'm dying. I'm dying. And who would keep doing it? But it's such a weird mind trippy addiction. And how did you pull yourself out of that? Yeah. I pulled my, well, a friend of mine sent me this book. Most of my friends were drug addicts, so they didn't send me books. But one of my friends who wasn't, was a Scientologist.

She sent me Dianetics. Somehow I got through it and I thought, this is either the world's biggest scam or this is how I'm going to get rid of this hideous compulsion that I have. 

[00:50:30] Sandi McKenna: ​Narconon is not just US-based program. It operates worldwide. / In some countries it's branded as a wellness retreat in others it's promoted as an alternative health facility. However, no matter where it operates, the core methods remain the same, the purification rundown, objective processes, and untrained staff. Narconon has faced legal challenges across the globe. In France, several Narconon centers were shut down after authorities investigated the programs ties to Scientology. In Italy Narconon has been fine for deceptive practices. In Canada Narconon has come under fire for operating without proper medical oversight. But despite these challenges, Narconon continues to find ways to adapt often rebranding itself, to avoid scrutiny. In many countries, its affiliation with Scientology is hidden, allowing it to attract patients who may not be aware of its controversial roots. Although Narconon has faced lawsuits and deaths, it remains resilient. And that resilience is mainly due to its deep connections to the church of Scientology and the celebrities who continue to support it.

[00:51:53] Abraham Aurich: we've pulled back the curtain on Narconon, but questions still remain. How does a program tied to so much controversy, so many lawsuits and so much tragedy continue to thrive in the shadows? Is it because families are desperate for any solution, no matter the cost or is it because Narconon's celebrity backers, give it the protection and legitimacy it needs to survive?

For those who walk the road of addiction recovery, the promise of hope can be a powerful one, but how much are you willing to risk when that hope comes with dangerous methods unqualified staff and a body count?

Ultimately, it's a choice families will continue to make. But when the stakes are this high, when the lives of your loved ones, hang in the balance. How much are you willing to gamble on a program that promises so much but delivers so little?

I am Abraham Aurich and along with Sandi McKenna thank you for joining us on this episode of Sins of Scientology. If you'd like to hear more true crime stories, be sure to like and subscribe. You can also find us on Instagram and on TikTok at Sinners and Secrets. Until next time, keep questioning keep seeking and may your journey be as rich and enlightening as the stories you encounter.