Imperial Marines were shock troopers that primarily served on Imperial-class Star Destroyers as defence provided by the Stormtrooper Corps. Originally established as a drug rehabilitation program, by the early 1960s, Synanon became an alternative community centered on group truth-telling sessions that came to be known as the "Synanon Game," a form of attack therapy. (Casriel, So Fair a House, Yablonski, The Tunnel Back: Guy Endore, Synanon; Charles Dederich tapes on history of Synanon, Columbia Pictures: Synanon). he rattlesnake lashed out too quickly for Morantz to react, and its fangs sank into his wrist. [42], The author, journalist and activist Maia Szalavitz claims to chart the influence of Synanon in other programs including Phoenix House, Straight, Incorporated and Boot Camps in addition to those mentioned above. ", Los Angeles police officer Richard Grotsley holds the rattlesnake that bit attorney Paul Morantz. Addicts behaviors and past lives were attacked viciously in games, members were told their lives depended on staying, contacts with family were prohibited, and a system of rewards and punishments was applied. Crying, Trippers embraced, feeling euphoria and transcending love. Neighbors complained fearing Synanon would unleash non-recovered addicts into Santa Monica who came from other areas. [21] Furthermore, for their first ninety days in the community, members were expected to cease contact with outside friends and family. Publicly, Dederich warned that people should not mess with Synanon because the organization could not control its members. [41], Father William B. O'Brien, the founder of New York's Daytop Village, included Synanon's group encounters and confrontational approach in his research into addiction treatment methods. Synanon was a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center and movement-turned-cult in California that existed from 1958 to 1991. He volunteered for a Dr. Keith Ditman LSD experiment and felt he had a cathartic break through and now understood the world and that good and bad were the same. In the 1970s, two men were run off the road near one of their properties. A Los Angeles District Attorney search warrant led to a discovery of an audio tape wherein Dederich bragged of beatings that had occurred, the Imperial Marine training, and said one day the message would be delivered to everyone Dont mess with Synanon. . Much of the violence by Synanon had been carried out by a group within Synanon called the "Imperial Marines". "They are draining life's blood from us, and expecting us to play by their silly rules. I really do want an ear in a glass of alcohol on my desk. : todayilearned It will produce a new breed of human beings with greatly expanded potentials. Carom shots now involved public beatings and getting enemies on missions that went coast to coast. Start the ball rolling by posting a comment on this article! But he nearly lost his life as a result of his investigation into Synanon. They are both true. While his associates went to jail, Dederich avoided imprisonment by pleading no contest to conspiracy to commit murder, agreeing as part of probation to formally step down as Chairman of Synanon and agreed to have nothing to do with running Synanon. Episode 22 of Mannix depicts Synanon members involved with a fictitious 1945 Daily Clarion bombing that killed 14 men. One just had to surrender to Synanon. (Deposition of Charles Dederich, Morantz vs. Dederich; Morantz vs. Synanon, IRS vs. ; (People vs. Dederich, Synanon memos on incident). (Robert J. Lifton, Coercive Persuasion, The Psychology of Totalism; Dr. Edgar Friedman, The Nation 1965, a review of Yablonskis the Tunnel back The author fails to see the inhumanity he observesSynanon is a trade of one addiction for another..one day there will be a Synanon state of Mind more important than the club itself). (Marin Grand Jury Report on Synanon l978). Synanon pressured old club members to leave and complaints led to the city taking a wrongful action that may have changed Synanons course in history. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, In 1975-Oakland, CA- more than 500 women from Synanon communities throughout California shaved their heads, Members of Synanon have their head shaved in 1969, Synanon, poster: Richard Conte (cigarette left), Edmond O'Brien (top head), Alex Cord (arm outstretched), Stella Stevens (bare shoulder), Eartha Kitt (bottom right), 1965, Synanon founder Charles Dederich was arrested in Arizona on a California warrant charging suspicion of conspiracy and solicitation to commit murder in the rattlesnake attack of a Los Angles lawyer, The name was chosen when a member slurred the words 'Symposium' and 'Seminar', explains, Members of Synanon at the North Beach branch have a party to celebrate the 1,000 live-in member, April 4, 1968. spread throughout California, and Synanon became a counter-culture community by 1964. more than 1,300 members - resulting in a healthy bank balance, as its assets totaled about $33 million. He remarried, but alcohol did in that marriage, too. [citation needed]. (Mitchell, the Light on Synanon). While the early Synanon has been declared a success by most observers, there were also early critics who claimed the success only applied to those who remained in the environment where no drugs was pushed by peers or in cases of old timers who had reached saturation point. At age 4, when his father died in an auto crash, his mother, an accomplished pianist, made him the family male figure and her favorite. Deborah Swisher, a former Synanon member, recounts her experiences growing up in several Synanon communes in her one-woman show Hundreds of Sisters and One Big Brother.[45]. Hollywood Park: A Memoir, by Mikel Jollett (founder of The Airborne Toxic Event) was published in May 2020 and describes Jollett's life in, and escape from Synanon. (Synanon vs. KGO, Los Angeles Times archives, CBS News archives)/ Law suits brought by Morantz, and ones by Synanon against ABC and Time Magazine ultimately turned out to be Synanons undoing, giving through legal investigation journalists access to some internal documents on violence. (Gerstel, Paradise, Inc.). Those who went to jail for Synanon were treated as heroes. Women removed all makeup and jewelry, a symbolic stripping of past selves. These changes led Synanon to its then certain fate. A horrifying newsreel from 1978 shows a frightened young woman telling a reporter that she fled after being punched and beaten as a child, and she saw many other kids being assaulted. Synanon, is the first ever self helpno doctors drug rehabilitation program, founded by Charles Chuck Dederich Sr. (19131997) in 1958 in Santa Monica, California. Following its broadcast, executives of the network and its corporate chairman received hundreds of threats from Synanon members and supporters, including letters that said, Your actions place you in legal and physical peril and We are going to teach you a lesson you will never forget.. Baby among 6 festival-goers sliced to death by glass-encrusted kite strings, BBC1's live FA Cup coverage hit by porn noises from mobile hidden by prankster, Three major energy suppliers paying you to turn off appliances tonight, Putin to make very important announcement on Ukraine war today', News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Newcomers were first interviewed by Synanon leadership to gain entrance into the community. Synanon fought and lost the action on summary judgment based on their own admissions in their internal records. Ex-Synanon members heard from members inside Synanon, that they had Morantzs address and that he was next, While Morantz was meeting with the California terrorist unit and LAPDID (intelligence) for protection on October 10, 2008, Synanon Marines Joe Musico and Lance Kenton, son of band leader Stan Kenton, as part of conspiracy with Dederich and other top officials, placed a 4-foot rattle snake sans rattles in Morantzs mailbox. [23], Beginning in 1964,[24] the legal authorities began to investigate Synanon's practices. Soon, Synanon owned properties across America; at Tomales Bay, it had a fleet of ships, and at the Badger property hundreds of motorbikes and trucks, not to mention an airstrip and a private plane. The tax assessment due to the violence conspiracy led the properties to be confiscated and/or sold. It is currently active in Germany. that the Synanon group was running an unauthorized medical clinic. All three minors were then returned to Ms. White. In this chapter: After building a small fortune, Synanon's megalomaniac leader turns the revolutionary rehab into a violent cult, with mass sterilization, a paramilitary group and a rattlesnake in a mailbox. "The Social Development of the Synanon Cult". This became a successful enterprise that for a time generated roughly $10 million per year.[13]. As a condition of probation, he was disallowed from taking part in managing Synanon. XHTML: You can use these tags:
. Synanon is a word of his own invention integrating togetherness (syn) with the unknown (anon). Morantz did and the bill was defeated by one vote. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. (IRS v. Synanon; Morantz vs. Synanon; Winn vs. Synanon; Renfroe vs. Golden State). Julie Moncharsh recalled: "One boy, who was mentally retarded, was physically beaten because he did not do the 20 push-ups he was assigned. Everyone was to cop-out (confess to past sins). [5] Outside of The Game, members were required to act civilly to each other. Before the incident, Synanon investigator Chris Reynolds wrote a memo on Morantz, giving his home address to Synanon legal department. The broken joined the attack. Aids returned with smut obtained from the un-brokens spouses to use. Vile Dederich declared that, "having an abortion is like squeezing a boil, nothing more.". Ultimately, it purchased an arsenal of high-powered weapons, developed its own security force and in an isolated concealed valley across its airfield called Depot Flats, it set up camp to train the Imperial Marines. They played the game in which anyone was allowed to say anything, true or not, to someone to cause an effect. Yes. Violence was then permitted upon them, breaking for first time Synanons non violent rule. Children were struck across the face, knocked down, otherwise punished and then gamed. Soon the OK on violence would spread to splitees, suspected thieves and perceived spies and enemies. Was it a wonderful place to be? These lawsuits ultimately turned out to be a large part of Synanon's undoing, by giving journalists access to Synanon's own internal documents. Unsurprisingly, abused kids began running away, helped by an 'underground railroad', led by neighboring rancher Alvin Gambonini, who tried to reunite them with their parents. He wasn't wearing his contact lenses, so wandered over to inspect the "mystery" object, assuming it was a scarf. As these juveniles did not want to be there, Synanon methods failed. (Synanon Holy War file, Robson letters, IRS vs. Synanon). Philip K. Dick makes several references to Synanon in his 1977 novel A Scanner Darkly and 1981 novel VALIS. The name was chosen when a member slurred the words Symposium and Seminar. One of its early cardinal rules was no violence or threat of same. Synanon members were instructed in writing to physically harm others, take responsibility for it and never reveal Synanons involvement. It was just weeks after Morantz had won a $300,000 judgment against Synanon, a shady drug rehab facility that opened in Santa Monica in 1958. According to court records, the cult formed a militant branch, known as the "Imperial Marines," to inflict violence against opponents of the organization. Did Synanon betray me an wound me? He is considered an expert on these subjects. "One big dysfunctional family: A former member of the Synanon cult recalls the 'alternative lifestyle' that shaped her, for better and worse". Synanon instituted containment which was disallowing contact with outsiders. But in fact Robson had failed and the violence memos, including the Garfield-Robson letters were scatter in the Synanon San Franciso warehouse which was opened for copying to the law firm of Lillick, Mchose and Charles (to avoid discovery sanctions) who then found them (Synanon vs. ABC; IRS vs. Synanon). It would grow to become a well-funded utopian society throughout the late '60s and early '70s, before declaring itself a religion in 1974. . It was alleged[by whom?] By the early 1960s it had become an alternative community as well, attracting people with its emphasis on living a self-examined life, as aided by group truth-telling sessions known as the "Synanon Game." Its ultimate doom came when Dederich and members tried to kill by means of a de-rattled rattlesnake in the mailbox, Pacific Palisades lawyer Paul Morantz who was battling Synanon in the court and trying to expose the Foundation for criminal conspiracies. It no longer obeyed zoning rules, sympathetic donations reheated and Synanon soon became Santa Monicas largest land owner. This article is about the organization. When they asked for friends they were hugged in mass. (Dave Mitchell, The Light on Synanon; Gerstel, Paradise Inc.: Letter from Dederich to Mike Garrett. Dederich said freedom to think to a dope addict was like a gun to a baby, and they wash dirty brains. The Trippers, many of whom had been awake for 65 or more hours, were hugged and cheered. The 1984 TV movie Attack on Fear, directed by Mel Damski, written by T.S. In 1974 Synanon declared itself a religion and centered on middle-class searching for utopia rather than addict curing. It was a game because one being gamed could turn the game on another. The Foundation had the wire, an internal broadcasting system that played 24 hours with repeated talk of getting the enemies. Dederich became an AA favorite speaker and went to an AA meeting every day. Synanon was allowed to have members kick addiction cold turkey without drugs. In l977 in Santa Monica, Synanon took in a woman in a pre-psychotic break, and would not return her to her husband and transferred her to Tomales Bay. In not too long of a time, Synanon commenced training the Imperial Marines in Depot Flats in the Badger Mountains and then attacked over 40 people (some attacks were before Marines trainedDederich, New Religious Posture, Dont Fuck with Synanon. Skip to content It's Time for Morning Meeting Sharing our Synanon Stories Menu About Stories Contact Kids Places Faces Philosophy The End Early Days Work Play 'imperial marines 1978' Leave a Reply Cancel reply [22] During this practice, members were encouraged to be critical of everything, using harsh and profane language. Dederich and his wife sat on thrones and often wore robs. Synanon evicted by tossing people and belongings out of apartments (even off a roof). Dederich placed them in a 72 hour game (stew) and harangued them for not seeing his vision. After several inquiries into their practices and financial holdings, Board of Directors passed declaration which made Synanon . The Associate Press did a study of Synanons efforts to discourage the press (AP Study on Synanon Retraction Program). By the late 1970s, he'd formed a small army called the Imperial Marines, which committed dozens of heinous crimes, like mass beatings against defectors, whom Dederich called "splittees." Journal of Humanistic Psychology 18.3 (1978): 320. The main character discusses a drug rehabilitation cult "The Church of Niebor," which is based on Synanon.[46]. 'I want you to take these two, I want that one's legs broken, I want this one's legs broken, and I want you to shove him into the back of his car, and run it off the pier'. The city claimed it owned the beach front and rather than take the issue to court it sent police officers and bulldozers across the sand knocking down cabanas and paved courts. The police told Synanon the kids were coming with them; the only question was how? Cloudflare Ray ID: 78b89606dbb5b76a Plus, control freak Dederich wanted even more power. decided to create his own program to respond to their needs. Cole had received a court order to enroll in Synanon before she disappeared. Men were given forced vasectomies, and a few pregnant women were forced to have abortions. Simon, not heeding what he wrote, later went to prison for destroying evidence unfavorable to Synanon (People vs. Simon). Synanon claimed it had cured thousands but by 1967 Dederich turned the organization into a "lifestyle" by recruiting non-addicts ("Squares") and building cities in Marin County, then Tulare County and eventually Lake Havasu. Inside, Dederich compared Synanon to the mafia (Synanon Think Table Summaries; Dederich, New Religious PostureDont Fuck with Synanon). "He was beaten, he was hit in the head and then socked in the stomach.". The Marin County Supervisors, including Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein did not want to take a public position against Synanon as it was a constituent. More than 80 people had been attacked by Synanon, Morantz said. Daniel Gumbiner refers to this cult in his National Book Award-longlisted, The Boatbuilder. [15], Control over members occurred through the "Game". Each person stripped and put on white robes. Paul Robert Morantz (born August 16, 1945) is an American attorney and investigative journalist. On Oct. 10, 1978, Morantz was bitten by a rattlesnake left in his Pacific Palisades home mailbox by two members of the Synanon Imperial Marines. [17][18], The film director George Lucas needed a large group of people with shaved heads for the filming of his movie THX 1138 and hired some of his extras from Synanon. It even invited professionals including non-addicts to join. They are draining lifes blood from us and expecting us to play by their silly rules. (Tony Lang, Synanon, Morantz archives on Synanon). He and his family were represented by Paul Morantz and Ed Martin in a civil suit. The concept was based on law that even charities are taxed if they commit acts against public policy. The school was headed by Al Bauman, who believed in an innovative philosophy and aimed to teach children in the same manner to think differently. Montell's father was a member as a child and spoke freely to Amanda about his experience in Synanon. Social scientists flocked to see for themselves, while Hollywood came out with the film Synanon in 1965, starring Edmond O'Brien as Charles and Eartha Kitt as Betty. The couple claimed that the wife had been held captive by Synanon and that during her stay, leaders at Synanon had attempted to brainwash her. Each Tripper was to write a paper on some feeling or admission. They would adopt the Synanon family, said the board, or the fifth circle in Dantes hell, where tormented souls are terrorized and torn, awaited them. Paddy Wagons awaited Synanon protesters. "It's kind of like saying you can't go to therapy," Nolan told reporters outside the courtroom. Curing dope fiends was what they wanted. He existed on a $35 unemployment check and charity from others. Beatings of opponents, alleged thieves and ex-members ( splittees) occurred across the country. (Tony Lang, Synanon, Morantz archives on Synanon). But there was a catch: new members had to transfer their assets to the organization. He was saved from meningitis in the l940s by the discovery of penicillin. On remote properties in California such as Tomales Bay in Marin County and Badger, Tulare County, the organization had built un-permitted buildings, a trash dump, and an airstrip. When all were exhausted Dederich returned and offered forgiveness for surrender. He was found passed out on a kitchen floor and was told, "Fatso," if you . Dederich is credited with coining the phrase Today is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life. (Casriel, So Fair a House, Yablonski, The Tunnel Back: Guy Endore, Synanon; Charles Dederich tapes on history of Synanon). Much of the violence by Synanon had been carried out by a group within Synanon called the "Imperial Marines". For other inquiries, Contact Us. It went from the first ever no doctor involved self help drug rehab (Synanon I), to a building of a new society in Synanon cities to lead the world into the 21st Century (Synanon II), to becoming a self-claimed religion (Synanon III). The program was based on testimony of fellow group members about their tribulations and urges of relapsing, and their journeys to recovery. Tax issues arose. Their last hope. Dederich refused all suggestions. (Dederich tape: The Freebies are Over; Arizona vs. Home Place Inc., Morantz archives on Synanon. The New York psychiatrist Daniel Casriel M.D. People originally inspired by their CEDU experience developed or strongly influenced a significant number of the schools in the therapeutic boarding school industry. A Synanon mob beat Gambini in front of his family. Escape From Cielo Drive (A Tale of Three Charlies) 0 December 26, 2010. "[7][8], Charles Dederich, a member of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), was known to speak for hours uninterrupted at AA meetings. Web. Cook, an account of the journalists who exposed the abuses; it starred Paul Michael Glaser, Linda Kelsey, and Barbara Babcock. Legal problems continued, despite this change. Eventually followers took on the paranoia of its founder, Synanon developed the Imperial Marines and commenced a Holy War against its enemies. (Dave Mitchell, The Light on Synanon). (Robson) suggested blowing me away with a shotgun, Morantz said. TIL In 1978, a dangerous cult called Synanon tried to murder an opponent by placing an de-rattled rattlesnake in his mailbox. Dederich and Yablonsky acknowledged that the system was brainwashing (thought reform) as described by Dr. Robert Jay Lifton in Coercive PersuasionThe psychology of Totalism (Yablonski, The Tunnel Back). Mitchell developed a deep throat in the Sheriff department, Art Disterheft.
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