Majority Report, Scientology, and 9/11 First Responders

Down the rabbit hole I go...

I used to be told Niacin would clean your system for drug tests. I tried many times. It made my whole body burn like a terrible sunburn, skin turn red, you think you might die every time. I looked like a lobster.

While researching, of all things, what corporate media channel Sam Seder worked for befor the Majority Report. Just a rabbit hole.

I landed on the wiki for the original majority report w/Janeane Garofalo. I knew that show name was way too cool for Sam Seder to come up with alone.

I wonder why Janeane left.

She came under fire for comments on her April 28th, 2006 show in support of “Scientology-Linked” “New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project” which in plain words sounds like a noble deed. Never heard of it.

I go a little deeper and see it is a detoxification program for 9/11 first responders who are being ailed by exposure to toxic waste during the rescue. I love that. I loved when Jon Stewart took on Congress to get health insurance for them and the veterans exposed to burn pits. I wonder what that has to do with scientology? Deeper I go.

Ok. It’s top funder is Tom Cruise. Maybe thats how. Why the controversy then?

Oh ok. The technique they use to detox these people is the Purification Rundown…..hmmm, what’s that? Click.

Oh, it’s where they give them increasing doses of Niacin which raises your internal temperataure and put them in a sauna for hours at a time. And Killed people, damaged others, it was invented by the ever-credible ambitiously-ethical truth-teller L. Ron Hubbard. Holy shit! The inventor of scientology and inventor of the terrible sci-fi book. Not to be confused with good sci-fi books.

Purification rundown is Part of scientologys bridge to total freedom, the chart that charts how you can live forever and they can make lots of money off of it

After many rebrands, shown below, this is the final chart in the pyramid scheme that is Scientology

Oh the many charts leading to crazy...

Hubbard Chart of Attitudes

The Purification Rundown, as they were using on 9/11 first responders is from the Final Boss chart The Bridge to Total Freedom. Also known as Purif or the Hubbard method.

It was developed by Scientology's founder L. Ron Hubbard and used by the Church of Scientology as an introductory service.

It is promoted variously as religious or secular, medical or purely spiritual, depending on context. Hubbard put forward his ideas about niacin in a book called All About Radiation. He claimed to have discovered that large doses of vitamins could both alleviate and prevent radiation sickness. He marketed this anti-radiation mixture in the form of a tablet, calling it "Dianazene". Twenty-one thousand such tablets were seized and destroyed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1958.

The 1979 predecessor of the Purification Rundown was known as the "Sweat Program" and was similarly designed to remove traces of LSD which, according to Hubbard, remained for long periods in the body.

As an addict on probation I was told by many people that you could use Niacin to pass a drug test and suffered through many doses. And failed many drug test to which I was told, maybe you got the wrong kind? Or didn’t take enough. Now I see, this must be where that idea came from.

In the sweat program the participant had a restricted diet, including large doses of vitamins and a teaspoon of salt, and spent at least an hour a day jogging in a rubberised suit. For some, this regimen lasted for months. This later evolved into the ‘Purification Rundown’.

The program was developed for use in Narconon, and was published in Hubbard's Technical Bulletins of Dianetics and Scientology as well as the book Clear Body, Clear Mind. Two other books describe the procedure, Purification: An Illustrated Answer to Drugs and Narconon New Life Detoxification Program: the effective purification program by L. Ron Hubbard.

Back to the Rundown

The Purification Rundown usually takes several weeks. As well as spending time in saunas, people are required to do light exercise including calisthenics, treadmills, and other similar activities.

The program consists of a course of doses of vitamins (niacin in particular), long periods in a sauna, exercise, and consumption of a blend of vegetable oils, in the belief that the subject will sweat out the toxins and replace the oils in the body's fatty tissues with the vegetable oil.

It requires its participants to ingest the following at regular intervals:

• A multi-vitamin cocktail, the main ingredient of which is niacin. Clear Body, Clear Mind recommends initial doses of 100 mg, increasing to 5,000 mg over the course of the program.

  ^{This contrasts with the medically recommended level of about 15 mg: larger doses can have severe, even potentially fatal side effects. The participant is told to expect toxic symptoms due to the release of poisons or radiation from their body fat. Thus the effects of niacin overdose, which include skin irritation, flushing, dizziness and headache, are interpreted as a positive effect of the program.}

• Mineral supplements, including calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, iodine and potassium.

• Up to half a cupful of pure oils per day.

• "CalMag", a drink which Clear Body, Clear Mind describes as a solution of calcium gluconate, magnesium carbonate and vinegar in water, in such proportions that the mix has twice as much elemental calcium as magnesium.

• Enough liquids to replace the fluids lost in the sauna.

  The Purification Rundown is promoted as having physical and mental benefits such as lowering cholesterol, relieving pain, and improving memory.

  ---

The Church of Scientology unsuccessfully tried to have the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Hubbard for his invention of the program.

---

Narconon

This is basically an L. Ron Hubbard version of drug rehabilitation. According to their website it sounds like miracle work, but watching their welcome video they drop little hints that they are simply a front for the Church of Scientology. You know, the church that has their own PRISON!!!! Where they send people who turn out to be suppressive people. Suppressive people are those that speak against the church of scientology. Anyone who speaks out against the church of scientology. So I wonder, what would they do with a drug treatment center? The Guardian reported on Narconon UK:

The charity that runs the facility, Narconon UK, says it is a world leader in tackling drug and alcohol misuse, claiming results superior to its rivals through a sauna detox, high vitamin doses and psychological exercises.

Its credentials appear to stack up: Narconon is listed on the NHS ­website, included in council ­directories, and displays a “good” rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in its marketing, alongside dozens of testimonials. “Narconon gave me my life back,” says one smiling client.

But behind the glossy image there is another side to the story. A nine-month investigation has ­uncovered allegations of safeguarding ­failings and psychological abuse at Narconon’s premises in Heathfield, East Sussex. It also suggests that – despite reassuring clients it is independent – the rehabilitation programme is more closely entwined with the controversial Church of Scientology than it lets on.

In interviews with the Observer, former patients and staff described how people seeking help were put through intensive ­mental exercises – “drills” – similar to methods used in Scientology’s “auditing” process.

In some cases, they took part in these repetitive drills for so long, while in vulnerable states due to their mental health or prior drug use, that they would go into “hypnotic” states, become paranoid or break down or suffer other extreme reactions. After taking part in the drills, which could last up to five hours a day for several weeks, others were ­allegedly left “traumatised”, feeling suicidal, with their minds “shattered”.

So that would most definitely be the same detox technique they are putting 9/11 first responders through back here in New York. Now that’s the UK. Meanwhile back at home The Tampa Bay Times report:

Already shaken by a series of high-level defections, accounts of abuse among its staffers, and the high-profile breakup of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, the Church of Scientology now faces scrutiny over its controversial drug treatment program, Narconon.

Four deaths at Narconon's signature treatment facility in eastern Oklahoma have prompted local law enforcement and health officials to investigate the center and its program.

The inquiry began after Stacy Dawn Murphy, 20, was found dead in her room on July 19 after returning to the facility from a one-day leave. The cause of death is under investigation.

Two other clients died within the previous nine months. Another died in 2009. In two of those cases, serious health issues were cited; the cause of the other death is unclear.

In April, authorities in Quebec shut down a Narconon facility in the city of Trois Rivieres, saying certain treatment procedures "may represent a health risk.''. . . . . . . .

Narconon centers claim success rates of 75 to 90 percent. But their methods, developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, have drawn fire over the years. They include high doses of niacin and lengthy sauna sessions that are said to release stored drug residues from fat tissue — a Hubbard theory contested by many health professionals.

The Narconon network of treatment centers is part of a Church of Scientology "sector" called the Association for Better Living and Education, or ABLE. It supports and coordinates the church's "social betterment" causes, such as combating drug use, advancing human rights and improving literacy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Officials are also investigating the deaths of 21-year-old Hillary Ann Holten of Carrollton, Texas; 32-year-old Gabriel W. Graves of Owasso, Okla.; and 28-year-old Kaysie Dianne Werninck of St. Augustine.

Holten died on April 11 and Graves on Oct. 26. Holten's autopsy report also has not been completed. Her obituary in the Dallas Morning News said she died of complications from pneumonia and congenital adrenal hyperplasia. The medical examiner could not a find a cause of death for Graves.

The Takedown of the Rundown

The theory behind the Purification Rundown is that toxins, drugs, and radioactive particles are stored in body fat, which are released through the exchange of fats (thus the oil consumption) and exercise, and then finally released via perspiration and other normal mechanisms such as body waste. Independent scientific evaluations report that the concentration of toxins or drugs in the sweat is negligible, as they are primarily removed from the body through the liver, the kidneys and the lungs. The notion that toxins from fatty tissue can be sweated out is categorically denied by toxicology experts.

In January 2005, a group of five doctors and nine health education experts acting on behalf of the California Department of Education issued a report examining Narconon and its materials. The report described the key assumptions of the program as unscientific and inaccurate. Three experts consulted by The Buffalo News criticised the weak evidence and dubious assumptions behind the program.

An investigation by the New York Press asked a number of independent doctors about the evidence for the Purification Rundown. None of them endorsed the program's effectiveness and some explicitly described it as dangerous. Several said that no peer-reviewed research on the program had been published in any medical journal.

In 1996, journalist Mark Ebner described the case of a woman who had suffered heatstroke and anemia while on the program.

One day, she was found blue-lipped on the waiting room floor, hemorrhaging. Instead of taking her blood pressure or calling an ambulance or even a doctor, they explained away her bleeding as "restimulation" from radiation she had absorbed from ultrasound testing she'd had years before.

In 1997, two emergency room doctors reported treating a 45-year-old man who had participated in the Purification Rundown. Previously healthy, he had developed tremors while on the program, for which the Church of Scientology recommended further Purification as treatment. Put back in the sauna, he developed seizures and was taken to hospital in an incoherent state. He was diagnosed with severe hyponatremia and required three days of medical treatment. In a similar case, a woman from Medina, Ohio required hospitalization after losing sleep and developing hallucinations during the program. In 2004, a former participant in the UK told reporters that the program had gravely worsened his physical condition, and that he had been denied medical treatment.

A 25-year-old man in Portland, Oregon died from liver failure after having participated in the Purification Rundown. His parents sued the Church of Scientology and the case was settled out of court. Scientology officials blamed the death on prior medical problems.

This seriously turned out to be bad for those poor first responders. They’ve been fucked on so many levels. Now back to where I started, what caused the end of The Majority Report w/ Janeane Garofalo and Sam Seder?

It was hard to find much. I couldn’t find a quote. but here’s an excerpt from an article that covered it at the time:

The disagreement arose over the fact that Janeane has had members of the NY Rescue Workers Detoxification Project (

http://nydetox.org/

) on twice in the last 6 weeks and was planning on having them on again tonight. The group is basically a Scientology front group and has been criticized
http://www.nytimes.com/...
http://www.cultnews.com/...
as being full of junk remedies and potentially harmful to the clients. Janeane is very supportive of the group.

The first two interviews took place on Fridays when Sam is off, but he has hinted about his qualms about the group and the MRR blog
has been very critical of Janeane on this. After Sam found out about the planned third appearance of the group, he finally made his concerns vocal to Janeane on the air and stated that he would be present for the next interview. He also called the group today and stated that he intended to question them about the criticism of the program, unlike Janeane who has been pretty fawning, IMO. The group cancelled the appearance.

Well, things finally came to a boil tonight as Janeane appears to have taken Sam's criticism as a personal attack and claimed that Sam and the show's producer were actively seeking to embarrass her and the group for no good reason. Janeane (who is an atheist) makes it very clear that she is supportive only of the Detoxification Project but in no way supports Scientology and states that she thinks it's as much fantasy-based as any other religion such as Christianity, but if the Detox Project is helping the 1st responders, who cares who's funding it.

I’ll point out here. That it wasn’t just funded by scientologists. It was an idea written about by L. Ron Hubbard, the creator of the Church of Scientology, in one of his Science-Fiction novels. I’m guessing they didn’t know that at the time though.

Sam's POV is that two appearances were enough and the show shouldn't be pushing such a questionable group. Janeane (incredibly) says it's no different than having the recurring Fighting Dems segment with Markos. She also stated that Sam would not have a problem with the Detox Project if it were a Jewish group(!). Sam took offense at that comment and after a bit of loud back and forth the show went to commercial. When it came back, Janeane said that Sam and the producer had walked out. The show stumbled to close about twenty minutes later.

I mostly subscribe to the current Majority Report to kind of hate-watch. I had no clue before today that it was anything more than a recent breadtube internet show that jumped on every neoliberal, pro-war trend that rolls around, nowadays. But this made it kinda interesting.

Here’s Rick Ross(????) from Narkive Newsgroup Archive on this story:

CultNews began reporting about the Scientology-linked project more than
two years ago and the story was later picked up by the New York Times
and Associated Press.

The so-called “Purification Rundown,” which is a Scientology religious
ritual, is at the heart of the program. Hubbard invented the process,
which includes large dosing of niacin, sweating in a sauna and ingesting
cooking oil.

The Fireman’s Union ultimately dumped the project and the chief medical
officer for FDNY Dr. Kerry Kelly said, “The essence of their program is
you stay in it until you suddenly wake up and say, “I feel great. It’s
hard to have faith in a program like that.”

Kelly concluded that there is no "objective evidence" to support the
claims made by the project.

The usually sharp, well informed and at times cynical Garofalo is
typically more skeptical. But she did this show without her Internet
savvy researcher/wingman Sam Seder.

CultNews has witnessed firsthand as a guest on "Majority Report" how
this team works with Seder hovering over his laptop grabbing information
through the Internet while Garofalo gets in the zingers.

Janeanne Garofalo’s guest was Scientologist Leah Remini, star of "King
of Queens," a supporter of the New York detox project. She brought along
Jim Woodworth and Joe Higgins.

CultNews reported in 2003 that Woodworth ran HealthMed of California,
which like the "New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project" has a
history of controversy, as reported by the LA Times in a series of
articles.

I guess I’ll wrap it there. There’s a moral to this story. I learned it the hard way. It’s truly, very sad how long it took me to catch this. There’s absolutely 0 ways to pass a drug test that is fool-proof, and none that I’ve found work at all! Except one…..

……

…..

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DON’T FUCKING DO THEM! Have a wonderful week, being free.

CONGRATULATIONS, JULIAN ASSANGE AND FAMILY!

Jordan Lee Canter, Editor-in-Chief, Declaration of War Liberty