Purification Rundown

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The Purification Rundown, also known as the Purif[1] or the Hubbard Method,[2] is a pseudoscientific procedure that advocates of Scientology claim is a detoxification program. There is no evidence for its efficacy in detoxification, and significant evidence from clinicians that it is dangerous. It involves heat exposure for up to 5 hours a day and can exceed 4 weeks in length. It can potentially cause heatstroke damage, which includes brain injury, heart problems, organ failure, and death. It was developed by Scientology's founder L. Ron Hubbard and used by the Church of Scientology as an introductory service.[1][3] Numerous individuals have been hospitalised as a result of taking part in the process.

It has no known clinical use in treating drug addiction, but followers of Scientology believe it to be the only effective way to deal with the long-term effects of drug abuse or toxic exposure.[3] It forms the basis for programs operated by groups affiliated with the Scientology organization, widely considered to be recruitment fronts, such as Narconon,[4] Criminon,[5] Second Chance,[6] and the International Academy of Detoxification Specialists.[7] The Scientology organization markets these as drug rehabilitation and detoxification programs. The program combines exercise, dietary supplements and long stays in a sauna (up to five hours a day for five weeks).[8] It is promoted variously as religious or secular, medical or purely spiritual, depending on context.[2][5] 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.[9] 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.[10]

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.[3][11] 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.[11]

The program was developed for use in Narconon,[12] and was published in Hubbard's Technical Bulletins of Dianetics and Scientology as well as the book Clear Body, Clear Mind.[3][7] Two other books describe the procedure, Purification: An Illustrated Answer to Drugs[3] and Narconon New Life Detoxification Program: the effective purification program by L. Ron Hubbard. The term "Purification Rundown" is a trademark of the Religious Technology Center (the governing body of the Church of Scientology), though an RTC spokesman has denied any licensing arrangement with Narconon.[13]

  1. ^ a b Bouma, Gary D. (2006). Australian Soul: Religion and Spirituality in the 21st Century. Cambridge University Press. p. 9. ISBN 0-521-67389-5.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference welkos was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d e Christensen, Dorthe Refslund (2009). "Sources for the Study of Scientology". In James R. Lewis (ed.). Scientology. New York: Oxford University Press US. pp. 420–421. ISBN 978-0-19-533149-3.
  4. ^ Asimov, Nanette (October 2, 2004). "Church's drug program flunks S.F. test". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference sommer3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference abq_denied was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference nyp_rundown was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Al-Zaki, Taleb; B Tilman Jolly (January 1997). "Severe Hyponatremia After Purification". Annals of Emergency Medicine. 29 (1). Mosby, Inc.: 194–195. doi:10.1016/S0196-0644(97)70335-4. PMID 8998113.
  9. ^ Atack, Jon (1990). A Piece of Blue Sky: Scientology, Dianetics and L. Ron Hubbard Exposed. Lyle Stuart / Carol Publishing Group. p. 142. ISBN 0-8184-0499-X.
  10. ^ Williams, Ian (2007). The Alms Trade: Charities, Past, Present and Future. Cosimo. p. 130. ISBN 978-1-60206-753-0.
  11. ^ a b Atack, Jon (1990). A Piece of Blue Sky: Scientology, Dianetics and L. Ron Hubbard Exposed. Lyle Stuart / Carol Publishing Group. p. 254. ISBN 0-8184-0499-X.
  12. ^ Ebner, Mark C.; Andrew Breitbart (2004). Hollywood, interrupted. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 129. ISBN 0-471-45051-0.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference bostonherald1998 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).