The psychotic leader of Synanon, Charles Dederich, features in a new series of Oxygens Deadly Cults which examines how this tyrant wielded so much deadly power over his many besotted followers. But it was something much deadlier - the rattlesnake lashed out too quickly for Morantz to react, and its fangs sank into his wrist. I am quite willing to break some lawyer's legs, and next break his wife's legs, and threaten to cut their child's arm off. Carom shots now involved public beatings and getting enemies on missions that went coast to coast. This made him a public hero and Governor Edmund Brown, Sr. signed a save Synanon bill giving Synanon an exemption from Health licensing laws. He was passed out when he was arrested for the assault and attempted murder of Paul Morantz. Start the ball rolling by posting a comment on this article! In 1977, a group of Synanon thugs pistol-whipped a truck driver who had cut off their vehicle on a highway. A reference point for the rest of your life. There was The Witching Hour which featured a Ouija Board to be operated by Witches, two women in black and white robes. Later on, Synanon acquired a large building that had been the home of the Athens Athletic Club, in Oakland, California, and then transformed it into a residential facility for Synanon's members. Dederich declared when he moved to The Home Place in Badger he did not want ex dope fiends around him (Gerstel, Paradise Inc.). All Rights Reserved. Beatings of Synanon's opponents and its ex-members, "splittees", occurred across California. 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. A big shot would advise the Trippers they were not really chosen as an honor, but each was really selected because each was a resister, thinking he or she knew better the direction Synanon should go, part of the dummies that hold Synanon back. Maybe, Dederich said, one day we will just put dingbats like you against the wall and wash them off and bring them back into the human race. (Tony Lang, Synanon, Morantz archives on Synanon). I see nothing frightening about it I am quite willing to break some lawyers legs and next break his wifes legs and threaten to cut their childs arm off. 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). 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. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Some Trippers began to hallucinate, Dederich having achieved his LSD replicated altered state of consciousness. The cops uncover a group of blind followers willing to do anything at their leader's urging, even murder. In October 1977, attorney Paul Morantz was embroiled in a civil suit against the cult when he was introduced to Synanon's violent side the so-called Synanon Imperial Marines. A drunken Dederich was arrested on December 2 in Lake Havesu. Tax issues arose. (Tony Lang, Synanon, Morantz archives on Synanon). The Foundation had the wire, an internal broadcasting system that played 24 hours with repeated talk of getting the enemies. (Synanon Holy War file, Robson letters, IRS vs. Synanon). Physically Dead. Morantzs name was mentioned in the tape along with threats to get the wives and children of adverse lawyers. Many young teenagers who got too close to Synanon property were beaten brutally by Synanon mobs. It will produce a new breed of human beings with greatly expanded potentials. The Imperial Marines was Synanon's private fighting force, trained inside the organization and heavily armed. [23] Morantz had successfully brought suit on behalf of people who were being held against their will by Synanon. Aids returned with smut obtained from the un-brokens spouses to use. Originally a nonviolent group, Diedrich created the "Imperial Marines" to maintain orderwithin and outside of the community. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Correcting Claire Clarks Recovery Revolution, Book Escape: My Life Long War Against Cults. 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. Escape From Cielo Drive (A Tale of Three Charlies) 0 December 26, 2010. Cloudflare Ray ID: 78b89606dbb5b76a Dederich also created an armed wing within Synanon called the Imperial Marines, and ordered those within the unit to prevent any of the residents from leaving. [9] "[28] During the investigations researchers also came across multiple lawsuits and arrests against Synanon members. You will learn more about yourself, your fellow man, the world, the nature of reality in one weekend than you would in four years. (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. According to Department of Justice records, Dederich discussed the possibility of Morantzs assassination with Synanon Imperial Marines leader Doug Robson. [14] ), he cut himself off from society, and instead of sending rehabilitated junkies back into the world, they were to stay in Synanon forever. While in The Game, members criticized each other, but left as friends and supportive community members. The Galactic Empire trained these stormtroopers to board rebel warships. 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. He is considered an expert on these subjects. Journal of Humanistic Psychology 18.3 (1978): 320. visited in 1962, lived there in 1963 and wrote a book about his experiences. The school attracted lawyers, screenwriters, and business executives, all wanting to educate their children in a progressive environment. And there was no way that its leader was going to share any of that with the taxman. Inside, Dederich compared Synanon to the mafia (Synanon Think Table Summaries; Dederich, New Religious PostureDont Fuck with Synanon). We will make the rules. Synanon lawyer Howard Garfield ordered Marine head Dr. Douglas Robson to collect all Synanon memos describing their violence and transfer them to legal department so attorney client privilege would attach. CEDU's schools used the confrontation model of Synanon. Yes! Eventually, on September 21, 2008 the Marines tried to murder ex-member Phil Ritter, who was trying to get his child out and had gone to the authorities complaining of forced vasectomies in Synanon, by clubbing him over the head (Berkely Gazette September 1978; Mitchell, the Light on Synanon). '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'. These changes led Synanon to its then certain fate. (IRS vs. Synanon). Simon, not heeding what he wrote, later went to prison for destroying evidence unfavorable to Synanon (People vs. Simon). Mitchell had tried to warn authorities, without success, that Synanon was going to try to kill Morantz. Dederich was arrested for operating in Santa Monica without a health license and out of zone. In mid-1978, the NBC Nightly News produced a news segment on the controversies surrounding Synanon. Local authorities refused to investigate after the Gran Jury report issued and this caught the attention of Dave Mitchell who ran a small weekly, The Point Reyes Light. Mitchell found the report rejection was led by Sheriff Lou Montanos who turned out to have been nominated for Sherriff with Synanon help and who had given gun permits to Dederich and second in command Dan Garrett. "He was beaten, he was hit in the head and then socked in the stomach.". The founder, Charles Dederich, a recovering alcoholic. Yes. Synanon fought and lost the action on summary judgment based on their own admissions in their internal records. Other journalists who took on Synanon were LA Times reporter Narda Zuchinno and CBSs Connie Chung. Beatings of opponents, alleged thieves and ex-members ( splittees) occurred across the country. Synanon members were instructed in writing to physically harm others, take responsibility for it and never reveal Synanons involvement. (Dederich, Childbirth Unmasked.) Juveniles in the 70s were often sent to Synanon by juvenile agencies or by courts on juvenile officers recommendation. (Tony Lang, Synanon, Morantz archives on Synanon). Morantz was bitten and hospitalized for 11 days. Synanon became a Third sector within United States borders, seeking to have its Embassy in Washington, D.C. Daniel Gumbiner refers to this cult in his National Book Award-longlisted, The Boatbuilder. ; Founded to get people off junk, Synanon was now creating it. When California officials set about revoking Synanons charitable trust status, Dederich declared Synanon a religion in 1974. But Synanon still remains the Granddaddy of all drug rehabs, the failure that launched an industry, its failure teaching us more than whatever its success had (Richard Ofshe, The Failure that spurned an Industry). (People vs. Dederich, Synanon memos on incident). synanon imperial marines. So did Synanon member Steve Simon in his Harvard dissertation (the danger of being a participant observer is that you may be converted). The Imperial Marines was Synanon's private fighting force, trained inside the organization and heavily armed. (Tony Lang, Synanon, Morantz archives on Synanon). By BRANDON MESSICK Bmessick@havasunews.com Dec 9, 2018 Updated Aug 21, 2022 2 Stay Informed.. The Trippers, many of whom had been awake for 65 or more hours, were hugged and cheered. [36], Synanon struggled to survive without its leader, and also with a severely tarnished reputation. Plus, control freak Dederich wanted even more power. In 1974 Synanon declared itself a religion and centered on middle-class searching for utopia rather than addict curing. Then it went to war. He studied on his own in a library and his AA speeches changed from typical religious overtones to a psychological/philosophy slant. Much of the violence by Synanon had been carried out by a group within Synanon called the "Imperial Marines". Synanon.) While he was in a rush one day, he arrived home, "put my Synanon evidence books on the kitchen counter", when he noticed "something dark and elongated through the grill of my mail chute". Eventually followers took on the paranoia of its founder, Synanon developed the Imperial Marines and commenced a Holy War against its enemies. (Mitchell, the Light on Synanon). During the first stage, members did community and housekeeping labor. As a result of its poor conduct, Santa Monica surrendered and Synanon became untouchable. Her daughter died in Synanon and the husband split. He recalled: "Chuck Dederich walked in, and he said 'I'm tired of these guys coming in this place. "One big dysfunctional family: A former member of the Synanon cult recalls the 'alternative lifestyle' that shaped her, for better and worse". In response to these accusations, Dederich declared in l974 that Synanon was a tax exempt religious organization, the Church of Synanon. A memo declaring it a religion asked a question that didnt need to be answered: Who will be God? (Gerstel, Paradise Inc.; Morantz vs. Synanon, IRS vs. Synanon) Dederich declared no more children (1976) as they take time away from Synanon goals. When they asked for friends they were hugged in mass. Paul Robert Morantz (born August 16, 1945) is an American attorney and investigative journalist. "But it wasn't too long before I knew it was true," Morantz says. Read More. When the first Tripper, physically and emotionally exhausted, broke and wept it caromed to the others. Synanons goal, Dederich said, was to lead the world into the 21st Century and anything less than changing the world is Mickey Mouse. (Morantz archives on Synanon, Gerstel, Paradise Inc.). At eight a.m. Monday hand in hand the Trippers went down the corridor toward the sounds of band music. TIL In 1978, a dangerous cult called Synanon tried to murder an opponent by placing an de-rattled rattlesnake in his mailbox. Such acts comprised the bulk of a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation by Dave Mitchell, of the Point Reyes Light weekly newspaper. Before the snake in the mailbox, Dederich, to escape a warrant for his arrest in Washington, D.C. fled to Europe where he returned to alcohol drinking. Joe Musico proposed to the Board that at its June 26 meeting it reconsider the idea of an additional Synanon National Guard and place him in charge of training it. Through a telehone call to Paul Morantz by the Marin County council, the Supervisors requested Morantz lobby to defeat the bill which was in its last committee for vote. The original name was The Tender Loving Care Club. If you do your best, you cant fail. (Tony Lang, Synanon, Morantz archives on Synanon). Members were taught that if caught on a violent mission to go to jail and to not blame Synanon. [14][22], The game turned into a 72-hour version and was admitted by Dederich to be brainwashing. Synanon sought religious status in 1974, with Diedrich as its leader. So, Lance Kenton and Joe Musico thought up this plan, and they went and found a rattlesnake," Aron said. Dederich experimented with environmental manipulations so as to recreate the heightened awareness and inner discoveries he experienced while taking LSD. Each person stripped and put on white robes. When all were exhausted Dederich returned and offered forgiveness for surrender. [14] The practice has been charactized as a form of attack therapy. This included taking vengeance against former Synanon members. And Synanon, which is to say Dederich, was not happy about being made to look foolish. The cops uncover a group within Synanon called the `` Imperial Marines leader Doug Robson the of! 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