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Charles Dederich Sr., was born on March 22, 1913 into a German Catholic
family in Toledo, Ohio. He attended Notre Dame for a short time and
went through two marriages before ending up in California in the
1950s 5. By this time Dederich
was broke and had been battling alcoholism on and off for 20 years. He
had been involved with Alcoholics Anonymous for two years and although
it seemed to be working, he found it very limiting 6.
As a result, he began holding
meetings in his apartment for himself and the circle of friends
he had met at Alcoholics Anonymous. Several months later,
Dederich rented a storefront using his $33 unemployment check. The group
named the club the "TLC" for Tender Loving Care. Meetings were
now held at the TLC and it also provided a place for people to stay
who had nowhere else to go. In the following months, the composition
of the group shifted from primarily alcoholics to narcotic addicts.
Due to a dispute, Dederich's group soon split with A.A. and eventually
became incorporated 7.
The history of Synanon (the word is a result of an addict's attempt to say
"symposium" and "seminar" 8.) can be
broken into three eras: (1) from 1958 until 1968, it served as a
therapeutic society, (2) between 1969 and 1975, Synanon became a
social movement and alternate society, and (3) from 1975 until
present, the group has sought to serve religious purposes
9.
1958 - 1968: Therapeutic Society
In 1959, Synanon moved from the TLC club in Ocean Park into an old
national guard armory in Santa Monica. In these years, Synanon used
reeducation and rehabilitation in order to return ex-addicts to a
society in which they had been unable to live
10. The program
established at Synanon during its therapeutic years was a two year
recovery process. The patient began by going through detoxification
by quitting "cold turkey" and then he slowly gained more and more
responsibility, with the ultimate goal being either an outside residence
and job (rehabilitation) or a position within the organization
(absorption).
From its development, the Synanon program was praised and claimed by the
media to be the answer to drug addiction. The program was applauded in
books, magazines and newspapers throughout the country. It was even
called "a man-made miracle on the beach of Santa Monica" by the United
States Senate. However, all of the media praise may have been given without
warrant.
Most people who completed it were absorbed rather than
rehabilitated, and this has led to considerable debate as to the meaning of
successfulness. Berkeley sociologist Richard Ofshe claims that of the 6,000 to
10,000 residents of Synanon between 1958 and 1968, only 65 people were ever
rehabilitated by choosing to live and work outside of the community
independently 11. Dederich
once stated that he believed "a person with this fatal disease will
have to live here all of his life" 12
Within the community there was a recognized idea (the rule of containment)
that a member's time and energy was to be reinvested within the
organization rather than in the outside world. In general,
life was oriented inward with residents all knowing each other
intimately 13. In 1966, Synanon
opened game clubs for non-residents to experience the encounter groups
and by 1968, Synanon reported club membership to have been at 3,400
members 14.
1969 - 1975: Social Movement and Alternative Society
The transition from therapeutic society to alternate society was
initiated by two key decisions made in late 1968 and early 1969. The
first move was to eradicate rehabilitation to the outside world and to
instead expect ex-addicts to stay at Synanon forever. The second decision
implemented was to allow members of the game clubs to join the community
and experience the lifestyle. They were thus called "lifestylers" and
donated several hundred dollars or more a month for this privilege.
It was during this era when much of the organization's expansion occured.
It developed into a "hustling" operation in which it solicited donations
from businesses or individuals across the nation. Synanon also began to
acquire substantial real estate holdings in Oakland, San Francisco
and Badger, California and was successful in the
business of distributing advertising gifts and specialties 15. In 1968, Dederich moved the headquarters from Santa
Monica to Marshall.
1975 - Present: Religious Purpose
In late 1974, the Board of Directors passed a declaration proclaiming
Synanon a religion and in late 1975, the Articles of Incorporation were
changed to state that one of the primary purposes of the organization was to
operate a church 16. But it was not
until October of 1979 that Synanon amended the Articles of Incorporation once
again, to declare that the primary purpose of the organization was religious
17.
It was during this stage in Synanon's history that the community began to
observe unique living practices. In the mid-1970s, Dederich began to implement
strict rules involving how one should live, children and partner switches among
others (see below in "III. Beliefs and Practices"). Also during this era was
the creation of the "Imperial Marines," the community's new armed forces. Synanon
becaming increasingly shut off from the world and became more controlling of
its members. In February of 1976, Dederich decided to decrease the size of the
organization in order to "shake off the uncommitted, nonproducing members." In
less than three years, Synanon lost about a third of its members and was at less
than 1,000 members in March of 1978 18.
In the late 1970s, Dederich and two church members were charged in relation
to an incident where a 4 1/2 foot diamond back rattlesnake was found in
attorney Paul Morantz's mailbox. Morantz had just won a $300,000 settlement
for a married couple against Synanon. By this time Dederich's health was failing and in
order to avoid jail time, he agreed to discontinue serving as an officer and director
of Synanon19.
In 1980, the owners of the Point Reyes Light, Dave and Cathy Mitchell
along with Richard Ofshe, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley,
combined efforts to report on Synanon and what was happening inside of the community
which was now located in Marin County north of San Francisco. Their articles in this
tiny newspaper brought national attention to Synanon and earned all three Pulitzer
Prizes for their coverage. The loss of their charismatic leader, unfavorable media
coverage and the Internal Revenue Service's denial of their
tax exempt status were all key factors in the decline of Synanon. The Church
was forced to disband, leaving only remnants of the community to survive
through the 1990s.
Dominant in Synanon's way of life for both the individual and for the group was the desire to achieve oneness 20. Dederich, claimed his throught had been influenced by such philosophers and theologians as Freud, Thoreau, Lao-Tse, St. Thomas Aquinas, Plato, Emerson. Members were urged to read of Jesus, Lao-Tse, Buddha, etc., as an open mind was thought to help an addict find himself 21. Dederich strove to create a "family-like atmosphere" through the collective use of the facilities. They ate in dining halls, many lived in dorms and some shared apartments 22. Also central to the social life at Synanon was the feature of encounter groups.
There were different types of
encounter groups, the most regular and influential one being "The Game."
Listed and briefly described below are various types of encounter groups and
living practices.
Encounter Groups:
Encounter Groups have less stigma than orthodox psychotherapy because they
emphasize the idea of perfecting oneself rather than solving problems.
Synanon therapeutic ideology focuses on behavior not the fundamental
cognitive structure 23.
The GameThe Game was group psychotherapy for the whole community and served as a way to discuss organizational change 24. Members were grouped by a Synamaster, usually an older member tried to achieve a balance of female-male participants and a varying range of Synanon membership seniority. A basic game consisted of ten to fifteen members and a Synanist to facilitate the activity 25. The Synanist was someone who had shown the ablility to either control the symptoms of his addiction for a considerable time or seemed to be progressing at a faster rate than his peers 26.
The Game was an emotional and aggressive group meeting in which members attacked each other verbally. It was an open arena for voicing and airing problems with one another en route to finding a solution. Members were free and encouraged to be honest with their feelings and frustrations. The "attack" was seen as an expression of love 27. It presumably helped people to see themselves as others do and compelled them to examine their own thoughts and actions. The Synanist acted as moderator and tried to help the participants find themselves and would use such tactics as ridicule, cross-examination and hostile attack to further the session 28. It was estimated that the typical resident participated in three to four three-hour games per week 29.
Role-joining was a very important aspect of the Game and was used to progress the session. Role-joining was an agreement between two or more game members to combine their efforts to place an individual on the "hot seat." Once the plan was evident to the other members, they supported and aided in the scheme. Role-joining was essentially like joining a bandwagon and would result in all the session members joining forces against one of their own 30.
The Game was also the cornerstone around which the Synanon community was formed 31. It was key to Synanon government and created an in and out of game dichotomy. When "in the game," one was expected to criticize others and reveal any personal conflicts one might have with whoever was in the "hot seat." On the other hand, when "out of the game," one was supposed to portray a happy, pleasant, and helpful manner 32.
Members were also expected to follow the rules and standards established during Game sessions. Compliance to the norms expressed was rewarded by material and social goods such as personal prestige or occupational mobility. Wealth and status symbols were regulated by the small group 33.
"Dissipation"
"Dissipation" was an encounter for resident and non-resident leaders lasting between 36 and 72 hours. Participants experience hallucinations, euphoria and indiscriminate love as they relived their childhood. The Ouija board played an important part in the experience and there were accounts of contact with famous dead people who informed Synanon about its mission and importance. There were often quasi-halluciations of Dederich as the Savior and Father and Synanon as the ultimate way of life.
"Trip"
The "Trip" was a 48 hour encounter group involving groups of 50-60 residents and non-residents. This experience included all the elements of a "dissipation" along with special rituals and a small staff to help manage the encounter. As fatigue and confusion increased, Trippers were encouraged to have greater integrity, honesty, self-reliance and self-exploration. At the end of the encounter, suggestions for a personal commitment to Synanon were given.
"Stew"
The "Stew" was an on-going encounter group in which participants rotated in and out. A member's first experience lasted up to 84 hours, with two six-hour breaks. Following experiences lasted for up to 24 hours 34.
Living Practices
As Synanon developed, the rules for living became increasingly controlled. Here is a brief description of the transformation from living by the "Golden Rule" to extremely controlled behavioral expectations.
The Golden RuleHelping others was a rule all Synanon residents tried to follow. 'Doing unto others what you would have them do unto you' was an important theme 35. It was also thought that if a person was helped, it benefitted the helper too because they were a part of the same community and "individuals evolve as they contribute to the community." Resocialization of a neighbor was related to one's own personal well being 36.
Self Help
Synanon stressed self help with an emphasis on self-reliance. Whereas Alcoholics Anonymous works with an individual's reliance on a higher being, Synanon dealt with a person's ability and desire to help himself. It was believed that "God helps those who help themselves." This principle was embodied in the following prayer that was read everyday at the morning meeting:
Please let me first and always examine myself.
Let me be honest and truthful.
Let me seek and assume responsibility.
Let me have trust and faith in myself and my fellow man.
Let me love rather than be loved.
Let me give rather than receive.
Let me understand rather than be understood 37.
Noontime Seminars
For the noontime seminars, residents were divided into two groups. For one group, a concept or quotation was placed on the board and then everyone discussed it. The second half met for a "public speaking seminar" where different people were randomly chosen to stand up and give impromtu speeches on various topics 38.
Healthy Living
Initially Dederich preached only three rules: no drugs, alcohol or violence 39. By the mid 1970s, Synanon required abstinence from sugar, smoking, alcoholic beverages, use of psychic modifiers and from "violence or threats of physical violence among members of the community." Residents were also required to engage in physical exercise four times a week 40.
Children
Beginning in the mid 1970s, Synanon began implementing new social order innovations. Children were separated from their parents at the age of six months and were placed in a dormitory setting along with other children. Synanon created a private school system and modified traditional hours of work 41.
Stance on Violence
Although non-violence had been one of the community's founding principles, around 1975, Synanon adopted a new aggressive stance and changed it's position on violence. Violence became permissible in order to ensure loyalty or punish the opposition. Weapons were purchased and members dubbed the "Imperial Marines" were trained in the martial arts. In September 1977, Dederich was quoted as saying, "Don't fuck with Synanon -- in any way --...I think that is our -- is the new religious posture" 42.
Vascetomies
On January 1, 1977, Dederich declared that from then on Synanon would care for the abused children of the world. Men would have to give up their right to have children and those who had been members for five or more years were required to have vasectomies 43.
Partner Switches
In October of 1977, Dederich announced that couples should end their relationship with their current spouse and switch with other members for three years at a time. He advised that this be done at the peak of the relationship rather than in the depths. Dederich began the experiment with his daughter and her husband, and the then president of the Synanon foundation and his wife 44.
Between 1958, when it was founded, to the mid-1970s, Synanon's mission and beliefs
changed substantially. Synanon was created in 1958 with the idea of being a community in
which alcohol and drug addicts could come to be rehabilitated and then be returned to the
outside world as responsible and contributing members. This was often not the result, as
many recovered addicts were absorbed back into the organization.
The purpose of the community as a recovery program soon changed into Synanon serving
more as an alternative community. Both resident members and non-resident members
contributed time and money to building the society and its prominence. Synanon at
this time resembled a business, with people paying to experience the lifestyle that was
so famous.
During the late 1970s, Synanon began to be more exclusive. Dederich began to implement
rules which governed the members' lives. The community and its members began to become
more isolated from the outside world and even created its own armed forces to handle
the opposition or dissention. Perhaps it was during this period of self inflicted
isolation that Synanon's identification as a cult became most apparent. The community and
the lifestyles of its members were often criticized in the media, resulting in several
slander cases being brought to court by Synanon. The community was, in essence, imploding
into inself while at the same time engaging in hightened levels of tension with the outside world.
In October 1977, following a legal judgment against Synanon, the group planted a rattlesnake
in the mailbox of the prosecuting attorney. This incident was the beginning of the downfall of Synanon. Dederich plea bargained and escaped likely imprisonment. Synanon pursued agressive slander suits for several years, but was not successful. During this period the government actively investigated the organizations business interests. In 1991 Synanon lost it's tax-exempt status as a church and shortly thereafter Synanon disbanned. J. Gordon Melton recently reports that "remnants of the community [have] survived throughout the 1990s.
With the exception of the brief period of time during which Synanon was seen as
a miracle strategy for dealing with addictions, the group seemed constantly to be
in conflict with the community around it and with the media. What follows is a partial
timeline for Synanon's legal conflicts between 1962 and 1984:
1962-1964: Synanon came into conflict with the Santa Monica community. The town did not want the group there, so Synanon tried to move to Malibu but again met opposition.October 1972: Synanon sued Hearst Corporation for $40 million because of two articles printed in a Hearst affiliate, The San Francisco Examiner. One article described Synanon as "the racket of the century"45.
July 1976: The Hearst Corporation settles out of court for $600,00046.
January 1978: Synanon sued Time Publishing for $76 million for the "kooky cult" article published on December 26, 197747.
October 1977: Attorney Paul Morantz, who had just won a case against Synanon for $300,000, was bitten by a 4 1/2 foot diamond back rattlesnake found in his mailbox. Synanon members Lance Kenton, 20 (son of bandleader Stan Kenton), and Joseph Musico, 28, were booked for investigation into the incident. Dederich, along with two other community members, pleaded no contest to the charges. As a result of a plea bargin, Dederich must resign as Synanon's director and leader 48.
October 1979: A superior court in California dismissed 41 of the 44 charges in Synanon's suit against Time49.
January 1980: Synanon filed slander suits against Dave and Cathy Mitchell and Richard Ofshe for their articles on Synanon in the Point Reyes Light newspaper. The Mitchells and Ofshe had worked together to write exposes on Synanon, for which they earned Pulitzer Prizes50.
February 1980: Synanon dropped its $76 million suit against Time51.
June 1982: A settlement outside of court was reached between Synanon and an ABC affiliated TV station52.
November 1984: Synanon lost two appeals in a suit against Reader's Digest, the Mitchells, and two other people for an article published in July of 198153.
Phill Jackson on Synanon
A three-part article from The Daily News Current written by columnist
Phill Jackson in 1997. He wrote of his own personal experience
with Synanon and its leader, Charles Dederich.
http://morrock.com/synanon.htm
Coercive Persuasion and Attitude Change
This site is an excerpt from the Encyclopedia of Sociology, Volume 1. It
deals with different methods of achieving thought reform and discusses
many different groups which employ such techniques.
http://www.inlink.com/~dhchase/ofsheb.htm
U.S. Supreme Court
This page contains Justice Rehnquist's, then a Circuit Justice, decision on a
case between Synanon and the Attorney General of California. Justice
Rehnquist denied Synanon's request for a stay of an order for an injunction.
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=444&invol=1307
Mitchell-Synanon Litigation Papers
Located in the Special Collections of Hoskins library at the University of
Tennessee Knoxville are litigation documents and legal correspondence
concerning the 1981 lawsuit brought by Synanon against Reader's Digest and the
Mitchells for an article entitled "The Little Paper that Dared."
http://www.lib.utk.edu/UTK-Online-Catalog/manuscripts/a1711
1 Ofshe, Richard. The Social Development of the Synanon Cult: The Managerial Strategy of Organizational Transformation (1980)., p109 and p.120
2 Yablonsli, Lewis. Synanon: The Tunnel Back., p87
3 Stark, Rodney and William Bainbridge. Of Churches, Cults and Sects., p
4 Melton, J. Gordon. Synanon., p2
5 Jackson, Phill. Phill Jackson on Synanon.,- http://morrock.com/synanon.htm
6 Yablonsli, p49
7 Ofshe (1980), p110
8 Yablonsli, pvii-viii
9 Yablonsli
10 Simon, Steven. Synanon: Toward Building a Humanistic Organization.
11 Ofshe (1980), p110
12 Ofshe (1980), p111
13 Ofshe, Richard. Synanon: The People Business (1976), p130
14 Ofshe (1980), p111
15 Ofshe (1980), p112
16 Ofshe (1980), p113
17 Ofshe (1980), p120
18 Ofshe (1980), p115
19 Synanon Sequel, p41
20 Melton, J. Gordon. The Synanon Church., p616
21 Yablonsli, p48
22 Ofshe (1976), p129
23 Ofshe (1976), p126
24 Green, F. Brentwood Mainlining Synanon: Notes from the Game, p27
25 Yablonsli, p138-9
26 Yablonsli, p57
27 Yablonsli, p138
28 Yablonsli, p58
29 Yablonsli, p139
30 Green, p29
31 Green, p27
32 Ofshe (1976), p130
33 Ofshe, Richard Social Structure and Social Control in Synanon (1974), p68
34 Ofshe (1980), p118
35 Yablonsli, p89
36 Ofshe (1980), p114
37 Yablonsli, p88
38 Yablonsli, p104
39 Charles Dederich Sr. Founded Group for Drug Rehab that became Cult- http://nrstg2p.djnr.com/cgi-bin/DJInteract...=&Highlight=on&DocType=TextOnly&View=View1
40 Ofshe (1980), p114
41 Ofshe (1980), p113
42 Ofshe (1980), p120-1; Charles Dederich Sr. Founded Group for Drug Rehab that became Cult
43 Ofshe (1980), p122
44 Ofshe (1980), p122-3
45 Mitchell Dave, et. al.. The Light on Synanon (1980), p 62
46 New York Times, 7/2/76. Pg. 11, Col. 1 Found on the Dow Jones Interactive Publications Library.
47 Mitchell, p 62.
48 The Globe and Mail, 10/14/78. Pg. 14. Found on the Dow Jones Interactive Publications Library.
49 New York Times, 10/18/79. Pg. 16, Col. 6 Found on the Dow Jones Interactive Publications Library.
50 New York Times, 1/1/80. Pg. 40, Col. 6 Found on the Dow Jones Interactive Publications Library.
51 New York Times, 2/5/80. Pg. 14, Col. 5 Found on the Dow Jones Interactive Publications Library.
52 New York Times, 6/4/80. Pg. 21, Col. 5 Found on the Dow Jones Interactive Publications Library.
53 The San Diego Union-Tribune, 11/21/84. Pg. A-3 Found on the Dow Jones Interactive Publications Library.
Created by Teresa Nguyen
For Soc 257: New Religious Movements
Spring Term, 1999
University of Virginia
Last updated: 07/24/01
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