Opinion On Synanon

My view of Synanon has changed some since the beginning of the course. Before doing more researching and reading statements from former members I saw Synanon as another cult whose fanaticism and praise of a crazed leader led them to fizzle out after the death of their leader. I knew that Synanon had begun as a way of helping drug addicts get rehabilitated, but I was not aware of the positive perception they received during those early years.

After conducting more research I found that not only was there a positive perception from the public but also from doctors and scholars. Synanon was founded because there was no real support group for drug addiction like there was with Alcoholics Anonymous, so at the time the group was seen as revolutionary and was given tons of praise.

Eventually, though, all that praise went to leader Charles Dederich's head and he began to demand that members stay in the group and not leave. The reason for this was that he believed nobody could ever be fully rehabilitated and that he was the only one who could help his members. The Game evolved, members shaved their heads, and violent action was taken towards detractors but yet members still stayed with the group and believed in the cause.

Through research, I was able to find that members really believed that there were some good intentions in the group and that all this was done with a purpose. Though not all agree with the actions taken, they all understood why these actions were taken. My eyes were really opened up to the intentions behind this group and although I do not agree with the actions taken, I now have an understanding and appreciation for those who truly believed and had faith in the Synanon.

Deborah Swisher Interview

Deborah Swisher is a former member of Synanon and in an interview with the New York Times shares her experience growing up in the cult. The interview was done to promote her one-woman show in which she acts out experiences in her life in the Synanon group. She and her sister were raised by her single mother and although her mother was not a drug addict, she joined Synanon after being drawn to the communal life of the group.

In another interview with the Cult Education Institute, Swisher mentions that she learned to read in six weeks in the Synanon after two years of not being able to learn how to read in the public school system. The Synanon's school system is one positive aspect of the group where there were no teachers but "demonstrators" instead. Swisher compares the public school system and that of Synanon and points out that the Synanon school system encouraged her creative side and rewarded her for good behavior. Her school experience is one of the positive aspects mentioned by her growing up in the Synanon.

Swisher mentions that she went through The Game while in high school. Though she was verbally broken down she says she understands the reason that it was done. She explains that it was not acceptable in the Synanon for kids to have attitude problems and her being a teenager at the time she was going to have to go through The Game eventually. It's an interesting point of view because those who view cults from an outside perspective usually do not understand some of the actions taken by cult members. Meanwhile, Swisher, although abused during The Game, understands the reasoning or mentality of the members of Synanon was coming from a good place.

 New York Times Interview
Cult Education Institute Interview

Synanon Film

I wanted to look at the reception the film about Synanon received during the time that it was released. The movie on Synanon was released in 1965 and was released at the time where Synanon was getting its start and gaining notoriety for being an effective treatment for drug addiction. The movie gives the viewer a look at how The Game was used early on to help members kick their drug addictions. The Game is shown in the film when the group sits in a circle and begins to call each other out on why they became addicts in the first place.

I found a movie review written in the New York Times at the time of the film's release. The review praises the film for giving the audience an inside look at the methods used by Synanon to help their members get clean. Because the film was made before Charles Dederich turned Synanon into a cult, it paints the group in a positive picture. The film review praises the film and group for tackling the problem of drug addiction, which at the time was not getting the attention needed to combat the problem. In fact, the film review even describes the film as shedding both light and hope for drug addiction.

It would difficult to find a positive media portrayal of the Synanon group nowadays after what Synanon became. Popular culture now sees the Synanon group as a cult that abused its members instead of helping them. The Game, shaving its member's heads and attempted murder are likely what you would find in any media portrayal. But yet before all of the bizarre changes made by Charles Dederich, Synanon was viewed as a pioneer in drug rehabilitation.

Synanon Film Review, New York Times, 1965

Blog 4

Synanon was a very interesting group to be studying and I think some of the things they practiced were actually beneficial, where as some was not. Charles Dederich, the founder of the commune was a very interesting man. After reading about him he seems to be very controlling and everything has to go through him before it happens, he calls all the shots. In my opinion he is the reason the commune came to and end. I do think the method behind Synanon actually does work and could have been more beneficial to addicts and the people if Dederich didn't lose sight of what he was trying to accomplish. When he first started the organization he had this vision of wanting to cure addicts and it was becoming very popular, and thats where he lost it. Synanon did not believe in violence in the beginning, but once they started receiving negative press and Dederich started to worry he started making new rules and buying new things. The outside world scared Dederich, he was scared to lose to them. He did not want to lose all his members, and this is when he started to go crazy and starting making all these crazy rules. Some of the rules he made mandatory were new members have to shave their heads, males have to get vasectomies except him, no one was allowed to be married, and families were split up. Dederich wanted to make it so he felt all the members relied on him. He made himself the most powerful person in everything. The Game which was used as a process to help cure patients, he was the only one who was allowed to stand while everyone else sat. Everything that was done came from him. Not to compare him to Hitler, but his actions were almost the same when it came to power.
I was very open minded whenI first started reading about Synanon, but the more stories I read the less found of the commune I became. I do think they were portrayed in the media in a very bad way, but I do not think they tried to avoid it. They were still attacking and jumping people in front of there own houses and making threats on people in the community. Dederich was the one all behind this, because he put in his members heads to only fight back when needed. The media was investigating Synanon because of all the violent acts the members kept doing. Dederich could have put a stop to this, but he allowed it to keep happening. He was also feeding into it by either leaving when things got to bad or making things worse trying to make them better. I think Dederich could have acted differently and it would have changed the outcome of the commune. Not only did he drive the commune to the floor by making the people worse, but he also did financially. He listed Synanon as a non-profit, but was making profit the whole time. There was no hope trying to save this commune because of such the big debt Dederich put them in. He himself even lost it and had a downfall where he started drinking again and also allowed the members to drink again. It was the things like this that destroyed the commune. After reading what they practiced and how the Game was used to help, I really believe the commune could have lasted today if their was different leadership.

Compare and Contrast

The commune I chose to compare Synanon to is the oldest hippie commune The Farm. The Farm isn't totally hippie, but still hippyish. This commune has been around since 1971, and is currently the home to 200 people living on nearly 8 square miles of forested highland in Tennessee. The Farm is all  about community and they center there lives around the community. In their community weapons are not allowed, they do not believe in violence. Most of the people in the community are vegetarians, and they do not keep livestock, fish, or fowl in the community because they are against slaughtering animals. The Farm used to not believe in having personal profit, but all sharing money within the community. This has changed over the years after they fell into a 400,000 dollar debt. Currently, people support themselves and their families. They do this by working within the community for homegrown cottage industries. Other jobs are working in the nearby towns outside the community, or working as independent contractors. All members are required to finically contribute a certain amount every month to upkeep the community. The community operates like a small town, therefore all problems or important questions are discussed at community meetings. Not everyone always agrees at these meetings. but they generally come to an agreement before finalizing a decision. This commune is  fulfilling the needs of the people because I believe that everyone apart of The Farm commune likes the living of the community, as well as shares the beliefs of the community. In terms of religion, they liken to think of themselves as "free thinkers" because the discuss religion and philosophy in terms that do not exclude any possibilities. The members of The Farm have different religious traditions and each of those traditions and beliefs are honored and accepted. I think this is very important when it comes to religious groups because they don't make it so everyone in the community has to believe in the same religion or practice the same beliefs, everyone is accepted.

This commune isn't very similar to Synanon. They are definitely two different types of people, the members of Synanon were mostly there for rehabilitation, where as drugs did not seem to be much of an issue for Farm members. The beliefs and practices are also different. The Farms members are really reliant on the Earth for their work and living. The Farm as a community I think had a bit more freedom, in terms of their beliefs and how they went about their day. Synanon's community I feel was a bit more strict in terms of following the practices and having to go through what was known as "The Game". Synanon members also got caught up in money situations more, and I think they cared more about trying to make money. The Farm, of course was worried about money as well, but more so that they weren't doing to much to where is was hurting the forrest or land. The Farm is a commune that is still around today in Tennessee and has survived and lasted many years following their beliefs and traditions. Where as Synanon is not still around and fell out. Synanon members also did not receive the best media attention, they were more known as violent members even though everything in the media was not true. I did not find any information regarding violence when reading about The Farm.

From Within Synanon

I found an article by Paul Morantz on the Carina Ray Story on the Children of Synanon. The children of Synanon were raised differently and were required to follow a certain set of rules. Carina Ray is an assistant professor of African History at Fordham University, who recalls living her own experience as a child of Synanon. Her experience living in the organization was a bold experiment in racial integration that could be instructive to a new generation continuing to struggle with racial issues. Ray was born into Synanon, by a mixed-race couple who met and married there. However, she did not stay a member, she left when she was eighth years old.

The article is very bias towards Synanon, the author had a point to argue against them throughout the whole reading. According to the article Ms.Ray is lucky to have left at the age of 8, because if she would have stayed she would have the career of milking cows and mending fences. The education stoped at the age thirteen, as well as the idea of having kids. The interesting thing about this article is that the author is someone who has had encounters with Synanon members, and is writing about a previous Synanon member. Paul Morantz has a hatred towards Synanon members ever since they put a rattlesnake in his mail box, after cutting of the tail of the snake.

Ms.Ray had positives memories of Synanon, for the most part. She remembered it as a beautiful country environment and caring people, she admired Dederich. Morantz explains how she really did not know what was going on and that she got out just in time or else she would have grown up to be a violent terrorist. Paul Morantz grew up in hatred towards Synanon members, and he exposed his hatred through his own media site. He would be an example of someone who grew up with a negative experience towards the religious group, even though he is not a member. Ms.Ray on the other hand grew up in positive experience with the group. To her, she can only remember good things about Synanon and the members. She herself was a member, although she did not live there very long she still had a childhood there. All of the people in the commune to her were very nice and caring, on the other hand Morantz sees them as violent terrorist who were brainwashed by Dederich. He believed they were brainwashed through what was know as "The Game" and that all Dederich cared about was making money.

Although Morantz was not a member he may not be as much of a relevant source, but he is important because he was a victim of the members of he commune. He shares a big impact of the group because what they did nearly cased him to lose his life, and it stuck with him all these years he made a site regarding Synanon, but not positive things to say.
PaulMorantz-Carina Ray Story

Lives after Synanon

Rod Janzen in his book 'The Rise and Fall of Synanon' had a wide variety of interviews with former members of Synanon. Individuals like Glenn Frantz and Michael Vandeman, spoke about how the commune created a together feeling, or a compact community. The community helped one another, from food, auto care, family care, and about everything to go through daily lives. Francie Levy and Jan Tindall claimed how difficult it was to even get up in the mornings and not be able to grab a cup of coffee with friends. There are some as well that do not want their outside life to know of them being within Synanon. To be hurt financially or professionally would be devastating to them, so most don't even want to give their identity out for the fear of such actions. Spirituality, coincidentally, was put in place when the leaders of Synanon believed that their practices held a sort of path with religion, and wanted to receive a tax-exempt status. Most of the members saw spirituality through one another, and the game being played created a faith within one another to be wholly honest with each other. It created a connection between all the members, but it also grew so deep that it became a "us versus them" mentality within the commune. The outside community created a lot of resentment towards them in the 1970s with negative publicity of a few acts, ultimately splitting the members on what they believe was right. Many members left after the negative publicity happened, not wanting to be a part of a commune that attempted to injure people on the outside. The commune deeply affected many members when they decided to part ways and go back to normal society, as many realized the hardships of having mortgages and expenses, with less social life than they previously had. Gloria Geller stated that it was difficult to meet new people, as they are more closed off than individuals in the commune. Most went on to lead normal lives though, but with a sense of gratitude that they had went into the commune, because it created a sense of wholeness within them.


 Janzen, Rod A. The Rise and Fall of Synanon, A California Utopia, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001

Beginnings of Synanon

Charles Dederich founded Synanon on the principles of rehabilitation for drug addicts, but within the first few years of opening changed to much more. Within a few years of the game being introduced and many ex Synanites speaking of it, Time and Life magazine wrote articles on how it was changing the outcome of many of the drug addicts lives. Through the first 10 years, the commune was met with positive and negative criticisms from the public. The cities that the commune were present in didn't like the fact of drug addicts coming together in their areas. Nonetheless, when the articles were written, the areas saw positive publicity too. 

In the 1960s and 70s the commune attracted not just drug addicts, but many more individuals growing up in the age of experimentation and wanting more for their personal transformation. The game was then not looked at as just a way for the commune to work with addicts, but also for some to have a self actualization spiritual moment in life. The game was built to be a way of individuals to come together and profess their wrongs, as peers criticize them on every excuse they could produce. Essentially, the drove the person to be responsible for their actions. As the individuals came in that weren't addicted but rather looking for something different in their lives, the game had various permutations, along with constant intellectual stimulation as the community wanted to join the Eastern and Western thinking together.

 Janzen, Rod A. The Rise and Fall of Synanon, A California Utopia, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001, p.214

Media Reception

In regards to the media, it is not always the best thing to trust because the information you read isn't always necessarily true. The media twists things a bit to catch readers attention, and it usually twists things in a bad way. I have discussed the way media portrays certain things and how it isn't always in a positive way in many of my classes. In this case Synanon is an example of something that isn't portrayed in a a good way through the media. But then again the actions of the leader and members of the group play a big part in why they have a bad reputation.

Synanon was not always seen as a cult to the media. It happened when they started making changes because they were becoming more popular and more people were interested in what this rehabilitation center was all about. They started off as a healthy organization and then slowly evolves into what the media portrayed as a cult. It was when Dederich switched everything up that the community started to question Synanon's practices. Synanon started facing legal issues and was received bad press which was giving them a bad image. The reason the press portrayed Synanon in a poor way was because of all the violent acts they were putting on the community. Two synanon members places a de-rattled rattlesnake in the mail box of attorney Paul Morantz, who was defending a woman who was abducted by Synanon. Morantz was bit by the snake and had to be hospitalized for six days. These are the kinds of action that gave Synanon its bad reputation and all the negative comments from the press and community.

I believe that if Synanon did not make drastic changes that made people question their beliefs then they could have been more successful and would have lasted longer. Many people were interested in what Synanon members were doing, but then there leader saw there popularity as a way to make money and ask for donations. This is what lead to the fall of Synanon.

I came across this website that had valuable information. It gives a good brief history about Synanon, but it also compares it to Peoples Temple. It shares the similarities between the two leaders, as well as the differences.

Link for the Website

Child's Play

          The saying goes "we are our own worst critics". These constant critiques of ourselves are what drive us to become better versions of ourselves. But how far is too far? Where is the line between trying to improve who we are and ruminating over how flawed we are?  Now imagine this wasn't only happening in your own mind. But the fear of others recognizing these flaws and judging them has become a reality. This is what I imagine Synanon's "The Game" to be like. Life is hard enough for recovering addicts without having someone judge them. From a psychological point, of view, negative thoughts lead you further and further down a rabbit hole of self-doubt and despair.