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.
Thursday, December 14, 2017
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
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
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
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
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
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
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.
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.
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