A Scientology-linked addiction charity accused of putting vulnerable people through psychological exercises that left them “traumatised” and in “trance-like states” has been reprimanded by the Charity Commission.
Narconon UK was ordered by the watchdog to address a “range of failings” after an investigation found breaches of charity law and problems with management.
The charity, which runs a private rehabilitation facility in rural East Sussex, must also be more transparent about its treatment approach and links with the Church of Scientology, the Charity Commission said.
The regulatory action comes after a nine-month investigation by the Observer revealed how people seeking help for drug and alcohol problems at Narconon’s Heathfield facility were subjected to psychological exercises similar to those used in Scientology’s ‘auditing’ process. Some people would experience extreme reactions – breakdowns, paranoia or falling into ‘trance-like states’ – according to former patients and staff, who were also expected to complete the program. Independent experts said the exercises were reminiscent of a military boot camp or “obedience training” and did not appear therapeutic.
The Observer investigation has found the charity downplays its ties to Scientology; a Narconon salesman claimed in a phone conversation with an undercover reporter that the two organizations were “not related.”
A former patient said: ‘You are helpless there, and the only way out is blind submission or losing thousands of pounds. If I had any idea of what the program actually entailed, I would never have signed up.”
In March, a month after the Observer inquiry, the Charity Commission announced a regulatory compliance case at Narconon. The watchdog has a limited role in investigating safety issues and is not responsible for overseeing substance abuse services. But the case looked at Narconon UK’s compliance with charity law, examining its “governance, management and administration, safeguarding policies and links with third parties”.
A spokesperson said last week that it had completed its compliance case and, after reviewing the evidence and speaking to Narconon administrators, had identified “a series of deficiencies.” Two findings of “misconduct and/or mismanagement” were made relating to the failure to ensure the minimum number of trustees were present and to submit the charity’s annual accounts and reports on time. “We have provided formal regulatory advice and guidance to the trustees to address the issues and will review the trustees’ progress in doing so within six months,” a spokesperson said.
The watchdog has provided the trustees with an action plan that calls for greater transparency about Narconon’s ties to Scientology and the nature and effectiveness of the program. “Charities must ensure they are transparent about the nature of their work and any links with non-charities. This is especially important when providing a service so that potential beneficiaries can determine if it is the right service for them,” the spokesperson added.
Sheila Maclean, Narconon’s UK manager, said the issues identified by the Charity Commission “have been successfully resolved”, adding: “We appreciate and welcome their guidance and look forward to our continued relationship with the commission in the future .”
She said that Narconon was “proud of its record of transparency regarding the source of its program and the success of its methods” and that although it was developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, “no religious beliefs are required and one will not become a Scientologist by following the program.” Maclean added: “These facts are reflected in our literature and on our website. Tens of thousands of people live their lives drug-free thanks to Narconon.”
Narconon is promoted as a ‘holistic, non-medical and secular’ rehabilitation approach and has rejected suggestions that the methods could be harmful. It said the program required discipline and was “mentally taxing” but that feedback was “hugely positive” and “the results speak for themselves”. Maclean said the program was “empirically one of the safest in the world” and had saved “thousands of lives”. “The Observer must stop interfering with safe and effective drug rehabilitation by deliberately publishing lies,” she said.
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Some former participants described being “traumatised” after taking part in the residential programme, which can last three to four months and costs around £15,000. “The best way to describe it is that my mind was shattered into a million pieces. I lost all sense of myself,” said a former participant.
The Observer spoke to nine people with knowledge of Narconon’s UK operations, including former participants and staff. They described how people were asked to perform repetitive commands, such as pointing at objects, sitting completely still, or answering the same question “over and over again,” over several weeks, for up to five hours a day.
The exercises are very similar to the ‘training routines’ used in ‘auditing’, the aim of which is to banish the ‘thetans’ – spiritual beings – that Scientologists believe exist within every human being, and help them on the path to enlightenment. Participants also spend long periods in a sauna and take high doses of vitamins, including niacin, with the aim of achieving a “clear body” and “clear mind.”
Prof Tim Millar, professor of substance use and addictions at the University of Manchester, said he was surprised by the allegations. During thirty years of research into drug treatment in England, he said he had never seen such techniques. “They are not approaches that I am aware of being used in any other mental health context,” he said.
The Charity Commission’s intervention follows the lack of involvement of other regulators. Although the Care Quality Commission (CQC) oversees substance abuse services, it has suggested that Narconon does not fall under its remit because its approach is “alternative”.
Data obtained under freedom of information laws shows that the watchdog received 14 complaints between 2019 and 2023 that it did not formally investigate or escalate, saying it had no obligation to do so.
There is no other regulator that oversees substance abuse services.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said it was “in active dialogue with the CQC about Narconon. In the meantime, anyone with safety concerns should report them to the relevant local authority or contact police if anyone is in immediate danger.”