Undercover investigation: Scientology’s dangerous games with mental health care

[Today’s guest post is by Phil Jones.]

Last night, an undercover investigation of Scientology was aired on Radio Canada TV.

Host Marie-Maude Denis and reporter Gaétan Pouliot focused their three-month investigation on Scientology’s Quebec Org, located in the Saint-Roch district in Quebec City. This was for the show called Enquéte, which in English means “investigation.”

I watched the show in French and have to admit they spoke a bit fast for my meager vocabulary, but it was a fascinating study to watch it unfold. (Also, I found a transcript of the show that Pouliot posted online.)

The team sent in a gentleman using the alias “Pierre.” He had hidden cameras and recorded everything.

While Pierre was going through the usual Scientology indoctrination, the rest of the team was interviewing actual medical professionals about what Pierre was being told.

There were the usual things that came up, like the Scientology hatred for psychiatry, attempts to get Pierre off his psychiatric medication, and then to steer him onto the Purification Rundown (at a mere $2,500). This included the usual massive doses of vitamins.

Some standouts for me were when Pierre was put on a meter and asked the question every new person gets, “Are you here to investigate Scientology?” He of course answers “no,” and that seemed to satisfy the auditor. Oops. Meter not working, Brigitte?

So after they’d tried to get Pierre to quit all of his medications, he was told he needed their “drug bomb.” Well, he had to go to some out-of-the-way garage where the car mechanic there, a man named Doris Sanfaçon, told Pierre that he could procure the drug bomb for him. Not sketchy at all.

Also, at the garage they told Pierre not to tell his psychiatrist that he was stopping his medication. Then for just under $200, Pierre becomes the proud owner of a big box of VitalBulk vitamins, approved by the Church of Scientology —but just don’t take them into their building, he’s told. Some legal juggling here.

Then, Gaétan researches these VitalBulk vitamins and finds out that according to Health Canada they are not legal as they don’t meet the safety, health, and quality standards in this country. Oops again, Scientology.

One last point, before starting a Purification Rundown you need a doctor’s OK to start. The doctor Scientology had been using was confronted by the TV crew and after a bit of a discussion said that he’d no longer do Purif approvals for Scientology. The good doctor said, “The problem is that I don’t know the program to be able to authorize this. This is where I am at fault. It’s not legal, it’s not clean,” he added, and promised not to work with Scientology any more.

My overall impression is that the Scientology Org’s methods were shady from beginning to end, but more than that it’s dangerous and puts lives at risk. This was made very obvious by this excellent journalistic expose of the Quebec Org.

— Phil Jones

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Apostate Alex peeks inside Saint Hill

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