A recent tragedy at the World Sauna Championships underscores the hazards of misusing a sauna. Throw in a handful of toxic vitamin doses, and TA-DAAA!
You've got a new Scientology front group!
It was a sad day at the World Sauna Championships when two contestants collapsed and one died this week.
Russian finalist Vladimir Ladyzhensky and Finnish rival Timo Kaukonen were both taken to hospital after collapsing and Mr Ladyzhensky later died.
The event, which has been running since 1999, requires participants to withstand 110C for as long as possible.
With a sauna, as with vitamins, more isn't necessarily better. 110C is a little warm. But, let's look at the data provided by Dr. Dave Touretzky here:
Sauna periods are far beyond what is recommended as safe. Ordinarily, one is strongly advised not to stay in a sauna for longer than about 15-30 minutes. Narconon's clients stay in the sauna for up to five hours at temperatures of up to 80C (170F), ten times longer than the recommended maximum. This poses major risks for health; such a lengthy period of extreme heat can easily lead to hyperthermia, heat exhaustion, salt or potassium depletion, heat stroke and breathing difficulties, which could prove highly dangerous for asthma sufferers.
This contest is ridiculously extreme. In its own way, so is the Purification Rundown. While all the information about the hazards of various elements of the Purif are readily available, much of it is encased in medical terminology, which is only slightly less confusing than lawspeak.
However, this article covers a pop culture event people can relate to. Remember the radio contest in California, where the lady died of water intoxication? Her electrolytes got thrown out of whack. She died trying to win an electronic toy, and now the whole world knows you can OD on dihydrogen monoxide.
dihydrogen monoxide.
Then there was the highly publicized sweat lodge tragedy, where ex-Scientologist James Arthur Ray charged thousands of dollars for his "weekend warrior" experiences. After leading his people out on a two day romp in the hills with no water, he packed them into a 400 square foot sweat lodge covered in blankets and plastic to sweat. You can survive for three days without water. By the time these people wound up in the lodge, they'd already used up two of those days, and three people died. According to ex-employees, passing out, vomiting and dizziness raised no red flags. These symptoms of an organism in distress were simply considered part of the process.
While it's true that the Purif doesn't subject people to sweat lodges or 110C degree saunas for unlimited amounts of time, five hours at 80C sounds fairly dangerous.
This is Scientology playing doctor. These are people with no legitimate training, applying medical treatments dictated by a pulp adventure stories hack; a man who dropped out of college, who lied about his military record, and founded one of the most extravagant confidence games ever seen.
That man was L. Ron Hubbard. The con game is Scientology.
The sauna is a dangerous part of the Purification Rundown that reflects Hubbard's "if some is good, more is better" philosophy. Another element of the Purif involves the ingestion of toxic quantities of niacin and other vitamins.
The chart on this page shows the disparity between Hubbard's recommended dosage and the FDAs. Scientology has no regard for the power of the FDA.
The FDA issued a warning letter to body wrap salon Suddenly Slimmer, which was under investigation for using tainted products infected with bacteria and mold. I wrote the owner of the local franchise, asking about the product. Here is part of her response:
The solution is safe enough for children/elderly/pregnant etc. The FDA approves Prozac & all the other drugs that kill people, I don't worry about what they say. Our solution is safe enough to drink or get in your eyes. I've been doing this for many years & people love it.
Thank you for your concern.
When theGentle Wind Project started flogging "healing pucks" based on alien technology, authorities stepped in to call shenanigans on them. Charges were filed against them in Maine for false claims and fraud. The products "sold" by GWP had a 'fixed donation' price tag, just like Scientology courses.
Also like Scientology, GWP made extravagant claims about the powers of their healing puck to cure disease and provide health benefits. According to wikipedia,
On August 14, 2006, the case was resolved by a consent decree in which the defendants "agreed to pay civil penalties and costs and to an injunction that prohibits them from making certain health and research claims about the "healing instruments" or from serving as fiduciaries or advisors for any other Maine nonprofit. The parties have also agreed that GWP will be dissolved, and its remaining assets distributed by the Attorney General as restitution to consumers who purchased a "healing instrument" since 2003 and to a Maine charity whose charitable mission is to provide services to those with mental health disabilities, according to a press release from the Attorney General's office. Garvey and Bergin described the proceedings on their website.
Unfortunately, while the Gentle Winds Project has been dissolved, the Millers who founded it have simply moved to New Hampshire with a new name, the "Family Systems Research Group."
Still, it shows that the system can (and occasionally does) take action to protect consumers.
Consider this. Scientology's "drug detox" program, Narconon, uses the Purification Rundown and vitamin bombs in place of legitimate medical treatment. They charge $20-$30 thousand dollars, up front, for this treatment. Many people can't complete it because of health problems caused by this quackery, and have to drop out.
Guess what. No refunds!
Scandal and stories of abuse and incompetence flock around Narconon businesses worldwide. Rape, drug use, serious health problems and deaths occurring on their properties are covered up, while the scam continues to draw in worried parents and loved ones with their massive presence online. Google 'drug rehab' as if you were a parent seeking help for your child. You will find Narconon. You will also find helpful websites that will recommend a treatment center, but they only refer to Narconon. This is a creepy, misleading and dishonest way to drum up business.
So, why are these facilities allowed to continue defrauding desperate, vulnerable people? The Scientology treatment program is clearly dangerous. It is not an alternative to traditional drug recovery or detoxification, it is simply Scientologists playing doctor without a license.