A Scientology-linked addiction charity accused of putting vulnerable people through psychological drills 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 shortfalls” after an investigation identified breaches of charity law and issues with management.
The charity, which runs a private rehab facility in rural East Sussex, must also be more transparent about its treatment approach and links to 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 issues at Narconon’s Heathfield facility were subjected to psychological drills akin to those used in Scientology’s “auditing” process. Some people would suffer extreme reactions – breakdowns, paranoia or going into “trance-like states” – according to ex-patients and staff, who were also expected to complete the programme. Independent experts said the drills were reminiscent of a military boot camp or “obedience training” and did not appear to be therapeutic.
The Observer investigation uncovered evidence of the charity downplaying its links to Scientology; a Narconon salesperson claimed in a call with an undercover reporter that the two organisations were “not related”.
A former patient said: “You’re helpless there, and the only way out is blind submission or lose thousands of pounds. If I’d have had any concept of what the programme actually was, I would never have signed up.”
In March, a month after the Observer investigation, the Charity Commission announced a regulatory compliance case into Narconon. The watchdog has a limited role in investigating safeguarding issues and is not responsible for overseeing substance misuse services. But its case looked at Narconon UK’s compliance with charity law, examining its “governance, management and administration, its safeguarding policies, and its links to third parties”.
A spokesperson said last week it had concluded its compliance case and, after examining evidence and speaking to Narconon’s trustees, had identified “a range of shortfalls”. It made two findings of “misconduct and/or mismanagement” related to a failure to ensure the minimum number of trustees were in place, and to submit the charity’s annual accounts and reports on time. “We have issued the trustees with formal regulatory advice and guidance to address the issues, and will follow up in six months’ time to review trustees’ progress in doing so,” a spokesperson said.
The watchdog has provided the trustees with an action plan requiring more transparency about Narconon’s Scientology links, and the nature and effectiveness of the programme. “Charities must ensure they are transparent about the nature of their work and any connections to non-charitable organisations. This is particularly important when providing a service, so that potential beneficiaries can determine if it is the right one for them,” the spokesperson added.
Sheila Maclean, Narconon’s UK manager, said the issues the Charity Commission flagged had 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 Narconon was “proud of its record of transparency as to the source of its programme and the success of its methods” and that, while it was developed by Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard, “it does not require any religious belief and a person does not become a Scientologist by doing the programme”. Maclean added: “These facts are reflected in our literature and on our website. Tens of thousands of people are living their lives drug-free because of Narconon.”
Promoted as a “holistic, non-medical and secular” rehab approach, Narconon has rejected suggestions its methods could harm. It said its programme required discipline and was “mentally strenuous”, but that feedback had been “hugely positive” and “the results speak for themselves”. Maclean said the programme was “empirically one of the safest in the world” and had saved “thousands of lives”. “The Observer should cease interfering with safe and effective drug rehabilitation through the deliberate publication of lies,” she said.
Some former participants described being “traumatised” after taking part in the residential programme, which can last three to four months and costs about £15,000. “The best way to describe it is that my mind had been shattered into a million pieces. I’d lost all sense of myself,” an ex-participant said.
The Observer spoke to nine people with knowledge of Narconon’s UK operations, including ex-participants and staff. They described how people were asked to follow repetitive commands such as pointing at objects, sitting perfectly still or answering the same question “over and over again” for up to five hours a day over several weeks.
The exercises closely resemble ‘training routines’ used in ‘auditing’, which aims to banish the “thetans” – spiritual beings – that Scientologists believe exist in every person, helping them on a 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 Manchester University, said he was astonished by the allegations. During 30 years researching drug treatment in England he said he had never seen such techniques. “They’re not approaches that I’m aware of being used in any other mental health context,” he said.
The Charity Commission’s intervention comes in the absence of involvement from other regulators. While the Care Quality Commission (CQC) oversees substance misuse services, it has suggested Narconon does not fall within its remit because its approach is “alternative”.
Records obtained under freedom of information laws show that between 2019 and 2023, the watchdog received 14 complaints that it did not formally investigate or escalate, saying it had no duty to do so.
There is no other regulator overseeing substance misuse services.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said it was “in active dialogue with the CQC about Narconon. In the meantime, anyone with a safeguarding concern should raise them with the relevant local authority or contact the police if someone is in immediate danger.”
