INSTITUTE FOR

members by one another, but forbade criticism of the goals of Synanon itself or any
shortcomings of its leader. Anyone who criticized the organization or its leadership would be
harshly criticized by all (an incentive not to engage in such activity). If that criticism
persisted the offender would be banished from the community.
Under these rules of behavior Synanon evolved into an organization under the control of
a leader who became increasingly insane. In the late 1970's Dederich insisted that members
follow his every whim, which included, to give some examples, enforced dieting (the
Fatathon), enforced vasectomies for all maes, and an enforced change of pariners, first of all
for married members of the community, and subsequently for all paired members whether
married or not.
Those who did not go along with these measures
were
"gamed" i.e. criticized
vehemently in The Game, beaten up, or evicted. During this period Dederich was also
building up his own armed paramilitary force which reacted against threats both within and
outside the Community. Within Synanon dissenters were beaten up. Outside passers-by or
neighbors with real or presumed insults aimed at the Community were accosted and beaten,
often severely. One former member, who was suing for the custody of his child still living
there, was beaten to the point of paralysis, never to recover. Dederich was eventually
convicted on a charge of conspiracy for murder -- for sending unwanted mail to a young Los
Angeles attorney, Paul Morantz, who was fighting Synanon: two Synanon vigilantes left a
poisonous rattlesnake in Morantz's mail box.
The Synanon experience follows closely what Milgram observed in the laboratory. At
each move by Dederich the members were forced individually to decide whether to obey or to
disobey. Disobedience involved the present cost of leaving the group and seeking
immediately a new way of life with insufficient human and financial resources. Many
members in the past had found life outside Synanon painful and had sought refuge there.
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