Welcome to Synanon. If you're wondering what Synanon is, then you're asking the same question as Celena and Mike, whose lives change forever the moment they arrive. It's the 1970s, and Synanon is a community, a utopia, a cautionary tale, and a cult. But more than anything else, it's a person, the founder of Synanon, a man named Charles E. Dederich, who most ... Show More
Aug 2022
S1|E2: The Miracle on the Beach
Chuck Dederich hits rock bottom as an alcoholic in the beachside slums of Los Angeles. It's 1958, and he's got nothing but an idea, but it's one that would save countless lives. He calls it Synanon. Others call it the Miracle on the Beach. Through sheer force of will, Chuck's ide ... Show More
42m 58s
Oct 2022
Sari Crawford - Synanon: Rehab Program Turned Cult
<p>Sari Crawford, host of podcast The Sunshine Place, details her father's involvement with Synanon, the notorious drug rehabilitation program turned cult. Sari shares what led Charles Dederich to found the group in the 1950s, Synanon's early success helping addicts recover, and ... Show More
57m 43s
Feb 2021
"The Vow" Ep 1: The Science of Joy
Say it with us: TICK TOCK, CULT O'CLOCK!In this bananas premiere, we meet Mark and Sarah, two former high ranking NXIVM members who tell us how they came to be devoted members of "the company" and it's founder Keith Ranieri--AND HOW THEY ESCAPED!You can binge all 9 ad-free episod ... Show More
48m 7s