Scientology Critical Information Directory

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Running Program (Cause Resurgence Run Down, CRRD)

«In an effort to help tired executives who only worked 18 hour days, Hubbard devised a program of taking megadoses of mineral supplements and running circles around a pole or tree for five hours a day in desert heat.» — The ARS Acronym/Terminology FAQ v3.5 by Martin Hunt.
«By lowering the endurance of a person, a group, or nation, and by constant degradation and defamation, it is possible to induce, thus, a state of shock which will receive adequately any command given.» — L. Ron Hubbard, "Brainwashing Manual", p. 34.

German Documentary (1999): "Missing in Happy Valley" (dubbed in English, transcript at Rick A. Ross Institute)

Off-camera commentator: In the near vicinity of the company's private golf course and the football field in Gilman Hot Sprints is another attraction in the Scientology program: a circular spot. In the middle is a palm tree. That's not meant for harmless games, that spot is for running. Today clockwise and tomorrow counter-clockwise around. The newest edition is said to be a water sprinkling system for overheated souls.

Jesse Prince: He put a big may pole up at his headquarters and his people had to run around it all day long. Further punishment for that part of the elite who have suddenly become a problem for David Miscavige. You run from sunrise until night, until you go to bed, always in circles, day and night, for weeks on end.

Stacy Brooks: Twelve hours a day around the pole, until you realize that you have done something wrong and you can think straight again. That is when you again be a proper Scientologist.

Hamburg Morgen Post (2000): "Caught in Scientology's concentration camp"

"I was pulled out of my bed early in the morning and dragged off," Stacy Brooks reported. She said the rehabilitation camp was in the middle of Los Angeles. Brooks: "I was constantly watched there and interrogated daily - with a lie detector." She said she received threats that she would never see her family again. "In the afternoons we had to do the running program for hours to get rid of negative thoughts." The only ones that leave are those who toe the line for the sect, said Stacy Brooks. Now she has joined the struggle against the sect.

The "Church of Scientology" or the Guru's Gulags, Story of an Escape

The "Running Program" is the severest punishment. It consists of running for 8 hours long around a pole until the person becomes a robot. Constant watch over is kept and no privacy is tolerated. A "twin" (buddy or rather companion in misfortune) is assigned to him/her. It is a very efficient system to keep control of the RPFer moreover, it is quite Machiavellian; each one keeping a close eye on the other one does not allow solidarity.

The "Church of Scientology" or the Guru's Gulags, Story of an Escape

The "Running Program" is the severest punishment. It consists of running for 8 hours long around a pole until the person becomes a robot. Constant watch over is kept and no privacy is tolerated. A "twin" (buddy or rather companion in misfortune) is assigned to him/her. It is a very efficient system to keep control of the RPFer moreover, it is quite Machiavellian; each one keeping a close eye on the other one does not allow solidarity.

Affidavit of Andre Tabayoyon (5 March 1994)

76. For 12 hours every day, for the duration of her stay, except for the few occasions when she was too ill to move, I saw her run around a pole ("the running program"). This is one of the most severe forms of RPF. It is reserved for persons deemed to be in a very low ethics status. It is often regarded as a program to contain persons regarded as crazy by the Scientology hierarchy. In addition to the running program Vicki was also working on other projects for an additional 5 hours a day.
Taz (2000): "Unobstructed brainwashing"
She said she had to run around a pole in a park for twelve hours to the point of exhaustion "in order to get rid of bad thoughts."

Affidavit of Hana Eltringham Whitfield (8 August 1989)

RPF members had to run all the time. They were not allowed to walk. They had to run while doing their cleaning assignments in bathrooms and toilets, while doing the garbage details or while going up and down the 12 flights of stairs in the Fort Harrison building carrying buckets, brooms and heavy cleaning equipment, and sometimes buckets full of heavy construction material. RPF members were not allowed to use the elevators, not even the service elevator.

Affidavit of David Mayo (1 May 1987)

14. On August 29, 1982, David Miscavige, and others, acting on the orders of L. Ron Hubbard, kidnapped me and subsequently kept me captive and physically and mentally abused me for six months During this period, David Miscavige, an officer and director of RTC, told me in the presence of Vicki Aznaran, President of RTC, Mark Yaeger, Commanding Officer, CMO INT of CSI that if I ever escaped, he would personally see to it that the resources of the Church of Scientology would destroy my character and reputation internationally. During that six-month period of captivity, I was forced to run around a tree in the desert in temperatures of up to 110 degrees for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for 3 months I was under tremendous coercion and duress I was refused medical and dental treatment (after escaping captivity I lost six teeth and required thousands of dollars of dental work to save the rest of my teeth) I was not permitted to make or receive phone calls and all letters I wrote were read by Scientology security guards. I was often awakened during the night and interrogated (mainly by Jesse Prince). In early February 1983, I was told by Rick Aznaran, Director of Security, RTC, (husband of Vicki Aznaran, President of RTC), to get the idea of leaving out of my head because I would never leave the property alive.

Stephen A. Kent: "Brainwashing in Scientology's Rehabilitation Force (RPF) - 11. RPF Consistencies and Variations - 2. Accounts of Physical Maltreatment - A. Excessive Exercise--The Running Program"

Forced running was a universal aspect in the RPF, but leaders also used it as a specific punishment. According to a person who was on the Apollo, Hubbard devised the "running program" as a punishment against a member whom he thought "needed some discipline." He ordered the member "to do fifty laps around the prom[enade] deck. [The member] did about twenty and declared [that] he had done fifty. I remember distinctly, and he got away with it" (Kent Interview with Ernesto, 1997: 5). With the advent of the RPF, running quickly became a standard punishment.

Affidavit of Stacy Brooks Young (9 March 1994)

178. Miscavige had also ordered me to do the "Running Program" as part of the requirements for getting off the RPF. This consisted of running around an orange pole for 12 hours a day. I was supposed to do this until I had some sort of realization about what was wrong with me, whereupon, presumably, I would stop being critical of him.

"blownforgood": "Why the building has been parked and why it will not open on time!"

The CRRD — this is the one where you run around a friggin pole for hours at a time until you cannot run anymore. You rest, then run some more. This goes on for weeks! Well some of the Base Execs would assign people to the rundown if they were out ethics or just not getting shit done. Before you knew it there were tons of people running around a pole in the middle of the desert in 100 degree weather. [...] This program also borderlines on a real world physical limitation as well. Can you imagine some overweight person running around a pole for 3 weeks 5 hours per day. You are going to see some serious legal issues come into play at this point. There are going to be injuries and someone will have to explain why you kept the person running day after day.

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