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Synanon

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What originally started as a rehab community in California ended up being a terror cult. By the 1970s, the rehab center began calling itself the Church of Synanon.

The Church became known for their violence that started with the disappearance of Rose Lena Cole in 1972. She was court-ordered to appear at the rehab center but was never seen or heard from again. There were over 80 violent acts committed, including many in front of parents. If you left the cult, you were at risk of physical violence for being a “splittee.” One ex-member was put in a coma after being beaten so badly.