Lisa McPherson was a 36-year-old American woman who died in 1995 while under the care of the Church of Scientology. Her death sparked a controversy over the church’s practices and policies, especially the Introspection Rundown, a procedure that involves isolating a person who is experiencing a mental breakdown. What exactly happened to Lisa McPherson, and how did Scientology’s Introspection Rundown contribute to her cause of death?
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A Minor Car Accident and a Major Crisis
Lisa McPherson joined the Church of Scientology when she was 18 years old, and moved from Dallas, Texas, to Clearwater, Florida, in 1994. She worked for a publishing company that was owned and operated by Scientologists. She seemed to be happy and successful in her career and her faith, until November 18, 1995, when she was involved in a minor car accident.
According to CNN, paramedics initially left her alone because she was not injured, but they decided to take her to the hospital when she began to remove her clothes in the middle of the road. She told the paramedics that she had taken off her clothes in hopes of getting counseling. However, at the hospital, she refused psychiatric observation or admission, and checked herself out after a short evaluation. She was then taken to the Fort Harrison Hotel, the spiritual headquarters of Scientology in Clearwater, where she requested to undergo the Introspection Rundown.
What is the Introspection Rundown?
The Introspection Rundown is a procedure developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard in 1974. It is intended to help a person who is suffering from a psychotic break or a severe mental disturbance. The procedure involves three steps:
The first step is to isolate the person from any external stimuli or communication, except for regular auditing sessions. Auditing is a form of counseling in Scientology that uses a device called an E-meter to measure the person’s mental state. The isolation is supposed to allow the person to calm down and confront their own thoughts without any interference.
The second step is to audit the person to find and handle the source of their psychosis. This may involve going back to past traumatic incidents or negative emotions that are affecting the person’s mental health. The goal is to help the person regain control over their mind and emotions.
The third step is to verify that the person has recovered from their psychosis and is ready to rejoin society. This is done by asking the person a series of questions to test their rationality and sanity. If the person passes the test, they are declared to have completed the Introspection Rundown and are free to resume their normal activities.
According to Scientology, the Introspection Rundown is a humane and effective way to help a person who is in a mental crisis. However, critics of Scientology have argued that the procedure is dangerous and abusive, and that it violates the person’s human rights and medical needs.
Lisa McPherson’s Final Days
Lisa McPherson was put under the Introspection Rundown at the Fort Harrison Hotel for 17 days, from November 18 to December 5, 1995. During this time, she was kept in a room with no windows, no phone, no TV, and no contact with anyone except for a few Scientology staff members who were assigned to watch over her and provide her with food and water. She was also audited by a senior Scientology official, who was supposed to help her overcome her mental breakdown.
However, according to the statements of the staff members who cared for her, Lisa McPherson did not improve during the Introspection Rundown. Instead, she showed signs of physical and mental deterioration. She became restless, agitated, violent, and incoherent. She refused to eat or drink, and lost a significant amount of weight. She suffered from infections, bruises, insect bites, and bedsores. She also exhibited bizarre behavior, such as crawling on the floor, talking to imaginary people, and smearing feces on the walls.
On December 5, 1995, Lisa McPherson was found unresponsive in her room. She was loaded into a van by her caretakers and driven to a hospital in New Port Richey, about 45 minutes away from Clearwater. There were four closer hospitals on the way, but the staff chose to take her to a hospital where a Scientologist doctor worked. However, by the time they arrived, Lisa McPherson was already dead.
The Cause of Death and the Legal Battle
An autopsy conducted by the Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s office found that Lisa McPherson died of a blood clot in her left lung, caused by bed rest and severe dehydration. The autopsy also found that she had bruises, abrasions, and insect bites on her body, and that she weighed only 108 pounds, down from 155 pounds a few weeks earlier. The medical examiner ruled the manner of death as “undetermined”, but indicated that McPherson was a victim of negligent homicide.
Based on the autopsy report, the Church of Scientology was charged with two felony counts: abuse and/or neglect of a disabled adult, and practicing medicine without a license. The church denied any wrongdoing and claimed that Lisa McPherson had died of a sudden and unpredictable medical condition. The church also challenged the validity of the autopsy report and hired its own experts to conduct a second autopsy, which concluded that Lisa McPherson had died of a stroke.
The criminal case against the Church of Scientology was dropped in 2000, after the state’s medical examiner changed the cause of death from “undetermined” to “accident”, citing new evidence and conflicting opinions from other medical experts. However, the civil case brought by Lisa McPherson’s family against the church continued until 2004, when it was settled for an undisclosed amount.
The Legacy of Lisa McPherson
Lisa McPherson’s death exposed the controversial practices and policies of the Church of Scientology, especially the Introspection Rundown. Her death also sparked a public outcry and a media scrutiny over the church’s treatment of its members and critics. Her death also inspired several protests and campaigns by former Scientologists and anti-Scientology activists, who demanded justice and accountability for Lisa McPherson and other victims of Scientology’s abuses.
Lisa McPherson’s death remains a tragic and unresolved case that raises questions about the ethics and legality of Scientology’s methods and beliefs. Her death also serves as a warning and a reminder of the potential dangers and consequences of following a cult-like organization that claims to have the answers to life’s problems, but may actually cause more harm than good.
