Seventeen Days and The Greatest Good Summary and Analysis

In "Seventeen Days," Reitman explains that the McPherson case was certainly not the first where someone became psychotic during auditing. In fact, Hubbard had introduced the "Introspective Rundown" as a way to treat these breaks with reality. What was concerning in McPherson's case was that she was a high ranking person in the church, and that Miscavige himself had declared her a clear. In 1995, Miscavige had taken control of auditing at Flag, directing how auditors should handle their cases, even though Miscavige had limited experience. Instead of handing McPherson over to a hospital or her family, she was taken back to Fort Harrison, and treated by Scientologists with no medical or psychological training. She was given food, water, and vitamins, and left in isolation to "recover". Several of her caretakers noted...