REALL News - Vol 06 No 08 - 1998

Magazine Overview

This document is an article from REALL News, Volume 6, Issue 8, dated October 1998. Titled "Illinois Tackles Repressed Memory Doctor," the article by David Bloomberg details the regulatory actions being taken against Dr. Bennett Braun, a physician whose practice centered on the controversial theories of repressed memories, multiple personality disorder (MPD), and satanic cult conspiracies.

Dr. Bennett Braun's Practice and Allegations

The article reports that Dr. Bennett Braun was facing a preliminary hearing that could result in the loss of his license to practice medicine in Illinois. He was scheduled to appear before the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation on September 28 to address a complaint filed against him. Braun is described as a well-known proponent of repressed memories, MPD, and satanic cult conspiracies, and he has trained other therapists in these areas.

The complaint has significant implications for how his beliefs and teachings affected his patients. While Dr. Braun has been involved in at least five lawsuits (two settled, three pending), this is the first regulatory challenge. The article notes that due to the confidentiality of mental health information, charges could not be filed until a patient came forward to waive that confidentiality.

One of the key figures in bringing these allegations forward is Patricia Burgus, whose lawsuit against Braun was settled out of court for $10.6 million in October 1998. According to the Chicago Tribune, Burgus initially sought treatment from Braun for depression. Within weeks, she became involved in claims of repressed memories, MPD, and satanic cults, including the belief that she had 300 personalities and remembered engaging in acts of sexual abuse and human sacrifice as a high priestess of a satanic cult. Even her young children were involved, being admitted to a hospital's psychiatric center at ages 4 and 5.

The complaint itself is a 23-page document detailing numerous charges against Braun. Some of the initial allegations, listed as background and incorporated into the charges, include the confinement of Burgus' sons, J.B. and M.B., in Rush's mental institution for approximately three years without medical justification. Patricia Burgus herself was allegedly confined in the same institution for approximately twenty-seven months.

During therapy sessions, Braun allegedly instructed the minor children and P.B. to discuss imaginary episodes of abuse that they, along with other family members and a supposed transgenerational, organized satanic cult, had participated in. These imaginary episodes reportedly included sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, human sacrifice, and human torture.

As a consequence of Braun's therapy, the minor children allegedly came to believe they had participated in such abuse at the hands of their mother, other family members, and the satanic cult.

Specific Charges and Allegations

The complaint outlines nine counts against Braun, including "Gross Negligence" concerning P.B., J.B., and M.B.; "Dishonorable, Unethical, and Unprofessional Conduct"; "Making a False or Misleading Statement Regarding the Skill or Efficacy or Value of the Medicine, Treatment, or Remedy"; "Prescribing, Selling, Administering, Distributing, or Giving Any Drug Classified as a Controlled Substance or Narcotic for Other Than Medically Accepted Purposes"; and "A Pattern of Practice or Other Behavior Which Demonstrates Incapacity or Incompetence to Practice Under This Act."

Specific charges within the "Gross Negligence – P.B." section (allegation 46) include:

• Establishing an unorthodox treatment regimen by assigning P.B. various "personalities."
• Improperly implementing this regimen by encouraging P.B. to develop "alter" personalities when none existed.
• Using suggestive and coercive techniques to help P.B. "remember" episodes of abuse.
• Uncritically applying hypnotic techniques.
• Advising P.B. and her husband that MPD is caused by extreme, unremembered childhood abuse.
• Advising them that individuals can repress traumatic events, having no conscious knowledge of them.
• Confirming that "repressed memories" uncovered were real historical events.
• Advising them of the existence of organized, world-wide, transgenerational satanic cults involved in mass murder, torture, ritual abuse, and human sacrifices.
• Persuading P.B. and her husband of the existence of satanic ritual abuse and the validity of memories of such abuse, even when they expressed doubt.
• Advising P.B. that she had sexually abused her minor children.
• Advising P.B. and her husband that P.B. had caused their minor children to participate in satanic ritual activities, including human and animal sacrifice, cannibalism, and human torture.

Further allegations state that Braun failed to adequately inform P.B. and her husband of the risks associated with his treatment techniques, which could cause false memories that seem real to the patient. He also allegedly failed to inform them about the controversy and lack of widespread acceptance of MPD in the mental health community, and that MPD could be caused by improper therapy. Additionally, he allegedly failed to inform them that the theory of repression lacked scientific validity and was not generally accepted.

Thomas Glasgow, chief of medical prosecutions, was quoted by the Tribune stating that the complaint's purpose was not to target MPD or repressed memory therapy itself, but rather to address Braun's alleged failure to ensure proper patient treatment. The article notes that it will be interesting to see how the case addresses the scientific validity of repressed memory therapy.

Legal Process and Future Reporting

The preliminary hearing is described as just the first step in a process that can involve motions, discovery, hearings, and review by the Medical Disciplinary Board. The eventual recommendation could range from no punishment to a reprimand, fines, suspension, or revocation of Braun's license. REALL News states it will continue to report on the case as more information becomes available.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The article focuses on the legal and ethical ramifications of controversial therapeutic practices, specifically repressed memory therapy and its association with MPD and satanic cult allegations. The editorial stance appears to be one of investigative reporting, presenting the details of the complaint and the legal proceedings against Dr. Braun, while also acknowledging the broader controversies surrounding the therapeutic modalities he employed. The publication seems to be critical of Braun's methods, highlighting the potential for harm and the lack of scientific consensus for his theories, as evidenced by the charges and the settlement of the Burgus lawsuit.