Quote
TarSpiel
I had a question come to mind. Do you think it would be possible at all for someone to post an opinion (like mine) on this thread which dissents to a degree from the majority opinion, *without* being a troll, sock-puppet, liar, or deceiver?

Why not? But what may pave the way to a troll, sock-puppet, liar, or deceiver-labelling is, for example, someone who keeps toning down his/her Byron Katie-involvement (“only read one book, never been to a BK event”, etc.) while on the other hand, when Googling that someone’s message board name or real name, all this support and approval of BK-puppeteer Stephen Mitchell comes up.

Yet another Guruphiliac comment [guruphiliac.blogspot.com] concerning the girl who went off her medications at the BK seminar, and ended up in a psychiatric hospital.
The new second comment looks like one from an employee of BKI. Very carefully worded, trying to say that BKI does not encourage people to go off their prescription medications.
Also, mentioning that the "field trips and exercises" are pretty intense, so beware, if you have a "chemical" disability. (that is code, for the powerful LGAT persuasion techniques being used on people).

What they are both saying is a common language version of the Byron Katie release of liability.
They are very worried that they might be held accountable for what is happening to people at their seminars, so their solution is to always blame the victim.

Contrast that, with what Byron Katie implies and says above about how she can deal with every serious biological psychiatric disorder on the planet.
They tell you the opposite things at once. They deny everything in their contracts, while what they say verbally and in their sales techniques say they can cure ANYTHING and EVERYTHING.

And they know damn well, that those who do have psychiatric disorders, are some of the first one's who are going to take the Byron Katie bait, and go into extreme DENIAL of their condition.
After the self-denial, dropping the meds is the next step.

They are worried that people who got hurt, and their families, might look into what is really going on.
They are very worried they might be held accountable for all the people who do have serious psychiatric problems, and who go off their medications at the seminar.

How are all these BK facilitators trying to deal with all of these serious mental disorders? They don't have any training, they have no clue of what they are doing.
Anyone with common sense and ethics would realize they don't have the knowledge or skill to deal with people with such serious disorders.
But of course verbally and privately, the BKI people do believe they can cure anything, including psychiatric disorders. They literally believe they can deal with ANYTHING.
But to protect themselves, they have to try to deny that to the general public.

One has to shudder to think of the psychological damage being done to so many people, the most vulnerable people, people who should be referred to trained licensed experts, with the support of their family. But no, those people because they are the most vulnerable and fragile, become the primary targets for the seminar. It really is horrifying to think what is happening to all these people after the seminars. They don't post the details of all the people who end up in the emergency ward during or after the seminars. They just DENY EVERYTHING.
One has to hope that vulnerable people will stay away from these people and their LGAT seminars, but sadly, that is who they TARGET in their marketing, desperate people in pain.



And the other person who made a comment blaming the victim, Brian Adler, also was making comments on the Carol Skolnick blog in 2007. What was Brian Adler doing on a Byron Katie Facilitators call? Was he a facilitator?
He also says here The Work can deal with ANYTHING and nothing is "off-limits", which is very different to what he said on the Guruphiliac blog. They seem to be experts of talking out of both sides at once, they learned from the master, Byron Katie.
______QUOTE____________________
[soulsurgery.blogspot.com]
Brian Adler said...
"I heard her say this on the call the other day and it blew me away too. I was like, "Oh of course..that's how it could be not stressful at all to facilitate people." Or to relate to people in anyway. It helps me understand what she means when Katie says, "I know everyone loves me, I just don't expect *them* to know it.."

I have been noticing more and more that the available "list" of stressful beliefs I can inquire about is much larger than I believed..Truly anything stressful can be inquired into... Someone tells me they are angry with me I can inquire into the belief "they're angry with me" someone dies "they died" ANYTHING... there are no "off-limit" thoughts that are in some fundamental way "technically" true and so not appropriate for inquiry..."

Brian
__________QUOTE_______________________________

Its best just to ignore the internet sock-puppets who simply want to derail a thread, and gain some attention for themselves. Its easy to spot the same patterns that have been used many times before.
Byron Katie blocks and censors ALL posts about her that might be even slightly critical from her web forums. So there are plenty of places to post propaganda for Byron Katie.


Stephen Mitchell has obviously suggested that a number of his "friends" come into this thread, from time to time.
For example, RandomStu Stuart Resnick, who tried similar tactics, and who said he had nothing to do with Byron Katie. But a little research showed that he has the same Guru as Stephen Mitchell, and was obviously associated with BK's husband. Being dishonest is how they do their so-called "Zen", its the Zen of mind-games.

Stephen Mitchell, Seung Sahn, RandomStu [forum.culteducation.com]

Stephen Mitchell is self-obsessed with his own "fame", and clearly has suggested to various associates of his, to come into this thread, and try to mess it up. Creating confusion, that is what Stephen Mitchell is very skilled at. [forum.culteducation.com]
[forum.culteducation.com]

This thread is about the serious problems with Byron Katie's LGAT seminars and mass persuasion techniques being used on people without their knowledge.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2009 03:37AM by The Anticult.

The narcissism is everywhere...Stephen Mitchell refers to himself in their promotional materials as...ya gotta know he wrote that line.

"the distinguished writer Stephen Mitchell"

[74.125.113.132]

for some more distinguished comedy, search Google for these terms:

"stephen mitchell" distinguished


Even his own website says about his alleged Gilgamesh (triple-check those biased so-called "translations" he makes up out of thin-air)...

"offered us anew, by a distinguished, ever-so-knowing translator and poet who has given so many of us a wondrous education these past years..."

For more silliness, search Google for:

"stephen mitchell" esteemed

Oh vanity of vanities...



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2009 04:05AM by The Anticult.

Quote
corboy
When I read the name 'Tarspiel' I free associate to the figure of the tar-baby from the Brer Rabbit story. The more you try to struggle with the tar baby the more entrapped you get. 'Spiel' is just a line of verbal patter, seemingly trivial, but its what sales people use. It is a perjorative term because the person is not emotionally invested in his or her 'spiel' otherwise it would not be referred to as a 'spiel'. That suggests the person does not have much respect for those whom he or she addresses with such a 'spiel'.

… and since we briefly dabble in the name game: 'TarSpiel' is an anagram of 'Liar Step'. Now, 'Liar' speaks for itself, but 'Step' ... is that an abbreviation of a name or something?

Quote
The Anticult
Stephen Mitchell refers to himself in their promotional materials as...ya gotta know he wrote that line: "the distinguished writer Stephen Mitchell".

Quote
TarSpiel
I do think that BK and Stephen Mitchell both say some very profound things.

‘Distinguished’, ‘profound’ … great promotion! In general, any reworded wafer-thin twaddle borrowed from a tear-off calendar can easily pass for ‘profoundness’ (and therefore its editor as ‘distinguished’) … if it’s marketed as such. Any sales person will tell you that reputation and qualification are mostly a matter of targeting, presentation and repetition. A good sales person will tell you he can sell anything ...

some narcissistic sociopathic personality traits:

- Take advantage of other people/cons
- Grandiose/exaggerated feelings of self-importance, achievement and talents
- Preoccupied with fantasies of success, power, beauty, intelligence
- Huge sense of entitlement/callous
- Requires constant attention and admiration
- Lacks empathy/remorse/guilt
- Has obsessive self-interest
- Pathological liar
- Need for stimulation
- Impulsive/conflict with authority

TarSpiel has been banned.

Just before being banned from the board he said that he was leaving anyway.

His last post (not approved) pretty much a rant.

Anticult,

Do you really want to know more about me or were you being rhetorical? I am willing to answer any questions you have. If you just want to use my name to further your agenda/beliefs that's fine too. I have no public profession related to any of this (and have no interest in advocating for those who do) and have nothing at stake in whatever anyone thinks. Just to get your facts straight, however. I am also the person who first posted Janaki's blog on Guruphiliac. Some people's views (mine) are more nuanced than what can easily be reduced to dramatic black/white propoganda (or anti-propoganda).. I stand behind my posts on Guruphiliac when read in their entirety and not interpreted through the lens of seeing monsters behind every shadow.

Unless you wish learn more about me from the horse's mouth. I won't be posting here again...

Brian

Here we go again.