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Splash90

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lauren
This post that I am replying to is over a year old. I don't know if anyone will even read this comment, but that's okay if no one does. I'll keep it short....

You talked about all the trick photography and PhotoShop tactics that are used to lighten Katie's eyes... Last fall, Katie worked with me through a stressful thought at a seminar. I looked into those eyes, personally. And her eyes are amazingly beautiful, stunning. Photoshop would not be needed in the least.

While there are some things that I do not agree with that Katie says or groups that she supports....I will say that I did not get the impression that she is a money-hungry, ego-satisfying con artist. Not at all. I believe that she truly wants to help people. No doubt in my mind. She knew suffering firsthand and she found a way to find peace from it, and she hasn't selfishly kept this knowledge to herself. She shares it with the world. Just knowing that my suffering comes from believing my thoughts, helps tremendously to release the grip the suffering holds on me at any given moment in time.

During a book signing time, I approached her at the signing table, all alone, no one else around, no press, no one watching...and i approached her to tell her of a specific and very difficult situation I was trying to deal with in my family, a situation not unfamiliar to Katie. She saw the anguish in my face and voice and was truly empathetic and caring and with a truly concerned and loving look in her face and eyes, she told me to write out my thoughts and then get in her face tomorrow at the seminar, so that she could work with me. She had hundreds of people at that seminar who wanted to work with her. Hundreds who would have LOVED the opportunity to work with her. But she felt my pain and wanted to help. She didn't say anything like..."well maybe we can get someone to talk with you tomorrow" or "it will work out" or anything like that. She truly cared, because she understood and she offered to help.

She does a lot. Her method works. Before I went to her seminar, I worked with someone on Skype in the UK, going through the questions with her, and I was able to reverse total despair and unbearable pain to peace in half an hour. The Work works in warp speed, without trying. If you have not experienced it, then you would be skeptical, for sure. But I have experienced the power of this method firsthand, and it is like 35 years of therapy in half an hour. Warp speed. Without trying. Just asking yourself the questions and do the turn arounds, and take it in and be still. The layers of suffering are shed effortlessly.

Perhaps those that criticize Katie have never known suffering in the extreme that i have, or that Katie has, or others. But I don't think it is fair to criticize something or someone that you really don't understand.

Katie does not ask to go to all the places she goes to. She is asked to come. People recognize the value of The Work and ask her to come. There is a difference. She helps people and that is why they love her. Plain and simple. No ulterior motives. Just peace and I am very thankful to have heard of The Work. It is not a cult nor does it have a hold on me or anyone else. It is brilliant in it's simplicity and effectiveness.

If you are ever at the very bottom, this is the way to get up again. So don't knock it; you might need it some day :)

Here are the main problems I personally have with the Work.

The first is that many of the conclusions people come to through doing the Work are false. Byron Katie gets around this by saying that there is no objective reality so really you can create your own and believe whatever you want. And of course she can say this because we really DON'T know for sure and will never know for sure if anything is 'real.' But I believe there is an objective reality which we can rely on, and in which we must operate in order to lead healthy lives. In addition, I don't believe it is wrong or 'bad' to feel sad, or angry, or any of the negative things that she seeks to 'cure.' It is a normal part of life. I don't believe it is healthy to live in a constant 'blissed out' state of willful ignorance of many elements of existence. And I say this as someone who has gone through trauma in my own life and the resulting PTSD. Our responses to bad things that happen are normal and an integral part of the healing process.

The second and biggest problem I have with it, is that it often leads people to a conclusion which actually does them psychological harm although they may not even realize it at the time. That is the biggest problem I have with her entire teaching. I have watched and read in absolute HORROR some of the turnarounds she has done with people who were victims of trauma of some kind. She is being completely irresponsible with these people's minds, hearts and souls. I felt like I was witnessing a mind-rape because of how she (or her teachings) violated them in their vulnerable state.

The last problem I have with it is that she does use mind control techniques, at least in her School. Anyone who is willing to use unethical coercive methods to get people to follow them, regardless of their intentions, is someone who should be avoided at all costs. And Byron Katie does. She may have the best of intentions; no one can truly know what is in her heart, or anyone's. I think that the leader of the group I was in for 15 years does truly believe in the nobility and rightness of what he is doing and that he really believes he is 'saving people's souls.' But the results of his actions have been widespread heartache and loss, lives torn apart, and deep psychological trauma. The Germans believed fervently that Hitler did all he did out of a deep love for his people and wanting to help them; only later was all the evil uncovered that he did. And he may have truly believed that even that evil was for the 'greater good' and therefore was able to convince others of it (and yes mind control was used on Nazi soldiers, just as it is on Islamists today). I am in no way saying BK is doing the evil that Hitler did. I am only pointing out the 'for the greater good' mindset of those who use mind control. The degree of damage may vary widely, but there is damage.

Thanks for your thoughts...

<<You said..."The first (problem) is that many of the conclusions people come to through doing the Work are false. Byron Katie gets around this by saying that there is no objective reality so really you can create your own and believe whatever you want." >>
My first thought on this is simply...Many of the conclusions people come to...are false. Is that true? Quite possibly, they may be false conclusions for you, but for the person doing the inquiry, they are the right conclusions. I have never heard Katie say that you can believe whatever you want. It is her experience, and mine, and countless others, that when you question the thoughts that are causing you stress or suffering, you are likely to find that the suffering ceases. It falls away. It helps you to see things more clearly. We suffer when we believe thoughts that are stressful. It is a very simple concept. Not at all complicated or manipulative.

re: the second problem...I think i know which turnarounds you are referring to.... Do you know for a fact that these turnarounds caused harm to the person you are referring to? I can understand where you might imagine that they were being attacked or harmed in some way. That has not been my experience with the Work. The Work is about getting honest with yourself. Sometimes the turnarounds point the finger back at us. That is not to say that we asked for the bad things that happen to us. Or provoked or deserved bad things in any way. But the turnaround, instead, serves to ease the 'victim mentality' that causes so much suffering. Personally, when I feel the 'victim', it's the most painful state imaginable. So these turnarounds serve a purpose. I have never heard of anyone being harmed by inquiring and questioning the thoughts that continually cause them to suffer. In my experience, it only serves to help; the pain ceases.

re: the last problem... I have never attended the School for the Work. Have you? Have you seen what you accuse Katie of? you said...<<"Anyone who is willing to use unethical coercive methods to get people to follow them, regardless of their intentions, is someone who should be avoided at all costs.">> I have only attended a weekend with Katie...Friday evening, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning. During that weekend, I NEVER thought she was using brain-washing, unethical coercive methods, at all. She was a teacher. An instructor. Sharing her knowledge, sharing her experience, take it or leave it. Very loving, compassionate and focused. I am very sensitive to things such as mind manipulation and I did not see any evidence whatsoever to support that idea.
Katie has no hidden agenda, in my opinion. She doesn't recruit followers, she has no desire for followers, contrary to popular opinion of the few that write on this site. There is no hard sell. She doesn't have anyone following up and keeping an eye on people. There is nothing like that. In fact, she says all the time, you have the tools, do the Work. Simply question your thoughts. It's a very sensible thing to do, in my opinion. Why wouldn't anyone question their thoughts? It's a healthy thing to do because our thoughts are deceiving, running all over the place, in chaos, usually! So to question your thoughts is a very sane thing to do, in my estimation. It makes sense to me!

One more point regarding this. Not only is there no mind-manipulation or trying to recruit people to her way of thinking, but it is the exact opposite, in my experience. I have been through the most stressful and painful time in my life for the past three years or so. I have spoken to people at Byron Katie International when at my lowest points, and they have always been kind, helpful and caring. They have never tried to get me to come to the School or try to control my thoughts in any way. Every time I have talked with someone, such as a facilitator (someone who goes through the questions with you), I came away from the talk in a calmer and more peaceful place. Not altered, not void, not spacey. Just more able to cope. and happier, less stressed.
I can tell you, honestly, that without the Work, I would probably not be here today; that is how bad my stress and my situation is. The stress was literally destroying me; pain throughout my body and mind. The Work works like a miracle. It is only a tool. It is a way to help yourself, and it works well.

I cannot imagine that doing the Work, inquiring and questioning your thoughts, could do any damage at all. It can only help, in my experience. I really do think that unless you experience it for yourself, there is no way to know. We cannot base opinions on hypothetical situations or conclusions or imagined outcomes. One only has to experience the miraculous way questioning thoughts works to truly understand it.

That's part of the REAL reason why Stephen Mitchell suppressed Losing The Moon, as well as the other book A Cry In The Desert, also detailed in this thread.

Stephen Mitchell had a strong enough marketing sense to realize all that insane "Nazi" stuff from Byron Katie would destroy her career.
So he suppressed it.
They literally bought books back, and destroyed them.

He also changed the Byron Katie Official Story, and modified it, and it conflicts with those suppressed Byron Katie books.


In the end, all of the Byron Katie mumbo-jumbo is designed to CONFUSE people.
Once Byron Katie has you so confused you can't find the moon in the sky, and you lose the moon, then she has you in her clutches.
And so people get locked into Byron Katie for decades, or for LIFE, as she has it planned.

Byron Katie and Stephen Mitchell are making many many millions, they are not stupid people, they are skilled professionals in the arts of mass persuasion, and how to leverage that for maximum profits for Byron Katie Inc.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/18/2010 11:54AM by The Anticult.

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Splash90

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lauren
To 'The Anticult':

Pretty much every work you wrote on this post is off base. Anyone can make a big deal about anything pretty easily, apparently!

The 'Dreaded List'??? It is not at all unusual when attending seminars or educational classes that rules are set and prohibitions are set in place for the few days in attendance. This is so that people will get the most out of what they came to hear/learn and will have the least amount of distractions.

You use heavy, charged words and phrases as you try to paint an ugly picture where none exists. Words like 'diabolical' and 'mind-washing system' and 'escape the Byron Katie system' and 'Byron Katie wants to totally isolate you during the mind-washing system'... Aren't your words a form of 'mind-washing' to project your beliefs?

Again...no one is forcing anyone to do The Work. People seek out this method of inquiry to find peace from the suffering that is caused by believing their thoughts. It's very simple. It is not brain washing or mind control. Really! Try to chill out a bit!

Hi lauren,

I wouldn't say for sure that everything BK does (like her book and public interviews) uses mind control techniques. But her School for the Work absolutely does--if what people have said about what goes on there is true.

Have you read about or studied what people are specifically referring to when they use the terms "mind control," "thought reform," or "brainwashing"? If not, you should do so before you decide that BK is not using them. Here are some links to get you started.

[www.ex-cult.org]
[www.freedomofmind.com]
[www.reveal.org]
[www.howcultswork.com]

hi splash...

you said: <<"I wouldn't say for sure that everything BK does (like her book and public interviews) uses mind control techniques. But her School for the Work absolutely does--if what people have said about what goes on there is true.">>
If you have never been to the School for the Work, then you are basing this accusation on hearsay. True? It is not only harmful to listen to hearsay, but to treat it as 'fact' and repeat it to others as a fact? Do you see what i am saying?

I have just read through the links re:cults etc. that you mentioned above. Byron Katie is the opposite of these terms mentioned. These terms do not apply to her at all. She is merely helping people to end their suffering. She doesn't do it for them. She shares her experience. She shares what worked for her. Take it or leave it. She doesn't care whether you take it or leave it. She stays in her own business. She is the very opposite of 'control'. She is a lover of reality. She is a lover of 'what is'. It is not about control. It is about realizing that we have no control. And when we argue with reality, we are arguing with God and will lose that battle every time. Common sense, non-controlling.

I think it is sad that people take what they have heard, second-hand, and run with it and repeat it, as if it were fact. Especially about someone like Katie who really is doing so much good in a world that has so much suffering. Question, question, question! That doesn't say 'mind-control' to me! (as in someone else controlling my mind!) It means 'get in touch with your truth, your reality.' and the way to do that is to simply question.

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lauren
....I will say that I did not get the impression that she is a money-hungry, ego-satisfying con artist. Not at all. I believe that she truly wants to help people. No doubt in my mind. She knew suffering firsthand and she found a way to find peace from it, and she hasn't selfishly kept this knowledge to herself. She shares it with the world. Just knowing that my suffering comes from believing my thoughts, helps tremendously to release the grip the suffering holds on me at any given moment in time.

First, the belief that suffering comes from believing your thoughts is ......a belief. One you might wish to question, along with your impression that Katie is not a "money-hungry, ego-satisfying con artist". The evidence does not support your impression.

Second, Katie does not share. She fishes. Her "Work" is nothing more than the worm on the end of a fishing pole. It's bait to hook needy people, and like all bait it's appealing. The relief people feel from the "4 questions and a Turnaround" gets them in the door, and then Katie sucks them dry. Just read the reports on this site from people who have participated in her Schools.

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lauren
She had hundreds of people at that seminar who wanted to work with her. Hundreds who would have LOVED the opportunity to work with her. But she felt my pain and wanted to help. She didn't say anything like..."well maybe we can get someone to talk with you tomorrow" or "it will work out" or anything like that. She truly cared, because she understood and she offered to help.

Did she help you because she truly cared, or because she could tell you were in a very vulnerable place and thus easily induced into a trance?

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lauren
Perhaps those that criticize Katie have never known suffering in the extreme that i have, or that Katie has, or others. But I don't think it is fair to criticize something or someone that you really don't understand.

Katie does not ask to go to all the places she goes to. She is asked to come. People recognize the value of The Work and ask her to come. There is a difference. She helps people and that is why they love her. Plain and simple. No ulterior motives. Just peace and I am very thankful to have heard of The Work. It is not a cult nor does it have a hold on me or anyone else. It is brilliant in it's simplicity and effectiveness.

If you are ever at the very bottom, this is the way to get up again. So don't knock it; you might need it some day :)

I'm sure you did benefit, because the fish who nibbles the bait and avoids getting hooked does get a little nourishment. The reports from people whose involvement has gone beyond filling out worksheets is much less positive than yours, however, so I urge you, and everyone who is considering participating in Katie's programs, to look beyond her hypnotic blue eyes and evaluate all of the data about her. I also urge you to look at some of the cult recruitment research you can find on this site. What Katie does is not different from what any other cult leader does, and it is very different from what reputable counselors do.

There are professionals who are trained and licensed to help people. Katie is not one of them-- she has received no legitimate training and people who use her services have no recourse should she harm them. I would not trust my mind to someone who was mentored by a cockroach.

It sounds like you've had a very hard time, and I'm sorry for that. But Katie has harmed many people, and she is not what she appears to be. There are many proven, effective, cheap ways for people at the very bottom to get up again, and the "Work" is not one of them, even if it does produce an initial rush of relief.

Lauren,

I'm replying to a couple of your posts here.

I am sorry you've been going through a painful time. I understand that anything that helps you relieve that pain is hard to see being criticized. Please bear with me as I reply because the reason I post here at all is that I don't want people to suffer needlessly, even at the hands of someone who says she's doing what she does for the same reason!

If you have had a traumatic experience, and you want to know more what I'm talking about when I refer to psychology in my post below, I HIGHLY recommend reading Trauma and Recovery by Dr. Judith Herman. It is one of the most highly acclaimed books on trauma; it helped me recover and it covers all these topics in detail and will answer all your questions on why I say BK's turnarounds can be so harmful (even if its users don't realize consciously that it's harming them or how).

[We suffer when we believe thoughts that are stressful. It is a very simple concept. Not at all complicated or manipulative.]

I have read and seen a lot of examples of people doing the Work, and I tested it out for myself as well. Yes, some of our stressful thoughts may be false, but not all of them. Of course, if I am riddling myself with stressful thoughts all day long, worrying about things that might never happen, like "my daughter will die today", the question "Is that true?" is a very good question to ask. I can tell myself, well, it's statistically very unlikely, and let it go. It's why I wanted to read her new book in the first place when I read about it in Oprah, because I tend to struggle with anxiety and her solution sounded helpful. (BTW, why does she have to write so many books if the concept is so simple?) But in many cases, such as "I hate my job," or "I'm angry at my mom for being nitpicky of me growing up," or "I'm sad that grandmother died," I will answer YES to the question "Is that true?" and stop there, because they ARE true statements. So I will find other ways to relieve the stress of those thoughts, such as: find another job, think about the money I'm earning that supports our family, forgive my mom, and just accept that sometimes in life, I will suffer and I will feel stress and pain, and THAT'S OKAY and NORMAL. I don't know if you've realized this yet, but Katie doesn't ever allow people to answer "Yes" and stop there. They have to come to believe that the answer is "No." That's what I have a problem with in that area. Even people who are simply grieving over the recent loss of a loved one are not supposed to feel grief according to her. But grief is normal and natural and should not be shunned or frowned upon or rushed through or 'waved away.'

In addition, the statement that "We suffer when we believe thoughts that are stressful" is in itself based on a belief system that isn't necessarily true.

[I have never heard of anyone being harmed by inquiring and questioning the thoughts that continually cause them to suffer. In my experience, it only serves to help; the pain ceases.]

Even just by continuing to read this thread (although there are other testimonies on other websites), you'll realize that there are people who did the Work on their own, unrelated to the School, whose lives were made MORE stressful and painful as a result, because they were trying to live a lie. People who follow her methods incompletely (like maybe they do allow themselves to answer 'yes') are not as at risk of being harmed by them. But if you're a die-hard do-everything-she-says-to-the-letter follower, you're at great risk indeed of experiencing MORE suffering and stress sooner or later because you're operating against reality. I don't know which camp you fall into; I hope it's the former.

Did you see my post where I asked a question about the Work, and can you answer that for me? I'll post it again here: Why is it that once people have done the Work on something, they don't then do the Work AGAIN on the conclusion they come to as a result of having done the Work the first time? If you are supposed to question every thought, shouldn't this include the thoughts you have as a result of doing the Work?

[Question, question, question! That doesn't say 'mind-control' to me! (as in someone else controlling my mind!) It means 'get in touch with your truth, your reality.' and the way to do that is to simply question.]

On the surface that sounds perfectly fine and wonderful. There are two problems with this though:

1) In her interviews, Katie gets people to come to KATIE'S truth/reality, NOT their own. SHE tells them what to believe, and they are expected to agree with her in front of thousands of people in a matter of minutes. She doesn't just keep having them ask themselves questions and come to their own conclusions. She TELLS them what to believe.

2) Notice that it's not 'get in touch with truth or reality,' it's "get in touch with YOUR truth, YOUR reality." That's not necessarily the same thing. It opens the door to believing that reality is subjective, it's all in your head... which is EXACTLY what Katie teaches - although maybe you haven't read or watched enough by her to realize that yet. And yes, of course, we can never PROVE that any reality exists outside of our own minds; that's an age-old philosophical question. So Katie runs with it and tells people they don't have to suffer because what they're suffering about is all in their heads. She also believes that everything outside ourselves, including other people, is really just what we've made up in our own heads and they are really all just part of us, which is one way she gets abuse victims to believe that 'they abused themselves.' So when she talks about accepting and loving what is (which is a great concept), that's only a 'hook' to get people interested, because then she goes on to say that the way you come to accept and love it, is to realize that it's just in your head anyway and nothing is really real. That's why she can speak so unemotionally about horrific events.

[She is a lover of reality. She is a lover of 'what is'.]

That is what she claims, but look closer. As I mentioned above, she has said many times that there is no reality, that nothing is real, that you can create whatever reality you want, and that reality is really 'nothing.' She has also spoken of her desire to 'become nothing' and that the more people do the Work the closer she will be to that goal. This is almost (if not exactly) the same belief as Buddhism and non-dualism. And those beliefs in themselves aren't necessarily harmful or psychologically damaging. I may not agree (I do think there is a solid objective reality outside myself), but that doesn't mean it's a wrong belief. It's only when coupled with all of her other teachings and methods that it becomes something that concerns me as far as the damage it can do to people.

[I think it is sad that people take what they have heard, second-hand, and run with it and repeat it, as if it were fact.]

I said "IF what people are saying is true." There are several testimonies on it which all corroborate with each other. What they describe is extremely similar to other LGATs and cults, including the cult in which I personally experienced these same things... so yes, I tend to believe that they are true. All of these methods are as old as the hills; nothing new. I posted those links about mind control because you can't insist that she's not using it if you don't even know what it is. So now hopefully you know what it is. And you have no way of knowing for sure that she's NOT using it at her School any more than I have of knowing for sure that she IS, since as you pointed out, neither of us have been there. So all we have to go by are the testimonies as far as what goes on at the School, since BK keeps it very private and secret. Have you read people's testimonies on their experiences? What motive would they have for making up those stories? Her seminars like the one you attended are videotaped and publicly accessible, but the School is not, which in itself is interesting.

But regardless of what goes on at the School, and even if people writing about it are bald-faced liars... As I said, my biggest problem with BK is what she teaches people who have suffered trauma, especially child-rape. If you have trouble understanding why it's harmful, study basic psychology. But it seems to me that one doesn't need to study psychology to know that "telling a woman who has survived child rape that she is abusing herself, has abused the abuser and was involved in this to get the love/attention/approval she was after, that this is a GREAT BIG RED FLAG. It's very obvious and I don't know how anyone could miss it." That's quoted from someone else's post just so I don't have to re-word it, but I have read the section in Loving What Is where she does this, and watched some videos of her interviews. It is horrifying to me. But as I said in an earlier post, "if people who read her books aren't bothered by her interviews or her basic beliefs about reality and Godhood etc, then nothing they read about her online would be likely to change their minds about her."

[But the turnaround, instead, serves to ease the 'victim mentality' that causes so much suffering. Personally, when I feel the 'victim', it's the most painful state imaginable.]

As far as easing the 'victim mentality,' again that is covered in basic psychology. Let's take me for example. I have no problem at all stating that I was a 15-year victim of a cult. Yes, I was a victim. I am fine with that statement now; it doesn't cause me ANY suffering or stress to think that thought. Why? Not because I turned it around onto myself, but because I went to counseling for two years, read tons of literature, did lots of journaling, and worked very hard to forgive the cult leader and everything involved in that experience that was hurtful. And after 4 years, I could say for sure that I was fully healed from my PTSD. I no longer had daily suicidal thoughts, nightmares, anxiety attacks, or flashbacks. I could actually recognize some good things that came out of my experience, such as meeting my husband, and I could recall some good times. I no longer needed medication, and I was no longer in any emotional pain. (And if you're wondering, the only reason I'm posting here is that I googled "Byron Katie" before reading her book and this site came up.) Another example: one of my best friends was raped at knifepoint as a teen. Counseling didn't work for her, but doing sessions for 6 months with me and another friend who had been raped, and working through it with detailed journaling, did. She was able to work through it, and move on, and is no longer pained by it. There are many ways to 'ease the victim mentality' that don't involve TELLING YOURSELF LIES. And yes, for a victim of child-rape (or any rape), to believe that THEY ABUSED THEIR ABUSER or that THEY ABUSED THEMSELVES and they allowed or wanted it "for the love/attention" or what-have-you means they are believing very sick and very harmful LIES that are not conducive to true healing and recovery. Yes, psychologically healthy healing methods DO take longer; we're all about the quick-Fix these days which is one of the reasons BK's way is so enticing -- it only takes "minutes!" But it is NOT healthy, and is very sick and twisted. The real reason people feel pain or suffering or stress when they talk about being a victim of something, is that they haven't recovered from the pain of the event. Once they've recovered, they can say without stress, "I was a victim of XYZ." That doesn't mean they'll never feel any pain if they recall it, but it's no longer distressing. And I'm okay with feeling sad sometimes when I think about my experience. I doubt there is one adult in the world who has not gone through something very painful in their lives. It makes me feel more connected to the human race, and more aware of things, and wiser.

I was wondering, how do you feel about the quotes posted here from her book Losing the Moon?

Christa's post had some great points that I hope you'll think about too. :)

All the best,
Splash



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/2010 01:49AM by Splash90.

What Byron Katie is doing appears to be very simple, but in fact its very complex.
Its been detailed in these threads.

The sham phrase of Byron Katie..."is it true" has been explained as just a gimmick to lure people in, in a bait & switch.
The Work is a bait & swiitch.

The 4 Questions and a Turnaround bait & switch explained.
[forum.culteducation.com]



If a person seems to want to delude themselves, and allow themselves to be tricked, and to go down the Byron Katie rabbit-hole, in the end that is their own life they are risking.
And if a person has trauma or PTSD, that is a serious risk.

But they can't soft-peddle dangerous systems like Byron Katie to other vulnerable people, especially when they have no idea of how these systems operate.

Byron Katie has advertised and gained dozens and hundreds of others who are SELLING The Work for money to pay their mortgage, and to make money off the internet.
Those folks don't care if it "works", in fact, because it makes people keep coming back, that is how they make their money.
So over the past few years, The Work on The Web, has gotten much much worse.
Many of the people SELLING it now for high prices, don't care about anything other than getting those credit card transactions at $100 an hour, to do The Work.
Many of them also sell all kinds of other things at the same time, its just a business to make money from home for them.

They target and prey on people who are in serious psychological pain.

So the most serious WARNING that is possible has to go out about Byron Katie and the so-called "facilitators" and those who sell The Work for profit.
Its really as bad as it gets.
Hopefully people will stay away from these unlicensed quacks and saleswomen doing "The Work" who promise miracle cures for trauma and serious psychological issues.
Would a person go to see a unlicensed untrained person they found on the internet for medical "treatment"?
(sadly many do, and get scammed and much worse)


If a person needs some help, please seek help from a licensed trained professional in the field.
The book Trauma and Recovery by Dr. Judith Herman is an important book.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/2010 02:15AM by The Anticult.

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The Anticult
Would a person go to see an unlicensed medical "doctor" they found on the internet?

Unfortunately, YES...

P.S. to my last post to Lauren: I struggle with anxiety because of postpartum depression, in case anyone was wondering why I was saying I was 'healed' when I still have anxiety! And I'm pretty much over that; it lasts at most 2 years and my daughter just turned 2.

By the way, if some posts seem direct and blunt, that is on purpose.
The Byron Katie system is extremely dangerous, and one of the main reasons for that is that Byron Katie Inc are very clever, and have been able to soft-sell their material very effectively.

So a very serious WARNING has to be sent out.

The people that BKI directly TARGET are those who are in the most pain, and who are the most vulnerable. They target them directly.

So hopefully at least some people will think thrice before stepping into the Byron Katie mental quicksand. Anyone ever try to get out of quicksand, once even one foot is stuck?

P.P.S. let me clarify what I meant when I said that "I no longer had daily suicidal thoughts, nightmares, anxiety attacks, or flashbacks." The word 'daily' could be misconstrued, so I wanted to clarify that after 4 years of healing work, I no longer had any of them EVER (or since). "Daily" referred to the suicidal thoughts I used to have daily.

And one last thing: [She is a lover of reality. She is a lover of 'what is'.] That's another thing I don't agree with. I don't think that we should have to "love" what are generally perceived as "bad" things, or that it's necessary to do so in order to find peace or happiness or contentment.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/2010 03:03AM by Splash90.