Only way to get more information is to sit back and wait.

Time will tell. If people have been through it and are not happy with the results or worried about their family members, those are the persons whose first hand reports will carry the greatest weight.

My advice about keeping control of your own transportation and diet applies to any multi day event, period.

Almost twenty years ago when I was still Catholic, I was curious about a seminar advertised on a flier. (This was the preinternet era)

I attended, the talk went on well past my bedtime and as the hours went on, the material became horribly anti semitic.

I had enough, got up, left and while waiting at the taxi stand outside the hotel where the group had booked the meeting room. To my alarm and disgust, three people from the group showed up at my elbow. They had followed me out and were trying to persuade me to remain.

I lost no time getting into the first taxicab available, and was soon
well away.

And the next day, I sat down and wrote a letter to the chancellor of the diocese, describing what I had seen, and enclosed a copy of the flier. No doubt that is why the group didnt like it that someone had made a runner right after they'd revealed their worst material.

Now, this was in a city, at a large hotel. Taxicabs were readily available. Had I yelled and made a disturbance the concierge and doorperson would have arrived and I could have obtained help.

But if you are at a retreat center out in the country or at some other isolated place off the grid--you need to have your own car, just in case a sitaution turns dodgy and you want to exercise your rights to freedom of movement in the USA.

I see no one has been on this thread in about four years , but If anyone sees this , feel free to throw me a message about this "cult" your all so worked up about, I wouldn't say I'm a member of any such organization because it is not something you really sign up for it is simply something that you do, or do not do,

I do not attend regular meetings, and honestly am in complete control of my own thoughts at all times ,and I would go on but someone said earlier said not to engage the "cult" in there own familiar environment , so with that being said I welcome anyone who wishes to have Any questions answered about my "cult" feel free to message

I am taking this seriously and expect serious responses,I will not respond well to fear-mongering, or any sort of negativity, but I am prepared for it so do your worst

Thanks for making this thread visible for any and all curious readesr.

Here is an article. I am quoting large selections of text because it gives
information about what is taught in courses.

For full text of the article go here. The author was quite happy
with her course work.

Nothing is said about how much time one has for sleep, for taking breaks.


[news.holisticvancouver.com]

Quote

GeoTran Gems 2006 - Review

Contributed by Jen on Thursday January 11, 2007 07:18AM
from the Power-Of-Intentions-Holistic-Health dept.


October marked another successful GeoTran Gems course with The Way of the Heart. Gems I & II are the core courses in a methodology called GeoTran, an energetic tool used to clear and ground, refine Intentions and Goals, and support taking action in the direction of your goals.


Of course, an individual's intention is key to what they will get out of the weekend, and this year mine was: ?To embody graceful Mastery in my life while staying present emotionally?.

Naturally, that brought up all kinds of issues and challenges for me throughout the week. Whenever a person challenges an old belief or habit, everything that was supporting that old habit comes up to be faced and healed or released.

So naturally, I had to face a lot of issues I had around Grace, the physical body, Mastery, staying present, and being vulnerable emotionally! Also, a lot of issues around ?balance? came up. I knew this was a big intention to tackle, and part of my intention for attending the Gems classes this year was to get some extra support while I worked through it.

Luckily I had a great team to support me in my work.

Kimberly Herkert, co-founder of The Way of the Heart (WOTH), facilitated the first weekend, while Eduardo Parra and Daniel Goodenough, the other co-founder of The WOTH, facilitated the second weekend.

It was really interesting to contrast Kimberly's conversational, playful style with Eduardo and Daniel's quiet scientific method. Now that I think about it, it was perfect for my intention of balancing/combining emotions and (skill) Mastery.

The first weekend was called GeoTran Gems I.

We started out by learning more about the fields of energy that make up our physical world. As an avid reader and self-admitted physics-geek, I already recognized the work of Einstein, Bohm, Heisenberg, and Sheldrake.

In Gems I we explored how these fields of energy are really fields of information that both create and influence each of us separately and all of us collectively.

According to GeoTran, these fields of information not only determine your form and organize your growth, but also store your beliefs and memories, both learned and inherited. By accessing certain vibrations, one can ?re-program? their own information fields (or those of another person ? but I?ll save that for the section on Gems II below).

.....(0mitted for brevity, go to article for full text)

So once we had some clearing under our belts (and yes, I am glossing over the real work here ? the part where each person has to step up with their willingness to release their old patterns), we could begin to focus on what we wanted to build in our lives. ...(Text omitted for brevity)

The more awake you are, the more levels of reality and choices you can see. Most people see 0-3 choices for any given situation. .... If you cannot currently see at least 6 choices for any given situation, perhaps it is time to do a little more clearing. Furthermore, you can only see what you can imagine, so imagining what you love will also open your avenues of choice and possibility. What you can see, you can digest, process, address, and receive.

As far as energetic tools, we learned about the 12 rings of the brain, how to de-stress our own issues - so we could keep moving forward and challenging ourselves to stretch and grow without becoming overwhelmed ? and finally how to integrate any issue that is blocking us from achieving our goals. We also learned 6 great new ways to use the de-stressing tool called Positive Points!

Since The Way of The Heart has added spiritual practice to the GeoTran tools, we also experienced working with spiritual practices like breathing exercises, singing, and chanting.

Kimberly has a broad range of spiritual background to draw on, including Christian, Jewish, Sufi, Buddhist, Native American, and Muslim.

She claims that while religion is a personal affair, there is great benefit to doing various spiritual practices because of the resonance those practices have built over the years. For instance, we did a Sufi chant on compassion that monks have been doing for thousands of years, and we did a breathing practice based on 5-element practice. Powerful stuff.

In the first weekend, five courageous volunteers went in front of the group and were brave enough to share their own intentions and issues. Each person had a key for each of us in the group. I was startled that the first man up, Ross, had almost the exact same intention as me! Kimberly integrated them using GeoTran as we followed along in our books. We learned about the four different GeoTran Gems Integrations (there are other Integrations on other levels ? this level is all related to the brain), and the areas they address. Briefly, these are:

Miracle ? learning, and relationships, including how you see yourself in relation to the world, moving forward, and negotiating obstacles including diseases

Four-In-One ? self-trust, self-expression, giving and receiving issues, centering in present time

Peace ? restores lost ideals, including going for your dreams, clears and digests violations to self, to others, and allowed from others (without having to relive them) and the ability to see the higher story

Living ? how to receive and be blessed, including gratitude & respect/honor, and how to be nourished by your choices, including how to digest ideas, information, and experiences

" In the second weekend, we learned how to facilitate the above processes on others. It was interesting to see how eager people were to work on others, rather than themselves.

" As Tolstoy said: ?Everyone wants to change the world; no-one wants to change themselves.? I noticed this to be the case in almost every group I was in. However, since someone needs to be the subject in each group, we each got a chance to really dig in to our own issues at least once.

" We also covered some physical anatomy, and since the GeoTran Gems Integrations work on a brain level, we spent quite a bit of time learning about the brain, including recent discoveries about the physiology of the brain. I had heard of much of this new research from Dr. Joseph Chilton Pearce?s lecture in Vancouver earlier this year, however, I was surprised to learn that scientists have recently discovered a new brain that has only begun to develop in the last 30 years. That is exciting, since each time humans have developed a new brain, we have made significant leaps in evolution. (For example, think of the leaps between reptilian brain -> mammalian brain -> cerebral cortex).

" Gems II also led into the question of Life Mission, which was defined as ?Where your greatest joy meets the world?s greatest need?. As Daniel and Eduardo noted, real power comes from grabbing your tools and saying: ?What do I want in my life? Out of the infinite possibilities, what do I want to create

( ..omitted for brevity )

"In GeoTran, since what you can get out of it is so intimately linked with your Intention and your willingness to pursue that intention, it comes as little surprise to me that this year I faced some self-trust demons and came out of it feeling more Mastery than ever

.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2015 11:29PM by corboy.

It's time for everyone to offer an update.


I trust the souls who are meant and ready to read this, will. Because we will come to it and hear it when we are ready. Think of it has a soul learning experience...one that comes at a high cost and yet sometimes that's what we choose to go into.

its' not black and white here people. Remember and trust you came to this site for a reason. That should be reason enough. Something doesn't feel right, you question. You trust your intuition, even if its "just a feeling" or inkling.

I had been deeply involved in this group for years. I will have to leave those details out for good protection. There are many loving people here, wanting beneficial change for themselves, their families and the world.

"Tools" (Geotrans: mindgems, integrations etc) are offered which have been available for considerably less or free to help facilitate change in one's life. These were orginally founded by Dorothy Espiau and those practiced under her. They are difficult to contact and wish no contact from anyone from The Way of the Heart. "Mmm interesting creation."

Both Espaiu's work with Geotran and such and Kimberly Herkert (cofounder of what's called THe Way of the Heart which incorporates these) parted ways as they strongly disagreed on things. (details not given)
In courses, Kimberly has expressed the betrayal from the original group and other team members who have decided to leave The Way of the Heart.

The Way of the Heart have to pay copyright to use the tools and then obviously charge as its a business and organization. Although some of the tools can be helpful and spiritual practices as well, it is said with experience, clarity and truth that it is not something that is of benefit for someone to ascend and evolve. I'm saying this because even if the tools work, the "field" or space that it is in is quite disfunctional and there have been long overdue issues that they have not been addressed. I'm not talking physical space. I'm talking about the shared energy field that one is sharing when they "use their tools." The teachers have not been intergrity and I have witnessed the harm it causes to those in this "Way."

If you need facts, this is what we have and an investigation is continuing until this house burns down to restructure a new one based on true atonomy, freedom and joy. (and that includes if you want to leave or if you don't want to take a class it won't be used against you, you won't be accused of being in ego for God's sake---besides, its better to be honest with yourself and have enough love for yourself and decide whether its ego or not, I'm out! That's it! :) True freedom is being fully integrated with your decision and it doesn't come from a manual or muscle testing or using your tools that they give you. But you can do so, if you so feel inclined. It's a great teaching.

Love doesn't control or manipulate and guess what....that's what the Way of the "heart" has done time and time again. If they don't like your response, they edit you, they ask you to please clear your field and check the manuals, they ask you to really look at your ego and shadow....because heaven forbid it doesn't gell with them! Interestingly enough, what you are taught might be your ego, could be your intuition telling you something isn't quite right for you anymore.



The Way of the Heart keeps putting more and more pressure in very manipulative ways to get more people, especially the higher ups and the vulnerable to making the world a better place, living their life mission according to what they see as right. More and more I have witnessed a cofounder telling others that they think they should do this and that because its showing in the field. More and more I've seen people trying to get others in to this "Way" through peer pressure and fear in subtle ways.

*****The Way of the Heart claims to have a close relationship with the Sufi community and they donate proceeds from their sales from CD's and their merchandise to The Hope Project associated with the Sufi Order International. We have checked and confirmed directly with the Order that they have never heard of them, including the coworkers and had to look them up.*****

As if this isn't enough, during courses and pilgrimage, I witnessed one of the cofounders swearing and yelling at a member during integration. It was absolutely unloving, nasty and no amount of excuses would condone this, especially from a spiritual teacher. Some other members shared with me that they were scolded for ridiculous things and they felt scared, belittled etc.

Usually at time like these, its recommended everyone check in with their manuals and their field to clear any energies (I won't get into it) that might have caused this.

The CD's they give out have artist's music on it and there is no written indication that they have received copyright on the use of these. I can share the list of artists if it interests anyone.

Even though many of the unfortunate things have been from one of the cofounder's, the lack of action, discernment and stern boundaried from the other is a concern.
****Both have criminal records and that is available for your own use to see. [www.instantcheckmate.com]
If used, be mindful of it's use as everyone deserves respect, even though who don't always give it.


Like many organizations, religions etc, it is based on a hierarchy and thankfully this heirarchy and many are coming apart at the seams quickly in this new paradime which allows for more empowerment, truth and atonomy and experience. It leaves behind it spiritual manipulation, editing, controlling, clearing and spiritual obedience and distraction.

There are many affiliates or people that have used the tools to incorporate them in their business and thus promoting the Way of the Heart and there has been pressure to bring people into the courses and retreats. Every area is touched in one's life with this group. It effects family, many times people including myself have had a difficult time relating to the real world, the social world because of the work. Ironic that they offer integrations and speak to integrations as being the answer to many issues however, things were not integrating in the real world. Naturally the old will fall apart but this is different. People have really struggled in this work all in the name of spiritual evolution. People have left jobs permaturely, distanced from family and started their own business with this work, the label of Way of the Heart Integrations (which by the way, they are not. The work is Geotran and none of the integrations and those tools are from the Way of the Heart. Some individuals have gotten paid or gifted for getting others in to the group. This is not talked about much but it has been revealed to me and I have also experienced it first hand and it didn't feel right.

One of the main area coordinators who does energy work has put her own agenda into the mix, she is very invested in this group as being a part of it a long time. I think it may be difficult for her to see clearly and thus not a viable choice if you're looking for support, energy work and reiki. She has manipulated, whether consciously or not and saying that not continuing with this work means not awakening. What was also said when a dear friend left was that they were just going back to their bad habits of constantly searching and not going deeply with something.
Basically not being able to be intimate was used against this person. Hello, maybe being intimate with themselves meant getting the hell out. No one can say what is what for that person. Anything they can use that they know you're working has been used as a way of control.

The higher members were told shortly after a member abruptly left that they left due to their unresolved issues of shadow/ego/addiction that they were unwilling to look at and that everyone would need to be on top of their shadow work even more so and stay away. Its been confirmed that that is furthest from the truth and that the cofounder needs to look at their own shadow which runs deep as they try to keep things unwraps and prevent the others from daring to learn the truth.

I could keep going on about many things, good but mostly not good. It doesn't matter if these tools would save the world. The leaders in it are not in integrity, not transparent and not trustworthy leaders. What if this group is here to teach but definitely not in the way you expected it to be but rather from the opposite so you can again decide, no thanks once you awake up.




Ironically the thing (The Way of the Heart) that was to help me in my life became a distraction from my true heart's content and ran a tab and some debt but most of all, I have the gift of witnessing me reclaiming my power, my authority, my life and turning it around rapidly and manifesting things within weeks which didn't happen in even years with The Way of the Heart. THis is living in courage, with enough love to acknowledge that that's what it took for me to see.

Even so, there was a lot of value in many of the teachings. Its just many are available for free online, like the lovely Sufi mantras that we were strongly advised not to share because they were given directly to them and could only be taught by them. THat's bull shit. Its free for all to use and besides, the Sufi Order doesn't know these people so that story doesn't hold.


May others who want the short cut and not go through all this, may you receive your highest wisdom that is true for you.



Welcome to Your life, the Way of YOUR Heart, Your Soul and no one.....no one....oh did I say, no one can tell you how to live it. Even though they claim just that so you establish trust with them, they will then start to run and manipulate your life. I've seen it so many times from who to see, date, jobs, who to work with, live with etc (someone from the group instead of course!) etc.
Many start to sound all the same, I started talking the lingo as well...its just such a culture and people begin to lose their own identity, atonomy and its created a discusting fake dialogue where everyone speaks the same and acts the same because they are all on this wheel of needing approval or such...who knows. I have to honor and love that I have no problem being of opposite because what seems like shadow to some is a walk in the park for me in my true heart wanting to see true atomony, not because its something that will get approved or after clearing God knows what...by the way true spiritual masters werent't stuck in their rooms flipping through pages and pages of codes and clearings to get to the bottom of something in order to be happy, of service and manifest. A true master doesn't involve oneself with what needs to be corrected, altered, fixed, cleared. A true master lives in their love and finds it in the hard spots too, which become more seldom or less important when you do what you love. Shit naturally falls away because you're on path. Hold your intention that no matter what, you are on Course with your highest path. That means, even if the current vehicle you thought that is "taking you there" actually isn't.. things will be recified, things will be put right. Justice will be had in one's life.



Working in the manuals is not what you love. It's not you being of service. Its what many have been doing to waste a good enough of time and distract yourself from the real work, the real love, the real life. It bred more insecurity in others and myself, needing to do more and more and then some more because more shit kept coming up. When you look for it, guess what?.. more comes...its simple, what you focus on and what you sit in, you create. So, create more problems, more "spiritual" shit, if you'd like. Its just not the best use of your time or life.


You can be in service without them. (or with them if you choose!)
You can be in your Life Mission without them.
You can live without your manual, trust me I do frequently and have deeper trust, rather than not and I use it in a new way when I feel like it. That's right, when I feel like it which means when I feel guided to it,...which means it don't matter if you think thats ego or not!
You can live being integrated and integrating without spending time and money doing "their integrations." Declare it and get off that limited consciousness wheel.
You can be happy and create your life with less struggle and extreme polarities as many have encountered with this work (although there has been a time and place for it)...and you will not only evolve and ascend but you will do so as your awakened soul chooses. Ask your higher self/guides to clearly show you so that you can understand. And until then, don't act. Don't rush and honor what feels right for you. Don't act especially to apease someone waiting anxiously to get you in to that course, intro etc. Even more reason to not act or decide no unless you feel totally right about it. Don't rely on their tools, teachings to give you the answer. If what I'm writting doesn't feel true, then allow that. Honor that.I have no investment in it either way. A true teacher understands the complexities of our own way and allows for questioning and most of all has transparency. Much as been covered/hidden and NOT transparent.

I look forward to the transformation, to the burning of these ashes and the mercy for all of us on our journeys. Happy Holidays and transformation.
































several of the members

I definitely believe this group is a money scam

I have been part of this group
But realized it was all bullshit
it was too late by then
3000 dollars down the drain

Stay away !!

Update:

Its been confirmed that The Way of the Heart has not received licensing from artists songs that they sell in a package of CD's. It has been sold to attendees during their courses/spiritual retreats for $200USD.

More will be confirmed as things unravel. If you are a currently involved with them, keep in mind to look things up yourself. Think for yourself and be gentle with yourself.

Unfortunate about your $3000 loss. May 2016 be a great and mighty year for you and so many who have come through this.

The Way of the heart is a spiritual/agnostic group that attracts many intelligent, well educated people- many who seem to have experienced past trauma and grief such as sexual abuse , incest, and other forms of violence.

While it does help people- it also seems to be very successful at controlling its followers through classes, breathing exercises, daily spiritual practices, TWOTH coaching and retreats. While some may take a few classes and move on- others seem to perpetually sign on to new classes and retreats. The classes and retreats are closed off affairs and often involve participants in isolation from the outside world. All of this results in a constant revenue stream for this LLC. Also the lack of transparency and pay- for- spirituality makes the followers dependent on this spiritual group to the apparent exclusion of other spiritual groups. The methods they use to keep people engaged , and coming back for more include: keeping their class and retreat prices low, sensory deprivation , regular monitoring of members, and maintaining a safe and bland public image.
The effect of involvement with TWOTH can result in its followers essentially being married to it- as if the organization itself were a collective persona.It is in effect- a sort of family.
TWOTH covers a wide range of topics - from Catholicism, the Kabbala, visual art, music, hinduism to Sufism to new age interpretations of science. While TWOTH purports to promote freedom of thought and critical thinking- it in fact seems to promote its own version of these ideas and seems to promote closed thinking toward ideas they dont approve of.It also promotes ideas and opinions which are false and misleading- probably as a method of control.
TWOTH is a cut above many other groups and has helped many people- especially the emotionally vulnerable.. If TWOTH would be more transparent and honest about itself,its methods and ideas- it would perhaps gain more approval.

Thankful for having landed on this cult forum site, while once again trying to uncover the scant information there is on D Goodenough's Way of the Heart organization. The inquiry is motivated by a hurtful aspect and byproduct of how Way of the Heart methodology affects its followers and staff. Too often it seems that the very positive, loving relationships that the organization preaches to strive for they squelch in their staff members' personal lives - this would interfere with the time intensive recruitment and tuition building activities expected of them. But the pain of separation and disconnectedness of overworked Goodenough employess is real. Feels like the practice of way of the heart self enhancement is more of a self aggrandizement of the organization's heads whose backgrounds and credentials are as much of a mystery today as they were at the outset. Be wary of any guru led group that promotes a perpetual discovery process requiring unending courses and retreats. It'll drain the trust and tends to find devotees lonely and lost in the long run. The key is how to get people who are entrenched in this cycle to think for themselves find balance in their lives.

Is anyone out there that has left? I was deeply involved with this group and was excommunicated. I am looking to connect with ex members

I was involved with The Way of the Heart for several years and attended a number of classes and retreats every year. I never experienced "sensory deprivation" during any of these. I would not characterize what I experienced as "mind control" though I could see how others might. I used the GeoTran tools, breathing practices, and spiritual practices on a regular basis.

On the plus side of the organization, I found many of the tools helpful with reducing day-to-day stress, furthering some goals, healing past trauma, and expanding my view on what is possible. Many of the people I met seem to be caring, supportive people. I enjoyed fellowship and conversations about deep topics.

On the down side, leadership team members could be pushy about trying to enroll me in additional classes under the guise of supporting me to not let my "lower self" run my life.

I witnessed a fair bit of behavior by one of the founders that did not meet my expectations for a spiritual teacher, and at times seemed not in keeping with what was being taught. Trying to bring this up to said teacher later, I was dismissed as being in my lower self and told that I should go do some work on myself. I did go and do some work on myself and came to the conclusion that even if I was in my lower self, so was the teacher and she missed an opportunity for self-reflection.

I observed some behavior that I consider borderline abusive and some that definitely crossed a line into abuse (yelling and cursing).

I'm not sure I would go so far as to say that The Way of the Heart is definitely a cult, but there is dysfunction there.

I ran across an article late last year about abuse of power by the charismatic, narcissist leader and it brought the situation into focus for me. The article said that followers can see the charismatic leader as "an omnipotent archetype, mystical (in touch with "higher truths"), heroic, and value-driven." (check!)

There can be empathy, emotional intimacy, and talk of empowerment which leads some followers to give up their healthy skepticism because "the charismatic leader is perceived as someone they can profoundly trust." (check!)

Once this leap is made, the follower will accept unreasonable expectations and will excuse and justify all sorts of abusive behavior. They will blame themselves for the abuse because they failed to meet lofty expectations and let the leader down. (check!) (I think the leadership team members are especially at-risk. I would recommend against joining the leadership team.)

Followers who have not fully made this leap will come to some point where they cannot accept the behavior and either leave or are pushed out of the group. (check!)

I think this is where the idea of "cult" comes up. Outsiders can see the abuse for what it is and are mystified that followers allow it and justify it.

Overall, I do not regret the time I spent with The Way of the Heart and I do not regret having moved on,