I have a friend who is deeply involved in this group and is encouraging me to take its classess. However, he is rather secretive about his experiences, justifying his response with "if I tell you to much, it will spoil your experience." From what I have learned from the MITT site, some reviews and some other sources, it appears to have many hallmarks of a non-violent cult. I would like to hear from other people with first hand knowledge of this group before making a commitment.

Hi there, I know nothing about this organisation, so cannot pass judgement, but I do have a very simple test that is useful, which is to ask to speak to someone who has left the organisation.


If your friend cannot find anyone anywhere who has left but still thinks highly of the organisation, the alarm bells should immediately start ringing. All the good organisations I know, whether they are churches, support organisations (e.g. counsellors, NLP trainers, charities etc) will have a lot of people who have left but still have respect for the organisation. Perhaps family commitments or work commitments led them to leave, but they still know people in the organisation and respect what they are doing.

If the ONLY people who speak highly of the organisation are those still in it, beware!

The most effective recruitment is through friends and relatives we love
and trust most.

That is how I got into a very bad situation. I loved and trusted a friend of mine and she was totally unaware she'd gotten entangled in quite a bad situation.

If this group has you sign away your right to sue for damages if you
incur harm during their sessions, run far far away.

You cannot easily mind hack or think your way out of this type of group.

Key features:

Confidentiality may be non existent. You may reveal sensitive info about your
life to a room full of strangers and no assurance that this information may not
be recorded. Your picture can easily be taken without your permission.

If you are in a lucrative occupation or you are a therapist and capable of
referring clients, or you have a medical or law degree -- you may be given preferential treatment.

Sleep deprivation (will destabilize even the most intelligent person)
People in the group are past participants who will weep, tell intimate details
of their lives, so you feel compelled to share too.

Things to read

Cult Education - Warning SignsPotentially unsafe groups or leaders "come off very nice at first, they go for
vulnerable people who are looking for answers, lonely, what you'd call 'normal
people ...
www.culteducation.com/warningsigns.html - 16k - Cached - Similar pages



Large Group Awareness Trainings (aka LGATS)

Cult News » Why did Landmark Education leave France?Sep 29, 2006 ... Interesting new blog is up on Large Group Awareness Training and Human
Potential ... [forum.culteducation.com]
www.cultnews.com/2006/.../why-did-landmark-education-leave-france/ - 120k - Cached - Similar pages

[lgattruth.wordpress.com]


Covert influence

www.ex-premie.org/singer



If your friend refuses to tell you what goes on during the trainings
and says it works best if you dont know in advance, AVOID

Many groups get wealthy by getting people enthusiastic and working
for them without pay, as perhaps your friend is doing.

Your friend may know nothing about the actual history of leader
and group -- may be in the grip of a high that has been induced
by participation in the group.

Dont let your friend suggest that your caution is a sign of negative thinking.

If you are a man, beware of any attempt to suggest that you are cowardly
because you refuse to go into something with no prior knowledge.

People who operate these types of groups are very often from a sales background
and know all kinds of tricks to get people into the rooms.

Lots of rave reviews on yelp.

But Cult Education Institute is here to assist people in learning about
side effects.

If your MD prescribes medication, that bottle of pills comes with a package
insert listing benefits, side effects, and you can learn what are
the signs to stop taking that medication.

You can also get a consulation with the pharmacist.

Here at the Cult Education Institute message board, we are free
to describe and discuss side effects.

(Quote)· 1.0 star rating
· 4/25/2014
· I would advise staying away from MITT and programs like it (Landmark, The Forum, etc).

To give you an informed history of MITT as well as links to non-biased information and news articles please keep reading.

MITT is the third generation of government convicted fraudulent Large Group Awareness Trainings. It, as well as Landmark, comes from a company called Mind Dynamics that is related to one of the first pyramid schemes in The United States.
The first generation was a company called Mind Dynamics. This company was disbanded following an investigation of fraud. Former members created a number of spin offs including Lifespring and EST. After both spin off organizations were tried and convicted of lawsuits ranging from involuntary servitude to wrongful death in the 80s and 90s both were also disbanded.

In the 90s EST then became Landmark while in 1999 the Los Angeles Area Director of Lifespring Margo Majdi bought the company and renamed it the Mastery in Transformational Training (MITT).

Lifespring was a three tiered system that used psychological strain, public embarrassment, harassment, imposed buddy system, strict rules and regulations, sleep deprivation, promoting deficient views of family, false memories, and whole host of other military basic training proven psychological techniques used to create loyalty with their attendees.

The structure used by MITT is a three tier system with increasing prices at every level. The first tier is a basic introduction that focuses on identifying your faults and issues in your personal life. This is followed by a graduation and reunion that aggressively sells the advanced program. The second tier advanced program allows you to earn a certificate to move on to further training through promoted contact with people in your life based around course exercises. Finally a third tier teaches you how to lead people into the basic program. At all levels you are in constant contact with the trainers, the company, and the other members to encourage forward movement.

Upon leaving the MITT it is common the member will receive phone calls and at home visits to attempt to convince them to return. Some previous member who have left the group have changed phone number and/or addresses.

Helpful links and information:
Old Lifespring Wiki with missing information from the original site (everything.explained.at/…)

Margo Majdi listing as owner of Lifespring LA (companies.findthebest.co…)

Personal account of a similar Large group Awareness Training:
(culteducation.com/group/…)

Informative Article of What Takes Place within Lifespring and the psychological and disciplinary practices used (culteducation.com/group/…)

Many repeated events of the above article are referenced in other yelp reviews
Lawsuits against Lifespring (articles.sun-sentinel.co…)

Lawsuit newspaper article against Lifespring (news.google.com/newspape…)

Tool to help determine if it's a cult: (freedomofmind.com/Info/B…)
Mind Dynamics Wiki: (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/…)
(Unquote)

(Quote)· 2.0 star rating
· 2/26/2014
· I am giving two stars for their good intentions.

My husband attended this program based on the recommendation of a business associate to improve business relations - basic, advanced, & now on to leadership - this program is a HUGE, slightly overwhelming commitment, so don't enter it lightly.

If your spouse is attending, plan on not seeing or hearing from them for the 5 days of training. The events leave little (5minutes per day) if any time to communicate with the outside world.

The courses seem to have opened my husband up to deeper emotions and that is a positive. The course claims to focus on committing yourself to goals and giving more to those you love, but the program itself is so intensive, you have time for little else but mitt. Prior commitments will be overrun by mitt's demand for your full commitment.

Additionally, you'll be pressured to committing to the next course while in the training and you'll not be able to consult with your spouse before agreeing and paying the fees. If your spouse attends, just plan on them going to many levels of the program in rapid succession because they are good at the upsale. My husband registered for the 2nd event (which fell on my birthday) without telling me until after returning home & I ended up having to cancel a big party that had been planned for a month - they pressure you to commit and don't want any excuses, not even something valid and important.

Even when you are not at training your life will center around mitt. There are calls almost daily with your group leader, group members or someone at the mitt office. To me it all looks to be about keeping you on track to join the next program and not giving you a moment to breath but my husband says they just encourage him to do what he wants in life, go for his dreams, etc, but that can only be done with further (pricey) mitt training and coaching.

Overall, this training seems good if you are really struggling and are single. If you are married... This program is likely going to strain things while in the process!! If you are just looking to boost your leadership skills, this is overkill, in my opinion.

Best of luck to you!
(Unquote)

(quote)· 1.0 star rating
· 4/14/2014 Updated review
· There was an M.I.T.T. graduation last night on a Sunday so my Friend/Boss is coming in at 12pm. She is so far behind on all of her work but it just doesn't matter as much at Transformational Training....isn't this supposed to help you in your work life? As someone who cares about her and is able to watch her on a daily basis this program really disturbs me. She is a good person who wants to be loved, needs hugs, needs approval and doesn't really have any friends who she speaks with on a daily basis besides me. She is just what M.I.T.T. is looking for.
(Unquote)

(Quote)1.0 star rating
4/8/2014 Previous review
A friend of mine is in phase two as we speak. I'm not saying they don't want to do good but it… A friend of mine is in phase two as we speak. I'm not saying they don't want to do good but it seems to be all about M.I.T.T. and not the person. She has to pickup phone calls in the middle of the day no matter what. She is working and has big bills which she can not get out of and they inundate her with other projects. Yes, it's a project that she has her heart set on but at what cost? She stays up to all hours of the night and comes in to work drained and we start at 10am. M.I.T.T. gets paid though. They even ask the other students to donate $$ so that their fellow round 1 friends can move on to round 2 WITH THEM right away instead of waiting a few months and letting it sink in. They make you WANT/NEED to do it right away because you're a team. If they really want people to move on why don't they offer it Pro Bono? She is a good person and really wants to be good but keeps getting involved with all of these programs who make her always feels like they are going to be her saving grace. Read more
Was this review …?
(Unquote)

(quote)· 1.0 star rating
· 2/8/2014
· I attended the basic training in Feb 2014 in Los Angeles.

I witnessed people being humiliated and put down by the trainer to facilitate a "breakthrough in "resistance" that is holding people back from growing as a individual.
When I tried to leave early I was chased by the staff and asked what was going on with me and finally the staff persuaded me to come back into the meeting. When 2:30 in the morning hit and the trainer started a new lesson that he said was going to be another half hour, I picked up my things to leave. I was then surrounded by staff trying to prevent me from leaving.
It is a mind controlling seminar that will not tolerate any questioning of the trainer from the participants. The trainer will slice and dice someone until they finally admit that they are operating from "ego" and have to analyze where it is coming from in front 200 people.

Check it out for yourself and form your opinion. I am taking my valuable time to write this because I believe it is a waste of money and destructive. If someone is vulnerable they will be convinced they need to rely on the training to have "breakthroughs" and will be persuaded to complete the other few courses.

My advice, read some good books on personal growth and/or, find groups that are not high pressure and are trained to make you doubt yourself such as MITT.

Sincerely
(unquote)

(quote)· 2.0 star rating
· 2/11/2014
· Two things up front: I got kicked out for refusing to do something I felt was not safe. Second, I used to teach similar insightfulness/mindfulness techniques for business owners as a small part of my curriculum. So while I'm familiar with pattern recognition and have keen intuition, I don't lead "breakthrough" work. I'm also friends with some of the most well respected transformational leaders in the world, so I have a good understanding of what MITT is aiming to accomplish and have seen the best do it magnificently.

OK, so, my experience. I hadn't heard of MITT but I had heard horror stories about Landmark and getting humiliated for having to go to the bathroom. As the Queen of the Itty Bitty Bladder Society, I go a lot. So that was the #1 thing I wanted to clear. I was assured that wouldn't be an issue, that I could go whenever I needed to. But on day one, within the first hour, as I was going to the potty one of the staff nearly tackled me and said if I left the room I was out of the training. I went to the potty, came back, said I'd already had this discussion in my prep call and was assured they didn't behave like this. Red Flag #1

You commit to being on time. Great. BUT, you also commit to taking care of your own nutrition, sleep, medical needs. You even sign a contract to that effect saying they aren't responsible. Perfectly valid. Except that they keep you so late, and then plan early morning calls (that were not agreed to or in the schedule) that you end up with no sleep. I say "you", because I didn't agree to do the calls. I managed my sleep.

The woman who commented that she tried to leave at 2:30am, that night they ended I think at 4am when the scheduled stop time was midnight. I left at the scheduled time because I was already dangerously tired and had to drive home. Red Flag #2

Nowhere in the precall or literature does it say you will be asked to leave if you are 1 second late. When it rains in LA, there are accidents, traffic, things happen, and a number of people are tourists from out of town who don't know what to expect. But it is used as a teachable moment, those who are late have to analyze how this behavior is showing up in other places in their life. This is a valid point however it is humiliatingly made. NOTE: if you are going to go, do NOT be late. Stay in the hotel and be early. Red Flag #3

In the literature and reinforced on the pre-calls they state that you can work during the day. Don't do it. Many of my friends have gone through the training and are having the best year of their life, they got the breakthrough they were looking for and are big fans of the training. What I would recommend, if you are going to do it, take the time for yourself, make sure you can sleep plenty, don't plan any other time, because oh yes, there's deep homework that has to be done that could take more of your sleep time. Red Flag #4

So, does it work? For some, yes. For some, no. Some people say its the greatest training of their lives, others leave knowing that they don't need that brand of breakthrough to work out their stories. I would respect the training more if they simply didn't graduate you if you were late or missed something, but they make you take the whole class over. That shows me the lack of sleep must be part of the process to reduce resistance. And I can see how that can be majorly helpful when trying to break someone who is always in control (ah hem, ok, that would be me. HI, I'm perfect and I don't cry in public. Nice to meet you).

Rule breaker me even went so far as to find my name tag after I'd been kicked out and put it on and be in my seat as the music ended at the end of break to see if I could continue, only to be thrown out again. The normal questions as a method of inquiry to self discovery was not what I got. I got judgement and accusation. Which totally goes against the guiding principles so whose issue was it anyway that got me ejected? I'm thinking, not mine...

So to bullet point my advice, IF you are going to do it:

Don't have any other plans other than the work you are there to do on yourself.
EAT and Sleep and Hydrate. Mind your body and listen to it.
Go with a group. I was happy I did, but at the same time, when I got kicked out, all my friends were in the room, unaware. And I was a sobby snotty mess, without anyone to process it with. So have a friend on the outside too, just in case.

I would say stay at the hotel or nearby, try not to drive, but don't stay alone. Things will come up and having someone to talk to is essential.

If you are at rock bottom, miserable, and ready to change, those are the people I've seen get the most amazing results. That's when the willingness to try anything appears, and viola, massive breakthrough. I don't agree with their methods for me, but I would never belittle the results I've seen in people I know who say it changed their lives for the better.
(unquote)

This may also be known as MITT
Lifespring - Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
Melton and Lewis point out that both Werner Erhard and John Hanley had previously worked at Mind .... Margo Majdi purchased rights to Lifespring materials in 1998, forming a new company called Mastery In Transformational Training (MITT).en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/107885 - 42k - Cached - Similar pages
If so, some people asked about in on this message board in 2006
Google citations
Grievances of an Otherwise Jolly Fellow, and The Real World Seen ...
Jan 12, 2009 ... ... heard of a frisky little organization called M.I.T.T. (Mastery in Transformational Training), ... I'm ready to flip out on this Margo Majdi woman.jollyjonbonner.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html - 45k - Cached - Similar pages
About the Founder - Mastery in Transformational Training
Margo is a leader in the world of transformational work. As the Founder and President of Mastery in Transformational Training she has supported thousands of ...mittraining.com/aboutus.php - 7k - Cached - Similar pages
thetorchfoundation.org - Founder
Margo Majdi, Founder of The Torch Foundation, was born and educated in Holland, ... naming her new company Mastery In Transformational Training (M.I.T.T.).thetorchfoundation.org/content/view/31/61/ - 12k - Cached - Similar pages
Mastery In Transformational Trainings - Marina del Rey ... -

[jollyjonbonner.blogspot.com]

(quote)Monday, January 12, 2009
M.I.T.T. and the Downfall of My Fellow Man
Wondering if anyone out there has heard of a frisky little organization called M.I.T.T. (Mastery in Transformational Training), a group-awareness program out of California.

A long-time, good friend of mine is deep into the training, a program whose beginner course starts at around $500, with proceeding courses charging up to $1200-$1500 bucks.

He had been telling me about this stuff for weeks. One evening, I went over his house to catch up and just hang out. The second I showed the slightest interest in the MITT program, it didn't stop.

He began referring to me as if I had already committed to the program. When I would ask him a question about it, he would involve me in the explanations, (you will find this out, you will see this, this will happen to you), never once just explaining what they do.

After extensive research I found this helpful blog: [pooflingers.blogspot.com]

(The blog seems defunct --Corboy)

I found out about the owner of the company, how she bought the Lifesprings company (which had been subject to lawsuits involving suicide, and psychological illness) and formed this new company, probably with a plan to modify, reshape, and upgrade.

Now the company's mission doesn't seem so wrong, however preventing participants from advancing due to inadequate recruits or "enrollment", well that my friend is called a scam, belonging to yet another ill-run business..

A cult is kind of like a religion, often "considered unorthodox or spurious", says the Merriam-Webster dictionary.

This program, isn't even worthy of being a cult. It is a straightforward scam. There are cultish attributes about it, in the way they mold weak minds and prey on the unsure and insecure, but the overall assessment is that they're all money-grubbing whores. One more recruited to them, means eventually another. Another $500.

In this program, they teach you that money doesn't matter. So then, why do I have to pay you $500?

I'm ready to flip out on this Margo Majdi woman.
Let's think about this for minute here: so an "educated hairdresser" (?) from Holland buys the rights of an otherwise failing fraud of a company, and basically just changes the name. After assessing all the lawsuits and filings, they adjust their programs to fraudingly reflect a more "positive" mission statement. These "life-changing experiences", and "break-downs" hit so far home for some people and are articulated by the speakers so intensely, that they truly take it as something that has saved their life.

It all becomes clear, and they are no longer afraid. So when the time comes to start "enrolling" other people to the program, it's hard from them to not enroll, because they've become so passionate about the training.
Classic cult. Masked under a seemingly hopeful mission of transformation.

Now my friend freaks me out beyond belief. I've known him for about 15 years and now he's completely brainwashed by these people, and can't even find the sense to trust my words.

The weak mind won't always be weak. That's what I think life is about: learning from others and from your mistakes. Unless you're 100% mentally retarded, you will not go through your whole life brainwashed. Reality, at some point, has to kick you square in the face. I'd call this Margo Majdi out so hard on being the coldest, most heartless woman I've ever heard of, all just to make money off the weak minds.

What is the NEED for these businesses? Do people need to make money that badly and that menacingly and that easily? Why can't these people just write books? I'll tell you why: PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF REALITY. Our economy, society, and government suck. Instead of revolting, people rise above it.

"If it makes me a little money, screw em". Tobacco companies, banks, insurance companies, credit card companies, and especially online companies, along with these MITT-type spiritual-recruitment-bru-ha-ha, are just a bunch of twisted clowns laughing at consumers. While Billy slits his wrists after losing all of his friends after only trying to "enroll" them, Margo Majdi sits in the Caribbean, sipping champagne.
MONEY ISN'T THAT IMPORTANT! People have their standards, and they need to be lowered. SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY. Have less, need less. All these toys are unnecessary. Cars are unnecessary. Consider the outside as your home, and your actual house, just a shelter from the storm. Wander and walk, ramble and talk. Why do you need a job? There are things growing out of the ground that you can eat. What's so bad about being a "bum"? Why is it called a "bum"? Not all the bums are on a "bummer", you know. A lot of them just didn't feel like conforming to this mess of a world we live in, and I don't blame them. I would much rather hobo from train to train then conform to this appalling place we live in.

These poor people, victims of traumatizing pasts and families. If only they knew how big the world is, and that wonder and satisfaction can be found in their surroundings at hand. Write about, draw it, become a part of it, but don't get screwed by it. "If you're good at something, never do it for free", and "Instead of walking a common path, blaze one's own" come to mind. Enough of this hustling, bustling system. REVOLT!!! (unquote)

This is the biggest douchebag organization that personally cost me thousands and destroyed someone close to me 10 years ago.

MITT in Los Angeles is run by a fat, gutteral sounding Dutch woman named Margo. Who by the way has zero training in psychology and is a former hairedresser from the Netherlands. She is agressive. She is rude and she is ruthless. Pure and simple - she wants your cash. And she doesn't care if you have rent to pay, children to feed or your about to lose your life. She'll use her minions to take whatever they can if you reject her. I've personally seen her in the parking lot of an airport hotel where they hold these charades called group training where she dresses down someone who can't even pay their rent, calling them a loser if they don't use that rent money to take her training class.

I personally went to her low class, cheesy office in a Marina Del Rey tourist Port's O'Call village to tell her she's destroying my girlfriend and to stop. She threw me out of her office then turned the screws on this girlfriend so that she was literally paying for bogus memberships out of her overdrawn checking account just so she could make it to the next higher level.

It's not a joke. It's cause for litigation. This woman needs to be sued and there needs to be criminal justice as well.

Their large group awareness meetings are everything you read above. Coercive. Intrusive. Run by sidewinding salesman who have zero psychological background. They look for people who are looking for easy answers in life. Black and white worlds. Naive. Weak minds who are will falter in the face of group pressure.

I rose up to the legacy level if you can call it rise up. That suggests accomplishment so it's really a joke to say this. I had to start wearing suits like a Nazi officer. And when I couldn't chew gum - I walked out. Next day I did not show up for training and instead went surfing. That's when they put the screws on my girlfriend and ruined her. For chewing gum.

Margo is a pig to put it simply. These MITT organizers are the lowest human beings who manipulate good innocent people to take their cash and leave them destitute. Fight. Don't submit.

RTF, your mailbox is full.

Hope you are thriving.

Doing great Corboy! Thanks. Glad I'm out of that fatal circus 11 years ago. LGAT. MITT. There's some better four letter words to describe them.

I've just read your posts. My daughter tried to kill herself immediately after she left the LA MITT program, after endless phone harassment. She was pushed into it by her aunt (my sister) and was made to feel guilty when she tried to get out of doing the LP portion, both by the group and by my sister. She drove to New York and jumped into the East River at 4 in the morning in April of last year. A police officer happened to be driving by and saw her. She was hospitalized for hypothermia and then in the psych ward for a month. she was terrified that the people in MITT were coming to kill her. She has stabilized after a year of therapy, but it was a terrifying and arduous road to recovery. I want to warn people about the dangers of their methods (pressuring them to remove their clothes?) and general creepiness. I'm wondering if you could refer me to any reputable organizations or blogs so I can learn more about this - specifically if anyone else has had an experience like this - and if there are any class action lawsuits against Margo et al. I have to try to prevent this from happening to anyone else. thank you Corboy,
R True