Lighteningbug...what class are you? I am about to graduate from this program and have had nothing but great success.

A little about my background. I am an information system security analyst of the Federal Government. I have had several traumatic events happen in my life. Those events are still a touchy issue with me so I care not to tell anyone else about it. This training has been a wonderful addition to my life.

It is Life Changing.

I took a chance in asking my wife to go through the program, mainly because my facilitators stated that Pathways has been known to cause rifts between two people because during the classes, the individual may see that the reason they are having issues in their marriage or relationship, directly is affected by differences not noticed when the two got together.

Simply put, I put my marriage in jeopardy by sponsoring my wife. I took the chance because if she experienced anything like I experienced, our marriage would be much better.

We are now doing great, although neither of us have graduated. We communicate on a heart level. This is a program that doesn't even need to be in this category, because none of it screams "cult".

I am a deacon at my church, yet I feel no need to move to Dallas to be with my friends. I am perfectly happy in Oklahoma with my wife, church, and family.
Pathways hasn't asked for any money outside of the classes. I have not given them a dime over what is owed for the courses.
I have new respect for my community because I see them differently now. I see past all the crap they have on the outside, and I get to know them on the inside. It is amazing what you can accomplish when you meet someone at a heart level.
This program has been the hardest thing I have ever encountered, yet, the most rewarding. It is by far one of the best things I have done in my life, next to getting Saved by Grace through Jesus Christ, our wedding, my son's wedding, and the birth of our granddaughter.
To say that this program is a ripoff and a cult, is basically sour grapes for one individual, who has fallen off their contract on their heart, and pure guessing.
Before you state that this is a cult, I challenge you to go through it yourself. I will even sponsor you.

--JB

OnYrMrk:

You seem to be here as an apologist for Pathways.

As you can see from this thread others don't agree with your opinion.

No one needs to "go through" mass marathon training to know it is controversial and frequently problematic.

See [www.culteducation.com]

This is a paper written by a psychologist that went thourgh such a training program. He points out the inherent problems with such training.

Research is plentiful regarding the pitfalls of mass marathon training or large group awareness training (LGAT) by groups such as Landmark Education, Lifespring and others. You don't need to smoke or drive drunk to know it's a bad idea. People can instead rely upon research readily accessible through the Internet.

Your background as a federal employee and deacon at your church doesn't qualify you as an expert regarding such training. You are simply someone who supports such training and are stating your personal and subjective opinion.

Can you think of something wrong with the training?

What do you think Pathways did wrong that they could correct to avoid complaints?

Have a look at this exchange here bewteen "skoosavich" and "mfox2010" earlier on this thread.

[forum.culteducation.com]

See [www.cultnews.com]

The Rick A. Ross Institute for the Study of Destructive Cults, Controversial Groups, and Movements has officially changed its name to The Cult Education Institute for the Study of Destructive Cults, Controversial Groups and Movements.

The new domain name entry point and gateway to the Internet archives of the institute will soon be culteducation.com.

The Cult Education Institute archives is a library of information about destructive cults, controversial groups and movements, which was initially launched in 1996 and has continued to be under construction and expansion for the past 17 years.

The public message board attached to the The Cult Education Institute will soon only be accessible through the domain name culteducation.com. More than 100,000 entries from the former members of destructive cults, controversial groups and movements and others concerned has accumulated at the board over the past decade. The message board content continues to grow daily and it serves as a free speech zone for those who wish to share their insights and concerns about the topics listed.

I know some things about Pathways. Did you go? If yes, what was your experience?

They take participants to a church on the second meeting session and they can decide if they want to be re-baptized...at the end of the service. There are religious overtones. It is always at the same church and the religion of choice is always Christian. Baptism is full immersion in water.

I have great compassion to anyone who loses a loved one to this slick group who pieces together a little of this with a little of that to convince these vulnerable people that they they have lives without purpose and they (Pathways) have the tools to make them whole.

Very little sleep
Reveal their souls to strangers
They go spend a day in a nursing home to realize they will get old and time is short
After very little sleep on a weekend they go to a Christian church and have an opportunity to be baptized.
Bottom line...do not let anything or anyone (including your own children and family and career) get in the way of your own happiness.

Dr Phil adds a lot of drama to drama. He doesn't mind asking for money either. My suggestion is to decide what kind of person you want to be and put it in writing before you go to one of these LGAT's Pathways will give you the Title that you are looking for, but it will only be words and only those at Pathways will believe that is who you are. If you don't want to have to depend on the friendship and admiration of Pathway graduates for your self worth, look for direction elsewhere. Look at what you put in writing and then look for where you can learn skills to be that person. Pathways will show you that you are a looser and then "fix you" with a one size fits all" remedy.

What nursing home allows these kinds of visitors?

Is the facility connected to this group in any way?

Would any of us like it if we were in our wheelchairs and someone sent a group into our living space to look us over as part of an indoctrination program?

Or how would we feel if our elderly relatives were used that way, eh?

Find out the name of the state regulatory agency that oversees nursing homes.

If you can get the name of the facility that allows Pathways to use in the manner described by Bunny, this should be reported.

One isnt in a nursing home to be put on display.

I don't know if there is a connection. The nursing home is Linwood Nursing and Rehabilitation center.

The residents don't know that they are a part of the program. They are just spending time with nice people. Those that are there visiting from Pathways are told not to tell the residents that they will see them in the future. I don't see any reason to report it.

What the Pathway students probably don't consider is that even if they have their "happiness" they will grow old. The people that they visit have also had and probably still have "happiness." They had careers and family and ups and downs and still they are not over. Pathways controls the experience to make it what Pathways wants it to be.