I am happy that the this web-site exists.

I have participated in some LE courses including ILP and TMLP (the leadership trainings) since 1996. I am quite open-minded about everything, so I did not worry too much about "brainwashing" and stuff. I even thought, maybe it is a cult, so what, I can leave whenever I like.

Doing the team management program recently, I woke up. What have I received for all the time and money that I invested??? I was thinking I would learn something about team managment and myself. I could no longer ignore that it was only about registering people into LE courses. They did not care, at all, about my job, my time, ... I just had to be there as part of the training. I started to dislike the tough atmosphere.

I think I am, in fact, "brainwashed" that I never really questioned what a leader (usually nice people) was telling me. How could I believe that THEY are always right. But now I finally did and left LE forever. Also before sometimes, I felt bad, "coachings" circling around in my head during the night. All the stuff you have already reported here.

They tell you: It is "your" responsibility, you are having a racket, here is another course, your life won't work ... then you feel guilty etc. and they are having the power. "Highly trained" LE leader people - I think most people are more successful in life than they are ...

It helps me a lot to see that many people here made similar experiences and I would be happy to hear more about it.

From what I see, it appears most of the higher ups in Landmark successes are limited to Landmark successes, ie registering more people in the programs.

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ClausDIa
I am happy that the this web-site exists.

I have participated in some LE courses including ILP and TMLP (the leadership trainings) since 1996. I am quite open-minded about everything, so I did not worry too much about "brainwashing" and stuff. I even thought, maybe it is a cult, so what, I can leave whenever I like.

Doing the team management program recently, I woke up. What have I received for all the time and money that I invested???

Clausdia,

I feel good to see that are efforts are helpful. How did your awakening happened? Was it sudden in your mind, or was it a slow process that made it's way progressively. How come expert manipulators at LEC lost their grip on you?

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From what I see, it appears most of the higher ups in Landmark successes are limited to Landmark successes, ie registering more people in the programs.

Every thing is based around this. From 3.01 pm on a friday afternoon till 3pm the following friday you are working and doing everything you can to register people. you will be coached, bullied, humiliated, yelled at, sweet talked, anything they think will work to help you register people.

I remember many a friday where we would be going all out to meet the "targets" so we could smile insted of wait for the telling off

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midonov123
How did your awakening happened? Was it sudden in your mind, or was it a slow process that made it's way progressively. How come expert manipulators at LEC lost their grip on you?

It was a long and slow process. I thought I take the benefits from the programs and leave out the things I don't like. This worked quite well. I did not like the "guest games" (inviting people for LE) and mostly did not show up on the evening sessions (big selling events). But they still slightly managed making me feel I should invite other people, they say: otherwise I do not get transformation (one of the tricks). However, I treasure the friends I have made during the courses.

I realized that I compare everything wit Landmark, and look down on other methods and that I constantly think that I should proceed with my personal development at the point I stopped which means doing another course (this was my "brainwashing").
The posts of people making similar experiences on this Web site helped me a lot, because they are not only about "LE is s..t, a cult etc.", but discussions of the problems. This is, so far, the only Web site like that that I know. I am now looking for other methods for personal development etc..

AND, OF COURSE: some things I experienced going on inside LE turned me off.

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ClausDIa

AND, OF COURSE: some things I experienced going on inside LE turned
me off.

Now you really picked my curiosity. Will you tell us more? This sounds much interesting. What is it that turned you off inside LE?

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looking for help
From what I see, it appears most of the higher ups in Landmark successes are limited to Landmark successes, ie registering more people in the programs.

Landmark's staff performance appraisals are based on how many recruits they can rope in, not on how effective their "technology" is on particpants. In fact, Landmark leaders have monthly recruiting quotas. Here is an informative post from a former Landmark participant: "Unfortunately, every Landmark course I've taken spent about 30% of its time talking about inviting friends (guests) to check out Landmark. It's a big thing inside of Landmark. The number of guests you bring directly reflects on the capability of the course leader. It's one of the statistics they use to determine how successful a course leader is. Now, you can see that this is a useful statistic if the organization is all about making money. But an organization that is more concerned about its participants than its profit shouldn't be using this to gauge how well the course went-- it should use something to do with what the participants accomplished, perhaps the particular goals they set out for themselves at the beginning of the course. I can't emphasize enough how significant this is inside of Landmark."

This speaks volumes as to what Landmark really considers important to them. Chi-ching, chi-ching.

Hi clausDIa,

the implanted thoughts that run through your brain will diminish - it just takes some time. I'm glad for you and there are ways out of the landmark thinking.

About friends you made in Landmark. It could be wise to keep limited contact with them. It's in their interest to get you back. They might like you as a person and you might like them. But they will be coached to get you back. A part of the team is missing and that does not look good in the center managers statistics report.

You can still have contact with them but make sure they understand that you are not coming back. Simply say NO, I have made a CHOICE based on NOTHING. I just quit!

This is only an advice - please think for yourself. It can be hard to think for yourself in the beginning. But you seem to have made a clear decision to stay out.

Best of luck!
nettie

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Landmark's staff performance appraisals are based on how many recruits they can rope in, not on how effective their "technology" is on particpants

This is absolutely correct. and as staff person in an office if the people who are responsible for registering people are not doing so well everyone is failing as a group. Landmark dangles big carrots (bonus's) to staff and say register this many people and we will give you this. Staff work horrendous hours to try and meet quotas.

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About friends you made in Landmark. It could be wise to keep limited contact with them. It's in their interest to get you back. They might like you as a person and you might like them. But they will be coached to get you back. A part of the team is missing and that does not look good in the center managers statistics report.

You can still have contact with them but make sure they understand that you are not coming back. Simply say NO, I have made a CHOICE based on NOTHING. I just quit!

I would agree with nettie here, with an added warning of I would strongly recommend breaking contact for a minimum of 3 months and then only get back in contact on a very limited basis.

I still have a two or three friends who are in landmark and we have a mutual understanding that they will not talk to me about landmark, I didn't initally break off contact with every one (mainly because they were my source of friendship) and this was really hard and it only got easier once i stoped all contact.

Once I did stop all contact I found other friends who had been waiting in the background