Hi guys,

After reading a lot of the posts surrounding the Mankind Project I thought I'd put this up to answer any questions people have about this group.

I have only just started working with the organisation here in the UK, but intend to invest more time with the group as I am impressed by what I have seen.

I am very interested in people's questions and queries about the group and I will answer any questions I can.

Best wishes and Happy Christmas!!!!

J.X

Joe, welcome. Honestly, I do not think I have any questions. I believe the various groups vary in their approach. Some seem to be much milder than others. I think many people here have had varied experiences.

Have you read any of the postings already here. Maybe you could tell us how your experiences have been, what made you want to join, and how your experiences are different from some of the unhappy experiences we have read on this site.

Thank you for your open post.

I am a member of the Mankind Project and I speak not for the organization but for myself. I found much of value in both the weekend training experience and in the subsequent integration group. The weekend, as powerful as it was at the time, became even more powerful and meaningful in recollection -- especially regarding the idea that we need one another, and can help one another (not all of us know this, despite the lip service we pay to the idea). I did have an issue, an objection, related to the value of revisiting trauma more than once. Organizations as well as individuals sometimes need to reconsider their basic assumptions about what is good and healthy. What I liked more than anything else was the journey my Integration-group undertook to establish trust for the purpose of sharing fears and hopes while looking for a way to become, as the famous Paulo Freire put it, "more fully human" in the best possible ways.

FYI--

To anyone interested in more information about the Mankind Project.

There is an extensive thread within this message board that contains serious complaints, excerpted material from the group's manual and analysis.

See [board.culteducation.com]

The Mankind Project appears to be what is called "large group awareness training" or "mass marathon training."

There has been a history of problems with such training, which has at times included personal injuries.

See [www.culteducation.com]

The above link is to a research paper on this topic.

[b:c8cc8e2fdb]Researches isolated isolated 13 liabilities of encounter groups, some of which are similar to characteristics of most current mass marathon psychotherapy training sessions:[/b:c8cc8e2fdb]

They lack adequate participant-selection criteria.

They lack reliable norms, supervision, and adequate training for leaders.

They lack clearly defined responsibility.

They sometimes foster pseudoauthenticity and pseudoreality.

They sometimes foster inappropriate patterns of relationships.

They sometimes ignore the necessity and utility of ego defenses.

They sometimes teach the covert value of total exposure instead of valuing personal differences.

They sometimes foster impulsive personality styles and behavioral strategies.

They sometimes devalue critical thinking in favor of "experiencing" without self-analysis or reflection.

They sometimes ignore stated goals, misrepresent their actual techniques, and obfuscate their real agenda.

They sometimes focus too much on structural self-awareness techniques and misplace the goal of democratic education; as a result participants may learn more about themselves and less about group process.

They pay inadequate attention to decisions regarding time limitations. This may lead to increased pressure on some participants to unconsciously "fabricate" a cure.

They fail to adequately consider the "psychonoxious" or deleterious effects of group participation.

[b:c8cc8e2fdb]The groups were determined to be dangerous when:[/b:c8cc8e2fdb]

Leaders had rigid, unbending beliefs about what participants should experience and believe, how they should behave in the group. and when they should change.

Leaders had no sense of differential diagnosis and assessment skills, valued cathartic emotional breakthroughs as the ultimate therapeutic experience, and sadistically pressed to create or force a breakthrough in every participant.

Leaders had an evangelical system of belief that was the one single pathway to salvation.

Leaders were true believers and sealed their doctrine off from discomforting data or disquieting results and tended to discount a poor result by, "blaming the victim."

Many participants in such programs have compared them to "brainwashing" or what can be seen as coercive persuasion.

See [www.culteducation.com]

[b:c8cc8e2fdb]The key factors that distinguish coercive persuasion from other training and socialization schemes are:[/b:c8cc8e2fdb]

The reliance on intense interpersonal and psychological attack to destabilize an individual's sense of self to promote compliance

The use of an organized peer group

Applying interpersonal pressure to promote conformity

The manipulation of the totality of the person's social environment to stabilize behavior once modified

Thanks for all of the posts,

I realise and have seen similar information as to that posted by the RRModerator in the previous post, (is that Rick Ross himself posting?? )

I appreciate it anyhow, and I am sure there is value to what you are saying.

The benefits that I have found working with the Mankind project in the UK over the last few months:

Developed a closer relationship with my Dad,
See how common a lot of problems are for other men,
Develop a more healthy relationship with my anger and sadness and learn how to express it and how in the mainstream men often believe it is wrong to express such emotions,
I’ve learnt a bit about the Mens movement,
I’ve learnt to receive better and receive close support from other men on personal and emotional issues,
I’ve learnt how to better support other men,

It is very easy to criticise and to blame but in my experience there is only limited value in it. Looking for solutions on the other hand is challenging and worthwhile and I would love to see more of this on this forum.

For example one of the treads on this forum was looking at ways the human potential industry could be regulated.
[board.culteducation.com]

The moderators/creators of this forum would be in a prime position to initiate/advise on the production of such a code/licensing standards.

What do you think?

With best regards and respects,

Joe,

Sol37, I read your post. My question to you will really depend on whether or not you are married, or involved in a significant relationship. So these questions really are based on the assumption you are.

One of my problems with MKP is exactly what you posted. The kind of relationship, trust, etc. you have formed with your Igroup is the kind of relationship I feel should be shared with your wife. I do agree people need this form of relationship. However, if it is with a group of men, and not with your wife (or whoever), then a wall will be erected within this marriage.

If MKP encouraged these type of feelings to open up within a man, then encouraged men to open up with their wives, I think that would be wonderful. However, from what I have read, that is not done. Actually I get the impression MKP discourages these trusting open relationships with anyone except their own group.

So, if you have a relationship with someone, is it as open and trusting as with MKP. Have your shared your most innermost fears, shadows, early life with this person as you have with MKP?

Joe1:

Yes. This is Rick Ross posting.

I doubt there is any way that groups like the Mankind Project would cooperate with any regulation.

Why did you start another thread rather than post on the existing one?

My wife would tell you that MKP benefitted me. One skill I learned involved confronting a person by beginning with humility and saying "This is about me. I have an issue about..." money, jealousy, or whatever. This is less threatening than pointing a finger, and one's wife can learn to use that same technique, with benefit being increased emotional honesty.

I think we can agree that a spouse cannot take care of all of one's emotional/social needs. A man needs other men. A woman needs the company of other women. I'm not much interested in the info that women share with each other.

Training weekends and at the beginning of a new integration group, leaders are quite firm about establishing ground rules. I saw merit in that approach, given that some men come in from a chaotic background and need structure. The rules didn't keep me from objecting months later when I saw what I thought was an unhealthy determination to revisit some old bad feelings (The book Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman provided the basis for my objection. IN this case, some feelings were hurt and I could have more gentle in my approach, but on the long run I think we all gained.

I haven't been to an I-group since New Orleans got swamped. One leader now lives in Houston. I'll be visiting him next month when I go there for family business.

sol37:

Sounds like group therapy without a license, proper training or meaningful accountability.

And other wives have complained about the Mankind Project.

See [board.culteducation.com]

Much longer thread about Mankind Project reflects many complaints.

Quote
rrmoderator
Joe1:

Yes. This is Rick Ross posting.

I doubt there is any way that groups like the Mankind Project would cooperate with any regulation.

Why did you start another thread rather than post on the existing one?

Thanks for the replies, and good to meet you Rick, you obviously have found your passion in life and I can see you have good intentions for others. I do however question your validity when criticising the Mankind project. Have you any personal experience of it?

In answer to your first point:

I'm not so sure. Even if you are correct, would it not be worth finding out? And if you are right then at least to know the reasons why?

I think that it is in the Mankind project’s interest, and all such organisations which are propelling the human potential movement to adhere to a regulatory body which the general public can view, understand and respect. Currently from what I can see the only independent observers/regulators are forums and organisations such as your own which rely on second hand information on groups such as the Mankind project. Am I right in believing this?

If, in return for developing and adopting a set of regulations/quality control measures that were imposed by an independent organisation, the organisations stopped being called abusive cults/LGATS on forums like this I think that their would be of value for them.

I just think the current state of affairs as I see it is not going anywhere in particular, on this and as I am led to understand by reading posts on this site, other websites it has people debating a load of things that might happen on a weekend, whether they are/should be licensed to do the work the leaders do, where the money goes etc. I don’t know how productive these posts are, but if no constructive action follows such criticism then I imagine it to be limited.

On the other side the Mankind project suffers people accusing it of being an abusive organisation taking advantage of the men who take it and all the rest of the accusations that have been put on the organisation. Which I bet they would prefer didn't happen.

Ultimatly both sides not gaining anything in particular that I can see in this circumstance.

Would it not be better to work towards something constructive which will help both participants of these programs, while also empowering the organisation to get independent support for maintaining the integrity of their program?

It is possible of course that this would be unacceptable to the Mankind Project (and other LGATs as you class them) but I don’t know this and surely its worth a try. You obviously have an important perspective and experience with complaints and apparent shortfalls groups like this experience and would be able to help them overcome such in their organisation. Along with this, working out how they can maintain the work they do which results in the benefits which myself and the majority of those who take the course report.

In answer to your second question I guess my topic is a little different to the main Mankind topic and would get some more attention if it was posted independently.

With respect and warm wishes for the new year,

Joseph.