The use of the term "Large Group Awareness Trainings" appears to be a misnomer. It makes it sound like a [i:549bba0674]good[/i:549bba0674] thing. Calling these seminars "awareness trainings" is rather like calling a lobotomy a "mental enhancement procedure".

In order to bring true awareness to this problem, we need to name it accurately. The masters of manipulation are experts in using language to confuse and deceive. We need to be masters in using language to tell the truth. :idea:

How about calling them : Manipulative Emotional & Mental Entropy Seminars (MEMES)?

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question lady
The use of the term "Large Group Awareness Trainings" appears to be a misnomer. It makes it sound like a [i:a6b468490a]good[/i:a6b468490a] thing. Calling these seminars "awareness trainings" is rather like calling a lobotomy a "mental enhancement procedure".

In order to bring true awareness to this problem, we need to name it accurately. The masters of manipulation are experts in using language to confuse and deceive. We need to be masters in using language to tell the truth. :idea:

How about calling them : Manipulative Emotional & Mental Entropy Seminars (MEMES)?

Might be wrong but I think Margaret Singer came up with this phrase because Landmark sued her for calling them a cult. Some people call them white-collar cults.

EZ

That appears to be correct. Mr. Ross has been sued by Landmark also.

[www.culteducation.com]

I'm not suggesting calling these seminars "cults", but rather a more accurate name than "awareness trainings".

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I'm not suggesting calling these seminars "cults", but rather a more accurate name than "awareness trainings".

If these seminars aren't "cults", even with their covert natures, totalistic doctrines, and modes of executing their 'unique' methods and strategies, then they should be classified according to criteria used to identify gangs. Aren't most LGAT seminars similar to some gang initiation rituals, psychologically?
Realistically however, you can't label them 'gangs' because they don't openly rob, burn and pillage (even if they are all identifiable by their colors), then they must be labelled cults.
Of all criteria listed for what a cult is, many LGATS seem to fit the 'cult' criteria, give-or-take one or two minor characteristics depending on the group. If they're not gangs, and definately NOT 'awareness training', then they are cults whether they accept the label or not.
If LGATS came even close to fitting the 'awareness' aspect of [i:5ee294a999]LGAT[/i:5ee294a999], all participants would leave their seminars aware of the nature of the information they have been given. Instead, participants leave a seminar unaware that a [b:5ee294a999]procedure[/b:5ee294a999] had been performed on them. There is a huge disconnect between 'training' and 'procedure', as there is between disinformation and awareness. So, I agree totally about LGATS NOT being about awareness.
I do think that they should be called what they really are however, they are cults. They can be 'whitecollar', psychotherapy' or 'religious' in nature, but they are still cults.

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question lady
The use of the term "Large Group Awareness Trainings" appears to be a misnomer. It makes it sound like a [i:927ac37ff4]good[/i:927ac37ff4] thing...

I think the term (Large Group Awareness Training - LGAT) is supposed to define the most general principle of this phenomena. The term tries to be objective but, obviously, suffers from our individual definitions of [b:927ac37ff4]awareness[/b:927ac37ff4]. I think it's natural to lean toward defining awareness as a positive or good state of being, but wouldn't that limit one's understanding of the word (as abstract as it is). I think the word, aware, comes from Old English (Woer :?: ) and translates as Wary. Being wary is pretty much what life on Earth does. Aware of our surroundings - the sun in the sky; wary of our neighbours - and their strange goings on.

Large Group Awareness Training describes many organisations that train people in small (4-50), medium (50-200) and large groups (200+)*. They all teach a form of awareness because that is its essence. It doesn't haven't mean more than saying, 'Gee, you learn something every day!'

LGAT is a broad heading. It's just unfortunate that some organisations (LGATs like universities and clubs) are thrown out with other LGATs (cults such as Landmark) as being negative or bad. I wouldn't concern myself with trying to re-label headings. Anyway, what's awareness without understanding?

* The above numbers are my own and purely hypothetical[/size:927ac37ff4]

:D Large Group [b:236c983cf3]Ego [/b:236c983cf3]Training (LGET)

8) Large Group [b:236c983cf3]Narcissus [/b:236c983cf3]Training (LGNT)

:mrgreen: Large Group [b:236c983cf3]Zombie [/b:236c983cf3]Training (LGZT)

Because awareness is related to consciousness and, therefore, related to alertness and wakefulness, I can see that Landmark Forum could be defined as [b:236c983cf3]training to stay awake[/b:236c983cf3].

All I can say is from my own experience. In my emotional unhealth I chose to ignore the meaning of a simple waiver that I signed before attending each of the 4 levels of seminars in Klemmer & Associates supposed leadership training seminars.

This waiver released Klemmer from any liability that cound be connected to damages in a persons life specifically emotional damage.

This in and of itself should of told me I was in a cult. But, I was not emoitonally healthy to pass on these life changing seminars.

They have been life changing alright. At the beginning of my stepping into these seminars. I was riding a emoitonal wave of what I was creating in my life.

Unfortunately what I created was beyond my emotional health the handle. Which ended up going atomic as all the stuff that I created in the beginning blew apart and erupted and has left a crater across the whole gammit of my life.

Now I am going to a licensed professional psychiatrist dealing with removing the destrutive humanistic mindset that I allowed to be enmeshed by Klemmer in my life.