My friend has become part of the landmark forum. It happened this summer. He attended one of their big "forum" things and he was forever changed. Strange as it was I dismissed it. But he's been pressuring the daylights out of me to go and I can't see any benifit. I've read plenty on the matter already, but I don't know how the layout works or what really goes on inside those cramped rooms. It worries me and rather than waste hundreds of dollars finding out for myself and subject myself to a loss of identity, I would rather hear a different perspective. :)

Has anybody that has gone to the forum describe EXACTLY what the forum is like on the inside and not when they call you up to market their little service to you?

Thanks a lot.

There are numerous first-hand accounts written by journalists that completed the Forum.

See the following examples:

[www.culteducation.com]
[www.culteducation.com]
[www.culteducation.com]
[www.culteducation.com]

on the thread collection named 'LGATS' someone named 375lighter went through Forum and describes the process. He/she was NOT impressed.

IMO Thing about many controversial LGATs is that they are an indoctrination set up. You pay a big sum of money, which right away pressures you to believe you're involved in something worthwhile. Next, you spend 2 to 3 days binned up in a hotel room with hundreds of other people, taking orders from a trainer who scripts the whole experience and uses a combination of mind fuck and peer pressure to keep everyone in line. Often, graduates are planted in the crowd, pretending to be new participants and they ask questions to keep things rolling and create an atmosphere of compliance and conformity.

You're kept busy, in a tightly scripted experience, with no time to think about what's going on, and you're exhausted at the end of each day. Some LGATs have decades of experience in this.

A key part of many LGAT protocols is people get a temporary feeling of well being. As soon as that happens, the trainers exploit this for the organizations' purposes by urging you to rcruit every single person you know to sign up for the training. That's why your friend is pressuring you so much. When I was in graduate school, my department chairman was an enthusiastic EST graduate and tried to bug me to take the training. I had better things to do with my money and dodged his overtures.

Your pal has perhaps had his or her mind scrambled and is like someone DUI. No decent person will force you to choose between friendship and going through indoctrination. If you read people's stories and still have misgivings, you have every right to abstain from doing an LGAT that affects someone in the way you describe.

You might want to temporarily fade out of your pals life until he or she 'comes down to earth' a little bit. Stay in contact, but be gracefully evasive when the pressure starts. If you're pushed into a corner, you can say 'I love YOU I dont enjoy being locked in a hotel room at huge expense all weekend when I could be outdoors having fun.'

Your friend's desire to share something that he really enjoys, or thinks may benefit you, may be constrewd as pressure. It's like going to see a really good film. What do you do? You go and tell all your friends about it.

If you think your friend is pressuring you, or you are feeling pressured, let him know - clearly and politely.

The only way you'll find out if Landmark is for you is to go along to an introduction and make up your own mind.

Contrary to what some people would have you believe, you will not be soul-sucked, meet the devil, be taken to an alien mothership or be followed by men in black.

My personal experience of Landmark has been an enriching and valuable one that has benefited my life immensely. I would recommend it.

However, that is not to say it's for everyone and people don't have bad experiences. I have plenty of friends that have done it, and plenty of friends that haven't. For me, it's not a big issue whether they do it or not.

People can come across as "weird" when they tell you about something they're enthusiastic about because this contradicts our normal way of being. I never used to talk to anyone about anything - why? Because I was scared of being rejected. It was easier and safer not to say anything.

My advice to anyone would be, think of all the reasons not to do something and then do it anyway (so long as it doesn't involve harming yourself or others). You know, if youre friend is freaking you out it's okay to say so - how is he going to know unless you tell him?

I hope this helps

There is a thread here on the message board entitled 'Looking for Sterling Wives' On page 3 of the thread

[forum.culteducation.com]

'Elena' quoted material from a former LGAT trainer who described how he found out that he was using highly sophisticated, powerful methods of trance induction in the trainings,and how he manipulated the hell out of people.

He only found out because a professional hypnotherapist took him aside after a session and told him his technique was superb--it was impossible for her (a trained pro) to identify the onset of the hypnotic induction. She showed him exactly what he did. 'Guy' was horrified, read up on the matter and left the LGAT.

Hypnosis is a powerful intervention and must NEVER be done unless by a medical professional, and with someone's consent.

I don't know anything about the law, but I would think it safe to assume that hypnotising people against their will would be illegal - certainly unethical.

If it could be proved that Landmark was hypnotising people against their will, I would recommend that they sue the company.

I have not experienced any hypnotism (but then I would say that wouldn't I?). This, to me, sounds like an urban myth - some kind of made up story to scare people.

That isn't to say it didn't happen in the case that's being talked about, but I feel confident in saying that Landmark does not use subliminal, secret hypnotism techniques.

If this claim can be proved it should be done in a court of law so that those guilty of any crime can be shamed and exposed.

You can draw your own conclusions from the fact that it doesn't appear to have happened. It's one thing to make a statement, quite another to prove it - one requires no evidence, the other requires a lot.

Anyone interested in Landmark should research this privately owned for-profit company founded by Werner Erhard and now run by his brother

Landmark, previously known as EST, has a deeply troubled history of bad press, complaints and repeated lawsuits for personal injury.

See the following sections within the Institute database.

[www.culteducation.com]
[www.culteducation.com]
[www.culteducation.com]

Constant complaints come in to The Ross Institute about Landmark and its programs from families, participants and concerned individuals.

There is no sceintific peer-reviewed and published study, which demonstrates that Landmark has any lasting benefits.

The benefits claimed by Landmark devotees are subjective and/or based upon anecdotal stories and testimonials. They do not represent scientific research.

Companies that have offered Landmark courses to their employees have often come under severe criticism and at times have been sued.

Employees often don't appreciate having a philosophy imposed upon them within a course format through the workplace.

Obviously, each person has his or her own personal philosophy and/or religion, which is a private matter.

Landmark is simply the philosophy of its founder Werner Erhard. And the touted Landmark "technology" is little more than downloading that philosophy (drawn from several sources and not really original) through a mass marathon training program.

And Mass marathon training like Landmark is itself quite controversial.

See [www.culteducation.com]

Such training often includes coercive persuasion techniques.

See [www.culteducation.com]

Based upon its troubled history, constant complaints, lawsuits for personal injuries I would not recommend Landmark to anyone under any circumstances.

Obviously there are much safer less controversial alternatives.

There are college level classes focused upon self-improvement and support groups sponsored through nonprofit community centers, social service agencies, churches etc.

For personal problems and issues, there are licensed mental health professionals that provide counseling one-on-one and/or in group sessions.

Unlike Landmark session leaders these professionals are accountable to State licensing boards, professional associations and typically possess relevant educational credentials and certification.

This seems to be your stock answer to everything.

> Landmark, previously known as EST, has a deeply troubled
> history of bad press, complaints and repeated lawsuits for
> personal injury.

How many people have done the forum?

How many lawsuits, complaints have their been?

They use the word "process" and in the "danger process" or the "fear process," or whatever they are calling it now, instead of calling it a hypnotic induction. It's another weird bit of "technology" Werner picked up from scientology. Both L. Ron Hubbard and Werner Erhard were master hypnotists.


Ellen (Many people are not hypnotizable.)

This is so scary. Please see my posting "My bride'smaids have lost their minds"...

Any suggestions on what to do? Can't wait until she starts pressuring me...uggg!