On a newsgroup I frequent that has absolutely nothing to do with cults, Landmark, etc., someone started a thread about The Forum because her friends have been recommending it to her. I was amazed at:

1. How many people have attended the Forum;

2. How many others know about it and consider Landmark a cult;

3. How many people have had relationships end because their significant other took Landmark courses;

4. How almost all of the people who've attended immediately start spewing the Landmark jargon and recommending it, even if it's been years since they attended.

I'm pretty amazed I only learned about it last year. It really does seem pervasive.

I hadn't heard of it before it was suggested to her by a colleague. Her colleague hadn't taken it herself, but had it recommended to her by a friend. I've only met one other person who had heard of Landmark. He had a generally positive opinion of it based on a couple of friends who were members. Despite their recommendations and invitations, he remained skeptical and wasn't interested in attending. After hearing my concerns, and speaking with my wife, he was much more concerned.

What's the Newsgroup? I'd like to view that thread.

Why? There are plenty of threads about LEC here. And your past posts are kinda questionable.

I'm not surprised. I know several people who've done Landmark (or the Forum or EST). It's amazing that I've never actually attended a workshop, although I did once attend an introductory type of meeting for EST back in the late '70s/early '80s. My best friend in high school's dad got involved in EST and Silva Mind Control. Somehow all of her friends (myself included) got talked into attending this seminar for friends and families where they tried to get us to understand what our loved one/friend saw in EST. I was an obnoxious teenager and I had fun harrassing the presenter/moderator, as did some others in the audience!

Luckily most of my friends and acquaintances didn't try that hard to recruit me after that. To tell you the truth, if those Landmark weekend introduction seminars weren's so damned expensive - and if they didn't have that stupid rule about no bathroom breaks, I probably would have gone. Thank god for my weak bladder! :-)

A guy I was madly in love with a few years ago almost got me to attend some kind of Landmark meeting at someone's home, but luckily my roommate talked me out of it. I was so blinded by my feelings for this guy that I was just going to go because it would be an opportunity to spend time with him! My roommate pointed out how stupid I was being. He said, "The only reason "T" wants you to go is to meet his quota." DUH!

BTW, have any of you guys heard of "Mark groups"? Several of my Landmark aquaintances used to go to those.

Questionable?

Why are you here? You've asked questions and insulted people, but so far there's no indication of why you're here or what your stand is on Landmark.

What? Whom have I insulted? I've been watching this board for years, occasionally asking a question here and there. I don't recall insulting anyone, and if I did, I'm sure it was unintentional.

What is your gripe here?

I'm glad I never took it, despite some pressure from friends to go, when it was all the rage in our church and social circle, about 10 or 11 years ago. All I had to do to help me decide to stay home was to observe the bizarre and radical changes in their behavior, especially toward their own family and friends. The Forum fallout I observed was broken families, discarded relationships, and extreme impatience on their part with anyone who wasn't interested in coming to a Landmark meeting or presentation. By and large they became demanding, dictatorial, raging a**holes. When invited by 3 or 4 of my "friends" to attend their "graduation" I smelled a sales pitch coming, and steered clear. Best thing I ever did! :wink:

Quote
SL1993
I've been watching this board for years, occasionally asking a question here and there. I don't recall insulting anyone, and if I did, I'm sure it was unintentional.

What is your gripe here?

Watching this board for years? Why?

Who've you insulted? Look back at your own posts. Unintentional? Hardly.

What's my gripe? Nothing, really. But I've asked three times now why you're here (and the moderator asked as well), and you have yet to answer that question. Should I ask a fourth time?