By chance, today the day of the guilty verdict, I started listening to this podcast from CBC about Sarah Edmondson who exposed the horrors of this cult when she left.

When she talked about how she got into the cult and those early esp training sessions, triggered my Landmark Forum experience. I'm not surprised having read this forum and learned how they manipulate people. But hearing someone describe the mind control first hand sounded so pretty identical to what I experienced too.

And when she tries to avoid being branded and how the conversation was flipped against her to coerce her to go through it it!! It was also how Landmark coerced me over a much less sinister experience and simply wanting to leave.

I hope that this verdict will start people in the wider society to question these so called self help groups and cults...

Just to add that its now 9 years since I did those 3 courses with LE in a 3 month period. Hearing this podcast has me back in that room, remembering all their lies about changing the world for the better. This was something that hooked Sarah E into Nxivm. And resonated again with me.

I can see why many are upset that she recruited people. And when she recounts how to persuaded people to spend money they didn't have, I felt sick. I'd also heard that said to me. But I also understood how she got sucked in. And I'm sure she's paying a high price for those 12 years of her life. And will continue to have to process this for years to come. I was only involved for 3 months at a low level. Though they did try to recruite me to be an introduction leader. I am constantly thankful to my inner self-preservation that said no. And escaped.

Hi GloriaG!

I have also been watching this closely, and hope that it has brought awareness that these "crazy stories" are actually true.

It might steer people away. I also believe that every time someone goes to court and wins, attorneys, judges, and others involved in the legal process will be more likely to listen to people who are trying to file complaints. Maybe, just maybe, they will actually do some digging, instead of just dismissing people as nuts.

Hi Kdag,

I truly hope you are right.

From reading press reports though, they concentrate on the sensational elements and gloss over those introductory courses as simply "self help" when we know that in those sessions, this is how they begin the mind control. Its very subtle if you don't know what to look for but it works. Luckily for me I got so terrified/had nightmares and left.

But fingers crossed this is the start of better understanding.