Re: Book which summarises my PhD - 'The God Hypothesis: Mental Illness, Manipulation, and the Cost of Conscience'
Date: June 27, 2020 11:14AM
Hi StopLGATs
The only thing that will stop these things from happening is that people become informed about them, which is now easy to do. Explaining the complexity of this manipulation is challenging (although my PhD and book do this), but that footage speaks for itself and you can share it.
My book will find its way around, and anyone who reads it will be able to see through the manipulation which occurs in these seminars. The only question is whether you will play a role in distributing this information. My hope is that those who have been negatively impacted by LGATs will take a stand, and simply share what I've spent the last decade putting together. I don't see how any caring person could watch that footage, or read my book, and not feel a need to expose this (we spend our lives sharing the most unimportant things on social media... it's just as easy to change the world with the click of a button...)
In the foreword to The God Hypothesis, I call out the academic community, the mental health community, and Dr Raymond Fowler (who personally endorsed Landmark while he was the head of the American Psychological Association... without acknowledging the concerns of other mental health professionals, or stating whether or not he was paid for this endorsement...) Why would the head of such a prominent organisation personally endorse such a controversial organisation, which had previously been investigated by the APA (See DIMPAC committee, led by Dr Margaret Singer)? Why would any ethical person in this position - when approached by Landmark - not say, "Endorsing this organisation is a conflict of interest for someone in my position - find another psychologist to do it"? Regardless of whether he actually supports what they do, endorsing this organisation is highly (HIGHLY) unethical. He describes the Landmark environment as "pleasant" and the trainers as "pleasant" and "sensitive"??? You don't need a degree in psychology to recognise these as blatant lies.
Dr James Doty of Stanford University recently (a few years ago) hosted Werner Erhard ('Conversations on compassion'... see YouTube), during which he claims that there is "overwhelming scientific evidence" that Landmark and similar programs offer enormous benefit to millions of people. When I challenged him on this, he denied saying it (although there's video footage of it), then - when cornered - acknowledged that there is NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE at all to support his claim. This was not an innocent mistake. A Stanford University professor understands very well what "overwhelming scientific evidence" is, so he used his position as an authority to lie... endorsing this snake Erhard. He has not retracted this statement and Landmark and est supporters (who I actually have a great deal of empathy for), and future participants, will participate and recruit their loved ones because of this blatant corruption.
Erhard has been accused of horrific things (see the suppressed 60 Minutes episode on Wikileaks) by most of his children. The public believes that all of his children retracted their statements, yet - while their accusations were made (convincingly) on televison - the only 'evidence' of supposed retractions from Debbie Rosenberg (who accused him of molesting her) and her sister (who accused him of raping her) came some six years later, in parentheses, in a very vague statement, at the end of a sentence in a Time Magazine article. In Dr Jane Self's book - which "exposes" Scientology's plot to "frame Erhard" she acknowledges that Debbie Rosenberg and her sister had NOT RETRACTED their statements. Ellen Erhard is prevented from talking about Erhard as a condition of their divorce. The fact that est/Landmark/LGAT supporters cannot see through this is all the evidence you need of the power of this manipulation process.
We cannot rely on corrupt institutions to protect the public. I'm just a person like you who was negatively impacted by these abusive seminars. When I took part I had a degree in finance, so I've spent a lot of time educating myself so that I could speak with some authority on this cruel, but compelling, process. I've pleaded with academics and mental health professionals and regulatory bodies for ten years now. They will not lift a finger. I've written academic articles that no one will publish. I've generated compelling video evidence (as you can see in that footage) that no investigative journalism program will air. I've worked with executive producers to pitch a series on these seminars to Netflix and other networks... they are too frightened to touch this topic.
My academic career is all but over because I've called out the corruption and cowardice of all the people I once trusted and respected. I don't care. I care about the people who are manipulated and harmed in these trainings. I have lived with bipolar disorder for seventeen years, and I know first-hand the suffering caused by mania, depression, and psychosis. I understand how these organisations profit from pain and how they destroy relationships. Their processes are sophisticated but I've explained them in a way that anyone who reads my book can grasp. Because, from the first time that I participated in an LGAT (run by "Doctor" Steven Gullan... the sociopath that you see in that video... and who is NOT ACTUALLY A DOCTOR), I understood what they were doing, I knew that I had to do something.
The technology now exists for a caring and compassionate public to expose the "technology" used by LGATs. We don't need these corrupt people or their corrupt institutions. We have a voice so let's use it. Forward the video, PM me and I'll send you the book. Forward it to friends. Let's get it out there. There's nothing stopping us from doing this (completely anonymously) and I am the only person at risk. I will not be silenced and I think that, by now, I should have earned your trust in that regard.
Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2020 11:43AM by John Hunter PhD.