I've read a lot here and elsewhere on PSI - this place seems like a virtual clone of PSI, Landmark, etc.

Latest installment. The collections letter I sent to them was returned unopened, and marked 'unable to forward'. I wonder if I go down to Ohio to speak with them in person, if they'll just close the blinds and not answer the door? What a pack of cowardly, thieving turkeys.

I've initiated a complaint with the BBB. Small claims court down there requires an in-person complaint gets filed. So, do I blow it off because of I incur another $300 in plane fare to file, and another $300 when the case is heard? Methinks LSS is counting on just that.

If so, they they are wrong. :D

As of last night i required to attend the "Life Success Seminar" in Cincinnati ohio. Fourtunatly for me I live in town.

My reason for going was that is was a requirement to attend for my new job, which I love by the way. As good as my new bosses intentions are for going to this seminar it didnt take me to long to begin to feel quite awkward with a full sense of scepticism of this happy go lucky group of people who seemed more like a well oiled robots then emotion felt human beings as they were created to be.

As seen through "Iamwondering"s post they are quite manipulative. I was instantly impressed with their excellent abilities to communicate these 2000 year old basic principles in a very skewed format playing directly towards peoples deep seeded emotional problems. Everyone there was excited to change all there current problems into solutions, so they would be "happy".

As I set in skepticism I couldnt help but be confused why if this worked so well, if these tools really help then why the hell is half the class returnies, some 2 or 3 times now. What a joke I thought, then I added up the tution of all the people in the room and realized that "LSS" just banked 15,000 dollers or so for four days. So while they are supposedly changing peoples horrible problems they are also bankrupting them creating more problems so they will repeat the process. The BS continues.

Unfourtunatly to keep the job I have to continue to attend the whole seminar so any of you "LSS" drop out with awarness advice please send my way

Also it is recommended that I journal my feeling throughout the seminar during my night so for the next couple days this will be my journal and hopefully we will all seen into the wicked, strecthed, and money making ideas of this seminar or cult that is quickly developing.

What a waiste of my time, A whole weekend of a full bladder, crappy food, brain washed goof-balls, Pray for my survival or better yet give me some advice on how to take these leaders into positions they cannot answer my questions. That will show them.

Meo

My heart goes out to you. How can a company force employees to go through this garbage? Didn't they research what a farce this in the first place?

Just curious, how are the other employees reacting to this? Are they sucked in or are they like you - weary?

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rmeo
As of last night i required to attend the "Life Success Seminar" in Cincinnati ohio. Fourtunatly for me I live in town.

My reason for going was that is was a requirement to attend for my new job, which I love by the way. As good as my new bosses intentions are for going to this seminar it didnt take me to long to begin to feel quite awkward with a full sense of scepticism of this happy go lucky group of people who seemed more like a well oiled robots then emotion felt human beings as they were created to be.

As seen through "Iamwondering"s post they are quite manipulative. I was instantly impressed with their excellent abilities to communicate these 2000 year old basic principles in a very skewed format playing directly towards peoples deep seeded emotional problems. Everyone there was excited to change all there current problems into solutions, so they would be "happy".

As I set in skepticism I couldnt help but be confused why if this worked so well, if these tools really help then why the hell is half the class returnies, some 2 or 3 times now. What a joke I thought, then I added up the tution of all the people in the room and realized that "LSS" just banked 15,000 dollers or so for four days. So while they are supposedly changing peoples horrible problems they are also bankrupting them creating more problems so they will repeat the process. The BS continues.

Unfourtunatly to keep the job I have to continue to attend the whole seminar so any of you "LSS" drop out with awarness advice please send my way

Also it is recommended that I journal my feeling throughout the seminar during my night so for the next couple days this will be my journal and hopefully we will all seen into the wicked, strecthed, and money making ideas of this seminar or cult that is quickly developing.

What a waiste of my time, A whole weekend of a full bladder, crappy food, brain washed goof-balls, Pray for my survival or better yet give me some advice on how to take these leaders into positions they cannot answer my questions. That will show them.

Meo

I have not fully researched this, but from what I have been reading, I do not think this is ethical for your employer to make your continued employment and rise within the company contengent on going to these seminars. I would suggest you call your local (aumbudsman sp?) and tell them whats up and ask for advice. If nothing else they could tell you who all to call to get your questions answered.

Good Luck!

Alright: I have a lot on my mind right now so I will first try to sum up my evening in a descriptive way, so you will all get the gist of what really is happening!!!

I attended the second night of Basic tonight, this time a little more weary due to my research on this very strange group of people. The night started with a little reminder of this Trust idea from the previous evening.
which is:

To fully trust other I must understand this:
I love myself
I accept myself
even though I dont understand myself

Now they say if I have any incling that I dont trust someone then I dont truly belive these things about myself which means I dont truly trust myself. So total BS basically

Next they proceeded with a list of what is natural and unnatural emotions, this is part of the becoming more centered and natural thing they described w/ their ever so popular diagram. They assumed that anything that is bad is unnatural (sadness, anger, ect.) and everything good is natural (happy, joyful, ect.). Now this makes little sense to me as anger and sadness are by no means wrong and by all means natural within human life no matter what your belief system may be. There is no way around it.

The rest of the evening consisted of an hour listening and following directons to a meditation cd relating the colors of the rainbow to aspects of our life trying to ward off the bad and become more "centered", whatever that means!!!

My favorite (sarcasm) was one in which we had to go around the room and hug everyone, and I mean hug them, a very intimate hug you would really only do with a well know friend or signifcant other. quite awkward and again weird.

At this point I could not handle the crazy mind washing bozos facilitating this thing and left. calling and leaving my boss a message that I can hopefully still work for him but could not mentally or physically handle the seminar anymore. Hopefully he is open to chatting about it, he is a pretty open guy. This brain washing may have gotten the best of him though.

Lastly as I sat through the class and got small oppertunites to chat with other I did my best to try and decontruct what was being said and bring them back to reality but after them not give a break in over 3 HOURS. And no water and only cookies and popcorn their brains could go no other direction.

They group does an excellent job at excluding all inside out put.
All discussion to try and truly come to a reasonable conclusion.
Through the night tactfully distracted others away from me and did a desent job like they had been taught.

I will not be returning as I simply cant handle the craziness though I do have some good stories for the dinner table now and I can officialy say I have attended a cult!!

As for the post on employees and so on, there is only one other employee and im guessing she wouldnt be weary at all though I havent talked about it with her.

Lets hope I have a job tommarow, I will check the rules on this.

Have fun with this guys, I know I did!!!!

rmeo...Thanks for sharing your experiences at the 'bad' place.

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rmeo
Next they proceeded with a list of what is natural and unnatural emotions, this is part of the becoming more centered and natural thing they described w/ their ever so popular diagram. They assumed that anything that is bad is unnatural (sadness, anger, ect.) and everything good is natural (happy, joyful, ect.). Now this makes little sense to me as anger and sadness are by no means wrong and by all means natural within human life no matter what your belief system may be. There is no way around it.

I have to share a story about my ex...
One day we went to the beach and he drove my car there. We parked and went for a power walk along the boardwalk. By the time we got back to the car, it was dark out. My alarm was going off and there was a town pick up truck shining it's headlights on the car.

At first I thought that someone tried to break in. When I looked on the windshield...lo and behold... a parking ticket! :evil:

The parking area requires a permit after a certain time.

I got angry and upset (and this where the weirdness started). I wasn't happy that I would have to try and fight the ticket at a questionable part of town where the courts are. I once had to go there and the area and the court process IS a nightmare. I'm sure they do that diliberately.

Anyway, I expressed my feelings about this and he got annoyed with me. He said there was no point of getting upset. He said I was thinking for the future and what happened in the past could not be changed. Why in the NOW would I be choosing to feel upset when I could feel happy. :? He also stated that he would not tolerate my negative feelings and would consider [u:d4535b67e7]not [/u:d4535b67e7] seeing me anymore if this didn't stop. :shock: [/size:d4535b67e7]

I told him this wasn't about him. I don't know what happened but he finally calmed down about this issue. It WAS strange and I couldn't place where this was coming from. :?

He never even expressed that he would help pay for the ticket. He never admitted that it was partly his fault. Of course, blame and guilt are negative feelings (sarcasm) and he doesn't believe in that anymore. :roll:

After reading these websites and hearing about your story first hand, it clears up EVERYTHING. :D

So after a good nights sleep and the constant questioning of what my new boss was going to think about me leaving his precious seminar i finally got up this morning and found my fait in my inbox.

Even though I tried to discuss and talk about the situation with my new boss offereing an oppertunity to chat about the situation before a decision was made. I recieved a simple email saying

"im sorry employmeent was partialy based on the completion of this program which is clearly stated in the contract"
-- my boss

Instantly that so called unnatural anger begin to develop. I have actually been fired due to not attending a cultish seminar. Now is sure is in my contract but he would not discuss with me prior to the seminar what it actually was about, he simply said it was a self help seminar.

Now I am out of a job and have been royally screwed by these brain washing idiots. To top the cake due to the personal training buisness I had to sign a non-compete contract and I now possibly in a situation where I may not even be able to work in the same field anymore.

My next step will to be get the media all over both these companies hopefully exposing their cultish ways.

Any advice in this situation would be well accepted.
Hope you guys had fun with my crappy experience with the local crazies of cincinnati!!

Quote
rmeo

Any advice in this situation would be well accepted.
Hope you guys had fun with my crappy experience with the local crazies of cincinnati!!

Start with this from Dr. Margaret Singer's book, "Cults in Our Midst."

[www.culteducation.com]

Also, thank your lucky stars. He doesn't want you working for him for the same reason no cult would want you as a member. He wants someone he can control. That's what cults want to.

Ellen

Elements of this ring true in my own experience... have to admit that I'm at times a little shocked by the behavior of my fellow NLP/Ericksonian course leaders... and the suspicious "background reasoning" in this process is similar, though not identical... it would seem that BECAUSE I have a long experience in this area, have known or worked with or studied with most of the significant figures involved within it... there is a perception among certain parties that I "know too much to play along with the current party line" ... the strong players welcome the diversity, but the iffy crowd seem to be more concerned with enforcing a seamless, bland consensus where any discordant voice (i.e. one that doesn't accept every concept at face value, but rather persists in seeking in depth clarification of what we are really talking about, and how much we really know what we're talking about) is seen as an attitude problem, or [b:a00ce4f4f1] "disruptive to the energy flow" ... [/b:a00ce4f4f1] and this can be a profoundly dishonest deflecting of the inquiry, A. away from a close examination of the quality of what is being taught as "NLP Gospel", and toward B. the perceived "attitude" of the participant... very carefully avoiding the issue of what might motivate a critical or probing attitude...

I suppose if this dynamic could take root in a community that has long prided itself on behavioral flexibility, curiosity, iconclasm, etc... esentially refuting its' stated core values in the large interest of protecting a "comfy little scene of like minded individuals willing to pay in some money on a regular basis" ... it could pretty much happen to any organization anywhere...

Once the process of [b:a00ce4f4f1] consensus-uber-alles [/b:a00ce4f4f1] bulldozing of discrepancies, non-agreement, wide awake qualitative distinction gets going... usually the best people run for the hills and the dodgy buggers carefully [b:a00ce4f4f1] surround themselves with weak, non threatening Yes Monkeys who maintain the illusion of smoothly functioning order... [/b:a00ce4f4f1] which can appear to be a well managed operation at first blush... but soon you feel the airtight rigidity of the whole thing.... and the EXIT signs glow brighter in your minds eye....

So with my continued intrest in what is truly going on with this "Life Success Seminars" LGAT spin-off I have found who and what the leader "Mike Monahan" is taking after.

After a little research I finally saw that the conference center owned by this perticular seminar is rightfully named after "Jim Quinn" the founder of lifestream.

So I am now completely confident in this Life Success Seminar in Cincinnati being a white collar cult destroying numerous lives month by month.