Hi All, This is my first post and I’m so glad to have found this forum. I always felt so alone never knowing anyone else that has lost their spouse to a LGAT seminar and here I am reading many posts from others. My former husband had to attend an initial 3 day "Discovery Seminar" (many more to follow) to visit his daughter who was placed, by an escort service, in a lock-down facility in Utah. They are based out of Utah and operate under the umbrella group called WWASP (World Wide Association of Specialty Programs). WWASP has these so-called schools for troubled teens all over the country and in Jamaica. The latter being the worst as it's out of the country and they don’t have to abide by any US regulations. The abuse is torture for these kids, but the whole scheme lies with these seminars. They get the parents to believe in their ideology so the parents can support the high monthly fee of $4,500! They will even finance some of the money; interest is really good. We were only married for a little over a year. This man simply adored me! There was nothing he wouldn’t do for me and now, after almost 3 years from separation and divorce, he still doesn’t know why he divorced me! He left for the first seminar on a Thursday night, after leaving me the most beautiful Valentine card and gift, came home on Sunday night all charged up about the facilitator, Duane Smothersman (SOB), talked about this great experience (still can’t get anything out of him about what he learned), made love, and then got up very early and went to the cemetery! His mother had passed away about 5 months earlier. I called him and asked him where he was and he told me he was “at the cemetery looking at 3 dead people”. I was very concerned and asked him who the 3 dead people were. He told me “you, me and my mother”. I told him to come home, he did, and that was that. He came back, crying, and told me we weren’t “on the same page anymore” and he just left. To this day I cannot get over this. I’ve studied every website, read every book on this subject and tried to help him. The more I tried, the more he would back off. I still see my former husband now and then and we have the best time together. I try to talk about the good times we had. He calls me his “curse” because he can’t get over me. This man is still in love with me but I don’t support the seminars, nor did I support the behavior modification school he placed his child in. He’s still so brainwashed that he still staffs seminars in NJ; we live in NH, tries to talk parents into this program and wants to staff other seminar in Utah for the “girls”. He says it’s a way of “giving back”. I saw him last week and he now wants to become a Life Coach! He conferences with parents in the “group” a few nights a week and all his work is done for free. He and his former wife paid approx. $100,000 for their child to stay in this so-called school. His child was in the WWASP mind control program for 2 years, even after his child turned 18 and has been home now for about a year. By the way, these seminars are put on through Resorce Realization/Premier Educational Systems with the owner being David Gilcrease, formerly of Lifesprings and est. Sometimes I think I need an exit counselor! I just can’t seem to get over this. It’s changed my life so much and I still love him and still believe he will “see the light”. Thanks for reading my post and thanks to all for posting. I know I’m not alone now.[/i]

I thought I had it bad. My wife attended an est type seminar called PSI, came home from the 7 day "seminar" and left 30 days later. I know what you're going though. I hope and pray she will see the light too. Or at least you fine peace. I still have problems with this and it's been two years.

Hi Sosure.

Welcome to the Rick Ross message boards. I am so sorry to read your story.

Both fortunately - because you will be able to relate to them - and unfortunately - because these are stories about lives affected by unscrupulous people - there are many stories with similar themes here. For many of us they have proved to be among the most difficult times of our lives. However, you will find, as we have, support here.

Look around and read a lot because you can learn plenty from these boards. It is the best resource on the Internet about this stuff. Gaining some understanding of what happened will help you, to an extent, deal with things.

All the best,
Brad