I just recently heard about PSI. A local salon/spa is strongly encouraging (requiring?f) their employees to attend these seminars. The employees that stay with the company seem to have a strange snobbish, clique, almost high-school pep rally squad mentality. I wonder if this has anything to do with the PSI seminar training.

JaimeA,
Jeri442 is right. Be aware that they tell people coming back from the ranch not to make any life changing plans for at least 30 days. My wife left within three weeks. The change was very apparent, but it was something you can't quite put a finger on until they leave. Don't be surprise if he leaves on or around the 30th day.

curiousgeorge, you're statement about the strange snobbish, clique, attitude is right on. Only after months, sometimes years, do these people get back to normal. Sometimes they suffer the effects for years. If you can find a copy of Margaret Singer's book, Cults in our Midst, it will explain alot.

JaimeA, I posted this on another thread back in July. Please let us know how you make out with your relationship. I don't mean to be rude or anything like that. I just want people to know that PSI does have this effect on people and show them how it ruins peoples lives. I wish you luck and hope it works out for you, but please do not go to PSI 7!!!!!!


Posted: 07-29-2006 07:26 AM Post subject: Reply with quote
PetitChatonBlanc,

What happens at PSI 7? You arrive and stay at a hotel the day prior to attending 7. They pick you up in a bus and drive to the ranch. You arrive at the ranch by bus; you’re not allowed to bring your own car, because they don’t want you to leave before the “program” is finished. You’re set up to sleep in a “bunk house” with 40 men, or if you’re a female, 40 women. You share living quarters, to include the showers. You sleep on bunk beds. You are told when to eat, when to sleep, when to go to the bathroom. You are instructed to write a journal and share your thoughts and feelings with the rest of the group.

They break you down, somewhat like basic training in the military. They do group exercises like climbing 40 foot phone poles, 14-15 foot walls, standing on the edge of a cliff, all the while your “team” is holding the ropes. This is to entrust you to the “group.” You walked across a set of ropes holding onto another person; this builds the group personality. Once a task in completed you do the group bonding, like love bombing, groups hugs. Team building.

Prior to going to the ranch you’re given a list of clothing you need to bring, this includes clothing you would not feel comfortable wearing in public. For the women it’s usually a bathing suit or bikini. Once you’re at the ranch there is one “exercise” where your PSI “Buddy” picks out your clothes for the “barn dance.” Clothing that makes you feel uncomfortable wearing in public. The barn dance included a DJ playing disco music, the mirror ball hanging from the ceiling. This is a breaking down of your defenses to critical thinking.

There is one “exercise” called “the sharing” where the men and women stare into one another’s eyes by candle light and share their feelings with the other person. The question asked in “the sharing” is would you like to have an intimated relationship with this person?

There is another exercise where you gather cow pies (yes cow pies) to symbolize life’s bullshit (sorry) and they place it on a plywood sheet and hang it up on a wall. This is to represent getting rid of the BS in their lives, you know “the BS that’s holding you back.”

Oh, and they have a “store” on the premises, where you can buy the PSI bible, a leather bound book with the “teachings” of Wilhite, Inspirational CD’s, and of course the PSI T-shirts. If you read the book or listen to the CD’s, you’ll find its nothing more than fancy BS with the bottom line: recruit your family and friends to get their MONEY.

And you get all this for $3000.00. And on the last day you’re told you are still not done, you’re told you have not obtained “all the tools” to live a better life and then it’s the hard sell for the “Leadership” course. “And if you sign up today it will only cost you $3600.00;” a discount, as the course is $4000.00. Nice discount, save $400.00 and continue to destroy your life.

They work to destroy relationships and they cause people to detach from family and friends. They encourage people to become emotionally dependent on them. Looking back, I see how my wife tried to recruited me and get me into this, but after seeing the change in her I decided not to go, and because she saw this as being unsupportive she left and we divorced. That was a year ago. I was betrayed by one of my most trusted friends.

I am trying my best to be compassionate and to forgive her with the understanding that she herself is trapped within the lies of PSI. Even from my friend, an intelligent, creative woman who I know to be capable of very subtle critical thinking, I never heard anything from her that ever questioned what PSI is and does. I showed her the research I have done on this group and she said the research was “bullshit.” PSI is her life and she has told me that she never going to give up the benefits of PSI. These benefits include leaving her relationships with her family and friends because she couldn’t recruit, oh, sorry, “enroll” them.

And if you’re thinking of going I have some questions for you; don’t think about the money. Think; “Is this going to be worth the loss of respect of your family and friends? Is it worth losing your own self respect? Is it worth the loss of your sanity? I would say no. But that is my opinion.

This reminds me. I saw a posting on one of the yahoo groups that hit this nail on the head. The posting said

“Never Underestimate the Power of Stupid People in Large Groups.”

JaimeA,

I found this on another site called ripoffreports.com. I saw it and thought of what you have written. I understand you might be leaning towards going to PSI7 and I would ask you to reconsider. I screwed up my life because I was unable to see passed my own insecurities and believed everything I was told. I destroyed my relationship with my husband and lost the respect of my family and friends. If you only knew the kind of money I spent on the seminars, and all the things I was told I was entitled too but couldn't afford. It took me several years to realize it and it has been very hard to repair the damage I've done because I went to PSI. Please consider what you have to lose compared to what you will gain.

Submitted: 4/16/2004 11:33:51 AM Modified: 4/16/2004 7:13:34 PM

Negative PSI Experiences


I could type for days about my experiences with PSI although I'll keep it short as I've got a busy day ahead.

I first took the PSI courses back in 1999 and have since taken every course they offered as well as staffed the several of their seminars.

I'm torn because a lot of the philosophies they teach are valid and have really helped me in a lot of areas of my life.

What I despise about PSI is their business model!!! The staff meetings are all about how many of the students you're committed to upgrading to the advanced courses and how many enrollments you're going to have in the next class. If you don't get your enrollment goals, you are questioned on your committment to your word. It is VERY CULT LIKE!

What really sucks about it is that there are a lot of great exercises that are presented but the underlying things that go on behind the scenes are horrible.

I've been very involved and know a lot of the current and former facilitators. Even many of the current ones talk negative about corporate.

I was one of the graduates who felt it necessary to enroll others into the basic. They use things like "vote black in someone's life", "givers gain", and several other phrases and they spin it back on the best way to make a difference in people's life is to enroll them into the classes, period.

They don't care if you enroll someone into another workshop that may help them in their life or if you are taking other classes that are of great benefit to you. The only gague they use as to whether you or anyone else is moving forward in their life is if you're enrolling others in the class and/or taking all of the advanced courses.

There have been several lawsuits settled out of court, several instances of suicide of graduates (I know a few).

These are deep, psychological exercies facilitated by people without the proper training or licensing to teach them. There is no aftercare or follow up given if you don't upgrade.

If you're a graduate of the "basic" and don't sign up for the advanced courses, you're never heard from again. A lot of people get spun out mentally from the experiences.

Another thing, PLD (Pacesetters Leadership Dynamics) ie. Cult leadership Program......

It's a 90 day "concept integration" course where you set goals in different areas of your life. The goal that matters the most is how many other people you're going to get to "join the cult" by enrolling them into the class.

Each member of the "team" has to have enrollment goals and the team has enrollment goals. It's all about putting people into the classes.

Guess what, if you don't have an enrollment by the 2nd weekend, you're kicked off the team!! If that doesn't spell CULT I don't know what does!!

What you get are people telling the TRUTH to their family and friends by saying "If I don't get someone to sign up for this class (join the cult), my friends won't let me play with them anymore".

What's so crazy about it and where I'm torn is that I have grown tremendously from many of the exercises.

The business model and cult like tatics are horrible though!!

I've taken other courses which I won't name in the search for a company that teaches the positive aspects of the philosophies yet doesn't have the cult like energy and have yet to find one.

Here's to the continued search.........

The only advice I can give as a former graduate who has been on many sides and experienced many things is to stay away!!

Mike - Phoenix, Arizona
U.S.A.

I was researching PSI and came across this site and I cannot believe it. My girlfriend came back from “the ranch” in California this last week and within three days walked out telling me our relationship was over. No tears, no regrets. Nothing.!!!!!!! I was dumbfounded until I was talking to a friend who suggested I research this group after he heard my story as to why Trish left me. He said this sounded like a cult.

When I called her and tried to explain what I found she told me PSI was not a cult, she had simply been shown how to “shift” (her word, not mine) to get the things she wants from life. This was amazing to me as we have been together for 2 years and not once did the idea enter my head that she wanted to leave me or our relationship. When I confronted her with this she told me that “it was over” and she was not going to change her mind. Trish told me that she met another man at the ranch and they “shared” their most imitate feelings and found they had connected on a “spiritual” level and was going to start a relationship with him. She’s known this guy only a week and she’s discovered her “soul mate.” I could not believe that she could be this stupid and gullible. She told me that she signed up for more of these seminars. Are these prices right? Did she really spend $3000 to $4000 dollars for this 7 day seminar?

Her father called me and he is even concerned with her new attitude. He told me she had called him and asked for a $4000 dollar loan so she could take the next seminar. He said he can’t afford that kind of money and she immediately, according to him, started yelling at him, telling him that he never supported her and what she wanted to do. In the 2 years I’ve known this man he has done nothing but love and support his daughter and she is pissed because he won’t give her the money. She even suggested to both of us that we take this training.

After reading only some of the stories here I am feeling shocked. I can not begin to explain how I feel. I am so worried about her and this new attitude. I am sure that her relationship with this other man can’t last; can it?

What can I expect from her after this? Is she going to come to her senses? Does this really last for years?

I feel like I am living in a nightmare. Please help!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear Chastain,

I'm sorry to hear about your girlfriend. It wasn't PSI, but rather a LGAT called "The Release Technique" that my husband went to. He came back a different person. I have found that although the specifics differ from program to program, the basic techniques of LGAT's and destructive groups are remarkably similar so I encourage you to read around under different topics. (Your girlfriend learned how to "shift", my husband learned how to "release".) I would also encourage you to share your concerns with her friends and family and educate them about mind control techniques so they can help her.

Likely your girlfriend's "spiritual" connection with the guy from the seminar has as much reality behind it as the rest of the program.

[i:b2f5af0fc1]I cannot overemphasize the importance of your approach. [/i:b2f5af0fc1]When my husband went to the seminar but I knew nothing about how these mass marathon trainings work. I blew it big time in the beginning by blasting my husband with an onslaught of critical information, thinking I could make him see what was going on. This was definitely not helpful and drove him further in. Then I took some time to educate myself and change my approach and it seems to be helping.What has been helpful is :

* to remain consistently loving and concerned

* to keep or re-establish rapport

* to shift the focus from "getting him out of the group" to empowering him to think for himself.

* when he uses thought stopping cliches or group jargon, ask for clarification of what that means

* ask open ended questions and be prepared to wait a long time for an answer

* getting him out of town for a time to break the daily interaction with the group

Here are some articles I have found helpful about the tactics generally.
[www.icsahome.com]

[rick-ross.org]

Below are some resources I have found helpful. Best of luck to you.


Mr. Ross has great coping tips. [www.culteducation.com]

The family connection
[www.freeminds.org]

Steve Hassan
[video.google.com]

[www.freedomofmind.com]

Here is a post from these boards under the topic Landmark that I have found very helpful:

Ether Dragon,

Sorry to hear about what happened with your wife. This is very sad and your feelings/reaction are normal. It sounds like your wife is still on the initial "high" from the Forum, and this will be an exciting time for her and a difficult time for you. It's like a drug and they don't want to let go of it and right now Landmark can do no wrong. She has a coach and a new family of self-affirming friends that praise her every move and word. It's addicting -- and Landmark knows it.

This self-affirming atmosphere is why debating her doesn't work. It just drives them deeper into Landmark's grasp. It's human nature to move towards approval, and I believe Landmark counts on that. I know it's hard not to debate and tell her the truth you know, but she is resistant right now. They are trained to resist debate especially from concerned loved ones/friends/etc. and they are trained well. Her coach will keep re-affirming Landmark philosophy to her, so they have an internal support system. It's infuriating, but that's the reality.

The best advice I can give is that which I received: be supportive of her activities outside of Landmark, don't debate or argue with her about Landmark now, let her bring up the subject and when she does, gently discuss your concerns with her. Essentially, back off and wait for her to come down off the high and for the resistance to weaken some. Be prepared for "blocking" techniques that dismiss your information (you can search the board for more info on that). You have to be a welcoming place, or she won't want to come back and discuss it with you. If and when she wants to leave, then you'll be there and able to help her. Until then, you just have to stay in the game. She may never be ready to leave, in which case at some point you have to decide how much of this you can take. You have to take care of yourself too and not be a martyr. Unfortunately, the road out of Landmark is a lot longer and more uncertain than the road in.

QL is right on the money. However, a few other thoughts. If your girlfriend is a monir (under 18) then the law has some say in this. Since you have been together for 2 years, I can understand the hurt (been there - doing that).

Be positive, maintain contact as much as you can - however, as there are no dependents involved, getting clear of this person may not be a bad thing.

Clealry she has some significant psychological issues.

Good luck.

Question Lady,
Thanks for your response. I fear that my time with her is over. She left three days after her return, called me and said she wanted to talk sometime this weekend. When I came home from work on Friday I found she had moved all her stuff out of the house. No note, nothing. I called her cell and tried to get some sort of explaination but she is screening her calls. Today the phone is disconnected.

I talked to her father and told him what I had found on the internet about this group and he's been doing his own research. He told me that she called him the other night asking for money so she could get another place and she was very upset with him when he said no. He simply can't afford the money as he's on disability. He hasn't heard from her since and he is very concerned.

The change in her is unbelievable. Can these groups really do that much towards thought reform? If someone had told me that she would ever do something like this I would have laughed my ass off. But I'm not laughing now. This is such a nightmare and I wished I would wake up.

I had the strangest thing happen to me the other day. My best friend contacted me out of the blue after no contact for five years telling me she was sorry about how she dropped our relationship several years ago. She too had joined this PSI group and within a short time spent thousands of dollars on these seminars which she claimed “will change your life.” Back then she was so heavy into her group she was trying like a woman possessed to recruit her family and friends to take the “basic.” At the time the difference in her attitude was quite subtle, but as time went on she almost preached that PSI would change our lives. It was almost like she was born into a new religion. It was very scary that this change came on so suddenly. I remember when she was taking the basic the first two days I called her and asked how it was going and she answered that she having a hard time understanding what the goal of the seminar was about. By the third and fourth day she was calling me and telling me this would be a good class to take.

When she was done with the basic she immediately signed up for the next seminar, PSI7, and went something like a month after the basic. When she told me what the seminar cost I was floored. I asked her what she would be getting for that amount of money and she honestly couldn’t answer. Her husband called me the night she left for the PSI 7 and asked me what I thought about all of this. He told me she left without any advanced warning that she was going. Nor did she tell him about the money until he found it missing from their savings. While she was there she didn’t call to let anyone know she was alright and I know her husband was scared to death as he was calling me and asking if I had heard from her. When she got back the change was thought provoking. I wondered at the time what they did to my best friend. When talking to her she would refer to her PSI group as her friends. She planned get togethers and coffee functions, which I later found out was just another plan to get people to take the basic. She talked me into going one night and as I sat there I was bewildered by the attitude of all these people. They were held accountable for even being one minute late to their meetings. It was like some game where you couldn’t quite understand the rules. I mean, why would anyone get upset over being late to a coffee meeting? She did however recruit another friend and that friend got completely caught up with this.

Shortly after she returned from PSI7 she told me was leaving her husband. Now I had no idea at the time why she was making these drastic changes in her life and I just figured she was going though a mid life crisis or something, but this was unbelievable. Now the both of us would talk (as women do) and not once did she ever tell me that she wanted a divorce from her husband. They had a strong 12 year marriage and she was completely in love with her husband. She was happy with him, the home they had and the way they were raising their two children. Don’t get me wrong; they had problems, but nothing that anyone would consider that would end a marriage. She left her husband and filed for divorce shortly after her return from 7. She left within two months of coming back from PSI 7 to return to the ranch in California for, what she called a Leadership Seminar. When she told me the price of this seminar I asked her where she was getting the money. She told me that she had taken out a new credit card and charged it. Now I knew at that time her husband had their accounts frozen because she was spending money like it was growing on trees.

After a time she returned from the Leadership seminar and I was feeling that the woman who started these seminars was not the one who returned. One night I invited my friends over to the house and my best friend was invited also. When she arrived she had with her one of her PSI friends and all they did was try to recruit my friends to take the basic. When she inferred that this changed her life I demanded that she tell me how it changed. I informed her that she had completely created nothing but chaos in her life since taking these seminars and even though I loved her like she was a sister I couldn’t stand seeing her destroy herself and anyone else’s life for that matter. She went completely nuts and started yelling at me that I wasn’t supporting her and left taking her new ‘friend’ with her. I called her the next day and she informed me our relationship was over. The call lasted 45 seconds.

She went on to continue her ideals for her new life. I only heard the rumors though the grapevine about how she continued to screw up her life. Failed relationships, severe financial problems, and issues at work, she even lost her job. The friend she recruited also had problems with her marriage and ended up divorced.

When my friend called me the other day I remembered the pain and anguish this caused me. (I know, sound like a victim, don’t I?) I also remember the pain and anguish this caused her husband and children. I still think about her kids and how they would have sleep over’s with my kids and the youngest one cried because he was thinking about his mother. (I guess the rumors went though his school that she joined a cult.) I listened to her for about five minutes as she tried to apologize for what she had done. I accepted her apology and asked her not to call me ever again.

I guess this opened an old wound as I found myself thinking more and more about this and started looking into PSI. After reading some on the stories I found here and other places (no I haven’t read them all) I wondered if I could have been as gullible and been taken in by this? And believe me when I say I think the answer would be yes. And that’s what scares me. Too lose control of ones mind and thereby losing oneself.

A lot of people are seeking answers. Sometimes they need serious professional help. They are the most vulnerable to these programs which seem to offer so many solutions, but deliver so little. And yes, you are correct. Anyone could be a target, but it seems that the psychologically vulnerable are those these groups and indivuduals prey upon. :x