I had no idea that Landmark was being looked into now, but i am very happy that is the case. I attended the landmark forum in February this year and their advanced course in May. After experiencing a mental breakdown in 2004/2005, a friend of mine encouraged me to do the Landmark forum and initially i felt, like most people after doing a landmark seminar, euphoric about the coaching and with a clearing in my life. I had conversations with my family and sorted out some issues, the low self esteem and a few other unpleasant remnants of the breakdown from the previous year. Unfortunately, some weeks later i began a relationship with a man i met on the forum, who is undertaking their leadership programme and now joining their staff. After persistant bullying and abuse from him, in which he justified the bullying tactics as part of the landmark methodology, all of the good i could see in Landmark was eroded by the constant mentally abusive battering about how i should be in order to fall in line with the Landmark way of being. I turned myself inside out trying to conform to this supposedly correct Landmark way of being, where lateness seemingly ranks on parr with paedophilia and other such atrocities. Yet gradually I began to notice how unhappy some other people were around me who were also trying to conform to the 'ideal' and realised how the whole Landmark house of cards operates... it controls the minds of the vulnerable and makes you feel awful about yourself to maintain that control.

It has taken me over a year to feel stronger after the breakdown and i am gradually getting my life/business back on track. Sadly, my spell with Landmark was severely detrimental to this process. The main problem with the Landmark dogma is that the landmark gurus are not qualified psychotherapists or indeed qualified in any therapy of any kind and yet they sanctimoniously spout their dogma as though it were proven universal fact. I would not advise anyone to do any Landmark seminars - the smiling face and initial euphoria of it covers the malignant machinations of a controlling evil.

Lucie -- welcome to the forum (pardon that word).

I'm sorry you had to go through the LE programs and that it's been difficult for you. Even those without previous mental issues have experienced the same thing, so DO NOT feel that it is your fault!

I'm curious: did you answer Landmark's initial questionnaire honestly? Did you tell them you had previously had a mental "breakdown"? Supposedly they screen out participants who do, so I am curious why they allowed you to attend not only one but TWO programs!

I agree with you, however, in your above statement. I think their tactics are dangerous to EVERYONE.

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lucie
I had no idea that Landmark was being looked into now, but i am very happy that is the case. I attended the landmark forum in February this year and their advanced course in May. After experiencing a mental breakdown in 2004/2005, a friend of mine encouraged me to do the Landmark forum and initially i felt, like most people after doing a landmark seminar, euphoric about the coaching and with a clearing in my life. I had conversations with my family and sorted out some issues, the low self esteem and a few other unpleasant remnants of the breakdown from the previous year. Unfortunately, some weeks later i began a relationship with a man i met on the forum, who is undertaking their leadership programme and now joining their staff. After persistant bullying and abuse from him, in which he justified the bullying tactics as part of the landmark methodology, all of the good i could see in Landmark was eroded by the constant mentally abusive battering about how i should be in order to fall in line with the Landmark way of being. I turned myself inside out trying to conform to this supposedly correct Landmark way of being, where lateness seemingly ranks on parr with paedophilia and other such atrocities. Yet gradually I began to notice how unhappy some other people were around me who were also trying to conform to the 'ideal' and realised how the whole Landmark house of cards operates... it controls the minds of the vulnerable and makes you feel awful about yourself to maintain that control.

It has taken me over a year to feel stronger after the breakdown and i am gradually getting my life/business back on track. Sadly, my spell with Landmark was severely detrimental to this process. The main problem with the Landmark dogma is that the landmark gurus are not qualified psychotherapists or indeed qualified in any therapy of any kind and yet they sanctimoniously spout their dogma as though it were proven universal fact. I would not advise anyone to do any Landmark seminars - the smiling face and initial euphoria of it covers the malignant machinations of a controlling evil.

Hi Lucie,

You seem to have figured them out pretty well. These people are human predators and parasites and they prey on the unaware. They cull for emotionally dependent types they can use for slave labor. They also select out other bully-types to use as leaders. I hope you have been able to talk to someone familiar with cults during all this. They had no right to let you sign up but they are amoral and opportunistic (and evil, as you've pointed out).


Ellen

Hi Maggie and Ellen, Thanks for your support - i've had a chance to read through some of this site now and begin to get the real picture - of course i thought up until now that i was the only one with a differing opinion to the dogma that is Landmark.

To answer your question, yes, i filled out the form properly and someone from Landmark called me to assess my suitability. You cannot do the forum if you are still receiving therapy or else if you are, you need your doctor's consent.

I now realise from reading this site that i do need some anticult supportive conversations to really clear their junk from my head. Unfortunately i was in a relationship with a guy who is 'committed to becoming a landmark leader' and joins their staff in January. Since meeting him in February I have been subjected to a barrage of mental and emotional abuse. Although we split up some months ago, i tried to stay friends, largely i guess because i was trying to gain his respect, but everytime we were in contact he would find an area to put me down - it has been a truly awful period when what i really needed was compassion and support to get back on my feet! I hadn't seen him for a couple of months and I had had doubts about Landmark for many months now, and without it was feeling really positive again - i have been setting up a new business, getting back on track etc., but went to a special evening for 2000 guests this monday just gone in London. I was 7 minutes late to meet him - not late for the event, just to meet him. The following day he called me whilst he was assisting at the Landmark office, with a diatribe on how i am a useless human being - i was both enraged and extremely upset. The worst of it, is that my sensible half gets angry that someone can be so vile and belittle me for such a stupid reason, but the other semi indoctrinated half starts to believe i am a useless human being and begins to feel awful again. Truthfully it is emotionally exhausting. At this point my friend's mother (a genuine counsellor) stepped in and called him to inform him that he was no longer to have any contact with me and if he did so, she would call Landmark and inform them he was (mentally) abusing me. After reading your site - the irony of that makes me laugh now! - but at least i know he will not contact me as he will be terrified of losing face in any way with Landmark...

What can we do to get this organisation regulated? - they are without doubt picking on the vulnerable and emotionally weak. It is sick and should be stopped.

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What can we do to get this organisation regulated? - they are without doubt picking on the vulnerable and emotionally weak. It is sick and should be stopped.

Lucie, to answer your question about what you can do, you can WRITE! :)

First, do some reading and research.

Read about/watch the vid:
[www.culteducation.com]

Read the Cult News articles about Landmark Education here:
[www.cultnews.com]

Read through some of the interesting archived articles about Landmark:
[www.culteducation.com]

Read through some of the cases at the Landmark Education litigation archive:
[www.culteducation.com]
and its introduction
[www.culteducation.com]
and more recent use of litigation
[www.eff.org]

And then WRITE.

You could write to your [b:c463e241a3]State Attorney General[/b:c463e241a3] and [b:c463e241a3]State Department of Labor[/b:c463e241a3], and say you would like an investigation into the company began, and that they should keep you apprised. You can also write letters to your local [b:c463e241a3]Congressmen[/b:c463e241a3], [b:c463e241a3]Senators[/b:c463e241a3], and [b:c463e241a3]Better Business Bureau[/b:c463e241a3]. A written signed typed letter usually works much better than an email/meeting/phone conversation. It has staying power.

You can also write to Landmark themselves and try to get a refund, usually they might not give you one unless threatened that you will contact your [b:c463e241a3]State Attorney General[/b:c463e241a3], but you may do this anyways, so it's worth a try....

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lucie
...I was 7 minutes late to meet him - not late for the event, just to meet him. The following day he called me whilst he was assisting at the Landmark office, with a diatribe on how i am a useless human being - i was both enraged and extremely upset. The worst of it, is that my sensible half gets angry that someone can be so vile and belittle me for such a stupid reason, but the other semi indoctrinated half starts to believe i am a useless human being and begins to feel awful again. Truthfully it is emotionally exhausting. At this point my friend's mother (a genuine counsellor) stepped in and called him to inform him that he was no longer to have any contact with me and if he did so, she would call Landmark and inform them he was (mentally) abusing me. After reading your site - the irony of that makes me laugh now! - but at least i know he will not contact me as he will be terrified of losing face in any way with Landmark...

This "tardiness" thing is one of their little "tests" to find those who are compliant, malleable, who will follow orders, and who have respect for (their) authority. If you are contrite and go along with the assessment -- that you are a worthless person who can't even show up for an appointment on time -- then they know they have you and you will go along with all the other bullsh*t they will throw your way. It's just their way of weeding out the cranky, the independent, the subborn or argumentative, the rational, or those who will stand up for themselves. They don't want "troublemakers" in their brainwashing sessions. They want good "sheep" who will absorb the stuff and go out and recruit more people.

I would push for a full refund. I would write a letter informing them that I had consulted with specialists who confirmed I should never have been permitted to take their "programs" and that unless they make full restitution I will consult legal counsel. I would call and ask to speak to the "center manager." If you make a big nuisance of yourself, they will give it to you. They don't want trouble. I would also go to my local constabulary and put in a "bunco" complaint. Tell the officer that you think this is a cult. They survive (mostly) because people are too ashamed to admit they've been hoodwinked and too reluctant to pursue them legally. People think they themselves are at fault for being stupid, for not reading the fine print, for not asking enough questions or doing enough research, for believing in the basic honesty of others, for making assumptions, etc., etc.



Ellen