First off, to "rrmoderator": I don't think that 'jsmiami' is someone that is "publicly defending Summit". Don't forget this person also said "It was a traumatic experience for me where I ended up alienating people I care about" and "thank g-d I got out and never looked back." I think this person is giving a fairly critical yet honest appraisal of Summit based on their personal experience. He/she is trying to answer your questions as truthfully as possible, and I'm surprised your harsh prodding hasn't scared them away.
There's a troubling trend on these board where if a person doesn't seem 100% gun-ho negative about every aspect of the topic, they are treated hostilely and accused of being apologists or plants. I think this practice just makes it harder for people like 'jsmiami' - who may have valuable input and insight - to share. The "you're either totally with us or against us" attitude found on these boards seems a little too much like tactics befitting LGAT/est/Landmark/LifeSpring/Scientology/Summit.
Anyway, to 'jsmiami': I do think that there is SOME kind of perceived benefit to these courses, if not people wouldn't initially continue attending, or become co-dependent on it later. My analogy towards this is "There's nothing inherently wrong with the CANDY that a child molester uses to lure children with, it's the way he utilizes it and his ultimate intent that is twisted." I think that these groups use sound self-help theories and methods that, used properly by a trained individual, could greatly help a person (generally, the entire cognitive behavior type of psychology). BUT they use them in improper and dangerous ways, that in the end help them control and manipulate people for their own goals (money, recruitment and allegiance).
Their initial wrong-doing comes from not being entirely forthcoming and clear with the people that are just signing up. It is all made to seem like very simple, harmless courses. In reality (and you can vouch for this) they are extremely intensive and taxing experiences, and it is completely INAPPROPRIATE for them not to make this 100% clear to people upfront. Of course, the argument is always made that there needs to be a degree of secrecy and hidden truth, if not people would decline to join in or not get the proper experience from it. Thats pretty much saying that it's okay to keep people in the dark because these organizations know what's best for them - like a parent with a child. Not only is that supremist and a complete disregard for free will, it is also plain WRONG when dealing with large amounts of money and somebody's mental and emotional health. If the organization were legit, there would be full disclosure right from the beginning.
Of course, there is also the matters of the manipulation, brainwashing, love bombing, fatigue and peer pressure that are loaded into all the exercises that are presented as techniques to help the participant. The key is to break old, destructive patterns and beliefs systems and replace them with new, positive once (which is generally a good thing), but at that point there is nothing stopping the people that you've handed over your entire trust and control from installing their own set of patterns and beliefs that will benefit them in the end. Along the way they create astounding (many times artificial) experiences and changes in people at a rate that is not healthy. These sensations and feeling are fleeting, and only lead to further co-dependance of the group. It's the equivalent of giving a severely depressed person heroin in an effort to cheer them up. So while the first two levels can be generally eye opening and inspiring to the attendees, those results also tend to act as a "gateway drug" to the third level (Leadership) . Where, oddly enough, the organization's nefarious undertones become more defined and the self-help angle becomes more blurred, yet the participants become even more blind to everything and eventually extremely loyal and defensive.
So, 'jsmiami', thats my stand on Summit and LGAT in general. My friend, who I spoke of before, eventually finished all three levels, and I became even more troubled when she talked about doing constant staffing and coaching training (which, of course, costs money). We grew apart some (we actually got into a huge, public fight at one point) but i noticed later, when i would see her, somewhat of a changed. She didn't seem as "ON" all the time anymore, or as preoccupied with helping at Summit or spending time with Summit people. It turns out that somebody she knew from Summit committed suicide, which snapped her out of her lucidity. It seems my friend, through her whole Summit veneer, was also on the verge of contemplating suicide, mainly because she wasn't living up to the "potential" she had discovered at Summit. She thanked me for never letting up, and told me that she now realizes how cultish and devious it all was. BUT she still holds that, in the long run, her experience at Summit helped her with her substance abuse, made her a more productive person and gave her a generally more positive outlook on life, all developments that I can't argue with.
Anyway, while you, like my friend, were able to extract some semblance of good out of a destructive operation, there are many others out there that delve too deep and become too entangled (like my friend's friend). It would be really helpful to know what exactly goes on inside Summit. Not just what each level is SUPPOSED to achieve, but what actually OCCURS during these courses (especially the third level, which seems to be the least documented level of ALL these kinds of groups). Knowing the exact exercises and practices and lectures and excursions, and what not, can help people on here figure out how people are being manipulated and traumatized and enveloped. It's important you talk about SUMMIT, because all the proof about Landmark and LifeSpring and est means nothing to people inside SUMMIT. If it seems like a lot of work and trouble, just think about all the time and effort I spent in hopes of trying to keep my friend safe, the people that you unfortunately alienated through your experiences, and the people that lost friends and family because they didn't know how to help them.
If you feel uncomfortable posting to this board, then write to me at:
martnbraun@aol.comThanks