Following the thread on online recruitment and the conversation regarding language, got this in the mail and wanted to pass this along. It's something else to watch out for.

The postcard reads as follows:

We are proud to introduce Landmark Education's newest seminar, hailed by many as one of our most powerful seminar (sic) ever!

Living Passionately: The Art and Mastery of Playing the Game of Life

As a Zen poet once remarked, "A person who is a master in the art of living makes little distinction between work and play, between labour and leisure, between love and religion. They hardly know which is which; they are always doing both."

The Living Passionately seminar promises a profound shift in your relationship to being alive, leaving you playing the game of life with a renewed sense of purpose, grace and ease. In the seminar, you will create a personal charter - an invented direction and foundation from which to build a life worth living. You will be left with an unprecedented sense of vitality, and an ability always to bring yourself back on course even in the most difficult and challenging times.

Comments?

So, they are back to the the "game" sh*t. You'd think they might have learned, but NOOOO. Werner must have slipped in the back door.


Here is somthing from Amazon on Carl Fredrick's vomit-inducing book from the 1970s which has been, (surprise surprise), reissued, to which some wag ( ;) ) added the following review.


Ellen





Est; Playing the Game* the New Way

*The Game of Life

by Carl Frederick


List Price: $39.95
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
Here you have it: the est training in words! It is such a perfect duplication that Werner Erhard sued in Federal Court to STOP this book! (He failed.) Now you can buy this Collectors Edition, with a message from the author after 30 years! Don´t miss out! Limited Edition!¨




-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But Why Would You Want To?, October 26, 2003


Reviewer: A reader from Transformation Buster

Sad but true, after thirty years this embarrassing group is still in business, renamed the Landmark Forum, and continues to rake in more fools with the pseudo-promise of something they call "breakthroughs," which is another of their can-mean-anything-to-anybody tricks. Watch for the other "weasel" words if you do any more research. For a group who purport to concern themselves with semantics, this particular group displays the most appalling lack of regard for the English language. If the creepy jargon and trick word usage weren't enough to turn you off, as Mr. Frederick points out, you might emerge with the conviction that life is some kind of game and rendered as "empty and meaningless" as the supposed content of this self-help "awareness" training patterned after another bogus self-help organization that calls itself a church. I presume its new-found success, as older memories have faded, warrants the reissue of Mr. Frederick's bit of jump-on-the-bandwagon nonsense. Reading it is almost as unpleasant as sitting through one of the programs. And that old sensation of the contents of your stomach rising into you throat may recur for the same reasons. I find it hilarious that the man who plagerized other groups to found "est" had the nerve to attempt to suppress the publication of this book.

as to how you gotthat mailing ?
Had you been on somekind of list.I would like to see it
because Im gathering as much info as possible-
Perhaps I can get it by calling landmark and requesting some info. Im new to this group -just posted for the first time
last week . Im Liz- posted under "Im new " on the cults
sects and new religious movements.
The more I read these boards the more outraged Im becoming
at the con artist and groups that simply run a physical spiritual emotional as well as a financial scam on weak minded pathetic people. How humiliating that my x husband who still lives with me,is one of them.
Thanks Liz in nyc

There are fashions for buzz words (memes) just as there are fashions for clothes and kids' toys.

In the Human Potential/New Age racket, 'passionate' is a fashionable buzz word.

My translation of 'passionate' is 'someone will scream at you a lot.'

I have a different angle on this, and I think that many people on this board deserve a pat on the back. Think about what the last two threads are about, new ways Landmark is recruiting:

1) Online Dating Recruiting using Landmarkian Women.

2) Mass Mailing Postcards.

These are somewhat new approaches for them as compared to the send out the zombie techniques for which they are infamous. I imaging that the most effective way to "recruit" new membership is by the "traditional" word of mouth. :D Is it possible that because of websites like "Culteducation.com" that the traditional well is drying up? :D Is the word finally getting out? ...or are these two more powerful methods that they are adding to their arsenal?

I had lunch with a coworker the other day, who also happens to be Harvard Educated, and asked her if she ever heard of "Landmark Education?" Her facial response was of fear & surprise, she didn't know how to respond. I didn't want to say anything to her until I knew her postion and affiliation, so I asked a second time if she was involved. Thankfully she said no, and I was able to tell her about thier cult like practices. I told her about my opinionated posting that told people,

[b:d053a2ea2d]"Run don't walk in the opposite direction when someone mentions Landmark Education."[/b:d053a2ea2d]

This was truly music to my ear that the word is getting out that "Landmark is a Multimarketing Cult." We need to come up with stronger Meme's then Landmark to win this battle. Fortunately, just like [i:d053a2ea2d]the sun will rise tomorrow[/i:d053a2ea2d] , the TRUTH will always win in the end. For example:

[b:d053a2ea2d]"Landmark is a CULT"[/b:d053a2ea2d]

Can be a very helpful message. By helping get the message out that "Landmark is a Cult" people will have thier proper defenses up when approached and not be as easily manipulated by thier sneaky techniques.

Side Note:

Would asking the question, "Is LANDMARK a CULT?" ...be a form of a NLP? There is so much out on the net on NLP, and I'd like to learn more about how they work.

Does the Landmark postcard advertisement use NLP type techniques? I found this site for a local New York City training center, but how do you ever know if people are on the level? I'd like to learn more regarding the dynamics of how NLP's work. Perhaps someone could recommend an objective book. Below is the website hyperlink:

NLP Training

As a Zen poet once remarked, "A person who is a master in the art of living makes little distinction between work and play, between labour and leisure, between love and religion. They hardly know which is which; they are always doing both."

First, 'They hardly know which is which'....that doesnt sound like a true Zen poet. We need to know 1) who the 'Zen poet' was that the pamphlet quoted and 2) if the poet existed and actually said this, whether it was a reliable translation.

We dont know if they accurately quoted that Zen poet or not. If they had been faithful to Zen they would have given his name. In Zen we make a point of naming our sources.

I have read all the threads.

Thank you for keeping it alive and really educating others that Landmark is a Cult. I partcipated with LE for a decade and I now see the LIGHT. Getting out was a frightening process and I am still dealing with many things as the after effects of being with LE for so long. I lost all of everything that means anything to me and I thank the Lord for taking care of me and guiding my life to healing. This has been a long road and one of much despair and suffering. I am grateful there is a true God and He has already claimed the victory.

I don't like posting if you want to send me a private email I will respond to you.

The Zen "poet" could very well be Alan Watts, a friend of Werner. In "Beyond Theology", Watts writes about games, play, work, constrasts of leisure, labour, rhythm (play), nonrhythm (nonplay). I'll read further and see if there is something similar to the Zen quote.

Here is a thread about NLP.
[forum.culteducation.com]

There are some good things about NLP, but its really populated by a bunch of hucksters trying to get rich by promising you the moon.
Its basically Cognitive Therapy, that is, modifying your cognitions.
Beware, the NLP field is full of bullshit artists.

Coz

The danger with these people, are that many of the techniques they use are extremely powerful, for those who know how to use them.

Most psychologists who use some of these techniques are highly Ethical. They realize they have a lot of power, so they try to use this power responsibly.

But these NLP clowns are sociopathic, in many cases. They have NO proper psychological training, and they just use this stuff to get people to BUY BUY BUY their expensive crap.
And their victims are the good, trusting, regular people who have NO CLUE as to what is going on.

I know what i am talking about here, as i have seen MANY of these NLPers behind the scenes. Some of them are literally con-men, with an artificial psychological facade.

Do not EVER EVER close your eyes in the presence of one of these people! (Trance and hypnosis work).
Just STAY AWAY.
Their claims of miracle cures are exaggerated, and outright lies.

Coz