Quote
SFBMoore
So, here’s the final word on how HAI destroyed my marriage….keep in mind that Dennis Jimmink is on the HAI TEAM and REPRESENTS THE VALUES TAUGHT BY HAI….he sits on the sideline of the workshops and the facilitators point to him with pride, and the HAI membership believes he is the kind, wonderful, loving, and harmless person who willingly listens to their every trauma.

I am appalled that someone in the higher echelons of what increasingly appears to be an abusive cult is allowed to continue working with vulnerable woman (and men). Maybe Janet Dale's attention needs to be brought to this thread. Your report has certainly made me think twice about my own involvment with HAI.

I AM ESPECIALLY APPALLED THAT THERE HAS BEEN THREATS OF DEATH FROM THIS MAN. MY GOD - WHERE'S THE "EVERYONE WINS" AS STATED IN HAI'S MISSION STATEMENT?

Whilst you say that this is your final post may I ask which branch of HAI this man is involved with?

With regards to abuse from members of the HAI leadership team I understand that there is a person in HAI called 'Chip' who has also been reported on the RickRoss board as being less than squeaky clean. I wonder what happened to him?

The whole affair of abuse of participants (yours especially) is what makes me really concerned about such 'self-improvement' cults. They are very free to take your money, they promise you Heaven and Earth, but then when things go wrong, instead of sorting them out and owning responsibility for them, they close ranks against the victims.

In allowing this man to continue in his role the entire HAI leadership team bear responsibility for his attitude and actions. Its an utter disgrace that he is allowed to continue his involvement.

I'm sure that we all look forward to some response from HAI here, if someone can be arsed to.



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 09/19/2008 01:50AM by SeekingTruth.

Chip is VERY much involved.... and very high up. He's in forever, they'll never get rid of him.

I wonder if HAI HQ is aware that all of these posts are picked up by the general search engines of Google and Yahoo etc.? So anyone searching for "human awareness institute" is going to find these threads. Just a thought.

GOOD. I hope they do see the stuff so they see how unhappy some people are. It's not all happyflowerkittyland like they try to pretend, and it also means that people who are curious about HAI see things that are NOT positive.

When I first got involved there was NOTHING negative to be found online... I'm glad there is now.

Quote
DayDreamer
It's not all happyflowerkittyland like they try to pretend, ...

Shouldn't that be 'happyhellokittyland' ? He he ...

Quote
DayDreamer
GOOD. I hope they do see the stuff so they see how unhappy some people are. It's not all happyflowerkittyland like they try to pretend, and it also means that people who are curious about HAI see things that are NOT positive.

When I first got involved there was NOTHING negative to be found online... I'm glad there is now.

I went to a free HAI introductory session this past week and had a very amazing experience from participating in the exercises. I was thinking of signing up for their Level 1 workshop but decided to do a more thorough research before jumping into it.... boy, am I glad that I did and what would people miss out if it were not for the power of Google.. if just 10% of what is being said in this thread is true, HAI is far from what I thought it was. I saved $500 USD that the workshop would have cost me and that's probably the least significant savings...

Thank you and please keep writing. There are other out ther that are doing the research and looking for the truth....

Quote
fchangus

Quote
DayDreamer
GOOD. I hope they do see the stuff so they see how unhappy some people are. It's not all happyflowerkittyland like they try to pretend, and it also means that people who are curious about HAI see things that are NOT positive.

When I first got involved there was NOTHING negative to be found online... I'm glad there is now.

I went to a free HAI introductory session this past week and had a very amazing experience from participating in the exercises. I was thinking of signing up for their Level 1 workshop but decided to do a more thorough research before jumping into it.... boy, am I glad that I did and what would people miss out if it were not for the power of Google.. if just 10% of what is being said in this thread is true, HAI is far from what I thought it was. I saved $500 USD that the workshop would have cost me and that's probably the least significant savings...

Thank you and please keep writing. There are other out ther that are doing the research and looking for the truth....

I am SO glad that you did the research. I wish more had been out there in 2005 when I first got involved. HAI is a way for people to encourage others to live in a "free love" environment that translates into "free sex" and monogamy is ridiculed as being unenlightened. I am a failure as far as they are concerned as I didn't "open myself up to all the love I could get" and chose to marry and be faithful. I think that many of the people are delusional and others are predators of the worst sort - because most people who get involved with HAI are already emotionally damaged and are looking for help. Instead they get exploited.

Quote
fchangus

Quote
DayDreamer
GOOD. I hope they do see the stuff so they see how unhappy some people are. It's not all happyflowerkittyland like they try to pretend, and it also means that people who are curious about HAI see things that are NOT positive.

When I first got involved there was NOTHING negative to be found online... I'm glad there is now.

I went to a free HAI introductory session this past week and had a very amazing experience from participating in the exercises. I was thinking of signing up for their Level 1 workshop but decided to do a more thorough research before jumping into it.... boy, am I glad that I did and what would people miss out if it were not for the power of Google.. if just 10% of what is being said in this thread is true, HAI is far from what I thought it was. I saved $500 USD that the workshop would have cost me and that's probably the least significant savings...

Thank you and please keep writing. There are other out ther that are doing the research and looking for the truth....

The intro. session and level 1 are actually OK. Few liberties are taken and few challenges presented other than perhaps some intimate but benign touching, and maybe stripping off naked(!!). But its all designed to lull you into a false sense of security, in the belief that the facilitators know best and will guide everyone along a safe but challenging path. However early on level 1 an alarm bell of warning should be the appearance of a flip chart detailing the need for safer sex and how to avoid catching or passing on HIV / AIDS. If participants are in a commited relationship why should there be the need for a chart on safer sex, that is unless it is expected that some participants will actually start sleeping together during the weekend? Isn't everyone an adult there? The opportunity of sleeping together with or without sexual intimacy may not be apparent on level 1. But on later levels intimate relations can start to form; and the exercises become much more sexually and intimately orientated, coupled with an organised breakdown of inhibitions and regards to moral [Christian?] behaviour. Uninhibited polyamory and group sex is then just a matter of time.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/2008 09:39PM by SeekingTruth.

Honestly, they expect and encourage group sexual activities at the higher levels. And you have to remember, a lot of participants go without their spouse so that means a lot of adultery is happening and they all cover it up as "love" and "exercises" rather than what it is - infidelity.

I hope that a person researching HAI notes that this forum is mostly occupied by about a half dozen folks who are spending a lot of energy to put out their narrow views of a workshop that has had thousands of participants all around the globe.

My experience with HAI has been provocative, healing and ultimately very positive in my life. In many ways, there is nothing fundamentally different from a HAI workshop than any other "human potential" workshop, they just do it really well and with very high standards of integrity. I don't understand why the negative detractors are claiming that HAI is secretive about the subject of sexuality in the workshops- it's written right in the title "Love, intimacy & sexuality".

I have friends that have the entire range of feelings about the workshops. Some who enjoy them, take them often and choose to spend time with like minded people they have met there. Some like me that take a workshop about once a year and I have friends that didn't dig it at all. You are always at choice with yourself and with the other participants, so each workshop is unique to the person who takes it - you can come and go, sit out for awhile and just watch, not talk, don't do any exercises with one gender or leave completely without anyone trying to stop you or make you wrong. If someone has an issue with HAI, they need to look at how much they created that for themselves before they lay the blame on the people who created the workshop. Some parts deal with sexuality, but it is not the only focus. My very close friend loves HAI, did all the levels in quick succession and never did any sexual activity there. I have never met anyone who was solicited or pressured in any way, nor have I ever heard of it. In fact, it is the very opposite of the primary goal of the workshops which is to learn that we are always at choice and to ask ourselves why we make those choices. I beleive it is the latter part of that goal that offends some of these people - to look into the "morals" that we have been told by those that would assume authority over us and not question them.

The method of teaching morals by fear of God has gotten us to a world where women don't feel safe to walk in the street, 1 in 5 people are sexually molested before they reach the age of 12, the Catholic Church is paying millions of dollars in lawsuits from decades of hidden sexual abuse, and on... This workshop expose the truth that we are human beings and sexuality is a part of our existence. To hide or be ashamed of it leads to deviant, unhealthy behavior. To be aware of it and be safe to talk about it gives us an opportunity to make good choices. It is trying to make the world a better place to live in by offering awareness to participants and giving them the power of choice to be and act in love, not fear.