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ms_kiki_s_nutkin
There is a good video called "the century of self" out there online that you can watch for free. It's about the brainwashing of society, its evolution from the 1920's through the use of marketing, how the government has been involved, and also tells about Werner's Est and the human potential movements and how they haven't worked, etc. I found it to be very insightful. It tells how most people get involved w/ these techniques as a means to help themselves, and these groups thrive off of people's desires to do so, when really all they are actually doing is getting everyone to conform to rules, and rules to create societies that will follow those rules.
It's a rather long documentary though broken into 4 parts...I think 4 hours in total....but it explains A LOT! I think Werner's est comes up in the 3rd hour of it.
[best.online.docus.googlepages.com]
is the link to the documentary page...that particular video is under "anthropology" but there are also a lot of other really interesting videos on there that you can watch for free as well.
Let me know what your thoughts are on the video if you check it out.
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Zorro
I found it an interesting take on things. If you want to see something really good go back to the site and check out the BBC documentary on Scientology. I now think of Scientologist as a freaking Goon Squad. If they don't like someone they just outright try to destroy them.
Has Landmark ever tried to destroy a person, other than in Litigation? I am curious to know, since Weener took some of Scientology's way of doing things.
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elena
I don't think you could point to a specific instance that anything Werner Erhard or his followers have done compares to what the scientologists have done but, at its core, the Landmark programs are designed to destroy a whole sub-set of people in certain ways beneficial to Werner and to his organisation. They are designed to make people dependent and fearful in psychologically manipulative ways. They are designed to make them unpleasant or repellent to outsiders so that they become increasingly focussed on other members for companionship and social support. They are designed to undermine the followers sense of self and of reality outside the group which makes them more and more insane over time.
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Zorro
Very well put Ellen you pretty much summed up what happens to a person in Landmark when looking back at the experience and now in my case from the outside. I can identify exactly what your talking about.
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elenaQuote
Zorro
Very well put Ellen you pretty much summed up what happens to a person in Landmark when looking back at the experience and now in my case from the outside. I can identify exactly what your talking about.
I am so very sorry this has happened to you Zorro. I blame myself and all the other people who should have fought harder and been more persistent in getting the word out beginning thirty years ago when these slicksters began peddling their snake-oil. I thought the whole thing had gone away after the "60 Minutes" segment in 1991 or earlier when the parody "Semi-Tough" made mincemeat of Werner Erhard. I remember thinking "good riddance." I really wonder how many people would get involved in these silly programs if they knew the history of the people who started them. Can you think of any way you might have avoided the whole thing? I think there should be classes taught in the schools on how to spot a cult or cult-like organisation. At least you can look at your involvement as a back-akwards education in mind control, covert persuasion, and coercive influence. Have you read Cialdini's book?
Ellen