Well they came back. And are worse than the first time they went.

I just spent my hour lunch being spoken to why it was so amazing.

They disregarded my kids have things going on Wednesday - they can "work that out"... Because I need to go to the briefing.

I am torn between researching how to talk to those in a cult - and accepting that I will need to break off the friendship... Which is just unfortunate.

Is this "briefing" connected with PSI?
If so, its simply a tactic to try and recruit for the PSI seminar.

The raving about the seminar, and trying to get friends and family to go, is also very standard behavior. They are programmed to enrol everyone they know.

Yeah, I have read enough about it, I could see it coming before she even said the words.

I just know that they always valued they were not like that - and yet, here they are, 4 days of PSI later, having become who they said they would not be.

And yeah, it is the briefing to recruit for the next basic. I have read enough to know exactly what it is. And "Joy" they will be there to support me.... Or as we know, to help me become cornered.

I am speaking to a friend who was a pastor, who is contacting others who have training to talk to people in Cults. He is going to give me a call tonight. If he gives some great pointers, I will share here.

Oh I did learn about the workshop today. To become in order, you must design a workshop in your mind. To me, this is fine. What isn't is my friend now believes her life is 100% in order because she mentally designed a workshop and put a clock, laptop, and files in it. I believe in visualizations to organize. But I also believe in learning this ON YOUR OWN without others being involved.

It is too personal to be sharing with 60-70 people (the amount of friends she just promised me if I go).

I must be odd - I like having 5 close friends and everyone else as good contacts to keep in my life. 60 close friends means I am not being me.

Mysty,

This all sounds very familiar. My wife threw away most of her relationships for her PSI Group; The group was “very supportive” to her when she left me telling her that it was wonderful and “good for you” and “you’re a strong, independent and courageous woman taking control of her life now!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I have since learned this is more PSI jargon.

The opinions of her pre-PSI friends were seen as having no merit at all. They didn’t understand what she went through. The only ones to understand were her so-called PSI ‘buddies.’ I saw her throw away her relationship with her best friend without even a thought or consideration when her friend called her on her new attitude. And it wasn’t a face to face disagreement, it was on an email.

I can only say that I would under no circumstances go to the gradation exercise, because it is nothing more than a recruiting phase of “the program.” Be very careful.

And your not odd; anyone would be concerned for their friend in this situation. You wouldn't be a friend if you weren't concerned.

those 60 "close PSI friends" are a typical trick of these seminars. Its just hype, and BS, and it breaks down very fast. Its love-bombing, and shallow.

When they put a Workshop in the mind, that's not the only thing they are putting in there.
They put PSI in the mind too. That is what its really about, installing PSI into the people's minds.

Also, it might be interesting to take one step back from "cult", as that can sometimes throw people off. These are LGAT seminars, which one might call a white-collar cultish group.
PSI is after people's money, and they get them hyped up into a manic state.

What can one do? If a friend got involved in PSI, I would just tell them the truth and the facts. What else can anyone do?
search google for

PSI seminar rip-off



These LGAT seminars like PSI, are really running amok out there. Maybe one day they will be regulated and shut-down, due to the harm they create. one can hope.

Oh yes, the PSI buddies you find slowly go away when they return to their lives. The group my wife was involved in fell apart within three months. It seems that most, if not all, these groups fall short after a few months. It's usually the die-hards that continue on to hang on and they fall out after a few years.

I found this on another website:

“Attend a PSI seminar with eight of my closest, newly-converted PSI buddies. While I’m at it, why don’t we refinance the house to pay for their upper level seminars too? ***, let’s just give them the house for their weekly PSI meetings. That would seriously be the lamest thing I think anyone could ever do.

People whose loved ones got involved with this group said after the person in question attends the big seminar (its like a week long retreat) they usual break up with their significant other 30 days afterwards then go and do really crazy poo poo - like buying houses and cars they have no way to afford, quit their jobs, and its really common they hook up with someone they met at the retreat or start dating people they met on internet dating services.

They commented that the "core group" that they were with at the seminar become their support circle and they have constant contact for awhile. They support each other through all the radical decision they make after the seminar. Then after everyone's life goes haywire due to the batsh*t behavior they lose contact and everyone spins off in their own orbit of crazy. They then just promote and staff the local events (that are just recruiting new members) so they can go to the next level retreat. (I think there are 3 major levels of retreats and you are not allowed to contact any outsiders during it (no phone calls, cell phones, email, nothing) totally isolated from your normal circle and surrounded with fellow recruits and members only.

That about sums it up. Want to Join this Batsh*t Now?”

Then I was checking out PSI on FACEBOOK and found a perfect example of what happens when your so brainwashed by PSI Seminars:

Heather wrote at 3:44pm on March 4th, 2009
Hey Everyone! I am so driven in life now that I have graduated WLS. I did the Basic Seminar Jan 29th, four days later went to PSI 7, and then five days later went to WLS. I see the vision. I have felt the urgency needed to make changes in my life and my true vision came to me at WLS. My vision and purpose in life is to be of service to those all over the world. I will create and cause some kind of change in this world. PSI Seminars has a great vision, but it needs to be taken a step further or the vision will die. I will be a part of creating the first of many expansions of PSI all over the world. The first step for me, is getting to principia, so that I may also become a facilitator. With that being said, I am asking for support from my fellow PSI graduates. I exhausted my credit cards and bank account just doing what it took to get through Basic to WLS this last month. I need to raise $3800 to go to principia by March 6th, this friday (to get the discounted price anyway).

Now tell me this is “Normal.”

The principles and exercises in this seminar can be of great benefit for the participants. When there is a large group of people interacting with high energy levels there’s sure to be an exciting experience. PSI Basic takes people out of their comfort zones allowing for self-exploration and self-discovery. Goal setting exercises are also a great benefit to the participants. Meditation, NLP, and guided hypnosis exercises are some of the techniques employed by the seminar. Visualization sessions, called “workshops” are also performed. Group sharing is highly encouraged allowing people to overcome their number one fear of public speaking. After every “share” there is cheering and applauding to support and encourage everyone to take part. People can gain a tremendous amount of self-confidence by being so openly accepted by the group.

Emotional responses are triggered and childhood traumas are dug up. Counseling and cognitive therapy techniques are performed with mostly complete strangers. Professional psychologists who are trained in dealing with these issues should only perform these counseling techniques and not some stranger you just met moments before. This is in case a person suffers severe psychological breakdown or any subsequent long-term damage. Support systems are created as well as a dependency on PSI methodologies.

“Emotional stripping” techniques are used allowing vulnerability and the activation of peoples’ automatic stress response systems. Praise is usually given after emotionally deflating the participants. Various push/pull techniques are performed to further create more vulnerability. New belief systems and different neurological associations are programmed. Laws of attraction and other “New Thought” principles are thrown in to help inspire and teach positive thought processes. These teachings coupled with entertaining stories create a sense of empowerment. The dream is sold, but the process is not described in any practical manner.

Exercises that convey behavioral variance are conducted. When a person hears their personality traits and tendencies accurately pointed out they are brought into a sense of agreement. “Win-win” and “givers-gain” ideologies are anchored into the different levels of mind. Self-improvement or life success courses are the foundation of these Large Group Awareness Training seminars (LGAT). People are inspired during the seminar and feed off the energy of the other group members. Physical exhaustion, a lack of breaks, and food deprivation cause people to become more impressionable to suggestion. A sense of unity is created in the seminar.

Advanced persuasion and coercion are utilized to sell the next level(s) of courses. People are made vulnerable then brainwashed into signing for the next course in order to become a better person or to help solve their personal problems. Participants are manipulated to become addicted to the emotions these training sessions create.

World peace one mind at a time shouldn’t involve the people digging so deep into their pocket books!

Check this out.

"Mad Mike
Sunday, July 06, 2008

Message me

Deanna Carlock
Friday, May 02, 2008

Hello,

My name is Deanna Carlock and I work for PSI Seminars. I was browsing the web and found your website because it has a link for PSI Seminars on it. We are working on a project to take control of what is found about PSI in Google Yahoo and the internet!

We are trying to do is essentially trail Google to pay attention to pages that we know are good pages for the search "psi seminars" so that the negative pages do not appear high on the results. This is what we need your help to do! Essentially, because you have a website or blog you have a "Vote" on what is important out there, our job will be to send in the votes to the pages that are going to do the most good in terms of presenting a positive message (or at least an accurate one) to people when they search for PSI.

Since you already have a link on your blog for PSI Seminars, would you be willing to add a few more links to help optimize out position on the Google search engine? Please let me know if this is something you're interested in helping with.

I look forward to your response.

Thank you,

Deanna Carlock

"We are working on a project to take control of what is found about PSI in Google Yahoo and the internet!" Isn't that something. They are trying to take "control." I wonder if that means they are losing new recruits? Good Luck with that Deanna.

This was just posted on another site: I didn't get the reference to "The possibility that you could be potentially a dirt bag hasn't been discussed." But again another PSI grad steps forward and denounces PSI SEMINARS.

the Demons
"It is my belief that the company as a whole has some positive aspects. After having completed the Basic I did leave with a higher plane of awareness. Some of this has to do with me being aware of how they were trying to negatively manipulate me. I did enjoy my facilitators ability to call me out on my BS. For some this can be a monumental discovery of their true self, or it could be an embarrassing moment that leaves them traumatized. This duality is has not been addressed properly.

There is nothing new to what is taught. I had learned most of what was presented at the seminar during college. The major dilemma has to do with some large jumps in logic that are made. Usually these large leaps are attributed to 'universal laws'. None of which are properly explained. I felt like i was back in church all over again. These laws create shortcuts to thinking. It is always a program, or that we are operating from victim. The worst thing about psi is the rhetoric they use. The high pressure selling tactics are not endearing at all, either. The use of psi grads to recruit new members is the most appalling thing about the organization. There may be truth in owning up to ones actions, but it is exploded into an excuse to disqualify someone's opinion.

Overall, i can see how good can come from the company. It is most definitely not for me. I can see how it can potentially ruin marriages, and strain families as the self is exploded and the rest of the world is tuned out.

although one major trend on this site are individuals whose relationship failed, soon after their significant other got involved with the company. The possibility that you could be potentially a dirt bag hasn't been discussed. This may not be the case but it definitely looks like a possibility.

ultimately, do your homework before signing up. unfortunately PSI figured out that it is easier to have someone sign up while at the the event. once the papers are signed, one loses their ability to back out or do research. So it seems like once you realize what you actually signed up for it is too late."