Andy, if you feel so strongly that your beef needs addressing, start yer own thread rather than barge in and corrupt the current one. someone seeking advice, okay?

dont forget to answer the poll.

Hi,

Just wanted to tell you that a very close family friend of ours just went through the same thing. He chose to go to the forum and he's now doing the 10 followup one-night meetings.

From a good friend's perspective, it's been devastating to see the change in him - he went from being an opinionated (and humorous) person to someone almost void of personality. If you asked me prior to his going if he would change, I would've said it was impossible. I'm all people wanting to better themselves and even change, but to change into a person who's goal is only to get others to go to the forum, well, something isn't right.

You need someone who loves you for who you are, not for what you might become.

Was she involved in Landmark before you met? If not, what led her to it?

Good luck - I'm sorry you have to make this decision (and hoping you're not at graduation tonight).

Thank you all for your input and comments.

I know what I have to do is end it and I will. I wish there was an easy way to draw her out of this group but she has been a member of many years and most of her friends and family have done the forum and other course through it. I don't suspect I have a chance to help her see the downsides.

[I cannot help but laugh when I write that I "cannot do" something/anything - Landmark would be all over "cannot" like a dirty shirt!]

[b:14f4ec318e]Has anyone successful extricated someone from LM? Someone that has been part of it for years? PSIsurvivor [/b:14f4ec318e]- how did you get out?

Thank you to each of you for your input and comments. I particularly like the comparison to being like a little kid make friendship threats.

I have read many of the links and much of the information on the pages on RR.

I will keep reading the thread as it rolls along.

Thank you again,

QM

Quote
patrick-darcy
dont forget to answer the poll.

I would count "dump 'er" as a serious option not included in the poll.

QM,

I did not do Landmark. The LGAT I got involved with was PSI Seminars. The landmark people will say with tremendous energy that PSI Seminars and Landmark are nothing the same. In my opinion they are lying and they know they are lying.

I believe that all LGATs function in a very similar manner. You can find a wealth of information about the basic structure of these programs and how they practice thought control at this site. I highly recommend that you educate yourself.

If you look at the history of these types of programs you will see that it all started with one guy, William Penn Patrick. PSI Seminars actually runs its show from the original William Penn Patrick ranch. SO you see Werner E and Tom Whilhite are cut from the same cloth so to speak.

If you read my other posts you will understand how I got out. It wasn't easy and It was very emotionally painful.

Encourage your girlfriend to trust her own thoughts and feelings. Encourage her to listen to the voice within. She needs to trust herself and stop looking to Landmark for enlightenment.

Good Luck

Your girl "friend" doesn't seem like much of a friend by trying to force you to go to this forum. That's quite a demand. What I'd like to know is what is motivating your girlfriend to push your relationship to such an extreme level. Has Landmark got to her like its got to so many others by instilling this burning need for Landmarkers to recruit more people into this group? Can you say "Amway"? This is soooo cultish. And by the way, for those who don't know, France has officially classifed Landmark as a cult.

You should ask your girlfriend: Doesn't Landmark stress "choices" you have to make in life and to be responsible for them. She doesn't seem to respect your right to make choices, not without a threat.

In all the reading I have done to date I don't think I have see a clear reason why LM does all that they do. What is the purpose of LM in the grand scheme of things?

Does money rule the world of self help?

Is there any value in this "education"?

QM

It seems for some Werner Erhard was a "prophet," but he was motivated it appears by profits.

But Mr. Erhard was always focused on the "bottom line," and Erhard Seminars Training (EST) was from the start a for-profit enterprise.

See [www.culteducation.com]

Also see [www.culteducation.com]

Since selling off his company in the early 1990s Erhard has retired a very rich man. He lives in Georgetown, in the Cayman Islands with his girlfriend.

Now his "technology" (large group awareness training approach) is licensed and used by the company named "Landmark Education," which is run by his brother.

Landmark like EST is a business, i.e. for-profit private company.

A for-profit business is specifcally in business to make money.

And selling courses is the business of Landmark.

See [www.culteducation.com]

"QuestioningMinds"--have you ever paid Landmark Education for a course?

Haven't paid, I don't plan to pay or have anyone else pay for me either.

QM