Hi All,

I stumbled onto this site while searching for info on what ever happened to Visionworks out of Colorado Springs CO (also in Salt lake) I attended/was subjected to their program in 2002. I consider it to be one of the most profound experiences of my lifetime.

The program consisted of three parts.

1.)Journey (they soften you up and make you feeel Goood.Very emotional) 2 days, Did some good on me.

2.)Crossroads (they recruit you and convince you that the group is all important, also ridicule you to make the group seem more important than the individual.)3 days. Oh ya, they also hit you up for another $500

3.) I can't remember the third segment because I never made it that far but it lasts several days and from what I can tell it boils down to them pressuring you into recruiting several people.

I "dropped out" of Crossroads when they insisted I partner up with an admitted child molester. I went back a few weeks later and groveled at the feet of the new group to get back in. When I showed enough tears and pain they let me back in but I got kicked out about 30 hours later by the "Trainer" and founder of the company Bruce Solomon.

Bruce was ridiculing the group for their shortcomings (not completing all night homework AKA sleep deprivation) and pontificating on his own higher plane of understanding and enlightenment that made him so much more successful than all of us losers.
I was really stressed out, confused, off balance etc just like they want you to be but what I perceived in my fog was a that a bully (Bruce) picking on people that didn't deserve it. I have a history of taking on bullies.

So I took HIM on. That's right. I asked Bruce in front of the group why if we are such losers and he is so complete in his growth etc. I asked him why he was so overweight. (he was at the time grossly obese around 350-400 plus pounds) I did this respectfully. I didn't call him a fat a## or anything.

Well that's all it took. He quickly shouted at me that "This conversation is over!!" and ordered the group to throw me out or "the class would not go on until I was expelled" The zealots attacked me one and all and so I left crossroad a second time but it became clear to me that I was right and the the trainer was full of crap. I felt no desire to go back. I also felt exonerated in the fact that Bruce threw me out of the class and he swore he never threw anybody out in his life.

I got alot of pressure from my best friend who had recruited me in the first place to go back and beg forgiveness etc. I was told by several people that I "was missing out" and "was in a dangerous place" mentally because I was an unfinished work in progress or I might be damaged unless I finished etc.
I later talked to a few of the members who were there and that I thought I was close to and not one of them agreed that I was right in what I did they were all loyal to the group. That was confusing at first but I realized that they were the manipulated stooges.

I wondered if I was damaged by the experience. It was hard to think about anything else for several days and I tended to obsess on it for a while. But gradually stopped thinking about it and let it go.

I feel lucky after reading some of the other experiences here. I had never heard of LGATs before finding this site and it's nice to put it all in perspective. I have concluded that...

Visionworks IS a LGAT
LGATs ARE just after your money just as I suspected
They don't give a damn about you
They use well establish techniques to systematically wear you down, soften you up, manipulate you, recruit you, and use you up.
Thank God I got out early!

Good for you for taking bullies on! I loved reading how you did it at this LGAT. And, yes, thankfully you got out!

way to go! Good job!

I've found that confronting the bully LGAT leaders directly and nonviolently often leads to a more positive experience for those of us who leave such groups. Way to go!