Hi all!

I have a friend who's become involved in Landmark, and although I'm not being overtly harassed into signing up, hearing her talk about Landmark constantly (in newspeak, of course) is driving me crazy!

I am concerned that she has become involved in a cult (and I've voiced my concerns with her - she dismisses my comments and says Landmark has helped thousands of people) and now I can't stand being around her - I'd like to believe one day she'll come to her senses and want to get out and I'd like to support her when that day comes, but I don't know if I'll be able to put up with her in the meantime.

Any suggestions?

Hi, speranza, and welcome!

You're right to be concerned. Your friend has become involved with a destructive group...and her obsession with it is a symptom of what they're doing to her mind right now, I'm afraid.

If possible, I think the best thing to do is to stick by your friend, stay supportive, remind her of good times you had together before Landmark, and try to read up about Landmark as much as possible. Landmark will try to separate people from loved ones who are not interested in Landmark -- it helps make their victims less independent and more vulnerable to their manipulations.

It's true that your friend can't hear anything negative about Landmark right now, because she's on a "high." Anything you say about them being a "cult" will seem to her like a personal attack (that's what she's been coached to believe).

There's information here about coping:

[www.culteducation.com]

And lots of information about Landmark:

[www.culteducation.com]

Also, I've read that although some people won't listen to negative info about their own group (in this case, Landmark), it may be possible to get them to read info about a similar group. Several people have found this study, about Lifespring (a group very similar to Landmark) very helpful:

[www.culteducation.com]

This study gave me a fairly clear idea of what actually happens in these types of "seminars."

Sorry your friend has fallen victim to Landmark...I have a friend in the same situation, which is why I'm here.

Glam

Thanks Glam!

It certainly is true that my friend can't hear anything negative about Landmark - in fact she told me that I wasn't being supportive and that it [i:81296fa859]was[/i:81296fa859] a direct insult to her that I was saying bad things about it! I wonder how she came up with that idea?

She claims to have read some of the information about Landmark on the internet, but insists that there are only a handful who have written negative reports and that the number of people helped by Landmark far outweighs those hurt.

Thanks for those links - I'll have a read and no doubt scare myself even more!

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she told me that I wasn't being supportive and that it was a direct insult to her that I was saying bad things about it! I wonder how she came up with that idea?

She claims to have read some of the information about Landmark on the internet, but insists that there are only a handful who have written negative reports and that the number of people helped by Landmark far outweighs those hurt.

As est has evolved into Landmark and their "training" has also evolved, they've had to come up with counterattacks to the negative information they know is available on the internet. So I believe telling people that the number helped far outweighs those who are hurt -- and that there are only a "handful" of people who've written negative reports (not true -- there are many) -- is Landmark's way of "handling" the negative information they know people are bound to find.

Of course, they also tell people who attend their seminars to expect negative reactions from friends and loved ones...and that these people are "unsupportive," "uncoachable," will never "get it," etc. It's the first step to separating their victims from their support systems.

Glam

Following on to what Glam has said, all introduction leaders and those in training to be introduction leaders are given a list of potential questions that are often asked and given the "landmark answers" things like Is this a cult has a 5 paragraph answer with all the reasons why it is not a cult. This set of questions is almost book size now and the leaders have to learn it by heart.

Introduction leaders are never surprised by any of the questions. people think they can come up with something original they can't. these leaders are quizzed on every question under the sun.

Participants are told continuously about how if their friends really trusted them they would do it ... this leads to the feelings of insult and rejection when their friends and family do question their participation

This is very sad. As far as I know, my friend is hoping to become a leader (a carrot they dangle in front of many, no doubt), and is probably in training to become an introduction leader.

To me, this shows how effective Landmark's persuasion tactics are. Here are people who have to memorize an entire book of answers to negative questions about the organization they're involved with...and yet their logical thinking has been so supressed that it doesn't even occur to them to wonder why people would have so many negative questions about Landmark in the first place.

:(

Glam, if you friend is doing the ILP (Introduction Leaders Programme) his life is either totally consumed by landmark or is about to be.

Participants in ILP commit to a six month training programme with four weekend courses with other ILP groups in their country/region and weekly classrooms. The classrooms are usually 4 to 5 hours long

they also must assist around the centre once a week (this is the minimum) most do more.

They have coaches and teams that they will meet with at least once per week.

They have excessive amounts of literature that they must read and memorise.

To meet the measures of the programme they must register a minimum of 15 people into the landmark forum, they must hold introductions and get people to go to them they must register a number of people over the phone who attended a landmark forum but who did not register at the introduction (this is what those peices of card they fill out are for)

People who do this programme do not question why it is like this, nor do they question why there are so many concerns by people participating. Looking back I can't understand why I didn't question it !

My friend is doing the ILP.

:cry: :cry:

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sonnie_dee
They have excessive amounts of literature that they must read and memorise.

could you elaborate on this, please?

Participants in ILP commit to a six month training programme with four weekend courses with other ILP groups in their country/region and weekly classrooms. The classrooms are usually 4 to 5 hours long [/color:8bf3547ff6]

What courses have to be taken before they enroll in ILP courses?

How do these people fit all this into their schedules? Doesn't it affect their family life, work, etc?

also

There are year committments, on assisting teams,,, Are these signed contracts? Are they paid or is it volonteer work and time that they are giving?