Re: Human Awareness Institute - Issues?
Posted by:
Bert Clanton
()
Date: August 25, 2009 08:03AM
Hi!
I've been a HAI "intern" (i.e., assistant) for twenty years, plus a few months. I have a perspective on HAI that I think ought to be expressed here. I'm going to do this in two separate postings. The first will talk about the widely recognized characteristics of organizations that are generally considered to be cults, and will cite my own experience of HAI with respect to each of those characteristics. The second will simply share my own experience of HAI, particularly as it relates to complaints about HAI that I've seen here.
But first, what do I mean when I say that I'm a HAI intern? A HAI intern is not an employee of HAI, but is a volunteer who assists the facilitators logistically and otherwise in presenting the workshops. I sincerely hope that HAI is financially successful, but I have no financial interest in the success of HAI, or even in its continued existence.
CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH CULTIC GROUPS
Janfa Lalich, PhD & Michael D. Langone, PhD
* The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law.
Definitely not true of HAI. While Stan Dale was greatly respected as the originator of HAI, he was by no means the object of uncritical adulation. I have myself disagreed with him over the general direction of HAI's policy, in writing, on the HAI interns' mailing list, with no repercussions whatsoever: in fact, some other interns agreed with me, in writing, on the same mailing-list, with no repercussions.
HAI was until very recently a for-profit corporation, with a board of directors (it's just attained non-profit status). With respect to Stan's status in HAI, he was just one member of the board of directors among several. He did have just exactly one special privilege as a board-member: when a candidate for intern status had been approved by all the facilitators, as required, Stan could still veto the acceptance of the candidate. As for Stan's belief system and ideology, I suppose that you could say that we HAIniks tend very strongly to accept it, but not in any uncritical or slavish manner. In some instances there has been vigorous debate about parts of it.
* Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged, or even punished.
No way. While there is little disagreement among HAI people about HAI's basic sex-positive ideology, I believe that's because most people who continue affiliation with the HAI community past the first Level or two of the workshops, were self-selected as at least partial adherents of that basic ideology before they ever heard of HAI. Nevertheless, there is sometimes some debate among HAI folks about various details of policy, and such debate is completely unrestricted and unpunished. I've taken part in such debate myself, in writing, taking a position opposite Stan's on the point in question, and supported in my view by others, in writing. And I and they were just part of the unpaid help!
I can well understand why people who come to HAI with politically or culturally conservative viewpoints would feel uncomfortable with the content of the workshops. If you believe that sexual activity outside of marriage, or polyamorous relationships, or gay sex, or gay marriage, or swinging, are always morally wrong, you will definitely be uncomfortable at a HAI workshop. HAI doesn't *advocate* any of these practices; but it does say, in effect, "Some people engage in these practices, and many of them seem to live happy, productive lives." If I said, "One of the things on the menu here is escargot, and some people like 'em", I would not necessarily be advocating that you add snails to your diet. You will also find that most people (but not all) who consider themselves to be members of the HAI community are politically liberal as well as culturally liberal, and if their expressing this viewpoint upsets you, you will definitely be uncomfortable at a HAI workshop.
* Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).
meditation: not used
chanting: not used, though we do occasionally sing
speaking in tongues: we leave that to the Christian charismatics
denunciation sessions: totally opposite to HAI attitudes and practices. In fact, we sometimes have *appreciation* sessions. Insidious, huh?
debilitating work routines: so who *works* at a HAI workshop, other than we poor interns and assistants? It's true that some sessions last until midnight, but sessions don't resume the next morning until nine o'clock. And I've never seen any attempt to suppress doubts about the group or its leaders.
* The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry--or leaders prescribe what kinds of clothes to wear, where to live, whether to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).
If HAI leadership tried to dictate *anything* about how workshop participants live, they'd be laughed out of the conference center. Have you ever tried herding cats?
The one exception to this generalization is that there are strict rules limiting dating between interns and facilitators, on the one hand, and workshop participants, on the other. HAI is quite knowledgeable about the "transference" phenomenon, and quite conscientious about doing what it takes to minimize its influence.
* The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar--or the group is on a special mission to save humanity).
HAI is not a membership group--it has no "members", except the officers of the corporation and the employees of the corporation (i.e., the workshop facilitators). The HAI *community* consists of the corporate officers and the facilitators (all of whom have been workshop participants), the interns and assistants (an "assistant" is an "assistant intern") plus anyone who has ever taken a HAI workshop at any Level. I believe that a great majority of members of the HAI community feel that they have derived substantial benefit from the workshops, and that HAI does good work in the world by promoting a sex-positive approach to life. But some participants (just a few, I believe) have had experiences which upset them.
We ain't exalted. And Stan was *far* from being a Messiah or an avatar: he was just a good but imperfect man who arrived at some very good ideas in the course of an interesting life. But I do have to confess that I believe that if people in general adopted the beliefs and attitudes that HAI teaches, the world would be a much nicer place to live.
* The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.
HAI is not in conflict with the wider society. We *do* disagree with the anti-sexual stance characteristic of most of American society. So we're unavoidably distinctive in that respect. But we aren't inimical to the wider society, just in disagreement with it about some important matters.
* The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders, or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream denominations).
The leaders of the HAI corporation, and the corporation, are at least accountable to the legal bodies enforcing conformity with the laws of the various states and the United States. Some of the members of the Board are actually officers of the Courts, required by law to report violations of laws and regulations. A few of the facilitators have in addition private practices as therapists or "quasi-therapists", and so are subject to the regulations governing such professions.
*The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to families or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities).
This one calls for some analysis. On the one hand, officers of the corporation and facilitators are required by law to report violations of law and of regulations, and I believe that they do that. On the other hand, things do happen at workshops that many people think *should* be prohibited by law, but aren't. And it sometimes *does* happen that a participant will come to approve of an activity which they originally disapproved of--though no one is pressured in such a direction.
* Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group.
As I said, people in the HAI community, except for corporate officers and facilitators, aren't members of any HAI-related organization, are spread diffusely over wide geographical areas. So there's no way that HAI could require *anything* of them, even if it wanted to--and it doesn't. Moreover, family members and friends are completely welcome at many HAI-related events. In fact, one of my favorite HAI interns was introduced to HAI by her daughter at such an event. I have no knowledge, pro or con, about anyone's altering their personal goals or activities.
Again: have you ever tried to herd cats which are widely dispersed geographically?
* The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.
HAI has been structured as a corporation, and needs revenues to survive. So HAI needs to attract new people to attend at lower levels as participants move up the eight levels and discontinue going to workshops. But HAI's marketing efforts have always been very low key, and *pressuring* people to attend HAI workshops just doesn't happen--unlike some other similar organizations.
* The group is preoccupied with making money.
If so, it's preoccupation has been largely for naught. There have been several occasions in which HAI survived only by contributions and loans from community members. The contributions were not solicited, all but one of the loans (also, as far as I know, unsolicited) have been completely repaid, and that one loan is near retirement.
* Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.
No HAI person is *expected* to devote any time at all to HAI or to HAI-related activities. Some of us freely and happily have donated time and effort to HAI-related activities, but only in small amounts.
* Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.
Simply not at all the case. It's true, however, that we like to associate with our fellow HAIniks. We aren't herdable cats, but we do like to yowl together sometimes.
* The most loyal members (the "true believers") feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group.
In going-on-twenty-one years of association with HAI, I have never met such a "true-believer". The HAI community is not an organization, that you join or leave. It's a very loose purely voluntary association of people who have just two things in common: they have completed at least the HAI Level 1 workshop, and they self-identify themselves as part of the HAI community.
* The mo