I've participated in many Native American sweatlodges in my time. First of all, no charge should ever be applied for any participant in any Native American spiritual ceremony. EVER. It is, however, customary to give the water pourer and the host a pack of tobacco, as it is a sacred herb and is thrown into the fire for prayers. Not saying this is MY belief, just NA beliefs. This was not
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteDrJesusEsqHey sushigirl, I haven't left yet. As of now, I am tying up loose threads before I sneak my way out of there. I am figuring out a way to keep my friendships with a few (very good and very upright) people while doing my own thing. So far, it's so good, and its most likely I'll make it out by Xmas. Going back to the Communist analogy, I'm preparing everything b
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Another Troubled Teen Industry organization to watch out for is leadershipworks. They are Sterling Institute graduates, promoting their misogynist sickness on unwitting families. Don't ever let anyone you know or love get involved in that or send their kid to one of their "camps" or a "young men's weekend". My 19-year-old son, who has always been troubled, was
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuotenaivenomoreHas anyone unwittingly been "the other woman" with a Sterling man? I have read through many of the threads here, and find it all intriguing, but I was very much in love with someone who claimed to be single, even does professional trainings about living an "intentional and mindful life"... I just discovered his lies. I had suspected he was a coward when he abru
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteJack Oskar LarmIt is awful, wanderingbutnotlost. But I don't fully understand the 'why' you stepped away from Paganism. It further confuses me when you say in parenthesis, 'the semi-organised type anyway'. Are you suggesting that you're part of a more organised group? I don't think it is fair to say that Pagans and Wiccans engage in 'witch wars&#
Forum: Hate Groups

The original message in this thread sounds really awful! This is why I stepped away from Paganism (the semi-organized type anyway). So many Pagans and Wiccans engage in "witch wars" in which they engage in behavior that is so clearly in contrast to the beliefs and tenets of those religions. The Wiccan Rede strictly admonishes, "An' it harm none, do what ye will." Thos
Forum: Hate Groups

I have had a local publication in mind to go to with information about LGATs, as well, in particular regarding Landmark/The Forum, the Sterling Institute of Relationships, and IMPACT training (those are the three I'm most familiar with). Shake them out of their tree, expose them for the liars, deceivers, and gold-diggers that they are.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I know eight people who got involved in Sterling. None of them is in their previous relationships, save for one woman who was not in a previous relationship, and one man who got out of Sterling as soon as he did his weekend and maintained his existing relationship. Everyone else I know who has done Sterling got divorced after their "weekend" and ended up either marrying a Sterlingite,
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Quotebigboyx5Can anyone give me advice on the Wiccan aspects of the WWI or the NWTA. My wife and I have been discussing it lately and I want to make sure I don't give her wrong answers. Some of what they do remind me of witchcraft, but I don't know for sure. Are they really practising it? Wicca and witchcraft are not interchangeable. Wicca is a religion, established in England by Ger
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteCaptian CanadaII just did my weekend Nov 3-5, 2007 and I have still not heard anything from the future father in law. One thing is true that Sterling said though "there is nothing like the love of a woman". I have my woman standing beside me on this ultimatum and I hope her father realizes he is playing with fire. I’ll update soon… I look forward to seeing your update. I ta
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Honesty? You're on culteducation.com and you are posting about honesty. Do you even know who Rick Ross is? Yes, I am posting about honestly on culteducation.com. What does that have to do with anything? As far as do I know who Rick Ross is ... no I do not. Nor do I know who you are. Are you implying that because I don't know who he is and because I don't buy anyth
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I found out why their website was down. They changed the name of the website back to what it was a long time ago. It is now www.sterling-institute.com. Still, it's a colossal waste of electrons. They just had a men's weekend this past weekend in Oakland, and I stayed home and prayed that very few, if any, of the men who attended "bought into" the crap Justin spews at peopl
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

You know, the thought had not occurred to me about it being "fakery". Wouldn't that just be a typical LGAT maneuver?! Maybe they're revamping their website. Still, I had a moment of hope there... I just want my friends back. Of course, I am not sure now if they ever were true friends, but they seemed like such good people. Having them in our lives did change us foreve
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Just out of curiosity, what is RSE?
Forum: Abusive and Controlling Relationships

There are "sterlingites" who make it their mission in life to mentor children and teach them the Sterling philosophies (aka watered down Landmark tactics with a mad dash of misogyny and about half a cup of sexist pigism). These people have started Sterling-like groups for youngsters, and while these groups have no corporate affiliation with the Sterling Institute, make no mistake, thes
Forum: Abusive and Controlling Relationships

Many people with depression or bipolar disorder seek religious and spiritual fulfilment that they were not able to find with "traditional" religious groups. So, there are a lot of people with bipolar disorder and depression in the Pagan and Wiccan community at large. But I think the same can be said for members of any religious group. Bipolar disorder is a physiologic disorder an
Forum: Abusive and Controlling Relationships

If I were you, I would take my child and get the heck out of Dodge like yesterday. If the baby's not born yet, don't tell them when/if it's born, don't tell them the baby's name. This woman is dangerous. She could get a wild hare up her butt and decide that God told her to take the baby and sell him in Argentina, or worse, she could get it in her head that God wants th
Forum: Abusive and Controlling Relationships

One can only hope this is true. My husband and I recently had our entire lives tossled upside down because of the Sterling Institute and the hold Justin has on some of our friends (and yes, they know Justin Sterling personally and have been active in his organization for well over a decade, paticipating in the brainwashing of everyday folks just looking for some meaning in life, which Justin w
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

First, this is NOT research. I work in a research lab, and not the pseudo-science kind, I actually made it thru graduate school in a ligitimate field of science. This board is a promotion for the rick ross institute. It allows people like you to follow the herd and deem everything a "cult". The more groups they label "cults" the broader the market for thi
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I agree that it sounds like Sterling crap. We have some really sweet friends that we cared about a whole lot, spent a lot of time with. They tried to get my husband to go to a men's weekend, said it would change his life, had NO answer for us when we asked them point blank what organization conducted these "events". Mentioned they would let me know when a women's we
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"