Quoterrmoderator That is, Landmark is actually a subjective "experience" that requires faith from its true believers. Ah, so true. I still remember, 10 years ago now, during course #1 (Lifespring spinoff) when the content of the course made a sudden leap from being what seemed logic-based to faith-based. The course leader even told us that we had to just believe: he called the newl
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteThe Anticult . . . Werner Erhard . . . is always running from his past, and trying to pretend it doesn't exist. He ran from his wife and kids and gave himself a new name. He ran from est and created Landmark. He ran from the USA so he could go live offshore and hide from his responsibilities. (what a pathetic coward Werner Erhard is. He is such a coward he cannot face life for wha
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteThe_Trooper The forum is an intense experience. The Landmark perspective is etched in my brain. The forum philosophy has dominated the thought processes that have guided my actions today. And remember -- I wasn't the most pliable of forum students. I didn't do the assignments, I drank beer after nights one and two, I kept my eyes open during the fear exercise, I didn't ma
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Trooper, I went into a different lgat a skeptic and came out - a couple "courses" later - a true believer. I became a zealous salesperson for the lgat. One friend remarked that I was so different, it was as if aliens had captured me!!!! How exactly is this kind of thing accomplished? It isn't done with simple "education" or "psychotherapy". There is
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteThe Anticult If your "product or service" causes damage in people, then you are liable for it. If you are a physical trainer, and your exercises harm people, you will be held accountable. Landmark sells services and products, and when they are shown to cause damage to people, then Landmark and their leaders are liable both civilly and criminally. This information would be very
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Does Landmark give refunds AFTER attending the Forum? The lgat I went to used to offer money-back guarantee: if you didn't like the "course" you could get a full refund. I don't think they do that anymore. skeptic
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Quoterrmoderator It's people like "Trooper" that have made it necessary to eliminate the edit and delte functions for anyone other than moderators. AH! I was wondering what happened to "edit"! (wondered if things were malfunctioning on my end) "Edit" was a great feature! I'll miss it :( skeptic
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

On second read, Trooper's posts could have been real. Hard to tell. I can see someone responding to the Forum as Trooper did. When I showed up for Day 1 (different lgat) I had a big wall up (guarded, distrusting, defensive) and was watching for the abuse to start. I sat in the back, never went to the mic and dressed like a slob (since the staff dressed corporate-business). I can see som
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuotekathQuoteThe Anticultthe posts struck me as disengenuous as well, with the goal of trying to show Landmark is "not a big deal", which is false, of course. But perhaps he just made a mistake when he mentioned that the girl who had a break-down after revealing her child abuse, was taken to the hospital the next day. But even that didn't sound quite right, don't know why
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuotekathHis posts sounded rigged from the start, they had fiction written all over them with devices such as 'I am cracking open a beer to write this' etc etc people don't often refer to the act of writing in that way unless it is in some way contrived. They were works of fiction, to make any criticism of landmark seem like nothing to make a big deal over, IMHO. They struck
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I think the disclaimer has but one purpose: protect Landmark. Various tricks are used to con people to sign. For one, it is grossly downplayed and overshadowed by the glowing promises of the well-crafted sales pitches. Also, no one around you at the time you are being aggressively pressured to sign, which includes your happy, fulfilled, TRANSFORMED FRIEND/FAMILY, looks the least bit damage
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteMaggieIn Laura's column today: Quote To those readers who read last week's column and inferred that I have been captured by a cult: I can assure you I'm fine. I researched the Landmark Forum thoroughly before attending and decided to check it out anyway. I had fun, and I remain in full possession of my skeptical mind. To those of you who oppose the seminar and think I have
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Does anyone know anything about Robert Williams or Bruce Lipton, mentioned on PSYCH-K's website? Anyone have any experience with PSYCH-K since Feldspar's May post? Sounds like an MLM to me. skeptic
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteDynamix After all, your readers trust you, and established trust is the device that landmark exploits to further its business. If you know and understand what this means, you have been more irresponsible than you would have been had your article been sincere. And herein lies one of the dangers of LGATS: you are used to further their business (but you don't know that) and instead of
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I do wonder how this column sounds to the "uninitiated". Does it sound like an ad? Does it sound like non-sense? To the average reader who is not knowledgeable about LGATs and to those who know LGATs through direct experience it seems as if it might read as two different columns. Now that's something to consider, anthropologically-speaking. skeptic
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Astrobro, Thanks for your post. I appreciate some things you said, and agree. I also want to say that many people on this board, myself included, have had their lives torn apart thanks to LGATs, so it's an (understandable) sore spot for us. Additionally, people here are (very) knowledgeable about how LGATs operate (lie) and know that because such knowledge is not common LGATs have a pr
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteLaura MarbleI didn't intend to promote or censure the forum with my column. I meant to offer candid and witty commentary about how hard it is to be totally open with people and not censor yourself because you're afraid of what others will think. She did the above in Landmarkese. Part of the satire perhaps? skeptic
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteLaura Marble First, there was that thing he said about how if you don't do your part in that course, you take the whole group down with you. That sounded suspect. What manipulation! You are wise to stay away from it. I love how lgats teach that you are responsible for the whole world, kind of like god. Which confused me because on the one hand I was responsible for the whole worl
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Hmmm. I took the column at face value. If it's satire, it's a perfect depiction, but I agree w/ the post above, more exaggeration would have helped. Because, actually, as "far out" as it is, it's plausible. That's what lgats do to people, as seen/experienced by many of us. I'm on the edge of my seat . . . Hi Laura! I'm thinking of printing yo
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Wow, her letter is very disturbing. Could the lgat effect be any more obvious? Her brains are noticeably scrambled. What a mess! I remember when it happened to me. I had about the same jargon and same cognitive disability....different LGAT. I also remember when, in the third course, a fellow participant dropped out and called to warn me that it was a cult. But I knew it wasn't a c
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

The 1977 article in New West Magazine that exposed Jim Jones and drove Peoples Temple to Guyana. Excerpt below has parallels with lgat techniques: At first, the Mertles rationalized the beatings. “The child or adult would always say, ‘Thank you, Father,” and then Jim would point out the week how much better they were. In our minds we rationalized ... that Jim must be doing the right th
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

(Excerpted from The New York Times Review by Stephen Holden) This is a movie to make you shudder. How many of us are so desperate for a charismatic leader claiming to have the answers that we will surrender our basic instincts for survival, along with our reason? [ . . . ] In hindsight, it may be convenient to view Jonestown as the most tragic manifestation of 1960’s utopianism run a
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Yep, it's all about MONEY. Regarding the so-called teachings, it's more wizardry, in that they are packaged such that they APPEAR to be profound and wise and useful, etc., stolen pieces from here, there and everywhere, taken out of context and twisted beyond recognition or usefulness. It's part of the sinister plot to get you to THINK you are getting something of value, all p
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

hi dzigntank, did landmark also "transform" the attendees to go out and recruit for landmark? the zen of recruiting, maybe? skeptic
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Quotesonnie_dee but the introduction is made to get you hooked, its different from the actual forum where you will be bullied and humiliated. And after that, you will come out loving your transformation. Imagine that. It's a sinister magic trick: they will teach you how to twist and reframe reality so that you will think they are on your side and are bullying you for your own good, when
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

This discussion is helpful for me in understanding some of the causes of the breakdown in the relationship my sister and I had after her lgat breakthrough. Trying to communicate with her was truly an impossibility. I tried for over 2 years, then came to my senses and gave up. She invariably made our discussions about my mental state and my flaws. She was brutally critical of me but told m
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

It's beyond free advertising. Each free forum turns out a whole troop of brainwashed zealots, programmed for the mission of RECRUITMENT, who will go home and destroy their families and friendships, as they spew the mindless rhetoric and push their "enlightenment" onto to everyone they know. DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!!! I'd like to leaflet Landmark. Anyone interested? I would l
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Ingrasci is still there. It seems to slide under the radar, and it's disturbing how many celebrity types and other notables endorse and rave about it. So, I'm posting here to get it on the radar. skeptic
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteThe Anticult Landmarks judgement day will come, with the amount of complaints about it. I look forward to it!!!! skeptic
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Anyone have knowledge of/experience with Hoffman Institute? Hoffman (Quadrinity) Process? It seems lgat-ish to me. skeptic
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"