Excuse me--I now see that siofra said "non-HAI" workshop. I apologize for the misreading. However, I would be curious to know if this non-HAI workshop was taught by persons connected with HAI. The facilitators often teach workshops, which are advertised on the HAI Web site. Also, in the Northeast, two tantra pujas have sprung up that are facilitated by HAI people and--at least on
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

siofra wrote: "I opted out of an exercise at a non-HAI sexuality workshop that involved hand jobs so that gives you some idea where my boundaries are." Hand jobs???!!! Gee whiz--sounds like a sex act to me.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

DayDreamer, Because I respect you so much and have found solid insights in your previous postings, I accept your gently delivered constructive criticism. In the future, I will refraim from specific mentions of my ex in my postings to this discussion board. However, that does not mean that I still don't have concerns about HAI that I will continue to voice. I am glad to see that you
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Well, despite her affiliation with the Human Awareness Institute, I find siofra a little lacking on “human awareness.” If you ask someone to open up to do and that person does so, and then you respond by accusing that person of lying and misleading you, then--at minimum--you are going to end the conversation very quickly. This discussion board is not about boyfriends and girlfriends and love
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Well, folks - I'm glad that siofra provided the text of her post--I would have done so myself, except I was being respectful of the fact that it had been a private communication. As you can see for yourselves, she does claim that I misled folks on the discussion board (in paragraphs 2 and 4 of her message), and I have responded to those claims in my previous post, citing what I said
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Moderator, I now agree with you. Once burned, twice shy. BTW, the other thing I forgot to mention is that siofra apparently went straight to the very people I was criticizing and told them what I had said in my private post. I know this, because she had details about me and my boyfriend that I have never posted on the list.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I’ve not been on the discussion for a few days now—getting finished with the last gasp of the software release for my company. As of yesterday, it was finally over—YIPPEE!!! However, there is a second reason I have not participated in the list for a few days that I would like to share at this time. In response to the last comments from siofra and ponderosa (both of whom identify themselves as
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

siofra - Thanks for your message. I had forgotten that you can't post privately until you have sent 9 posts to the discussion. I was in this situation once before. To me, this is a flaw in the setup of this discussion. The private message function is supposed to allow folks to talk without having to give out an email address, but--because of the 9-postings-first rule--you wind up havi
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Further Reponse to siofra: siofra wrote: "HAI, like other growth workshops, is a melting pot of people at different levels of psychological development, with different personal inclinations and different needs." This is yet again stating a very good reason that HAI (and other large group awareness trainings) shouldn’t be essentially practicing psychotherapy without a license! A l
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Further Reponse to eaonderko: Sorry, but your remarks about how you got involved with HAI remind me of: Are You "UNDER THE INFLUENCE" of a Destructive Group or Belief System? © 1998 by John D. Goldhammer and Prometheus Books. Here are a couple of examples from Goldhammer's test quiz: * Does your group have its own unique words, cliches, slogans, chants, prayers an
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I would like to respond to both eaonderko and siofra’s recent postings--sorry, but I am unable to use any of the formatting--it doesn't work on my computer for some reason, so I can't do quote boxes. First of all, I am say that, unfortunately, I feel disappointed that neither of you seems to have taken the time to read all the posts thoroughly before getting involved in this discussi
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I'm afraid I'm still too tied up at work to participate as fully in this discussion as I would like to. Hopefully, the late nights and weekend work will be ending in another few days! :) I did, however, wanted to respond quickly to DayDreamer's comments about HAI as hippie 60s stuff and also about her feelings of having thought people in HAI were her friends when they weren'
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I think nutrino has hit the nail on the head about HAI and other LGATs. HAI is very much about late 60s-early 70s counterculture thought and sexuality. I found that HAI was pretty much run by folks who were ages early 50s to mid-60s, and who had experienced this lifestyle in the past and were nostalgic to revive it as HAI. A lot of the other folks who were attracted to HAI were folks who had eith
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Just want to add a couple of clarifications to my previous posting: Obviously, there are some "she-wolves" (very sexually aggressive women) in HAI, too, although I consider these to be a minority. I still consider the men the greater problem. When I mentioned the woman who kept "losing her clothes," at HAI events, that probably wasn't the best description, since HA
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Well, my release is not quite off my back, but getting better, and I cannot resist a reply to DayDreamer's lasst post, which brings up something I would have mentioned to iamtooch's question to me earlier (if I had had time to reply at that point). inamtooch, I apologize for not responding to your direct remarks to me much earlier. DayDreamer wrote: The one that surprised me
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I just wanted to post briefly, because I have been silent for a while, and I know that iamtooch addressed some comments to me a while back and, DayDreamer, I know that I still haven't responded to your last private message to me. I work for a software company, and I've been in "crunch mode" since about July 4. As soon as I get this release off my back, I'll be re-enter
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Yes, definitely my boyfriend is the main person whose behavior I should be (and am) disappointed in. However, I just EXPECT a higher degree of ethical behavior out of someone who is acting in a counselor role--as this woman was to me. (This woman is also one of the representatives for HAI, sometimes doing Intros.) What I would have appreciated from this woman was some glimmer of understanding
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Oh, yes--I'm quite sure that there a HAI devotees lurking on this Web site, which (as you now know) is why I wanted to communicate privately with DayDreamer and Diashto. Thanks for emailing me! :) My former boyfriend knows about this site and that I am "Ciruela." He wrote me to tell me how wrong I was about everything to do with our breakup, but I stand by every word I posted he
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Sorry for the spam, folks... DayDreamer, I would really like to have individual contact with you and diashto regarding HAI, because I think we see things similarly. However, I am prevented from sending you a private message through this Web site until I have had 10 approved posts. If you wish to make contact with me, you can write me at: cirruell
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Like DayDreamer, I've been to plenty of nudist/naturist resorts, and the atmosphere at those places is definitely nonsexual, whereas at HAI, they CLAIM it is nonsexual, but that's b.s., basically. As I mentioned in a previous post, I am trying to deal with the loss of my lover, who I feel was lured away by HAI and now has an ADDICTIVE relationship with that group. I've been see
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

In response to dbvanhorn's question: "Did the organization cause this? Some people obsess on model trains or ham radio. Hell, I've had words with my wife over my involvement in CERT. (Community Emergency Response Teams), the red cross, and storm spotting (not chasing, it's different)." Yes, an individual can be obsessed--and I do think that my former partner is s
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I was going to do a private post to DayDreamer, but I'm prevented from doing so until I have had 10 approved posts. Thus, I'll just say what I have to say to everyone. DayDreamer, I just reread your post of 03-24-2006, and I must say that you've described perfectly what I feel about my own experiences with HAI. I won't quote you, because I'd be tempted to quote the ent
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Regarding the responses to my post from dbvanhorn and DayDreamer, all I can say is that I truly disagree--I don't think it's OK for HAI interns to be sexual with workshop participants after ony two or three months. I think that's totally reckless and potentially psychologically damaging. I know for a fact that some of the men who are workshop counselors are motivated to be there be
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I agree with comments diashto's that a disproportionate number of HAI facilitators are hypnotherapists, and I'll go further to say that I find most facilitators have what I consider to be fairly flimsy professional credentials in general. Of even greater concern to me, however, are the HAI counselors, all of whom are local devotees of the HAI movement who help put on the workshops. The
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"