Sistah, here's the problem we both had. We "fell in love." And that brain activity mimics mental illness when we're in that state. We can't see any flaws. It's a drug...many, many of those in Recovery will attest to it. I'll drink to that one. Mental illness indeed. I actually Googled "falling in love + chemicals " at one point, because I w
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

These are some good posts by Elena so I'm bringing this older thread up again. This is precisely the reason I lost total respect for my ex and left him over Landmark. If he had been sucked in unwittingly, during the pre-Internet age, that would be one thing. But I was SCREAMING from the sidelines at him as he traipsed along, ignoring me in his callow self-absorbed psychological death-wish
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Ralpher, The more I hear from you, the more I wonder if you're not Byron Katie herself. I don't think anyone on this board is anti-awareness. We're anti deception, anti mind-control, anti delusion. Years ago, and I mean years--like twenty--I did the forum with Werner Erhard himself. It left a bad taste in my mouth. Not for me. But I feel no need to pathologize the expe
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Ah, the late night spirit of cruel self-analysis has descended upon me again . . . must be due to Nutrino's Freud-laden post earlier demanding we all take a big uncomfortable look inside our dank inner caves . . . I guess when I posted this thread I was thinking the same thing I'm still thinking, and I know my lesson lies here. In a way, my unwillingness to see parts of my ex
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Thanks, Corboy.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

It's interesting because I've had some experience with people who were sort of in an altered state of temporary grace, for lack of a better term. And it's kind of like being in the"zone" that athletes talk about, or the place people get to who can tight rope walk over a massive gorge -- someplace where they really are totally "at one" with the larger creation to
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Uh . . . . huh? Well, Nutrino, thanks for dropping in on my request, but I have to say . . . it sounds like you need a little fresh air. This with the caveat that my perspectives are most likely not as nuanced as yours. However, too many books on castration makes a girl like me get queasy so I can't say I'll be reading up too much on that particular line of reasoning as to why I'
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Part of me has sympathy. Part of me thanks God for Darwin. I had to laugh at this. I've been having the same thought lately. And I have thanks that I'm someone who is clawing her way up the evolutionary cliffside one way or the other. Yesterday I had a lot of email exchanges with me ex about Landmark. He said he was open to learning more about it, but that he just couldn'
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

jj52: Thank you for posting all of this. It's very important. This board is, in my opinion, one of the most important resources on the web, for all the reasons you've stated. But it needs ever more input from people who have direct experience, like you. Many people here have sat on the sidelines helplessly watching someone we love get sucked into a cult or LGAT. Check out the thre
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Is there any proof at all to substantiate Katie's story? The mental ward she was locked in? (Or was it an attic?). Anything?
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Yeah, he's been messaging me too. I think the apologist are actually very important to this board, however. Vital, actually. So I guess it's up to you as moderator to decide when to draw the line. I think if someone is doing nothing but posting press releases for some guru or LGAT, it makes sense to ban them. But if they're arguing or debating perhaps it does seem unfair to cens
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I do want to add that I believe many, many current conspiracy theories do have much truth in them. However, the topic of this thread: Skull & Bones Society, Bohemian Grove, Order of Death, Illumanati, is something that contains massive amount of conjecture and leaps of logic in the available literature. I've actually been a guest speaker on the Alex Jones show many times, discussing
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Corboy, Your description of the cell phones going off on the dead victims of the Israeli bomb attack gave me chills all over. God, what a horrible image. I have many relatives in Israel, one beautiful young cousin who almost lost his eye recently to shrapnel. He's a soldier. There is another thread somewhere that talks about the "power of negative thinking" and people interes
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Whoa boy! I just read this one from Ralpher: Since ideas can't hurt people, all of these gurus are well within their rights to sell their stuff. It's a business to them, in addition to being a nice way to spend their time, and downright helpful a lot of the time to some of the people. Okay, take one BIG mo'foing step back right now, Ralpher, I think we found the error muy gra
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Your story about the man who committed suicide is what makes me shake myself out of my own head and really feel concern for my ex. But I know he just can't/won't hear me, so what can I do? I know he's fragile and I just hope to God he holds up through all of this. It's part of why I'm still talking to him at all.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

No, I"m not going to stop posting, I'm just not going to continue engaging with Ralpher. It's interesting how I'm not supposed to judge Byron Katie, I'm not supposed to judge him, I'm not supposed to feel we can "know" anything. Sometimes I wonder why the good lord dun give me a brain 'tween my ears! Of course I was giving Ralpher the benefit of
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I'm sorry, Vic-Luc. I've been having a hard time finding the joy myself lately. That's why on my journey out of Mexico I'm taking the long way home, going up the coast instead of through the middle of the country (never drive through Mexico City!!) so I can have some time by the sea, which always makes me feel more appreciative of life. It's been years since I've
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

And finally, my response to the flower incident: Byron Katie was possibly challenging the woman to say why she should react differently from the flower. That could have led to an interesting exchange, and then we'd know much more about what BK meant. Unfortunately, the woman on camera did not pick up the point, and so we can't really know what she meant by it. She might have meant to
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

rr: Of course, delete the long ranting about aliens or whatever. But the conspiracy mindset and cult mindset are VERY much connected. And as in Scientology, conspiracy theories and cults can overlap. This is a topic close to my heart, so to speak, because a very close family member has been a leader in the realm of conspiracy theory. And his conspiracy theory is actually true! (It's ba
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hi Nettie, I know, I'm sure you're right. It was actually a very big deal for me to hear him say these things to me yesterday. After he got out of the Forum a few weeks ago, he displayed all the same signs that so many people have posted about here on this board. He was totally self centered, he seemed disconnected from me in a new way I'd never seen. And of course he was spouti
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

That's where I lost my ex, essentially. LE was her own personal strength/endurance test. Good luck. No luck. He's gone. I wonder what he meant by telling me he loved me and regrets losing me. I guess he doesn't love me enough or regret it enough, or want me back enough, to listen to me about Landmark. He must really love Landmark.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Anti-Cult Thanks, I was going to say all of that but didn't have the energy. See, this is my point, where is the poison hidden? Someone without the knowledge base might accept Ralphers statement as fact without verification. The New Age is just ridden with people making these kinds of pronouncements, false statements so dramatic that they pass as wisdom to those who don't know bet
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Ralpher, It's interesting that you managed two long responses to me without once addressing the question I asked about the vase of flowers, and without addressing what I considered to be the most important problems with Byron Katie. This dissuades me from dealing with your responses piece by piece. Plus I don't have much time right now, and I think you're pretty sold on Byron a
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Corboy, I think this analysis in important in keeping people out of LGATs. My ex didn't want to see himself as weak, he wanted to feel impervious to worst possible effects of LGATs. He wrote to me today telling me he has regret that our relationship has been torn apart by all of this. This was the first time since he took the Forum that his self, and his love for me, has emerged. Perha
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

The issue isn't whether we should ask ourselves questions, or question our own beliefs, motives, patterning, etc. The problem with Byron Katie is that she supports the New Age perspective that people should live in some altered state of consciousness (called grace, I believe) that is without all of the "negative" states that Katie herself could not handle, and therefore ended up
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Ralpher: You write: For example, someone, whether it's BK or my friend, suggests to me that despite abuse I suffered, I was also an abuser. If I have no boundaries, this will hurt, I will take it literally, I will get extremely angry, I will feel as if it is true and yet have no way to counter the bitterness of it. It's way too much at once. I will have no choice but to react again
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hooo boy, could I contribute to this thread!! But I won't, it will take too much time . . . Suffice it to say that I have been involved for most of my life with "true believers." I know that people drawn deeply into the vast realm of conspiracy theories are ripe for cult indoctrination. You start wandering down that hall o' mirrors and it won't be long before you'
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Do you know what is even more insane than Byron Katie. People who believe in free will and at the same time hold the Calvinist ie current born again doctrine of pre-destination. In other words, they believe that God has already determined the outcome of their life, but have free will to change it. Now that's insane. Or how about the classic Campus Crusade for Christ line from the four
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

How kind of you to say. I've been a cult-watcher since the 1960s when many of my contemporaries got sucked into these things. No family on my street growing up didn't lose at least one child to a cult or to drugs. My family lost one to each. Have you read James Endres' piece, by the way? Here's a link, if not: Thanks, Elena, I'll check it out. I'm sorry a
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Hi Zorro, Yes, things got a little squirrely today on this board. We'll call it miscommunication and let it go at that. Personally I'm ultra sensitive to anything that appears to be a mind game lately. Not only did I lose my love to a frigging cult, but I also had someone I've known for years try to undermine my belief in my own sanity-- claiming we had a conversation that ne
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"