I have yet to see a single Atheist or Agnostic on TV giving their viewpoint on this. Why do they go to Guru's and Preachers to "explain" natural science? What do they know about it? Nothing! This type of geological upheaval has been occuring for millions and billions of years. it has NOTHING to do with humans, we just happen to be here now. As a matter of fact, Richard Dawki
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Don't forget, with these types of things, the "sales-pitch" is DECEPTIVE. The Advertising has almost nothing to do with what they are REALLY doing to you. Coz
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

That book, Trauma and Recovery By Judith Lewis Herman, M.D. is a terrific book. I worked through it many years ago. Its well worth getting. She "get's it". :wink: Coz
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

More info about a 911 hijacker. In the days following the attacks of September 11, 2001, the world struggled to find answers. Who were the 19 men who hijacked the planes and committed mass murder and what could compel them to become martyrs to their cause? One of the most enigmatic of the hijackers was Ziad Samir Jarrah. The fifth estate investigated Jarrah's story and less
Forum: Terrorist and Extremist Groups

Can this card save you? Gentle Wind's big-buck healing instruments panned by ex-members By STEVE JONES There are probably stranger ways to spend the Saturday of the Thanksgiving long weekend, but here I am holding a "trauma card" to heal my "damaged spirit" with a dozen other people in a conference room of the Sheraton Hotel. I shake it (no sound) and give it
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Oh How the Gentle Wind Blows If you're anxious or depressed, you might want to trek to the airport Sheraton this weekend to size up the handheld "healing instruments" proffered by the Gentle Wind Project, a self-described nonprofit alternative health organization headquartered in Maine. Then again, if you heed the advice of those who regard Gentle Wind's brain trust as
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

This is just my personal opinion, feel free to disregard it. I have had many friends get involved in all sorts of weird things, from Landmark, to Amway, to various cults, sects, groups, etc. I have never tried to "save" any of them. What i have done is given people the "facts" as were known to me. I have emailed people info that the organization they are involved in mi
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

This was actually an extremely fascinating TV drama about this. It showed how they targeted westernized kids who were away from home, and then started to indoctrinate them, and eliminated the ones who were not suitable. Then over a period of time, and through sending them to Afganistan for "training", they were literally able to turn these kids into willing "martyrs", wherea
Forum: Terrorist and Extremist Groups

The Hamburg Cell Interesting TV movie about the targeting, recruiting, and indoctrination of the 911 terrorist hijackers. Coz
Forum: Terrorist and Extremist Groups

Canadian Skeptics website about Medical Quackery, Health Fraud, and the Gentle Wind Project....and info about it being a "scam" or a "cult"...
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

That is so sick. Its truly warped. The designers of these ideas know very well that our Identity is the most fundamental structure of being a human. So they want to get into that. They want to mess around with that. For example, Aaron Beck, the creator of CBT, has done decades of research showing how Depression, is created primarily by cognitions toward the Self that are "self-downing&
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

That's great he got nailed. But sadly, these types of people never seem to change, they just keep moving around. It seems to me that being a con-artist, is based on having a sociopathic personality disorder. That's the danger. Even if they go to jail, they keep trying to work the system. They just don't stop. I don't know the answer... Crime and Punishment... C
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

That video above is terrific, it exposes the entire scam. The average person makes about $1,400 a year. And you get to see the main Quixtar speakers on-stage live, they are all blatant sleezbag conmen. Its so obvious. Especially the main guy, he is like a Mafia Don. And then they expose another local Quixtar guy as a liar, and show how the guy actually has warrant for his arrest in another
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

Here is a video and transcript from Dateline exposing Quixtar fraud. Show aired May 7, 2004. Watching this video should really shake someone's Beliefs up. Coz
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

A terrific page about Amway/Quixtar
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

"Gentle Wind Project" Exposed This big boy is feeling no pain, thanks to trauma cards and healing hockey pucks. He's John Miller ("Tubby" to his friends), supreme leader of the Gentle Wind Project. Your voluntary donations keep "Tubby", "Moe", and their fellow instrument fondlers fed, clothed, and well-supplied with sand and plastic bits. Please
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Gentle Wind Project” Wafts into Ellsworth Alternative “Healer” Sues Former Fans By Tom Walsh ELLSWORTH — Veterans coping with battlefield injuries and post-traumatic stress are actively being courted by the Gentle Wind Project, a controversial, Maine-based “healing organization Founded in 1983, and headquartered for many years in Blue Hill, the organization is now based in Kittery.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Sunday, January 9, 2005 Gentle Wind Project sues couple over Internet postings By GREGORY D. KESICH, Portland Press Herald Writer The Gentle Wind Project collected millions of dollars in donations by distributing plastic healing instruments that believers say alleviate suffering through the regeneration of human energy fields damaged by trauma. But when two of the group's fo
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Tuesday, January 11, 2005 Judge: Web site can't be sued for 'cult' comment By GREGORY D. KESICH, Portland Press Herald Writer The operator of a Web site based in New Jersey should be dismissed from a lawsuit that he faced for publishing articles comparing the Kittery-based Gentle Wind Project to a "mind-control cult," a U.S. Magistrate judge ruled Monday.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Why not try some of the anti-Quixtar, anti-Amway websites? There might be some more specific methods from them. There is not that much Amway/Quixtar traffic on this site. But let me tell you this. I knew a few guys who went crazy for Amway. These guys would NEVER stop trying to sell me, no matter what i said. In the end i had to end the friendship, it was too toxic for me. We don't
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

I'll just give you a guys point of view. If it were me, I would just tell the truth. No games. I meet women all the time, who are into various cults, sects, MLM, Amway-Quixtar, religions, etc. I pretty much just call it like I see it, while being polite. As far as YOUR money and business, that is so easy its not funny. What would you do if a vendor came to you with some crackpot id
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

Actually, your statement is perfect. My "tone" in my criticisms of Ad people, was more satirical and sarcastic. Does ANY person involved in these enterprises think they are "bad"? Of course not. They are just doing their job. Am i a bad person for making money from Ads for products i despise? (like booze) No, not me! If i didn't take the job, then someone else wi
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

One thing I have noticed without exception for Ad-Professionals, is that they ALL seem to say they are "serving society", and are giving people what they want and need. Obviously, they want to look at themselves in the mirror and feel proud, so they warp their perception of reality to achieve this end. Also, the money is so tempting. I know many people who have participated and p
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

I really liked that Salon article. It even features one of the guys from the PBS doc. Clotaire Rapaille. This guy is a psychiatrist who deals with the "reptilian mind". Can marketers really get inside a consumer's head to influence the choice they will make? For market researcher Clotaire Rapaille, the answer is yes. He believes all purchasing decisions really lie beyond
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

I totally agree that this statement from Douglas Atkins is completely absurd. Now where he got those ideas, i do not know. Maybe from some zany college prof, or maybe from Werner Erhard. I am sure Atkins would LOVE Landmark. He would think its a terrific business model. What he is lying about, of course, is the fact that people are DUPED and TRICKED when they join a cult, using covert techniq
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

What i got from Atkins was that he wasn't literally trying to start a branding cult, or understand cults, but just use some of that knowledge as a "hook" for advertising. These advertising people are quite glib, and spend most of their time advertising advertising... His views about cults in general are quite silly, if not outright dangerous. I think he is using the "
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

Its this type of "mindless followership", just following some slick speaker, without every asking any tough questions. This is the breeding ground for cults, and cultish groups, and rip-off artists. I think our culture has programmed children from a young age, to just follow orders, and to not think for themselves. Don't question. It can start with religion, and "educatio
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

On PBS today, they have this Keith Harrell, who's mantra is Attitude is Everything. $10k-$15k per speech! No wonder so many people go into this business. $$$$ His audience is FULL of his followers, laughing at his canned jokes. He is also targeting black America. On the surface, he is just preaching "positive thinking", but again, underneath, he is doing all of the
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Sri Chinmoy tells them to think of him as bigger than Jesus. The guy is just another con-artist cult leader, doing phony "lifting" tricks, and countless lies and scams. Coz
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

BENNY HINN'S FINANCES Under U.S. tax laws the Hinn Ministry is not legally obligated to makes its finances public because it is a religious organization. Although most major American churches and ministries release financial information voluntarily there are no public records for how much the Hinn ministry makes or how that money is spent. Benny Hinn insists that every penny is
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"