This happened sometime ago. I believe that several of my Japanese colleagues reported this behavior to the APA. No action was taken, possibly owing to the fact that the complaints were coming from Japanese, from Japan, or owing to the fact that these psyches had friends on the board. There was, at least, one legal action filed by a Japanese American employee object of this abuse. I have a
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Corboy, The ICF mentor coach who defrauded me was an Indian from Mumbai. He had contacted me via Linkedin ostensibly to participate in a doctoral 'research' project. This I did. He then contacted me and offered to do coach training in Japan (English language). I was uncomfortable from the moment he and his wife arrived in Japan. Don't know how to say it, but both were ki
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Corboy, First off, I believe my boss was being mindfucked from above. I believe she was also collaborating with her functional peers to mindfuck employees. The coach training facilitator, who shall go nameless, was aware of these strange calls, and the outrageous demands, was, in a way, collaborating. I did at points try to ascertain whether my boss was merely a disorganized, micro-manage
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Corboy, Bob Sutton is the 'real deal' and a credit to our field. "The No Asshole Rule" was a runaway best seller across Asia, and, especially in Korea. Bob, almost single-handedly liberated us mealy mouthed coach, and consultant speak with that book. I had clients how purchases multiple copies and gifted their entire teams, or kept one on their desk as a warning to t
Forum: Abusive and Controlling Relationships

Corboy, Thank you for having researched all of this. With regard to your rhetorical question regarding who coachee can complain to if they have an issue with a coach, I would suggest that the ICF's representations that it acts in the manner of a licensing board are false. I recently contacted two senior ICF leaders who have responsibility for reviewing complaints against coaches p
Forum: Abusive and Controlling Relationships

Corboy, Let's reframe est/Landmark as a more fluid entity with operatives working in many other entities. In 2009, my platinum consulting firm, 28 branches worldwide, sent me to Shanghai for 'coach training', with the, then, most platinum coach in the world. In attendance: me, a non-psychologist, and about 25 psychologists flown in from all over the world. I was a bit ne
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

One other thing...it would be one thing if they were calling what they are doing Landmark, or est, but they are cloaking it under another brand. I have participated in other coach training programs, and they are focused on COACHING...this stuff is not. Most of it is about how to 'game' a test, what are the key phrases one is to utter...how to get points with the evaluator. I have
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Apologize for the typos...this stuff really upsets me.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Yes, yes, the facilitator's behavior -- this is an I.O. Psychologist was calculated to undermine my sense of self, my confidence in my knowledge of the field, my experience. She had sent me an inaccurate map to the venue, and I arrived a few minutes late. She made no effort to introduce me to the group (unthinkable in Japan). She jumped on me every time I asked a question. She had not
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Kdag, I contacted this forum after a close encounter with the cult. Someone I had formerly trusted, been trained by in another context, was offering ICF accreditation training. I figured, maybe they had changed, were bringing in 'reputable' people. As usual, the training itself made no sense to me, was highly programmatic, did not speak to actual coaching practice of HUMANS by
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Hi, I have gone back and reviewed corboy's post. I recall a lot of research being done at my graduate school regarding amygdala hijack. I need to think more about this, and what I have experienced and observed in a couple of workplaces (consulting firms), and, in the context of coach 'training'. Your comment about potentially being targeted because you are 'stoic
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

While enduring the last coaching 'conference' I have attended, or will attend, I pressed a pencil to paper and made a (.) every time I heard the term "coaching culture"...there were hundreds of (.'s) on the paper by noon of the second day, when I left.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

This is truly alarming stuff. Yikes! I can add a little detail about Esalen. It is my understanding that during the 70's and 80's Japanese academics participated in Esalen events, and, were, how shall I say it, sexually compromised. We have two organization development networks in Japan. One is run by the aforesaid academics, and the other by normals.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

This jargon list is very useful. One thing that struck me in reading it was the "Integrity" focus. This seems to align with 'work' Werner Erhard is doing in one of his many 'groups'. It looks to me like he is still involved with Landmark, and that he is also directing in some manner the Landmark graduates who have their hands in other pies, other groups.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Thank you for your thoughtful reply and questions. When I started in the coaching field, it was dominated by I.O.P's (Industrial and Organizational Psychologists) I was trained by these folks. As the field evolved it became multi-disciplinary, a good thing -- we have practitioners with advanced business degrees and deep business backgrounds, inter-culturalists (generally Ph.D's),
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

GRANDIOSE, JUST A LITTLE? (excerpts from "The Secret History of Coaching", NYC Presentation 2013, Vikki Brock, ) WHAT THE FUTURE MAY HOLD... Coaching becomes * A sustainable, mature and valued profession * Institutionalized and bureaucratic * Overtaken by a new discipline/profession * A part of coaching psychology * The dominant worldview and global culture. ONE PR
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Thanks!
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I have worked as an executive coaching since 2005. Most of this work was accomplished in the context of consulting firms, or at the behest of American consulting firms. I have participated in many hundreds of hours of training, and an extended practicum. I also completed a M.A. program with coaching focus. In 2010, I acted as a founding member of a Tokyo branch of the International Coach
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Thank you for all of this, and particularly your reflection: Werner Erhard's library was more than a library. It was his armory, his collection of high tech mental and verbal weaponry for conquering as many minds and hearts as possible in one lifetime. Question: Does a record of the contents that library exist? I found a copy of Oakes' work on-line...thanks! The personality
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Given this individual's undistinguished beginnings -- no secondary education, early roles as car salesman, encyclopedia salesman, did he have the raw intellect to create "transformation technologies"? Could it be that he Was he being coached, programmed? If so, by whom?
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

One of the issues we have in the coaching field relates to the seeming inability of many ICF-affiliated coaches to differentiate between life and executive coaching. Life coaching typical involves an individual who works with a coach to clarify personal goals and create a path toward a achieving these. Nothing wrong with this...can be very useful to some folks. Executive coaching focuses
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Thank you for the link to W.E.'s private world. 'Charisma' does not seem an adequate term to explain the sway he exerted over others, many others, and still does. I will do a search of all parties listed in the ICF pantheon, as you suggest. Honestly, I feel like I have been living, practicing a professional discipline, in a sort of dual universe. I believed executive coac
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Found this 'secret history of coaching',a Ph.D's slide deck delivered at an ICF conference in Brazil. See slide 3 for interconnections to Werner Erhard. I guess this is not a 'secret' anymore.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

As an American long-term resident of Japan, who has had some interface with the Eikaiwa scene, what you report is spot on. I did some work for Berlitz Business Communications after the 311 quake, and encountered the same mindset and conditions you describe. I have heard same about NOVA, AEON, really, all of them. While some of the features you mentioned are common to Japanese business cul
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

How about re-framing the D.L. as a life-time actor, and a CIA asset. Works for me.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

See the D.L. with Werner Erhard back in the day. These guys seemed to used him as a prop for their intrigues over the years.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Found this ancient Forbes article, which references Keith Raniere in the company of other 'cult of personality' coaches, and organizational advisor gurus. While, SURELY, not all of these gurus are involved in NIXVM-type schemes, there is most definitely a pattern to their brand building, acolyte persuasion techniques. There seems to be a very fine line between bona fides cult,
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Dear not moses, Since you were associated with Erhard/est in early days, can you say whether John Rosenberg was the actual developer of est 'technology'. From what is stated in his bio, he seems to have gone from 'encyclopedia salesman' to the king of the self-help movement in very short order. You are probably aware that researchers like Jan Irvin trace the human pote
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

This is a continuation of my query regarding est, and Landmark 'technology' being channeled into coaching organizations, networks, program materials. I know it was the est minion's dream to deliver, quote, unquote coach training 'online'. I participated in a CA-based M.A. on-line (I live in Japan), focusing on Organization Management and Development. This program r
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Thank you for this, very useful. As I said, I think this boundary-broaching technology has made its way into many coach training programs. It also colors the culture of ICF events, meetings, here. I participated early on, and know what is "Japanese interpersonal decorum"...and, you might call this good manners. ANYWHERE. Our Chapter President, Australian male, gay (not an is
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"