Thank you for this confirmation, kdag. Consider this, that organization paid a huge fee to subject it management team to a Landmark program. I wonder if Flores had members of the board sign waivers. I wonder if any of them 'popped'. bakkagirl
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Here is a Fast Company article describing how Fernando Flores 'coaches' a management team. I imagine it will rings some bells with est or Landmark participants.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

You wrote: "I read the link, which goes to a W.E. explanation of est. I didn't see how it tied in to drug use, or his associates. Maybe you can clarify that." Sorry I was not more clear. It seems to me that W.E. frequently sought to give est credibility by associating himself with academics in the context of of public speaking events, or by writing papers or books with acad
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

For a guy who forbade aspirin consumption during est training, W.E. kept interesting companions. LSD subcultures: Acidoxy versus orthodoxy. V Gioscia - American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 1969 - psycnet.apa.org Participant observation and interviews in San Francisco, New York, and London make it possible to present some of the distinguishing characteristics of the LSD and therapy subcul
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

corboy, I have had similar experiences, though these relate more to abuse in the workplace -- not the least bit uncommon in Japan. I would say, though, that I had help in not seeing patterns of persistent abuse of myself, and of other employees. Here is my finding on this: There is a cultural tendency in Japan to discount the experience of individuals, and to hammer down the complainin
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

This is neither here, nor there, but having lived in the mystical East for most of my adult life, I can report that the folks I find most entranced by eastern mysticism and meditative arts are Westerners. Have I ever met a lay Japanese who meditates, or talks about it. No, I have not.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

corboy, have been thinking about your ascription of "charlatanism" to the parties described. I had thought for a longtime that the field of coaching was immature, that practitioners existed on a spectrum from the shoddy, or not very well trained to bona fides experts, pioneers in the field. I expected the experts to act a leaders and guardians, in a sense, if only to protect the int
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

This was a coach training session, though the parties in the room were business coaches. No instruction to assume prayer position from the trainer, but just imagine a circle of people who looked like they were 'saying grace' before supper, hands locked, elbows on the table. They just DID this. Thanks for the story telling links. I would like to know more about this practice,
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

It occurred to me that while the executive coaching enterprise places much focus on improving the coachee's ability to effectively communicate -- to talk, and to listen, the field, itself, is completely 'monologic'. Technologies come down from on-high, are rarely explained, discussed, questioned -- really never. Coaches tasked with delivering these interventions are virtually
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

corboy, thanks for all of this... For these little evangelist tent healer/coach events, it is more like some random volunteer bounds out of the audience and describes with relative clarity a very actionable personal or professional quandary. The guru coach asks appropriate questions and leads the 'volunteer' to an appropriate 'solution'. Cheers and applause, probably desi
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

"X has a background in 'Finance'" -- this statement suggests to most readers that the party has significant training in this field, and has held senior leadership positions. Acting as Werner Erhard's does not constitute a "background in 'Finance'" should read, "Acting as Werner Erhard's accountant does not constitute a "background
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Dear L.E.S's, I am currently background checking individuals involved in the coaching field, and particularly those who have been previously inducted into est, Landmark (all iterations) or the W.E. 'consulting firm' Vanto. While not universal, I am finding a consistent pattern of misrepresentation of credentials, which may take the form of: 1) academic credentials (either
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I would like to run this by anyone who is interested. As far as I have been able to determine, the ICF (International Coach Federation) employs one simple devise to attract interest. This is a demonstration of the power of 'coaching'. Usually, a muhaha Master Coach will ask for a 'volunteer' from the audience. The volunteer presents a life or work issue. Within a
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

corboy, Your whole message didn't seem to post, so I previously responded to your cryptic title, only. See my comments below. You said, I have been in a situation like that. It was not coaching, though. I felt like everyone in there was stoned except for me. What I did not know at the time was they were all tranced out, all focused on the leader. He had created a New Age produc
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

If we want to talk 'cults' this one is a seemingly 'guru'less, and loosely organized -- almost fluid. If anything, I am the person who keeps asking, "Where are our heroes, where are the practitioners who are doing something BIG, and IMPORTANT?" I would actually welcome a strong personality with a strong vision. As it is, it is impossible to identify who said w
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

What I can observe about the co-option of the coaching field, now complete, is that I kept waiting to hear from the "adults in the room"...the people who had serious skin in the game, the Ph'D's, the practice builders, or the builders of ancillary practices: management science, clinical psychology. I have heard concern expressed in the lower echelons of these fields, great
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Replying to corboy and kdag, Let me tell you a bit more about what I saw in my 'field research'. I live in Japan, and do not have access to the resources available in English-speaking environments. I simply wanted to learn about coaching because it was that skill-set was becoming necessary to my work in Human Resource Management. Coaching, too, seem like a good solution w
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

corboy, Phew!!! What struck me in reading all of this (and, I will read the full article) is the role 'technologies' play in soul capture. I had read a lot about W.E. before I watched videos of his presentations, interviews. Bright, accomplished people ooozed about Erhard's genius. And, then you listen to him, his actual words...whoa. Don't know if you have seen
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

kdag, This guy's bio features more red flags than a Chinese Communist parade. That said, I see the same constellation of pseudosciences, or inappropriately applied sciences on MANY profiles. As one who is regularly vetted by U.S.-based coaching brokers I am aware of what they are looking for...and, I cannot figure out why coaches should be expected to have a background in neuros
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Mr. 'X''s Linked-in profile indicates a "Masters in Psychology" from something called "Free University"... M.A.'s in Psychology do not refer to themselves as "psychologists".
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Further to the above post, I would like to develop a protocol for performing background checks on trainers, and training organizations. If your employer isn't conscientious enough to do this, YOU CAN. Regardless of the stated training agenda (if it is stated), I think it would be reasonable to avoid any program administered by a trainer with affiliations to Landmark, and related entiti
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

kdag wrote, In fact, maybe the (proposed) law could simply state that NO employer may require of their workers to attend ANY class, seminar, or workshop for any reason other than those directly related to the nuts and bolts performance of their job. /// Maybe we could frame this as, no employer may require that workers attend any class, seminar, workshop that is not focused on skill-deve
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

EG, ABSOLUTELY, YOU GOT IT. A normal employee would assume that his normal employer would not see any value in inflicting such a program on his/her employees. Also, not all LGATs look like Landmark, but may contain the same 'technologies'. It is possible that the project 'sponsor' (at any level of the corporation) could have been sold LGAT, without understanding the i
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

kdag wrote If an employer sees a need, a simple "Comportment" seminar would do just fine, I think. Once again, there would be no need for anything that remotely resembles "psychological," work - NO boundary violations, sleep deprivation, "sharing," etc, but more of a "Finishing School" type workshop, if you will. That should be the maximum requirement of
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Hi EG, Thank you for both posts. LGAT was introduced in Japanese corporations (my location) in the 70s, 80's. There were a number of suicides and the government stepped in and banned this practice. I suspect an insidious comeback has been made. As for Western multinationals, I think there is all sorts of crap going on, with LGAT re-styled as "group coaching" or "
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

From: (est/Landmark-iterations indicated in RED/ 13.7% – CoachInc (includes Coach U and Corporate Coach U programs; 12.2% — Landmark Education; 7.3% – Coachville (all schools); 6.8% – Coach Training Institute (CTI); 2.8% – A Program for Coaches; 2.6% – Newfield Network; 2.2% – Abundant Life; 1.9% – College of Executive Coaching; 1.7% – 1 and 1 Coaching School; 1.4% –
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Thanks, egoldstein...yes, I think you are right about the virtues of the literature review in this paper. I have not been able to find many studies of LGAT. If you are aware of resources in this area, I would be very grateful. What concerns me is that LGAT-type 'technologies' are, now, quite frequently embedded in corporate training programs, and w/o benefit of informed consent.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

in this forum encountered a person name "Vikki Brock" in any of the above organizations. I am asking because this individual produced a dissertation on the 'origins of the coaching field' that seems calculated to promote W.E. This grounded research studies contains numerous research fallacies of the type I would expect from a Landmarkian. Ring any bells?
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I can report that AMWAY operates as a complete cult in Japan. AMWAY reps marry other AMWAY reps and have AMWAY children. Their homes a full of AMWAY products, and they speak AMWAY-speak, even when not on the job...
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

Interview with former NXIVM member and author of "Cults in America".
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"