Dervish, My involvement was short-lived - just 1x a week chant meditation classes for a few months at most. Prabhu Das seemed very kind, never took money when I offered because he claimed I didn't know enough about the org to be able to do so. He talked briefly about studying the gita, which would be a long-term committment. I could not do that, though was interested in studying it.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Science of Identity!!!!! That's the one I meant. They were running a meditation school in Hoboken NJ. My doc was always suggesting I learn to meditate, so when I found the school in the phone book, I signed up (it was free, as truly authentic spiritual learning is supposed to be). For a while, it was me and the teacher, Prahbu Das, who taught me to do a chant meditation. I stopped go
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Cos, Yes - the internet now is a great tool to expose cults, and to a certain extent, false gurus (tho like you said, beware of the their legal departments). This was not available even a short time ago. Most people did not and do not enter into cults knowingly, or relationships that are cult-like. The eastern cults with their yoga practice and healthful ways seems attractive to many peopl
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Hmm... I just got a catalog for Omega's "Living a Fearless Life" conference, at which David Deida will be taking participants thru" a unique dialog process/performance art experience that provides practical tools for living our everyday lives with ever-deepening artistry. " A quick look at Deida's web site, especially "About DD" turned up no concrete
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Welcome to the board. I would love to hear about your experiences in this group, if you are willing to share them here. Are there various groups with different names within krishna? For instance, is Science of the Mind a krishna organization?
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Referring to what Jimmy has written, people who get sucked in are not the lemming-like droves. That's pretty much been disregarded as fallacy by now. Also, many of the cult leaders, false gurus, etc. meet the criteria for being sociopathic or, at the very least narcissistic. These types fool mental health and legal professionals with their charm, manipulation and lies. Finally, there
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

SS, There is a delay in writing a post and the actual appearance of a post. I don't get to this forum several times a day to respond to everyone. My original question was answered regarding how many plants there are in a typical forum. My question was not about how plants work. As for the problem with receiving emails notifying you of responses, that's pretty much the way
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

It's been mostly reading on the internet that helped me, especially the material on Rick Ross and the support from some posters on this forum. It took a long time to figure out the depth of the deception, as my doc did not tell me he was involved with LEC nor that he was using their "technology" on me as his method of treating some physical complaints. Our "therapeutic&q
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

An article on the idea of screening medical students for personality disorders appeared in a UK newspaper. Knowing what we know about the charismatic and manipulative traits of narcissists and sociopaths, it seems highly unlikely that an effective screening process would ever be developed. It's usually in hindsight that we discover what the hell happened. It appears LGATS love
Forum: Clergy and Therapy Abuse

I work with an interpreter for the deaf, albeit in a department store where we both sell cosmetics, and have seen her communicate via sign language, body language, facial expression, mouthing words, offering reading material, demonstration. There are so many ways that messages are communicated other than spoken word.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Corboy and Elena, For people considering doing an LGAT, what is written here might seem confusing. How can a program that is supposed to boost the ego do damage? Just like a cult, they lure you in (love bomb) by telling you how special you are to take on the work involved. My naturopath also did this - so heads up for folks in cult-like relationships. But under the guise of "losin
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Thanks GC, So I suppose it's possible that what I witnessed was each participant's unique emotional reaction to being manipulated and hearing some of the material for the first time. For someone who has not done much reading in psychology or philosophy or even watched Oprah for that matter, doing the Forum must be akin to being hit between the eyes with a sledge hammer. To be tol
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Lil, You are not alone. I've been through exactly what you are describing. Two years later, my marriage, which nearly broke up back then, is still on the rocks. This is a web page I found that lists all the completely NORMAL effects of destructive groups, relationships and experiences. Writing down what you're feeling really helps, and then writing down ways to rethi
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Lil, I also met several people who were "reviewing" - one said he comes back annually. They pay half price or less, but I also do not understand the need to review. Hope
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Guy, GC, and any other former staffers\volunteers, Do you have any idea how many former LE participants or employees\volunteers are planted in a typical Forum? Looking back, I'm almost convinced that 90% of the people who "shared" were working for LE. Some of the emotions were not consistent with the situations - really overdone. Another just seemed too complex to be &qu
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Well - the 3 minute conversation I noted above was just an enticer to sign up for other courses. However, throughout the forum, people shared their relationship problems and ways they were behaving with each other. There was a mixed message sent - the best way to be happy is to make everyone else around you happy. One woman claimed she got back with her husband, from whom she was separated
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Well - the 3 minute conversation I noted above was just an enticer to sign up for other courses. However, throughout the forum, people shared their relationship problems and ways they were behaving with each other. There was a mixed message sent - the best way to be happy is to make everyone else around you happy. One woman claimed she got back with her husband, from whom she was separated
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Stumbled upon this website by way of trancenet.org. There is a forum also and some of the stuff the posters wrote really describe what life has been like for me - not really depressed, but just numb. I mistook it for apathy. At least I have some info I can bring to a counselor if it ever gets approved by insurance. Trancenet provided info on depersonalization and dissociation as a res
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

During the last 10 minutes of our Tuesday evening in the Forum, the leader threw in the little exercise about choosing, and then did a 3 minute "conversation" about sex. "Sex is not love, has nothing to do with love, is just a mechanical thing". I suppose that helps the LEC folks validate their hare-like behavior.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Pam, Hug right back to you! Thank you so much for kind and compassionate post. Congratulations on all the progress. I've certainly felt the same things you have - regretting that progress comes in small victories, not soon enough, etc. When I finally realized that's the way it's going to be, I got pretty depressed, but then I would come out of it, and then go back into it.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Nope, Cosmo. Much of what the therapist tried to do wasn't accurate - far from it, and since the doctor did such a great job at deceiving me (and his med school, colleagues and state professional association) , the issue of how deep the deception went was not addressed, overlooked by focusing on codependency issues. I've beaten that dead horse enough. One visit with the LSW was so e
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

My experience has been that finding a psych professional who has a clue about this takes a long time. I did CBT, but she thought Landmark was good for some people. Her therapy focused on why I let myself be duped. She assessed the doc to be a sociopath, but the therapy focused on how the relationship supposedly mirrored that of me and my Dad's. After 8 months of trying to see the light
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

LoriS, I agree with you about the similarities between abusive relatinships and cultic relationships, in fact, even started a thread way back asking if there was any research on this. Before I found Rick Ross's site and this forum, the only info that came close to my experience was on verbal abuse websites. The info about abusive relationships, leaving the abuser, the desire to go back
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I've had an extreme exacerbation of an already existing concentration problem, the nature of which Corboy mentioned in a thread elsewhere. An avid reader and researcher, since the Forum\doctor, I've picked up many books on various subjects relating to cults, narcissism, alternative medicine, and find it difficult to read and comprehend what I've read. Career-wise, I have many gr
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

My doctor, on a few occasions, told me how I had misinterpreted things he said or did. He always had an "out".
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Here is a link to an excellent article by author Invicta, from her website. When I read this, I envisioned a family tree... Hubbard>Werner>est>Landmark>LGATs>my doctor>insert your favorite narcissist here The above narcissist abuse support website even has a narcissist-wannabe preying on recipients looking for help recovering.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

LoriS, Yes - that Prosperity Abounds page did get better the more I read. They only choose 15 people to work for them (which means if you're chosen, you must be pretty darn special - the hook and beginning of the love-bomb stage). Re LF and rape. I was fortunate to have a woman sit next to me at the Forum who, like myself had been raped. After seeing wat the FL did to a young man w
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

SS, It's a shame how crooks have bastardized teachings from Vedanta and others for use in scamming people. My holistic doctor did this, and used LE tech, which uses many twisted versions of eastern philosophy and psych. Eastern stuff was new to me then but now I can't stand to read it - it's all a reminder and I interpret it still via their version. There are now so many bus
Forum: Multi Level Marketing and Commercial Schemes

Ellen, I understand what you're saying, but what I'm experiencing is quite different from that.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

"Why are you trying to make him wrong?" was asked of me when I gave a little info about the doctor who recruited me into LE. The fact that he had lied to me about his credentials, his experience, about side effects of meds, etc, were all ways I did not take responsibility, not his. Hmmm...
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"