The misconception is that people with weak personalities and self esteem are the ones getting hurt by Landmark. This is not necessarily true. Many strong personalities get drawn in. Everyone obviously has a weak spot and times when self esteem may be lower than other times, but I've seen Landmark create self doubt in self confident people. This is a normal phenomenon with people involve
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Thank you Corboy. The last thing people need to hear, especially from a "psychologist" is that there was something wrong with them to begin with.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

QuoteIt's a pity though that the pre forum attendees weren't exposed to the many plagiarized yet perfectly helpful psychological techniques used by landmark but without all the bs and manipulation landmark mixes in with them. This was a problem for me because the naturopath I went to, while secretly using Landmark technologies, had introduced me to many of the psychological technique
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

The BBB is usually, well... useless. They only provide a record of complaint, and in my state, not even THE complaint, though that may have changed recently with the new laws accessing public records. The best way to get the word out is to log on and post reports on community websites, perhaps alternative medicine\healing sites like Pandamedicine.com, Spiritweb.com, Craigslist (like Corboy rec
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

eBay, half.com, Hamilton Booksellers - all are good sources for hard-to-find books. Alibris has helped me find all kinds of books. I have some ideas, too, about getting the word out to businesses. Been in training all week for a new job, so will be in touch on the weekend. Hope
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

As Rick Ross posted a while back, Landmark is being peddled to the IRS. They have a strong presence on college campuses (including the naturopathic college that my doctor graduated from - he used their techniques as "therapy"). Large corporations are also sending their employees to human potential seminars like Landmark. I have an idea regarding sending a speaker (or at least lit
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Karl, The die-hard Forum fans I've known have all fizzled after a while. Some took years, others took months. If you are still willing to pick up where you left off, give it some time. One woman in particular, that I did my Forum with, had just been conned by a guy only several days before the Forum. He told her he was interested in moving forward in their relationship with her, t
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Actually, I was thinking the driving energy behind many of these accounts is the need to escape. However, I suppose you could say that one finds acceptance with those who have escaped together. There is a post that suggests everyone lives in a cult to a certain extent and as the moderator replied, in a very expansive definition, that may be true. Not to get to philosophical, but just about
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Yes, I'm a bit confused as to why the things mentioned above need to have warnings attached. Facials, drumming ceremonies, club techno music and even Ecstasy are not being slipped in on the sly. People tend to want to get into these states. It sounds like you got a lot of bang for your buck on the facial. I give shiatsu facial massage for a Japanese cosmetics company, in a private spa r
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Regarding having enough wisdom not to be roped in again ... That's exactly what I thought. In fact, my gut warned me about the mantra meditation person I was meeting with and he did indeed turn out to be part of a group that has much scandal. I was meditating with him during the time I was seeing the naturopath who turned out to be quite the con artist. He had me completely snowed and i
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

My experience has been with SOME spiritual leaders, meditation teachers, even yoga teachers that they don't need to watch the news or be informed because it is not important - there are greater pursuits. For someone who is searching for an answer to problems like depression and hoping to find an answer in spiritual pursuits, this is actually a relief, but in the long run, quite isolating.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

WW, It takes a VERY long time to get over these relationships. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to find a therapist for this kind of recovery. My cult-like relationship was with my therapist, a naturopath (written about in other threads here). The last time I saw him was 10/01 to say goodbye to him when he left for Europe, but he kept in contact with me via phone and email through 6
Forum: Abusive and Controlling Relationships

Katydid, At the top of the page, below and to the right of the word FORUM, there is a small icon "cp user" to click. You will see a horizontal set of icons. Choose Edit Options for a bunch of options regarding private messages or email, being notified of replies to your threads, etc. Hope
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Hey Pauly, Have a great weekend. It's been 10 degrees here all week so I'll certainly visualize cold beers and sunshine! FYI - University of Bridgeport (Connecticut) is owned by the Moonies. UB has a graduate naturopathic school that may have or will soon be accredited. Thanks for the resources. Hope
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Katydid, I tried to PM and email but you're not set up. If you wish to have an off-board correspondence, you can edit your profile. At the end of each post is a little menu bar. If you go to one of my posts and click on profile, you will find my email and access to PM. I posted a reply to something you said about responsbility but I didn't write it very well. I didn't
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Katydid, Maybe they've changed the format. They certainly changed their website! I stayed thru the WHOLE THING - Friday (actually Saturday a.m. ) 8:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., Sat, 9 a.m. - 12:30 a.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to midnight and then Tuesday. Our leader made a point of lecturing on integrity when people left the room. Our breaks were very far apart. I admired my leader for his stamina,
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Katydid, I can only hope you find relief for your pain. There are SO many factors in "disease." I really think the leader DOES make the forum. They are human, after all. Mine was abusive. Hope
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Something I might add from my experience with my naturopath. I was pretty much convinced for a period of several weeks that I was on a journey that most people are afraid to take. It was a complex situation and I had a very difficult time explaining to my husband what was going on. The naturopath empathized with me, stating that he was having the same problem with his girlfriend and he had du
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

PD, My problem answering your ? stems from my lack of knowledge about hypnosis. I'm still learning. My focus has been on the issue of LE playing doctor, rather than their use of trance states, which I'm reading about. Perhaps it's a matter of experts making their craft look simple and I fell for it, not even realizing it. Now would using the idea of people's worst fe
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I don't feel anyone here is trying to prove they are right but I can only speak for myself. I am describing my experience. "i am not saying that anyone should have anything but good things about the forum. you said that!" No - I asked for clarity.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Glenn, Yes I "got it".
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Glenn, Are you saying that no one should have anything but good things to say about the Forum? If someone makes a complaint or describes their experience in the Forum as being less than positive, that they do that with EVERY other aspect of their life? Could you invent the possibility that not everyone had the same experience as you did?
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

No - I'm not dying as I don't believe that LE provides the tools for any kind of breakthrough. They go back on their word regarding their definitions of breakthrough and insight. My feeling is you got a gentle reminder that only you can do what you gotta do. ""Isn't every individual responsible (whether vulnerable or not) for deciding whether to attend a program li
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Patrick-Darcy, I'm not following you, and some of the statements you made about the exercise certainly were not the case in my experience. Out of 180 people in the room, perhaps 10 were very frightened and crying. I don't think it's a matter of the other 170 being in denial. Perhaps the real reason is the fact that this exercise is explained on the internet on several sites, a
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

StandingRoom, I sent a PM with a potential resource for you. Hope
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

I've read a few chapters of the book being sold on the above mentioned web site and it has helped me to clearly see what both Landmark and my doctor were up to. While I don't believe the people who developed RET intended to use the technique to cure people of illnesses, when I think of the exercise of disappearing a headache and the request to not take medication during the Forum, I ca
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Some people get really terrified with that exercise and others see the point of it right away. Some find it terrifying, others find it funny. It is supposed to be empowering because the goal is to make a participant realize that everyone is terrified. What the leader is saying to the group applies to each individual - that if you are terrified of the person next to you, then it also means th
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

This web site had a very concise explanation of RET. Perhaps I'm still pretty defensive at this point, but I see how abusive and controlling people can use these techniques a lot better than people searching for answers can. I CAN see value in the information, but Landmark NOR my doctor provided enough instruction, nor compassion, in teaching how to use these techniques. They were
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Thank you Corboy and Pauly. This is very useful info for me. My doctor, a naturopath, though we spent about 2 yrs together, spent very little time on talking about the actual trauma. In fact, once I reluctantly stated what had happened, he decided to visit the scene of the crime. With his schedule, it was postponed a couple times, so I had 3 months to "look forward" to it. Then i
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

I appreciate your comments on Landmark. The problem with doing research beforehand is, people who've been there and have not had a positive experience, have a difficult time explaining what happened. It's similar to trying to explain what a sociopath\narcissist does. Stating out loud what happened doesn't give a clear picture. The ones that think LF is great, well, they'
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"