Investigating the Landmark Education Forum

[Ginarley]

Hey guys

I have a friend who was just going through the motions of telling me about (i.e. recruiting) me to do the landmark Education Forum course. I was a little suspicious since she was being remarkably vague and insisting I had to do the course to understand what she was talking about. She isn't someone I ever would have associated with this kind of zealot behaviour so I am a bit worried for her. She is convinced she gained massively from the course having ditched an abusive husband and her old job for a new start. However upon doing some more research it seems these courses aren't all they seem. I found these two useful threads:

http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=49958&

http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=33642

And here is the landmark site:

http://www.landmarkeducation.co.nz/

However I still feel like the picture is very incomplete.

My mission is to collect as much information as I can about this to try and understand what is going on. Any contributions would be gratefully accepted - if these courses are as bad as I am starting to think they are then they have to be stopped - although the fact they are getting 300+ people to forums in New Zealand doesn't bode well!

Any sources, anecdotes, or thoughts would be very much appreciated! In particular any advice for handling friends who have become caught up in these things would be very helpful!

Cheers
G.

[RPG Advocate]

Rick Ross has tons of dirt (http://www.rickross.com/groups/landmark.html) on Landmark. If you value your sanity, do not under any circumstances go to a Landmark Forum.

Your friend has likely been brainwashed by Landmark's "thought reform" techniques. You should cut off all contact with her until she regains her senses. This could take some time.

[casebro]

Try googling for <LGAT> That ought to bring up lots of skeptical stuff about "Large Group Awareness Training"- Scientology, 'the Forum", EST, Landmark, one with Wind in it, even Dr Phil. Interesting how psychology is used to 'brainwash' the vivtims- mostly into believing they are doing themselves a favor while giving lots of cash to the brainwashers.

[Kelly]

One of my cases has to do with these human scavengers:

http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2005/10/101105-landmark-decision.html

[RichardR]

Rick Ross has tons of dirt (http://www.rickross.com/groups/landmark.html) on Landmark. If you value your sanity, do not under any circumstances go to a Landmark Forum.I agree. Also checkout Rick Ross' Forum (http://forum.rickross.com/viewforum.php?f=4&sid=eabf781ce57ecfc5bc01e82ad749ef71) - some threads with discussion from ex-members. The Skeptic's Dictionary (http://skepdic.com/landmark.html) also has good stuff on it.

It's basically an organization designed to recruit new members who will go out and recruit more members. Every level you go "up" requires more courses etc and higher fees.

[Ginarley]

Thanks guys - some really useful material there, I shall have a good read particularly of that Rick Ross site then come back with some thoughts.

Cheers!

[Tony Australia]

The Landmark Forum can have devastating effects on some participants lives. There is a total lack of direction given as to what part of ones life one 'chooses to work on' and participants go off balistically attacking friends and loved ones, in an attempt to 'clear up the past' or fatally 'Become' the destinctions instead of applying them. Sad indeed, are the results I have witnessed and been victim to myself. Avoid Landmark education if at all possible.

[chipmunk stew]

I went through one of the seminars years ago. A key stepping stone on my path to skepticism. Don't have time to share my experience right now, but will share later.

[Fence Sitting Fool]

My father donated my college money to est, so I had to quit school. It destroyed our family; parents got divorced, he'd put the family business into bankruptcy, there was no money for my brother or my sister to go to college either; stay away from Landmark.

Pure brainwashing cult.

[Tony Australia]

I have completed the forum, advanced course, CAP communication access to power & CCCP advanced course plus 2 family division seminars, living powerfully and others PHEW! and the ONLY way my life has changed is that I used to have a loving wife, 3 young children, a $475k house and a career. All of which are gone when my wife continued on to do the money course, self expression & leadership course and the intensive I.L.P introduction leadership...at which point she turned on me and assasinated me to all who would listen. Now thats Transformation for you! Self obsessed and knocked unconscious would describe her state, as for mine...