A Journey Back In Time

I was invited to attend a Tuesday after Landmark Forum 'event' by a young friend of mine. My partner (an admirer of Dianetics, but not a full blown Scientologist) and I duly went along and were seated to witness a Kiwi woman give a very accomplished "evangelical" style intro to the world of Landmark Education. Long on promise, short on detail (Except the cost) and accompanied by the expected 'Witnessing' by "Graduates" this front person earned my praise for the way she had learned the basic techniques of audience control. Not quite in the league of John Edwardes or the gorgeously attired Benny Hinnes, she was entertaining and expert in her manipulations.

Now, people, this stuff ain't new. Its not even mind blowingly revelatory. It utilises techniques common to many praiseworthy self help/discovery snake oil sellers and others not so praiseworthy self help/discovery programs to achieve a "revelatory" ( or in Landmark Speak "Transformation") sensation in the attendee. I’ve spent the last week studying eye witness accounts both in praise of and derogating the forums of all levels. Having been pestered to hell and back to attend a "course" even to the point of having said young friend offer to pay: "I get it". I see how it's done,I see the techniques employed, I see the desired ( By Landmark) end game, there isn't one, you pay and keep paying or you are cast into the cold world again. Landmark Forum gave the attendee and organisers a complete inability to listen to anything that wasn't affirmation of their words and a commitment to attend.. Interestingly as soon as my partners admiration of Dianetics was discovered, offers to attend the course ( for her) stopped abruptly. Now that opened a whole new can of worms when my research threw up some connections between the founders of both!

As a veteran sales person, entertainer and inveterate researcher of all things self discovery, I feel the end result is indistinguishable from that offered by hundreds of other workshops, facilitated self help seminars, etc. etc. That the founder of EST (which became Landmark) had a very “interesting” life ( Look him up people!) adds to my scepticism of their good nature and intent if not the efficacy of the content.. That, coupled with the amount of money and resources they seem happy to have allocated to litigation (its there for the world to research) over the years also rings alarm bells in my world.
The admonition to "trust" is constant, and by that they mean "Trust implicitly and only what we say" another point in my ever so humble opinion of those that seek to separate the mark from his marker. The technique of "hi jacking' meanings of commonplace words to subtly influence thinking and producing an insiders jargon again sets up alarm bells for this gun shy rabbit. A clever technique but not acceptable in a world that can communicate clearly and effectively without recourse to twisting English words and phrases consistently doing the job for which they were intended. The restriction of toilet times? Oh come on. Any grown up who lets that happen in a 'voluntary' situation should treat the rest of the program with complete contempt. The techniques documented to induce personal breakdown of life's individual paradigm and the “welcome back to the herd” techniques and approvals from the facilitator/leader are well known and practised by many other organisations including main stream religion. As I said, it ain't new, and for those in robust mental health, not particularly dangerous in my opinion.

My advice?
If it works for you do it, take along a healthy dose of self respect.
A larger dose of scepticism that it is a altruistic venture.
Most importantly do your research, and beware the admonishment to trust unconditionally.
Never 'Volunteer" to work for them, their revenue is large enough to comfortably pay an adequate stipend.
Don't take your friends along to be signed up, it smacks of MLM even though I am told there are no commissions. If the whole she-bang transforms your life, your friends and family will notice and ask; then involve them. The pressure to bring along several guests at the Tuesday session to be inducted reminds me of money seeking behaviour how ever many anecdotes (long on story, short on detail) of courses being "scholar shipped" or funded by organisers without thought of repayment because “you need it, really, really”

And finally? Oh yes find and study cognitive skills and read some Maslow, it will save you buckets of cash.