Sunday 10 August 2008

A Personal Memoir of the Landmark Forum "Brainwashing"

In a video called, "brain washing in a godless big business cult", a woman tells of her experience in a Landmark Forum. You can hear the hurt, the distress, the fear in her voice. I felt distressed after watching it, but I knew it was heartfelt.

There is one point at 6 minutes in when she describes a particular episode in the weekend Forum. Participants are told to imagine their greatest fears and that those around them are also creating fear. The Forum leader shouts at them and harangues them until many break down and sob and shake. Many others have focussed on this particular point in the Forum as one of its most destructive moments. Here's her video:

48 comments:

GuruTruth said...

Thank you very much for posting this very moving and informative video.

And thanks as well for the link to us!

Keep on writing and keep on informing the public, you are doing great work.

GuruTruth said...

"Participants are told to imagine their greatest fears and that those around them are also creating fear. The Forum leader shouts at them and harangues them until many break down and sob and shake."

This is what is referred to as the "fear exercise", and under Erhard Seminars Training (est) was known as the danger process. -- GuruTruth

Anonymous said...

I think the Landmark Forum is horrible. They really should be sued for all the fraud they have committed.

Anonymous said...

i made my self to sit there till the end, but in the last 2 hours i left, because when i heard that YOU ARE MACHINE like 30 times in a row i just understood what that was about!

Anonymous said...

For me, LF was a horrible experience. The best thing I did was walk out mid-training. The experience wasn't wasteful, though. By leaving, I learned courage, trusting my gut and belief system, and honoring my individuality.

Anonymous said...

Skeptic, thank you for your story. Time is a blessing in all that crap fading away. Love and peace to you.

jman76 said...

I completed the "Forum" this weekend.

It was weird. I spent 3 days from 9am to 10 pm stuck in a room with no dim light. We got two 30 minutes breaks and a 90 minute dinner break, which we were to use to complete homework, “connect with incomplete relationships”, and invite people to Tuesdays event.

At the end of each break we were required to sit in a different location and next to someone different. We weren’t allowed to have food or coffee in the room; however, they provided water on the tables.

Basically, the leader had people stand up and share stories, which were heart breaking. One women’s kid was run over by a car and as she sobbed people weren’t allowed to comfort her. This guy wasn’t a shrink and kept telling her that she was responsible for her pain due to the meaning she placed on the incident.

The language used in the ‘forum” didn’t make sense. They would take words form the English language and assign new meanings.

We were told to imagine their greatest fears and that those around them are also creating fear. The Forum leader shouted at us and harangues us until many allot of the women broke down and cried and sobbed. We were instructed not to open our eyes and the guy kept yelling at us.

All this was done under the guise that we had to stay till the end to receive a break though. A breakthrough only Landmark could provide.

By the end there was this group mentality that made it uncomfortable to disagree or leave. I kept thinking this ain’t right but everyone can’t be wrong. The psych trip they put on you for not disclosing your friends, family and coworkers as potential candidates was relentless. I didn’t cave in.

I drove into work this am thinking, “Have I been brainwashed?”.

They have a Landmark for kids. I don't have kids but there is no way I'd allow my nieces or nephews to be subjected to whatever that was.

Anonymous said...

The Forum is a load of rubbish.

My dad went, and they encouraged him and a group of others to abuse each other verbally. And my dad had been so brainwashed by it all that he was encouraged to believe this was "funny". I felt so awkward when he told me what had been said and started laughing...it was so weird.

My stepbrother and stepmum were involved in it too. This is the sort of rubbish that landmark feeds people - I was asked by the three of them, "Vanilla or chocolate ice cream?". I answered chocolate. I was asked why. I said I prefer chocolate to vanilla, it tastes better. Apparently this is the wrong answer. They were all laughing at me as if I was missing some crucial and fundamental key to understanding something vital. Apparently I chose it, merely because....I chose it!! That's it. And this is supposed to be a breakthrough.

Now, it might seem silly and harmless, but it's actually really really dangerous. Think about it - this little exercise is basically teaching people that they don't have to justify their actions. It teaches them to be selfish. To not take responsibility for their own choices.

The people I know who have been involved in the Forum have been pretty screwed up to start with, and very easily led, so it's possible that relatively "normal" people can come out of the experience unscathed, but I'm not sure. It seems to be pretty powerful stuff. In any case my dad ended up completely broke, and even more of an emotional screw up than before.

Anonymous said...

I google and read all the landmark forum negative reviews before I have attended the landmark forum personally. By the way, a friend paid for the $385 for me, so it didn't cost me anything. So why not, I just want to find out how stupid my friend was in believing in this thing. He is weak and I am strong.

I am very smart and analytical by trade. No one can brainwashed me. On the first 2 days, I was strong. they didn't get me. I have counter arguments for everything they try to brainwash me. But on the late third day, I cracked; they got me.

I am now a member of this so-call cult, and this is my experience. This is actually a pretty cool label which I have never wear before.

The pre-existing context of us before examining the content is decisive. Almost all of us already took a postion and view before we even starting looking at any contents. We merely are looking for something out there to agree with us.

In my opinion, the landmark forum only is designed to entertain the people who are doing well already and wanting to expolre new horizons in their lives. The landmark forum is not design for healing or get-quick-fix exercise for the miserables. There are other organizations or groups for those needs.

If you can afford to RISK wasting $385, give it a run. It is another kind of weekend activities. It was a very refreshing experience for me. Who knows, you might get something only the landmark forum can sell.

PS: for the few who sob and shake in the class, I think that they are really having hard time in their lives. This just make me realize how lucky my life is. It was really a great weekends for me.

Anonymous said...

you people are weak and afraid to think for yourselves. you can always walk out and your own insecurity and fears kept you from doing that. look in the mirror. you can only be brainwashed if your weak minded

jman76 said...

You have to be joking, right? I decided to think for myself and leave the herd mentality Landmark was cultivating.

If if works for you, great.

Simorgh-e Sabz said...

I just took the Landmark Forum. It's mainly a scam and I have little doubt that the top coaches are sociopaths.
read the article I just wrote:
http://simorghesabz.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-landmark-rips-you-off.html

Fiona said...

Through doing the Landmark Forum I gained a level of freedom and confidence and joy that I could not even have imagined before doing it. I have hugely improved so many areas of my life thanks to Landmark and I would recommend it to anybody! My suggestion is to keep an open mind about it and not let the negativity of others put you off. Their perspectives are their perspectives and that's fine for them but I recommend that readers decide for themselves and not rely on second-hand information, including my post! Go to Landmark's actual website, or talk to someone who has done it in person or attend an introduction. You've nothing to lose and it may just be the best thing you ever do for yourself :D

Anonymous said...

I have a close friend who is completely brainwashed and has been part of the forum in and out for many years. The last time I saw her sane was when she was not involved in it and had a Boy friend.
She was coaxed back into the Forum (they call you to harass you for the rest of your life). He could not handle the situation and left. Now she is back in full swing. The sad part about it is she has now left all her real friends (because they aren't Landmark).

All she wants is a Man and this forum cant even provide her with that for all the money she gives them.

Its sad & kind of criminal if you ask me.

Anonymous said...

My mother paid for me and my brother to attend this forum this past weekend. After 10 hours, I was done and sick of all of the crap they were feeding me. My brother stayed for the entire 3 days and the Tuesday session (which was a few hours ago) and swears it has changed his life. Being the analytical person that I am, I couldnt believe that this nonsense actually works for people. It is repetitive persuasive suggestioning that breaks you down if you let it. I have some issues to deal with, and 3 days of "group therapy" led by a "leader" that does not have a psychological/therapy board certification will not work. Im angry that they have roped in another member of my family, thus making me the bad guy yet again.

Anonymous said...

I have done the landmark year and have no idea what you guys are talking about, before you sign on to the forum it clearnly states that you should not do the curse if you have mental issues, she clearly has mental issues.I recieved so much from the course and wonder how i went with out the tools of life that i learnt from it. to be honest guys.. harden up, you constantly go on about how distructive the course is but read the facts. 95% of people walk out with a posotive gain, and if YOU didnt. get over it

Anonymous said...

the funny thing is, you people havent even done the course and you saying im brain washed,you are the one that read something on the internet from some one you don't even know, and believed it. Whos the one being brain washed.

Anonymous said...

Ten years ago I worked as a law clerk for a law firm that was deep into Landmark. New hires were persuaded or bullied into attending the Landmark Forum seminars - at their own expense. I held out (couldn't afford it!) but my boss had a Forum woman who had free run of the office and used to try to talk to me and get me to have a "breakthrough" at least four times a week. She would get right up in my face and yell, spittle flying and that would go on for a couple of hours in the conference room before I would just say casually, "Yes, I've had a breakthrough."
Of course no such thing happened. I became the black sheep at that firm - I was told I was "damaging the space" by these sick brainwashed attorneys but no one could adequately define this for me. My boss asked me into his office where he slid a pager across the desk to me. He told me he would page me several times a week and I was to give him a blow job whenever he required, since I refused to take the Landmark Forum seminar. I laughed because I couldn't believe it, then I quit.
I got in touch with the author of "Cults in Our Midst" and she pointed out that Landmark Education is often used as a way to bully employees which is what happened at that law firm. When business was down all of us from attorneys down to the file clerks had to listen to a lecture on how if we just apply ourselves, the phones will start ringing. I remember a nice older lady who had just started working there and went to LF and came back a new person with a wide grin and crazy eyes spouting off about how wonderful it was. She seemed completely brainwashed! It was very disturbing. I don't know how long her Landmark 'high' lasted because I left. Ten years later that nine month experience working for those crazies still really bothers me. I'm working on getting it out of my system by putting it on video. I think it will be a comedy. Btw, that attorney was disbarred 2 yrs after I quit because he stole money from clients. Now he has his license back and is screwing people again in Tucson, AZ (now he's doing bankruptcies). Landmark Forum and the sick people it attracts needs to be revealed as the cynical scam it really is. And I'm working on that.

Anonymous said...

we were told if we willed the phones to ring they would..

Anonymous said...

My husband attended the course after his work suggested he do it. I attended the course after he did on his suggestion. It is just a money making scam just like scientology. Look at the facts people, the starter of this group (werner erhard) was high up in the scientology ladder. He created e s t group that change the name to the forum. Sold the ideas and the building that he started out in to the members of the group. They then changed the name to the landmark forum. You can't just throw out your past based on the feeling that you invested in that moment. My family has already invested 3000 dollars into this stupid thing.

TedBax said...

Having done The Landmark Forum, I thought it was good - not great, but certainly an interesting an worthwhile experience. As one website put it, it's "not 'the devil', not 'the answer', but an interesting experience that generates an interesting toolset. In the interest of objectivity, here's what a bunch of people who have done it are saying about The Landmark Forum on Yelp.

Anonymous said...

My brother attended Landmark. He rang all the family crying like a baby. Sobbing so hard it was impossible to believe this was the same 45 year old man. He spoke endlessly of the benefits of this course.

Within weeks there was a notable change in this man. since the course he has broken the family up through greed, nastiness and fraud. He has had the family in court and stopped at nothing to get what he wants. He has justified his actions through the fault of everyone else. He says that he has got his energies through Landmark.

This beautiful human being has become pure evil. I cannot believe I am writing on this wall to say how much I hate this 'new' person Landmark has created. May he rot with the company, its founders and all the mindless followers.

Landmark must be stopped!!

rinso17 said...

I was pushed to attend this absolute scam back in 1995.
All the comments I have read from other posters bring it flooding back. I withstood this scam for 2 days and did not go back for the 3rd. On the morning of the 3rd day they rang me at home and were screaming at me as to what a failure I must be and how I was breaking a " commitment". I responded that if they did not return my money within 3 days that I would be going to the media. They returned it that day.
The one thing I do thank them for is for giving me an insight into how religious extremism occurs, and how easy it is to get perfectly rational people to behave irrationally.

Anonymous said...

"In my opinion, the landmark forum only is designed to entertain the people who are doing well already and wanting to expolre new horizons in their lives. The landmark forum is not design for healing or get-quick-fix exercise for the miserables. There are other organizations or groups for those needs."

take a moment and realize the untruth in this. perhaps you are convincing yourself of something, but please don't abandon introspection. look inside of yourself. do you honestly believe the program is advertised to serve only those in peak health and wellness? or do the numbers outweigh the people in terms of "enrollment?"

for the person who asserted "before you sign on to the forum it clearnly states that you should not do the curse if you have mental issues, she clearly has mental issues"-

no. not clearly at all. again, take a moment to breathe in this present moment. the landmark forum promotes a sense of urgency, a manic sense of time. you feel rushed, you feel that patience is no longer of any value.

someone's own state of wellness and mental health is never clear, especially to them. to those who have "mental issues"- is it responsible for the Forum to let them decide for themselves whether or not they do? These people are coming from a different perspective, and yes, absolutely, the Forum advertises itself as a quick fix shrouded in mysticism. i firmly object to it. It is hurting you.

Anonymous said...

Glad I found this blog! A teacher of mine had invited me to be her "guest" to an informal induction to the program, at her house. I asked her what it was about and she couldn't even put two sentences together to explain it to me... She kept saying it was "wonderful" and "amazing" and "life-changing" and that I HAD to attend to see what it was all about. Her speech and demeanour became... Odd and extreme, for lack of better words, an a big red flag went up in my head. I courteously declined. I had no idea what the hell it was all about, but after some online research, I can see my intuition was bang-on! I now know to expect some more harassment from this teacher.

Anonymous said...

My husband is so obsessed with this criminal group that if he is told to divorce me,he will blindly follow.he keeps going there again and again and i dont see any positive change as he claims.he was totally into landmark before marriage an had some bad past which was not told to me and to add to it he lied abt it all the time.it was by chance i found out from his forum notes and when confronted he said u have an option to walk out!!amazing what forum is teaching??play with someone's emotion?the story doesnt end here...at ths time he was repeating his forum..all the nonsense tasks of calling and completing with others had a great bad impact on me.i left my house and he was concerned only abt reaching for his class on time as 100's of them wud b waiting for him.he let me go.whe he went for his class and 'shared'that my wife has left,then he was told by his coach to get out of the class and look for me,then he started calling me and begging me to return so that he cud complete his class....Oh god...don't u have a brain of urself??then for his sake i went to his guest session and on return i find a recipt of another payment for another repeat adv course!!no need to inform forget asking....he knew so much chaos was there when he did basic.i have not done and will never do in my life as i have been told my parents teachers in my life what is good or bad,what is a relationship and what r priorities...he is again doing sex and intimacy series and again there is a lot of tension in the house.again many things wchich i was telling him not to do,he was doing but suddenly he is saying i will stop.as if u didnt know u are doing something wrong..without discussing he is ready to go for the meetings even on weekends and on weekdays.he will never switch off his cell phone on weekdays even whn go out,but there he is so obedient...i think landmark education should change there name to GANGA ,the holy river in india where people wash off their sins.do sins and go to landmark then do sins again and again go to landmark....there is no difference between landmark training and terrorist's training.they also cannot think and after doing landmark u also cannot think.the design of ths course is in such a way that u r not allowed for biological breaks which people worldwide know is not good for health and you cannot stop someone for ths.but here its called bladder control exercise and with a sense of proud!just by saying sorry ur work is done,u think u have completed with rthat person...what rubbish!u ask the person if he or she has forgiven u..if u call a person whom u have not spoken for many years and tell him i m sorry for what i did to u say may b 10 years back,u r surely making a fool of urself...i can go on and on as its creating problems in my marriage.i m on if anyone is ready to sue ths terrorist camp

Possibility said...

I have been a skeptic my entire life, and I continue to question what others proclaim is "truth". I was reluctant to participate in the Forum last March, and a good friend and respected therapist in my area went to great length to support me in going. She actually paid for it, and registered me. All of the comments about not being able to go to the bathroom were not congruent with my experience. I was at no point yelled at or harassed by anyone. The information presented was quite interesting, and my willingness to participate BY MY OWN CHOICE yielded results beyond what I could have ever expected. My experience was nothing short of profound. We were told that what Landmark teaches IS NOT THE TRUTH and going around making some weird beliefs about it was not necessary or wanted. I have experienced so many miracles in my life out of my participation some of which are: falling in love with my wife of 9 years again, starting my own business and making more money than I was making before in my lucrative job, letting go of OLD resentments (like from childhood), rekindling relationships that I had lost, experiencing profound peace on an almost daily basis, for the first time loving the way I look when I look in the mirror, and experiencing everyday as if it were Friday. These are just a few... To all of you who are afraid...please continue to experience your fear on your own. When you are willing to let go of it and experience something new let others know. I got over some of my greatest fears. If you want something youve never had you have to do something youve never done. I completed the Forum, and realized that in my life I have almost always only played at 95 percent. Now I am playing at 100 percent for you. Blessings to you this day and always.

Anonymous said...

Well ,the way attending elementary schools is part of our life,with that doing landmark should be made compulsory for everyone.Fear fear...what a terminology!!people should do landmark before getting married,before giving birth...as there is a lot of fear involved.i have seen people becoming a perfect liar, insensitive,shameless and interested in gossip.If its so AUTHENTIC and clears RACKETS,then government should make it mandetory for all who wish to serve nation as politicians.People pay for others as they know that at the end of the course you will be brainwashed and u will not only return the money but will pay for someone else as u would b doing social service.If u dont breakdown there,u have not given 100% and u have not ENROLLED completely,u r INAUTHENTIC and that u donot want to INQUIRE new POSSIBILITIES as u FEAR...WOW...my husband was suffering from a bad cold and cough while doing this stupid thing but he refused to take mild medication.i was surprised as he is the one who will pop up a pill easily.after reading some of the visitors comment on internet i realised that its all told there.so that person doesnot feel drowsy and opt out of the course.its a commitment taken there which they all follow so religiously.I say if people keep their commitments towards themselves,family work...anything,no course is needed.A 5 year old child also if told by parents knows that he will burn his hand if he touches hot things.no parent in this world will allow their children to EXPERIENCE this deliberately.then y so called adult human need a course.use your BRAINS guys...

Unknown said...

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Anonymous said...

The experience posted here is NOTHING like what my experience was. The Landmark Education courses (including the Forum)are the best coursed I have taken in my life and have really made a difference for me in many areas of my life. They have given me a way of looking at my life to see what really stops me from getting what I want in life, and I have witnessed many other people's lives that have improved because of taking the Forum. I get that this course may not be for everyone, but I believe anyone attending with an open mind will get something out of the course.
I agree completely with what "Possibility" said in his post. Well put!

Anonymous said...

My brother and his wife took the course a number of years ago. They convinced my mom as well - fortunately she never went to other workshops as they did. He especially, has changed dramatically and for the worse - no longer talks to his father but gets his kids to write letters complaining about decisions that were outside our father's juridiction in a divorce with our mother - yet they can't write a thank you card for gifts. He has alineated all of us with extreme behaviour, scripted responses and so I return the scripted responses now that I know them and see where it gets him. His definition of family has changed and we - his blood family - are no longer part of his definition. Took me awhile to see the behaviour pattern emerge but it is definitely there even when our mom was sick... typical responses include "I'm done" so no further conversation needed... "its complicated"... so no further response or conversation ... and then there is a the barage of insults if you do not live your life his way.

Landmark is cult. Research demonstrates the very scary and negative impact of large group mass training - brainwashing and behaviour changes. I have seen and/or experienced most of them with him. So very sad... from hero to zero in my eyes... it destroyed my little brother... but of course he won't see any of this!!

Anonymous said...

i participated in the forum hated the way they ran it but loved the distinctions i learned. If you can stomach that first weekend and go to the seminars after its a great overall experience that will help you have improvement in your life. The enrollment part still is nerve wrecking to me because they push it to hard and we all know that's how they make their money. But if you want to learn some great techniques to improve your life i say its worth that long crazy weekend. By the way i'm not a person that wasn't happy with their self i don't have any hang ups or regrets i wasn't rapped or a victim of anything life shattering. I am just a mother, who runs two businesses happily. Landmark is worth the time and i am not in a cult!

Anonymous said...

Never attended one myself and I probably will not, if something (generally speaking) has mixed reviews and suggestions of brainwashing, it probably is. The program is not for every one, if one does go at least they are well informed and know what to expect:)

Anonymous said...

I paid $650 dollars as a promise to a friend that I would 'give it ago'...and I did. I lasted the 3 days but did not go back for the Tuesday night nor 'enrol' any of my friends 'in the possibility' of spending their money as I had. My experience was of a very intense weekend being beaten over the head with the existential philosophy book...interesting, but ultimately an already historically widely discussed set of ideas and theory that can be enlightening and encourage lively academic debate, but should never take the place of rationale and critical thought processes.

Garrulus-Jay said...

how can i access this video ?? it says private ??? thanks

Jack Shamblin said...

So ignore my enthusiasm for Landmark. I realize that I just got manipulated into their agenda under the pretense of taking life coaching. At least you know you are a friend I would want to be in a cult with me. ;))

Seriously, run from anything landmark.

The actual life coaching tips are helpful but 90 percent of the 40 hr weekend is about the profit of the organization and manipulating the group into taking their classes.

Now, I know how fascism works.

Jack Shamblin said...

this was my text that I sent to friends when I got sober from the Landmark manipulation.

Anthonydipasquale.com said...

I liked what Anonymous posted on 14 OCTOBER 2013 AT 08:33
Which was in essence she loved the Forum, got a lot out of it, and didn't enroll a bunch of people or anyone into it nor did she take a bunch of other courses. That's cool - as for me, well i did get my mother to do it, and she hasn't enrolled anyone either but she is very very glad she did it, as am I. I was doing well before and definitely better after. If 645 bucks can give you permanent benefits and tolls to use for the rest of your life, then be coachable for a weekend + one evening and go for it. That's what I'd recommend.

Anonymous said...

Landmark forum is just a bunch of brainwashed assholes running the show to make money. Don't go there. Landmark has come to india and is sucking millions from ppl here

Anonymous said...

Wasted $600 on the Landmark Forum in Vancouver, BC. Their tactics did not work on me. I feel sorry for people buying into their bs about rackets, that we are all machines, that life is empty and meaningless.

Oh, and then they want your money. And your friend's money, and your family's money. It's all really about money.

Unknown said...

Wasted $690 on landmark in Melbourne!! Their tactics did not work on me either!!! I really feel sorry for people who believe their bullshit!! The rackets, how we are all machines and how life is empty and meaningless .... That's not motivational it's depressing... Life is what anyone makes of it you think it's depressing it's depressing you think life's great your life will be great you create your own life not some landmark BS!!!! They only contacted me when they wanted a payment or wanted me to sign up into a different course... It's all about the sales and cash! Not once did someone call me for support!! Like they promise you at the start when you sign up, I'll be here for you every step of the way Ye right champ what a load of BS!!!!

What I realised as well is most people at landmark are really messed up... Like we made friends with this one guy who turned out to be someone completely different and lied about their whole life story!! It's really sad the guy thought he was from Compton and was in gangs but turned out he was from a country town that was small in America ..... The sad thing was he was 25 years old and his mother told me the truth... Apparently he lied about everything......


Don't waste you time don't waste your money!!! I want a refund!!
$700 down the drain on some BS!! Not happy! And the 10 sessions after your forum is full of crap also and the conference calls once a week,,, like really wth is with this crap!!!! Staying in touch once a week just for people to listen to your breakthroughs and problems you have a proven go talk to someone professional not someone who doesn't have a diploma!!!

xXLiE sLaYeRXx said...

The Forum changed my life. I healed scars so deep. It's been 18 months since I completed it. I have a new way of thinking and being. I have a prosperity in my relationships. Best of all my way of being impacted many lives for the positive. It's not an easy weekend but significant change and healing is not easy. If you are considering this program, find out for yourself by attending introductory evening .

Anonymous said...


The forum uses volunteers in order to make more in profits but also so that they can get away with practicing psychology without a license. That's why you sign a waiver. Their volunteers are not formally trained in psychology.

The psychological strategies they talk about have been around for a long time; the forum didn't invent them. The forum just re-branded them with their own terminology.

People confuse it with a cult but it doesn't quite fit the true definition of a cult.

It more accurately fits the definition of brainwashing. If you know anything about brainwashing techniques you will recognize them in the Forum's design and approach. It all points to brainwashing.

There are other ways to change yourself. The forum isn't the only way. It's just one way; one controversial way.

Unknown said...

"My dad went, and they encouraged him and a group of others to abuse each other verbally."

I have issues with Landmark. However I also have ussues with BS.

Regarding the above statement,there isn't and never was any such exercise as mentioned. Not even close.

Anonymous said...

I went along to the London Landmark Forum after my friend invited me on the Tuesday session. Whilst it may help some people , I found it to be very much a sales tactic. The Landmark Forum spend the later half of the Tuesday guest evening trying to get the 'guest' to pay a £100 deposit on the spot (yes, there sales people are there ready and waiting to take your money) . Thankfully one guest who was sceptical of them questioned on the mic why she should pay the £100 deposit on the night for the next round of courses...and it was very entertaining to watch the LMF representative/ leader trying to worm his way outta that one.... he struggled and exposed himself when he said 'go to the cash machine and get the money out if you don't want to give us your card details'.. not only that , another lady who had completed her 3 day course got on the mic, ask questions about things she was uncertain on ..and as he couldn't answer her , he just changed the topic and brushed her off..they are 'Charlatans'

I made the mistake of giving my phone number to one of the Landmark Forum 'assistants', since then he has hounded and harassed me , using every technique in the book, from telling me how awesome and bold I was for attending and talking about life (even though I didn't go on the mic) , to wanting to celebrate once I have booked my self on to the course, to now messaging me saying I'm not following my heart, to I procrastinate , to 'don't I want something better in my life' and on it goes. Actually , now its very entertaining and I'm looking forward to the next round of messages to try to make me part with my money (I believe its just under £500 for the 3 day course)

I have since been online to read reviews and discovered that they use their recruits, assistants, volunteers (many of whom do not get paid) and people who have just completed the course to get new recruits in and basically bully then into believing if they don't recruit new members they are not worthy of being part of Landmark family. The Landmark Forum Assistant who is hounding me has a lot of confidence issues as well as being very insecure (as he told me this) and I really do feel he is being duped by the LMF leaders .

The Landmark Forum is nothing new at all , they are just rehashing basic psychology and passing it off as their own...honestly don't waste your time or money on them, instead go and get yourself 'What the Bleep' or 'The Secret' DVD's and save yourself a couple of hundred £££'s

Having done a bit more research, they are not professional psychologists or therapists, they wont know how to deal with people who have suffered extreme abuse..They are Scammers!

There behaviour and recruitment tactics smacks of a CULT and they have got BRAIN WASHING down to a fine art.

Jason said...

So refreshing to see an honest review. For those checking out Landmark before making a decision be aware of this blogger who put together this entire blog so called debunking Landmark's courses. Finding the claims there over the top, considering I am currently attending class and never experiencing the negative claims, I researched that blog further and if you dig right down to the first blog you will find the source of anger from that blogger.

The blogger himself states that his now ex-wife went on a Landmark course and then divorced him. He admits to never attending the course.

His excessive rants about a course that he has never been on led me to believe he probably could have really got a lot out of the programme and I speculate it may have even helped his distraught marriage (his ex-wife asked him to to the course after her, due to the positive impact - by his own admission). Thereafter his wife, perhaps facing a future of no change in areas that needed it - filed for divorce.

What I will discuss is the claim of a "cult" and brainwashing which really freaked me out when I read that - even when I was attending the course and had full knowledge of what was going on. I can only imagine what someone would think if you were looking for an unbiased opinion.

In reality, the work in landmark is covered in a scope of various books but Landmark puts it into a practical perspective and course. While different words might be used, this is all about examining our (bad) fixation with the ego control that goes on in our lives each day. In addition, our getting stuck in the past or overly being concerned about the future. Living in the Now (Eckhart Tolle et al) is a big deal and can transform one's life once you understand how to apply it.

Mostly it encourages making contact with loved ones or those you need to forgive (well known that the person holding the grudge suffers the most and can never be free). This part alone is transformational. Suddenly you are communicating with people and connecting just as humans should, having incredible breakthroughs. All my relationships are better and I am much more conscious and present to life in general.

Okay, onto the most contentious topic - that is "enrolment." During the course, you will hear about enrolling others in your possibilities (positive goals in your life). If you have ever attended ANY kind of training you will know the hardest part is keeping those goals and training alive after the course is done. The concept of enrolment means that you involve others in your hoped-for achievements which already makes them more accountable and achievable and is, therefore, more likely to materialise in future.

For example, imagine a couple doing this course and coming to terms with letting the past go and living fully with each other in the present with integrity while planning for the greatest possibilities and going off together to forge that in the future!! Who can tell me this won't help a partnership?

Quite amazing that each day we go out and consume products for a fee and can be happy or disgruntled with our purchase and yet suddenly Landmark is labelled as fake or a cult. The content taught is basic stuff similar in many courses and by no means "cultish." I saw nothing of anything weird like being deprived of food, toilet or similar. The days are long but by no means impossible. get real - its the length of time one is awake on any normal day but now suddenly called "sleep deprivation" - if you need a daily nap to get through a day you should skip this!

I found Landmark to be well worth the money. Important to note that I have a pretty happy life and a good outlook on how the mind works and yet still I was able to unlock why certain blockages were present and turning up in my life. I witnessed people who really had stuff to attend to and the tools and perspective would be even more valuable then.

Sly said...

There is no doubt that Landmark engages in “hard sell” practices, but that doesn’t mean it’s value-less. The goal of this hard sell is to create more communities where the Landmark jargon and experience is accepted and self-reinforcing. Ultimately, that increases the effectiveness and support for its participants. There’s nothing wrong in that!

Many Landmark-critical forums and review websites have comments from people who claim that either they were messed up, or a family member was messed up from their experience in the Landmark Forum. What they fail to mention is that many of these people who had bad experiences in the Landmark Forum were people who should not have attended in the first place because they have mental instability issues better served by a psychiatrist than a self-help program.

Landmark makes it VERY CLEAR that if you’re experiencing any conditions requiring professional intervention, you should not attend.

The danger has nothing to do with the Landmark experience, but the ability of people with vulnerable mental states to process PHILOSOPHICAL concepts.

For everyone else, Landmark provides a methodology for dealing with relationships that transcends the ordinary way in which we view others and their motivations. Ultimately, that’s what Landmark courses are: a philosophical approach to dealing with relationships - familial or professional. The approaches are effective because they allow participants to view interactions with others outside of personal filters and preconceived notions that affect everyone’s relationship to others.

It’s telling that most of these forums that are critical of Landmark or classify it as a cult, do not allow postings from anonymous sources. They throw up gateways or barriers in providing a truly public forum in assessing Landmark’s effectiveness. In other words, there is an agenda in disparaging the opportunities and work that Landmark offers. Why that exists, I don’t really know.

While I don’t find everything Landmark teaches as equally effective, I do see that it has transformative value in pursuing powerful interactions with others in both business and personal relationships.

GGG49 said...

Landmark is now using dating sites to recruit people....Zoosk for one. I just had some guy pose as someone interested in me and his profile was completely vague so I started asking him questions about his life he mentioned Landmark and that he was interested in talking with me about it. I did some research and read reviews and when I asked him questions about Landmark he never replied so I figured he knew I was on to him. I worked in Investigations for 15 years so I can smell something "fishy" immediately! WOW! Talk about going low to recruit people.