Landmark Forum?

E

envy

Veteran X
Anyone hear of this, or know someone who is part of it?

I know someone close, who has signed up for their courses, which are not cheap.

I don't know if it's some wacky cult shit that preys on vulnerable people, or something that's actually decent. My guess is that it's a steaming load of bullshit that suckers people into believing they have the meaning to life, while robbing them of their bank accounts, friends, and family.

Landmark website: http://www.landmarkeducation.com/

Critic of the forum: http://www.rickross.com/groups/landmark.html

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landmark_Forum
 
I sure wish I had my $400 back, I can tell you that.

It's not a cult in the Heaven's Gate, Branch Davidian etc sense, but closer to the Scientology sense (sorry TW scientologists, but you can blow me). Apparently they actually have some kind of obscure relationship or conflict, too.

It's definitely about money; it might be called an anti-cult. That is, a method designed to take advantage of the kind of people that wouldn't ordinarily be vulnerable to traditional cultish tactics. Non-religious, professional, psychologically-stable (more or less), grounded types of people. The "Forum" 4 day course quite strongly (and convincingly, once you've let yourself be led to that point) insists that there is no meaning to life, actually - which is about the point when most people started chanting "Im-ho-tep," if you get my drift.

In the "Forum", I saw a number of people appear to have a profound experience - one woman contacted her estranged family and had them fly from Israel to Boston for a reconciliation at the concluding session a day later. Assuming this wasn't some kind of plant, then it can't be entirely bad. But I left with the very distinct impression that there would be some distinctly weird, even sinister shit after 3 or 4 levels of courses.
 
envy said:
So what would you say to somebody that just joined it?
Click to expand...
Well, "joined" isn't exactly accurate... yet. They do seem to make extensive use of "volunteers", and strongly urge attendees to "consider" volunteering as staff for future forums.

It's obvious from the controversy, the history, and their legal actions that they (or at least the leadership) are about - at best - money. They are selling a product (of questionable value), and in fact openly acknowledge something close to that in effect early on, to disarm suspicion. You might try describing it to your friend as a sort of distilled Scientology: all of the exploitation with none of the insane Xenu and Thetan shit.

Though it may seem odd, she can most likely get a refund if she wants (and can endure the hard sell) before the second day of the forum. In fact, as I recall, they make a big deal about it during the halfway or end of the first day, which is obviously another trust-gaining tactic.
 
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