Landmark education - what's that?

[Eva52]

I've seen some comments about Landmark education. What's that?

Landmark Education is an organisation which offers "lifestyle coaching" and "self-awareness" courses. Many internet mentions of this organisation make comments about "brain-washing" and "cult-like characteristics", and refer to participants being put under pressure to attend further courses.

it's a cult. they suck you in. don't bother. I was signed up to do landmark forum and luckily pulled out before doing it. It may not seem like a cult at first but do a little researching on the internet and you will find many reports and discussions written about landmark. it may be that some of the ideas taught in their courses are helpful, but the point is, why do they have to patent it and keep it all a secret? try asking them what actually happens during a landmark forum, and you won't get any answers. furthermore they don't allow you to take any notes during the course. why all this secrecy you wonder?

they also wear you out so you are deliberately made more vulnerable by being tired and hungry over the course of the weekend with barely enough time to sleep or get refreshments. they also use a lot of special inside lingo which when a person who's done landmark starts talking to outsiders about their experience, is incomprehensible to anyone who hasn't done it. also once you've done the starter course ('Landmark Forum') they ecourage you to come back and do more courses, all of which are v expensive, then gradually they get you giving up more of your time to work for them as a volunteer and help recruit others. I've seen this all first hand.

My advice if you are going to do it is get properly informed about it first and DON'T get sucked in.

Eva, a lot of anthroposophists do landmark- it goes with the cult like stance of Steiner waldorf.

They keep it all secret- a bit like the anthroposophical spiriual occult cetre of steiner really.

It may well appeal to your sensibilities, it's meant to encourage fearlessnes too.

Oh there you are Eva or should I call you Chubbics?

You know what Landmark is.

Giving up time and working as a volunteer also echoes very much what the cult of Steiner waldorf do.
Lots of involvement in the "community", less time for "outsiders", gives power to the main players.

Eva you are so stuck, why are you creating this story?

Oh- I've not caught up on this- you were asking about landmark as chubbics were you?

Hi barking

Did you see the Times article?

Yeah- why?
'cos you lost on the other threads?

Hi Northern, Eva pretended to be a new poster called Chubbics on one of our myriad steiner threads and asked me to phone a mobile number then he would call back as he was very worried about it.

How are you? Hey I've been missing those intense steiner theads, everything seems boring in comparison
They could have at least mentioned us in the Times article

I'm not 100% that it was Eva - it was very fishy.

Yes, there are some aspects that are similar to anthroposophy - maybe they are rebranding it for the next generation. Its a real mixture of scientology, personal growth stuff, eastern philosophy and a bit of the freemasons thrown in.

No funny handshakes, just long authentic, meaningful hugs.

It was rife at the place we were involved with. It's just one long very expensive intensive group therapy session under the guise of deconstructing the old self then putting together a new you. You get your very own 'landmark community' and some new words to learn.

They tried to recruit me 3 times while I was at the school. Maybe that's why we had such a hard time fitting in.....

Years ago someone I was working with tried to get me involved too.
If it's the same thing, they had sessions where you had to stand up infront of a huge room of people and confess all these things about yourself. then everyone cheered and hugged you.
This was her description, mind, I never went, it all sounded too distressing....

I looked at the chubbic thing.
Crikey, not many are foolish enough to give out a phone number....

Yeah I miss the intense Steiner threads....
but have much work, so is probably best they've faded in my case....

Yep, I know what you mean - it all got very intense. It did get people asking questions about it.

There were some posts that had me crying with laughter, especially the references to the Da Vinci Code and The Matrix.

Even we were accused of being part of some conspiricy group that fights the steiner battle all over the web. I've been on mumsnet for 6 years but changed my name for steiner threads as I don't want to be identified in rl.

I liked those threads that started with cod and 110x who were trying to get themselves quoted on our threads, and then went back to the thread they'd started saying they had been quoted.

I was scared to go on their's, but got protection if I quoted them...

Gosh- have you been on that long barking? 6 years?
I've only been on since just before christmas I think.

Do you go on other threads with another name then?

Not anymore, I use to but had mentioned my location in other threads so I prefer the name barking now.

I'm pretty sure it was Eva as he signed under both names 'best regards'. It such a anthro thing to say

Another classic anthro saying is: 'Greetings!'

Did you see on one of the threads a poster mentioning the eurythmy dancing at Waitrose?

God, you couldn't make it up

Eurythmy in Waitrose?
Well I s'pose it wouldn't be Morrisons would it?

Got to go, children gone wild....

Hello,

If you have concerns about Landmark you might like to know it was banned in France. Nothing of that sort over here though. It was started by a chap called Werner Erhard - a fairly suspicious shadowy figure. There are many allegations against him on anti-cullt websites (e.g. Rick Ross).

I feel I should explain myself. I'm not "Eva" ... and please accept my apologies if I alarmed anyone. That was certainly not my intention. I'm trying to find out more about the organisation as my friend (sadly) got involved and I understand that they are targeting children. If anyone can help me find more about their activities I would be grateful.

Really chubbics it is not hard to find information on Landmark. It is all over the web.

France handles such groups much more strictly than many other countries, that doesn't necessarily tell you whether to watch out or not. I'd suggest reading fairly widely on them before getting involved.

Landmark/The Forum is what used to be "est" in the 1970's, yes started by Werner Erhard. There does seem to be some overlap with Steiner/Waldorf. The philosophies are dissimilar in certain ways and yet there is a commonality of dogged persistence in recruitment that they share with Steiner recruitment methods. Polite, friendly, enthusiastic, absolutely determined. Their fundraising is also, shall we say, zestful. Bring your checkbook!

rickross and landmark

Chubbics - I am genuinely sorry if you have nothing to do with Eva, its just that we have had lots of strange things happen on the steiner thread and I am a little suspicious.

Understandably so, Barking. Maybe I should have been clearer about my intentions I certainly didn't mean to contribute to the strangeness!

DianaW - thanks for the advice. I've been reading a lot about it on the web (for the last two years actually! - but that's just my nerdiness) although there's not so much on the org in the UK and their activities in schools. Even the 'experts' I've contacted seem to be unaware. I also have friends (sadly) affected by the organisation. Hence, the reason I joined this thread ... and the reason that I went to the length of putting my phone number on here

(NorthernRefugee39 - I'd appreciate it if you could refrain from calling me foolish - I certainly wouldn't make such a quick judgement of you).

I wonder who are the experts you've contacted, Chubbics?

Stories like this are often pretty complicated. Don't assume somebody is an "expert" just because they're billing themselves as such. Also, there are certain cults that "the experts have never heard of" because the cults have done such a good job intimdating people.

Look up some information on Margaret Singer, and get creative in your googling if you haven't yet.