Don't Be Fooled: We Are Now Under Attack

"Although the Landmark people claimed that their 'transformation' approach is unique, it is fairly evident that it is not. The concepts introduced regarding knowledge-based learning and 'transformational' learning are a relabelling of Malcolm Knowles' theories regarding adult learning, the theoretical base of active-learning, and pretty much the norm in how any good training firm approaches training. (However, good active-learning practitioners get the participants involved in the first five minutes and don't keep them sitting in a chair being preached at for an hour and a half).

Three things bothered me about this presentation (I walked out as organisers were preparing to register guests).

First was the presentation 'style'. There was a lot of effort to be emotional, to put out a lot of energy, and some of the techniques used were clearly manipulative. There was no opportunity for questions to be asked.

Second were the testimonials. In each case, the description of behaviour prior to the programme and what life changes had been made afterwards sounded strikingly like someone who had gone through psychotherapy. As a matter of fact, the programme is considered 'large group psychotherapy' in the various studies that have been done on it in professional literature. Yet, as far as I can determine, none of the trainers are trained psychologists, psychotherapists, or psychiatrists.

The third thing that bothered me was the part about the tearing down of who you are, giving you a blank slate to create a new you. I've heard this before too, in studying Communist re-education systems under Lenin, Stalin and Mao. This sounds suspiciously like the process used by the Soviets in preparing confessions for their show trials or the first stage of the brainwashing process.

It's a very powerful place to take someone, but also a very dangerous place to take someone. As a training professional, I think that the risk of taking participants to that place requires significant safeguards - safeguards that I do not believe are in place with this programme.

In France, Landmark Forum has been classified as a 'possible cult'. The Cult Awareness and Information Centre in Australia has listed the Landmark Forum among 'psychotherapy cults'. Given what I saw, I can understand exactly how that classification has been applied and why."

-- Al Lock, on one of the most pernicious groups to have weaseled it's way into society, for the Bangkok Post.

You looking for a landmark? I got your fucking landmark - it's an anti-cult forum called: