My recent run-in with a training session happened last Tuesday when a friend had called over the weekend to invite me over to a life-changing program. He had requested couple of others also to attend the session. We arrived at IMAGE auditorium (Raja Annamalaipuram) on a Tuesday evening to be welcomed by about 20 to 25”smiley “volunteers, this turned me off completely.
However, we moved into an elaborate nametag preparation session and the reception staff made/forced us to put on the nametag. The session commenced at 7.45 pm and it was supposed to last till 10.45 pm.
The person on the podium was called Gurmeet .With his accented English, he was trying to extol the virtues of attending the program, and how people had benefitted. This was followed by people who climbed on the dais and started blabbing how they had “transformed” and become a major achiever. In fact, the first “transformer” mentioned he had a major financial investment from venture capitalists (some USD 1.5 million) just by talking to the people. This he claimed was post the program – it had not worked out during the last six months when he had tried. Not sure whether there is such a company at all.
This was followed by even more “zanier” accounts of people who claimed that this was possibly the best thing that happened in life to them. Most of them were very shallow and not based on anything serious.
This lasted until about 9.00 pm and the trainer/facilitator was scribbling on his green board with a white chalk. Half the while audio system was acting up and air con was conking off. At 9.00 pm, the man on stage announced dramatically how the introducer had gotten the guests along as he/she cared for them. I was neck deep in BS by then and I was feeling suffocated. Then he said that guests could share with their host some blah blah. This was essentially a “HARD-SELL”/”SHOVE IT UP THEIR THROATS” BREAK. An army of “graduates” – suckers who had been conned earlier had to sit with each of the guest and ask them when they could enroll. I was approached by a person who had not known me for more than three minutes who claimed he was very keen on my best interests. He was asking me when I could join; I declined mentioning that I did not se any value in this BS.
One by one, the “transformers” droned on me the virtues and the benefits. It was very strange to see a notorious TV newsreader and an also ran actor who were part of the circus trying to wear down my defenses.
I defiantly said no repeatedly until the badgering stopped. I was almost mentally “drilled” by the morons. In fact the irony is this ex TV News reader mentioned that she had a perfect life when she joined this training and it has improved ever since. All of us know her personal life is as nice as an unclean public toilet. So you can imagine the revulsion when she was the “celebrity endorsement “ for this program.
Folks! Imagine if some one is made to sit in a stupidly abusive pseudo science/spirituality mix (all unproven methods which has been founded by a tax evader and family deserter who ran away from his native country .He has no educational background). The complete course is based on this man’s demented visions. The company is currently run by his brother and they are very wealthy people.
The trainer started again with a catalogue and tried harassing us further for enrolments and down payment information. He then started giving “ instant therapies” to guests with problems, hey I almost forgot , the people had to clap and cheer when each one of the “ transformed air heads” told their story – wild clapping. If you even said, I farted well after undergoing this program – Whoopee; thunderous applause ….it was getting worse by the minute.
The trainer was recounting how successful he was before he became a trainer for this #$$# training or whatever crap you call it. I want him to improve his English at least. This is a topic which I researched for a few days and it gave me a lot of insight into the world of LGAT. Google it and you will find immense wealth of information on Large Group Awareness Training which in short can mean a shortcut to warp your thinking into some one else’s script ( mostly the air head founder of the stream of thinking – most if not all LGATs are not proven and have no scientific or psychological basis). Believe me the Americans have enriched the coffers of many charlatans who have played with minds. There have been several deaths mostly by suicides and people whose entire lives have been changed for worse by these stupid programs.
Bottom line : It does not allow you to rest in peace after this one stupid level where they fleece about INR 8000/- but also make you attend 2 or 3 levels by which your bank account would have been considerably bled.
You are expected to work as a volunteer for the stupids , so they do not spend a penny on marketing and no compensation of any kind for volunteers .In fact you “help” your friends get better …something like MLM. The chain never breaks. It is a 16-hour day for the training which wears down your thinking and alertness. You are expected to share “ your dark side” which evidently is the transformation – imagine a lady mentioning that she had been abused by her close relative in front of 300 + unknown people and the trainer freak questioning like a cross examination lawyer ,This makes the “confessor” break down and weep. Immediately the audience cheers and claps raucously… Does this mean any transformation ? No Never . It will further wound the mental make up of the person in distress. It is called attack therapy...never to be used by novices.
IF A CLOSE FRIEND INVITES YOU FOR A TUESDAY NIGHT SESSION – DO NOT ATTEND! STAY AWAY : FAR FAR AWAY!
Last but not least , here are a number of programs offered by Gurus...thanks to some one who has ordered them nicely for our analysis
Here are the links:
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1015588.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner_Erhard
www.rickross.com/reference/landmark/landmark57.html
http://www.westword.com/1996-04-18/news/it-happens/full
http://www.culthelp.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6066&Itemid=12
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081005095053AA2yRs1
http://rationalfilms.blogspot.com/2010/05/landmark-forum-sucks-landmark-education.html
http://motherjones.com/media/2009/07/landmark-42-hours-500-65-breakdowns
www.rickross.com/reference/landmark/landmarkvisitor.html
www.factnet.org/discus/messages/1/445.html?1173029202
http://www.csj.org/rg/rgessays/rgessay_lgate.htm
http://anti-landmark.blogspot.com/2008/08/personal-memoir-of-landmark-forum.html
http://anti-landmark.blogspot.com/2008/08/why-i-have-set-up-ant-landmark-1.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/karin-badt/inside-the-landmark-forum_b_90028.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landmark_Education_litigation
http://tribes.tribe.net/landmarkcritique/thread/b895e3e9-e816-4884-b369-e3af9b2e0247
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/27…
http://www.rickross.com/reference/landma…
http://www.factnet.org/discus/messages/1…
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article…
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/14…
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