Return to: Landmark Forum: Rants and Raves
First of all, I would like to thank everybody who replied, both on the newsgroup and by email. I have read several of the posts that have been put up since I last checked, and so I would like to address the cult issue first, since that seems to be a main topic of discussion right now.
Yes, Landmark is a cult, and no it's not.
The simple fact is, if you want to relate to Landmark as a cult, the room is definitetly there to do so. The same is true, however, of almost any group. I've met Christians who relate to their church in such a manner that I would call them cult members, I am involved in martial arts, and I've seen some students relate to our *sifu* the way one would relate to a cult leader. I've even seen many psychology majors relate to Freudian theory as if they were true believers in a cult, (The usual example of this is, when you disagree with some point of Freud's, a Freudian who responds: *Your're in denial. You can't handle the truth of what he said.*)
The real problem with a discussion like this is that there is no common ground. Anybody who defends Landmark, who has gone through any of their programs, can immediatly be dismissed as having been indoctrinated, while anybody who attacks it from outside can simply be written off as someone who can not possibly know what they are talking about.
My personal take on Landmark, and its effect on the people who were in my Forum, is that it was very empowering for most of them. However, I did see a few who I truly thought were damaged by the experience. Those were the ones who approached Landmark as a panacea for their problems.
What I saw in Landmark was basically a very profound look at what exists for us in the experience of being human, a sort of metaphysics of human existence.
Most of the problems I had with the Forum were not in the ideas or techniques of the Forum itself, but rather with the way people related to it. If they came in looking for psychotherapy, that is exactly what they got, whether Landmark intended that or not. That in itself is not a bad thing, but I wonder how some of those people will deal with their issues after leaving the Forum. For many, I think they will grow dependent on the Forum for their sense of health and self-worth. I already saw that begginning to happen with some of the participants, although they would have probably developed that relationship of dependence on something else, if not Landmark. (Here in L.A. it seems like every other person I meet is dependent on a therapist.) What is ironic is the fact that self-responsibility is emphasized over and over again.
Ninety percent of what I heard in the Forum was the philosophies of Heidegger and Wittgenstein, given a very real application in looking at what we experience. The Forum is powerful, and it is no surprise, given that it is based on two ways of seeing that are arguably the most formative of the twentieth century. I would also like to say that our Forum leader had a deeper understanding of Heidegger than any professor I have had, or anybody I have read. The special language of Landmark is not as sinister as I suspected. In order to even get some of the ideas being discussed, a new jargon has to be used. Heidegger did the exact same thing.
Finally, I would like to state some of what I personally got out of the Forum. I rediscovered my passion for a project I have been working on now for several years, about language and identity. Some day I hope to be a professor, and watching the Forum leader, I saw how important it is to listen in order to teach anything. For him, listening had obviously become something more than even a science. Also, my love for those who I am close to became very real for me.
I am probably not going to go to the Tuesday night seminar. I dislike pep rallies and sales meetings. I am, however, going to do the Advanced course, mostly because it seems to have a direct bearing on the aforementioned project.
Everything considered, I would say that the Forum can be hugely beneficial if you are already a well-balanced person who might be looking for a new perspective through which to see some things. If, however, you are looking for an answer to your life, or tend to always be on some sort of desperate search, the room is definitely there for an unhealthy experience.
Rick