Preamble *

Overview *

Potential Benefits from the Landmark Forum *

Formation of Attitudes and Commitment – Mechanics and Drama *

Preamble

This paper is rooted out of my recent experience with Landmark Education (LE), having attended their flagship course, The Landmark Forum. The impetus for the paper comes from the desire to gain a richer understanding of, and to contribute to individuals’ awareness of the forces acting upon them in such a programme. As such, it explains processes that influence individuals’ attitudes, thoughts and behaviours in the context of Landmark Education. More specifically, it sheds light on the reasoning for our behaviours, attitudes, and decision making, and how those can be driven through methods of teaching, in the context of the Landmark Education business model.
 
 
 
 

Overview

The LE programme teaches a framework for thinking about existence (or a philosophy) along with a curriculum for living. It includes the use of concepts and analysis for individuals to gain perspective on their own thoughts, motivations and behaviours, and relationships with others through past, present, and future. The fundamentals of this philosophy are taught in LE’s primary course, The Landmark Forum. The curriculum may then be further pursued by continuation on additional LE courses offered.

Participation in LE’s programme and understanding the philosophy can be powerful for the individual to come to realisations which may act as impetus to make changes in one’s life. This in turn may contribute to increased confidence as the individual uses the impetus to conjure up new possibilities and carry them out. The changes made during the course of exercise may have short-term impact as emotions are aroused within individuals and potentially with relationships to the individual. These changes may have longer-term positive effects on individuals’ perspectives and ongoing relationships. However, there may also be longer-term negative effects, considering that decisions made and actions taken may not have been driven by balanced views of the individual and that individual’s ongoing reality - more commonly, the actions taken during the course of the Forum are influenced by the newly encountered LE philosophy. These may or may not be in the best interest of the individual.

The Landmark Forum experience is created through the use of a conceptual philosophy in combination with teaching methods that use emotion and social psychological tactics, which drive commitment to that philosophy. It involves a large degree of deep questioning about our own existence and, with a high impact manner, it teaches a framework for thinking about one’s life. Individual and group behaviours are brought about, with the power of emotion, in such a way that contributes to direct persuasion toward belief in the philosophy, and in turn to enrolment in LE courses.

The Forum’s fabricated experience directly influences individuals’ attitudes and decision making processes, which act in favour of benefits to LE, and particularly the LE leaders (and shareholders). This is carried out in a manner that is indirectly negligent to each individual’s differing sensitivities and requirements. There is a strong incentive for leaders of LE to persuade continued enrolment of students and recruitment of new students to increase profits (and to structure the programme accordingly), at the potential expense of the individual, be it financial or psychological. As such, the stated motives of LE, that LE "focuses on the benefit to individuals’ lives and collective peoples’ integrity", cannot be entirely conclusive.

This paper touches on the potential benefits one may gain from Landmark Forum, while it predominantly outlines social psychological tactics and aspects of the LE philosophy which are used in combination to drive commitment to LE. Consideration of the business model then conveys how these tactics, in line with the LE philosophy, are instrumental for the direct benefit of LE.
 
 

Potential Benefits from the Landmark Forum

The concepts and analysis methods (LE labels "technology") taught to provide perspective on one’s life can be of value for the individual to help understand incidents and thoughts that have an impact on their own attitudes, motivations, decision making processes, and behaviours, including the way individuals may relate to others. Some valuable insights and practice of those insights on the course include:

• the concept of "being present" to situations, encouraging individuals to "tune in" to what is happening in the here and now, as well as to past experiences;
• methods of understanding interpretation of present and past incidents and how those interpretations may affect one’s behaviours and relationships with others and oneself (e.g. LE speak - "vicious circles", "winning formulas");
• methods of understanding thoughts that may bring about negative affect toward others, and inhibit productive thought and behaviour, and positive emotion (e.g. LE speak - "rackets"); and
• ways of thinking of oneself with respect to one’s relationships and the future to enable self-motivation and taking action to create possibilities for oneself, and to relate to others in new ways.

Formation of Attitudes and Commitment – Mechanics and Drama

While the insights noted above may be useful in thought and practical application, it is also important to understand that there are some basic social psychological tactics that are being used throughout the LE process to change attitudes and drive commitment to the LE philosophy. This includes intense conditioning, learning techniques, influences and persuasion to enrol in further courses with LE and recruit new students to the Landmark Forum. These points are best explained grouped under the headings below.

Modelling

Modelling, or learning by example, is a form of learning that can be effective in changing attitudes and, as a result, behaviours, which are commonly closely linked to attitudes. The concept of learning by example is self-explanatory. Clearly individuals supporting the LE philosophy throughout the course convey a number of examples.

The leader clearly expresses examples before, during and well after the students may have gained a respect for the leader. The examples include emotional issues, how the leader achieved "getting it", and very clearly how the "enrolment" of oneself into the curriculum and others into the Landmark Forum enabled the leader to change her/his life.

The leader explains the examples such that each individual is permitted to learn the reaction of others from the examples. The concept of permitting the individual is empowering for the learning process. This is noted further below, under the heading "Persuasion".

Direct Experience

While attitudes can be formed and changed through social learning from others, as noted above, they are also formed by direct, personal experience. In fact, attitudes stemming from direct experience are most commonly held more confidently and are more resistant to change than attitude formed by indirect experience. Throughout the forum, direct participation in the context of the LE philosophy is strongly encouraged. The experience being created includes sharing prior experience that most commonly has emotional attachment.

The forum leader continuously encourages participating in "life", stating that the best way of "getting it" is through experience (or "participation"). This includes sharing between individuals in the audience, making telephone calls to apply the LE philosophy directly in one’s own life, sharing experience through speaking to the audience, and the "enrolment" of oneself into the LE curriculum and others into the Landmark Forum.

The experience of participating in LE and sharing prior experience in the context of the LE philosophy directly influences attitude toward it. The experience engaged is particularly influential as it most commonly involves recalling emotional issues and experiences, and it is carried out directly with ones’ personal relationships and/or it involves making declarations in front of an audience, all of which is meaningful to the individual. These are most commonly all relatively unique experiences relative to one’s day-to-day living, and the experiences are positively reinforced throughout the programme (see "Conditioning" below).

Conditioning

Throughout the forum, simple positive reinforcement is used continuously and intensely to reward individuals and the group for understanding and committing to the LE philosophy, and for experiencing and sharing application of the philosophy. The use of this technique is an effective method for changing attitudes and behaviours in favour of the matter being conditioned.

The leader continuously engages the audience in applause and continually uses positively reinforcing language such as "great" etc… The leader also uses subtle gestures to reinforce views in favour of the philosophy, and discourage views that may not be in favour of the philosophy. This includes continued reference to "enrolment", directly implying further enrolment in LE programmes, and the enrolment of others in the Landmark Forum. This conditioning is repeated several times over the three-day period.

Each time a student or the group indicates a commitment to the philosophy through contribution, "sharing" or explanation, positive reinforcement follows. In contrast, from the beginning of the forum, the leader makes it clear that all students must be open and not question the LE teachings, and this includes asking those who are not open to leave. The leader clearly negatively reinforces views that are not in favour of the LE philosophy and "getting it". This conditioning (both classical and instrumental in nature), particularly the positive reinforcement, is powerful in changing attitude and strengthening the commitment to the LE teachings (e.g. "getting it"), by rewarding students for having "breakthroughs" and expressing views in favour of the LE philosophy. And it is again particularly powerful when positively reinforcing individuals in the presence of a group.

The amount of conditioning happening over the course (and at LE through further seminars and courses) is relatively abnormal in comparison to day-to-day living. As such, it creates a likeable (positive) experience for the audience. This is particularly powerful for students who are not accustomed to receiving positive reinforcement, and for those who are in search of simply positive emotion that may be missing from their lives at the given time.

Persuasion

Consider the number of influences that may change your attitude, from watching the TV, to reading newspaper editorials, magazines, and to having discussions with people. Each of these mediums may be forms of persuasion that influence one’s attitude toward a particular product or service, a political issue, or even a concept with which you may engage your thought. There are a number of tactics that have proven successful in persuading change of attitude and/or commitment to whatever the goal may be. The following points outline some of those tactics and how LE practises them in leading their courses:

• Messages that do not appear to be designed to change attitudes are often more successful that those that seem intended to manipulate. As such, more successful attempts at persuasion adopt a kind of soft sell approach.

• Persuasion is enhanced by messages that arouse strong emotions (especially fear) in the audience, particularly when the message provides specific recommendations about how change in attitudes or behaviour will prevent the negative consequences described in the emotional message, or improve upon any already existing negative emotion.

• Attractive communicators are more effective in changing attitudes than unattractive ones.

• Individuals relatively low in self-esteem are easier to persuade than those with high self-esteem. Lacking in confidence, those with low self-esteem are more susceptible to social influence from others.

• People who speak rapidly are generally more persuasive than those who speak slowly, as it seems to convey the impression that the communicator knows what he or she is talking about.

• When an audience potentially holds attitudes contrary to those of a would-be persuader, it is often effective for the communicator to develop a two-sided approach, in which both sides are presented, rather than one side. Supporting one side, while acknowledging that the other side has a few good points tends to disarm the audience and make it more difficult for them to resist the source’s conclusions.

• Audiences outside of the comfort of normal routine, and those fatigued, and/or physically distressed (or "worn down") are commonly persuaded more easily than those whom are not.

• The use of new terminology, particularly when defined in the context of the main message, can serve to enhance persuasion to change attitude. This can be due to a number of reasons. The new terminology can help the persuader appear intelligent and attractive (as the jargon can only be defined correctly by the presenter), and it can create curiosity in the audience. It can also act as a cognitive distraction serving to reduce resistance to persuasion toward the main message.

Cognitive Dissonance is the feeling, usually unpleasant, that arises when one discovers an inconsistency between two attitudes, or between attitudes and behaviour. Dissonance is most commonly generated when individuals say things they don’t mean, or behave in ways that are inconsistent with underlying attitudes and values. In these cases, the dissonance can lead people to change attitudes so that the attitudes more closely reflect their words or behaviours. In other words, saying or doing things inconsistent with their attitudes can cause individuals to change the attitudes themselves.

This is a powerful concept that can explain practices at the Landmark Forum. Individuals in the class interact directly with other students in the audience, participate by speaking to the audience, and participate most powerfully by making telephone calls to speak with existing meaningful relationships. These behaviours are, most commonly, not normal relative to the individuals daily routines. The words and deeds undertaken, however, are consistent with the LE philosophy that is being taught. Consequently, this can cause individuals to change attitude and/or cognition in favour of the LE philosophy.

Attitude change can happen through cognitive dissonance in a number of ways. Dissonance is a motivational state (i.e. people experiencing the unpleasant state are motivated to reduce it), in which something has to change. Many possibilities for the change exist including:

• changing attitude to be consistent with behaviour (e.g. even though you may have believed that you didn’t value expressing emotions to people you do not know well, now that you have done it (perhaps even unwillingly at first), you may have changed your attitude toward it, convincing yourself that it is really not that bad). This results in a self-generated attitude change;
• changing cognition about the behaviour (The behaviour itself cannot be changed, since it already has been completed). (e.g. now that you have already behaved in some way, you might tell yourself, that is really just the way things are (through using a theory that may support that view), and so the behaviour is quite consistent with your basic attitudes and understanding). This can change the way you see "the world" and your attitude toward it (to be consistent with your behaviour).
• attempting to reduce the dissonance through acquiring new information (e.g. while drug-abusers often know their actions are harmful, they often eagerly seek new evidence to show their drugs are not all that bad); or
• attempting to reduce the dissonance by minimising the importance of the inconsistency (e.g. you may convince yourself that the inconsistency "doesn’t really matter" or is "not relevant" in the greater scheme of things. This might mean that you simply go along with the crowd, or generally accept the differences as not affecting you in that particular instance).

The explanations outlined above include some of the basics about social psychological theory, and as such, this merely touches on what is happening at LE courses. There are a number of further areas that may explain more tactics and details being engaged at LE. For example, the topic of Group Dynamics can explain how arousal of individuals can come about easier in a group setting, and how individuals may be influenced more easily in groups, including the proven concept of "Groupthink". To name a few more topical areas: Obedience and Social Influence; Cognitive Dissonance and Money; Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP); Self-Awareness and Social Behaviour; Individual Adaptation in the Social Environment; and, Physical Health, Fatigue and Attitude Change. Perhaps some of those headings will enable one to imagine.

Through the use of these tactics, the forum provides an experience that is emotionally and psychologically engaging over a short period of time to create high impact. This experience is relatively abnormal in comparison to each individual’s day-to-day living. Consequently, it would be difficult to replicate without the assistance of the organisation that created it. This reason alone can create an emotional internal persuasion to continue with LE, whether for a desire to continue to change things and "create possibilities" for one’s life, to include others in the experience to support those changes, or for the sake of simple therapy & emotional stability following the Forum. In other words, while the high impact approach of the programme makes it a rich experience, it may be difficult for individuals to sustain comparable levels of emotional drive, psychological intensity, and application of the philosophy without the continued assistance of LE.

The LE philosophy is also intertwined with these tactics, impacting on individuals temporary perception and potentially ongoing cognition. In short, the philosophy being driven is based on an extended framework or "curriculum for living", which implies further rich experience and self-control only with continued enrolment. As the Forum leader stated at the end of the 3-day period, "now you are just babies… the advanced course will allow you to really make changes." Consequently, for those who have changed attitude and committed to the philosophy (i.e. those who "get it"), the Landmark Forum acts as a first stage understanding for "life improvement". As such, those individuals may be easily persuaded to follow through with further "enrolment", particularly in early stages after the Forum when there is little time to gain other perspectives and balance views on the philosophy.

While the LE experience may be beneficial in gaining insight on one’s thoughts, behaviours, and relationships with others, it is important for participants to also understand that there are clear tactics being used to directly elicit emotional and psychological commitment to the philosophy, and further financial commitment to LE. An interesting, and ironic, point to consider is the concept explained at the Forum which states that our emotions, reactions to them, and resulting behaviours are all really just "mechanics working away… the rest is drama… we make our own meanings out of life". Consider this explanation with respect to the tactics noted above. There seems to be a strong coincidence in how those mechanics are working, and LE has stated that "there is no such thing as coincidence". Perhaps there is a similar mechanical drive, with cold-calculation in light of the LE business model. Is it done with integrity? That is a question we can only each answer on our own freewill.
 
 

Consideration of the Business Model

Revenues and Costs

LE’s business model is rather simple in that revenues are derived from enrolment in the courses, while costs are driven by the leaders time, minimal paid staff for organisation, minimal supplies for the course (e.g. name tags, handouts), sales and marketing information and recruiting supplies (e.g. brochures and supporting handouts). There are approximately 50 Landmark Forum leaders globally. As stated by LE, revenues for 2000 were approximately US$ 58,500,000.

Much of the would-be costs are absorbed by voluntary contributions from the students on the courses, no cost required. This includes functions of assisting with course operations, promotions, and recruitment. As noted on the LE web-site, "Approximately 4% of the people who participate in the Landmark Forum also participate in Landmark's Assisting Program… the vast majority of the people who participate in the Assisting Program do so for approximately 3 hours a week for about 3 months." The site also notes, "Over 125,000 people participate in these programs annually." As such, approximately 5000 people voluntarily assist LE in helping run the Landmark Forums and other courses, resulting in approximately 180,000 voluntary assistant hours annually for LE (assuming that LE’s calculations of the resources contributed are correct). This does not include the voluntary contributions to LE promotion and recruitment that are carried out by those assisting as well as other attendees.

Ownership and Profit

As noted on the LE web-site, "The Company is owned by its employees and former employees, with no one owning more than 3 percent of the stock. The management of the organisation reports to a Board of Directors elected by the stockholders." Employees under the LE umbrella include mainly the leaders of the LE courses. Such ownership arguably acts as a strong incentive to pursue growth in revenues, meaning increasing enrolment to LE courses, irrespective of benefit or cost to those "being enrolled."

Perhaps LE even has a winning formula. As noted on the LE web-site, "The programs of Landmark Education are the product of extensive research and development in individual and organisational effectiveness and communication, and are continually redesigned and updated… offered… through a unique and fully tested method of learning." LE certainly has a history and it does make decisions based on experience, for without that, LE itself would only be an illusion.

The Participants

While participants of the Landmark Forum may benefit from having gained a perspective on their lives, considering the strong social psychological tactics used to ultimately drive revenues, there are also those who may incur costs greater than the benefits. In the case of LE, it is those continuing with firm belief, unaware of the emotional, cognitive, and psychological game being played who may incur the brunt of the costs. Perhaps it is those uninformed in social psychology, sociology and value systems, and philosophies of the ages - particularly those desiring the continued emotional charge and the resolve to make changes in their life on their own freewill. Those unaware and "committed to transformation", withdrawal their own critical intuition, sit there and let the LE needles enter their arm, and let the blood donation begin. The donations come in form of their own resources including money, time and energy to promote LE, helping LE’s cost plan through the assisting programme, and most of all recruiting further revenues for LE.
 
 

Personal Ramble and Recommendations

On interpretation, rackets, philosophy, and integrity

LE solicits commitment to openness early in the process and strongly persuades suspension of normal critical intuition and judgement so individuals can be "coachable". It provides its own interpretations for students to follow and essentially again persuades them to both continue on with further courses and recruit others to the Forum for their own ultimate benefit. Under LE interpretation, the above may be viewed as being a form of resistance, as being a "racket", or merely an interpretation. Conceivably, LE’s interpretation of this being a "racket" or mere interpretation, in itself, is simply a "racket" or a mere interpretation that LE brings about. Perhaps one should reflect upon the virtues realised from education and experience. One should not dismiss all that has been learned to date, from experience and well regarded institutions as being a "racket" or resistance to a newly encountered concept. For that is what "one may know that they know" and it is what is used to understand or "interpret" the experience with LE, and the world around them. Perhaps what is explained in the preceding sections is in the "don’t know what you don’t know" category for many under LE influence. Unfortunately, what is noted above and what LE is not teaching is part of the "don’t know what you don’t know" which LE does not make students aware of. However, LE "knows that they know" what they are doing. As advocated by LE, nothing can really be coincidence.

Whether advocating LE or not, consider that as an individual, one should respect another’s path, without having to fit it into the LE philosophy that is offered. For there is no one all encompassing panacea for us to live our lives, and LE offers one of many philosophies. Those involved may choose to attribute the miracles in life to LE. And the not so great things would be looked upon as a breakdown in something. But for any individual, consider what can be made of similarly labelled experiences that happened well before or after LE. That is life – with or without LE, and it does happen independently of any ONE philosophy toward life. Our lives can be influenced by a belief in a philosophy, but it is important to recognise that individuals around you will not be following one given philosophy. If that were the case, our world would be one myopic and boring place. As such, your world around you can affect the results you achieve from following one narrow philosophy – those results may or may not be favourable as time goes on. And to truly gain an understanding of creating possibilities, I encourage any individual who may be either following or questioning LE (or any other philosophy for that matter) to read and understand a number of different philosophies which discuss the concepts of being, power and principle. Examples include Hegel, Nietszche, Descartes, Schopenhauer, Foucault, … (the list goes on). And recognise that your intense experience with the LE philosophy has a very strong influence on your uptake of it.

The principles and concepts taught at LE, such as integrity, are principles of living that have been recognised for centuries, and are not unique to the LE curriculum. These are most commonly learned through years of conditioning, in which influences come from relationships over longer periods of time (i.e. parenting), which most commonly involve trustworthy sources by virtue of those relationships being long-standing. Such ongoing building of principles also allows for each individual to make informed choices, by having longer periods to evaluate and balance views in consideration of to what the individual has been exposed. This generally is achieved through one’s upbringing, development of relationships, and education, and it is a continuing process throughout one’s life. One may continue on with it from that strength of understanding and practising it. Practising it is real with or without a curriculum for living. If it takes a curriculum for one to get to it – so be it – then you "get it" and it works for you, and perhaps it becomes part of your ongoing conditioning that you will have chosen.

If the LE curriculum were the panacea to our problems and dreams, perhaps it would be understood more widely, and be delivered in a more benevolent fashion. Experience, education, and most importantly our own realities, however, should tell us that there is no silver bullet to living our lives. But taking something of value from each experience, including that with LE, in a balanced manner can help build the character one enjoys.

This experience in understanding some of the mechanics of LE is powerful. This includes having seen the Landmark Forum in action, while having exposure to many other philosophies and an understanding of social psychological tactics at play. In tandem with the philosophy, the teaching methods utilise emotion and social psychological tactics, contributing to an experience to generate a commitment and continued revenues for LE. Whilst the concepts being taught and exercises being undertaken at LE may be useful to apply to your life, it is important to be aware of the forces acting upon you which influence your perception of cost & benefit, and your ongoing decisions. LE is not a benevolent organisation and, as such, profit is one of its objectives, irrespective of how there may be negative impacts on individuals’ lives or even simply unnecessary expense to individuals.

Value your own experiences, be they interpreted as good or bad – learn from them. Take from the LE experience to gain perspective, while balancing it with what you have and move forward with. Experience is rich, character building, and valuable – for when we pass, principles, experience and relationships are all we have. If you value your life as you move from the present to the future, your experiences should be of value in your decision making in present and future. It is looking back on experience with entirety that enables us to value our own lives. And those of us who value that history are compelled to make choices and decisions for the future based on our own continually developing principles and what we have gained, be it with what LE may label "a winning formula" or with aspects of it.

If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.