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Rolling back Smee's POV reverts- massive inconsistencies with consensus. Please discuss on the talk page.
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→‎Scientology: This is a collection of unrelated innuendo per the Talk page.
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Specifically, Kronberg and Lindebjerg posited that Landmark Education's courses seem to fill a void in the lives of disillusioned young adults, who have not found answers in religion: ''"Landmark seems to appeal to young people between 20 and 35 in liberal professions who are disillusioned with or discouraged about their lives. Landmark seems to be a scientific substitute for the need for religious answers to life's fundamental questions."''<ref name="Kronberg" />
Specifically, Kronberg and Lindebjerg posited that Landmark Education's courses seem to fill a void in the lives of disillusioned young adults, who have not found answers in religion: ''"Landmark seems to appeal to young people between 20 and 35 in liberal professions who are disillusioned with or discouraged about their lives. Landmark seems to be a scientific substitute for the need for religious answers to life's fundamental questions."''<ref name="Kronberg" />


== Scientology ==


In 1992 the [[Church of Scientology]] (which has the classification of a religious organization in certain jurisdictions, such as that of the United States of America, but not in others) included Werner Erhard, EST (Erhard Seminars Training) and "The Forum" on a list of "Suppressive Persons and Groups".<ref>
[http://www.xenu.net/archive/enemy_names/enemy_list.html Suppressive Persons and Groups], Flag ED 2830RB, 25 July 1992.
</ref><ref>
"When it comes to Landmark Education Corporation, There's no meeting of the Minds.", ''Westword'', [[April 24]], [[1996]], Steve Jackson.<br>Landmark contends that all the bad publicity ultimately can be traced to one enemy: the Church of Scientology. And in fact, there is some truth to the charge. The church's own records indicate that Erhard and his organization were placed on an enemies list by the late L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology's founder. There's also evidence that the church hired private detectives to dig up dirt on Erhard and disseminate it to the press.
</ref>

Scientology has a special procedure that new Scientologists must go through if they have previously participated in either Erhard Seminars Training or in the Landmark Forum. Scientologists refer to the procedure as the "Est Repair Rundown".<ref>
[http://www.smi.org/route/page41.htm Scientology Missions International], website, 2006. "Est Repair Rundown." "If you attended Erhard Seminar Training (EST) or Forum (one of its off-shoots), this rundown can repair any damage done by this off-beat activity. EST practices contained just enough truth, “borrowed” from Scientology processes, to get a case into restimulation — and then left it in that state without any means to repair it. This rundown undoes the damage and removes any stops so you can get everything Scientology has to offer.
</ref>

The German ''[[Stern (magazine)]]'' has compared Landmark Education to the [[Church of Scientology]].<ref>
[http://www.lermanet.com/cisar/survey/bq.htm Soul Strip Tease], ''Stern'', [[Germany]], April 2, 1998.
<br>
They consistently promise total control to the same people whom are then subjected to total control. A good example to read up on in regards to this is Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.
</ref>
The ''[http://www.mondotimes.com/1/world/de/87/3463/8577 Frankfurter Neue Presse]'', stated that: "They are suspected of having connections with the Scientology Church."<ref>
[http://www.lermanet.com/cisar/survey/gu.htm Green Party detects a scandal in hall rental], ''[http://www.mondotimes.com/1/world/de/87/3463/8577 Frankfurter Neue Presse]'', May 29, 1998., by Kristiane Huber.
</ref>
In [[2003]] a [http://www.lermanet.com/cisar/germany/030217.htm Bavarian Study on Scientology] compared the practices of Landmark Education and of Scientology. ''The objective of the description and assessment of the Scientology and Landmark organizations was the investigation of the psychic, physical and social effects of the psycho- and social-techniques applied by those organizations respectively upon members and participants. The third objective also included the presentation of legal problems, conflicts or violations by the two organizations, along with pointers as to possible paths of resolution.''<ref>
Heinrich Kuefner, Norbert Nedopil, Heinz Schoech, Robert Doerr, Stefanie Eiden, Raik Werner, "Expert opinion: Effects and risks of unconventional psycho- and social- techniques", [[Munich, Germany]], [[February 17]], [[2003]].
</ref>

In [[2004]], [[Mona Vasquez]] appeared in the documentary "[[Voyage to the Land of the New Gurus]]" addressing what she saw as extensive and precise similarities between [[Scientology terminology]] and the [[jargon]] utilized by Landmark Education.<ref>
"[[Voyage to the Land of the New Gurus]]", [[France 3]], ''[[Pièces a Conviction]]'', [[May 24]], 2004, [[Mona Vasquez]].
</ref>
A member of [[Scientology]] for seven years, Vasquez wrote the book ''Et Satan créa la secte'' [''Satan Created the Cult: Memoirs of an escapee''].

In [[2006]], [[Susan J. Palmer]] discussed Landmark Education at a [[CESNUR]] conference. She referenced a statement by journalist Martin Mireille who had stated that Landmark Education is "a branch of Scientology". However, in Palmer's remarks, she rejects this assertion.<ref>
[[Susan J. Palmer]], "France's About-Picard Law and Neo-Phare: The First Application of ''Abus de Faiblesse''", [[CESNUR]] 2006 International Conference, [[July 16]], [[2006]].<br> "Landmark Education, founded under the name 'est' by Werner Erhardt in the early 1970s, incorporates techniques from the Human Potential Movement, and is not, as journalist Martin Mireille wrote, 'a branch of Scientology'."
</ref>.


== See also ==
== See also ==

Revision as of 04:52, 21 March 2007

Landmark Education
Company typePrivate LLC
Industryself-help, self-improvement, personal development, managment consulting, continuing education
FoundedJanuary 1991
HeadquartersSan Francisco, California, USA
Key people
Harry Rosenberg: Director;[1] CEO

Mick Leavitt: President; Director[2]
Steven Zaffron: Director;[2] CEO, Landmark Education Business Development (LEBD)
Art Schreiber: General Counsel; Chairman, BOD; Director[2]

Joan Rosenberg: Vice President, Centers Division; Director
Nancy Zapolski: Vice President, Course Development
Laurel Scheaf: Director;[2] Landmark Forum Leader
Sanford Robbins: Director[2]

Brian Regnier: Course Designer
ProductsThe Landmark Forum, associated coursework
RevenueIncrease8.6% to
USD$76 million (2005)[3]
IncreaseUSD$2.5 million[4] (1997)
Number of employees
more than 450 employees (2006);
650 trained leaders, some of whom volunteer their time;[5]
7,500 volunteers in "Assisting Program" (1998)[4]
SubsidiariesLandmark Education Business Development (LEBD)
Landmark Education International, Inc.[6]
Tekniko Licensing Corporation[7]
Rancord Company, Ltd.
WebsiteLandmark Education homepage

Landmark Education LLC (LE) offers training and development programs in over 20 countries. An employee-owned, private company, it has its headquarters in San Francisco, California. Its introductory course has the name The Landmark Forum.

Landmark Education purchased the intellectual property of Werner Erhard and Associates, a successor to the controversial Est Training, and since its founding in 1991 has developed other courses.

Landmark Education aims its courses primarily at individuals. Its subsidiary Landmark Education Business Development (LEBD) markets and delivers training and consulting to organizations. Landmark Education's subsidiary Tekniko Licensing Corporation licenses Landmark Education's "technology" to management-consulting firms.

Some critics question (for example) whether and to what degree Landmark Education courses benefit participants. Others criticise the use of volunteers by Landmark Education and examine the origins of the organization (est/WEA etc).[8]

Corporation

Landmark Education's Charter states that the organization is "a global enterprise whose purpose is to empower and enable people and organizations to generate and fulfill new possibilities. We create and provide programs, services, and paradigms that produce extraordinary results for our customers."[9]

Landmark Education states that over 880,000 people have taken part in its introductory program, "The Landmark Forum" since 1991.[10] It has compiled a text entitled "Independent Research, Case Studies, and Surveys" devoted to its courses on its corporate website,[11] and trains its own course instructors intensively in Landmark's pedagogy (also known internally as "technology").

Landmark Education regards the precise content of its courses as copyrighted material, but provides a course syllabus for the "Landmark Forum" on their public website.[12]

Memberships and accreditations

Landmark Education and its subsidiaries hold memberships in the following professional associations and organizations[citation needed]:

Origin and evolution

Name From To
Erhard Seminars Training 1973 February 1981
Werner Erhard and Associates February 1981 January 16, 1991
Breakthrough Technologies January 16, 1991 January 23, 1991
Transnational Education Corp. January 23, 1991 May 7, 1991
Landmark Education Corporation May 7, 1991 February 2003
Landmark Education, LLC February 2003 present

Purchased rights from Werner Erhard and Associates

Landmark Education, known from May 7, 1991[6] to February 26, 2003[13] as "Landmark Education Corporation (LEC)", purchased[14] certain rights to a presentation known as The Forum from Werner Erhard and Associates (WEA, the corporate successor of Erhard Seminars Training — est or EST). The new owners, including former staff of WEA, renamed the course The Landmark Forum, further developed its content and shortened the four-day, two-weekend WEA "Forum" to three full days. Landmark Education states that it made changes to the course content at that time, and that a major re-design of the Landmark Forum took place in 1999.[citation needed] Landmark Education also inherited other WE&A courses.

The group of people who purchased the rights registered themselves initially as Transnational Education, as The Centers Network, and (in Japan) as Rancord Company, Ltd..[15] Corporation as "Landmark Education Corporation" (LEC) took place later in 1991. In February 2003, Landmark Education LLC succeeded LEC.[16]

The coursework and pedagogy of WEA evolved from est/Erhard Seminars Training, founded by Werner Erhard in 1971. est/WEA/Landmark underwent multiple changes of name and curriculum[citation needed] after the founding of est. (For a time-line, see the article on Erhard Seminars Training.)

According to Landmark Education, Werner Erhard consults from time to time with its "Research and Design team".[17] (See also an article in Time Magazine.[18] ) Erhard's younger brother (Harry Rosenberg) works as Landmark Education's Chief Executive Officer, and their sister (Joan Rosenberg) serves as the Vice President of Landmark Education's Centers Division.

According to statements made by Landmark Education CEO Harry Rosenberg in 2001:

...Erhard [in 1991] kept the Mexican and Japanese branches of the operation...Last year, [2000] Landmark had revenues of $58 million, and ... the company has bought outright Erhard's license and his rights to Japan and Mexico.[19]

The prior president and registered agent of Werner Erhard and Associates,[20][21] (Art Schreiber), functions as Landmark Education's General Counsel and Chairman of the Landmark Education Board of Directors.[22] Art Schreiber was Werner Erhard's personal attorney.[23]

Structure and financials

Landmark Education LLC operates as an employee-owned for-profit private company. According to Landmark Education's fact-sheet, its employees own all the stock of the corporation,[24] with no individual holding more than 3%. The company states that it operates in such a way as to invest its surpluses into making its programs, initiatives and services more widely available.[25] The shareholders elect a Board of Directors[2] annually. A list of executive officers appears in the box above.

As of 2005, Landmark Education claims that 70,000 to 80,000 people took the Landmark Forum annually, and around 50,000 take other courses offered.[26]

As of 2006 Landmark Education maintained 52 offices in 21 countries[27] , with more than half of its offices in North America.

Landmark Education reported revenues of $70 million for 2004;[28] $76 million in 2005[29] . In 1997, Landmark had 451 employees, 7,500 volunteers in the United States alone, spent $13 million on employee salaries and bonuses, spent $4 million on travel, and made a profit of $2.5 million (which it re-invested in the expansion of the company's operations[4] .)

Subsidiaries

Landmark Education's subsidiaries include Landmark Education Business Development (LEBD), and Tekniko Licensing Corporation.

Landmark Education Business Development

Landmark Education Business Development, founded in 1993, utilizes the "technology" of Landmark Education in providing consulting services to various companies.

The University of Southern California (USC) Marshall School of Business carried out a case study into the work of Landmark Education Business Development (LEBD) at BHP New Zealand Steel. The report concluded that the set of interventions in the organization produced a 50% improvement in safety, a 15% to 20% reduction in key benchmark costs, a 50% increase in return on capital, and a 20% increase in raw steel production. The USC makes the full report available.

Tekniko Licensing Corporation

Tekniko Licensing Corporation, originally owned by Werner Erhard, formed the successor organization to his Transformational Technologies. Werner Erhard and a management consultant named James Selman originally incorporated Transformational Technologies in 1984.[30] Landmark Education referred to Tekniko Licensing Corporation as one of the company's "wholly owned subsidiaries".[31] According to SEC filings, on the other hand, Terry M. Giles fully owns Tekniko Licensing Corporation,[32] and as of March 31, 2006, SEC filings also listed Mr. Terry M. Giles as the Chairman of the Board of Landmark Education Corporation.[33]

Market penetration over time

A quote from Charlotte Faltermeyer's 1998 article in Time magazine, as reproduced (without an attributed date) on the wernererhard.com website[34] gives a figure of 300,000 Landmark Forum-attendees since 1991.

The Internet Archive site presents some historical snapshots from Landmark Education's website:

Landmark Education's web-site as of 10 May 2000 linked to a Time magazine page of March 16, 1998, (Volume 151, number 10) where an article by Charlotte Faltermeyer estimated 300,000 graduates since 1991, and referred to Landmark Education's 42 offices in 11 countries.

Landmark Education's web-site as of 28 November 2002, in excerpting Charlotte Faltermeyer's Time magazine article of March 1998, claimed approximately 600,000 "seekers" as having taken the Landmark Forum since 1991, and referred to Landmark Education's 60 offices in 21 countries ("[u]pdated to reflect current 2001 numbers").

Landmark Education's web-site as of 29 July 2003, in excerpting Charlotte Faltermeyer's Time magazine article of March 1998, claimed approximately 600,000 "seekers" as having taken the Landmark Forum since 1991, and referred to Landmark Education's 60 offices in 24 countries ("[u]pdated to reflect current 2002 numbers").

Landmark Education's web-site as of 10 June 2004, in excerpting Charlotte Faltermeyer's Time magazine article of March 1998, claimed approximately 600,000 "seekers" as having taken the Landmark Forum since 1991, and referred to Landmark Education's 58 offices in 26 countries ("[u]pdated to reflect current 2003 numbers").

Landmark Education's web-site as of 1 April 2005, in excerpting Charlotte Faltermeyer's Time magazine article of March 1998, claimed approximately 725,000 Landmark Forum attendees since 1991, and 58 offices in 26 countries.

Landmark Education's web-site as of 7 February 2006, in excerpting Charlotte Faltermeyer's Time magazine article of March 1998, claimed approximately 758,000 "seekers" as having taken the Landmark Forum since 1991, and referred to Landmark Education's 58 offices in 26 countries ("[u]pdated to reflect current 2004 numbers").

Courses and Programs

The following list of programs offered gives a snapshot of Landmark Education courses and programs as of December 2006:[citation needed]

Curriculum for Living:

  • The Landmark Forum
  • The Landmark Forum In Action [a series of seminars]
  • Special Introductions to The Landmark Forum
  • Advanced Course
  • Self-Expression and Leadership Program

Graduate Seminars:

  • Breakthroughs - Living Outside the Box
  • Commitment - The Pathway to Adventure
  • Integrity - The Bottom Line
  • Living Passionately - The Art and Mastery of Playing the Game of Life
  • The Relationships Seminar - The Basics of Love, Romance, and Partnership
  • Excellence - In the Zone
  • Creativity - Life by Design
  • Causing the Miraculous - A New Realm of Possibility
  • Being Extraordinary - The Art and Practice of Living from Possibility
  • Producing Breakthrough Results - Part I - Effectiveness
  • Producing Breakthrough Results - Part II - Velocity
  • Sex and Intimacy - From Predicament to Possibility
  • Money - From Concern to Freedom
  • Beyond Fitness - A Breakthrough in Well-Being

Communication Curriculum :

  • Communication: Access to Power
  • Communication: Power to Create
  • Team, Management, and Leadership Program

Wisdom Courses :

  • Wisdom Unlimited
  • Partnership Explorations Course
  • Power and Contribution Course
  • Vacation Courses

Family Division:

  • The Landmark Forum for Young People
  • The Landmark Forum for Teens
  • The Family Coaching Seminar

Leadership Curriculum :

  • Assisting Program
  • Introduction Leaders Program
  • Seminar Leaders Program

The Curriculum for Living

The Curriculum for Living covers the core set of programs that Landmark Education sells. It comprise four courses[citation needed]:

  1. The Landmark Forum, introductory course and pre-requisite for other courses
  2. The Landmark Forum in Action Seminar, optional seminar included in the tuition-cost of the Landmark Forum
  3. The Landmark Advanced Course
  4. The Self Expression and Leadership Program (SELP)

The Landmark Forum

Methodology

A paper published in the January through April 2001 edition of the "Journal of Contemporary Philosophy" distributed through the Social Sciences Research Network (authored by Professor Steven McCarl, Professor Joyce Nielsen and Landmark Education Business Development CEO Steve Zaffron): "The Promise of Philosophy and the Landmark Forum", gives the following account of the Landmark Forum:

Abstract Philosophy promises more than contents of thought. It can cultivate openness to continuously arising new contents of thought. Unconsciously identifying with the contents of thought displaces this openness; the remedy for such unnoticed closed mindedness is self-knowledge. In the Socratic tradition the Landmark Forum — a forty-hour course sponsored by the employee owned Landmark Educational Corporation — provides a model of philosophy as the practical art of uncovering and expanding self-knowledge and thereby generating unforeseen ways of being in everyday life.[35]

Logistics of the Landmark Forum

The Landmark Forum takes place over three consecutive days and an evening session (generally Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday evening). Each full day begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at approximately 10:00 p.m. Breaks occur approximately every 2 to 3 hours, with a 90-minute dinner break. Forum leaders assign homework for participants to carry out during breaks and after the course ends in the evening. The Tuesday evening session generally runs from 7:00 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. (in certain locations, from 7:30 p.m. to 10:45 p.m.). [citation needed]

Assisting Program

Chief Executive Officer Harry Rosenberg commented on the Assisting Program in a 1997 Harvard Business School case study (now out of print):

In addition to our 420 staff members around the world, the people in the Assisting Program play a critical role at Landmark. We have a remarkable group of 7500 people participating on a weekly basis. They are both committed to our work, and to getting personal value out of the Assisting Program. They know we are a for-profit business and still they commit their time and effort.[36]

The Introduction Leaders Program (ILP)

The Introduction Leaders Program forms part of the Leadership Curriculum and consists of a six-month intensive leadership-training program that prepares participants to lead Introductions to the Landmark Forum and trains people in the "distinctions" of leadership. The course forms the foundation of the training for leaders (i.e., presenters) of all of Landmark Education's other programs. [citation needed]

Jargon/Distinctions

Landmark Education utilizes some specific terms (some of them categorized as "distinctions") in its courses. Articles in Metroactive[4] and in Life Positive[37] have provided short lexicons of a few terms. See also the section below on "loaded language", under "Criticism".

  • Racket(s): Recurring complaints in tandem with a "way of being" that allow persons to justify themselves and their point of view but which can rob them of opportunities for satisfaction and joy; ways of being that allow people to justify themselves and their point of view; preconceived notions of why one is right and others are wrong.
  • Strong Suit previously known as Formula for success, or Winning formula : Ways of being originating in what Landmark Education identifies as the three main transitional stages of one's life — early childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. These may have worked repeatedly in the past but they can obstruct more effective approaches. Alternative definition: a way of being that has worked well in the past and that we keep using, which keeps us from perceiving new options.
  • Vicious circle: Possibility-limiting concepts that determine experience and shape future experiences; a sphere where our concepts determine our experience.
  • Taking a stand: Putting attention on a vision for the future; putting our attention on our vision of life that gives us self-expression
  • Distinguishing ourselves and our world through language: The world consists of language and can be altered through language.
  • Breakthrough: Abandoning old habits and embracing a new way of being; looking at things from a different perspective, getting a new understanding of life.
  • Already/always listening: Listening to others with preconceived notions of what they really mean.
  • Possibility A phenomenon that exists in and impacts the present. (As distinct from the regular usage of possibility meaning "something that perhaps might happen in the future".
  • Enrollment essentially having (or creating) a conversation in which you move, touch or inspire someone by 'causing a new possibility to be present'.

Landmark Education itself has defined other terms in its literature:

  • distinction / distinguish: "[t]o distinguish something means to take something from an undifferentiated background and bring it to the foreground."[38]

Evaluations of Landmark Education

Landmark Education relies heavily on testimonials from customers to portray its effectiveness. Studies, surveys, and opinions vary in their reported outcomes.

Academic studies

Few academic studies of Landmark Education's philosophy or methodology exist. Early research in the field[39] provided little encouragement for ongoing serious study.

Denison thesis

Charles Wayne Denison's 1994 Ph. D. research at the University of Denver involved interviewing participants in the Landmark Forum. It reported a "varied impact on participants" ranging from neutral to positive:

The observation and interview data suggest that these curricula have a varied impact on participants; some report a certain distinction as having personal impact, while other participants scarcely recall the concept.[40]

Studies commissioned by Landmark Education

DYG study

An analysis done for Landmark Education by DYG, Inc. and interpreted by Daniel Yankelovich, chairman of DYG, Inc., ("Analysis of The Landmark Forum and Its Benefits") consisted of a survey conducted of more than 1300 people who completed The Landmark Forum during a three-month period at some undisclosed time. Some details of the study methodology, especially concerning sampling methods and demographics of study participants, remain undefined in what Landmark Education refers to as the "Full Study".[citation needed]

It remains unknown whether Yankelovich ever participated in any Landmark Education coursework, or whether he functioned in the role of a detached commentator. However, Landmark Education has presented a summary of the survey results under the heading "Independent Research, Case Studies, and Surveys".[citation needed]

On the other hand, Yankelovich himself personally endorses Landmark Education in his book The Magic of Dialog (2001, pages 143 - 144).[41]

Yankelovich concluded from the survey that 90% to 95% self-reported "value" in taking the course. [citation needed]

Harris Interactive

A survey carried out by Harris Interactive for Landmark Education Corporation concluded that one third of respondents who had "completed the Landmark Forum" self-reported an increase of 25% or more in their incomes, 70% worried less about money and assessed themselves as more effective in managing their finances, and an unspecified percentage reported working fewer hours. Landmark Education's summary of the survey has not made it clear over what time-duration or when Harris Interactive conducted this study.[42]

A more recent study by the same firm (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/clientnews.asp), into the opinions of health professionals and educators, including doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, teachers, and academicians concluded that:

Harris Interactive found that survey results showed that the vast majority of respondents held very positive views regarding Landmark Education programs as more than nine of ten agreed that Landmark’s programs were responsibly and professionally conducted, produced practical and powerful results, and made a profound difference in their lives. Moreover, nearly all respondents (96%) agreed that Landmark Education Programs provided great value.[43]

Other studies

International Society for Performance Improvement

The International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) website contains a 2005 report of Landmark Education Business Development (LEBD)'s involvement with improving safety at Minera Escondida Ltd., which ran the largest copper-mine in the world and employed 5,000 people. The ISPI report notes that when LEBD started working with Minera Escondida, the company had a total injury-frequency rate of 23.7 accidents per million man-hours worked. Five months later, after LEBD had finished its program with Minera Escondida, the injury rate had reduced by over 50% to 11.5 accidents per million man-hours worked. ISPI reported that Landmark "created" this environment of improved safety. The ISPI awarded LEBD a "Got Results" award for its actions.[44]

The Talent Foundation

A study by the Talent Foundation,[45] chaired by Sir Christopher Ball (Chancellor, University of Derby), and led by Dr. Javier Bajer, used the Landmark Forum for the initial stage of a study ('"A Shortcut to Motivated and Adaptive Workforces"). The study found that:

"Within two years of participating from Landmark's three-day program, individuals showed:

  • Significantly higher levels of self-esteem, motivation, and self-confidence.
  • More proactive attitudes related to their learning and ability to apply new skills at work.
  • More confidence in finding opportunities to apply their skills and make a difference at work."[46]

For general discussion of legal matters (not necessarily resulting in court cases) see Landmark Education and the law.

For details of litigation involving Landmark Education, see Landmark Education litigation.

In November 2006, Landmark Education used legal action designed to discover the identities of anonymous internet users who posted material, which postings Landmark Education regarded as a breach of copyright. In that case, Landmark attempted (unsuccessfully) to use the direct subpoena provisions of the United States Digital Millennium Copyright Act to discover the identity of the anonymous internet poster(s) – and to suppress the posting – of the French documentary Voyage au pays des nouveaux gourous in the Internet Archive, YouTube and Google.

Labor investigations

United States of America

Summaries of two investigations by the United States Department of Labor into Landmark Education's labor practices appear below.

The first investigation, which took place in Colorado in 1994, noted violations in respect of a lack of records kept on hours worked by employees. The "Compliance Action report" section of the case checked "No" for "Further Action on This Case". An analysis in the "Narrative report" examines arguments as to whether to classify the employees as "volunteers". The final "disposition" of the case and recommendations of the wage and hour investigator remain unknown, the authorities having redacted these details[citation needed] from the public version of the narrative report.[47]

The second investigation, which originated in Texas in 2003, found violations of minimum-wage regulations (due to volunteer assistants not receiving any wages for hours worked), overtime violations (due to the same issue), and again a record-keeping violation. The "disposition" of the Texas case resulted in a transfer of the case to the District Director of the corporate office. Again, the authorities redacted the final recommendation of the wage-and-hour investigator from the public version of the report.

See below for more details.

Colorado investigation (1994-1996)

A United States Department of Labor investigation into Landmark Education's labor practices took place in Colorado, between January 1994 to 1996. The initial complaint arose out of an intent to classify volunteers as employees, subject to the Fair Labor Standards act.[47].

In the official Compliance Action Report the wage and hourly investigator noted:

The strongest supporting argument for the volunteer position appears, as borne out by the interviews almost exclusively, that none of the assistants have been promised or expect compensation but work solely for their personal purpose works in activities carried on by Subject [Landmark Education] for both their pleasure or profit.[47]

The investigator continued to state that:

On the other hand, the strongest supporting argument for finding that the assistants are employees was ironically cited by outside counsel in Marshall v. Baptist Hospital which found that, if the assistants can be considered trainees, they displace regular employees that they would otherwise have to hire. Subject weakly counters that this, in fact, is not the case since the assistants are under direction by staff. Perhaps more importantly, the assistant activities is a common industry practice. In so stating, it should be noted that Subject is a for profit, and not a non-profit, enterprise.[47]

The investigator's conclusion noted that "No records are kept of any hours worked by any employees."

A 1998 article in Metro, Silicon Valley's Weekly Newspaper entitled: "The est of Friends" reported on labor investigations into Landmark Education's volunteers. At that time, the Department of Labor designated Landmark Education's volunteers as employees subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act.[citation needed] According to the Metroactive article the Department of Labor later "dropped the issue" after Landmark Education cited its "volunteers' choice in the matter".[48].

Texas investigation (2003-2006)

The United States Federal Department of Labor investigated Landmark Education's labor practices in Texas, from February 1, 2003 to June 26, 2006. In the investigation, the Department of Labor found a "minimum wage violation" with regard to "Volunteer (assistants)" and noted that "Volunteers (Assistants) are not paid any wages for hours worked while performing the major duties of the firm".[49] The Department commented:

The assistants displace regular employees that would have to be hired. The employer could not operate with the 2-3 full-time employees per site... Interviews reveal that the employees [sic] are taking payments, registering clients, billing, training, recruiting, setting up locations, cleaning, and other duties that would have to be performed by staff if the assistants did not perform them.[49]

(Landmark Education regards such assistants as volunteers, not as employees: "The firm denies that the assistants/volunteers are employees."[49] )

In both the Colorado and the Texas cases, as the sources cited above reveal, the Department of Labor ruled "No violations" with regard to certain sections of the law but not with regard to others. As the sources cited above also reveal, in the Colorado case the Department cited Landmark Education for not keeping records for any hours worked by employees. In the Texas investigation, the Department cited violations:

  • "Minimum wage violation found. Volunteers (Assistants) are not paid any wages for hours worked while performing the major duties of the firm."[49]
  • "An overtime violation resulting from the firm not paying the additional half time to non-exempt salaried employees."[49]
  • "A record keeping violation resulted from the firm not keeping a record of hours worked for non-exempt salaried employees, and for assistants that are actually employees."[49]

France

In 1994, the French Department of Labor investigated Landmark Education's labor practices.[50]

The matter received mention in a May 24, 2004 broadcast of the investigative report ("Voyage to the land of the new gurus") on France 3 television network's show Pièces à conviction; which highlighted (amongst other issues) the matter of volunteer labor.

In June 2004, the French labor agency (L’Inspection du Travail) investigated labor practices regarding "volunteer workers". Shortly thereafter, Landmark Education officially ended its operations in France.[51] It remains unclear what role the investigation played in the official ending of Landmark Education operations in France.[52]

Criticism and controversy

Critics and skeptics of Landmark Education make accusations and/or ask questions which generally fall into one or more of these areas:

  • Questioning whether Landmark Education courses produce worthwhile benefits
  • Questioning whether Landmark Education courses have harmful results
  • Suggesting that participating in Landmark Education programs may have harmful consequences
  • Speculating that the Landmark Education system may exploit customers (financially or otherwise)

Several individuals, organizations and governmental commissions have interpreted Landmark Education as a cult or as cult-like — claims Landmark considers factually false and defamatory. Courts in the United States of America have sided with Landmark Education, and some users of the word "cult" in this context have made retractions in the face of legal challenges[citation needed]. Others have criticized, for example, the aggressiveness of Landmark's sales and marketing techniques. An investigator for the U.S. Department of Labor in 1998 questioned the depth of the organization's reliance on volunteers to market to participants and to staff its events — an unusual situation for a for-profit company. Landmark Education prevailed, claiming that the volunteers chose to volunteer[citation needed].

Allegations and findings of cult or cult-like status

Dr. Louise Samways included material on Landmark Education in her book on personal development courses and cults: Dangerous Persuaders: An expose of gurus, personal development courses and cults, and how they operate. By her own admission[citation needed], she has never attended any of Landmark Education's courses[citation needed] and has no direct experience of them[citation needed]. She conducted a meta-analysis of Landmark Education's programs, assembling testimony from separate sources, stating that her opinions on the organizations discussed:

evolved ... from thousands of personal stories told to me over many years by my patients and people attending my seminars and lectures. I have mentioned the names of groups and courses only where I have heard similar and consistent stories from many separate sources... [I]t should not be assumed that the groups, courses or individuals mentioned in this book are necessarily the worst or biggest. I have only mentioned those that are well known and where my own patients have shared their personal experiences with me.[53]

Samways went on to mention groups she believed to be using particular types of psychological techniques:

The courses I worry about particularly are those attempting dramatic change in short periods of time, such as Landmark Education, EST, Forum, Money & You and Hoffman Process, for they are misusing the psychological techniques allied to hypnosis in order to make the behavioural changes.[53]

Dr. Norbert Nedopil, head of the department of forensic psychiatry at the University of Munich, in a 2002 study comparing Scientology and Landmark Education[54] commissioned by the German state of Bavaria, excluded the possibility of classifying Landmark Education as a cult, or as cult-like in any way. In the study he reported that: "On the basis of empirical investigation, it can be said that to the largest extent, Landmark Education does not present risks to the health, free will and legal integrity of its participants. Nor is there any evidence that the Landmark Forum is harmful."[55] However, the study did state that "In Scientology, 9 of the 10 highest risk methods of controlling communications processes were used, with Landmark 6 of 10 high risk methods came in to play in the sense of manipulation."[56]

An article in The Observer, a British Sunday newspaper, (December 2003) reported a lack of evidence of cultic connotations and noted reassurances given:

Landmark has faced accusations of being a cult, but I saw nothing of that. Far from working to separate us from our families and friends, we were told there was no relationship too dead to be revived, no love too cold to be warmed.[57]

In a 2002 article: "Psychogroups and Cults in Denmark", the researchers assert that some people have thought of Landmark Education as associated with "cultic groups" due to the "high level of one-sided sales pressure that many people report."[58]

On June 6, 2004 Landmark Education ceased operating in Sweden. As in France, the causes of the closure included a diminishing public interest in participating, evinced in connection with very critical articles in the press and on television[59] . The airing of two documentaries on national Swedish television by the broadcasting corporation TV4 on October 28, 2003 and on March 15, 2004 called "Lycka till salu" (Happiness for sale) in the program series "Kalla Fakta" contributed to the termination of the organization there.[60][citation needed]

Governmental classification

Austria

In Austria in 1996, the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Youth and the Family published a list of 200 groups it labelled cults (in German: Sekten)[61]

According to the International Religious Freedom Report 2005, the government of Austria had labeled Landmark Education as a "sect":

The vast majority of groups termed "sects" by the Government are small organizations with fewer than 100 members. Among the larger groups is the Church of Scientology, with between 5,000 and 6,000 members, and the Unification Church, with approximately 700 adherents throughout the country. Other groups found in the country include Divine Light Mission, Eckankar, Hare Krishna, the Holosophic community, the Osho movement, Sahaja Yoga, Sai Baba, Sri Chinmoy, Transcendental Meditation, Landmark Education, the Center for Experimental Society Formation, Fiat Lux, Universal Life, and The Family.[62]

The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor's International Religious Freedom Report 2006 did not list Landmark Education in the equivalent context.

Other, unofficial copies of the 2006 report and official versions of prior reports of the United States Department of State's International Religious Freedom Report include:

Belgium

A Parliamentary Inquiry of the Belgian Chamber of People's Representatives into cults and their dangers listed and discussed Landmark Education in an official report of 28 April 1997.[69]

France

In France, the report of the 1995 Parliamentary Commission on Cults (Unofficial English translation), published as part of its investigations a list of purported cults compiled by the general information division of the French National Police (Renseignements généraux) in association with cult-watching groups, included Landmark Education.

Germany

In 1994 a report of the Senate Committee of the State of Berlin in Germany included Landmark Education in a report on cults with the sub-title "entities espousing a world view and new religions". Landmark Education sued for correction and, on May 14, 1997, the Berlin court (Volksgericht 27A) endorsed a new classification-scheme which continued to include Landmark Education in the overall report on cults (Sekten) under the category of "provider of life guidance" (Anbieter von Lebenshilfe). Thus the current (1997) Berlin Senate report entitled: Cults: Risks and Side-effects: Information on selected new religious and world-view espousing Movements and Psycho-offerings features Landmark Education under that heading. Landmark Education shares this category (as opposed to the other top-level classifications: "Groups with a Christian background... Groups with a pagan background... Groups with a Hinduistic background... Occultism/Satanism... So-called Multi-level Marketers") with (for example) Scientology and the Bruno Gröning Circle of Friends.[70]

Sales and marketing practices

In an article "The Best of Est?" published in Time Magazine on March 16, 1998, Charlotte Faltermayer wrote:

Critics say Landmark is an elaborate marketing game that relies heavily on volunteers. Says Tom Johnson, an "exit counselor" often summoned by concerned parents to tend to alumni: "They tire your brain; they make you vulnerable." Says critic Liz Sumerlin: "The participants end up becoming recruiters. That's the whole purpose." Psychiatrists who speak on Landmark's behalf dispute these claims. But Sumerlin says a 1993 Forum turned her fiance (now her ex) into a robot. She organized an anti-Landmark hot line and publications clearinghouse. Landmark officials made sounds to sue her.

In 1996, Jill P. Capuzzo from The Philadelphia Inquirer, Weekend took the Landmark Forum and reported:

I made some eye-opening discoveries about myself and how I function in the world. [...] One of the most irritating aspects of The Forum is the hard sell to sign up future participants.[71]

Allegations of brainwashing

Three court cases involving Landmark have included the claim of brainwashing; each with a different outcome:

  1. In Ney vs. Landmark Education et al. (1992), Stephanie Ney sued Landmark claiming she suffered a mental breakdown following participation in the Landmark Forum. The court ruled that while her participation may or may not have played a part in her breakdown, this had no relevance as Virginia law did not allow her to claim damages since she suffered no physical harm.
  2. In Been vs. Weed and Landmark Education (2002), Jason Weed claimed that the Landmark Advanced Course had caused him to experience a psychotic episode in which he killed a postal service employee. Despite a court ruling that Landmark did not precipitate his psychosis in the Federal criminal trial of Weed, the courts continue to deal with the wrongful death civil suit against Landmark by the family of the deceased.
  3. In Landmark Education vs. Lell, Landmark sued Martin Lell for using the word "Brainwashing" in the title of his book on Landmark Education (Das Forum: Protokoll einer Gehirnwäsche: Der Psycho-Konzern Landmark Education [The Forum: Account of a Brainwashing: The Psycho-Outfit Landmark Education], Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich, 1997, ISBN 3-423-36021-6). The court ruled the description "brainwashing" a matter of opinion, and let the title of the book stand.

In 1999 Landmark Education asked Dr. Raymond Fowler, a psychologist and past President of the American Psychological Association (APA), to evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and appropriateness of the procedures in the Landmark Forum. Fowler reported that he saw nothing to suggest that the Landmark Forum itself would cause harm to participants, and that the course had none of the characteristics associated with a cult, and that the Landmark Forum did not place individuals at risk of "mind control", "brainwashing", or "thought control".[72].

Use of "loaded language"

Some articles have reported that the Landmark Education's coursework uses "loaded language" and "jargon":

A former Erhard Seminars Training disciple made the comparison to "loaded language", in an article in NOW Toronto.[73]

In an article in New York Magazine, Vanessa Grigoriadis states that "the Forum drives its points home with loaded language, relentless repetition, and a carefully constructed environment."[74]

In a 2000 article in the Phoenix News Times, Amanda Scioscia specifically referenced the work of Dr. Robert Jay Lifton as relevant and discussed his eight criteria for answering the question: "Isn't this brainwashing?"[75]

In the Elle Magazine article "Do you believe in Miracles?", Rosemary Mahoney refers to the use of "a slick web of palliative jargon."[76]

The Times referred to Landmark Education's use of language as "eccentric jargon".[77]

Religious implications

Conflicting reports exist in regard to the religious status of Landmark Education's philosophy, and in regard to its conflicting with the doctrines of established religions.

Paul Derengowski, formerly of the Christian cult-watch group Watchman.org, states that Landmark "has theological implications".[78] The Apologetics Index (an online Christian ministry providing research resources on what it considers cults, sects, other religious movements, doctrines, and practices) maintains a page on Landmark Education.[79]

An opposing view appears in the article "A Very Nineties Weekend" in the international Roman-Catholic weekly The Tablet stating that several Catholic priests have endorsed Landmark, and that the Trappist monk Basil Pennington has praised the Forum for bringing about a "full human enlivenment".[80]

Other examples of opinions (as opposed to theological analysis) from clergy appear on the Landmark Education Website.

In 1993, two years after the emergence of Landmark Education, Rev. Dr. Richard L. Dowhower conducted a survey of clergy to assess their opinions of cults, entitled "Clergy and Cults: A Survey". The 53 respondents came from the Washington, DC area and included 43 Lutheran clergy and seminarians, one Roman Catholic and one Jewish clergyman, and an Evangelical minister. The highest percentage (28%) of those questioned about "The cults I am most concerned about are", gave the answer of "Scientology, est/Forum, Lifespring".[81]

In James R. Lewis' 2001 book (published 10 years after the establishment of Landmark Education), Odd Gods: New Religions & the Cult Controversy, Werner Erhard, Erhard Seminars Training and The Forum are discussed[82]. Odd Gods describes the spiritual influences of the coursework, including Zen Buddhism, Abilitism, Subud, Dianetics, Scientology and Asian spiritual leaders[82].

In 2002 theologians Deacon Robert Kronberg, B.Th. and Consultant Kistina Lindebjerg, B.Th. of the Dialog Center International in Denmark discussed the religious aspects of Landmark Education, stating: "Also we see a large number of people joining groups, such as Landmark and Amway, which become controversial because of their sales practices."[58]

Specifically, Kronberg and Lindebjerg posited that Landmark Education's courses seem to fill a void in the lives of disillusioned young adults, who have not found answers in religion: "Landmark seems to appeal to young people between 20 and 35 in liberal professions who are disillusioned with or discouraged about their lives. Landmark seems to be a scientific substitute for the need for religious answers to life's fundamental questions."[58]


See also

People associated with Landmark Education, past/present

Media

Other

Corporate sites
Link directories

References and footnotes

  1. ^ Harry Rosenberg quote as Director
  2. ^ a b c d e f Minutes of the General Meeting of The Board of Directors of Landmark Education Corporation, August 19, 2002, San Francisco, California.
  3. ^ Landmark Financial Information, Landmark Education Corporate Website
  4. ^ a b c d The est of Friends, Metroactive Features, July 15, 1998 issue of Metro, Metro Publishing Inc.
  5. ^ The Landmark Seminar Leader Program, Landmark Education website, 2006, states: "Seminar leaders are accomplished women and men who volunteer their time and talent..."
  6. ^ a b See quote: "'This letter serves as the consent by Landmark Education Corporation for the use of the name "Landmark Education International, Inc." by our wholly-owned subsidiary, currently known as Werner Erhard and Associates International, Inc."., Articles of Incorporation, January 16, 1991
  7. ^ Tekniko Licensing Corporation, advertisement for Tekniko position on Landmark Education's corporate website: "one of Landmark Education's wholly owned subsidiaries, Tekniko Licensing Corporation. "
  8. ^ Werner Erhardt Biography
  9. ^ Landmark Education 2020 Charter
  10. ^ Landmark Education For the Media, Landmark Education website
  11. ^ Independent Research, Case Studies, and Surveys
  12. ^ Landmark Forum Course Syllabus
  13. ^ Limited Liability Company, incorporation, Legal Document, California Secretary of State, February 26, 2003, Agent for Service of Process, Arthur Schreiber, Esq.
  14. ^ Pressman, Steven, Outrageous Betrayal: The dark journey of Werner Erhard from est to exile. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1993. ISBN 0-312-09296-2, p.254.(out of print)
  15. ^ Landmark Education, website, archived Japan - Rancord Co., Ltd.
  16. ^ Secretary of State of California website, record: Landmark Education LLP Landmark Education registration
  17. ^ Landmark Education, website, archived, controversy, Landmark Education, website
  18. ^ Time Magazine article, Werner Erhard, Time Magazine
  19. ^ Pay Money, Be Happy, New York Magazine, July 9, 2001.
  20. ^ ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION (DOMESTIC), Art Schreiber, President and Registered Agent, June 22, 1987.
  21. ^ Arthur Schreiber, donation to Nathan Rosenberg's campaign for Congress, February 23, 1988, through corporation "Werner Erhard and Associates", public data retrieved from Federal Election Commission.
  22. ^ "FedEX Package from Art Schreiber", General Counsel and Chairman of the Board of Directors, July 31, 1998, formal letter to Linda Chase
  23. ^ When it comes to Landmark Education Corporation, There's no meeting of the Minds., Westword, Steve Jackson, April 24, 1996.
    That got Sumerlin into some unusual reading of her own: angry correspondence from Landmark officials, including Art Schreiber, Landmark's current president and Erhard's former attorney, and Harry Rosenberg, Erhard's brother, who's on the Landmark board.
  24. ^ Better Business Bureau, June 19, 2006, report, Landmark Education Corporation, Better Business Bureau
  25. ^ Landmark Education Corporate Website, fact-sheet, accessed November 27, 2006
  26. ^ Landmark Education Corporate Website, note: unverified vague and approximate information
  27. ^ Landmark Education website, retrieved 2006-10-25
  28. ^ Revenues, 2004
  29. ^ Landmark education, website, Revenues, 2005
  30. ^ Outrageous Betrayal, Steven Pressman, pg. 217., St. Martin's Press
    "In July 1984 a company named Transformational Technologies was incorporated in the state of New York. The corporate charter listed a successful management consultant, a small, wiry man named James Selman, as the company's chief executive officer, but the sole owner of the new firm was Werner Erhard. Selman was a longtime est enthusiast, having gone through the training in 1975 while he was a partner at the prominent management consulting firm Touche Ross. He later quit to work for Erhard, and now he was ready to put into place one of Erhard's long-standing objectives - applying the principles of est to the world of big business. Together Erhard and Selman embarked on a plan to sell, at a handsome price, franchises in Transformational Technologies to independent business consultants who then would be licensed to utilize Erhard's est-influenced "technology". Within eighteen months nearly fifty franchises had been sold at a cost of $25,000 apiece. The franchise agreement also required each independedt consultant to pay a portion of his or her revenues to Erhard's company.
  31. ^ Tekniko Administrative Manger, Landmark Education website.
    "The qualified candidate would be accountable for managing all administrative and financial aspects of one of Landmark Education’s wholly owned subsidiaries, Tekniko Licensing Corporation. Working with Landmark Education Business Development, this person acts a liaison and resource for a wide variety of corporations that License Tekniko’s Technology for use in their corporations."
  32. ^ Case Financial Inc · DEFM14A, SEC filings, May 3, 2000. "Mr. Giles is the owner of Tekniko Licensing Corporation, which licenses intellectual properties owned by Tekniko to businesses throughout the world.
  33. ^ Pacific Biometrics, filings, Form SB-2, April 7, 2006. "Mr. Giles currently also serves as Chairman of Giles Enterprises, a private holding company for various business enterprises, as Chairman of the Board of Landmark Education Corporation, a private company providing seminars on personal growth and responsibility, as Chairman of Mission Control Productivity, Inc., a private company, and as the owner of GWE, LLC, a private company specializing in lender financing.
  34. ^ Retrieved 2007-03-04
  35. ^ McCarl, Steven R., Zaffron, Steve, Nielsen, Joyce McCarl and Kennedy, Sally Lewis, "The Promise of Philosophy and the Landmark Forum" . Contemporary Philosophy, Vol. XXIII, No. 1 & 2, Jan/Feb & Mar/Apr 2001 or DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.278955 Available at SSRN
  36. ^ Harvard Business School study: Landmark Education Corporation: Selling a Paradigm Shift, Karen Hopper Wruck, Mikelle Fisher Eastley, 1997, case # 9-898-081, page 13., quote, CEO Harry Rosenberg.
  37. ^ Bhattacharya, Anupama (May 1999). "Master of Fate". Life Positive. Retrieved September 20, 2006.
  38. ^ Landmark Forum course syllabus
  39. ^ See for example an academic study commissioned by Werner Erhard and Associates and conducted by a team of psychology professors (mostly associated with the University of Connecticut) which concluded that attending a (pre-Landmark) Forum had minimal lasting effects, positive or negative, on participants' self-perception: J.D. Fisher, R. C. Silver, J. M. Chinsky, B. Goff and Y. Klar, Evaluating a Large Group Awareness Training: A Longitudinal Study of Psychosocial Effects, Published by Springer-Verlag, October 1990, ISBN 0-387-97320-6.
  40. ^ Charles Wayne Denison, Part 4--The Curriculum of The Forum, "The Children of EST: A study of the Experience and Perceived Effects of a Large Group Awareness Training (The Forum)", Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Denver, 1994, excerpt available online
  41. ^ Daniel Yankelovich: The Magic of Dialog: Transforming Conflict into Cooperation. New York: Touchstone, 2001. ISBN 0-684-86566-1
  42. ^ The Harris Survey: Money: The Impact of Landmark's Programs on Participants' Income Levels
  43. ^ http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/newsletters/clientnews/2007_LandmarkEducation.pdf
  44. ^ International Society for Performance Improvement, award to LEBD, award, Landmark Education Business Development
  45. ^ The Talent Foundation website
  46. ^ The Talent Foundation Study: A Shortcut to Motivated and Adaptive Workforces,Full study
  47. ^ a b c d Labor Investigation, Colorado, 1994-1996, United States Department of Labor Compliance Action Report.
  48. ^ The est of Friends, Metroactive Features, July 9-15, 1998

    A case study by Harvard Business School reports that nationwide, 7,500 volunteers lend their time and services to Landmark. The corporation only pays 451 people, and only a tenth of them are Forum leaders.

    But here at the Forum, we are told, anything is possible. So devotees keep enrolling in courses, keep volunteering to prove their "commitment."

    I wonder what kind of racket the Department of Labor was running when it investigated Landmark and determined its volunteers were employees subject to the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Who's heard of volunteers for a for-profit? In the end the Department of Labor dropped the issue, leaving Landmark trumpeting about its volunteers' choice in the matter.

  49. ^ a b c d e f Labor Investigation, United States Department of Labor, Texas, February 1, 2003 to June 26, 2006.
  50. ^ Voyage to the Land of the New Gurus, May 24, 2004, France 3, Pieces a Conviction.

    Volunteers working in the headquarters of a commercial company, is it legal? Officers from General Information, in this confidential note about Landmark, were worried about undeclared associates in violation of the Labor Code. The document dates from 1994, so the situation is not new.

  51. ^ "At home with the gurus in neckties.", Nouvel Observateur (French newspaper), May 19, 2005, by Marie Lemonnier.
    Labor inspectors showed up at Landmark offices, noted the exploitation of volunteers, and made a report of undeclared employment. The action accelerated; the vise was tightened.
  52. ^ A short timeline. Template:Fr icon
  53. ^ a b Louise Samways, Dangerous Persuaders: An expose of gurus, personal development courses and cults, and how they operate, Penguin Books: 1994, page vii; ISBN 0-14-023553-1
  54. ^ Heinrich Kuefner, Norbert Nedopil, Heinz Schoech, Robert Doerr, Stefanie Eiden, Raik Werner, "Expert opinion: Effects and risks of unconventional psycho- and social- techniques", Munich, Germany, February 17, 2003.
  55. ^ Landmark Education, Corporate Website, Untersuchung von Heinrich Küfner, Norbert Nedopil und Heinz Schöck
  56. ^ Heinrich Kuefner, Norbert Nedopil, Heinz Schoech, Robert Doerr, Stefanie Eiden, Raik Werner, "Expert opinion: Effects and risks of unconventional psycho- and social- techniques", Munich, Germany, February 17, 2003.
  57. ^ Amelia Hill, for a December 2003 article: "I thought I'd be brainwashed. But how wrong could I be..." in The Observer
  58. ^ a b c "Psychogroups and Cults in Denmark", Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2002, by Deacon Robert Kronberg, B.Th. and Consultant Kistina Lindebjerg, B.Th. of the Dialog Center International in Denmark.
  59. ^ Landmark Education lägger ned verksamheten, March 21, 2004.
  60. ^ Kalla Faktas Uppfoljning om Landmark Education, 2004, Lofgrens Analys AB.
  61. ^ "Sekten : Wissen schützt. Eine Information des Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Jugend und Familie, Stubenbastei 5, 1010 Wien, 1996 (Sects : Knowledge protects. Information from the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Youth and the Family, Stubenbastei 5, 1010 Wien, 1996)
  62. ^ International Religious Freedom Report 2005, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
  63. ^ Religious Freedom Report 1999, Austria, Section I. Freedom of Religion.
  64. ^ Religious Freedom Report 2000, Austria, Section I. Freedom of Religion.
  65. ^ Religious Freedom Report 2002, Austria, Section I. Freedom of Religion.
  66. ^ Religious Freedom Report 2003, Austria, Section I. Religious Demography.
  67. ^ Religious Freedom Report 2004, Austria, Section I. Religious Demography.
  68. ^ Religious Freedom Report 2005, Austria, Section I. Religious Demography.
  69. ^ Enquête Parlementaire visant à élaborer une politique en vue de lutter contre les practiques illégales des sectes et le danger qu'elles représentent pour la société et pour les personnes, particulièrement les mineurs d'âge. Rapport fait au nom de la Commission d'enquête par MM. Duquesne et Willems. Partie II. [Parliamentary Inquiry with the aim of detailing a policy for combating the illegal practices of cults and the danger they represent for society and for people, especially minors. Report made in the name of the Commission of Inquiry by Messieurs Duquesne and Willems. Part 2.] http://www.dekamer.be/FLWB/pdf/49/0313/49K0313008.pdf -- bilingual report in French and Flemish, retrieved 2007-01-08.
  70. ^ "Sekten" - Risiken und Nebenwirkungen: Informationen zu ausgewählten neuen religiõsen und weltanschaulichen Bewegungen und Psychoangeboten. Herausgeben von der Senatsverwaltung fũr Schule, Jugend and Sport. Redaktion: Anne Rũhle, Ina Kunst. Stand: Dezember 1997. Downloadable in PDF form from http://www.berlin.de/imperia/md/content/sen-familie/sog_psychogruppen_sekten/risiken_und_nebenwirkungen_1.pdf Retrieved 2007-02-06.
    Quoted text extracts from the Table of Contents in the original German:
    7 Ausgewählte Anbieter
    7.1 Gruppen mit christlichem Hintergrund ...
    7.2 Gruppen mit heidnischem Hintergrund ...
    7.3 Gruppen mit hinduistischem Hintergrund ...
    7.4 Anbieter von Lebenshilfe
    kommerziell:
    7.4.1 Bruno Grõning-Freundeskreise
    7.4.2 Kontext Seminar GmbH
    7.4.3 Landmark Education (LE)
    7.4.4 Art Reade
    7.4.5 Scientology
    7.4.6 The Natale Institute (TNI)
    nicht kommerziell:
    7.4.7 Verein zur Fõrderung der psychologischen Menschenkenntniss (VPM)
    7.5 Okkultismus/Satanismus
    7.6 Sogenannte Strukturvertriebe
  71. ^ Jill P. Capuzzo, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 1996, The Scoop About the Landmark Forum
  72. ^ Dr. Raymond Fowler, past President of the American Psychological Association, analysis of the Landmark Forum, 1995, Landmark Education Corporate Website, Document number "L-014E". 'I saw nothing in the Landmark Forum I attended to suggest that it would be harmful to any participant. ... the Landmark Forum is nothing like psychotherapy ... has none of the characteristics typical of a cult ...does not place individuals at risk of any form of "mind control" "brainwashing" or "thought control."'
  73. ^ In the grip of the therapy tough-guys: I'm pretending to be a client of the Landmark Forum, but I get the shakes so bad I can't take it, Enzo Di Matteo, NOW Toronto, April, 2000.
    "The "milieu control," use of "loaded language" and "organized peer pressure," former EST disciple Kevin Garvey says, are all part of "a patterned exercise designed and orchestrated to undercut any comprehensible discussion, all behind the facade of being this profound self-exploration." "
  74. ^ Pay Money, Be Happy, For thousands of new yorkers, happiness is a $375, three-day self-help Seminar. Welcome to EST: The Next Generation, New York Magazine, Vanessa Grigoriadis, July 9, 2001.
    Like those organizations, the Forum drives its points home with loaded language, relentless repetition, and a carefully constructed environment. "We controlled even subtle things like the quality of light and the sound that came out of the microphones," says White. "The style of lettering on all the signs had to be exactly the same or it was a really big deal. We covered the mirrors. We put all the chairs in a specific order."
  75. ^ Drive-thru Deliverance: It's not called est anymore, but you can still be ridiculed into self-awareness in just one expensive weekend, Phoenix New Times, October 19, 2000, By Amanda Scioscia
  76. ^ Do you believe in Miracles? : For a few hundred dollars, the Landmark Forum says (and says, and says) it can transform your life in three days. Sound too good to be true? Rosemary Mahoney gave it a shot, Elle Magazine, August 1998, Rosemary Mahoney.
  77. ^ "The Story of Our Lives.", The Times, Vanora Bennett, July 2000.
  78. ^ "Landmark Forum", The Skeptic's Dictionary, Robert T. Carroll, Published by John Wiley & Sons, August 15, 2003, ISBN 0-471-27242-6.
  79. ^ Apologetics Index, page, Landmark Education
  80. ^ "A Very Nineties Weekend", The Tablet, Annabel Miller, 29/05/1999; (requires free registration to access). "Several Catholic priests and religious sisters have endorsed Landmark. The Trappist monk Basil Pennington has praised the Forum for bringing about a "full human enlivenment" which make people "more lively" in the practice of whatever faith they have.
  81. ^ Clergy and Cults: A Survey, The Rev. Richard L. Dowhower, D. D., Cult Observer, Vol. 11, No. 3 (1994).
  82. ^ a b Lews, James R. (2001). Odd Gods: New Religions & the Cult Controversy. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books. pp. 382–387. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
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