Landmark Worldwide

Landmark Education

File:Landmark Education logo2.jpg
Company type	Private LLC Corporation
Industry	Self-help, Personal development
Founded	January 1991
Headquarters	San Francisco, California, USA
Key people	Harry Rosenberg: Director; CEO Mick Leavitt: President; Director Steven Zaffron: Director; CEO, Landmark Education Business Development (LEBD) Art Schreiber: General Counsel; Chairman, BOD; Director Martin Leaf: Counsel Joan Rosenberg: Vice President, Centers Division; Director Nancy Zapolski: Vice President, Course Development Laurel Scheaf: Director; Landmark Forum Leader Sanford Robbins: Director Brian Regnier: Course Designer
Products	The Landmark Forum, associated coursework
Revenue	8.6% to USD$76 million (2005)
Net income	USD$2.5 million (1997)
Number of employees	more than 450 employees (2006); 722 volunteer leaders; several employed leaders (2006); 7,500 volunteers in "Assisting Program" (1998)
Subsidiaries	Landmark Education Business Development (LEBD) Landmark Education International, Inc. Tekniko Licensing Corporation LandmarkDating Rancord Company, Ltd.
Website	Landmark Education homepage

Landmark Education LLC (LE), an international entity, delivers its training and development programs in over 20 different countries. As an employee-owned for-profit private company headquartered in San Francisco, California, it offers personal development training. The company markets its introductory course as "The Landmark Forum".

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

Landmark Education markets its courses primarily to individuals. Its subsidiary Landmark Education Business Development (LEBD) provides training and consultancy to organizations.

Landmark Education and its methods sometimes evoke intense controversy. Supporters and detractors — of the organization, of its methods and of its course content — hold strong opinions and express their views passionately, as do third-party commentators.

Corporation

Origin and evolution

Landmark Education, known from May 7, 1991 to February 26, 2003 as "Landmark Education Corporation (LEC)", purchased 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 and further developed its content.

The company originally registered itself as Transnational Education, as The Centers Network, and (in Japan) as Rancord Company, Ltd., . Re-organization as "Landmark Education Corporation" (LEC) took place later in 1991. In February 2003, Landmark Education LLC succeeded LEC.

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 after the founding of est. (For a time-line, see the article on Erhard Seminars Training.)

Landmark Education renamed its introductory course, the "Forum", as "The Landmark Forum"; 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.

According to Landmark Education, Werner Erhard consults from time to time with its "Research and Design team". (See also an article in Time Magazine. ) 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.

Successive organizational names and Customer Registrations

Incorporated Name	From	To	Customer Registrations by Era	Cumulative Customer Registrations
The Foundation for the Realization of Man	1973	July 1976
The est Foundation	July 1976	February 1981
Werner Erhard and Associates	February 1981	January 16, 1991	700,000 (1973 to January 1991, Werner Erhard era, pre-Landmark Education)	700,000 (1973 to January 1991, Werner Erhard era, pre-Landmark Education)
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	880,000 (1991 to January 2006)	1,580,000 (1973 to January 2006)

As of 2006 Landmark Education maintains 52 offices in 21 countries, with more than half of its offices in North America.

Structure and financials

Landmark Education LLC operates as an employee-owned company. Landmark Education employees own all the stock of the corporation, with no individual holding more than 3%. The company does not distribute dividends; any profits go to increase the company's assets, to expand the operation, or to subsidize courses in developing countries. The shareholders elect a Board of Directors annually. A list of executive officers appears in the box above.

As of 2005, 70,000 to 80,000 people took the Landmark Forum annually, and around 50,000 take other courses offered.

Landmark Education reported revenues of $70 million for 2004 ; $76 million in 2005 . 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 .

Since 1991, over 880,000 people have participated in the Landmark Forum.

Programs

Scope and claims

Landmark Education portrays itself as "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."

In studies and surveys commissioned by Landmark Education, "graduates” of Landmark's programs self-report positive results in the following areas:

• The quality of their relationships.
• The confidence with which they conduct their lives.
• The level of their personal productivity.
• The experience of the difference they make.
• The degree to which they enjoy their "personal life". (see Assessments of Effectiveness below)

The education has as its basis ontological training rather than conventional knowledge as found in traditional educational contexts. Landmark Education has compiled a web-page headed "Independent Research, Case Studies, and Surveys" devoted to its courses on its corporate website.

Landmark Education trains its own course instructors intensively in Landmark's pedagogy (also known as "technology"). Like almost all private educational providers, presenters do not require traditional teaching credentials, education, or teaching experience to teach or lead Landmark courses.

The precise content of Landmark Education courses remains closely guarded by copyright, but a course syllabus is on-line as noted below.

Course Content of the Landmark Forum

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 Forum Steve Zaffron) The Promise of Philosophy and the Landmark Forum, gives the following abstract for 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..

Rules 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. Homework is assigned to perform during breaks and after the course ends in the evening. The 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.).

At the outset of the Landmark Forum course, the staff lays out a set of agreements and tips to get the most value out of the Landmark Forum.

• Landmark Education encourages participants to wear comfortable clothing.
• The results cannot be guaranteed if any portion of the course (including assignments) is missed.
• Notetaking is forbidden in the Landmark Forum (but it is encouraged in other courses).
• Participants are advised not to take unprescribed medications or alcohol throughout the entire weekend of the course.
• Always have your name-badge visible.
• Do not eat in the room. Water is permissible.
• Raise your hand and stand to speak, otherwise, sit.

Memberships and accreditations

Landmark Education and its subsidiaries hold memberships in the following professional associations and organizations, as per its website

• American Society for Training and Development
• International Society for Performance Improvement
• American Management Association
• International Association for Continuing Education and Training (Membership Details) (CEU Qualifications)
• Academy of Management

Courses

• Curriculum for Living, (at Landmark Education's corporate website)

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

• Note: For further information on other coursework, see Landmark Education's website: About Graduate Programs

Other programs

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 businesss and still they commit their time and effort.

According to this statement by Harry Rosenberg, as of 1997 the Landmark Education workforce consisted of 5.3% paid employees, and 94.7% volunteers from the Assisting Program.

The Introduction Leader Program (ILP)

The ILP consists of a six-month intensive leadership-training program that prepares participants to lead Introductions to the Landmark Forum and to apply the training they get to an area of life that matters to them (personal, professional or other). This course forms the foundation of the training for Program Leaders in all of Landmark's divisions.

Evaluations of Landmark Education

Landmark Education relies heavily on testimonials from customers to measure its effectiveness. Studies, surveys, and opinions vary in their reported outcomes though in general lean from neutral to very positive.

Academic studies

University of Southern California

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 study available. A summary and more information appear on Landmark Education's website.

Fisher study

An academic study commissioned by Werner Erhard and Associates and conducted by a team of psychology professors (mostly associated with the University of Connecticut) concluded that attending a (pre-Landmark) Forum had minimal lasting effects, positive or negative, on participants' self-perception This study won a 1989 American Psychological Association award.

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.

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

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

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 has not made it clear over what time-duration Harris Interactive conducted this study.

Other studies

International Society for Performance Improvement (2005)

The International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) website contains a 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.

The Talent Foundation

A study by the Talent Foundation, chaired by Sir Christopher Ball (Chancellor, University of Derby address), and led by Dr. Javier Bajer, concluded 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."

Jargon

Further information: Landmark Education jargon

The company uses Landmark-specific jargon in its courses, such as "Rackets", "Formula for success" and "Distinguishing ourselves and our world through language".

Legal disputes

Further information: Landmark Education and the law

Landmark has participated in a range of legal disputes, both as a defendant (against course participants who have claimed psychological harm) and as a plaintiff (alleging defamation against individuals or organizations who have published statements critical of its methods or content).

Several individuals and organizations have claimed that Landmark is a cult or is cult-like. Landmark Education regards such statements as factually false and defamatory, and has brought legal action on at least seven occasions. Out of these seven, in the three cases where mainstream publications explicitly called Landmark a cult, the defendants settled by publishing retractions; in two of the cases, the defendants denied that they ever claimed Landmark was a cult; and in two cases, Landmark's suit was dismissed. Details of these cases appear in the article Landmark Education and the law.

Criticism and controversy

An Australian psychologist, 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. She had not conducted empirical observation of Landmark Education's programs, but rather maintained a professional distance and relied on testimony from separate sources — just as Landmark Education emphasizes personal testimony. Dr. Samways stated that her book:

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.

and:

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.

Labor practices and the Landmark Assisting Program

Controversy surrounding Landmark's estimated 7,500 volunteers has placed the company at the heart of an ongoing investigation by the US Department of Labor. Roger Gayman is a spokesman for the Department of Labor in San Francisco, where Landmark is based. In March of 2006, he confirmed that the DOL has launched an investigation into Landmark’s labor practices. “It’s an ongoing investigation,” said Gayman. “At this time I can’t comment on this or any prior investigations involving Landmark Education.”

As of 1998, Landmark Education had previously been investigated by the United States Department of Labor, according to an article in Metroactive Features :

Someone running a math racket or a skepticism racket or both could calculate pretty easily for these volunteers that their chances of becoming a Forum leader ping-pong between microscopic and infinitesimal. 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.

In France, Landmark Education assistants had the apparent French legal status of volunteer unpaid workers. . On May 24, 2004, the France 3 television network show Pièces à conviction broadcast the investigative report (" Voyage to the land of the new gurus"), addressing (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. It is not known if the investigation was the reason for the end of operations.

The Landmark Education Assisting Program is available to the graduates of the Landmark Forum. In this globally acclaimed program, each year over 11,900 graduates take advantage of the hands-on training to master the distinctions from The Landmark Forum and develop themselves as leaders.

The Landmark Education Assisting Program provides people with a vibrant, alive environment for the opportunity to participate in and contribute to their own transformation, the transformation of others, and the transformation of life itself.

The unique partnership among the staffs, people participating in the Landmark Education Assisting Program, and the Landmark Graduates creates the clearing for the exceptional operation of Landmark Education as a world-class business leader.

Religious implications

Some commentators regard parts of Landmark's philosophy as religious in nature, or as in conflict with the doctrines of established religions. For example, Paul Derengowski, formerly of the Christian cult-watch group Watchman.org, states that Landmark "has theological implications". 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.

On the other hand, an article "A Very Nineties Weekend" in the international Roman-Catholic weekly The Tablet states that:

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.

At St. Joseph's Abbey, Basil Pennington was appointed professor of Theology in 1959 and professor of Canon Law and professor of Spirituality in 1963.

Father Gregg Bañaga, PhD, President of Adamson University, stated:

At Adamson University we have 17,000 students and about 1000 employees. I find I have the opportunity to make a difference with so many people - with the 200 employees - the directors, officers, and staff members who work directly under me. And, even though I have more things going on now - because I am vice president of two different offices and the volume of work has increased - I actually have more time to exercise and to pray. It's amazing, there are so many things going on, my hands are full, but I'm never overwhelmed. Things just seem to get done and there are fewer breakdowns.

Many further examples of customer testimonials (as opposed to theological analysis) from clergy appear on the Landmark Education Website, as well as on ilovepossibility.info, a web-site set up by graduates of the Landmark Forum.

Recruiting

In an article published in Time Magazine on 16 March 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.

Dr. Edward Lowell, an expert on cults and a psychiatrist with specialized government training in brainwashing, mind control and thought reform stated, "There is no joining an organization."

Allegations of brainwashing

Some court cases have addressed the issues of whether Landmark practices brainwashing and coercion. Others have disputed these allegations.

Three court cases involving Landmark have centered around the claim of brainwashing; each with a different outcome. 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 have played a part in her breakdown, Virginia law did not allow her to claim damages since she suffered no physical harm. 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; the court ruled that Landmark did not precipitate his psychosis. 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 remain.

In 1999 Landmark Education asked Dr. Raymond Fowler, a psychologist and past President of the American Psychological Association,to evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and appropriateness of theprocedures in the Landmark Forum. Speaking on his own behalf, Fowlerreported:

Isaw 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."

Value

According to the study by Daniel Yankelovic, Noted Social Scientist and Public Opinion Analyst:

• 95% of participants surveyed stated that The Landmark Forum had specific practical value for many aspects of their lives.
• 94% of participants surveyed said The Landmark Forum was likely to have enduring value for them.

Paul Fireman, Chairman and CEO of Reebok said,

"I have yet to see anything else that has such a positive impact on people's ability to relate, communicate, and perform as Landmark. Running a business is a complex matter, and at the heart of any business is people."

See also

People associated with Landmark Education, past/present

• Harry Rosenberg - current CEO of Landmark Education and brother of Werner Erhard (John Paul Rosenberg)
• Joan Rosenberg - Vice President of Centers Division (Landmark Education) and sister of Werner Erhard (John Paul Rosenberg)
• Art Schreiber - Erhard's personal attorney; General Counsel and Chairman, Board of Directors, Landmark Education
• Steven Zaffron - current CEO, Landmark Education Business Development, LEBD
• Nancy Zapolski - Vice President in charge of course development, Landmark Education; Forum leader
• Brian Regnier - founding member, Landmark Education; Forum leader, prominent course designer
• Laurel Scheaf - Forum leader, Landmark Education
• Werner Erhard/John Paul Rosenberg

Related topics

Media

• Voyage to the Land of the New Gurus, Pièces à conviction, France 3 investigative journalism documentary
• The Century of the Self, British documentary by Adam Curtis, episode part 3 of 4
• Transformation: The Life and Legacy of Werner Erhard, Documentary, 2006

Other

• Landmark Education and the law
• Erhard Seminars Training
• Werner Erhard and Associates
• The Hunger Project
• Large Group Awareness Training
• Human Potential Movement (Maslow & Rogers and Esalen Institute)
• Zen (Alan Watts)
• Martin Heidegger
• Fernando Flores
• Self-help and Personal development
• New age

External links

Corporate websites

• Landmark Education official website
• Landmark Education Business Development
• Landmark Graduate Seminars
• Landmark Forum Syllabus
• Landmark Forum Methodology

Mixed views on Landmark Education

• The Best of Est (Time Magazine article from March 16th, 1998)
• Landmark Forum: Rants and Raves - links to various sites and discussion-forums (archive of published articles, other resources, and opinion)
• Usenet group: alt.fan.landmark - unmoderated long-running Usenet newsgroup with multiple points-of-view (facts mingled with opinion)
• Transformation Reformers - discussion group generally supportive of Landmark’s results, but critical of some of its practices (opinion and analysis)

Generally favorable opinions on Landmark Education

• News Articles on Landmark Education - archive of published articles or excerpts thereof on Landmark Education (maintained by Landmark Education)
• www.iLoveLandmarkEducation.jp from the graduates of Landmark Education in Japan - (Japanese (customers' opinions)
• "The Promise of Philosophy and the Landmark Forum" - University of Colorado (Philosophy Professor Steven McCarl and Steve Zaffron, CEO of Landmark Education Corporation Business Development et al.)(published paper)
• “A very nineties weekend”, by Annabel Miller, The Tablet, an international Catholic weekly (requires free registration) (published journalistic opinion)
• Blog About Landmark Forum Graduates (graduates' opinion(s))
• The Scoop on Landmark
• A website independent from Landmark Education written by members of the Landmark Team Management and Leadership Program (predominantly opinion)
• My Landmark Forum (opinion)
• I Love Possibility: Landmark Forum graduates describe their experiences. (graduates' opinion(s))
• Landmark Forum Graduates on Yahoogroups (opinion)
• "I thought I'd be brainwashed. But how wrong could I be...", by Amelia Hill, The Observor (published article)
• excerpt of “Unconventional programs in Germany dealing with personal growth and life coping skills”, by Professors Heinrich Kufner, Norbert Nedopil and Heinz Schoch, University of Munich (published article)

Generally unfavorable opinions on Landmark Education

• Rick Ross – archive of published articles, opinion, and moderated forum, sponsored by consultant on cults and controversial groups Rick Ross (opinion and archived published material)
• Steven Hassan's Freedom of Mind Center – collection of links about Est and Landmark Education maintained by Hassan, a licensed counselor and published author on cult awareness (opinion)
• Landmark Forum, Just a Bowl of Cherries? – archive of published articles and links to other websites (mirror site) (primarily opinion)
• Skeptic's Dictionary – skeptical information on non-traditional views (published opinion)
• Apologetics Index - a website characteristic of the Christian countercult movement (opinion)
• EST; The Forum; Landmark Education, Cult Awareness and Information Centre