Is Landmark Forum a Cult?
A friend of mine is leader for Landmark Forum and after months of discussion I’ve finally be roped into attending an “introduction” today in Fremont. I’m pretty skeptical, but I’ve decided to go to the (3 hour long!) event with an open mind, and a lot of coffeee. If you good “Landmark Forum” and view blogs the top results all refer to it as being very cultish, but my friend and I have had conversations that lead me to believe it really has generated positive value in her life. I’m somewhat wary of group awareness and support group type things as it is, especially when they are so massive, formulaic, and organized.
Do you know about Landmark? Have you participated? What have you heard?
I’ll be writing about what I learn, and about the kind of people I met and - most of all - what motivates people to participate in a group like this, and what keeps them coming back?
Wish me luck.
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UPDATE: I got stuck in the traffic on the 520 bridge for the Huskies game, and didn’t end up going. Not particularly sad about that, since it would have been three hours. @gnomedad mentioned that there is a part of the talk where they say “if you’ve been pressured into coming here, now is your chance to walk out” - as if I can’t walk out any time I damn well please! That is just weird to me, totally drawing on the awkward social pressure to make you stay. I’d still like to see for myself, but it will have to be another day.
Most Commented Posts
by Danielle Morrill
@Wendy, I guess you’ll be happy to hear that I didn’t end up going at all. That’s pretty crazy that you were in a cult, I skimmed your website briefly and I thought the definition of cult was apt and useful for me (since the word seems to be rather overused). I’m still thinking on this question: Where does one draw the line?
It seems like most religions were not mainstream at one point (even Christian religion was once a minority in comparison to pagan religions in Britannia). Given the fact that I am an atheist, I wonder if it really matters whether differentiate between religions and cults, or if I can lump it all together as being irrational and just be done with it. That seems to be a lazy way of thinking for me, but it seems like all of this is on one continuum of bad and worse…
With regards to your last point/question, I personally draw the line based on the core message of the organization. With pretty much all the established ‘religions’ today, the core motivation is (at least ostensibly) to get people to do good for their society and others.
With many cults (including Scientology and, it sounds like, Landmark), the core component of the teachings is that you personally can be/are better than you are or than others, and proceeds to ‘teach’ you how to achieve that.
At least, so it seems to me.
by Danielle Morrill
@Clint, I’m reflecting on what you’re saying but my thoughts are coming out in a jumble (this isn’t about agreeing or disagreeing, just understanding). I’ll list them out and then see where I’m at:
* it doesn’t seem bad to encourage people to be better than they currently are
* moral superiority certainly exists in modern religion, not just in cults
* telling people that they are “chosen ones”, whether in a cult or a religion, is a crock
I think my working definition of a cult is any group of people who follow a leader blindly, whether the leader is Jesus, Stalin, or Obama. The willingness to subordinate your own mind to the mind of the group and that group’s leader seems to be the core of all this. What do you think? Am I on the right track, or missing something?
by D'Laina
I don’t believe that Landmark Education is a cult. I have gotten so much out of it. I don’t see how something that helps people improve their lives could be considered so negatively in some peoples eyes.
Absolutely, Landmark/Forum is a cult - a new age or large group awareness training cult. Don’t get talked into going back. My husband and I were in a Bible-based cult for years. I even wrote a book about our experience. Check out my website http://www.dallascult.com or Rick Ross’ website.
Take care,
Wendy J. Duncan
Author: I Can’t Hear God Anymore: Life in a Dallas Cult