A Landmark

I don’t know that much about the Landmark Forum and I know that a lot of people get a lot out of it but there’s something about it to me that just seems wrong and even a bit sleazy.  There’s a lot of validity in its ‘think positive’ view on improving your life but there simply has to be a better way to fix the problems you have in your life than sitting in a room with a couple of hundred people talking about the law of attraction.  It’s brainwashing on some levels and it has a cult like feel to it when one listens to its proponents gushing about the improvements that have come to their lives through its practice.  The pyramid style recruitment is what I find unforgivable – you can’t just do the course on your own – you have to get out there and bring more people to the forums (that 20th century ideal that without growth comes extinction) and the methods they propose are sleazy.  Twice, I’ve had the phone call from a recent convert that starts so innocently yet so strangely – the first time was from a friend I hadn't spoken to in about a year and what should have been a very joyful telephone reunion instead was very awkward – we were making small talk but it was obvious he was just biding his time before he asked if I’d come along to a forum with him.  The second time was a few months later and there was the same awkward early conversation and I instinctively knew that I was about to be asked about Landmark and sure enough I was.  Even though both conversations had only taken about 10 minutes of my time I really felt used – this system is abusing its member’s friendship networks for their own personal gain.  Perhaps its an overreaction but something about it just doesn’t seem right to me.