To their credit they do use some sophisticated concepts they have borrowed from socio-lingustics, anthropology, and esoteric traditions (i.e. Buddhism, Sufism, Kabala, etc) that for many people are very interesting and can be a turning point in their view of life; however, you can learn about these concepts by reading couple of books (or if you have the chance take some socio-cultural anthropology and socio-linguistics courses). My point is $600 is way too much when you can learn them (in more profound and scientific ways) by reading academic books.
Aside from these abstract concepts, Landmark is a scam. They have purposefully designed the course in three consecutive full days to overwhelm the analytical side of your brain. They intentionally start the day (when the brain is at its best) by not so important topics in order to tire you off. By the afternoon, when people’s critical faculty have shut down they start their brainwashing sessions. This also helps people not noticing many self contradictions and logical fallacies in the coach's speech (i.e. he first says that all the problems in the world today are an ex-solution; for example, air pollution caused by cars today once was a solution to horse feces on the streets. A few minutes later, however, he convinces the audience that if they want to be “big” people they need to play “big” and playing big means they need to find big problems to solve. The already tired audience are blinded to the contradictions of his two arguments: if solution for every problem will turn into a new problem, then
what is the point? Logically speaking, solving a “big” problem means creating
another big problem! And of course, he refuses to answer any conceptual question/challenges precisely because he dose NOT want people to think critically. Critical thinking, by definition, nullifies brainwashing, which is the major mechanism operated in Landmark.
The false “breakthrough”:
They make people recall a dramatic experience in their past which usually make them cry. Generally speaking, human beings experience a feeling of lightness in their chests after they cry. The landmark coach shrewdly uses this opportunity and calls it a “breakthrough” and make the person believe that they are “transformed” as of now.
Landmark is a religion:
Another technique they use in Landmark is the same that many religions use: if you are a non-believer there is something wrong with you. This technique particularly works for those who strive to gain approval by the group. The weaker personalities who can’t stand standing alone and always run with the crowd since deep down they don’t trust their own judgments and/or their own abilities easily give in and don't dare to question the course materials. They also designed the system in a way that whatever you accuse them of they project it back on to you (in higher levels they even say once you are "enlightened" what people see in you is the reflection of the self. This is yet another insurance they build in their system, so none questions the coach/"prophet". So less courageous personality types prefer to shut their mouths or even worse convince themselves that they do not see any problem with the coach or other “enlightened” Landmark grads. Simply put: the system works on the principal of “one who sees the nakedness of the king is stupid”.
Two classes in Landmark:
Landmark is constituted of two classes: the cons (the paid “employees”) and the fools (the volunteers). They make extra money by making their already brainwashed graduate students work for them for free.
Conclusion:
I don’t deny that some people could improve their life to some extent after taking the Landmark Forum. My quality of life definitely changed in the past couple of years after I studied the linguistic and anthropological concepts at the university so I can see how this can be an opportunity to learn some intriguing abstract concepts. However, as I said earlier, the only useful part of the forum (these concepts) can be found in academic (or some good popular) books which in total cost less than $100. So, unless you cannot read books, spare yourself $500 and don’t expose yourself to brainwashing machine of Landmark. They don’t only make financial damages, but they have the potential to make psychological damages as the coaches are very powerful and unethical people. They intentionally try to break you down if you challenge/resist them. They will start throwing random attacks at you to see what works (everyone has a weak point and eventually will give in to something.)
