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 Landmark Forum - Definition 

Landmark Education (LE), founded in 1991 and long known as Landmark Education Corporation or as LEC, purchased certain rights to a so-called "training" course known as The Forum from Werner Erhard and Associates (WEA -- the corporate successor of Erhard Seminars Training or EST). The new owners -- former staff of WEA -- named the course The Landmark Forum and state that they have further developed its content, but have not made public the dates or contents of any different versions. The Landmark Education group of companies has also developed and presented many other courses and seminars, many with parallels dating back to EST days.

Landmark Education sells courses -- notably the aforementioned "Landmark Forum" -- to individuals and has a subsidiary - Landmark Education Business Development - which provides training and consultancy to organizations.

The organization provokes passionate opinions both in favour and against its activities and methods.

Supporters of Landmark Education characterise the organisation as a straightforward business selling highly effective training courses empowering their course-participants to reach their full potential in all areas of life (whereas detractors regard such claims as subjective and unprovable).

Some commentators have described the Landmark Forum as a large group awareness training (LGAT), a view also espoused in a Ph.D. dissertation by Denison Charles.

Various observers and some former participants have associated Landmark with one or more of: psychological multi-level marketing, New Age "cult"-like behaviour, brainwashing, mind control, inconsistent mysticism, ruthless opportunism, amoral nihilism and exploitative hypnotism (whereas supporters sometimes paint such suggestions as vague and/or ill-informed).

Landmark Education Corporation became Landmark Education LLC in February 2003.

Contents
1 Operation
2 Stated attitudes of Landmark Education
3 Third-Party Studies
4 Pro and Con

4.1 Background and Patterns
4.2 Specific areas of controversy

4.2.1 Recruitment
4.2.2 Alleged exploitation of volunteers
4.2.3 Alleged "cult-like" practices
4.2.4 Therapy
4.2.5 Language
4.2.6 Rationality
4.2.7 Religion
4.2.8 Allegations of brainwashing
4.2.9 Corporate history
4.2.10 Alleged psychological consequences
4.2.11 Governmental classification

4.3 General controversy

5 Prominent Employees of Landmark Education
6 External links

6.1 Largely approving of Landmark Education
6.2 Somewhat questioning of Landmark Education
6.3 Critical of Landmark Education
6.4 Varied opinions on Landmark Education
6.5 Legal Documents

Operation

Landmark Education comprises an international employee-owned for-profit company with more than half its offices in North America. Landmark employees -- and, in some cases, graduates from Landmark courses -- own all the stock, with no single individual holding more than 3%. The company has never distributed dividends, using profits either to expand the operation generally or to expand the operation by subsidising courses in countries such as Kenya, South Africa and India, to render them affordable to the local population.

Landmark promotes what it calls "the work" and what it calls the "technology" of Werner Erhard, though without stressing his name, his controversial reputation or his ideological forebears. Many practices and methods of Landmark Education, of WEA and of EST have alleged roots in Scientology, Holiday Magic, Mind Dynamics and Leadership Dynamics.

Landmark Education's courses generally take place in large, carefully-prepared rooms and involve 100 to 200 attendees listening to lectures and participating in exercises. Landmark Assistants ("graduates" of the Landmark Forum) aid in maintaining the minutiae of an environment that fosters acceptable group-based behavior and participation. (See Kopp's academic analysis (http://www.u.arizona.edu/~kopp/Finalmat3.doc) of the Landmark Forum milieu.)

Regarding philosophical content, attendees have made comparisons with the ideas of Heidegger, Richard Rorty, Sartre, Fernando Flores and Westernized and popularized Zen.

Generally, Landmark promotes its courses by encouraging participants in its seminars to invite family members, friends, work-mates and acquaintances to "guest events" where they can hear about the experiences of others, and book themselves to "transform" their lives by signing up to participate in the Landmark Forum. Most people hear about Landmark Education Corporation's courses through word-of-mouth marketing.

Landmark Forums have taken place in at least 26 countries : Japan, Israel, India, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Romania, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom, South Africa, Kenya, Jamaica, United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand.

Landmark Education offers three principal courses, collectively called "The Curriculum for Living":

  1. The Landmark Forum, four days long, focused on completing participants' pasts
  2. The Advanced Course, five days in duration, focused on designing "a new future of freedom and self-expression" for participants' lives.
  3. The Self Expression and Leadership Programme (SELP) focused on engaging other people in the "new future" one has "designed." Each participant (including the program leader and the coaches) takes up a project in some community (not related to Landmark), such as a sports or social club, an extended family, a church group or a charitable undertaking. SELP projects have allegedly raised many millions of dollars for a large variety of charities worldwide.

Landmark Education also offers a free "Special Introduction to the Landmark Forum" (an "invitation to register" which functions as a recruitment opportunity) for graduates and guests and (according to Landmark Education's own website) more than forty other for-payment courses, seminars or programmes, covering such topics as sex and intimacy, time-management and Landmark Education course presentation. Most courses have an evening session which supplement the word-of-mouth marketing by taking guests through what LEC calls "exercises" from the course, and offering them an opportunity to enroll into a Landmark offerring.

A number of course participants volunteer as 'assistants' for the company for a period of time from 3 hours to several weeks. 'Assistants' have the apparent legal status of volunteer unpaid workers -- in France , the French Labour Ministry has judged this practice illegal). People who 'assist' work with the staff, receive further training in Landmark Education practices and learn leadership and team skills in a Landmark Education Corporation context.

Stated attitudes of Landmark Education

Landmark Education claims that "[a] fundamental principle of its work is that people – and the communities, organizations, and institutions with which they are engaged – have the possibility not only of success, but also of fulfillment and greatness".

In addition, Landmark Education Corporation marketing material claims that "[i]n independent research, graduates of Landmark’s programs report major 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 lives."

Landmark states that it intends its courses for mentally healthy people: it has a screening process to discourage potential participants with histories of psychological distress.

Third-Party Studies

An analysis (http://www.landmarkeducation.com/display_content.jsp?top=21&mid=80&bottom=116&siteObjectID=350) done by Daniel Yankelovich, chairman of DYG, Inc., (Analysis of The Landmark Forum and Its Benefits) of a survey (whose date and methodology Landmark Education has not reported in detail) concluded that:

  • More than 90% of "participants" report "practical value for many aspects" of life
  • More than 90% of respondents saw the Forum as "likely to have enduring value"
  • More than 90% of "participants" saw the Forum as "well worth ... time and effort"
  • Just 90% of "participants" adjudged the Forum "well worth the cost"
  • More than 90% of "participants" who self-reportedly attended the Forum in order to gain "a better understanding of relationships and how they work" expressed satisfaction.
  • Nearly every "participant" in the survey reportedly received unexpected benefits - ranging from 'ability to control weight to achieving a specific educational or business goal'

It remains unclear over what time-duration Yankelovich conducted this study.

A survey (http://www.landmarkeducation.com/display_content.jsp?top=21&mid=80&bottom=116&siteObjectID=150) (the date and methodology of which Landmark Education has not reported in detail) carried out by Harris Interactive concluded that:

  • One-third experienced a significant increase (of 25% or more) in their incomes after completing The Landmark Forum. Of that group, 94% said The Landmark Forum directly contributed to the increase.
  • Seven out of 10 people said they worried less about money and became more effective in managing their finances after completing Landmark's programs.
  • Participants found they were working fewer hours, suggesting they achieved greater balance in their lives.

It remains unclear over what time-duration Harris Interactive conducted this study.

The University of Southern California Marshall Business School carried out a case study into the work of Landmark Education Business Development (LEBD) at BHP New Zealand Steel. Landmark summarized (http://www.landmarkeducation.com/display_content.jsp?top=21&mid=80&bottom=116&subsection=160): "The set of interventions in the organization produced impressive measurable results:

  • Safety performance improved 50%
  • Key benchmark costs were reduced 15-20%
  • Return on capital increased by 50%
  • Raw steel produced per employee rose 20%"

(Full report available from USC for money. BHP New Zealand Steel - now known as New Zealand Steel- makes no detectable reference to Landmark on its website (http://www.nzsteel.co.nz).)

A study commissioned by Werner Erhard and Associates 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 Springer-Verlag, 1990, ISBN 0387973206).

Dennison Charles's Ph.D. research involved interviewing Landmark Forum participants and reported predominantly positive outcomes.

Pro and Con

Background and Patterns

Debates have raged for several years over whether Landmark Education and its predecessors have any merit or redeeming features -- or whether the organization has discovered "breakthrough" ideas and practices ahead of its time.

Previous court cases involving Landmark Education and dissatisfied customers, or involving Landmark Education and the media, have generally ended in out-of-court settlements with details placed outside the public domain.

In September 2004 Landmark Education filed a one million USD suit against the Rick A. Ross Institute, claiming that the Institute's online archives do damage to its (Landmark's) product.

Specific areas of controversy

Recruitment

Acquaintances of Landmark Forum "graduates" often note with concern and/or alarm what they perceive as excessive enthusiasm and religious-like zeal to enroll (recruit) new attendees.

Landmark Education claims to rely on "word-of-mouth" advertising, known in marketing circles as "sell it by zealot".

Alleged exploitation of volunteers

Some assess the assisting programs as exploitative. (To put these concerns into perspective, fewer than 1% of graduates allegedly participate in a formal assisting program at any time, and the majority of these commit themselves to spend several hours a week or a day over a given period. Note that "assistants" and staff may work long hours. Informal assisting also occurs.)

Assistants working for Landmark Education assist voluntarily, and most do so -- according to Landmark Education -- for a single weekend or a few hours: some assist more than once or over a longer period.

Alleged "cult-like" practices

Some former participants regard themselves as cult victims and have made allegations of destruction of the individuality of attendees.

Therapy

Despite Landmark presenting itself as "not therapy", some participants and some observers claim that some of its practices or exercises resemble psychotherapy. (Landmark does attempt to screen partipants and make sure that applicants with histories of psychiatric disturbances do not take part.)

Landmark Education programs do not, according to Landmark Education itself, comprise therapy. Former President of the American Psychiatric Association Raymond D. Fowler, PhD, [1] (http://www.landmarkeducation.com/uploaded_files/694/Fowler.pdf) who has observed sessions of the Landmark Forum, wrote: "It would be inappropriate and inaccurate to identify the Landmark Forum program as a form of psychotherapy" and he continues: "In my opinion, the Landmark Forum is not a cult or anything like a cult, and I do not see how any reasonable, responsible person could say that it is."

Language

  • Some observers find Landmark jargon pervasive, confusing, shallow and/or irritating; and that it creates an us-them divide with the "outside" world.

What Landmark Education refers to as "training" uses specialized language, as does (says Landmark Education) any field or discipline, such as engineering, science or the military for example. This special terminology can cause those without direct contemporary first-hand experience in Landmark Education's programs to view it as confusing, especially given the lack of a published dictionary of usage.

Rationality

A proportion of participants has claimed that Landmark Education attempts to forestall potential criticism by setting up (or 'creating') an atmosphere of trust and by disparaging reasoned questioning on part of the participants as "cynical". (Landmark enthusiasts frown on cynicism, critical analysis and searching for meaning.)

Religion

Detractors point to religious aspects of Landmark Education's training: a solipsistic belief-system and passionate belief in Landmark concepts and practices.

Supporters deny that Landmark Education has any religious basis and portray the courses as compatible with existing other beliefs.

Allegations of brainwashing

Many of those aquainted with Landmark Education Corporation "graduates", seeing dramatic behavioral changes in Landmark participants, surmise that Landmark Education methodology resembles brainwashing, especially in its jargon, its alleged use of group pressure, and its allegedly putting listeners on the defensive and the leaders on the offensive.

Corporate history

Landmark Education Corporation does not express a very open attitude to its corporate origins in est and in WEA , groups with a history of much controversy. Landmark's publicity materials do not mention EST, nor does Landmark raise the issue at introductory recruitment sessions.

Landmark Education Corporation tends to minimize its connections with Werner Erhard, whom many see as a controversial and polarizing figure.

Landmark Education's programs have their basis in (unpublished) research and in what Landmarkers refer to as the "technology" attributed to Werner Erhard, who has, despite his family ties, royalty payments, great personal respect, history and contracting associations with Landmark Education, no ownership, governance or management position in the organization. Landmark Education Corporation claims no responsibility for its direct corporate antecedents: EST and WEA: a US court has confirmed this lack of legal responsibility.

At the beginning of the Landmark Forum and of other programs, a course leader invites participants' questions about the Landmark Education Corporation, its origins, programs, policies etc., as well as giving the partipants the opportunity to leave the program with a full refund. These Q&A sessions handle -- from a Landmark Education point of view -- questions about Werner Erhard, WEA, EST and other matters anyone wants to discuss. Those wishing to obtain "official" answers from Landmark Education's Corporate headquarters can telephone 1-415-981-8850.

  • Some former participants and numerous observers have cited Landmark as 'manipulative' in insisting that graduates take more courses and recruit others to take Landmark training.

Alleged psychological consequences

"Accusers" have alleged that some participants' experiences have led to mental illness. (See Das Forum: Protokoll einer Gehirnwäsche: Der Psycho-Konzern Landmark Education [The Forum: Account of a Brainwashing: The Psycho-Outfit Landmark Education] by Martin Lell, Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich, 1997, ISBN 3423360216.)

Defenders of Landmark might maintain that while over three quarters of a million people worldwide have participated in the Landmark Forum, those who voice criticism allegedly account for a tiny percentage of Forum graduates [not counting their friends, families and psychiatrists].Those who have made accusations of mental instability allegedly amount to a few dozen, and in the nature of things, few, if any, of these claims have been independently substantiated

Governmental classification

In France, the government (through the Interministerial Mission for Awareness against Sectarian Risks [2] (http://www.miviludes.gouv.fr/)) has classified Landmark Education as a secte (cult). (Some dispute this classification.)

General controversy

'Observers', 'commentators', 'outsiders', 'accusers', 'aquaintances', 'the government of France' and other people (who make no claim to have taken Landmark Education training or who may have too much of a sense of shame to admit to ever having taken part in Landmark Education) often get space in the media to discuss the Landmark Forum and other Landmark Education products and practices. See http://www.landmarkeducation.com/menu.jsp?top=22&mid=11020&bottom=3058 for corporately approved stories of people who have, as the jargon has it, "completed" the Landmark Forum.

Prominent Employees of Landmark Education

  • Harry Rosenberg, brother of Werner Erhard, heads Landmark Education.
  • Art Schreiber functions in the important role of legal representative. Landmark Education has frequently taken legal action where media has, knowingly or accidentally, represented Landmark in a less-than-positive light.
  • Charlene Afremow has conducted courses from the earliest appearances of Werner Erhard in the personal training field. She co-founded Lifespring and conducting courses for that organization for a period.
  • Steve Zaffron, CEO of Landmark Education Business Development

External links

Largely approving of Landmark Education

Somewhat questioning of Landmark Education

Critical of Landmark Education

Varied opinions on Landmark Education

Legal Documents
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