Day #2 Landmark Forum Feeling Negative

So day two of the Landmark Forum has completed. If I could sum up day two I'd say it's phone calls with people in your life you have or had issues with and sharing those stories. Everyone was asked to call someone last night, if they didn't do that last night the group was asked to make that call today. Then the second big thing that happened today was focusing in on what you're fearful of, moving past the fear, and realizing that everyone is fearful. Basically saying we are all OK, we are all human. 

Next we began focusing on all that is wrong in our personal lives getting into an almost hypnotic state. The danger of the Forum I'm seeing is how people are encouraged to share their stories, then the feeling is like who can top that one? I feel there is a real danger of manufacturing problems. If someone comes in the Forum with issues with their boss they are encouraged to find issues with not only their boss, but their Dad and Mom for example. There is something called false memory creation and I believe this is one danger of the Forum. Creating HUGE issues where they didn't exist in the first place https://faculty.washington.edu/eloftus/Articles/sciam.htm. 

Left feeling negative about the Forum. I feel the concepts are simple, the teacher says he values us and we are "so much more." Yet we are taught simple concepts that are hammered into us for hours and countless unnecessary breakdowns. Forum feels like negative, wallowing, self indulgence. Lots of pain seen on day #1 and day #2, no safety net except cryptic language and philosophy that may or may not help in the long run. Oh, and that new knowledge will cost you in the form of continued Landmark education, doesn't seem fair. 

The day could easily be condensed into 8 hours. 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM is more about brainwashing than being necessary. I'm seriously questioning if I should go on day #3. I drove home early tonight after dinner break (I did receive a where are you staff phone call), only two hours left after dinner. Thinking for yourself something I call the critical thinking mind, not the monkey mind as the Forum believes it's grouped under is not encouraged. I've read a book about Scientology and I see similarities in this type of shutting off the brain and belittling critical thought. Honestly this message of the Forum was scary, it's dangerous to shut down critical thought, just look at history. Just Google "Scientology shut off critical thinking" and you will see all the examples of this technique. Also Forum teaches students the magical power of language, obsessively understanding meanings of words and changing the meanings of words. In my opinion the end goal of speaking cryptically is to yet again bypass critical thought and implant the Forum world view. Yet another parallel to Scientology. I needed some time to think for myself. 

I knew going in Landmark was going to feel Culty, I just underestimated how Cultish the Forum feels and underestimated how intense the Forum feels. I was referred by 5 people before I caved into the Forum, total peer pressure and genius recruiting tool. If the Forum was a feeling it would be like Slimmer from Ghostbusters. It scares you, shocks you, and once you get slimmed it's hard to wash off, so ultimately leaves you feeling icky. BUT also aware of new ways of thinking, the question is do you EVEN WANT TO GO THERE? Even though I want to reiterate the concepts are simple, the power is 90% in the group dynamic. That's the individual question you'll have to ask yourself if you do the Forum.