Yesterday, I posted a portion of a manual published by the Mankind Project for leaders of the Integration Groups (I-Groups). I excerpted a portion of an exercise called “bucketing” where one may include another man as a stand-in for an issue one has with another man.
While this technique might be of some benefit with skilled facilitators, I see potential for men to process wounds in ways that might not be helpful. Age regression techniques can mislead the person being regressed to incorporate a narrative that may be a reconstruction of events rather than a true account. These techniques, promoted by some therapists, are not universally accepted.
According to a former New Warrior, this bucketing technique, along with another process known as clearing, can lead to disturbing experiences. The following account was sent to me via email:
This is a MKP process where you “kill” someone in proxy. It is often the father but can be a mother or someone else. I’ve even seen MKP have men “kill” God. Actually I was instructed to “kill God” by MKP leaders but I refused. There is something in MKP called a “God split” this is where a man kills God and gives himself is own god of his making, usually himself. This is a necessary step in the MKP ladder. For a man to become an “inner King” he must “kill” God first. King is one of the four quadrants of the four archtype circle, those being, Warrior, King, Magician, and Lover. These are loosely based on Jung’s archtypes.
Well back to “killing dad.” In these killing processes, one man stands in proxy for the person who is being killed. Cushions and pillows are placed before him. The man who is to kill has a baseball bat, tennis racket, etc. He hits the pillows and cushions over and over right before the man standing in proxy. The man continues hitting and yelling at his “daddy.” The “daddy” gives insults and calls the man with the bat names. These are names that are brought out earlier before the “killing” begins in a “bucketing” process. Eventually “daddy” slowly begins to “die.” He begins to sink slowly to the floor pretending that he is being hit and hurt. He eventually pretends to be dead. This can take many minutes. This usually occurs when the man with the bat is near the point of exhaustion.
This process looks like gestalt psychotherapy to me. I did it several times to my “dad” at MKP meetings. The reason that they stated I needed to do it over and over was because I didn’t kill my whole dad, just one part of him that hurt me. I needed to kill every part that had “bad energy.” This could take many meetings and workshops to accomplish.
After the process is done there is the de-role process, there the man standing in proxy says “I’m not your father, I’m your brother ‘Jim’.” The man then repeats it to him. Then the process complete, at least for now.
This description sounds like two other accounts we have seen before. First, the “rage therapy” documented in Divided Memories. Hear a survivor of Genesis Associates discuss the rage therapy:
Another reference for tennis raquets and pillows, of course, is what Richard Cohen calls “bioenergetics.”
I asked Mankind Project, Executive Director, Carl Griesser for a comment on the proxy process described above and he was not able to comment today. He did say he was thinking about how to respond and would be in touch. I am looking forward to this.
Mark Hamilton,
Amen. Amen. Amen. This is only the tip of the iceberg however. The walking around naked while blindfolded symbolized your death to former self and old way of life. You probably snaked around some property and then were slapped on the rear to symbolize your spiritual rebirth. All these things had a definite spiritual purpose which were not at all Christian. The snaking around had to do with regeneration as the snake is a symbol of this. It may have also had to with catabasis or a symbolic journey to the underworld (sheol/hades) because before you can be spiritually reborn you first have to spiritually die. Think of a counterfeit baptism.
MKP is not at all compatible with Christianity, and is very demonic. I strongly encourage everyone to stay far away from it. If you’ve been initiated or are still a member – get out now and renounce it utterly at minimum. By all means pray to God and seek His mercy for your involvement in this false pseudo-religion. If you know anything about the bible you should know that witchcraft is prohibited. Well, what do you call summoning energies? What do you call necromancy and seeking guidance from the dead? Creating ritual sacred space? Yada yada yada? Seek God’s deliverance from this through confession and repentance. Jesus Christ alone is the way – not Rich Tossi 6, Ron Herring 6, and Bill Kauth 6. No, I’m not calling them THE Antichrist, but this group is definitely antichrist. Antichrist is also a substitute for Christ and this is absolutely a substitute. God is your healer and He is holy. He’s not a pervert practicing witchcraft. Be advised.
The more I think about it, I can’t stress enough how the movies, Batman Begins, Instinct, and KING KONG( the modern version) are perfect alegories for the mankind project “beastly” initiation…turning “tamed” “civilized men into beast warriors. with “Wild men” as their goal. Its all about making you think you are one with the animals and an animal yourself. Batman even has an “animal” name like is given in the new warrior training adventure. This is an anti-society, anti-authority rebel message. In” Instict “, Anthony Hopkins becomes disillusioned with society which is portrayed as greedy corrupt and evil and immasculating(not to unlike reality in many cases) and then he gives up his daughter, emotionally detaches from his human family and goes and lives with the gorrillas to study them. He ultimately ends up getting accepted into the gorilla “tribal” clan system by submitting to the Silverback alpha male. He eventuall becomes one with the animal family. Eventually he gets forced back to “evil” society by the “evil” humans, dragged away from his new family the gorillas and becomes an agent of change to bring the wildman philosophy to other “enslaved” and emasuculated men. Check out Robert Bly’s “wild man and the golden ball fairy story” before you watch the movie and you will see the obvious nod to it when the “golden ball” tennis ball rolls into the prisoners cage. The golden ball symbolizes innocents…the message is the Wild man gives you your innocence back when he is released from his cage.. “rebellion” from authority and society is the message of salvation. be true to your animal nature is the other unspoken message. This in my opinion is pure evil disguised in alegory and subconscious preparation for softening society up for this sort of initiation mindset. Also the supposed best selling “christian” book by John Eldridge called “WILD AT HEART” is a trojan horse into the christian community with this NEW WARRIOR WILD MAN philosophy witha christian mask.. He even references movies, and Robert Bly and other mankind material…….Its softening Chrstians up to seek out this kind of Initiation to heal their supposed father wounds. John Eldridge creates and weaves a counterfit unbiblical “JESUS” that is a supposed “WARRIOR” and “WILD AT HEART” IT’s a clever lie and deception. Jesus always modeled and taught peace, and being under authority. Not compliant but assertive, not rebellious but a truth teller. Jesus taught that we shouldn’t be “wild” but “MEEK” . Once again let me state, this is a widespread attempt to lure people into the “new world order” or “new age spirituality”. We are being mass indoctrinated with this occult spirtuality. There are many videos and good books exposing the new age movement and the occult invasion on youtube. Search, New age, Dave Hunt, Johanna Michaelson Constance Cumby , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNC1-hc2KsU The gods of the new age exposed, there are many hack videos seach around and find reputable documentaries. People who aren’t conspiracy nuts and sensationalistic. There is a witchcraft magic element to the new warrior training ilvolving energy, spirits and casting circles, and “magic carpet work” THIS IS DEFINATELY A SPELL that people are placed under. It’s mind control technique and magic.
The Mankind Project is a conglomeration of many things “spiritual” and “Psycological” and military bootcamp. A melting pot of Syncretistic spirituality. They use “Magic” techniques.. Mind Control. Mesmerism, Psychic surgury. Jungian psychology. Hypnosis, Guided Imagery/guided visualization, Native American spirituality i.e. sweatlodges. There are many parallels between MKP and other “Initiations” including Nazi/hitler techniques, Star Wars world view, Witchcraft. sleep deprivation, food deprivation, intimidation. Emotional manipulations. The technic is simple. Intimidate you, create a sense of mystery and anticipation and emotional living to get you out of your head and into your feelings and break down your boundaries and remove your critical faculties. Remove your identity and give you a new one to get you to transfer the locus of control from yourself to outside yourself. One is then “suggestable” and peer pressure and authority is manipulating to get you to particpate deeper and deeper into the “process” culminating in shameful occult experiences which most people wouldn’t willingly participate in unless “led” unknowingly into it. This is a repackaging of other Occult rituals to make it disguised and palateable to the initiates who wouldn’t knowingly participate in such mind control and occult things. The modus operandi of gaining control is through FEAR BUILDING and trauma, subtly spliting the individual into parts. It is in NO WAY compatible with Christianity no matter what anyone tells you!!! People from this weekend are taught to “keep there shadow behind them”. this is about spliting you into a false self and your true dark self /”shadow. People will lie through their teeth about what happens at this weekend, they are also sign a contract saying they wont reveal their secrets. There is also a “walking naked” blindfolded ritual toward the end at night where initiates are subtly warned by symbolism that if they separate from the group they will die. It’s an implanting while under hypnosis. Most wont remember it happened to them. They are hypnotised and implanted with a trigger word by their handlers. The ritual culminates dancing naked around some sort of paganesque altar, mine was “cut tree logs standing on end” and candles. and you dance in a circle under hypnosis. The peer pressure at this point is in control.. The momentum keeps you going and the drumming dulls your senses so you don’t know what you are doing. Study occultism, dualism, syncretism, Star Wars occult hindu philosophy also called “NEW AGE”. Initiates are drawn into deeper initiations. I received in the mail an invitation to “warrior monk training. THe image on the post card flier was of a hooded occult figure with his face concealed under the hood with a sword, it was a subliminal phallus. This is a pagan sex cult concealed to the unknowing. Darth Vadar is a “phallic” Image in Star Wars. These occult groups are all connected behind the scenes, the packaging changes but the concepts and goal is the same to get you to be controlled and to join the “new world religion” which joins all people in bondage to control and compromise of their views and doctrine and values. THey keep their true agenda and identity concealed. They symbols speak to the subconscious….most initiates would not be aware of the things I just revealed to you. The movie “the Matrix” is a similar gnostic occult new age initiation. Also “Batman begins” is an occult initiation. Batman goes to some asian mountain fortress where he is initiated in similar MKP fashion. HE then gets an animal familiar spirit from some bats in a cave and then becomes batman That is the Exact same things given to initiates “an animal familiar spirit” through guided visualization. They take a new “animal” name in native american fashion such as “laughing lion” or “tortured turtle” or something dumb. It is a subconscious mind trick through “architypes”. Your subconscious mind reaveals an animal figure that is like how you view your charachter at that moment. It is a projection of your inner self. You are led there by the “fairy tale” they tell you while you are in an altered state or suggestible hypnotic state. It is a trick. A doorway is opened to deception in your mind. It appears miraculous on some level. A WITCH did this same thing to us unknowingly a few years earlier. It is a party game. you close your eyes breath in and breath out and are led through an archetypal fairy story that reveals your inner self”. I would never recommend someone do this. It seems harmless but you are exposing your secrets to the ones who seek to gain control over you through your “inner secrets” which they can’t see. They will use the “archetypes” against you as part of gainging control over you. Its to make you feel powerful but they are actually the ones pulling the strings. The Wizard of Oz is also an occult initiation and “archetypal” guided visualization. The light and dark dualistic “witches” lead you to an imaginary “fairy” world where you bring your archetypes “cowardly lion” “tinman” “scarecrow” along on a journey. These are “animal familiars” or archetypes. Same thing as in MKP. We have been conditioned through hollywood to accept these implanted mind control archetypes since childhood through television and movies. Watch “hollywood’s war on God” on youtube and reasearch the occult in movies” Magic is “forcing your will” through any means by its simplist meaning. This mankind project new warrior training smells heavily of what I would call “witchcraft”. Although they would deny, deny, deny. Occult means “IN SECRET” or “hidden from view” of course they would “keep their shadows behind them”. It is necessary to lure people in unknowingly to their web of deception and occult bondage. This group claims like most “new age” classified groups to be “spirituality” without “dogma”. Its a lie, they indoctrinate with NEW AGE Dualistic doctrine. its just the dogma is concealed and the terms they use mean something else to the outsider. The dogma would sound like this if they honestly presented it “You are god” you are part of the one whole force that is the universe. the earth is our mother. The elements are a part of us. All religions are valid and their avatars “masks” conceal the hidden one that is the universe. This is called “pantheism” or “animism” it is also related to hinduism. The movie AVATAR and Star Wars is the same occult religious philosophy the origins of which come from anchient Babylon and Egypt and Caballah. Man is a dualistic being according to their philosophy….True self and Shadow. He is evolving into a god with extra sensory occult powers….Reality is bendable. What you view as reality is an illusion, nothing really exists in the physical it is an illusory self, the true you is an eternal and evolved God or master. He-Man and the masters of the universe also represents this pagan occult world view. He man taps into this “higher” hidden “power” and becomes a “godlike” hero with an animal familiar spirit. He walks with occult beings and fights evil forces in the spirit realm. This is an alagory for what really happens to people who practice this worldview. In one guided visulazation at the mankind project an unknown unnamed “REBELLIOUS WILD MAN from the pit is invited inside to join the little boy and the “adventurer” to form an unholy trinity supposedly that restores your innocents through your own self effort and shed blood. This from a christian perspective represents Satan and CAin and you. This is an “anti-christ” spirit in this message. Anyone who says this message which is implanted in the subconscious in an altered state is in anyway compatible with christianity is flat out lying or deceived or ignorant of what the Bible teaches. Since this brand of new age spirituality conceals its dogmas and deceptions and Names of spirits and forces it would easily adapt itself to any belief system through cloaked subversion. Although it claims to be Accepting and tollerant it actu
ally in “dogma” contradicts most traditional faiths. Its dogmas are mostly concealed in allegory. This is the nature of the occult, you are deceived on the outside about the real beliefs and intent of the group and drawn deeper and deeper into the “real” meaning of the secrets as you are given “miraculous” magic experiences….fairy dust deceiving your mind. they also used “love bombing” and wouldn’t let you be alone to process your thoughts. You are assigned someone to keep making sure you are moving along the process and not haveing second thoughts. The drumming is used throughout the weekend to keep people in synch in their body and out of their cognitive thinking process to discern what is happening to them. “The jedi mind trick”….Don’t believe the lie, there is not Good and evil witches…or Jedi and syth…they are all practicing magic, mind control, deception and egaging demonic dead lying spirits to assert their wills. Jedi’s kill and use mind control and practice eastern meditation and martial arts just as the syth do. They are serving the same power, religion and force……..just their mask and packaging is dark or light. Many current video games and movies are indoctrinating people into this process and worldview. Even disney rides are a mild form of initiation and indoctrination into the occult. The process works like this draw you into the storyline, stimulate your emotions and sensory factulties through visuals, sparkly objectes, bright colors, lots of sensory overload or also action sequences in movies and flashing white lights and rapid imagery changes also accomplishes the hypnotic trance state. One you are in your immotions, indoctrination takes place and “subliminals ” and symbols are used to communicate to your subconscious mind, then you are led along through a process….you give your power over and become passive or actively follow someone else or something else in your mind. In the case of a disney ride you are on a conveyor belt being led through flashing lights and the “gurus’ or spirit guides become whatever “Avator” or Disney charachter is represented by that ride. Watch some of the rides at disney land….its all initiation and mind control geared toward children and so subtle as to go under the radar of the parents , who themselves have been raised and conditioned to get triggered and trancelike on cue in such situations. Be awake, be aware of where you let yourself get led and what the real message is behind the processes. we are subjected to them all the time through television and advertising. I have seen a local MKP leader in town with a zombie like initiate who follows him around. This controller has gained a “padawan” to his “mastership” they guys is a pawn, I feel so sad for him. He is a puppet to this MKP leader. ITs really scarey but somepeople will end up through this initiation attending the follow up groups in their home town and get under the control of a puppet master who can remotely use them to do their bidding. A true Manchurian candidate. I’m sure all I am saying sounds outrageous but it is totally true. I have all the research and resources and experience to prove it. The New age movement is a highly networked and “entrenched” philosophy that is taking over in the shadows of American society and working its way into power positions to force this “new world order” and one would religion and governement. In order to get you to give up your values and religion and power they create multiple means for implating you with symbols and bringing you into fantasy worlds through media. Its all to get you compliant and distracted so they can “take over” while you are distracted. The nature of all magic is to serve the will of the one doiing the spell. whether is advertisers or occultists hypnotists, or Nazi dictators……..the techniques are the same the means are multiple and the masks are deceptive. The UN is a supplant for national sovereighties and has an agenda to bring global governance through NEW AGE spirituality and Socialism….all in the name of peace. They create “Green movements” which is actually all about getting you to give up your property and rights for the greater community” Its a shift of power away from self determination to the heirarchy who knows whats best for us. They view you and me as pawns and a means to an end. They come in the mask of “peace” and “safe the planet” but the goal is to control people and resources and redistribute them. Just as the NAZI’s tried. its the same force operating……but with new packaging for american minds. NEW WARRIOR TRAINING in my opinion is a type of “nazi” supersoldier training. Compliant producing machines who are “programed” through these hypnotic and trauma based initiation rituals. “The movie KING KONG is a alegory for occult initiation as is “INSTINCT” starring anthony hopkins….Instink also contains a nod to the “wild man and the golden ball ” initiation done in the manking project. The wild man is anthony hopkins…the prisoners in the cage roll him a yellow ball. The yellow ball is a “trigger” for quicking engaging the mind of the initiate into the trauma of the initiation weekend. These triggers are purposely planted in movies and culture. Sounds crazy I know but the whole move points to the same idea. Watch the movie….Anthony gets and animal familiar, “gorrillas” and goes back to society and becomes a “silver back ” dominant male “WILD MAN” savior who frees some men from their prison of fear and control.
Mindspring is related to the old EST trainings. Esalen is a legitimate and regular method of giving therapeutic massage. There is nothing cult like about this school. The school itself does not place as much emphasis on professional draping as most schools, and I dont necessarily like that. But its a regular school for massage regardless.
EST trainings and Mindspring has been categorized as cults. Several of the large men only manliness ‘trainings” have also been categorized as cults. Not sure if that is what you refer to.
Cults exist on a very wide spectrum as with many other groups. In fact – all groups use some of the techniques outlined in the BITE model – its the degree to which it is used, and the amount of them used that categorizes a group in the more destructive spectrum.
Cults are also known as “high control – high demand” groups. This is actually a much better descriptive name for those groups. It is also easier to make these distinctions without the emotionally charged cult label. How controlling and how demanding is the group?
Rander
I would like to point out that their are multiple criteria that a group has to meet before being considerd a “cult”, not just one and that MKP falls into many of these categories.
The website http://www.freedomofmind.com has a FAQ page that is very helpful in understanding how to “rate” groups as well as a BITE model.
For example: A destructive cult is a pyramid-shaped authoritarian regime with a person or group of people that have dictatorial control. It uses deception in recruiting new members (e.g. people are NOT told up front what the group is, what the group actually believes and what will be expected of them if they become members). It also uses mind control techniques to keep people dependent and obedient.
I felt that the BITE model used on this site was very helpful to me in my situation, this model assisted me in understanding what was taking place in my life with my spouse.
Their are four basic components of the BITE model 1.Behavior Control 2. Information Control 3. Thought control 4. Emotional Control
For a full explanation of these go to the freedomofmind website.
The NWTA is full of all four of these criteria as well as in general throughout the organization. Does MKP 100% fill all the different criteria for the definition of a cult? No, but a group does not have to meet every single criteria to be considered harmful.
Eric also states “No one in MKP encourages anyone to “kill” their parent (metaphorically or otherwise).” In response I would like to share something my spouse said, these are his own words in regards to his weekend and his turn “on the carpet”. (I basically cussed out Dad for not being there for me emotionally, and I symbolically killed his dark side. The man role modeling my father’s dark side cussed me back, how I wasn’t worth his time, and slowly backed off the square carpet as I advanced..) This was very physical with lots of pushing, shoving, screaming, growling etc. during this procedure. From my understanding the physical exertion during this exercise was as intense as the emotional exertion.
I’m concerned that the negative press by a few sour grapes, or the uninformed, misses the fact that MKP is a well intentioned organization. It is not, by definition, a cult because it’s aim is not to remove men from their lives — but, rather to assist men go further with their own life’s mission. What could be so awful about men supporting men to look at their childhood wounds and work on moving past them?
The article above is misleading (like so many others that prefer to write drama, rather than truth). No one in MKP encourages anyone to “kill” their parent (metaphorically or otherwise). Rather, the described process is designed to silence (or “kill”) a negative MESSAGE heard by the man from the parent (or whomever) that is being “killed” — so that the message may be replaced with something the child needed or wanted to hear at the time. It’s quite simple and effective. Participation in this exercise (and all MKP exercises) is always voluntary – and is one of many techniques available to men to use within their self-run support groups.
I have posted here before. Regarding the safety of MKP’s work. What I believe a man (or woman) gets out of the above description of carpet work or bucketing is catharsis. However having participated for several years in MKP I think these process go awry often. The process is controversial to begin with much less having those unqualified fascilitating it. I also think MKP steers away from the man make his own cognitive distinctions and these distinctions are then provided for him while he is most vulnerable. The problem as I see it is abuse trauma is often complicated. When men reinterpret the details of a past event it becomes real as “they” see it and not as it may have occurred. I have experienced men telling me what happened which did not happen. Furthermore there are often cohersive and even bully tactics applied to get men to do the work and often in a “group think” sort of way. I have no idea if such tactics still occur.
There may be some value in catharisis or just letting off steam. But the inaccurate recreation of a scenario I have found disturbing. Furthermore there is a sort of cookie cutter archetypal ideology which in my opinion grossly deviates from Jungian theory. For example the idea that everything goes back to one’s parents.
Discussing objections to the work is often seen as “in your head” intellectualism and is discouraged. But it seems to me that such discussion is in much need within MKP. There seemed to be the beleif that the methodology and the patterns were “universal” and there seem to me to be an erasure of individual differant experiences and personality styles.
I commented earlier that there was some positive in MKP. This occurred for me in the groups that eliminated bullying and coherisive methods and men did work soully on a voluntary basis. Their was mutual respect as for as how a man defined ones work too. And there was respect when a man said “stop” the work “stopped”. Or one could just talk and cry without “the work”.
Unforunately half the time I spent in MKP I experienced the latter. And the former seems to be in the minority. What I ultimatel determined is bucketing and carpet work is often not done for the benefit of the man on the carpet at all, but for the benefit of the group. That is to say many groups want to experience “a show” and want to participate vicariously through the man on the carpet.
I obviously have an ambivalent opinion of MKP. I think much good can come from a group of men who normalize the grieving process. But I also think that the individual and differences of subjective experience needs to be respected. I also must say I object to the “closed” dialogue on the rickross site who seems only to villanize MKP. I simply want to bring awareness to the dangers of the work in the hopes that MKP will some day minimize those dangers. And now that I am out of therapy, away from MKP, and have read a lot of psychology I feel I have a well informed opinion on the matter.
Warren,
I ran onto an article today about the Mankind Project written by Wayne Besen. He didn’t seem to care for the project, but he did say that after his initial article was published he received several e-mails from gay men who had been a part of the project. They did support the New Warrior program and said that it helped them accept their same-sex orientation. Has anyone been writing you from this perspective?
I have learned that in addition to bucketing, the lion’s share of the killing someone technique is done in “carpet work” or “GUTS work.” Essentially the techniques are like the Rage Therapy in Ofra Bikel’s documentary.
I found a great article on Ariana Huffington for anyone who is interested. I never really knew much about her – and I had no idea she used to identify as a right-wing conservative. Here’s the article for all interested parties:
Article on Ariana Huffington
David,
Ariana Huffington WAS associated with him!
Dr. Throckmorton,
I believe the name of the other organization was called Synanon – I’m pretty sure that was it. Esalen was very mild compared to them.
You may want to reference:
“Life 102: What to do when your Guru Sues You” by Peter McWilliams.
He talks about the various techniques described above used by his former cult leader: John-Roger.
Ariana Huffington may have been associated with him.
oh, another exercise was where you broke off into groups of maybe 4 or 5 – they turned off the lights (which they did for many of the exercises, while the facilitators used flashlights) and the facilitator told us we had to take off the mask we showed the world everyday and tell each other who we really were – I remember a couple of the other people in my group were really crying hard and the facilitator would kneel down in front of them and talk very authoritive and loud saying “take the mask off, take the mask off”. When it came to my turn, I said “that sometimes when I feel hurt I have to act like I am not” – the facilitator said I was being phoney and not trying hard enough to take off the “real” mask because what I said wasn’t enough and that I wasn’t crying so I was “hiding” something and that they would just keep staring at me until I told the truth. He was talking very forcibly and very loud. I then said something that wasn’t true (really cannot remember now what it was) just to have the attention be diverted from me because it was horrible.
I thought that was it but am not sure – I actually think it was another one, more along the lines of Mindspring’s methods.
Esalen?
Back in the mid 1980’s there was an organization called “Mindspring” – I attended a weekend, Thursday night to Sunday afternoon. I cannot remember how much it cost but it was in the hundreds. They believed in sleep deprivation to make one vulnerable and did various techniques like the one where you use another person to get out your rage. One side of the room against the other and then it dwindled down to one person against the other. I had a very difficult time because it seemed so weird to me to do this but noticed others didn’t. It was mostly men and women raging at each other rather than the mom/dad thing. Also, we had to lay on the floor and have a facilitator hold us when we cried – that felt very weird too. There were some other very bizarre techniques they used and I remember several people who felt very intimated and somewhat scared. After we “graduated”, we were at first asked to join the more advanced groups, which of course cost money, and guaranteed to go to a “higher level”. Everytime I said I wasn’t interested, the phone calls increased and the tone of the “facilitator” became more hostile. Then the negative accusations came about how I was not complete yet, etc. – finally they stopped. I originally went to the weekend because my boss at the time raved about it and insisted the people who worked for her go. I was so young at the time and felt my job would be jepordized if I didn’t. There were some good exercises but some were also very risky for others and rather offensive for most. We were yelled at, accused of things we were not, if we didn’t want to participate in some of the more bizarre experiments, we were put in a room with a facilitator who would say how weak we were, etc. I know this is nothing compared to the New Warriors experience but it brought back some memories for me. I just tried to look up Mindspring and only see a company for employment coaching. There was also another kind of organization like this that originated in Big Sur but I cannot remember the name of it – started with an “E” I think.
Actually, they refer to “Bioenergetics” by name in the Facilitator Manual you have linked to in the last post. It’s on page 71 (76 in pdf). I’ve noticed a general similarity to Cohen’s techniques and philosophies, and this seems quite specific.