I took the basic course 12 years ago, then I decided to take PLD (Pacesetter Leadership Dynamics). Three months of *** for me as I chose to suffer. At times I referred to PLD as "Please let me die" or "Personal life destroyed", but in the end, I'm glad I did it. One of the purposes of that course was to take risks (not physically) and step out of your "comfort zone". Sometimes I succeeded, others times not so much. That said, the best way to step out, is to ask others to take the basic seminar.
Please let me emphasize this: nobody made me do anything I wasn't perfectly willing to do, and I wouldn't say I was "brainwashed" at all. That's just plain silly, with all due respect to previous posters. I asked many people to enroll, and five did. Big deal.
Initially, I felt pressured to take PSI 7 when I was in PLD. But I had problems getting along with people my whole life (I was 31 at the time) and I wasn't willing to listen to what friends were telling me about my behavior. I had friends who had already gone to PSI 7, and I saw them applying some of the skills they learned while there. I wanted to learn them too, as they related to my desire to understand relationship dynamics better.
So I paid and I went. I really did learn how I was perceived by others, and I got some honest feedback on how my attitudes and behaviors affected the people I cared most about. That alone was worth the price of admission and has served me for almost 12 years.
In March 1998, I paid and went to Men's Leadership Seminar. There I learned how ineffectual my leadership skills were. In the name of all things that suck, hearing that certainly did. I could have "taken my marbles and gone home", but I chose to apply myself and "step up" in the eyes of others.
That was a valuable learning experience, but the most impactful courses for me were the Basic and PSI 7. To this day, I use what I learned in those courses to better enjoy and get more out of life than I did before. Would I have learned what I did had I not taken those courses? I don't know, but of this I am very sure: I would have had some real-life wreckage before I learned with out getting feedback from other students first.
If some people here took the Basic seminar and are now lashing out at it, consider this: all that course entails is a cohesive and coherent packaging of wisdom and insight learned by humans throughout our short history. Nothing more.
If you consider using visualization and goal setting "brainwashing", then literally everyone is brainwashed. If you consider learning how people interact with one another to gain insight on how to better interact with them, then everyone in the business world is brainwashed. If you consider utilizing forgiveness as a means to let go of things you've done or others have done to you brainwashing, then every kind soul who practices such divine behavior is brainwashed. If you consider striving to live with integrity brainwashing, then every person who seeks to better themselves legitimately in life is also brainwashed. If you consider recognizing programs that we have learned throughout our lives that have held us back from living life to the fullest brainwashing, then everyone who looks within themselves to discover who they are is also brainwashed.
In the end, it doesn't matter. If you invalidate the course because you felt it made you wrong or uncomfortable, I guess that's too bad. If you succeeded as a result, that's too bad as well. So complaining about it won't make you any better off than you were before, and will only serve to dissuade others who would otherwise benefit from the learning experience.
I took the course in Las Vegas, NV, and my facilitator was Tim O'Kelly. He was very effective, and I couldn't care less about his alleged peccadillos. I knew him to be with only one person for the 6 years I knew him, so I wouldn't know about anything more recent. George Sousa was my PSI 7 facilitator, and no matter what his alleged personal problems were, he was highly effective.
You're not supposed to look up to the men and women who teach these classes as role models or as perfect, they're merely people, just like everyone else here, who are trying to do their best to figure things out for themselves, nothing more.
Karen? where do you get off telling us that this crap is good for us? Just because you were brainwashed into believing this BS doesn't mean we have too. So what if you took the basic in Feb of 94, and PSI7 in March of 94, and ten couching PLD in 95. Shame on you for spending your hard earned money on this "CRAP." Shame on you for selling it to your family and friends. How many lives did you destroy with this PSI BS? It was the most life changing CRAP that ever happened to you? Then you really must be a LOSER!!!!!!!!!! Maybe you should MOVE ON.
2. Written by Karen, on 09-05-2008 17:23
I attended the Basic Seminar in February of 1994, PSI 7 in March of 1994, PLD in 1995 which was followed by my coaching PLD. Without a doubt, it was the most positive and life changing thing I have ever done. In fact, I made attending the Basic seminar a must before I'd move in with my boyfriend - now husband five years after I took Basic.
I'm shocked to read some of the crap on here. Tim O'Kelly was my facilitator for Basic and I found him to be honest and forthright.
Shame on you all for disparaging such a great organization. If you didn't like the course, you should have asked for your money back (which they will happily do, yet are not asked that often to do) and move on.
Todd, my man, you need to get a life dude. The white light and work shops didn't work for your sister and your constant PSI BS is getting on my nerves. How much are they paying you to promote this PSI BS? Oh, that's right; your still a volunteer.
I attended the Basic Seminar in February of 1994, PSI 7 in March of 1994, PLD in 1995 which was followed by my coaching PLD. Without a doubt, it was the most positive and life changing thing I have ever done. In fact, I made attending the Basic seminar a must before I'd move in with my boyfriend - now husband five years after I took Basic.
I'm shocked to read some of the crap on here. Tim O'Kelly was my facilitator for Basic and I found him to be honest and forthright.
Shame on you all for disparaging such a great organization. If you didn't like the course, you should have asked for your money back (which they will happily do, yet are not asked that often to do) and move on.
You would think someone could keep track of the divorce rate for PSI Graduates. LGAT's are not regulated therefore there are no laws protecting people from PSI.
5. Written by Friend of a PSI-believer, on 01-05-2008 14:21
Is someone keeping track of how many divorces this thing is causing? A good friend who had a great marriage is getting divorced after getting involved with PSI. Shouldn't someone be reporting this stuff?
Rita, it was very interesting to read your post about PSI Seminars. This is my response to you. A lot of Thought Reform methods goes on in the first two seminars; the "trainers" play good cop bad cop. The last part is more rigorous Thought Reform + Group Think...if you snap out of it all you going be dealing with some cognitive dissonance to get your mind back. (You might want to look that up). Critical thinking is unacceptable. Grey areas of life are overlooked; everything is simplified to "BLACK" or "RED". (Remember that game?) They sell you the idea that justifications are made by the self righteous, but they make justifications for those who leave saying the person was not willing to own up to their experience, much like you did with your post, or they didn't "Show up" to begin with. When you see a different "possibility" it suggested away as "selling your self short" or "not setting yourself up to win". GRHHHHHHHH!!! Save your time and money (spend it well), see a licensed therapist, get frank and honest feedback from trusted friends, love ones, coworkers, bosses etc...if you feel you need to look at your unconscious behavior!!! (I would strongly suggest you get help Rita. And if you’re going to tout the “greatness” of PSI please learn to spell. I corrected your spelling below. It just leads me to believe that you are uneducated and don’t know any better.
It is so interesting to read what people make up in there (it’s spelled “their”) minds about this wonderful seminar. I suspose (it’s spelled “suppose”) if you are a negative sort of person, looking for a reason to stay in your ***, p.s.i. is definatly (it’s spelled “definitely”) not for you. People are pissed because they have to pay for this experience. No one mentions that there is a money back guarentee (it’s spelled “guarantee”) if you are not happy with the course. You can also reaudit (this word is usually hyphenated “re-audit”) this seminar any time you want to for the rest of your life for free!!!! (how much value do you place on your mind Rita?) I personally have presented this healing work to all my freinds (it’s spelled “friends”) and family (I was surprised you got this one right). I am here to say that doing this work has increased the greatness in my life exponetially (it’s spelled “exponentially”). I am forever greatful (and this one is spelled “grateful”) for the P.S.I experience, most sincerely, Rita Chance
My advise is to STAY AWAY from the P*ss and Sh*t Institute (PSI) !!!
Many former PSI participants have said that the group they were in used coercive persuasion techniques.
A Stafford University professor identified "the key factors that distinguish coercive persuasion from other training and socialization schemes are:
1. The reliance on intense interpersonal and psychological attack to destabilize an individual's sense of self to promote compliance
2. The use of an organized peer group
3. Applying interpersonal pressure to promote conformity
4. The manipulation of the totality of the person's social environment to stabilize behavior once modified."
Coercive persuasion, also called "thought reform," is quite different from education, advertising, propaganda and indoctrination.
See [www.rickross.com]
This is a chart prepared by psychologist Margaret Singer.
Note the distinctions.
Most LGATs are run by for profit privately owned companies.
They are typically not subject to licensing or regulation, as are licensed professionals, such as marriage and family therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists.
People are safer going with licensed professionals and support groups facilitated by licensed professionals available through local social services, colleges, community centers or hospital services.
PSI Seminars should have gone the way of disco and mood rings, but for a few years it was hailed as the breakthrough of the ages, allowing human beings to transcend themselves, attain happiness, fulfillment, prosperity, and peace with all people.
I guess I was too thick or slow or stupid, but I never got on board with PSI. I never did "get it!" That was the catch phrase that PSI "trainers" liked to use in their marathon indoctrination sessions, which typically took place in hotel ballrooms, where hundreds of people sat in straight-back, hard-*** chairs and forswore bathroom breaks.
What I did learn from the experience was that there are always people willing to take our money to make us happy and rich, popular and admired. All we have to do is present a major credit card and believe any dream can come true. Yeah right!!!!!!!!!!!
After reading these statements it appears that Todd might be the one who wasted his "valuable" time. My ex-sister in law became involved in this group and left her husband. He has had a hard time adjusting to the loss of his wife.
Todd, If you read this I have a question? How do you reconcile the fact that people get involved in this group, leave their family, to included their children, without any guilt or remorse? Is this what PSI teaches? It must be if this many people are using these forums to voice their opinions. Just a thought.
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