I resisted this for 12 years. Friends and family would invite me and I would laugh at them. I saw all of them as totally broken, disillusioned... then somebody caught me at a moment of unhappiness last March at work and said, "dude, I really care about you and I notice that you don't look as happy as you did a year or two ago... what's important for you in your life these days?". So, I reluctantly showed up at an intro and decided to register within the first 10 minutes (but decided to leave at that moment...I wanted to know that I had already put down the deposit and there was no way to back out. I could see something possible for myself in the words of the people sharing on the mic. I also saw people I knew and respected in the audience and on the mic sharing and introducing their friends and realized that if they thought this was valuable for themselves and their friends, it probably was for me. I was still cynical, resigned and totally skeptical... and yet, I said yes, because I was pretty miserable in my life. Since doing the Forum, this past year has been the greatest year of my adult life, largely due to the commitments that have emerged and the possibilities that I've created through my work with Landmark. I'm still doing the work everyday. It's not like I'm 100% complete or free in all areas of my life, however the transformations that have occurred have been remarkable. Finding more love and freedom with my boss, team and clients at work. Noticing how much love is available in my co-parenting partnership (which used to include zero communication... and she and I now talk everyday, in fact she is doing the advanced course this weekend). We still are bumping into challenges and there is still incompleteness, but we work through it now instead of shutting each other down or running away from the problems. What's also clear is that my parents, daughter, friends and business partners actually trust me now that I am willing to share breakdowns or challenges with them honestly (not just all the good stuff and breakthroughs). Having to look good all the time really took a toll on my health and cost me a sense of authenticity with the people I love in my life. Being able to be real with them now, ask for support and/or share with them what I am committed to in my life, and asking them to help hold me accountable to this, has provided true freedom. Highly suggest this work for any person that is a human being living on earth. read more

Worst people. Went through it years ago and still have PTSD from some of the very rude people. I think the straw that broke the camel's back was a guy talking negatively about a certain religious group, and he said awful things. What he didn't know was that my friend (who I had invited) were (and are) members of that religious group. The guy who ran the primary program was SO RUDE TO ME! Other members were so unbelievable rude, but I stayed the 3 days. (in hindsight, I didn't get anything from it except PTSD) My advice is not to go ever to anything they put on. read more

I never received my order from months ago. So I called and canceled. They continue to try to charge my Apple Pay account and raising the price $10.00 more. They are nothing but crooks and have horrible customer service and do not send you your orders but still want to collect from you!! BEWARE OF THEM. Had to at least do 1 star in Order to post this. They definitely do not deserve even 1 star. Big Scammers read more

I ordered a cheese grater in December and I didn't receive until March. It was not even the one that I ordered. I didn't know that this grater was coming from China and it was a cheaply made one. They also charged me for two months membership to the Lndmark Club which I did not sign up for. I asked for a refund, they only refunded me for one month. Their customer service said someone was going to call me back and no one ever. Bad company and very bad customer service. read more

I did not completed the full 3 days, but it was just so horrible, and I felt like I immediately needed to warn people about this scam. Kathy, the person leading the group, was rude and completely dismissive to participants and repeatedly interrupted people while they were talking, especially if they were saying something that didn't line up with the programs very narrow thinking. She also shamed and talked down to people when they were struggling to understand concepts, that she poorly explained. I really struggled to make it through the 1st day, but I gave it a try and came back the next day only to be more disappointed. The concepts and methodology they are teaching is nothing you can't find in countless other programs or books, however in those other programs people are treated with compassion and respect, which was completely lacking in this program. I witnessed emotional and psychological manipulation, that they seemed to make no effort to try and hide. The concepts are also horribly out of date, and they have not bothered to keep up with any new behavioral science. This was a complete waste of money and time. It's like they took a basic understanding of human behavior and were like LOOK "were going to show you stuff about yourself" and for a vulnerable person or any person struggling with trauma, this becomes a great manipulative tool. Now add, making people feel like they are less then or broken for not "understanding" their disorganized ramblings and totally playing on a power dynamic, it makes participants emotionally raw, thus emotionally susceptible when pushing them to bring up past traumas and negative self-talk. This is the foundation they use to emotionally break people down, and if someone was not easily pulled into these manipulative tactics they would shame them by saying there were not being "authentic" or "being on the court" in the game of life. Once you have emotionally beat someone up with their own traumas and negative talk, it is easy then to build them back up temporally, and make it seem like they just had this huge discovery that Landmark so graciously gave them.... for a small fee of $600 of course. The problem is this kind of "breakthrough" is temporary, which they acknowledge, but that's ok because they have more programs you can take to keep the process going, that is.... obviously for an additional fee. Do yourself a huge favor and just skim through any self-help book written after 2000 and you'll get more useful information and definitely more value. read more

Synopsis: It's a cult. Dets.: -The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment: Check -Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged: Check -Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group: Check -The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality: Check -The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary: Check For more on cults, see: http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm I gave Landmark a chance, but realized very quickly that IT'S A CULT. I'd heard whispers, and read reviews, but truly wanted to go in with an open mind. Don't get me wrong, the message - that you, a human being, are ENOUGH as you currently are - is great; however, the methods (and cost) leave a lot to be desired. As Ray J. from Alameda writes below, the "trainings" last nearly 36 hours over three days, with an additional 3.25 hour session on Tuesday evening. See above: "The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary". Sitting in a cold room 12 hours a day for three days straight is extreme, and reminiscent of EST (the 1970s cult wherein "moderators castigated and berated participants for their beliefs. After knocking them down, the moderators raised their spirits through guided meditations and repetitive readings. At the end of the two- or three-day seminar, participants either "got it" and experienced a transcendent life change or walked away dazed and confused"). Shockingly (/s) Landmark was created by the brother and sister of the founder of EST (Werner Erhard, who, surprisingly, /s, was a former student of Scientology). I was done after a THOUGHTFUL question by a participant was dismissed with "just do the Forum". Essentially all questions were answered similarly. See above: "Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged". I could write more, but again, Ray J. from Alameda did a great job summarizing this cult. Oh, a few final notes: -The kind folks who assist during your Forum are UNPAID, despite your $800 entry fee -The company is "a for-profit company 100% owned by over 600 employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and similar international plans", so I guess that $800 fee you pay goes to them (Source: https://www.landmarkworldwide.com/about/company-overview) -The leaders of your Forum take the Forum FOUR times a year themselves in addition to leading it - gotta keep the indoctrination going, I guess -They don't provide food, drinks, or parking validation despite the exorbitant fee (again, $800) And Landmark, if you're reading this, I would very much like my money back. I emailed customerservice@landmarkworldwide.com as suggested by Tony Faber below, but my email bounced. Hmmmm...Shocking. /s read more

Landmark - GROUNDBREAKING wisdom shared in Landmark... - Education Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I missed 75% of the second session of a seminar because of work and asked for a refund due to work commitments and they said no. After years and years of committing myself to this work they turned their back on me after I asked a reasonable ask. Don't go unless you are 150% committed because "there ain't no gettin out". Disappointed. read more

AVOID AVOID AVOID. We did this over a year ago. And I've not said anything about it until now. Have y'all heard of Landmark? They're this trippy Bay Area "coaching" program that's supposed to cure you of all of life's ills as long as you work the program, pay for all their various trainings, and convince all of your friends and family to give them their money, too. Landmark is a marketing hoax. They spend all of their energy and time trying to get you to part with your dollar bills. While they attempt to teach helpful skills, tips for communication, relationship advice etc., this is something you could (and absolutely should) get from a therapist. The trainers who work for landmark tackle major mental health, family, and relationship issues - but they are NOT trained therapists. I repeat: they are NOT trained mental health professionals. They are not equipped nor trained to deal with issues about abuse, family dysfunction, marital issues, depression, sexual identity, gender identity, anxiety, social issues, romantic issues, work issues, or anything else that falls under the realm of therapists. There's also something incredibly creepy and uncomfortable about Landmark. They have this philosophy of breaking you down in order to build you up. For example, the woman who got up to talk about her abusive relationship with her brother earned the response "wah wah wah, poor you! I'm sure your behavior has nothing to do with it." While this may be true, it is utterly inappropriate to publicly shame someone who is suffering and traumatized. Moreover, the advice given at the Landmark Forum is not tailored to your specific, individual issues, but rather crowd-sourced in a jam-packed room. Advice and techniques are driven by who speaks and what issues are brought up. Forum trainings are 3 full days that last from 8 AM until 10PM. There's zero flexibility in their program, despite what they say in their promotional materials: you are not allowed to leave. You are not allowed to stand up, you are not allowed to take notes, you're not allowed to eat. You're not supposed to get up and go to the bathroom. If you're a doctor on call and need to leave an hour early to deal with an emergency, you will be told that "since you will not get the full benefit of Landmark," you shouldn't come back. And guess what? They don't give refunds. Money money money. Marketing agents with fake smiles circle like vultures at each event. If you don't register for an additional event, or ask your beloved friends and family to give them money (there's an entire segment dedicated to that), they bully and shame you. This has been the experience of many people who have signed up for Landmark, just google it. If you've ever done work around family issues, social issues, work issues, or life issues, this won't feel revelatory - it will just feel like a big marketing scam (as it did for us). If you're having issues or are facing challenging problems - and everyone does!!! - go find yourself a real therapist. And by that I mean: find an actual, trained professional who can actually help you with real-life issues. Don't give your money to some two-bit organization that claims to have a cure for all of life's problems. That is NOT A THING. It never has been, and it never will be. Skip Landmark - they're untrained frauds and they just want your money. read more

We have always loved Landmark. The food is always top notch. However tonight we just had the BEST service we've ever had! George went above and beyond! His personality and caring, catering to our youngest was better than ever before here. It brought us back to how things used to be before this virus took over. Thank you Landmark for having us, and for having George part of your Landmark family' read more

I enrolled in the Landmark Forum in July after being invited to the Tuesday of a previous Forum in Sacramento earlier in the year by a friend. I found that, while the speaker/coach there was inspiring and some of the attendees spoke well to what they had received, I was also pressured pretty hard into enrolling. But I enrolled willingly for a Forum in SF, believing I could find "blindspots" and make some personal "breakthroughs," about my myself and how I act, think, and respond in life. So a half year later there I am in SF (the future courses in Sacramento did not fit with my schedule). The first day went alright. I was trying to wrap my mind around the methodologies and listened with interest to the other participants speak about their life experience, their stories, narratives etc. But by day 2 I withdrew from the Forum. My reasons: 1) The constant pressure to call and enroll people is a huge turn-off. It's like a TV ad saying "call now, don't wait!" over and over. As a participant this was terribly distracting from my purpose for being there (which was not to be an enroller). It was to first work with myself. But now, even on evening 1 I'm supposed to call someone and share a new possibility, "a possibility to be present for another." This was completely inauthentic to me and I could not do that (I'm happy to "suggest" or recommend things to people otherwise that I think of value). It took the excitement, the joy, the "possibility" of learning something of value away. On day 2 almost within the first couple minutes the coach (an actress) is asking if we called people and if not, why not. So I responded angrily "why should I?" She dismissed me. Later people like me were called "brats," and "un-coachable." Ohhhkay... So I wonder how Landmark expects people to be "authentic" when making calls they don't want to make. Sounds like coercion. 2) The methodology meant nothing to me. I could toss it around, mull it and it struck me as having similar qualities to Buddhism but counterfeit. Already/Always Listening - this baffled me and the teacher basically enjoyed engaging us with what we thought this was (I'm not criticizing that, just remarking) and no one could give the right answer. I had made a response, which was based out of my understanding of a Zen Buddhist concept. When the teacher gave an explanation it didn't clarify anything, which made me think "bullocks." Perhaps I'm un-coachable or needed to stay longer to understand, I wondered. It's just not making sense. 3) I found the concepts negative in general. One is assumed to be inauthentic, not honoring one's word, having told oneself a story about oneself, and one has rackets (hang ups). I don't have a problem with any of that and I think the points are valid. And a negative response is often part of a process of raw self-reflection. But what can one do with that? You're supposed to call someone and enroll them - of course! To tell them how you've been inauthentic, have been living your rackets, etc. Well, I couldn't think of anyone this would apply to. I've had positive relationships with my parents, my girlfriends, my friends and others. I've had some resentments, misunderstandings and created narratives on occasion but I've generally "made things complete." And if a romantic relationships didn't work, I don't feel like calling a girlfriend out of the blue to look over our relationship and enroll her. I left or they left for good reasons and we sometimes discussed why. In terms of authenticity, I make it a point in my life to speak truth, not even to tell white lies, honor my feelings and my gut, and be quite intentional about life. I'm VERY self-reflective and don't like to delude myself or others. While I am far from perfect and not always living my best self every moment, I just couldn't see a point to this Forum at what I call Day 1.75 and left. 4) A large number of attendees have had serious trauma in their lives. They need one-on-one psychotherapy, not coaching from a non-psychotherapist. I felt like an odd man out because I've lived a fairly happy life and had a good upbringing. 5) Not one ounce of food is offered, just a lot of water. Seems inhospitable for our deposit and payment. 6) The coach made this crying sound when poor traumatized people became emotional. Perhaps it was helpful to participants but I thought it was condescending and bad acting. 7) The session began with the coach asking if we had any concerns about the Forum or Landmark. Many people asked if it was a cult, that that's what they had heard it called. I don't believe it's a cult but that the strong coercive nature of the Forum gives that impression. People could be easily mistaken, given the insane harassment to ENROLL!! It is for your client to freely decide! 8) Upon leaving, an associate whispered that if I did so "I'd be leaving my integrity behind." read more

I have mixed feelings about Landmark. My disclosure is that I was raised by a clinical psychologist, and I've probabaly done an above-average amount of self-analysis and exploration. I came here for the free introduction seminar (3 hours) and left half-way at the break. I didn't feel this was for me. They take you through some exercises to figure out what's not working in your life, talk through what would your probable future be like if you continued as-is, assign emotion-words to these outcomes, and turn the problem into an opportunity for change. I didn't like that in this intro session, each person is forced to go through their answers and analysis in front of the group. Honestly, I didn't really want to do that but I didn't have a choice. I think if I'm being fair about this, this process is probably amazing for some people who haven't done much introspection or self-analysis. If you feel blocked, or like you have some problem in your life and you don't know who to talk to or where to start in terms of addressing it, you may get a lot of value out of Landmark. Personally, I feel that if I had started this fifteen years ago before I started my company or learned a bunch of lessons (the hard way), I could have perhaps gotten value out of this process and saved myself some heartache. But at the point where I am right now, I'm feeling pretty good about my life and I've done a lot of self-analysis. I do it regularly, in fact. I'm continuously questioning things and trying to figure out what's working for me, what's not, and what I can try to do to improve my life. The negatives of my experience were as follows. My perception was that if you don't really feel you have problems, they will create or amplify issues in order to establish a delta between your supposed status quo and where you would be if you completed the Landmark Forum. In essence, to me it felt like an elaborate sales pitch. The positives now. I went in with an open mind, knowing almost nothing about it other than that it significantly improved my friend's life and helped her find a depth of emotional honesty and communication with her parents that was never possible for her prior to Landmark. It also encouraged her to start her own business and be more self-confident. So I'm not saying it's not worthy of a sales pitch, or that it's devoid of content. It's just not for me. And the pitch does come across as a hard pitch, not a soft one. The intro session is geared towards getting you to sign up for the Landmark Forum, which costs $700 for a 3 day workshop. I don't think the people who work here think of it as a hard sales pitch though.... mostly they seem very earnestly enthusiastic about the program and what it's done for them. But the net result is you do feel pressured to declare that this process is awesome and sign up. read more

Invited as a guest. It was not a final graduation class but an intro to the program and recruitment for the next Forum sessions. Participants gave testimony. Guests shared stories. Lots of visual examples plus promotional sales of the Forum. Water and snacks available. I think people can bring snacks to share. This was just a snapshot of the program. I wasn't sure if I would do it as I've taken numerous alternative healing workshops and the like. I did register. I don't have the money to pay but I'm hoping that by the time my session starts I will have manifested the money. I know. Crazy but this is the year for change. You want change, just do it. I will post if it "worked" so stay tuned. Toward the end of the evening, I noticed a lot of volunteers or recruitment people sort of circling those who had not registered. It made me uncomfortable to see the look in the recruiters eyes. It was like they were no longer that positive happy person, but hunters trying to get everyone​ registered before they left. It sounds harsh but it's what I saw. Not everyone was having that vulturish demeanor but it was definitely present. I left. I spoke with a girl outside who told me a similar story. She said she felt a couple people where disingenuous towards her and they kept asking if she was registered. She was. After she told them she was they went away. She said she didn't like the hard sell. Lots of recruiters said they weren't getting anything in return but again, I personally hate to be pushed or convinced of something. I already know whether I will join or not But we'll see. I'm interested in the process. So my first impression: Great leadership and discussion. They shouldn't keep playing the video to convince people to join. It's a turn off. I actually saw audience members laughing at the video content as if it were a joke. Although most were friendly, it was disturbing to see this micro facade of intent in their eyes. The smile didn't match the eyes. Anyway, stay tuned for my Landmark Forum review. read more

Landmark Education is the most impactful program I have done in my life. I owe my success, contentment and happiness to the tools, insights and skills I obtained in the programs. And every time I reach another phase and level of growth I participate in a course to invent my future from that point. I am a happy woman because I am able to be the cause of my life in a clean, clear and straightforward way. I wish everybody would to the programs because the benefits are way beyond what people think possible. Thank you, Landmark Education. read more

I thought I was doing really well with these courses but ended up having a mental breakdown after following the learnings in these courses that encourage you to not rest sufficiently and that emotions are irrelevant. I ended up stuffing my feelings while overworking and that life brought out latent mental illness and I lost everything. I don't recommend Landmark anymore. read more

I founded my own business and have run it successfully for nearly 10 years. I've always been skeptical of self-help guru stuff. A friend and business partner suggested I try the Landmark Forum to help with communication issues we were having and I also saw it as a way to potentially improve some other personal issues going on in my life around relationships with family. I went into the Landmark Forum extremely skeptical, on very high alert for scamminess, and extremely wary of any "cult-like" practices. I'd read as many reviews and opinions online as I could find, and I found some very negative things that sounded horrific, some almost ridiculously positive things, and then (finally) some balanced things. So I figured I'd try it, and if it felt like a scammy cultish new-age load of horse dung, I'd leave and just demand my money back. It has been two months since the Forum. I can categorically say it's not a cult. They do not lock you in a room without food and water. The class leader that I had was exceptionally patient and committed. The people in my class were not a bunch of empty-headed hippies stuck in the 70s (as I had assumed they would be); they are extremely motivated, talented, and intelligent people - and many of them came in just as skeptical as I did. Of about 140 people in that class, I know of only 2 who decided the class wasn't for them (and they left after the second day). And for those two I am really, truly sad! What did I get? Well, I got annoyed a lot because I was constantly looking for reasons to prove that this program was stupid and a waste of my time and money so I could walk out and just take my money back and say "HA! This is a load of crap and I knew it!" And still I got an extremely powerful way of viewing and understanding life that has removed 80% of the stress and turmoil in my head. It has also reduced my cynicism, increased my ability to trust others, and drastically improved my ability to have important conversations with people in all areas of my life. Conversations that were unthinkable before have actually happened. Relationships that seemed unfixable now seem like they could actually be something amazing. I am more effective in my business (communication with coworkers and clients is so much more clear and easy). I never would have expected that I could write this with sincerity, but the statements Landmark makes about being able to positively impact all areas of your life are not just cheese-ball marketing slogans. It's a promise that they actually deliver on. Will it work for EVERYONE? I don't know. But I know that the changes in people and relationships that I personally saw in my class were nothing short of incredible. I have recommended this program to friends, family, and strangers, and I do it with no reservations AT ALL. I have even offered to pay for part of it for a stranger. The value is absolutely there and well worth it. Will they sell you on other courses during the Forum and Advanced? Yes, yes they will. And that will still not take away from what you get from the courses. SUMMARY: DO IT. If you really REALLY hate it and think it's ridiculous, you'll be free to walk out and get your money back. If it ends up being what it was for me, you will absolutely thank yourself for giving it a shot. And everyone who knows you will thank you too. ---- ADDENDUM: I would personally not recommend taking the Forum in Action seminar. It is billed as a chance to receive support and coaching to carry lessons forward into your life, and unfortunately an inordinate amount of the time is devoted to Landmark marketing. Having attended a total of 4 of the sessions, my experience was that a significant amount of time (sometimes the majority of the time) is dedicated to telling you about the other Landmark programs, getting you to consider taking other programs, and getting you to invite others to join Landmark programs. Again, I'm a HUGE fan of the Forum and Advanced, and the Forum in Action is just not worth the time the way it is currently structured. read more

I was scheduled in November but due to a death in the family I could not attend, so I contacted Rey Sanchez and rescheduled for January 17th, 2020. Even thou I was not feeling well that morning I went to the forum with hope that I can reschedule again since I had one of the worst days with my hives. Later that day I went to the doctor and discovered that it was not hives but shingles. I spoke with Rey Sanchez and explained that there was no way I could spend the day at the forum, but her response was so negative that made me feel extremely uncomfortable. She informed me that she could not reschedule it again and that I was not getting my money back. She made me wait in the lobby while she called Ms. Butkovic, I assumed she was verifying my condition, but latter on I found out that she hung up on Ms. Butkovic. I waited for 15 minutes while Ms. Sanchez was talking to other people and never came back to me. At that point I approached another volunteer and ask her to tell Ms. Sanchez that I was leaving and I left. read more

I used to know this girl, and I truly liked her. She was a spunky smart ass, not unlike myself. We would chat it up at work and ended up getting to know each other fairly well. One day, she came up to me at lunch and told me about a new "program" in a center that focused on stimulating your potential for excellence and self-improvement. She was overtly enthusiastic and very eager to bring me along to one of the sessions. I considered going with her, but balked at the outrageous fees and costs of the "classes" that were strongly recommended. But day after day she persisted. She said they had a free introductory class in the evenings, and that she had convinced a couple of the other girls from work to go with her. I was starting to feel uneasy about our friendship. It was beginning to feel like she was a Mary Kay saleswoman, trying to get me to buy her makeup so she could win the pink Cadillac. The meetings are not pleasant, to say the least. There is a room of people, generally all pretty uncertain of their future, and without direction. They are looking for something to believe in, and someone to lead them there. LEC answers that need in spades. You're berated, and then forced to spill your life's failures in front of everyone. Then, your given examples are picked apart and examined by the seminar leader. Anything from your past is fair game, and you are encouraged to feel poorly about everything you've been doubting about yourself for so long. People are "strongly urged" NOT to go to the bathroom, or to leave. When you do, you are heckled into staying, and generally given a hard time about failing to see the light of LEC. One of the girls that got hooked into coming to the session was in tears when she talked about the tragedies in her life, and actually ended up pulling out her checkbook, ready to write a big fat one out for the future seminars. Luckily she called her husband before she did. They had no money at the time, and were barely making ends meet. He instructed her to leave immediately and picked her up ten minutes later. The incessant and pushy tactics for getting others to join my friend in the meetings were not effective, and after turning her down again and again, I started avoiding her altogether. She backed off after that. We drifted apart and eventually, she moved away. LEC charges a LOT of money for their courses, which have no guarantee of working, and do not give you the answers to all of your problems. Also, after my friend took the requisite course work that was "recommended" by them, she was told to teach the classes...and she had to pay THEM to do so. W......T......F? The thing of it is, LEC could strive to be a great tool for self-improvement. Their meetings could be a safe-haven and an anchor for those who have suffered pain and felt persecuted. They could use their influence to truly help people who feel lost and without hope... ...oh, wait. Churches don't charge tuition. DUH. read more

It cracks me up how vigilante people get with this education. Cult? No, you can leave, stop taking classes whenever you want. There's no "Leader" you must obey. And there's no "doctrine" that is the end-all-be-all of human existence. Xenu and the likes are not here, however a lot of very happy and successful people are. Use them or not, entirely up to you. Pushy? They used to be pushy and have since restructured their sales to include training for any of the assisting people to never ever push. Do some people still push? Sure. Everyone's different and some people LOVE this technology. Is that wrong? Eh, whatever. I had a friend who saw Spiderman and thought it was God's gift to movies. I disagreed. Pretty much exactly the same thing as Landmark. Some people (and I'll be honest, I believe just about anyone can get a LOT out of this) are just extremely satisfied with what they got out of Landmark and want to share it. Don't make them wrong for it, if it's not your deal that's cool, but at least check it out and make up your own mind. Don't be an ass about it. I was extremely skeptical when my friend invited me. However, I pride myself on knowing I can get something out of anything and based on what an amazing human being he is I decided to check it out. I'm not a person in any need of "self help" nor do I have any family issues or problems finding a career, or even hurting for money. I had an absolutely stellar life before Landmark Education and am STILL having a stellar life. Actually much more so now, although I didn't think it was possible. The only thing that changed is I now have more "tools" in my proverbial "tool box" to go to work on my life if I ever have an area that frustrates me or stresses me out. Before Landmark I prided myself on being able to perform under stress and thought that in order to perform best I needed to be stressed out. Let's be clear I do perform excellent under stress but it's not entirely fun. With the tools Landmark Education gives you in the forum you can reduce the time you spend stressing to almost nothing. And I still perform just as well as I did when I was stressed out, if not a bit better. I'm not saying stress disappears ENTIRELY because let's be honest, everyone is human and you react to things and always will... BUT the time you spend doing those worthless things like stressing, being frustrated, etc. is drastically reduced. That gift of control and awareness is worth the $400 price for admission. It's 3.5 days of your life and it's not religious in any nature. They give you a bunch of tools to use on your life and break apart any blocks you may have. Use them or don't, it's entirely up to you. By the way, you can take breaks, smoke, not participate, be an ass, or whatever else you're all afraid of in their seminars. If you choose to, you can confront your ego, heal your family, fix a broken relationship, make more money in your business, whatever the heck you want. Even post a review on technology that you haven't experienced but want to hate on it because someone else wanted you to get something out of it... what an awesome use of time that was. Someone cared about you and wanted to share something exciting with you and you told them to shove off and that the "movie" (see Spiderman reference above) was about cults and that you refuse to talk to them now. Brilliant move Watson. How's that working out for you? The Forum is whatever you want it to be. It's just a set of tools. Use them or don't. I'd also ask the people who had bad experiences with it, if they use the same excuses elsewhere in life to not check things out. If so, cool. Just be aware of it. That's all. read more

After signing up, my brother and I found some not so pleasant things about Landmark Education on the web, and wanted to cancel. It wasn't worth the $500 or the entire weekend, to attend something with a big question mark surrounding it. So, my brother and I went back and forth with some guy at Landmark Education on the phone about how since we had registered already, that we could no longer cancel. The guy on the phone discussed with me for several minutes about how Landmark Education is not a cult, and how his business started taking off after he went to the seminar. After adamantly insisting that we were not interested in attending, he finally told us that he would grant us the exception and refund us the money back. Well, I'm glad we got the money back, but it was very annoying. read more

I DETEST any group oriented "training" or therapy, I've completely despised it. I heard about Landmark maybe 10 years ago and thought it sounded like a brainwashing cult so I stayed away. Then I had a friend who did the Forum who is a respected community leader and basic level headed person. He encouraged me to check it out, so because I trusted him, I did. I went to an introduction just to see what would happen. I acted like a total asshole: not giving my real name on the registration card and refusing to give any contact information... refusing to talk to anyone, and when they tell you it is time to sign up, I just started to walk out of the room, expecting someone to tackle me in the hallway and force me or something. Instead, I just left without saying a word, and the nice assistants that night just said, "bye, have a good night." I was kind of disappointed that no one was pressuring me or using shady sales tactics like I expected. So then I signed up and did the Forum. I have done a lot of leadership training- from getting an MBA in management, to going to leadership training schools of all sorts... and this is by far the best training available. It is also far cheaper than most training of its caliber, and while it is totally confrontational in a lot of ways, it is effective and powerful. In fact, Harvard did a business case study on Landmark years ago to find out why people who have done the forum are often so successful in business, and you can probably find it online. It is a much more balanced and unbiased perspective than some of these other wacky hearsay assessments of people who either never did the forum, or who were upset by how confronting the material is. It definitely strives to kill off your ego- which is NOT FUN. Yet once you just let all that arrogance and bs you carry through your life go, and actually participate in the course and take the coaching, life is totally different. You end up living with a newfound sense of power and purposefulness... you clean up old relationships, and get freedom from all the crap in your past that weighs you down today. In response to one poster who said the following- which is so laughably untrue that I have no idea where it even came from. (I've done a few landmark courses now, and have many friends who have done their courses and I've never in my life heard of these crazy things that they said happen... If they did, I'd be out of there in about 5 seconds.) 1) No going to the bathroom for 7 hours (later changed to 4). TRUTH: You can go to the bathroom or take a break whenever you want. 2) No talking to one's friend or neighbor during the training. TRUTH: You are asked not to talk while the leader is lecturing (kind of like a college course where you aren't supposed to talk during the lecture)- but you talk to your friends and share like crazy with the people around you throughout the whole training. It is encouraged. 3) No eating or drinking during a bathroom break. TRUTH: You can eat, drink, smoke or do whatever you want during a bathroom break. 4) No meditating, sewing, knitting, reading, stretching, and other activities during the training while participants sit in their seats. TRUTH: You could meditate or stretch if you needed, just nothing that would disrupt the course... I had some back problems and got up to stretch every 20 minutes or so... no problem 5) Participants on medication had to sit in the last row, in the back of the room. TRUTH: This is ludicrous. You are asked to change seats and meet new people after every break. But if you are on meds, you should let the leader know just so they don't worry about you. 6) No leaving the room for anything except during the prescribed breaks. TRUTH: You can leave the room at any time. 7) No smoking or gum-chewing allowed during the training. TRUTH: No, you can't smoke indoors in a room full of people- duh. But you can smoke or chew gum on breaks, outside. 8) No "If's" or "But's" used during the training. (The word "And" replaced those words.) TRUTH: HUH??? I can't even understand this- they say if and but all the time. And some other words too. :) So here's the annoying part, for real: *They ask you to invite your friends a lot. But you don't HAVE to. You can choose to invite them, or choose not to. It is up to you. *They want you to do more courses and sometimes it feels like pressure, although again, you can say no!! *The room in SF where it takes place is AWFUL. It has no windows and is ugly and uninspiring. *They absolutely are out to push every button you have and piss you off, so you can learn what a jerk you are when you are pissed off and how that impacts your entire life. It is by design, but again, NOT fun. read more

I find it really amazing that every person who wrote a poor review of this institution never actually attended the Land Mark Forum. Typical "done nothing and knows everything" attitude that you see more often in the real cults of the century, blog sites and like such as Yelp. While this type of education may not be for everyone, it provides people with some amazing tools for living. Landmark does not claim to solve all the problems in your life. Landmark does offer a different perspective on life and a set of tools to approach life's little "bumps." OH and the $$$. People get real! $500 for a 3 day course? Give me a break. I spend $1000's of dollars on 2 & 3 day seminars for things like pragmatic marketing and even $5k on a pricing course at Haas UCB. I can tell you my job performance has improved more form the $500 I spent on Landmark Forum than the $10k I spent on other "professional" courses. Oh and yes I got a raise because of it a pretty considerable one considering the economic climate we are in. If nothing else the ROI (return on investment) justifies the course. What have you got to loose, but your deep seeded pessimistic view of the world. read more

I took the Landmark Forum about 8 years ago. I was a bit of a skeptic walking in and even though I got so much out of the course, I was still a bit skeptical about the organization itself just from some of the reviews on Yelp. I ended up taking the Advanced Course about 4 years ago and the Communication courses a about a year ago. Before I did any of these courses, I had lots of self-confidence issues, I didn't have much of a relationship with my parents even though they were good people. I just never felt like they understood me. I also struggled a lot in my relationship with my daughter. As a result of doing Landmark's courses, things in my life just kept getting better and better. Insecurities are gone. Confidence level went through the roof. My career has moved up leaps and bounds. I've made career changes without skipping a beat. My income level doubled. I was able to clear about $200k of debt in about a year and a half and actually started saving money. Most importantly, my relationship with my daughter is freakin' awesome now. I also have an awesome relationship with both of my parents and the rest of my family. I actually feel close to my family now where I was always secretly envious of other people who had a close relationships with their family. I can't recommend these courses any higher if you're looking for breakthroughs in whatever area of your life - relationships, money, business, well-being, etc... I do recommend that you try to get clear on what you want before taking the course and do the homework! I've seen people in the courses complain they're not getting much out of it, but they're always the ones who aren't doing the homework or participating fully. As some other reviewers have pointed out, they will offer other courses and follow up with you on the regular and also encourage you to share the course with other people in your life. You don't have to do any of these things if you don't want to. Just don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. The courses do work if you fully participate and do the homework. About 15 people in my life have done the courses after me. None have any regrets and definitely felt they got their money's worth. Some did other courses after, some didn't. All got the breakthroughs they were looking for. Again, if there's something you really want to have a breakthrough in, you can't go wrong so as long as you participate fully! Lastly, the people saying Landmark is a cult are idiots and have no clue what a cult is. There's no one to worship, one of the things Landmark excels at is mending broken relationships, and you can do as much or as little of the courses as you want. There are plenty of reputable organizations (not Yelp nutjobs) that have reviewed the Landmark Forum like The New York Times, Psychology Today, Harvard Business School, and Harris Interactive. See for yourself here... http://www.landmarkworldwide.com/why-landmark/news http://www.landmarkworldwide.com/why-landmark/independent-research read more

PLEASE DO NOT REVIEW LANDMARK IF YOU HAVE NOT TAKEN THE COURSE! That would be just as silly as reviewing a restaurant if you have never been there and eaten the food. (which I know, some people do). Landmark Forum was great and i feel inspired and transformed. It was honest and real and fun and life-changing. On the first day, after about 2 hours, you are given the opportunity to get your money back and leave if you have decided that it is not for you. I loved it and I highly recommend it. read more

Landmark gave me my life. Now, before you write me off as one of the people who "follows a cult" and are a "poor, manipulated soul", please take a chance to read what I have to say. I'm a smart, professional, soon-to-be RN and I question everything in my life with an extremely critical eye. I don't walk into anything blindly, I'm not religious, and I believe in the freedom of independent thinking above everything. I had been in therapy since I was a young kid, did yoga, tried several religions, etc. - nothing "worked" for me. Before doing Landmark I was a liar, didn't know what it meant to be honest, was extremely manipulative, carried around this enormous anger and hate from a difficult childhood (which translated into having a horrible relationship with my family because I blamed them for everything that went wrong in my life), partied hard (and dangerously - that goodness I'm alive), believed that I was worthless, and had no goals in life. I was living life from an extremely selfish and tiny perspective because I didn't believe that I was good enough or could get over myself enough to be a powerful person. I didn't think there was any hope for me. I was content with working at a small job, going to school occasionally, partying, and eventually dying - probably from all the partying. My best friend and ex-boyfriend both had done Landmark and had been telling me for years that I needed to do it. I blew them off and used excuses of it being too much money, I didn't have the time, or that it was a "cult" (because the internet says it is - so it MUST be true! ;-) ). I finally bit the bullet, paid the money, and did the Forum in San Francisco in 2009 and the Advanced Course shortly thereafter. Fast forward to now - I talk with my parents every day and I finally got to tell them that I love and forgave them for what occurred in the past. I dropped the act of being a manipulative bitch and it lead to having meaningful relationships with the people I love. I do what I say I'm going to do when I'm going to do it. I'm approaching graduation of a nursing program and will be working on a graduate degree and eventually my doctorate - something I never thought that I would be able to accomplish or could be in my future. Landmark is what works for me. It doesn't work for people who aren't ready to take a full dive into the deep end of self development. Even if you don't want to take that leap it doesn't mean that you're a bad person. (Also, you don't have to have a horrible life in order to get something out of it. I know many successful, self-actualized people who had breakthroughs out of doing Landmark.) I can promise you that Landmark won't brain wash you - they can't. You're doing all the work by yourself and if you aren't invested in making a change it won't do anything for you. All I can tell you about is my personal experience and what Landmark gave me - and they honestly gave me everything. Things aren't always perfect and I have breakdowns like every other human, but I can honestly say that I love my life and I'm thankful every day for the opportunities I have that can make it possible. If you'd like to chat more with me about it - ashleyrosesf (at) gmail (dot) com. read more

I'm cautious and skeptical. Someone told me about this course and I read everything I could find about it on the Internet. That took three months. I noticed the commentary fell strongly into two camps: (1) People who had NOT taken the course (2) People who had taken the course. Both groups tend to be very vocal. I decided that, as with a restaurant, I'm way more interested in the opinion of those who've actually eaten the food there. People who'd taken the Landmark Forum were overwhelmingly over the moon about it. I read that lots of people who'd taken it said they had breakthroughs in their relationships. Mine were great, and yet I'm always open to more of a good thing. I decided to take the course. Afterward, my relationship with my lady went to a whole new level, oh yes! And I also got an utterly unexpected and dramatically positive shift in my relationship with my boss. I also did something I'd wanted to do for years and had been telling myself I was just too busy; Skydiving. (Okay, so you have no interest in skydiving ... what's something you've been "too busy" to do for years and years?) That course was ten years ago in Seattle. I just took the Landmark Forum again this last weekend in San Francisco and was blown away yet again -- the course has evolved dramatically since I first took it, and so have I. Different course, and different me taking it. Tremendous. My relationships at work and at home are off the charts. People often think my lady and I are newlyweds with our infectious energy and openly apparent love for each other. I promise you, it wouldn't be that way without both of us having taken the Landmark Forum. Thanks, Landmark, for my amazing relationships, for my memories of skydiving, and so very much more. read more

Reading all the reviews it's pretty clear that no matter what if you've participated in a course it's great and if you have not then if you said something it was negative. The results people achieve are amazing. To be responsible, 94% of the participants state they got something of value out the forum and the rest got something else. Rather than ramble on about everything that I know that does not really matter, take on this! If there was a possibility for you to do whatever you do in life without limits would you check it out? If you answered yes then go check it out. $500 bucks for better performance for the rest of your life Awesome! Worst case scenario is that you took 3 days to focus on what is important to you and your life and you get to go do that. Thanks for considering either way this lands for you. read more

i have always been the type of person that needs to try things out for myself.- If someone tells me the water is cold, i jump in and I figure it out. If someone says, its a cult, i go, listen and decide for myself. With that in mind, i attended landmark, and i am happy to say, i am a happy paying customer, because at the end of the day, it is a business; which they never denied. The majority of people I seen felt inspired, motivated, happy, relieved. There were a few people that did not understand the entire program and but they were ok with it. I highly recommend this course if you are the type of person who likes personal development. The course will give you the tools, to reinvent yourself so you can live the life you really want. read more

It's amazing how much people know without ever doing or taking something...if you have never taken a yoga class how can you bash it? Or a seminar on business development how do you know it's not for you? Whether people like it or not Landmark Education is making a huge impact on the world and everyone knows someone who has taken the course. The Self Expression and Leadership program consistently produces phenomenal results by having the participants take on projects in their communities. I have seen people save lives!!! Hotel Katrina was started by a Landmark Grad... look it up. If you are interested in peace and happiness in your life... Landmark is for you... If you're not... well... then its not. :) I am not saying that its the only way to get happiness and peace but for 40 hours and $500... I think is a deal. I mean check it out... the worst thing is you blow one weekend and $500 it wouldn't be the first time. ;) And I would bet that you will be pleasantly surprised. read more

A lot of people posted strongly negative/positive views The question I had was "did I get value from the course worth the money and time I put in?". For me the answer was a clear "yes". I got tons of value. I disagree with some of the things in that course but that's the point. You go in and take what you like. They have a business to support. Rent, labor etc. so obviously they are gonna want to push you to take more courses. I guess I dislike that. They also have an altruistic purpose as well though. I have heard a lot of negative things about landmark about them being a cult etc. they have bills to pay and the coaches have mouths to feed as well. Don't you? read more

Landmark is a personal & professional training and development company and it's the best type of training I've ever participated in and I've done a lot! I took this course called the Landmark Forum and I couldn't believe the breakthroughs I got both personally and professionally. I took the program not having anything specific in mind and what I got was a whole new romantic relationship with my husband, a new job that I excelled in and I mean "Quantum Leap" results ... two promotions within 1 year. read more

It's the real deal. Until the Forum I never saw how much my own biases colored how I interpreted the world. Hundreds of b-courses and this one weekend gave me the tools to see my biases and make the corrections. That's just the start. My effectiveness at business and in my personal life took a vertical trajectory. Things got done in areas with which I had often struggled. Things that were stopped are now moving. read more

I highly recommend Landmark to almost everyone. The risk and the potential costs for taking the initial course (a 3-day weekend!) are negligible compared with the potential upside and the huge impact it can have on your life. I also recommend it to those who are happy and satisfied. As a happy and satisfied person, you can still get an entire framework that enables you to continue creating an amazing life for yourself and expanding the notion of what's possible, assuming that you are interested in raising the bar in your life. If I were to describe Landmark education in a single phrase, I'd call it "Zen made practical and accessible to anyone." Most of the ideas of Landmark are compatible with (and likely inspired by) the ideas of Zen and what amazes me is Landmark's ability to convey these potentially challenging Zen ideas to people who would otherwise never have any interest in Zen. read more

I took the Forum & Advanced course back in 2014 and it was one of the best things I've ever done for myself. Through what I discovered in the course I was able to allow myself to move forward with selling my house and moving abroad to Europe for work & travel. This was something I always wanted to do but there was always something hidden preventing me from taking actions towards it. I learned a lot about myself and others in both courses. The course isn't always "comfortable" but if you go into it with an open mind and a clear intention of what you want to get out of it the money you spend on the course will be one of the best investments of your life. read more

I did the Forum when I lived in San Francisco. I was at a low point in my life, just divorced, and not that smiley. I think that going through the Forum shortened my divorce recovery period a lot. I found it interesting intellectually because it helped me discover and build my boundaries, something one has to do to survive in that environment. I also found both the group and individual catharsis very habit forming, so I volunteered to work at the 'Center', I later became a Forum Production Supervisor, making certain that everyone's experience was completely impeccable. Later on I worked in Werner's personal environment on his boat the Canim in Sausalito. I cannot say what I would of been doing had I not taken this route in my life, most likely up to no good in a big way. Doing all of the above was not easy by any means, and occasionally being coached by Werner himself, a very powerful personality was very educational. I remember taking care of him Mom a time or two when she came down t the Center. Everyone was coached and supported to go way beyond the person that they thought they were, that alone was worth it all. This is part of a quote I found on Facebook. "Every day we have the opportunity to explore the limits of what we know, or...to create something beyond what we know and who we've been." And, Who are you in the matter of your life? If not you? Who? read more

I have done quite a few courses from Landmark. If you are totally new, and are considering it, I'd understand if you are genuinely confused about all the arguments going on about it. I don't know you, and have no skin in whether or not you take their courses. Here's how I'd say you could think about it - it's kinda like courses to learn and practice meditation, run by a profit-making entity. Many people who have benefitted from meditation would sound extremely enthusiastic about it - sometimes to the point of rudely assuming that you couldn't have a happy and content life without practicing it. Same with some Landmark graduates. Yes, Landmark encourages people to get more people enrolled, but there is a logic to it - your meditation practice is likely to be more effective if the people surrounding you also do it (and are therefore present, calm, etc etc). However, when you combine it with the profit making part of the company, you have lots of people feeling queasy or downright suspicious of the whole enterprise. There is also the question about multiple courses (or redoing courses) at Landmark - why would you need to redo it, unless it failed the first time. That's kinda like saying you don't have to practice meditation once you "learn" it. Make of it what you will. I have personally benefitted from the courses. That's the best I could say. read more

This course changed my life. It is hard to explain other than it is a conversation to discover how we think about things, and how those impressions effect how we interact with the world. It is a long conversation, do not get me wrong. It is all day Fri, Sat, and Sun, and an additional session on Tuesday. I hate the marketing concept that seems forced at times, but what they are selling works, so I got over it. Bottom line, after the forum and the advanced course (DO NOT TAKE ANYMORE CLASSES AFTER THOSE TWO), I quit my abusive job, moved to Costa Rica, Learned Spanish, Taught High School for a bit just because I wanted to try it. Two years later, I got hired back at my old job at a higher position, with less hours for 40% more money and it goes on and on like that for me. And it all started when I took the Forum, and started to make my life rather than have my life happen. But if you do it, you have to participate to get the most out of it... Good Luck, D read more

The courses at Landmark have given me the tools to better understand myself and communicate with the people in my life. Because I came with some pretty heavy stuff in the wake of a family suicide, I first related to Landmark is a place for people with problems. And yet, the more I stick around for coaching and community in courage and self-expression and follow-through in my life, the more people I meet who come here to further equip their already amazing lives. Last month (Oct 2015) my partner completed the Landmark Forum and the Advanced Course. After two weekends he was beaming about the new tools and badass ninja skills he had acquired for his current career and the new one he's building. And he asked me to co-create a future for ourselves with him, together. I can seriously recommend this program, no matter where you're coming from. With a sound mind and a willingness to sit, listen, speak your mind with sharing partners and the forum leader who will coach you if you want that - you'll get something amazing. I got relief from resentment that I didn't realize I wanted. I got access to dreams I had put beyond my reach. Now, less than a year later, I'm married to the most amazing partner and we're planning a trip around the world together as well as planning our own businesses. read more

I highly recommend the Landmark Forum to anyone who pursues achieving the highest results in their life!!! It has enabled me to grow in so many ways: personally, professionally, financially, in business, and in my relationships with my wife, kids, parents, staff and friends. THANK YOU doesn't even begin to describe how grateful I am to have done this work! read more

What an amazing course! If your not into personal growth and get confronted by stretching your self you may find this a difficult place to be. Landmark works really hard to give you as much as it can in a 3 day seminar as anything else I have been involved in. I can tell you that I met my wife, grew a business and repaired a lot of personal and business relationships out of their technology. I would pay double what they are asking for knowing what I know now. In the course you learn about Integrity, Authenticity and communicating in a very effective way that leaves yourself and other empowered around you.. Happy Customer CJ read more

Great!! I know seven ( 7 ) people personally from simple to chief executive professionals with a polished education that attended this event and had a profound experience and acquired tools they have been and will continue to use for the rest of their life. Now nothing is a fit for everybody, however I am 100%.... wait.... yes 100% certain if a survey or other form of data were collected on this certainly 9 out of 10 possibly 19 out of 20 people's feedback would reflect "one of the most valuable experiences in their life" read more