Some of the following examples seem innocuous by themselves, but taken in the context
of the broad pattern, I believe they are significant.
a. "Train the Trainer" course
(1) Meditation and Guided Visualization (described earlier)
(2) On page 52 of Mr. Pike's text, Creative Training Techniques, under "Things to
Remember", he warns, "Avoid any identification with sensitivity training, 'T'
groups, psychodrama, body awareness, religious training, or any of the sales, personality,
or skill courses being offered."
But then he goes on to say, "Most of these programs are excellent but they have
different objectives and techniques."
(3) On page 63 as examples of role playing are the following exercises that promote the
concepts of "self-love" and self-image reprogramming.
"LIVING UP TO YOUR POTENTIAL"
"Do one of the following:
A. You are given access to your personnel file. In it is a glowing letter of
recommendation about you written from your boss. It is the most tremendous letter you can
imagine getting. Assuming this were true, write out in the space below what you would want
the letter to say.
B. You are in your hometown. An old friend of both you and your spouse is having lunch
with you. The friend says, 'Do you have any idea how much you are loved?' and hands you a
letter. It was written by your spouse to the friend extolling your virtues. Assuming this
were true, write out what you would like the letter to say in the space below.
"ACHIEVING YOUR EXPECTATIONS"
"Group Leader: Read aloud and discuss.
1. What are your feelings about the letter that you have just written? How would you
feel if such a letter were written about you? How would it affect your expectations for
yourself? How would it affect your relationship with the person that wrote it?
2. In writing that letter you were, in a way, writing out your own ideal expectations
for your life -- painting a picture of the person that you would like to be. What could
you do to move closer to this ideal?
3. We hear a lot about the expectations of others and their effect on our ability to
perform, but how about our own expectations? How do they affect how we perform?
4. Do you have expectations of the kind of person you would like to be and what you
would like to achieve? What are they?
5. What would it take to achieve these expectations?
6. How do expectations relate to goals and goal-setting? How could goal-setting help
you to realize your expectations?
7. How could affirmations help you to realize your expectations? What are some
affirmations that you could put to use in achieving your expectations?"
(4) On p. 66 is another "positive thinking" tidbit: "Even energy, as an
example, can be managed. It's being discovered that we burn three times as much energy
when thinking negatively as when thinking positively and in control of our emotions and
actions. Let me say that again, we burn three times as much energy when thinking
negatively than thinking positively and in control of our emotions and actions."
(5) On p. 87 is a suggestion involving an abdominal muscle tensing and Mental exercise
for "Just Before You Speak." Note the similarity between this and the one
described in "Infiltrating the New Age into Society."
"JUST BEFORE YOU SPEAK"
"Here are two useful tips for final preparation and eliminating butterflies:
1. Sit in Executive Posture, doing a silent version of the steam kettle exercise. Press
against the chair with your lower back, directing your tension into your vital center.
Keep your upper abdominal muscles taut. This leaves the butterflies no place to flutter
around in.
2. Permit only positive thinking. Avoid succumbing to the negative by repeating to
yourself any one of these positive catch statements:
(6) On page 91, in describing "The law of the Lesson" and that "The
truth or content to be taught must be learned through the truth or the content that is
already known," Mr. Pike also introduces the reader to concepts of being open to
totally new understandings of the human personality:
"I was in a seminar that was dealing with some new concepts in the psychology of
personality. I happen to be extremely interested in psychology. Some of my academic
background lies in psychology and counseling so I was really interested in what this
individual had to say.
"She began her presentation by pointing out that she was just finishing her
doctorate from a well-known university and then she moved into her presentation by saying,
'In order to really understand what I'm about to say, for the next 90 minutes you have to
be willing to forget everything that you've ever learned about Freud, Jung, Adler, Maslow,
MacGregor, Rogers. Because if you think about their concepts of personality, you'll have
difficulty grasping this one, because when I first looked at it I couldn't understand it.
It didn't fit with my concepts and it was only after about 9 or 10 months of struggling
with these new ideas that someone had given me that I finally came to see how they worked
and how they would apply.' And from that basic introduction she launched into her content.
"Do you know how difficult it is to NOT think about things that you already know?
And not make comparisons to things that you already know? The almost universal consensus
of the group at the end of the 90-minute presentation was that it was literally impossible
to set aside what we knew and forget about it so that we could learn some new concepts
that might conflict.
"A much better approach might have been to say something like, 'As I have examined
various models or concepts of personality, the psychology of personality, I have found
many of them helpful and yet parts of them to cause me problems. For example ...' Then she
could have done a brief review of the concepts of personality, saying for example, 'Freud
has these things to say in his concept of personality which are very helpful, but the
things that have caused me problems with it were this and this.'
"And to repeat that process for Jung, for Maslow, for Adler, etc., then saying,
'That's why I'm interested in this NEW approach that I want to present to you today
because while it may seem very, very different, I think you'll see how it answers the
problem that I have raised, the problems that I had in reviewing these other concepts of
personality.
"In this way we acknowledge the benefits that can be gained from our prior
knowledge. And at the same time we're made aware of potential problems in these and we're
now open to something that may give us an answer to those problems."
(7) Mr. Pike introduced the class to Tony Buzon's book about "using both sides of
your brain" which is similar to Marilyn Ferguson's book mentioned by Richard Watring.
(8) Mr. Pike introduced the class to Maxwell Maltz's book, Psycho-Cybernetics which is
also the book that, as Dick Sutphen explained, helped to get Americans to "look
within."
b. "Instructor Training" course
(1) On page 19 of Mrs. ------- 's text, "Designing and Delivering Effective
Training Programs," she introduces the class to a deep breathing exercise. Note the
similarities with the deep breathing technique discussed by Dick Sutphen in
"Infiltrating the New Age Into Society."
"HOW TO AVOID ANXIETIES AND RELAX!!"
"Seasoned speakers use a variety of relaxation methods. Just prior to speaking (a
few moments before actually speaking) you might try the following:
* Place your hands on table, palms down.
* Uncross your legs under the table (if applicable).
* Avoid focusing your eyes on any one object.
* Let your body go completely limp.
* Slowly inhale, and hold air in your lungs for several seconds.
* Just prior to feeling uncomfortable, slowly exhale.
* Wait several seconds, keeping your body limp.
* Repeat the procedure several times.
* Just before speaking, repeat the procedure one more time."
(2) During the class a film from the toastmasters was shown in which the listener is
told to "Take responsibility for effectiveness in communication, for your life."
(3) On page 32 in item #20 on "How to Win An Audience", she states in all
capitals: "EFFECTIVE SPEECH IS NO LONGER A LUXURY, IT IS A NECESSITY! THE WORLD NEEDS
BETTER SPEAKERS. THE FUTURE BELONGS TO GOOD SPEAKERS. THE WORLD CAN BELONG TO YOU!"
(4) During the class she introduced the Buzon book title on "Memory."
(5) She discussed: the importance of "feeling good about yourself"; the
Socratic concept "It is best to discover for yourself."
(6) She spoke of thinking of yourself as "confident and relaxed" and
"you will become." She said "I visualize myself as a millionaire."
"You have to believe it."
c. "Increasing Human Effectiveness" as taught by Edge Learning Institute
(1) A civil service employee took this course 20-21 July 1981 as taught by Dick
Anderson of Edge Learning Institute (formerly United Learning Institute). the employee's
course evaluation stated there was a "constant hint of Christianity" as if
clothing "New Age" theology in Christian terms makes it more palatable. Also,
the statement was made that "all disease is caused by the mind."
(2) Another civil service employee took the PSNS "Increasing Human Effectiveness
Course" as taught by Dick Anderson of E.L.I. in 1986 during working hours. He stated
that he was taught that we are ultimately controlled by our subconscious that must
therefore be reprogrammed. The class was led through meditation and guided visualization.
The employee stated that the training was very similar to the following:
"The 'perennial wisdom' is really the bedrock of all the world's spiritual
traditions. Our training uses the perennial wisdom to teach that we all have an incredible
Source of power within us that quite literally has the answers to all our questions.
"We try to teach corporate employees, teenagers, and others in our courses that
getting closer to their Source entails letting go of this fear and learning to trust that
Source of love, wisdom, and energy. And that letting go is a choice they can make."
This was taken from an interview in the February 1987 issue of "Science of
Mind" magazine. The interview is with Larry Wilson, founder of Wilson Learning
Corporation, author of THE ONE MINUTE SALESPERSON, and promoter of "Human
Potential" spiritual philosophy. The interviewer was Ron Nelson and the article is
entitled "Changing the Game In Business: Exploring Spirituality and Human
Potential."
The article also says, "The heart of our new management training represents a
return to the ancient spiritual wisdom about the true identity and power of the
individual. The students are "empowered" to "get in touch with their
creative Source." He teaches that, "fear is a choice", each person has
a" deep purpose", "we can create visions that align our goals with our
deepest purpose", and "we can take action to realize our vision."
Mr. Wilson goes on to say, "Now that was by no means an easy concept to sell to
hard-headed businessmen at that time. They didn't believe it. So I had to package my ideas
as sales training around more conventional techniques. But that was really a Trojan horse.
You see, business has this thing called bottom-line profit that provides instant feedback
on its activities. What doesn't work tends to get changed pretty fast in business, unlike
other segments of our society -- like government and religion -- that don't have the same
incentive to change with the times.
"The challenge facing business today is to take people on a massive scale and
retrain them to respond differently so they will recognize the power they inherently have
within themselves to make a difference within the organization, instead of just doing what
they're told.
"That changes everything. Once a sufficient number of employees get in touch with
their true potential, the organization changes."
Mr. Wilson says that "a company must fulfill three roles ...", first be a
"business organization," second "a life time educator", and third,
"The company must be part 'church'. It must involve itself in the spiritual growth of
its employees."
"Words like values, mission, and purpose are being increasingly heard on the
corporate scene. All of the things we used to pay attention to only on Sunday, in church,
are things we now want in our lives all week long.
"So, if employees want lifelong learning, the company provides it. If they want to
develop their higher, spiritual selves, the company helps them do that, too.
"If the churches don't recognize this increasing desire people have for a
spiritual connection with their higher Source -- instead of just religious rules and
regulations -- they may get left behind in the 'marketplace' of spirituality, which has
grown up without a lot of direction from most organized religion.
"The corporation is going to have a profound impact on all of these institutions.'
"What about the impact of business on government?"
"Larry: 'I think it will be just as far-reaching."
According to the magazine, "The Science of Mind, a philosophy of successful
living, teaches how you can use spiritual understanding to experience happiness, health,
prosperity, peace of mind, and greater self-awareness."
(3) The following items were taken directly from the tapes and booklet of Edge Learning
Institute's course "Increasing Human Effectiveness" taught by Bob Moawad.
(a) We need to get our lives in "alignment" with certain "immutable
laws" ... the "Laws of human effectiveness."
(b) In the context of a humorous situation about making mistakes he interjects the
statement that "God grades on a curve."
(c) He says that our "Awareness" is the automatic product of our total
heritage and entire life experience."
(d) We must watch out for the wrong "mindset" and we must have "an open
mind" and be willing to "accept change."
(e) Defines "Luck" as "That which takes place when preparation meets
opportunity."
(f) He quotes the teachings of Buddha: "All that we are is the result of what we
have thought; it is founded on our thoughts, and is made up of our thoughts." Mr.
Moawad states that "We are what our thoughts make us."
(g) He states "You might be looking at your world a little different after this
seminar."
(h) Bob Moawad speaks of our brain in the computer terms "GI-GO",
"garbage in -- garbage out."
(j) He quotes Marilyn Ferguson from her book the "Brain Revolution" about the
"unlimited", "infinite" capacity of the human brain.
(k) He says he is not a fan of Freud or Pavlov or Skinner but that his views come from
elsewhere.
(l) He describes his model of human personality in terms of "conscious",
"subconscious" and "creative subconscious."
(m) Mr. Moawad says this is a "Responsibility Psychology Seminar." We learn
to "accept life the way it comes to us" and that we "can design our life so
it comes to us they way we would like to get it."
(n) He says "the choice is ours", if we "want to take that power",
the "power of choice."
(o) Mr. Moawad talks about the "sixth sense": perception, and "close
encounters with the sixth sense."
(p) He again quotes Marilyn Ferguson as saying we may actually have 27 senses.
(q) He says that from our perceptions all data is run through our "subconscious
data base."
(r) Mistakes are one way to expand my awareness.
(s) He calls the subconscious a "robot."
(t) He says, "truth" and "reality" depend on the person.
"There are as many realities as there are people."
(u) We are missing a lot of opportunities because of our conditioning. Because of our
blind spots called "Scotomas" and "flat earth" ideas.
(v) He talks about the "power of the subconscious" and the need to reprogram
it by getting new attitudes to the subconscious through words or "self talk". He
says "Words are neither true or false."
(w) We need to create a new "Self Image." He says that "What you see is
what you get, " literally.
(x) He talks about "constructive visualization."
(y) This seminar, he says is based on "self image psychology" and this
seminar is about "mental well being."
(z) He says the "subconscious stores imagery as truth."
(aa) He talks about the use of "positive opposites," "Random self
talk," and "affirmations."
(bb) Bob Moawad then speaks about the ability of the power of thought to control
objects external to the mind. He refers to the book "The Psychic Side of Sports"
by Mike Murphy of Esalen Institute, described on pages 87, 98, and 137-140 of Marilyn
Ferguson's book, THE AQUARIAN CONSPIRACY. An incident that is described by Bob Moawad from
Murphy's book is about John Brodie, a former football quarterback. He threw a pass
intended for Gene Washington. The defender was Pat Fisher. Fisher said, "I had the
ball intercepted but it jumped over my hands.!" Game films confirmed that the ball
did jump. Brodie said, "I think you can stretch out a thought; that ball was going to
get there." Bob Moawad said, "They should have given him 15 yards for
witchcraft!" Then he said, "The power of the mind seems almost magical ..."
(cc) Bob Moawad states that the imagination has the greatest impact in reprogramming
the subconscious when the person is in a relaxed state and when "first person imagery
is used."
(dd) He takes the class through a guided imagery sequence.
(ee) He encourages "self love" and tries to justify it by using a Biblical
quotation.
(ff) He describes how Morris Fishbein was asked "If you could be reincarnated as
anyone you wanted, who would you like to be?"
(gg) In discussing "thought patterns of winners" and the use of
"affirmations" to reprogram the subconscious he says that "Religious people
call it prayer. We're saying design, design thought patterns you dwell on."
(hh) We must "Imprint a new reality," "reprogram." We can
"Imprint our goals during deep relaxation techniques" because this "greatly
enhances our receptiveness."
(ii) Don't try hard to change behavior, use Affirmative Reminders to "change the
picture."
(jj) Moawad says he is sometimes asked about his "Deep Relaxation"
techniques, "Isn't this like Transcendental Meditation, or T.M.? Isn't this some cult
trying to take over Christianity?" He replies that healthy skepticism is good, but
"I don't know if I've really discovered any documented evidence that T.M. is some
Eastern Religion way of taking over Christianity. I know a lot of people that practice
T.M. with regularity who are very espoused in their Judeo-Christian beliefs.
"But examine for yourself different meditative, relaxation, self hypnotic
techniques. We hypnotize ourselves all the time. We go into an altered state of
consciousness all the time. So why get all concerned? That's one reason why I call it deep
relaxation. Aren't those nice non-threatening words? I'm not going to call it
meditation. I'm not going to call it self hypnosis, after the seminar somebody that's gone
through the process with me: 'Gee, Bob, that's a lot like self hypnosis.' Don't tell
anybody; they love 'relaxation', but their not gonna get into that hypnotic stuff. And I
haven't studied hypnosis. All I've done is just observe a variety of techniques and have
you noticed the seminar, the seminar is eclectic, we've just tried to gather data, I'm not
a psychiatrist, I'm not a psychologist, I have a Masters degree in education, I hope that
my skill is in communicating some concepts, so you can understand them and apply them and
accept them a little bit better than you did coming into the sessions."
(kk) Bob says that this is a seminar where the word "educate" really goes
back to the derivative, "educo", "to pull from within", not to
transfer information, but "to pull from within."
(ll) Bob Moawad then leads the class in meditation and guided visualization. He leads
them into a "hall that leads nowhere." He defines "mantra" as "a
mental clearing device."
(mm) He says that "each time you use this exercise you will go to an even deeper
state of relaxation."
(nn) During the guided visualization he states the affirmation on behalf of the
students, "I am my own expert, I make me." "It feels tremendous being
accountable for my life." "This opens up the channel between conscious
suggestion and subconscious receptiveness." "I will count from one to five ...
eyes open, I feel tremendous!"
(4) Edge Learning Institute teaches the same philosophy/theology as Pacific Institute
of Seattle.
(a) Bob Moawad of E.L.I. used to be employed by Pacific Institute.
(b) In a letter dated 22 September 1982, from John H. Wold, Director of Human Resources
of Drake Willock, Inc. to Jerry Crawford of United Telephone of the Northwest, the
following statement is made: "You also asked that I make a comparison between Lou
Tice's 'Achieving Your Potential' training program and Bob Moawad's 'Human Effectiveness
Training'. Let me compare them by saying that the content of both training programs is
exactly the same."
(c) Ron Medved of Pacific Institute is quoted on p. 349 of Marilyn Ferguson's THE
AQUARIAN CONSPIRACY.
(d) Steve Hiatt, who now owns a car dealership in Tacoma, was fired in 1984 from
another company for refusing to participate in a Pacific Institute sales training program
called "New Age Thinking." The case is currently in litigation in Tacoma as a
religious discrimination case.
(e) Mr. Hiatt says that the Pacific Institute "New Age Thinking" program uses
all the same ideas as E.L.I. in promoting its human potential philosophy/theology:
Scotomas, flat worlds, truth is a product of our conditioning, reprogramming the
subconscious, affirmation, visualization, imprinting, create your own reality.
(f) Mr. Hiatt quotes P.I. as saying: Religion was the cause of all wars; the Jews are
great warriors because they THINK they are God's chosen people; The Affirmation and
Visualization techniques are the same a that used by Hitler and Jim Jones but P.I. is
using them for the right reasons; the real reason they were there at the seminar was to
save the world. The instructor said he hated religion.
(g) Mr. Hiatt quotes "Pacific Northwest Magazine" as saying that 10% of
Pacific Institute's business is with the U.S. Government.
(h) Mr. Hiatt states that P.I.'s suggested reading list recommends books that promote
pantheism, reject the deity of Jesus Christ, and explore supermind power, parapsychology
and the metaphysical.
(j) Mr. Hiatt says "It should be noted that there are many other motivational
companies presenting courses which include similar theology. One is Edge Learning
Institute who claim their course material is identical to that of Pacific
Institute's."
(5) Edge Learning Institute published a "Scripture Correlation" of their
course material, compiled by Jerry Melchisedeck. It begins by saying that "We do not
sell religion nor do we teach theology. We are a private educational consulting firm.
Business leaders WHO ASK should be told that Edge concepts are correlated with scripture.
We should always be ready to give the reason why the concepts we teach give hope to so
many people." But then it goes on to claim each of their concepts are supported by
certain listed Bible verses.
