1. The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) Employee Development Division (Code 180) has been conducting courses that include religious practices, teach religious dogma and manipulate the religious beliefs of PSNS employees and, therefore, is in violation of the First amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
2. This letter constitutes a formal written class complaint of religious discrimination. The protected class being represented are all those PSNS employees who have taken PSNS courses where New Age/Eastern Mysticism/Human Potential/Occult practices or dogma were taught or are being taught, whose religious beliefs differ from the “New Age” point of view, including bible-believing Christians and others with Judeo-Christian religious traditions. This class is so numerous that a consolidated complaint of the members is impractical. The questions of fact documented in this letter are common to the class.
3. Acting as agent for the class is James Lawrence Baumgaertel, Port Orchard, Washington; employed at PSNS in the Nuclear Engineering Training Branch Code 2340.3. The claims documented here are typical of the class. The agent will fairly and adequately protect the interests of the class.
4. The agent’s requested resolution is to
a. Prohibit the practice or promotion in PSNS training programs of any form of meditation, guided visualization, or other psycho-technologies that induce altered states of consciousness.
b. Prohibit the teaching of all New Age, Eastern Mysticism, Human Potential, or Occult religious dogma in any PSNS courses.
5. Adverse effects and religious discrimination
a. Certain personnel management policies and practices, which the agency has authority to rescind, and which are documented later in this letter, have been and are adversely affecting the previously defined class of people by:
(1) Creating a work environment that is hostile to their religious beliefs and therefore, oppressive.
(2) Inducing altered states of consciousness that:
(a) are not fully explained to the student.
(b) are initiated without each student’s specific informed consent.
(c) induce in a student, without his/her knowledge, a higher state of suggestibility.
(d) may cause unknown spiritual and emotional effects
(e) may promote changes in the student’s view of reality and religious beliefs.
b. And, these policies and practices discriminate against the defined class on the basis of their common religion (Bible-believing Christian and other Judeo-Christian religious traditions) by promoting and endorsing religion in violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, specifically New Age, Eastern Mysticism, Human Potential, and Occult religious views and practices which are mutually exclusive, with, and hostile towards, Judeo-Christian views.
c. In the context of this complaint, it is not my intention to attack anyone else’s religious beliefs. I support the right of Americans to believe whatever they want. What I am opposing is the U.S. Government’s promoting or endorsing of a particular set of religious beliefs or practices or excessively entangling itself in the religious beliefs of its employees. And I am exposing such promotion, endorsement and entanglement for what it is, regardless of the attempt to disguise it as neutral, secular, and scientific.
6. The Problems
a. “Train the Trainer”
(1) As a shipyard instructor I was required to attend the “Train the Trainer” course on 20 November 1986. The course was taught by Robert W. Pike of Resources for Organizations, Incorporated, 6440 Flying Cloud Drive, Suite 130, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, 55344
(2) Description of the Meditation and Guided visualization Sequence
Right after lunch, as the class assembled in the classroom, the instructor turned off the lights. He told the class to place their feet flat on the floor, take two deep breaths, and close their eyes. He said, in a low, soothing voice, “…rid your minds of all negative thoughts… all hate, all doubt …”. he said he was going to take the class on a trip to Maui and began to tell the class to visualize walking on the beach, feel the sand between the toes, and the breeze on the face, etc. At the end of the sequence he said, “I will count backwards from five to one. When I get to one, you will open your eyes and you will return to full alertness.” I did not participate.
(3) After he brought the class back to “full alertness”, he proceeded to express at length his views on the preceding guided imagery technique and a host of other views, all the time maintaining this quiet, soothing tone.
(4) I raised the question of the guided imagery being an example of an Eastern Mysticism religious practice. Mr. Pike responded that in the course of his research he has found meditation of this sort in all of the world’s religions, including Christianity.
(5) In addition to the meditation and guided visualization technique, Mr. Pike’s curriculum included various New Age concepts which he gently introduced. (These will be discussed later.)
b. Instructor Training
(1) I was also required to attend a week long “Instructor Training” course (26 to 30 January 1987).
(2) I had asked not to be required to attend this course until my concerns from the November ’86 “Train the Trainer” were resolved. I was still required to go, but with permission to excuse myself during any meditation or guided visualization. I did attend.
(3) The course was taught by —- of —– Learning Resources. She had formerly been a PSNS employee in the Employee Development Division. In fact, she had been the coordinator for the November 1986 “Train the Trainer” course.
(4) During her presentation and in her curriculum she interjected various New Age themes. (To be discussed later.)
(5) Also in her curriculum is included a deep breathing exercise for “How to Avoid Anxieties and Relax!!” (The significance of this will be discussed later.)
c. “Increasing Human Effectiveness” courses
(1) ——- (head of Code 180) teaches this course in the After Hours program. “This course provides students with insight into their personality factors that influence their attitudes and work performance. It also provides tools for improving self awareness and personal discipline. Class size limited to 20. Purchase of a workbook, costing approximately $20.00 may be required.”
(2) In the past, during work hours, Increasing Human Effectiveness (I.H.E.). was taught by Edge Learning Institute. The Edge Learning Institute’s “Increasing Human Effectiveness” curriculum includes the following (to be covered in more detail later):
(a) Numerous statements on issues that are inherently religious.
(b) Quotes from one of the most widely known promoters of New Age religion: Marilyn Ferguson.
(c) Explanations of human personality and living that are nearly verbatim from the dogma of reincarnationists and karma.
(d) Discussion of the “sixth sense” and psychic phenomena.
(e) That there is no absolute truth or reality, that each person creates his own reality.
(f) Meditation and guided visualization, with a defense of Transcendental Meditation (T.M.)
(g) An explanation that suggestibility is enhanced during relaxed states of consciousness.
d. “Psychology of Personal Adjustment”
——- Code 180.1 after hours course. “Personality dynamics, emphasizing common motivational problems and individual solutions, why people act as they do and methods of improving effectiveness. personal skills of adjustment and growth in coping with everyday problems leading to more effective living. Several psychological viewpoints will be discussed in terms of such concepts as motives, thought processes, conditioned responses, habits, communication patterns, meditation and authentic living. The purchase of a book may be required.”
e. Stress Management courses
Meditation and Guided Visualization.——–, EEO Counselor “inner resources”
f. Shift Test Engineer (STE) Briefing Principles Course
August 1984 Professional Development Institute P.O. Box 4086 Bellevue, WA Endorses: Deep breathing exercises Mental Imagery for relaxation Visualization for success Positive thinking
g. Office of Personnel Management director Constance Horner quoted in “Weekly Federal Employee’s News Digest” “Our government has paid considerable attention to employee rights and protections but not to ‘human enhancement’ issues,” Horner said. “Before they were solved at home, or perhaps in the church. Now they’re addressed in the workplace, if at all, in bits and pieces.” Horner stressed the need for federal managers to develop more of a people orientation to bring “high touch” and not just “high tech” to the management of the future.
h. the following people are in the places of authority that are responsible for or in some way relevant to these issues:
(1) ——-, Head, Employee Development Division, code 180. Teaches the After Hours Course “Increasing Human Effectiveness”. Works for Code 150 director of Industrial Relations
(2)———, Supervisor, Management and Human Resource Development Branch Code 180.1. (Works for Code 180) Teaches the After Hours Course “Psychology of Personal Adjustment”. Was responsible for the “Train the Trainer” course.
(3) ——-, Supervisor, Apprentice Program Branch Code 180.2. Responsible for After Hours Course Program (works for Code 180). Teaches the After Hours Course “Mathematics Review”
(4) ———-, former PSNS employee in Code 180.1. Was responsible for “Train the Trainer” course on 20 November 1986 Now, an outside contractor ——- Learning Resources, Bainbridge Island, WA Taught the “Instructor Training ” course 26 to 30 January 1987. Teaches the After Hours Course “Pre-Retirement Preparation”
(5) ——- works for Code 180.1 Was responsible for the “Instructor Training” course 26 to 30 January 1987. He is the Project Leader for Code 2300 (Nuclear Engineering Department, of which I am a member)
(6) ———, EEO Counselor, works for Code 108, the EEO Division My EEO counselor Teaches the After Hours Course “Job Forms and Applications”
(7) ———, Acting Deputy EEO officer Acting head Code 108 EEO division Reports Administratively Code 150 Director of Industrial Relations
(8) ———-, Director of Industrial Relations, Code 150 Responsible for Code 180 the Employee Development Division and (administratively) Code 108, the EEO Division Reports to the shipyard Commander, the EEO Officer. Teaches the After Hours Course “Careers in Management”
“A new program for employees who are looking forward to becoming supervisors. Through Careers in Management’s video-taped programs, participants will assess the amount of personal satisfaction they will get managing others, evaluate and plan for improved performance in their present jobs, identify and plan for improving the skills they will need to be effective as supervisors. Class size is limited to 18.”
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