The authorship of these files on cults has his or her own motivations for providing them a

    [Fredric Rice, The Skeptic Tank:  The authorship of these files on
    cults has his or her own motivations for providing them and will
    contain his or her own bias.  What I find typical is that
    individuals and organizations which report on cults are usually
    themselves a competition cult yet like to think of themselves as
    "a religion, not a cult."  In actual fact, _ALL_ religions are
    cults by the primary, secondary, and terciary usage definition of
    the term.  Some of the information you find here is inaccurate and
    contains urban legend -- take what you find with a grain of salt.
    If you wish to acquire a copy of the Law Enforcement Guide on
    Occult Crime, contact myself at frice@stbbs.com or at The Skeptic
    Tank (818) 335-9601 and I'll forward the address and information
    you need.]

Life Training

Life Training is just one of several 'therapy cults' that have
emerged in America and Europe in the past 20 years. Many stem
from 'est' (Ehrhard Seminar Training), founded in California in
1971. Life Training uses intense weekend courses of anger-
provoking humiliation, sleep deprivation (16-hour days) and mass
hysteria to break down the inhibitions and fears that prevent
people from achieving success. Though course participants are
encouraged not to mix socially with the unenlightened, except
for recruiting, Life Training (as with all est spin-offs)
considers career and material success to be central to
self-realisation.

There are 22 Life Training communities around the world and one
in Britain since 1984. Though formed by two est-trained Episcopalian
priests, Life Training preaches that Man (rather than God) is the
centre of the universe and that fate is choice. The weekend courses
are exhausting and emotional affairs (sick bags are reportedly
provided duringsome training sessions) and cost £185. Those
who subscribe to Life Training after this initial weekend, but
who cannot afford the price ofadditional courses, can offset the
cost by working for the organisation duringsubsequent recruitment
weekends. Jobs include escorting participants to the toilet, since
no one is allowed to spend time alone.

Members are encouraged to donate funds by setting up standing
orders; 'promise auctions' are also held at which members
(generally professional or middle class) donate goods or services
which are then auctioned to other members.

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