WHAT THE HECK IS GRATITUDE TRAINING?

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GRATITUDE TRAINING LLC  ( "GT ")

... is a "for profit" Large Group Awareness Training (LGAT) program that does NOT PAY the vast majority of its labor. 

It is a toxic cult (see characteristics below). It uses...

(1) pop psychology 

(2) experiential exercises (with music to match) 

(3) unproven and apocryphal spiritual “laws”

(4) frenetic, frantic, and pressured days lasting up to 15 hours (up to five days) 

(5) “trauma bonding” and break downs and “love bombing”

(6) an “us versus the world” philosophy to foster team bonding

(7) uses the fear of excommunication and isolation to keep members adhered

HOW DOES GT WORK?

A)     It brainwashes students so they in turn (as staff) can brainwash others.

B)      An ocean of brainwashed adherents (students and graduates) work for no monetary pay for this “for profit” business. Some work as many as 60 hours per week.

C)     Students and graduates sign up family and friends “pyramid style” for no commission.

D)     Secrecy and brainwashing fuels this business. Exposure is desperately needed to liberate those brainwashed. Hopefully the IRS will come looking for its money after I wrote them!

E)      Parts 1 and 2 (Total of nine intense training days) create the euphoria and the prelude to Part 3 which is an 80 day indoctrination phase in which seemingly a “thousand hooks” are used to keep vulnerable students obsessively engaged. Coaching calls, Mentor calls, “Senior calls,” small group calls, team calls (up to 3 hours), committees, legacy project, goal setting, commission-free recruitment (“enrollment”) quotas, fund raisers, service for parts 1 and 2… it never ends.

F)      The beneficiaries? The founder Jo Engellson and other partners in the LLC.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A CULT (and their relation to GT)

(1) A sect or a group is considered to be extremist or false, when under the guidance of an authoritarian and/or charismatic leadership, members exhibit fixed and/or religious veneration. Groups that meet this definition tend to have an escalating negative impact on the lives of followers. The chronic draw of money, time, and unpaid labor over time escalates within GT and creates hardship (even if the student sees it as doing “the best work there is”).

(2) Members are zealous, protective, and unquestioningly committed. --- Members regard leadership and their ideology as representing truth, law, and what is right and good. Us versus them. “We are the 2 per cent.” The leadership affirms and enforces this idea.  

(3) Philosophy is often based on the ideations coming from the mind of one person; often a person not affirmed to be psychiatrically sound (narcissism for example) or even vetted by others. GT Founder Jo Englesson claims that we are 100 % responsible for everything 100 % of the time. She calls it “source movement” whereby we “author” everything into our lives. This of course is a logical fallacy because countering “authorships” collide and create mutually exclusive results (for example, two competing sports teams “authoring” victory). It also creates nonsensical results… such as a fetus choosing or “authoring” to abort itself. It puts humans in the place of God.

(4) Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or rebuked. Criticism about leadership or the group are taken very seriously and likely punished. Those that push hard enough are considered a liability. They are quickly excommunicated and cut off from the group into total isolation (similar to “subversives” in Scientology).

(5) The group uses public humiliation or punishment, debilitating work, sleep deprivation, or other practices to create group-think and to suppress individualism and doubt. Like most cults, the concentration of money and power remains in the hands of the very few.

(6) The group is elitist, claiming special status and powers for itself and its members. Unrealistic goals are set. This is called “magical thinking.” Jo Engellson maintain a fanciful vision of world peace being “sourced” through her very fringe New Age group. She also contradicts her vision by running to attorneys and the courts when pressed hard enough on her ideas and her illegal business practices. 

(7)  Members of the group generally begin to disassociate themselves with close family and friends. The group becomes a replacement or a surrogate “family.” Members within GT are told that a “10 life” or a “10 partner” is only available within GT. The group becomes the sole community of its followers. Members of the “staff” are given robotic, fixed, or scripted, answers to common questions. Or they simply answer a question with another question. 

(8) Questioning the group's practices often leads to forced exodus. Members remain because they become afraid of alienation and isolation if they leave. “Love” within the group is completely conditional and therefore represents a false love and a false hope. Acceptance and communication dries up once a member is outside the community.

(9) Groups like GT “trauma bond” its members to congeal. A process of “breaking down” followed by "Love bombing." The shower of love occurs “full throttle” at the end of any session or multi day event so that members feel valued and special. These warm feeling are capitalized by GT to inspire its “love bombed students” to recruit and sign up family and friends.  

(10) The young… the lost… the broken… the molested… and the drug addicted are populations that GT likes to target. THE MOST VULNERABLE. GT preys upon the fact that almost all of these people may have never felt the euphoria of “love bombing.” Students mistake GT as the lone source of these good feelings when in reality these experiences can be found in many other groups. GT has a huge LGBTQ population which deceives these adherents into thinking it is a safe space for them. The reality is that GT is a very dangerous for anyone over time it will rob one of valuable time, money, unpaid labor, and meaningful connections to the outside world.

(11)  Longitudinal studies of cults reflect that most members struggle over time. This is certainly true of GT. A syndrome called the "Roman Candle Effect" takes place. Inspired and euphoric members often see immediate improvements in their life and even in their employment. But given that there is no mechanism to in GT to keep these feelings alive, other than sacrificing more money, time, and unpaid labor, a miniscule few experience abundance and most disengage almost entirely from the group.

(12) GT breaks its promises as though they were never made. Confidentiality is repeatedly assured. Yet since no one in GT(that I met) is professionally licensed or certified, HIPPA laws are not enforceable and thus trampled. Private information from applications and even shared secrets within the training are fair game as weapons to be used against dissenters if need be. This includes a court of law. This nefarious tactic is also used within Scientology.

(COPIED FROM MAIN PAGE)

Four basic behaviors found in extreme form in dysfunctional cults: 
(1) Compliance with the group 
(2) dependence on a leader (leadership) 
(3) Avoiding Dissent
(4) Devaluing the outsider - This deserves an explanation as it pertains to GT.

 (a) The "Two per cent" - GT claims that they are the 2 per cent to change the world. This is utter nonsense because I, and many others, were part of this "two per cent" long before entering GT. This anti-corruption blog was way out in front of anything I did in GT.

(b) A selfish program  -  GT is actually a very selfish program, It focuses on personal transformation of individuals and focuses almost exclusively on helping those within the cult. Outsiders are barely mentioned. 

(c) Religion    Make no mistake about it... GT IS A RELIGION THAT IS DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED TO JUDEO-CHRISTIANITY. Most religions talk about God's will and our own free will. IN GT - WE ARE GOD. We "author" everything, we are responsible for everything, we are accountable... we write our own script. We are the "source" of it all. It is the Law of Attraction taken to its lunatic edge. In fact, it would be accurate within GT to state that GT Founder Jo Engellson herself "authored" me into her life so that I can terminate this cult. 

(d)  Our perfect "10" partner -  We are told that our perfect "ten" partner awaits us within GT (not anywhere else). Yet we are told in the 80 day part 3 that we aren't to date within our team (thus providing more incentive to remain as we wait for, what really could be considered, a "sexual union" at the end of part three). However, I know of only three GT relationships started when I was in GT. All three failed.  

(e) GT IS RAUNCHY. SEX and SEXINESS are HIGHLY FAVORED AND PROMOTED WITHIN GT. Unconfirmed sources have told me about "swinging circles," orgies, and graduates inviting attractive students to private parties. I was privy to seeing a straight woman dating a pre-surgery transgender man. A 23 year old lesbian young woman calling a 50 year old twice-divorced woman "my girl." A 22 year old young man (not a massage therapist) giving full body (clothes on thankfully) massages to a 65 year old man. I am not the "morality police," so you can form your own opinions. I will refrain from judgment.  Bear in mind, however, when asked during Part two "Have you ever molested someone"... a number of hands went up. There is no screening and no filters here. I WOULD ESTIMATE 60 % OF THE STAFF ARE LGBTQ'S IF THAT MATTERS TO ANYONE.

(e) Our perfect "10" Life - Similarly, our perfect "10" life awaits us as well within GT. Yet my experience shows that most people in GT are poor. Their involuntary servitude to the cult furthers their disposition. 

(f) Our existing partners - GT absolutely puts a wedge between students and their partners and families. GT relationships with non GT people tend to worsen as the distance is increased. Many family members have reached out to me asking me how to "un-brainwash" their loved ones. GT, quite cruelly, seems interested in leveraging this brokenness to their own economic advantage. The answer? Sign them up! Of course. 

(g)  The world outside - I was personally shocked at the distance between my GT community and the outside world which included my old friends. Dating someone outside of GT was unthinkable. They were simply too "closed." I was amazed at the separation after just 2 months. 

(h) "Whipped Cream on Shit"  - I remember reading a story about how the Mafia in NYC would put on their a dazzling fireworks show for the kids in Brooklyn. Good will!! GT produces its own Goodwill in terms of a group legacy project for the community. Of course ALL the labor (The Part 3 team) and almost all the money is drawn from those outside the paid staff and company ownership. It is solicited and/or begged for.  I am very cynical of the motives here. 

(i) Practical jokes on the those outside of GT  - The first weekend of Part 3 ("ML" or masterful living) we are asked to play jokes on outsiders who are innocent recipients of GT's pranks. Examples...
  - The "Invisible date" involves going to a diner and ordering food for two even though there is only the one student present. We are then told to send back the food for our "invisible date" which costs the restaurant money and takes advantage of a waitress who is barely paid as it is.
  - "Homeless man"   We are to dress as a homeless person and beg for money that we don't need. This takes advantage of people's generosity and takes money that literally could have gone to a homeless person.
-Halt a sporting event    We are to stop a sporting event and have everyone sing "God Bless America." It could be something as simple as a little league game - but I felt that this exercise poked fun at those with mental illness (who may not have understood appropriate boundaries). 
- "Gay Bar"    Go to a gay bar and get a gay person to buy you a drink and get their phone number. This obviously is toying with the emotions of others.
- Other pranks include... being blindfolded for a night, singing to people we are attracted to at a grocery store, haggling over the price of cheese etc..

Isn't this like the TV show Impractical Jokers? I don't think so. I would assume that this TV show "lets the person in on the prank" once it is finished. Like "Candid Camera" once did. No one likely gets hurt. In GT we are specifically told NOT to ever "let the person in" on the GT prank.

THE "ROMAN CANDLE" EFFECT

Flare out - Euphoria, like the high from any drug, always fades. 100 % of the time.

Testimonials - These do not accurately validate the experience as they are usually taken during a euphoric state (also when students are asked to sign up for the next part).

Magical Thinking - Child like fantasies of grandeur not based on anything real (ie; "I am going to be a model and a motivational speaker")

Pink Cloud - This induced euphoria engenders false hope. Though a person may have benefitted some from the program - dashed hopes appear in the form of human limitations. 

Depression - The danger for depression is very real as a person's reality sets in. "Promised results" fail to appear. A students' trust gives way that to an admission that the student was duped.

Chasing Ghosts - Maintaining the euphoria of the program is like chasing the "first high" from a drug. It remains frustratingly out of reach. GT students falsely believe that volunteering will "preserve the energy". Very few last long as life responsibilities take over. 

Confirmation Bias - People typically are in denial when a significant amount of money and time has been invested in a program. Students will exaggerate the benefits so they do not appear foolish. They will blindly defend the cult.

Regressive Fallacy ("Revert to the mean") - Think of an over-inflated stock market. Eventually values "come back to earth" to reflect reality.

Group Think (Communal Reinforcement) - Students are loathe to stand against their peers and their shared experience. No one wants to be the "Debbie downer."

Fear of Excommunication - "If you aren't rowing with the team you are rowing against them or considered dead weight." Like Scientology, if a student is seen to be sincerely skeptical or antagonistic, he/she will be isolated, smeared, and even taken to court. Like me!

Denial "Doubled Down" - The fiercest defenders of the cult, and those in the deepest denial, are those gullible enough to assemble a career out of the "training." Examples would include the life coaching, charging for "A Course in Miracles" class, practicing a New Age skill to complement GT,  or setting a goal to become a GT trainer them selves (so more can be deceived). These people are the most dogged in their defense of the cult.