Do we need a lawyer or a deprogrammer?
March 21, 2007 3:05 PM 
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Some family members have gotten involved with a cult/pyramid scheme called Psi Seminars. They've been spending money they don't have (up to $4000/seminar, for which they travel to another state and have to stay in hotels) and it's wreaking havoc on their lives. One has lost his home, two are threatening to end their marriages and are alienating their grown children. They are demanding that our relationships with them be within the context of us paying them to attend these seminars as well.
One of the family members is my godmother. One is recently detoxed from a heavy chemical addiction. All are vulnerable as hell and looking at this as the cure for sadness, loneliness, addiction, boredom and the heartbreak of psoriasis.
Now they are trying to start seminars here in our state and on top of their being taken advantage of, We're worried that by bringing a pyramid scheme accross state lines, they are opening themselves to criminal liability. How can we open their eyes to the danger that they are in, emotionally, legally and otherwise? Does anyone out there know a good deprogrammer?
posted by anonymous to human relations (14 comments total)
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PSI Seminars is a terrible group. I have known former friends who got involved. They never saw what it was doing to them and one or two (I have chosen to stay the hell out of their lives) are still in it. I think you need to cut these people off. Tell them, if they love you, they won't let you get involved.
This is from Rick Ross:
What happens at PSI 7? You arrive and stay at a hotel the day prior to attending 7. They pick you up in a bus and drive to the ranch. You arrive at the ranch by bus; you’re not allowed to bring your own car, because they don’t want you to leave before the “program” is finished. You’re set up to sleep in a “bunk house” with 40 men, or if you’re a female, 40 women. You share living quarters, to include the showers. You sleep on bunk beds. You are told when to eat, when to sleep, when to go to the bathroom. You are instructed to write a journal and share your thoughts and feelings with the rest of the group.
They break you down, somewhat like basic training in the military. They do group exercises like climbing 40 foot phone poles, 14-15 foot walls, standing on the edge of a cliff, all the while your “team” is holding the ropes. This is to entrust you to the “group.” You walked across a set of ropes holding onto another person; this builds the group personality. Once a task in completed you do the group bonding, like love bombing, groups hugs. Team building.
Prior to going to the ranch you’re given a list of clothing you need to bring, this includes clothing you would not feel comfortable wearing in public. For the women it’s usually a bathing suit or bikini. Once you’re at the ranch there is one “exercise” where your PSI “Buddy” picks out your clothes for the “barn dance.” Clothing that makes you feel uncomfortable wearing in public. The barn dance included a DJ playing disco music, the mirror ball hanging from the ceiling. This is a breaking down of your defenses to critical thinking.
There is one “exercise” called “the sharing” where the men and women stare into one another’s eyes by candle light and share their feelings with the other person. The question asked in “the sharing” is would you like to have an intimated relationship with this person?
There is another exercise where you gather cow pies (yes cow pies) to symbolize life’s bullshit (sorry) and they place it on a plywood sheet and hang it up on a wall. This is to represent getting rid of the BS in their lives, you know “the BS that’s holding you back.”
Oh, and they have a “store” on the premises, where you can buy the PSI bible, a leather bound book with the “teachings” of Wilhite, Inspirational CD’s, and of course the PSI T-shirts. If you read the book or listen to the CD’s, you’ll find its nothing more than fancy BS with the bottom line: recruit your family and friends to get their MONEY.
And you get all this for $3000.00. And on the last day you’re told you are still not done, you’re told you have not obtained “all the tools” to live a better life and then it’s the hard sell for the “Leadership” course. “And if you sign up today it will only cost you $3600.00;” a discount, as the course is $4000.00. Nice discount, save $400.00 and continue to destroy your life.
They work to destroy relationships and they cause people to detach from family and friends. They encourage people to become emotionally dependent on them. Looking back, I see how my wife tried to recruited me and get me into this, but after seeing the change in her I decided not to go, and because she saw this as being unsupportive she left and we divorced. That was a year ago. I was betrayed by one of my most trusted friends.
I am trying my best to be compassionate and to forgive her with the understanding that she herself is trapped within the lies of PSI. Even from my friend, an intelligent, creative woman who I know to be capable of very subtle critical thinking, I never heard anything from her that ever questioned what PSI is and does. I showed her the research I have done on this group and she said the research was “bullshit.” PSI is her life and she has told me that she never going to give up the benefits of PSI. These benefits include leaving her relationships with her family and friends because she couldn’t recruit, oh, sorry, “enroll” them.
And if you’re thinking of going I have some questions for you; don’t think about the money. Think; “Is this going to be worth the loss of respect of your family and friends? Is it worth losing your own self respect? Is it worth the loss of your sanity? I would say no. But that is my opinion.
This reminds me. I saw a posting on one of the yahoo groups that hit this nail on the head. The posting said
“Never Underestimate the Power of Stupid People in Large Groups.”
posted by parmanparman at 3:26 PM on March 21, 2007 [14 favorites has favorites]