What are WWASPS "Discovery" and "Focus" seminars like?

[69]

Great article...

Role-playing games were called magical mystery tours in honor of Manson?s favorite singing group, the Beatles. He urged denunciation of parents, surrender of egos and past identity and the taking of new names. They were to be free and learn that there is no right or wrong, only love and to follow love.

sound familiar wwaspies?

[001010]

On 2005-04-22 11:44:00, Exit Plan wrote:

"The song they choose isn't just some random choice.



Understand what I am about to explain is after 3 full days of different process' and all the other weird things that go along with wwasp seminars. At the end of the seminar, once the group is done humiliating and verbally attacking each another, there is another strange 'process'. This process involves everyone breaking up into groups of 6 people or so, the lights are dimmed to almost darkness and the atmosphere becomes very surreal, it was very quiet. They play all sorts of cheesy music, for example mariah carey's butterfly, songs like that. One at a time, a person in your group of six was singled out, and brought to the center of your group circle.



They would lie down in the center of everyone on the floor, the lights were dimmed and they would close their eyes. This is where the specific song on your poster comes from, at least in our seminar. There are six different songs played for each person in the group. When the music plays, each person in the group whispers compliments and praise into the ear of the person lying on the ground. Since most of the seminar is spent degrading you with no mercy, this is a definite change of pace. People who were screaming terrible things in your face only one day ago, were now telling you how beautiful a person you are quietly in your ear, while you listen to 'your song' play in the background. Even our family rep came over and whispered compliments into our ear, and how much she loved us. The small people, namely some of the girls, would literally be lifted off the ground and walked around, as if they were floating on air, being told of love in their ear all the while. It was common for the group to pet the individual laying down, in a sense, comfort them as much as they possibly can. It was very child-like, something a parent would do.



To anyone who has read in more detail about the WWASP seminars, or has attended themselves, it will make perfect sense why some people treasure their signs forever. They associate the signs with love, in very real contrast to the hate and pain they also experienced during the seminar. "

http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... t=40#97220

I recall a similar scenario played out in Straight.

Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys

--P.J. O'Rourke

[Nihilanthic]

In one testimony I've read about seminars the err... facilitator claimed to have bragged that he was 'harder on the kids'...

...and plenty of parents come out and want their kids to get that!

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
-- John F. Kennedy (1917-63), U.S. Democratic politician, president. Speech, 13 March 1962, the White House.

[Anonymous]

On 2005-04-26 18:18:00, Nihilanthic wrote:

"In one testimony I've read about seminars the err... facilitator claimed to have bragged that he was 'harder on the kids'..."

Why do I get the feeling it was this guy?

[Antigen]

Isn't that part of the standard rap? That's what they always told the parents in Straight parent weekends and open meeting review raps back in the early `80's. And it was true, too.

First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0826400035/circlofmiamithem' target='_new'> Gandhi

[Anonymous]

I guess it all depends on the facilitator. David gilcrese is the WORST facilitator ever. He has no compassion, no caring, no heart. He is in it to intimidate and ridicule and does NOT care about the kids he is trying to "help". He is a big fat jerk. I remember a friend of mine graduated the program and shortly after went to a brother and sister seminar thing. He was the facilitator and she stood up to say something. He said to her, "YOU just graduated? I find that hard to believe." and he totally wrote her off and was a big fat shit head to her. She is one of the most successful and honest caring people I have ever met. He dosnt realy even know what hes talking about. Its like he makes shit up just to see how you will react to it. And even then it dosnt matter because he is hell bent on having you react the way HE thinks you should. I have been in seminars where the facilitator was a really great person. Only one facilitator I feel that way about. Other than that, Lou, Bill, David, and Dwayne all can jump offa  bridge for all I care.

[Anonymous]

David has it coming, he fucked over too many kids. Hey davie! Kids grow up.

::stab::

[Nihilanthic]

On 2005-04-27 17:18:00, Anonymous wrote:

"I guess it all depends on the facilitator. David gilcrese is the WORST facilitator ever. He has no compassion, no caring, no heart. He is in it to intimidate and ridicule and does NOT care about the kids he is trying to "help". He is a big fat jerk. I remember a friend of mine graduated the program and shortly after went to a brother and sister seminar thing. He was the facilitator and she stood up to say something. He said to her, "YOU just graduated? I find that hard to believe." and he totally wrote her off and was a big fat shit head to her. She is one of the most successful and honest caring people I have ever met. He dosnt realy even know what hes talking about. Its like he makes shit up just to see how you will react to it. And even then it dosnt matter because he is hell bent on having you react the way HE thinks you should. I have been in seminars where the facilitator was a really great person. Only one facilitator I feel that way about. Other than that, Lou, Bill, David, and Dwayne all can jump offa  bridge for all I care. "

ITS ALIIVE! Yeah I brought this thread back from the dead to make a point.

I find it odd how you call David Gilcrease a bad facilitator when they were all HIS OWN DESIGN. Hes probably doing it how its SUPPOSED TO BE DONE, LOL!

The "good facilitators" were people who got sucked in after the fact, still following the same seminar bullshit and guidelines his twisted ass came up with, and made what amounts to a torture experience more bearable, hell, maybe even cut out all the damaging bullshit and made it non harmful.

Im glad you had a good facilitator but that facilitator doesnt make the seminars good, its really more of a 'Schindler' inside of one of those mental death camps than somehow making a inherantly abusive LGA seminar into something positive.

The other reason I brought this thread up back from the dead is the Carlbrook people dont seem to understand what LGA's, be it a 'seminar' or 'workshop' is about. This thread could use a little adding on to, and then maybe being archived for future reference.

Fear believes--courage doubts. Fear falls up the earth and prays--- courage stands erect and thinks. Fear is barbarism---courage is civilization. Fear believes in witchcraft, devils and ghosts. Fear is religion, courage is science.
--Robert G. Ingersoll, American politician and lecturer

[Anonymous]

my name is steve clark and ill tell you whats up with those seminars. i went through them in paradise cove western samoa. take a bat and crack yourself in the head a couple of times then tell yourself that you are a beautifull kind loveing dumb ass young man (or woman)

[Anonymous]

my name is steve clark and ill tell you whats up with those seminars. i went through them in paradise cove western samoa. take a bat and crack yourself in the head a couple of times then tell yourself that you are a beautifull kind loveing dumb ass young man (or woman)

[Anonymous]

BULLDOG?

[Anonymous]

Your "stretch" during Focus is like your big culminating induction into the world of the robots.  You've earned your wings, know your program-speak, and are ready to recruit others into the cult and promise to support the program's clawlike grasp around your kid's neck.

You're assigned to a solo or group performance, like Kiss or En Vogue, and you dress up.  You sing along with the song and pretend to be a rockstar.  Like those cute 'lil preteen sweats that say "Rockstar" in pink across the front.  And the whole time you're being a rockstar you're also Caring, Powerful, and all the other adjectives you put in your contract from Discovery seminar.  Anyway, back to the stretch.  After you sing and dance, you get feedback on how real you were or weren't.  If you don't pass, you are told to redo it until everyone "gets" you.  Maybe half your group passes at first, maybe all of you, this goes into the night until everyone is really real.  

Then the group holds a few of you at a time while your song is played.  They rock you and touch you and say nice things.  When they put you back down, you take turns doing the same to all of the others.  Then you're supposed to be a whole new person.  This is highly secretive for whatever reason.  My roommate told me in advance like it was the shizzle and then when it happened I was not that impressed.  You better just shut your yapper if any of this seems weird to you or you won't pass and have to do the whole thing over again.

[trnsz]

Hey Steve Clark.  When were you there?

[trnsz]

BTW - I totally agree with Nihilanthic about the seminars!

What's funny is I remember the processes and such, but I can't remember any of my "lame adjectives" from Discovery, or my "song" from Focus, etc.  Maybe thinking it was a scam the whole time didn't help make a good impression.  

I do remember you had to yell it really really loud (for the adjectives at the end of discovery), and for the song you sing in Focus.  The louder you were the less fake you were.  Even less "fake" if you cry alot.  Being able to "fake cry" or at least make youself have tears on demand is essential to passing if you don't give a shit.

The one thing that was left out here which was interesting at the end of the seminar, before the cuddling and all actually that, you fall back into everyones arms (like backwards with your eyes closed off a table or chair or something), while they play "your" song.  I guess that is supposedly going to make you gain trust people or what?  Who knows?

I know Lou did Discovery when I did it.  Can't remember for the others.  Which was the seminar with the lifeboat "skit", BTW?  That's the lamest one I remember.

Anyway, seminars are emotional and often embarassing, but not really theraputic.  Where they seem to work is to make you "part of the group" tho.

Oh yeah, all this is top secret too, if you tell other prisoners about it, they say: a) by knowing what will happen, it'll be impossible to pass (be real) and you'll never advance in the levels (BS/scare tactics), b) "consequences" are given out, and nobody wants those.

_________________
-- dbamsal@hotmail.com[ This Message was edited by: trnsz on 2005-12-01 23:20 ][ This Message was edited by: trnsz on 2005-12-01 23:23 ]

[Anonymous]

The lifeboat, telling us John Denver DID it and wrote a song...really he was a wacko....destroyed a kitchen in ASPEN, then killed himself!! I was not impressed.

ALso the lifeboat experience.was difficult..standing there telling someone to their face 'you die' wow that was excurciating!!! I do not want my child to have that seminar experience. Funny my 'educated' husband did not GET that whole thing till the next day. ANd we were in the same room but not allowed to speak..........my focus buddy was a wacko also.


could go on and on...but why bother..its all crap.