Any fond memories, lessons or other positive aspects of The

[Somejoker]

Well, its no surprise you would feel that way. First you rejected everyone you knew before the seed then spent years and years surrounding yourself with them.

Of course they are the people you reflect on and think about, you grew up with them so to speak. This is normal.

[Anonymous]

The reasons I post on this forum is to help me come to terms with my experience at the Seed. If someone relates or disagrees with what I post that is ok because I believe that all of our experiences are unique unto ourselves. I do not like to Post here too Pro or to Con I try to find both the good and the bad in order to be able to sort through my experience and put my experience into its proper place with in my mind. If I post to pro I feel the need to exam myself in my motives, ?am I truly convinced of what I ?am stating to be an absolute truth?? Or, am I so conditioned to think in a certain way that I have ignored the truth altogether? I suspected that the truth is somewhere in the middle (just trying to come to terms with all of this). These are common battles we all fight within ourselves and the answers we conclude to are what ultimately define us.

  My experience at the Seed is one of contraction, filled both with great joy and memories and of course with some regret. The Seed definitely opened doors for me. It taught me how to be self reliant, honest, and functional in my daily affairs, but most of all it taught me how to love myself and the people around me. These lessons are instilled deep within me and are what I base the foundation of my life to this very day. To deny this would be deny my whole philosophy. A life philosophy that was acquired at the Seed and was customized to fit my life once I left the Seed. I believe that much I learned at the Seed was very valid and useful lessons that I needed to learn not only to survive but also to be well adjusted and happy. I refuse to blame the Seed for my shortcomings hence my whole reason for being at the Seed and the good changes that were achieved at the Seed. (I can only speak for myself). I?ll be the first to admit that I?m somewhat dysfunctional in my post Seed life but then again I was before I went to the Seed. The biggest difference being that now I had the correct mind-set to face these problems with clarity some common sense and direction, remembering another Seed saying, ?Life is the journey not the destination?.
 
  We can argue endlessly about the point was the Seed a Cult or not, (some aspects were and some were not) and still remain entrenched in our perceptive positions (I suspect the truth is split right down the middle) but that?s not my point to this post.
 While I spent my time there I noticed how some people took to what was been taught at the Seed. Some people (probably most people) took things at face value on a very superficial level and were very literal on how rules were interpreted. This fundamentalist position I found to be most dangerous because of its rigid interpretation of the set standards of behavior among the people of the Seed. I found these people stifling and unimaginative with a complete lack of depth. I found myself not wanting to be that way. I wanted be more open minded both my heart and mind told me that I was better than that and I certainly did not want to cheat myself out of what I could be as a person. I suspect this is partially due that most people as in life were bidding their time until the moment they graduated and then were able to go their merry way.
 Other people I include myself in this group wanted to grow and cement things permently within ourselves to avoid making the same mistakes and to gain true wisdom (call me an idealist) so questioning this period in my life is only natural. I can not be pigeon holed into being accused of being a mindless follower of Art because to be honest I always found the people that were kind of strange and dangerously misguided however, after many years being away I did acquire a good appreciation for Art and what the Seed was able to do for me. (I know and love people on both sides of the coin).

I post here not to defend my position or to insult anyone but to clear my mind and clearly define the lessons learned from the Seed both the good and the not so good. I yearn to grow in depth and in knowledge but above all in understanding.

 In the end what caused me to go was an ever-growing resentment on my dependence on the Group and the lack of control I had over my life but, some good came out of this. I came to the conclusion these feelings were natural and only served to signal me that it was my time to go and make my way back into the a normal life. I can honestly say that I never held a grudge or resentment toward the Seed. To throw blame toward the Seed or anything else would simply be unfair and cowardly to the Seed or to myself. I take control and responsibility for my life both for the good and the bad.
 Once I went my way I was able to take control of my life and become a staunch individualist. The problems that I face now are mine not the Seeds, not any therapist, priest, minister or whatever else I can think of to use for my escape can be blamed. These problems were present before the Seed and long after the Seed. Theses battles are mine and mine alone and I have faith that in good time I will find the solutions and answers to all these things.
 
Two things I really appreciate now are clarity and control.

It?s OK to speak ones feelings and clear the air.

[GregFL]

Great post.  Just remember one thing...when you left the seed you did so willingly as an adult, not a 14 or 15 year old that never wanted to be there in the first place.

Same place two different results.  I appreciate your introspection and open mindedness and participation in this forum.

It is what it is all about, after all!

[Anonymous]

Trucker - I remember alot of corn snakes

[Anonymous]

there were corn snakes, black racers along with scorpions

[Anonymous]

My daughter went to the Seed and my son to a fancy institute complete with psychiatrists and other drug dispensers. They proceded to beat him up and put him in solitary for weeks on end. I don't recall the Seed doing that. Art Berker charged nothing, but the institute was so outrageosly expensive that when I was forced to retire,  I couldn't afford the 25 Per cent after
my health insurance payment. My family doctor interned at the drug center up north of Lexington, KY. He said that government blot on the taxpayers did not cure any better that just dumping druggies on the street and hoping that they would cure themselves. That's what happened to my son who does not use drugs, alcohol, caffeine, and is a strict vegetarian. The Seed is not and never has been what its opponents (probably all druggies) say here and elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Yep, Art Berker was some guy.
 
Lets see, your son cured himself. He never went to the seed. And your daughter?  You left that part out.

All seed critics are druggies, eh?  Gee, never hear that before.
 :roll:

[Anonymous]

The Seed gave me a family environment also with foster parents who were wiser, and where my own folks had failed I found peace in knowing not all grown-ups were like my parents.

[cleveland]

I think it's all relative people. If you were a hard-core shooting up junky, or came from an overtly abusive environment, the Seed must have seemed like heavan. If you were a typical confused middle class teen, the Seed was a temporary haven at best from which you could leave and start a new life. If you hung around in the '80s, it was a little island separated from the outside world where you could live, work and play and never deal with people you didn't know intimately. The price for this was your freedom and self-will. Many were willing to pay it, at least for a while.

The Seed got one thing right. Kids need love, lots of it, and most don't get it. They are made fun of in school, left alone at home in front of the TV, and neglected by working parents, some of which have their own substance abuse or mental problems. Hug your kids!

[Anonymous]

Here's one that's better:

http://www.ami-fl.org/Youth_Services/services.htm

On 2004-11-07 17:09:00, Anonymous wrote He said that government blot on the taxpayers did not cure any better that just dumping druggies on the street and hoping that they would cure themselves. That's what happened to my son who does not use drugs, alcohol, caffeine, and is a strict vegetarian.

So if that's what happened to your son and he does not use drugs or alcohol then how exactly do you attribute his success to the Seed?

 

The Seed is not and never has been what its opponents (probably all druggies) say here and elsewhere. "

:rofl:  :rofl:  :rofl:  :rofl:  :rofl:

[Anonymous]

Right on Cleveland. And this is the magical allure of almost all cults...love bombing. They bring you in and  give you instant paths to love. ALl you have to do is comply. Soon you are walking talking and acting like everybody else.

[Anonymous]

I'll reply that I'm the daughter of the one who posted this, and since you've asked how the Seed daughter turned out, I'm the one on page 6 who has the Master's degrees, etc.  Don't mess with my dad.  He has put up with a lot of crap and doesn't need any here.  Remember, you asked for fond memories and positive aspects.  You shouldn't shoot the people who report them.

My dad loves my brother and me and is proud of our accomplishments. I will always be thankful for him putting me in the Seed.  After he dropped me off, my mom reported that he returned home and cried all night wondering if he had done the right thing.  I was so screwed up that he was at his wit's end.  My brother had to go through torture at another style of drug rehab.  You guys that complain about our "cult" ain't seen nothing compared to his stories.  By the way, I was in the Seed at the same time, same place as GREGFL, and I don't remember half of what he reports, and it's not because I'm a mindless "Nazi" who is hiding or stuffing her "cult-induced" memories.  

I think a bunch of the complaints here are revisionist history.  I remember reading the St. Petersburg Times stories when we were at the Seed, and most of the stories were based on reports from Seed runaways, screw-ups or their parents, who had an axe to grind. Also, a lot of the reporting was speculation because Art tried so hard to keep the curious public out to protect our anonymity and our growth in the program.  He practiced "the rules" too.

By the way, as some would hint here to jab at my dad, the street didn't cure my brother.  It took a lot of hard work and determination on his part, a lot of sacrifice, set-backs and heartache.  He still regrets that he lost his chance to get more education, because he had to fight just to keep food on the table.  Most of us who graduated from the Seed had a chance to recover our educations if we chose to do so, or if our parents had that goal for us in the first place.

I'm sorry that the "testimonials" of Seed success are so "blah" to some of you, but I am not living in a post-Seed rebellious mindstate, posting endless diatribes on a message board.  Instead, I'm using my energy to volunteer in my community, raise a family and make a lasting difference on society.

[Anonymous]

On 2004-11-08 15:54:00, Anonymous wrote:

"  Don't mess with my dad.  He has put up with a lot of crap and doesn't need any here.

Then tell him to go away if he doesn't like what's posted here.

[Anonymous]

On 2004-11-08 15:54:00, Anonymous wrote:

" Instead, I'm using my energy to volunteer in my community, raise a family and make a lasting difference on society.



"

That's funny...ME TOO. :lol:   I'm doing my part by shutting down Seed/Straight spinoffs and dedicating my life to exposing the Barker/Sembler/Newton/Stepcraft dirty little secrets.

[Anonymous]

On 2004-11-08 15:54:00, Anonymous wrote
By the way, as some would hint here to jab at my dad, the street didn't cure my brother.  It took a lot of hard work and determination on his part, a lot of sacrifice, set-backs and heartache.

Then please explain this statement:

"He said that government blot on the taxpayers did not cure any better that just dumping druggies on the street and hoping that they would cure themselves. That's what happened to my son who does not use drugs, alcohol, caffeine, and is a strict vegetarian. "