Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > The Seed Discussion Forum

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Anonymous:
Call it what ever you like. I believe that the origins of the group were true and sound, if later it was perverted, than that is a different story and we can discuss this on another post..
 Being objective as possible

 Remember something: The primary function of the Seed, its basis and origins was to get people off drugs and alcohol (people that have an overwhelming problem) and the only way to accomplish this by one relinquishing control for a while of their life. For this to work one must be aware that one has a problem that is too big for them to handle on their own. Why not rely on people that have fought the same demon..
 I have met many people who tried thru therapy and other methods to stop their destructive behavior with no measurable results taking them only to greater depths of despair..

  I suspect judging by your post and others that programs like the Seed were used as cure alls for teenagers and people that really should not have been exposed to such things. (Kind of like killing a rat with an elephant gun).  You will also find that people who were exposed to the Seed in their teenage years will defend the Seed and it?s methods.

Anonymous:
Anon,
We know who you are and we are watching you.

BIG BROTHER

Anonymous:
Hey Gregg being that you asked and do like and respect you even though we don?t always see eye to eye and Taking into account these are things I?m still working on.

I will give you some examples of things I decided to discard.
1- I had to open my self to people outside the Seed take chances with them and begin to fit back into a normal life. I can understand what you said a previous post that it took you about 7 years. After all I did control my drug problem and now it was my time to move on.
2- I did see adoration toward Art as strange and cultic. (Even back then)
3-I did not want to rely on staff to make my decisions I wanted to make my own decisions and did.
4-I felt at this point I would grow more living a normal life than to stay at the Seed.
5-I never liked being so one-sided on or give the prescribed answers. So I found my own solutions and understandings based on what I was taught at the Seed.
6-Most importantly- I wanted to get laid and did but that?s another story

cleveland:
I especially like point no. 6!

Seriously, I think clearing everything with staff, even if it was not meant to inhibit you, did just that. I mean, it was one thing when you were around for a month and might go off and buy a joint or something, but then this attitude just took on a life of it's own.

If you were a long-time graduate, sure, you could do 'whatever you wanted to' but there was a lot of subtle and not so subtle pressure to do and not do, certain things. For instance, quite aside from the dating thing, when I entered the Seed I had attended college for one year previous, and was a straight A student. I'd even had a paper published in a professional journal. But all that was part of 'being into my head' and 'getting my head out of whack' so instead, I worked as a ditch digger, carpenter's assistant, landscaper, printer's helper, medical tech. NOBODY ever asked me or encouraged me to grow - when I discussed going back to school, the staff member gave me a funny look (Bob W.) and later, Patty H. was called in to tell me, "all artists are weird and don't you think that's more of a girl thing?" (I wanted to study art). Hey, when I was taking advanced placement Art History in high school, I was one of the top five students in the country! But I didn't want to be thought of as being better than anyone else, and I was insecure, so I dropped it. I didn't go back to school until I left the Seed at age 26. As I write this I realize I'm bitter about it. I'm fine now but I spent 7 years of my life just doing Seed-approved things like playing football all day or sitting in a rap for hours. The things I really wanted to do had zero credibility with the staff. I didn't read a serious book (or any book), go to a dance or concert, date, travel (accept to visit family for limited periods), form friends outside of the Seed, study any subject of any kind, or anything else for that matter. 7 YEARS!

Phew, I feel better. And I got laid too. And that is a different story.

cleveland:
You know what else? One of my favorite movies is about an old fashioned, close-knit but patriarchal family. Dad rules the roost. There are two brothers - one the serious, obedient older son, the other the younger playboy. Everything's cool until a long-lost uncle visits, bringing the old family secrets out of the closet and upsetting the balance. All hell breaks loose, the sons fight, the Dad suffers an illness. Peace is restored once the Uncle dies - but everyone is forever changed. The brothers, one that always did whatever dad said, and the other who always rebelled, have come to an understanding.

I loved this movie for years and I now realize that it's kind of a metaphor for the Seed - the benevolent but rigid dad, the good son who stays around, the rebel who leaves, and the uncle, in the form of temptation, who upsets everything but ultimately causes growth.

Sorry for the sophmore year college paper, but the movie's called "To Sleep with Anger" by Charles Burnett. [ This Message was edited by: cleveland on 2004-10-26 17:29 ]

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