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Seed/CEDU

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Antigen:

--- Quote ---On 2004-12-31 07:39:00, shanlea wrote:

I've read postings on MI's and I've even read some samples, and it sounds like the purpose is NOT to discover yourself but to denigrate every aspect of your life and person and to keep you focused on adhering to program "values." It wasn't a true moral inventory because you knew EXACTLY what you were supposed to write.

--- End quote ---


Oh yeah, MI's where the pits! When you consider the circumstances and context, they are just about as close to a crystalized snap shot of the Program as anyone can ask for.

First, 10 - 10 or 8 - 8 or whatever the hours, Group was just about all we did till 3rd phase (school); that and getting ready and getting to and from group, leaving hopefully 3 - 5 hours per night for sleep.* There was the no talking behind backs rule and the confidentiality rule (what goes on here stays here). So then we were to write about our day? About what happened? Our challenges? Goals? So, despite the "no getting into your head" rule, the only topic left was whatever might have been going on in your head throughout the day. It was crazy! I didn't do anything all day. I had no challenges. I didn't even have a choice about anything, let along any meaningful moral or ethical challenge!

MIs were required, structured writing and, while you were on first phase, an oldcomer was required to read and comment on them. Afterward, your parents or staff might well read them while you were away or in group. So yeah! You'd better damned well believe they had to conform to Program dogma!

*Yes, I know that changed in later years at The Seed. I'm talking about `70 - `72 or so, `74 - `75 roughly and `80 - `82 at Straight.

History gives us a kind of chart, and we dare not surrender even a small rushlight in the darkness. The hasty reformer who does not remember the past will find himself condemned to repeat it.
--John Buchan
--- End quote ---

GregFL:
Also Robin, I was PADLOCKED in my room at night and there was one window and a big doberman was under it. I was told he would kill me if I went out the window.

I also had newcomers and the locks were turned around and locked from the outside at night with a key.  This was the culture of the time.

Anonymous:
I stayed in a host home where the windows were nailed shut on the outside and the only door had the locks turned around.

Fire hazard??  WHAT fire hazard. :scared:

Antigen:
I don't remember having newcomers a whole lot when my brothers and sister were in The Seed. I don't think we had any locks on inside or outside doors ever. I do remember one time, must have been around `73 or so if I remember right. My sister had a newcomer. I think it was her first day, certainly her first week. When we got up Sunday morning, she was gone. So somebody called staff and we all fanned out into the neighborhood looking for her. We found her; or, rather, she saw and heard us looking for her. She was sitting in a tree a few blocks away reading a book. Said she never realized it was against the rules to go read a book and that she had no intention of staying away. I'm pretty sure she was there voluntarily, she certainly didn't object to going back to the house or in to group. Don't think she came home w/ my sister that night, though.

Straight was an entirely different story! All newcomers were locked in and guarded. Since there were usually so many newcomers that most oldcomers had at least one all the time, that meant that all oldcomers were essentially locked in and forbiden to listen to music, watch tv or anything else newcomers were not allowed to do. By 3rd phase, you could go to school or work, but still couldn't use the phone (except for dime therapy after getting permission from your parents) or step out the door to check the weather or get the mail, etc. You wouldn't even consider anything like saying hi to the mailman or anything!

Theoretically, on fourth phase you could go outside, but not leave the yard or talk to any neighbors or anything. In practice, "no turning your back on your newcomer" precluded even that liberty. Even on days off, most 4th phasers slept (as that was a physiological priority over almost everything else) and on 5th phase you were busy as you could possibly be trying to do whatever you could to earn graduation.

It was different! But it was also the same in some ways. I remember from when my oldest brother was in in like `71 in Ft. Lauderdale they had rules about the kool-aid. "No sharing, no substitutions" and he remembered the bathroom monitors too.


I don't believe in God. My god is patriotism. Teach a man to be a good citizen and you have solved the problem of life.
--Andrew Carnegie, Scottish-born American industrialist and philanthropist
--- End quote ---

Anonymous:

--- Quote ---On 2004-12-31 10:13:00, Anonymous wrote:

"I stayed in a host home where the windows were nailed shut on the outside and the only door had the locks turned around.



Fire hazard??  WHAT fire hazard. :scared: "

--- End quote ---


Woops, ended up in the wrong forum.  Shoulda been Straight.  Sorry for the mixup. :silly:

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