Avatar - Cult ? (1 Viewer)

[coraline]

Has anyone ever heard of a weird cult/personal development thingie called Avatar ?

Was talking to a girl today who's really into it, she made it sound all wholesome and wonderful and innocent, combining the best bits of Christianity and Buddhism, set up by this fab guy Harry Palmer who just wants the world to be a better place etc etc

I looked it up and it seems way more sinister and quite similar to Scientology, the founder guy was originally involved in Scientology and then left after some big law suit to set up his own brand of fakery. There are all these levels of courses that you do, costing thousands, culminating in the Wizard Course
Some typical cult elements like all the manuals/courses being top secret and confidential, pressure on people not to leave and to recruit new members etc

Seemingly its huge in France, New Zealand and the States, I had never heard of it till today.

Spookily, this girl was encouraging us to go to the website where you can do free introduction courses.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Palmer_(Avatar)


Any thoughts ??

 

[SONYMEGADRIVE]

sounds deadly

 

[taubstumm]

what is it with exploitative cults and crappy websites? if i was going to set up a cult, i'd have a better one than theirs.

though i think the award for best crappy-religious-cult-website should still go to heaven's gate - animated gifs ahoy!

 

[coraline]

what is it with exploitative cults and crappy websites? if i was going to set up a cult, i'd have a better one than theirs.

though i think the award for best crappy-religious-cult-website should still go to heaven's gate - animated gifs ahoy!

Hi Tom

 

[taubstumm]

hi gill, how's things? wanna join my special secret super organisation? we do really cool stuff, it's like a cross between hinduism and snowboarding. first you need to give me €500.

 

[shitepipe]

sounds promising

The "Avatar Course" is premised on the idea that a person's beliefs create his reality.

sounds like a scam

The manuals used in Section II and III are kept confidential. Students must sign a confidentiality agreement prior to taking the course and must return the materials when the course ends. Section II and III cost $500 and $1500 respectively to attend.

 

[coraline]

hi gill, how's things? wanna join my special secret super organisation? we do really cool stuff, it's like a cross between hinduism and snowboarding. first you need to give me €500.

Ok, only if that gets me straight to grand master wizard level so I can fleece everyone I know. And there needs to be a rule that you can only use real butter and not nasty yellow coloured icky spreads.

 

[Space]

hi gill, how's things? wanna join my special secret super organisation? we do really cool stuff, it's like a cross between hinduism and snowboarding. first you need to give me €500.

Have you read that book Snowboarding to Nirvana or the other one Surfing the Himalayas?

eDit: the butterfly enlightenment course sounds good.

Good Decisions are made every day. Isn't it time to register for The Avatar® Course?

 

[Lefty Frizzell]

what is it with exploitative cults and crappy websites? if i was going to set up a cult, i'd have a better one than theirs.

I dunno i think that website is pretty snazzy. The guy in the pic looks a bit like Lou Ferrigno.

 

[pete]

While we're on the subject, if anyone tries to persuade you to go to a Landmark Forum event just make your excuses and leave. As in, run away.

 

[CitySickness]

The "Avatar Course" is premised on the idea that a person's beliefs create his reality.

 

[jack nance hair]

While we're on the subject, if anyone tries to persuade you to go to a Landmark Forum event just make your excuses and leave. As in, run away.

Interesting - I have a persistent relative who is constantly asking me along to Landmark meetings. However, she'll never tell me what they actually do - only that she feels that I would benefit greatly from them. From some quick web research, my weirdo-money-cult alarm bells started ringing.

Have you had any experience with them? I need some fodder to throw back at her the next time she asks me to come along.

 

[Chad]

though i think the award for best crappy-religious-cult-website should still go to heaven's gate - animated gifs ahoy!

to be fair, they probably havent had the chance to update it recently....

 

[pete]

Interesting - I have a persistent relative who is constantly asking me along to Landmark meetings. However, she'll never tell me what they actually do - only that she feels that I would benefit greatly from them. From some quick web research, my weirdo-money-cult alarm bells started ringing.

Have you had any experience with them? I need some fodder to throw back at her the next time she asks me to come along.

ok here's how it works.

A friend / relative persuades you to go to a seminar that will "change your life" and enable you to reach your full potential, without actually telling you what's involved. At this seminar, various people get up and talk about how Landmark changed their lives etc etc etc - these are all people who, just like your friend / relative, have just finished a Landmark course.

During a break, the friend who invited you will now assist a Landmark staffer in persuading you to sign up for a weekend course & pay a (non refundable) deposit of €85. Any reluctance on your part will be turned around into a sign of weakness and indecision - the very reason you need their course.

Should you subsequently change your mind you'll be subjected to repeated telephone calls trying to persuade you to pay the balance and go on the course. Incidentally, the people doing the phone calling will be unpaid volunteers who give up their own time to run the local office - doing everything from the paperwork to phone calls to cleaning the toilets.

If you eventually do go on the course you will be expected to spend a weekend in three 12 hour sessions (10am to 10pm I think), with no breaks, being bullied and verbally abused in order to break down your mental barriers or some such crap. People who've been through it have likened it to brainwashing.

The final part of your Landmark experience is being sent out to persuade two people to attend an introductory seminar, and the cycle begins again.

It's run by a french dude called Alain Roth who you can see in the enlightening documentary on Landmark Voyage au pays des nouveaux gourous, (Voyage to the Land of the New Gurus)

http://www.culthelp.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1243&Itemid=12url

 

[jack nance hair]

That's confirmed my feelings about the whole thing. If I'm going to pay hard cash to join a cult, I'd prefer one a little more sinister than this pyramid-scheme crap. Time for a hoverbike style intervention.

 

[magicbastarder]

there's a crowd near me called the united church of the kingdom of god.
their promotional literature is great - i especially liked the one quoting the woman who was saved by the UCKG after she became 'evolved with crack cocaine'.

 

[aoboa]

The Communists had the right idea.

 

[SONYMEGADRIVE]

i used to have this amazing poster
from a The Family / Children of God
magazine that was all about the new
world order, satan, barcoding etc

also: anyone else looking forward to
the jonestown documentary that's
coming out? the ghoul in me just
can't wait

 

[george mcfly]

i used to have this amazing poster
from a The Family / Children of God
magazine that was all about the new
world order, satan, barcoding etc

also: anyone else looking forward to
the jonestown documentary that's
coming out? the ghoul in me just
can't wait

i'm mad into the idea of getting involved with a cult..it all seems so cool

 

[pete]

i used to have this amazing poster
from a The Family / Children of God
magazine that was all about the new
world order, satan, barcoding etc

also: anyone else looking forward to
the jonestown documentary that's
coming out? the ghoul in me just
can't wait

remember when The Crazy Man was posting that shit out to people? great days.