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Introduction to Lessons in Awareness, a Training in Power Exposé This site contains research material and personal writings originally sent to the group Training in Power, Seattle, Washington, which I belonged to for over 12 years. This material was first sent to the Boards (US, Canada and Germany) of Training in Power, and later to students with the intent of exposing thought control and abuse. For reasons that will become apparent, efforts to deal with abuse within the group did not produce results.
The charismatic founder of this structure of empowerment has claimed to be the only one who has the knowledge of true empowerment on this planet. As such, she has never-ending arbitrary control over her students, because no one else knows their next step or what they are ready to learn within her structure but her. She uses her power to create exalted states of consciousness, then uses anger, guilt, shame, humiliation, praise or flattery in her coursework and personal contact with students to keep them on course. Ex-members must recover from intense programming they didn't realize they had until they left her influence. The damage done to trauma and abuse survivors over the years has been documented by many counselors, who are beginning to network and recognize the fallout symptoms of Training in Power. How do people get caught in this web? Training in Power diversely appeals to those seeking help to empower themselves or those wanting to contribute meaningfully to healing the Earth. It is a cause for 'new age' seekers although I have since come to think that the best approach to saving the world is to work creatively within our families, our communities, and our workplaces.
There are students of Training in Power who defend its teacher and teachings, and there are ex-students who say harm is being done. The ones who defend Training in Power are right because there is value. The ones who say it is harmful are also right, for there is harm done, and the harm far outweighs the good in the long run. Students caught in this web believe any harm done is just part of what needs to be done. Some students are even convinced there is no abuse and believe what they are told: that they are there by their own free will.
Within Training in Power students are told first, foremost and repeatedly from Level 1 that they are participating by their own free will. When a student does leave however, it is said in various ways by upper levels or in courses that those who leave are just not smart enough to get the information, they are under 'attack'; they are in resistance; they are ‘falling’ in vibration. Remaining students soon become conditioned to feel that if they leave they are failures. This is one example of how thought control works.
The controls are subtle in early levels, embedded in ‘truth' with reasonable sounding emotional words such as healing, freedom, truth and coming to know ‘who you really are'. Early courses prepare and condition students with 'carrots' to want to get to ‘upper levels’. By the time students do reach upper levels (I believe there are now 15 levels), they are held as emotionally captive as if they were behind bars; the bars are psychological and emotional. They are committed and loyal, believing they are doing profound work, but have the robotic suppression and expression so typical of ‘followers' written about in cult literature.
Ex-members of this group, and there are many, look back on financial loss, broken families, emotional trauma, and the need to de-program years of thought control. There are feelings of betrayal, lost years, and shock when the controls are finally seen and conditioning recognized. I say finally recognized, because only with distance from the group does the full realization of the programming surface.
Although the stated purpose of Training in Power, A Spiritual Journey of Service is personal and planetary healing and empowerment, the symptoms and years of fallout of its members tell a different story. The material on this site is offered to those who are willing to examine these issues for themselves. This work is not meant to be the “truth” to anyone, it is meant to bring up questions in the reader and to be an adjunct to the reader's own inner and outer research.
Respectful Regards and Safe Travels,
January 2007
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