Subject: alt.self-improve FAQ (Part 1 of 2)
Supersedes: <alt.self-improve-1-811433601@cs.clemson.edu>
Date: 17 Oct 1995 15:39:49 GMT
X-Posting-Frequency: posted on the 17th of each month
   A how-to-find-the-FAQ article is posted on the 7th and 27th
X-Content-Currency: This FAQ changes regularly.  When a saved or printed copy
   is over 6 months old, please obtain a new one.

Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: self-impr-faq/part1

.     -------------------------------------------
... alt.self-improve FAQ
...     revision 1.9
 ...    July 17, 1995
.     -------------------------------------------

DISCLAIMER
This file is a collection of Frequently Asked Questions from the 
alt.self-improve group.  This document is information collected by 
the editors for public use.  The information is not guaranteed to
be accurate and may not reflect the opinions of the editors, the
editor's employers, or associated institutions.  This document may
be freely distributed provided this disclaimer is included with
all copies.  All contributions and suggestions for improvement
are welcomed.  The current editors are:

Loren Larsen
Computer Science Department
Clemson University
Clemson, SC 29634
llarsen@cs.clemson.edu

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This FAQ is posted on the 17th of every month.  A how-to-find-the-FAQ article
is posted on the 7th and 27th of every month.  This FAQ is also available 
via World Wide Web (Mosaic): 
http://diogenes.cs.clemson.edu/~llarsen/llarsen.html
or via ftp from rtfm.mit.edu:
/pub/usenet/alt.self-improve/alt.self-improve_FAQ_(Part_1_of_2)
/pub/usenet/alt.self-improve/alt.self-improve_FAQ_(Part_2_of_2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Changes since version 1.5 (Feb. 17)
- New section describing The People's Network
- Updated Resources section
- New biography of Tad James
Changes since version 1.6 (Apr. 17)
- Information on IDHEA seminars
Changes since version 1.7 (May. 18)
- New Web resources, notably:
    Covery Leadership Center
    hypnosis.com (Tad James and his Accelerated Human Change Companies)
    Forum Graduate Association
- I am currently looking for a co-editor(s) to help improve the FAQ.
Changes since version 1.8
- HTML version of FAQ available at 
     http://diogenes.cs.clemson.edu/~llarsen/llarsen.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.  Introduction to alt.self-improve
2.  Accelerated Learning
3.  Baldness Cures and Consequences
4.  Bates Method (natural vision improvement)
5.  Stephen Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective People, etc.)
6.  Est
7.  Financial Improvement
8.  General Learning and Study Skills
9.  Hypnosis
10. Landmark (The Forum)
11. Lateral Thinking
12. Life-Long Learning Association
13. Lifespring
14. Meditation
15. Memory Systems
16. Mindmapping
17. Mind Machines
18. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
19. The People's Network
20. Physical Health
21. Anthony Robbins
22. Sales and Negotiation
23. Scientology/Dianetics
24. Software Packages
25. Speed Reading
26. Marshall Sylver
27. Time Management
Appendix A.  Resource List
Appendix B.  Biographies
.Richard Bandler
.Stephen Covey
.John Grinder
.Tad James
.Anthony Robbins
Appendix C.  Reader Ratings of Books/Audiotapes/Seminars

1. Introduction to alt.self-improve

The alt.self-improve group provides a forum for discussing strategies,
techniques, and principles for self improvement.  The table of contents gives
a good overview of the breadth of topics discussed.  This FAQ has been
created to provide a single document that contains a sort of history of what
has been discussed in the newsgroup.  New readers may find the answers to
many of their questions already answered in this document.  We have attempted
to categorize questions by topic for easy access, but many issues don't fit
neatly into a single category.  The contents of this document are collected
by the editors from past postings in alt.self-improve, personal e-mail
correspondence, and outside sources.  All suggestions and contributions are 
welcome.  The newsgroup is not intended for commercial uses or promotion of, 
commercial products; however a section has been added to this document with 
information about contacting many of the companies whose products, seminars, 
or books are discussed in this newsgroup.  The last section provides brief 
biographical information about some of the self-improvement personalities 
frequently mentioned in this group.  

This document is still in its infancy.  Most of the material collected so
far has been summarized based on past postings to the newsgroup.  There are
bound to be a number of errors.  The information presented so far is probably
biased toward the interests and perspectives of the editors.  Hopefully both
the errors and bias will rapidly be eliminated with your feedback.  Please
help to expand and perfect this document by contributing your knowledge.

Quoted articles are acknowledged by placing the poster's name in parentheses
(e.g. (From: llarsen@cs.clemson.edu).  Information which is not explicitly
acknowledged has been compiled by the editors from a variety of sources
including past postings, external sources, and reader responses to the 
editors.

We are considering different methods of compactly recording comments from
a wide variety of sources.  One suggestion is to create a rating system
for books, seminars, etc.  For example if you have attended a particular
speed reading course or a Tony Robbins seminar, send us your opinion by
rating it on a scale of 1-10.  The average could be used as opposed to
a huge collection of personal responses.  Any other suggestions are welcome.


2.  Accelerated Learning

.Q. What is accelerated learning?
.A. Accelerated learning is a technique that was pioneered by the 
.   Bulgarian psychologist named Lozanov during the 1950's/60's.

.   A typical session involves two stages - learning while in deep 
.   relaxation, and consolidating through play.

.   In the first stage of a session, pupils are seated (or sit on 
.   cushions) in a comfortable room and are encouraged to relax, get 
.   themselves into a positive frame of mind and visualize a time when 
.   they experienced real joy at succesfully learning something.

.   Once everyone is relaxed, the teacher will start some music. The 
.   best music has been found to be Baroque music, by composers like 
.   Bach, Handel and Vivaldi, at a tempo of about sixty beats per 
.   minute (60bpm).  The students are asked to breath in time to the 
.   music to increase their relaxation - a common method is to breath 
.   in for four seconds, hold it for four seconds, breathe out for four
.   seconds and pause, in time with the music.

.   The teacher then reads the material to be learned, again in time 
.   with the music, and varying the tone and volume of his/her voice. 
.   If the material is, for example, the basic vocabulary of German, 
.   the teacher will read an English word, followed four seconds later 
.   by the German equivalent.

.   The idea is the material will `imprint' itself on the minds of the 
.   students, with little conscious effort by them.

.   The second stage involves revising the material through play, the 
.   idea again is to make the session as relaxed and enjoyable as 
.   possible.

.   The editors have no experience of the techniques themselves, so we
.   cannot say if they are of any value. Reports of the technique have
.   varied from wild claims of learning 2000+ foreign words in a day,
.   to murmurs of disapointment from people who found the sessions
.   uninteristing and repetitive. Many people have commented that
 .   people who are good auditory learners seem to have more success
.   than those who are good visual learners, so Anthony Robbins fans
.   might want to check this out.

.  The only audio material being produced at the moment (as far as
.  we know) is by Colin Rose, who has also written a book on the
.  subject (called, strangely enough, `Accelerated Learning').
.  You also might want to dig out a copy of `Superlearning' by
.  Maria Ostrand), which describes the history of Accelerated 
.  Learning in detail and gives a complete guide to doing it 
.  yourself.

3. Baldness Cures and Consequences
.A summary of ways for handling balding has been contributed by a
.reader.  Here it is:

..
                        Baldness Cures and Consequences

.1. Does baldness need to be cured?  

.The answer is up to you, if you're losing your hair.  It depends on 
.your self-concept, on how happy you are with the way you look now, and
.how happy you'll be with the way you will look once your pattern 
.expands to its ultimate stage.  You might get some hints on this by 
.looking at pictures of your maternal grandfather in his later years; 
.in any case, debates concerning the actual hereditary links of 
.male-pattern baldness, while of scholarly interest, are mostly 
.unhelpful to individuals and thus beyond the scope of this FAQ.

.2. Bald can be Beautiful
.
.Star Trek's Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) provides an excellent 
.example of a person who, by a happy combination of personality and 
.physiognomy, has managed to be handsome and quite sexy while still 
.being bald.  St. Anthony, while not sexy, was good looking too, 
.despite his bald crown.  Your case may be a different story.  It all 
.depends on how you want to look.

.You might attempt to accept the fact that baldness has always been a 
.natural part of growing old.  Are you unhappy about your baldness or 
.are you just not accepting the fact that you're no longer 15?  You may
.not agree with this, but there is probably a natural beauty and grace 
.to your unaltered baldness pattern.  Could you possibly learn to love 
.that natural grace and let your inner beauty shine through along with 
.it?  Many people can and do.  They save a lot of money that way.

.3. Combing to cover
.The solution, adopted by some, of combing hair over bald spots is 
.probably counterproductive.  In other words, the larger your spot, the
.better you might look if you just accepted its presence and had your 
.hair styled so that the spot was not being hidden.  This is, of 
.course, a matter of opinion, but a person with a full-cap bald pattern
.who tries to cover it by letting hair on the sides of the head grow 
.unusually long and flipping it up generally looks like a person who is
.doing just that.  Most independent observers find it odd; people who 
.had once "combed to cover" generally find that they are perceived
.as much more attractive by others once they let their spots be what 
.they are.  (When used in combination with spray-on hair, however, 
.combing to cover can produce a natural effect for some--not all--
.people.  See discussion below.)

.4. Vitamins
.Severe nutrient deficiencies and extreme stress will shock your body 
.from head to foot. If the foods you eat contain neither inositol nor 
.any B vitamins, you may die sooner than you ought to.  But, sad to 
.say, if you have an otherwise normal diet and start popping inositol 
.and B vitamins, your hair will still fall out.  Your hairs know 
.precisely the date when they're supposed to cash in their chips, and 
.they'll do it right then, no matter how much inositol you feed them.  
.Buy relaxation tapes if you're stressed, however. 

.5. Subliminal Suggestion Tapes and the Power of Mind
.The person who made a tape designed to trick your mind into keeping 
.hair on your head was full-cap bald when he produced the tape and is 
.full-cap bald to this very day.  He's a very fine person and he even 
.made an effective tape on how to become wealthy through prosperous 
.thinking.  The baldness tape, however, has been withdrawn from the 
.market.

.Not even Krishna consciousness will help you grow hair.  Do you have 
.any idea of the number of bald swamis who have been sighted in Wyoming
.alone?  Those who still dwell in the physical body are still bald. I 
.know that most of them wouldn't bother lowering their vibration long 
.enough to produce hair on their heads--and why should they, 
.considering the delights they know.  But you'd think that some of them
.would spontaneously sprout hair once in a while, just for fun.  

.Ram Dass and Wayne Dyer, very wise bald sages both, have used their 
.wisdom to talk themselves out of esteeming hair, needing hair, or 
.wanting hair.  In fact, many holy beings float so high that they 
.realize that hair is the LEAST of their or anyone else's needs, that 
.it's just more material stuff destined to collect in a porcelain sink,
.another illusion trying to convince you it's real, just one more set 
.of material attachments from which we all, eventually, seek 
.liberation.  And they're absolutely right.  Listen to what the Hindu 
.God Krishna had to say about your physical body.  Lord Krishna, 
.addressing his friend Arjuna (who was whining about his apparent duty 
.to kill his relatives in an upcoming battle), spoke thus: 

.      While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not
      .      worthy of grief.  Those who are wise lament neither for the 
.      living nor the dead.  Never was there a time when I did not 
.      exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any
.      of us cease to be.  As the emboldened soul continually passes, 
.      in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul 
.      similarly passes into another body at death.  The self-realized 
.      soul is not bewildered by such a change.  O son of Kunti, the 
.      nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their 
.      disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and 
.      disappearance of winter and summer seasons.  They arise from 
.      sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to 
.      tolerate them without being disturbed.

.So there.  Krishna says you shouldn't even grieve for the apparent 
.loss of your life, much less the loss of your stupid hair.  

.Easy for the blue-skinned God to say, with long black locks flowing 
.down his back. 

.6. Serious Solutions
.If you still don't believe that bald can be beautiful (on you) and if 
.you still grieve for that which is not worthy of grief, then you're a 
.terribly superficial, materialistic creature and probably a Libra too.
.But we still love you.  The good news is that, if money is no object, 
.you can, in many cases, have as much hair as you want.  Once you have 
.a full head of hair, it'll be easier to philosophize about how hair is
.one of the illusions of Maya and thus makes no difference whatsoever.
.As a good Libra, you'll enjoy doing that.

.Timing is everything.  The sooner you start taking some decisive 
.action before your baldness pattern reaches its limits, the smoother 
.your transition from a "balding" person to one with an apparently full
.head of hair will be.  This, of course, should be obvious.  If your 
.hair is just now starting to thin, very few people other than you and 
.those very intimately involved with you will either notice or care if 
.you start to make changes.  But if you're completely bald on top, or 
.have a full-crown bald spot, then its sudden disappearance will be 
.noticed by many people.  This involves potential psychological 
.problems.  If you make an abrupt transition, some people will ask you 
.what you've done to your hair.  Maybe the comments will be well meant
.or innocuous, such as, "Whatever you've done to your hair, it looks 
.great."  Few will say, "I like your new wig."  That's because few--if 
.any--will notice.  

.The reason why few people will notice most subtle changes you make to 
.your hair is that most people don't actually see you each time they 
.cast their eyes on you.  What they "see" is their pre-formed mental 
.image of you (your "gestalt").  Their eyes scan you for identifying 
.features and then, satisfied that the person they are scanning matches
.(more or less) their internalized gestalt of you, they're satisfied 
.about that and go on with what they're truly concerned about, which 
.is usually themselves.  That's why people who have had beards for a 
.long time are often surprised that many people don't mention it when 
.they shave the beard off.  At best, a few people will say, "There's
.something different about you; did you used to wear glasses or 
.something?"  

.There are exceptions, however, to what we just said.  Men who are 
.losing or have lost their hair are generally as perceptive as raptors 
.when it comes to other men's hair.  If you used to look bald and then 
.start to look hairy, you'll be leaving the balding ones behind.  Some 
.will resent the fact that you're choosing to leave the bald club; 
.somehow they've convinced themselves that they have to be in that club
.for life and they believe you deserve the same sentence.  Another 
.group of exceptions will be the few people who actually walk around 
.with their eyes open.  Why do they do this?  No one knows, but some 
.people actually have nothing better to do than to go around seeing and
.enjoying the real world, rather than seeing their pre-formed image
.of it.  You can be assured that those people are few in number and 
.are usually such enlightened souls that they wouldn't think of 
.embarrassing you in public or private.  

.In any case, the avoidance of any comments at all is preferable to 
.most people.  We want to look better, but not radically better.  If 
.you look radically better, then your current gestalt will not match 
.people's preformed image of you and you'll wake them out of their 
.daze.  A seamless transition is thus the ideal.  If you gradually
        make positive changes early in your pattern's progression, you will 
.get minimal or no unwelcome comments from others.  If you are 
.currently fully bald, it will be harder to make slow, seamless 
.changes, but it is possible.  To ease the social transition, you might
.even consider going away for a while as you make your changes. 
.(Fleeing is not recommended, but you might think about making your 
.change if, for example, for other reasons you do need to move to a new
.city or go on a long vacation.  In that case, you can start again 
.fresh.)

.A. Spray-On Hair in a Can.
.Don't laugh.  This stuff REALLY works--but only if you just have a 
.small spot to cover.  Forget it if you don't have any hair that can 
.be combed over your spot and still look natural; in that case, it 
.will just look like you painted your head!  Cost: $5.00 per can at 
.some retail stores; $19.95 plus 4.95 shipping and handling (for a 
.larger can) when sold on late-night infomercials.  Several brands are 
.available.  The one called Instant Hair Plus is a good one. 

.(a)  Advantages. If you just have a small spot, this stuff has you 
.covered. Its odd texture somehow creates the appearance of full hair, 
.but only when mixed with a sufficient amount of your own thinning 
.hair.

.(b) Disadvantages. The powder might come off on your pillow, shirt,
.and hands.  Get used to ring-around-the-collar.  The better types
.come off only when mixed with water and soap.  You need to apply
.for spray every day, or after you wash your hair.  Spray-on hair is 
.hardly a long-lasting solution, only a stop-gap measure.  Eventually, 
.you won't have enough real hair to make it work.

.Alternative: Try Clairol Loving Care Hair Color Mousse (all colors 
.available) (about $6.00).  Smear some of it on a plastic bag and rub 
.it full strength over your (small) spot and mix it with existing hair.
.The effect might be the same as spray-on hair, and, when dry, the 
.mousse does NOT readily come off on pillows.  Once again, this works 
.only on small spots and in combination with at least some real hair.

.B. Wigs
.Hairpieces of various sizes, qualities, and shapes are rarely called 
.wigs by companies like Hair Club For Men, Hairmakers, etc., but 
.they're selling nothing other than wigs.  They call their wigs 
."systems" or "pieces."  Pick the euphemism you prefer.  They sew--with
.a needle and thread--the hairpiece to your existing hair, which is 
.first prepared by making a braid in your own hair along the sides.  
.Other techniques involve attaching the piece to your braid by means of 
.clips.  The clips allow you to remove the piece whenever you desire; 
.when the thing's sewn to your head, it's terribly difficult to get 
.off without assistance, but in most cases you wouldn't want to do that
.anyway and so that doesn't create a problem.

.Cost: From $700 to $1500 for an initial hairpiece plus about $60 every
. 5 weeks for a haircut and servicing. If you can afford it, you should
.eventually get two pieces, so one can be worn while the other is 
.being repaired every few months. Normal monthly servicing-with-haircut
.takes about an hour of concentrated effort from a specialized 
.hairstylist, who therefore deserves at least a $10 tip.

. (a) Advantages.  The truth is that a lot of people come out of these 
.salons looking fabulous!  No one could deny it. The best shops--you 
.have to find them yourself by careful comparison--give you human 
.hair matched to your own color and texture. The results depend upon a 
.variety of factors that may not be totally within your control.  Wigs
.are (or should be) handcrafted items; the quality of such object 
.depends on the skill of the people who make them.  Don't submit to
.pressure sales tactics.  You will need to return to the company
.regularly for servicing.  If you distrust them at the beginning, you 
.might be even unhappier with them later.

.So it is possible to get a hairpiece that not only covers your 
.baldness but also makes you look great.  You get used to having it on 
.after a few weeks; then it almost seems normal.  Practically no one 
.will know you're wearing it, especially if you start before you really
.need one, and if you return regularly to have your piece serviced.   
.Remember, most people don't think nearly as much about your appearance
.as you do.  That should be comforting.

.(b) Disadvantages. A wig is a wig is a wig.  It's not a part of you; 
.it's a prosthesis of sorts.  You grow, but it doesn't.  Your natural 
.hair replenishes itself.  The hair on your piece will get old faster 
.than you do, fade, and even fall out.  From time to time, therefore, 
.you will need to have your piece dyed professionally as part of your 
.monthly servicing and to have lost hairs replaced strand by strand, 
.or clump by clump ($25 or so). You should attend to these details 
.meticulously every few months.  There's nothing worse than a balding 
.or faded wig! 

.In any case, if you meet someone who gets intimate and wants to stroke
.your head, well, unless the person has a glove on, s/he'll probably 
.realize the stuff on your head is not exactly real.  Most people who 
.keep their hands to themselves won't care or notice by visual measures
.alone.

.(c) Warnings.  Before you accept your first hairpiece, make sure it's 
.of excellent quality. For example, the piece they first try to tie 
.onto you might not have been designed by a person who knew or cared 
.what s/he was doing, the hair might not match your own color or 
.texture very well, the piece might actually be an off-the-shelf model 
.they're selling you for a custom-made price, etc.  Try to avoid 
.signing contracts that do not refund most of your money if you're not 
.completely satisfied. However, out of fairness, you should realize 
.that there is a reasonable cost involved in having a custom-made piece
.designed for you in the first place.  If you frivolously decide you 
.don't want to go through with the process after they've manufactured 
.your piece, the company can stand to lose several hundreds of 
.dollars--but certainly not the full price they're charging you.  You 
.need to negotiate on this issue.

.C. Sutured Wigs
.Some companies claim to permanently "cure" baldness by actually 
.attaching what are no more than wigs or hairpieces to your scalp, not 
.your existing hair.  

.Cost: Whatever it is, it's a horrid waste of money.

.(a) Advantages. There are none.  The supposed advantage is that, 
.unlike with sewn-on-your-own-hair hairpieces, the surgically-installed
.ones won't come loose as your real hair grows.

.(b) Disadvantages.  They are legion. This is a surgical procedure that,
.logically, is bound to be unsatisfactory for many very good reasons.  
.First, your poor scalp will probably never completely heal from this 
.until you get it removed for good.  Second, if you need, every month 
.or so, to have a sewn-on hairpiece removed for servicing, you surely 
.would need to have the sutured thing removed too for cleaning and the 
.addition of new hair for the hairs that inevitably fall out.  But you
.can't do that servicing without undergoing yet another surgical 
.procedure.  Feel sorry for anyone who has actually undergone this 
.procedure.  Don't do it yourself.

.E. Minoxidil (Rogaine)
.This product of the Upjohn company is widely advertised as the only 
.approved cure for baldness.

.Cost: ?

.(a) Advantages: Scientific studies have proven that this drug works to
.restore growing hair for many people, especially those who start 
.early and especially those with loss only in the crown.  Apply a 
.bit twice a day, and eventually and slowly, hair comes back.

.(b) Disadvantages: Your hair grows back, but painfully slowly.  If you
.stop using the drug, the hair falls out again.  For many people the 
.gains are not aesthetically significant.  Sure, there's more hair or 
.peach fuzz there, but you still look bald.  The cost is relatively 
.high, and you can never stop buying it.  Read the list of side effects
.of a drug you might need to take forever.

.F. Hair Transplants and Baldness Reduction Procedures.
.This is the ultimate solution.  It is the only one that, when it 
.works, works permanently, such that you don't need to do it again!  
.There is nothing like your own growing, regenerating hair.

.Cost: $8,000 (for just a bald crown) to $40,000 (for full-cap bald).

.(a) Advantages.  If you have the bucks to spend, well spend them here.
        You will eventually get your money's worth, if you don't decide to 
.buy a house instead.  Quite simply, a doctor will take hairs from the 
.sides or back of your scalp and install them onto your bald or balding
.areas.  These transplanted hairs are the ones with strict genetic 
.instructions to stay with you until your last breath.  An assistant 
.will sew the donor sites together ("donor closure") so you won't have 
.gaps on the side of your head.  Once the new stuff grows in, it's 
.yours.  No more hairpiece servicing, no more bottles of drugs or 
.colored hairspray to buy, just your own hair.   Sound good?  Read on.

.(b) Disadvantages.  The prices listed are actually rather realistic, 
.if you're going to get pleasing results.  You wouldn't need to spend 
.all of that money all at once, however. Each procedure will cost from 
.$900 to $2000.

.The 8 grand would cover four or five procedures over at least a year 
.and a half and could result in pleasing results for a person who 
.looked like O.J. Simpson's lawyer (but only for his crown, not for the
.front).  (With that guy's money, one wonders why he never did this.)  
.This could involve two baldness-reduction procedures (galeoplasty) 
.spaced 3 months apart and then three transplant procedures.  

.Try to do as much reduction as possible; this procedure produces 
.fastest results.  A crescent moon-shaped or star-shaped slice of bald 
.scalp is simply cut out, and then the remaining scalp is sewn 
.together. Rather quickly, you're much less bald. Your scalp is elastic
.enough to tolerate this. After this heals, the remaining bald spot is 
.covered with hair grafts.  The scars remaining after a reduction 
.procedure heals will disappear under the transplanted hair from later 
.procedures.  The 40 grand figure is an uneducated guess at what a 
.full-cap bald person might need to spend, ultimately, to get the BEST 
.possible results. (Actually, for 40 grand, maybe they'll do something 
.about your nose too!)   You'll need to consider the amount of donor 
.hair you have, however.  Captain Picard just would never have enough 
.to make it work.  Of course, he could have tufts growing in several 
.places, but no one would ever mistake him for a person with full head 
.of hair. Still, procedures and surgeons are constantly improving.

.So it all depends on your pattern: how far bald you're likely to get. 
.If you think your pattern will never make you fully bald, you might 
.want to try turning things around in the hirsute direction.

.(c) More Disadvantages: 

.It is true that the surgical procedures themselves are almost 
.completely painless.  You are given nitrous oxide and a local 
.anaesthetic, so you feel next to nothing as you watch television, sip 
.on a soft drink, and chat with your surgeon. (In actuality, you'll be 
.high as a kite from the nitrous thinking that you'd really enjoy this 
.if those guys would just stop chopping on your head.)  You probably 
.won't even see a drop of blood during the procedure; the companies 
.really try to hide the blood, since it upsets some clients so much.  
.You'll feel, painlessly and vaguely, someone drilling into your donor 
.sites and then preparing similar holes in the transplant sites.  The 
.transplants themselves will be little cylindrical cores of follicles

.Immediately after either a baldness-reduction or transplant procedure,
.you'll look like an Indian Sikh with a white turban.  (If people 
.mistake you for a swami, tell them you're using spiritual powers to 
.grow hair.)  The bandage comes off after just one or two days, 
.revealing a healing wound.  After a baldness-reduction procedure, 
.you'll look like someone just hit you in the head with an axe; after a
.typical transplant procedure, you'll look like a rabid woodpecker had 
.its way with your head--actually, after a few days, it won't be SO 
.bad. You can start washing your hair again, very carefully, after 
.two or three days.

.These inevitable stages don't have to be psychologically or socially 
.traumatic for you, however.  This is definitely the time to get out 
.your hat collection, to adjust your schedule so that you won't return 
.to work for at least four days (though some people could physically do
.so the very next day).

        Transplanted hair falls out a month after surgery; it then--slowly-- 
        regrows.  Aesthetically pleasing regrowth takes about 6 months 

.(d) Cautions.  Your results will depend on the skill and caring of your
.surgeons.  Experience counts a lot.  Investigate before you invest!  
.Lots of micro or mini transplants are ultimately better than just a 
.few larger-sized transplants. The little ones take better.  Your 
.transplants should certainly be MUCH, MUCH smaller each than a dime; 
.more the size of, say, three pinheads put together.

.Each time you get another transplant procedure near a spot where a 
.former transplant was done, the earlier transplants will be disturbed.
        Some might die, but most will temporarily bald again from the shock 
        but then come back, after the normal 3 to 4 months. 

.(e) Variations.
.There are flap procedures in which a whole flap of sideline hair is 
.cut out, twisted, and stuck onto a prepared bald spot. This allegedly 
.provides instant results of varying quality, especially for people 
.bald in front.  The advantage is supposed to be that the flap of hair 
        never completely loses its blood supply since part of it is still 
        attached to its original location on the scalp. 

      A variation of the baldness-reduction procedure is to expand the scalp
      beforehand by surgically inserting balloon-like devices into which 
      more and more liquids are forced over the course of several weeks.  
      This makes the bald scalp bulge out; the extra skin, once loosened in 
      this way, is then snipped away.  As the balloons fill, the client 
      begins to look like a creature from outer space.  If you can possibly 
      stand looking like this, logically the procedure should work, since 
      you'll rid yourself of more bald skin than is possible with normal 
      baldness reduction.  You may also enjoy an unanticipated facelift in 
      the process.  (That is not a joke!  Think about it.  When extra scalp 
      is cut away, the remaining skin on your head is tightened up.  Same 
      with normal (balloon-free) baldness reduction procedures.)

      G. Combining Approaches
      Actually, it is possible, if you start early enough, to combine several
      approaches discussed above so that you have minimal embarrassment and 
      maximal success.  The following steps are logical and relatively pain 
      free.  We did not say cheap.  Now that you know what each procedure 
      entails, you can combine them to suit your particular situation.


      (a) Start with a hairpiece or spray-on hair.
      Even though hairpieces are undesirable prostheses, if you get a good 
      one and start well before your pattern's reached its peak, practically
      no one will notice what you've done and you'll have taken your first 
      step.  Yes, you can indeed swim with it on, blow dry your hair, 
      everything they say in the infomercials, except that when someone put 
      his/her hands through your hair, it might not feel like real hair.  

      If you have minimal hair loss now, you might be able to start with 
      spray-on hair and omit the hairpiece entirely from your schedule.  
      For example, you might order relatively small baldness-reduction 
      procedures, ones designed to produce small scars that can be covered 
      by the spray after a few days.

      (b) Get baldness-reduction procedures or transplants. 
      Each procedure takes about an hour.  Have your stylist take your 
      hairpiece off just before you go in for surgery and then have it put 
      back on about 3 days after your surgery. This will work fine, if you 
      just keep your wounds clean by spraying isopropyl alcohol right 
      through your hairpiece.  And voila.  No one will think you were 
      attacked with an axe; no one will notice anything--except for people 
      you live at home with.  And you'd be surprised--even some of them 
      won't notice.  Each time you have your piece serviced, you'll get a 
      look at the (slow) progress you're making.  Only you and your stylist 
      will see this.  As your surgical wounds heal and eventually disappear,
      the early stages will be unsightly.  We do NOT recommend your trying 
      to go through baldness-reduction procedures (of normal size) without 
      having a piece to cover it up as fast as possible. It just looks too 
      ugly. We presume you always want to look your best.

      (c) Wean yourself from the hairpiece, if necessary, by using spray-on 
      hair.  As soon as it seems possible, see if the spray-on hair will 
      fill in the gaps for you.  If you just had a bald crown, you could be 
      free of the hairpiece within just two years. 
      If you start too early, before you're really sure what your final 
      pattern will turn out to be, for some time you'll find yourself never 
      running out of bald spots to keep getting transplants on.  So weaning 
      yourself from the hairpiece might take longer.

      About the Cost:  The cost will be high if you desire excellent, 
      permanent results.  But this is an investment in yourself that will 
      last for the rest of your lifetime.  If you invest wisely, you'll 
      enjoy the results much longer than you will any new car you'll buy.

      Final Words:  
      In every town there are private stylists who used to work for outfits 
      like Hair Club for Men and now do the same work, perhaps much more 
      caringly, affordably, and professionally, on their own.  If you can 
      find one of them, you might be much happier in the long run.  Look in 
      the Yellow Pages and call the companies with the smaller ads first. If
      you can't find a small company, you might start with a large company 
      and if you don't like it ask your stylist if s/he'd consider doing the
      same work at home.  

      Surgery is serious business.  The abilities of surgeons vary.  You 
      therefore want a rather well established company for the surgical 
      procedures, so look for the bigger ads.  Companies with large ads but 
      rather small offices can be fine, however.  Surgeons who do 
      transplants usually do other types of surgery in hospitals on other 
      days, so you shouldn't insist on a large hospital setting; such 
      outpatient procedures can be done safely in a specialist's office.

      Wild-sounding procedures, whether covered or not covered here, should 
      be investigated thoroughly.  No endorsement of any particular 
      companies (other than Clairol's Chocolate Mousse) is implied here.  
      Trust your feelings when you visit a hair-service company.  Do the 
      employees seem happy?  If they don't, find a place where, at the very 
      least, they do.  Before you buy, interview a company's current 
      clients.  That research, if you do it well, may pay off handsomely.

      Good luck.

      And once you have all the hair you've ever wanted, read again that 
      hair is an illusion like all the others.  True, it's less of an 
      illusion now that it's sprouting abundantly above your brain.  But 
      it's all just a bunch of material stuff, and none of it has much to 
      do with who you really are.

      Or does it?

      Your body might be an illusion, but that doesn't mean it has to be an
      unsightly, dreadful illusion.  Why not let your illusion touch your 
      highest ideal, if that's what you truly want to do.


4. Bates Method

.Q. What is the Bates Method?
.A. The Bates Method is a set of vision improvement techniques 
.   originally developed by William H. Bates, MD, back in the 1910's 
.   and 1920's.  Many people have expanded on the techniques since 
.   then.  There are at least a dozen books in print.

.   The basic theory is that we develop excess tension in the muscles 
.   in and around the eyes, and it is this tension which causes poor 
.   vision.  The vision improvement techniques are designed to relax 
.   the muscles in the eyes and to allow us to see better.

.   There are 3 basic techniques for relaxing the eyes:

.   1. "Sunning" is shining a bright light on your closed eyes.  Use as 
.      bright a light as you can stand without squinting.  Concentrate 
.      on relaxing the eyes while you do this.  Eventually you will be 
.      able to increase the intensity of the light and use the sun as 
.      your light source.  This technique is done for 5 to 20 minutes
.      (no more than 5 minutes facing the sun).  It is best if you can 
.      follow your sunning with palming.

.   2. "Palming" is covering your eyes with your cupped palms.  Try to 
.      cut off all light from your eyes.  Relax and think of something 
.      pleasant.  Do this technique for at least 5 minutes.  You can do
.      this as much as you like.  The record is 20 hours.  I recommend 
.      one 20 minute session per day.

.   3. The "long standing swing" is standing in the middle of a room 
.      and turning back and forth from 90 degrees left to 90 degrees 
.      right.  Turn your head with your body and keep the eyes looking 
.      forward.  Start with the eyes lifted and looking at the line 
.      where the wall meets the ceiling, and lower your gaze with each 
.      pass.  Do not try to focus on everything that passes in front of
.      your eyes; just let your gaze fall where it will.  Start with 30 
.      swings, and work your way up to 100 swings.  This should take no
.      more than 4 minutes.

.     All the techniques should be done with the eyes relaxed.  If you 
.     feel tension around your eyes and you can't relax it, stop the 
.     technique.

.     There are other techniques to correct vision defects like 
.     astigmatism and poor left-right fusion.  I recommend you get a 
.     copy of the book titled "Do You Really Need Eyeglasses" by 
.     Marilyn B. Rosanes-Berrett if you would like more info.  This is 
.     the best book I have found on the subject.  The ISBN is 
.     0-88268-104-4.

.Q. Is there any empirical evidence to support the Bates Method?
.A. (msieweke@hayes.com) writes:
           There is empirical evidence to support the Bates method, and there 
.   is a limited amount of experimental evidence.  Bates documented 
.   many successes, and each of the other books documents many 
.   successes.  There are reports of patients who were brought to 20/20
.   vision and had astigmatism corrected.

.   I have one book that lists three studies showing vision improvement
.   in patients using something similar to the Bates method.  I seldom 
.   mention them because the data is difficult to interpret, and 
.   because I don't like the book (Natural Vision Improvement) as much 
.   as some others.  One study lists visual acuity before and after 
.   training.  Results vary...  One patient started at 
.   20/400(both eyes) and ended at 20/400(r), 20/300(l) after 15 
.   months.  Another patient started at 20/800 and ended at 20/60
.   after only 6 weeks!

5.  Stephen Covey
.
.Q. Who is Stephen Covey?
.A. Stephen Covey is the author of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
.   People" which has been on the New York Times Bestseller list for
.   the past several years.  The subtitle of 7 Habits is "Restoring
.   the Character Ethic".  This sums up how Covey's work is different
.   from many other approaches.  While at Harvard doing his MBA
.   he researched a large portion of the self improvement literature 
.   going back as far as the 18th century.  What he noticed was that
.   early on the work focused on character traits and principles and
.   that long term success depended upon this.  Early this century, 
.   the focus shifted to what he calls the "personality ethic" which
.   became the dominant theme in success literature.  In the personality
.   ethic, success is viewed as a function of personality, public 
.   image, attitude, skills, and techniques.  If you learned the
.   right techniques and could impress the right people and you would 
.   be successful.  Much of Covey's work is focused on restoring the
.   character ethic as the principle focus, skills and techniques can
.   only be successful in the long term if they are built upon a strong
.   character ethic.

.   Covey received his PhD from Brigham Young University where he spent
.   many years as a professor in the School of Management.  He is also 
.   the founder of the Covey Leadership Center and the nonprofit 
.   Institute for Principle-Centered Leadership.  Stephen and his 
.   center are widely sought by major corporations as speakers and
.   consultants.  In addition to his 7 Habits he has authored, "How
.   to Succeed with People", "Principle-Centered Leadership", "First
.   Things First".  In addition to his business writing Covey is also
.   very popular among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of 
.   Latter-Day Saints for writing books dealing with religious and 
.   spiritual topics.  Some of these books are, "Spiritual Roots
.   of Human Relations", "The Divine Center", and "Marriage and Family
.   Insights".

6.  Est
.Q. What is Est?
.A. Est (Erhard Seminars Training) was started by Werner Erhard and
.   was one of the most popular and influential self-improvement
.   movements of the 1970's.

.Q. Is Est still around?
.A. Est is no longer taught in its original form, but a number of 
.   groups have evolved from Est and their current teachings borrow
.   heavily from the original Est.  The most prominent is 
.   Landmark Education which offers The Forum.

7.  Financial Improvement
.Q. What are some available resources for managing finances?
.A. The most well known source of information about personal finance
.   information is probably Charles Givens (see next question).  

.   Another book that is highly recommended is called _Your Money Or
 .   Your Life_ by Joseph Dominguez and Vicki Robin.  This book takes
.   a "holistic" approach to financial success, meaning that it treats
.   finances as an integral part of your entire life, not one seperable
.   part that can be talked about separately.  It discusses attitudes
.   toward money, spiritual feelings about money, whether how you are
.   making money is consistent with your values, etc.

.Q. What do people know about Charles Givens?
.A. Charles Givens is probably the biggest name in personal finance
.   these days.  He gives seminars around the country and is the
.   author of the best-selling books, "Wealth Without Risk", 
.   "More Wealth Without Risk", and "Financial Self-Defense".  He is
.   also the founder of the "Charles J. Givens Organization" which is
.   supposedly the largest organization of it's type in the world, that
.   is dissiminator of personal finance information and advice.  His
.   organization was recently sued (and lost) for giving misleading
.   financial advice.  He has also reportedly lied about the story he
.   often tells of losing his fortune 3 times and coming back as a 
.   millionaire 3 times.  Many people have used his book and there is
.   certainly some very good advice there.  The key is choosing what
.   information will be useful for you and that which won't.  No 
.   readers of this group have reported gaining great wealth from
.   following his advice.

.Q. What are some other reseources for information?
.A. One excellent place to look is in the misc.invest FAQ.

8.  General Learning and Study Skills

9.  Hypnosis
.Q. What is the relationship between hypnosis and self-improvement?
.A. Hypnosis is used by many different forms of therapy.  Self-hypnosis
.   is also possible and many people report positive experiences
.   with hypnosis.  This topic is not often discussed in much detail
.   in alt.self-improve.  

.   Hypnosis can be used in many ways for self-improvement.  It can
.   allow the mind to utilize its resources in new ways and to change
.   behavior and create new desired behaviors.
           
.Q. How do I learn more about hypnosis?
.A. Read the newsgroup alt.hypnosis, which has a very good FAQ.  There 
.   is a World Wide Web site describing hypnosis training by Tad James 
.   as well (See Appendix A).  Tad has recently been elected President 
           of the American Board of Hypnotherapy (ABH).  NLP also utilizes 
.   hypnosis in various ways.  An excellent book on hypnosis is 
.   "Trace-formations" by John Grinder and Richard Bandler.
.
10.  Landmark (The Forum)
.(Editor note: The following two questions about The Forum are from
. an email conversation between one of the editors and an 
. alt.self-improve reader, Rex Ballard.  Included here with permission.)
.Q. The promises of Est are basically the same as every other self
.    improvement program ever devised.  How does it work?  Why does it 
.    get results where others fail?

.A. Transformation - the "fruit" of a "self-help" program, comes, not 
.   from telling or talking to, but from the inquiry.  Tranformation 
.   comes as the result of a conversation for fulfilling a possibility.
.   It is much like learning to ride a bicycle, I can tell you how to 
.   ride a bicycle: "grab the handlebars, push off, and pedal".  But it
.   is only in the inquiry that one actually discovers balance.  
.   Without the experience of balance, there is no riding a bicycle.  
.   Without the inquiry, the distinctions are just "interesting 
.   information".

.   From the inquiry, the particpant can expect a breakthrough - the
.   fulfillment of possibilities that would not otherwise happen.  A 
.   major alteration in relationships, confidence, effectiveness, or 
.   decision making that they may have been putting up with, resisting,
.   or trying to change for years with no significant effect. 

.   Landmark offers free introductory seminars nearly every day at 
.   their various centers and sites throughout the country.  In these 
.   seminars, the introduction leader will explain some of the key 
.   distinctions of the Forum.  Many people who never do the Forum 
.   still end up taking on their lives in a new way out of going to a 
.   3 hour introduction.  About 1/3 will register for the Forum itself 
.   which lasts 3 days and an evening, usually Friday, Saturday, and 
.   Sunday from 9 AM to 11 PM or 1 AM (If there are a bunch of Lawyers 
.   in the room, plan on a long night friday).  By the end of each 
.   night, you will not be tired until you want to be.  Tuesday night, 
.   you return to complete the homework.  The course is actually 5 
.   days, but two of them are "laboratory" days.  In the 3 day program,
.   a highly trained leader leads an inquiry in a room with 100-200 
.   successful people who are highly committed to having a 
.   breakthrough.  The leader will describe a distinction and then ask 
.   people to share their experience.  In a room of 150+ people, there 
.   are several who want to share.  As that person shares, the Forum 
.   leader asks questions, soon the whole room is seeing how this 
.   conversation can impact their lives.  By the end of the 
.   converstation, everyone in the room not only has an insight, but 
.   also sees an opening for action at the first opportunity.

.Q. Can you provide any details about the process that occurs at a 
.   seminar?  My understanding is that in the early days of Est, 
.   participants were not allowed to give out details of what went on 
.   at the seminars.  Is that still the case in Landmark Education?

.A. I could give you detailed descriptions of the entire Forum, but it 
.   wouldn't really make a difference.  The process is actually a 
.   series of distinctions that create the foundation for other 
.   distinctions.  The structure is such that an inquiry that would 
.   normally take 20 years (I had been DOING the 12 steps for 10 years 
.   and was astonished by Saturday Morning) is conducted with the 
.   intended result in 3 days.  Sunday afternoon seems like a course in
.   advanced Zen.  By Sunday night, there is what I call (personal 
.   opinion/experience here - not Landmark) a spiritual awakening.

.   The key distinctions of Landmark based on that we have a past 
.   consisting of what happened, and our interpretations/opinions/
.   feelings/judgements about what happened.  For example - what 
.   happened is that - - the first girl I ever dated through a cup full
.   of soda pop in my face and 50 people laughed.  What I made it mean 
.   was that I was UGLY and UNATTRACTIVE.  The problem is that I didn't
.   separate the two.  I now interacted with all women, for the next 26
.   years as if I was Short, Fat, Bald, Cross-eyed, with Polka-dot zit 
.   and scab covered skin.  In fact, by the time I was 18, I was 6'1" 
.   tall, 155 to 180 pounds, a professional dancer, model, and actor, 
.   and going to a school with 900 women and 5 heterosexual men
.   (another 20 were gay).  I had men pursuing me every day.  I was 
.   about as tall dark and handsome as a man could get, but when it 
.   came to asking a woman for a date - I WAS UGLY AND UNATTRACIVE, 
.   EVEN REPULSIVE.  Of course, this communicated to the women in the 
.   form of avoiding romantic intimacy, only having arms-length 
.   friendships.  I actually became a bit disgusting, not bathing for 
.   days, not grooming, wearing big, baggy overalls, and acting like a 
.   sex pervert (more evidence to be UGLY). I even married a woman who 
.   I was not attracted so that I wouldn't be hurt when she discovered 
.   that I was UGLY and UNATTRACTIVE, it took her 9 years to finally 
.   agree with me, (she married a man 10 years younger than me, a Tom
.   Sellek type).  In the Forum, I realized that all this woman did was
.   throw a glass of pop at someone who, at that time, was not well 
.   liked by most of her friends.  She may have been trying to impress 
.   them, she may have been insulted by my being late, she may not have
.   liked the ring I gave her (that she asked me to give her). 

.   This brings up the other major distinction.  Psychology tells us 
.   that we are the way we are because of our past.  This was a better 
.   model than the one that preceded it which was "Circular" (as the 
.   seasons come and go, we just suffer through whatever comes).  At 
.   Landmark, we say that we are the way we are because of the Future 
.   we are living into.  If I told you that I talked to your boss and 
.   he was going to have to let you go, you would act and think a 
.   certain way (looking for another job, fear, anxiety).  If I just 
.   handed you a winning lottery ticket, for which the number was 
.   announced an hour ago, you would live very differently (what color 
.   shoes go with a black Mercedes) even though you hadn't recieved a 
.   penny of the money yet.

.   Why it LOOKS as if we are given by the past is that we keep 
.   putting the past into our future.  Everytime I would go to ask a 
.   woman to dance, every other rejection by women would be right there
.   with me, I eventually never got more than two steps toward the 
.   woman I wanted.

.   That night, I saw that I was not a bad looking guy, and went to a 
.   dance and danced with several women (who were astonished and 
.   pleased that I asked them to dance).  One of them told me that 
.   women thought I was stuck-up and a snob because I was so aloof.  
.   Since this discovery in the Forum, I've gone to several single's 
.   events.  I even put an ad in the personals section.  I even posted 
.   a personal on the internet, and answered one.

.   Which brings up a third key distinction of the Forum.  Though the 
.   inquiry may be useful, and the insights may be interesting, even 
.   exciting, there is little value in any of that unless there is an 
.   opening for immediate action.  We have many reasons for not doing 
.   what we really want to do, but that is not the same as doing 
.   something worthwhile.  In the Forum, we look to see what actions 
.   are worthy of taking (expressing love to another person, parents, 
.   spouses, children...) and take appropriate actions even when it may
.   not be "convenient".  We can call someone at 1:00 A.M. to tell them
.   someone died, but we can't call them to tell someone we love them, 
.   even though this may be the first time we've said it in many years).

.   In the introduction seminars, guests reach the end in one of four
.   places.  They are ready to register, they know that they never want
.   to do the Forum (very rarely), they have something they need to 
.   work out (time, money, babysitters).  They have something 
.   intangible "I just need to think about it", "I need to check this 
.   out" something that is usually familiar, these are usually the ones
.   who want to be more decisive.

.   The time and money can be worked out, but for the maximum value 
.   out of the Forum (the Forum begins when you register), one of the 
.   most powerful distinctions is to register that night, not knowing 
.   how it's going to work out, but committed to having it work out.  
.   Those are the people who not only end up being able to say how 
.   their own lives go, but can actually become leaders in their 
.   community and simply cause things to happen when no one knows if it
.   will work out.

.   If you were madly in love with your wife, and I threw your wedding
.   ring over a brick wall and told you that if you didn't give it back
.   it would be delivered to your wife by a beautiful blonde, you 
.   would find a way to get over the wall to save your marriage.  Most
.   people come to the introduction with something at stake, they want
.   to save/revitalize a relationship with their spouse, kids they 
.   love, parents they haven't spoken to, bosses they hate, or jobs 
.   they dread.  Everything else is just great though. 

.   The weird thing about the Forum is that when I did the Forum, 
.   EVERYONE ELSE CHANGED.  My boss was nicer, I was promoted and my
.   coworkers wanted to work for me, my girlfriend wanted me back, my
.   ex-wife wanted to talk to me when I came to see the kids, her 
.   husband even invited me to spend Christmas with them. I even had 
.   more time and money to spend on things I wanted.

.   What each person gets out of the Forum is different.  Part of the 
.   application to do the Forum is that you have to specify 3 things 
.   that you want to get out of the Forum.  These are things that 
.   wouldn't happen anyway, and that you do not presently know how to 
.   do.

.Q. Is there an organization for Forum graduates?
.A. Yes.  The Forum Graduate Association (FGA) can be contacted as:

..David Shaw, President
..Forum Graduate Association
..6008 Wendron Way
..Alexandria, VA 22315

..(703) 971-3693 (Home)
..(301) 457-1242 (Office)
..email: fgainc@gcr.com
.

11.  Lateral Thinking

.Q. What is lateral thinking?
.A. The term lateral thinking was coined by Edward deBono in his books
.   "Lateral Thinking" and "The Use of Lateral Thinking".  The basic
.   idea of lateral thinking is that instead of moving directly and
.   automatically from a goal to a solution, the mind searches in
.   many different directions to find a solution.  It involves avoiding
.   solving problems in the most familiar or obvious way.  His books 
.   are quite readable and enjoyable.
.  
12. Life-Long Learning Association

.Q. What is Life-Long Learning Association
.A. The LLL association is a source of self improvement products.
.   The assoc. sends you the product of the month ( usually a 6 audio 
.   or video seminar) or you can choose an alternate selection if the 
.   program doesn't suit your interests. You also get a subscription 
.   to the world premiere audio magazine "Inside Edge" which covers 
.   current trends in development, etc. and a subscription to "The 
.   Destiny Report" newsletter. The above is sent to you monthly for 
.   $50 US.  The assoc. was set up to make LLL affordable on the 
.   monthly basis which it is required for results. The retail of what 
.   you get is close to $100.  A good portion of the product comes 
.   from Nightingale-Conant, a company LLL recently merged with.  See 
.   Appendix A for contact information about the Life-Long Learning 
.   Association if you are interested.

13. Lifespring

.Q. What is Lifespring?
.
.A. From: jmd@bear.com (Josh Glazenburg-Diamond)

.   Hi!  Josh Diamond here.  I am a graduate of the entire Lifespring
.   program -- I took the trainings back in 1990, and found them to be
.   incredibly valuable.I work as an investment analyst at Bear 
.   Stearns & Co. -- an investment bank in New York City.

.   I came into the Lifespring trainings looking for breakthroughs in 
.   my career and in personal relationships (esp. with women), and all
.   I can say is that since then I have more than tripled my income, 
.   and gotten married to a truly wonderful and beautiful woman 
.   (amongst other things).  We just bought a co-op, and will be 
.   having our first child next year.  My wife has also done the 
.   trainings, as have several of my friends and co-workers.

.   Lifespring, EST, and a few other such trainings all have a common
.   lineage.  The basis was a research program at Stanford University 
.   back in the early 70's.  This spawned an organization called Mind 
.   Dynamics, which later split up into Lifespring, EST, and the 
.   others.  EST eventually mutated into Warner-Earhardt and then 
.   Landmark Education -- with a program now called The Forum.  
.   Lifespring kept its name, but has undergone continuous 
.   modernization as new techniques in personal growth have emerged.  
.   There are now Basic and Advanced trainings, as well as several 
.   other workshops and programs.

.   The Lifespring trainings are an opportunity to uncover and redesign
.   the underlying assumptions out of which you live your life such that
.   you experience a profound shift in your ability to relate to 
.   yourself and others, empowering you to fully engage your heartfelt 
.   commitments with freedom and passion.

.   Participants often invite friends to a guest event -- a free
     .   evening designed to allow you to learn about what the training is 
.   and how it can support you.  It provides a small preview of the 
.   training experience.  At the end of the evening you are given an 
.   opportunity to enroll in the training.  At the moment I believe 
.   that the tuition in New York City $495, with a 100% money back 
.   guarantee.  It may be lower elsewhere (it was when I took the 
.   trainings).

.   I would say that it is worth attending.  You can leave at any time,
.   and there is no obligation to pay if you just attend the guest 
.   event.

.   Oh, BTW, people who enroll their friends in the trainings do _not_ 
.   get any rewards for it (no tupperware or toaster-ovens).  Mostly 
.   people bring guests to these evenings because they see some 
.   breakthrough possible for them -- not like something is broken, but
.   like a higher possibility exists -- maybe something that had not 
.   been thought of before.  Often our friends see things that we do 
.   not.  Your friend probably sees some possibility for you in the 
.   training, and that is why they have invited you.  I say take the 
.   chance and go for it.

14.  Meditation
.Q. What experiences do people have with meditation and what results
.   have they experienced? 
.A. Many people in the group have some experience with meditation.
.   Some report very good results, others have had less dramatic 
.   experiences.  This topic is not often discussed in detail in
.   alt.self-improve although it does seem relevant.  A related
.   newsgroup is alt.meditation

