The Erhard Effect: Anne Peterson on Landmark (Part 1)

A Little Bit Culty

Sarah Edmondson & Anthony “Nippy” Ames

True Crime, Society & Culture, Education

4.6 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 25 March 2024

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.

Landmark has been the most requested topic from our listeners since day one of this podcast. When we got eyes on Anne Peterson’s new memoir about her 15+ year journey inside its ecosystem, we knew our listeners would be pissed at us if we didn’t get her on our microphone, ASAP. ‘‘Is This a Cult?: Confronting the Line Between Transformation and Exploitation’ (available on Amazon) is a raw and gritty read, and tells the story of Anne’s heartbreaking journey from starry-eyed idealist to disillusioned leader in a way that gives us NXIVM déjà vu all over again. There are also some incendiary stories of the famous large-group awareness training (LGAT) company’s lurking ghost/guru/shapeshifter, the infamous Werner Erhard. In this first of two episodes with Anne, she shares what drew her to the organization and her whirlwind ascent through its ranks.

And don’t worry, Landmark top brass, if you’re listening. We aren’t throwing the wonderful, transformational baby out with the dirty bathwater. Nor is Anne. Just the opposite, in fact. We think you could realize your full potential if you actually listened and learned from the bad feedback, instead of shutting it down. So maybe this time, you’ll make some meaning out of this before you start cranking out your latest cease and desist? Deep breaths. Good talk.

SHOW NOTES:Anne Peterson spent 15+ years selling, producing and facilitating transformative programs for an international personal and professional growth and development company. Since leaving, she has launched ILumn8.life, a learning hub and marketplace dedicated to the safe and ethical practice of providing personal development. Her memoir is available now on Amazon. You can also hear more about her story on recent episodes of the (excellent!) Seek Safely podcast.

NY Times article on the return of Werner Erhard

Outrageous Betrayal: The Real Story of Werner Erhard from est to Exile (book)

Cult Education Institute’s Landmark info page

Times-Union article on Rick Ross’s Landmark/NXIVM Testimony

More background on Erhard scandals

Also…Let it be known far and wide, loud and clear that…

The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.

Check out our lovely sponsors

Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon

Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag

Support the pod and smash this link

Cult awareness and recovery resources

CREDITS:

Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames

Production Partner: Citizens of Sound

Producer: Will Retherford

Writer & Co-Creator: Jess Tardy

Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal, medical, or mental health advice.
0:05.2	The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast
0:10.0	and are not intended to malign any religion group club organization business individual anyone or anything.
0:17.0	I'm Sarah Edmondson and I'm Anthony air quotes nippy aims and this is a little bit
0:30.6	guilty a podcast about what happens when things that seem like a great thing at first go bad.
0:35.8	Every week we chat with survivors, experts, and whistleblowers for real cult stories told directly by the people who live through them.
0:43.0	Because we want you to learn a few things, we've had to learn the hard way.
0:46.0	Like if you think you're too smart to get sucked into something culty,
0:50.0	you're already prime recruitment material.
0:52.0	You might even already be in a cold.
0:54.0	Oops, you better keep listening to find out.
0:56.7	Welcome to season depths of the ocean
1:05.0	hanging on to win my love
1:09.0	I let go of it all I could leave, but I know.
1:17.7	Okay, everybody.
1:19.0	Welcome back to this week's episode of a little bit culty.
1:21.6	See, since it is this. Dare I say that this has been. episode of a little bit culty. Cease into stis.
1:23.0	Dare I say that this has been the episode we have been waiting to do since we started a little
1:28.6	bit culty.
1:29.6	And being badgered to do.
1:30.8	Literally badgered by our entire audience. Not everybody. You'll see why. And we just want to start this episode off by clearly stating that it's not our goal or even our expertise to say whether or not landmark is definitively a cult or not.
1:46.0	That's not really what we do on a little bit culty anyway.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Sarah Edmondson & Anthony “Nippy” Ames, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Sarah Edmondson & Anthony “Nippy” Ames and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.