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From: sharp@kpnoa.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: Re: Est, Lifespring, &c.
Message-ID: <357@kpnoa.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 2-Jul-84 21:21:32 EDT
Article-I.D.: kpnoa.357
Posted: Mon Jul  2 21:21:32 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 13-Jul-84 03:41:58 EDT
References: <279@ism780.UUCP>
Organization: Natl. Optical Astronomy Observatories   Tucson AZ  USA
Lines: 32

>EST and many other "hip" therapies are DANGEROUS!  They can cause serious
>damage to the psyche and personality. ............. 

>Groups like this DO use brain washing techniques.  And if you think
>you can't be brain washed spend some time with some ex-cult members.  The
>damage you do today may take YEARS to overcome.

I have been away for a while, but there have been several polite and impolite
messages following on my first comments, some posted and some by mail.
Interestingly, I have had more "agree" than "disagree" by mail, but the other
way round on the net.  It's nice to see someone making this forceful a comment
here.  As I said before, read the stories by the victims.

I do not want anyone to feel that I am belittling those who have done this.
As has been remarked, anything which makes you feel good can't be all bad.
However, you really should take into account the chance that not only will
it not improve things for you, but that it may turn you into someone you
would never ever have wanted to be.  Knowing that I am susceptible does not
make me assume that everyone else is, but I believe that this is the sort
of thing where you cannot know that you are NOT susceptible.  It's rather
like panic: we have no test for people prone to panic, except to put them
in a situation where they might panic, and then if they do it could well be
too late.  (On my first free-fall parachute jump, my ripcord stuck. Had I
panicked, I would now be dead.  I had no way of knowing - I just followed
my training and THEN thought "What if...".)

I am going away again for nearly a month.  Mail messages will be stored, but
I may not get round to reading the accumulated net traffic when I return.

Keep smiling - it makes people wonder what you've been up to.
-- 
	Nigel Sharp   [noao!sharp  National Optical Astronomy Observatories]