Landmark, Avatar, Satsang: A Comparison (Part 1)

Being experienced in Landmark, Avatar and Satsang, I thought I might do a little comparison. Not that I've mastered these systems or paths. Nevertheless I believe I have enough experience to do some thinking about their relative merits.

There does seem to be a complementarity to these paradigms. In fact I suppose they could be seen as essentially the same, just with a different emphasis. Of course there is a different tone and procedure to these experiences. Landmark could be somewhat forceful if not aggressive at times. Avatar seems to be a softer, slower pace aligned much more with the progression of each individual's rhythm. In Avatar there is more individual attention paid to the student. Landmark is more "logocentric" as we say in the philosophy world, that is more guided by cognitive directives to produce an insight and breakthrough, though not necessarily in that order. Avatar is guided, if I might coin an awkward concept, "affecto-centrically." [Sorry about that!] That is, Avatar is an affective process of feeling one's way toward and through insight and breakthroughs.

However, one big philosophical difference is that Landmark maintains that there is no real or true self, somewhat as in Buddhism. Avatar maintains the existence of "source awareness," which is much like Hinduism's "witness consciousness," or "Atman."

In a Landmark seminar which I just completed last night, the seminar leader said that the Self could be created each time that the "automaticity" of one's "it- consciousness" or robotic consciousness is distinguished and frees up space to create the self of possiblity and free, authentic action in the world. Avatar was much more subtle. On the seventh day of the Master's Course I experienced a clearing within myself that seemed to place me in a relaxed and free state in the world and amongst people but without the kind of ecstatic "removal" that the Landmark experience seemed to produce. Both experiences were empowering and re-orienting to my sense of self and to what became possible in my life. Avatar actually produced release of some physical tension I had carried all my life. To be specific, I had been a "teeth-grinder" all my life and always carried significant tension and pain in my left jaw muscles. A few days after the Avatar workshop, I realized the tension and pain was about 95% gone. To me this was minor miracle. As of now I would say about 10% of the tension has returned and yet I remain about 85% pain and tension free.

Interestingly enough both Landmark and Avatar gave me insight and breakthroughs around my seriousness, fearfulness and anxiety. Even though the various breakthroughs were dramatic or ecstatic, I now see each of them as a step toward further if not ultimate or final breakthrough.

One, if not "thee" big insight in Landmark comes, as I recall, on the third day of the Forum, their flagship course, when one realizes that the world is empty and meaningless and it's empty and meaningless that it's empty and meaningless. It can be a relatively earthshaking insight and breakthrough. For me it was dramatically, giggly "lightening" if not enlightening. It enabled me to "feel" the freedom of such an insight. I achieved a kind of 'clarity' in being in the world. How this changed my life was by allowing me to drop the virtual morbid seriousness that governed how I was being in my teaching and in my relationships. In short it helped me to begin to dismantle and drop the "seriousness" which has been a big defense mechanism against my fear and my "child," so to speak. It, in short, saved my career since during the first 4 years of full time college teaching I believe I was failing miserably. I was a basket case in classroom; I was authoritarian and not enjoying it in the least. After Landmark I was a different person in the classroom. I lightened up totally, began to enjoy and have fun in the classroom, and dropped the authoritarian demeanor and method. If it were not for the Landmark Forum I believe I would have left the teaching profession a failure. Today, 22 years later, I am a successful professor. It is not uncommon for students to report that my courses have changed their lives. Just a few days ago a student told me that my Introductory course was the "best thing that ever happened to him in his life." (To be continued)