Merlin’s weekly podcast with Dan Benjamin. We talk about creativity, independence, and making things you love.
GTD 'cult'
duus | Sep 5 2006
so a friend of mine sent me this message. I am a big fan of GTD and find it very useful. I'm just puttin' this out there. [INDENT] Uh-oh. "J-R" seemed like it might stand for John-Roger -- the controversial cult leader and spiritual guru. And it does. http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/msia.html David Allen, his wife, and many of his employees are ministers in the MSIA (Movement of Spritual Inner Awareness), John-Roger's church: http://www.ndh.org/template.php3?ID=65 http://www.davidco.com/coaches_corner/Ana_Maria_Gonz%E1lez/article14.html (employee quoting John-Roger) Anti-cult websites accuse GTD of being part of a program to recruit people into MSIA. Their view seems paranoid to me, but you can read it for yourself: http://forum.rickross.com/viewtopic.php?t=2193 http://forum.rickross.com/viewtopic.php?p=15025&sid=e3195755a2185f9b4710580921d3f527 Now, I'm not saying that Getting Things Done isn't a good book about priorities and organization. David Allen may have very good advice about that stuff. But I am saying don't go to a David Allen seminar, get mixed up with the David Allen Company, or get too involved with the hard-core GTD crowd -- at least not without taking some anti-brainwashing measures. Seriously. This John-Roger character and his followers are not a joke. I learned about John-Roger a long time ago, as it happens, because in high school I read a self-help book called "Life 101" that he "co-wrote" with Peter McWilliams, the poet and anti-drug-war activist. In 1994, not long after I read "Life 101," McWilliams wrote an expose called "Life 102: What to Do When Your Guru Sues You." McWilliams left MSIA in 1994 after 15 years of being brainwashed. It turned out that John-Roger manipulated him into giving him co-authorship in return for keeping McWilliams alive. You see, John-Roger had the power to keep McWilliams alive because -- and this will surprise you -- John-Roger claims to be the incarnation of God on earth. John-Roger has also made headlines in connection with Arianna Huffington -- who admits to being a close friend and who has been accused (though she's never admitted it) of being an MSIA minister as well. [/INDENT] 72 Comments
POSTED IN:
 how do we, as conscientious...Submitted by FreeWilly on September 30, 2006 - 2:51am.
Lachia;6130 wrote:
how do we, as conscientious individuals avoid becoming prey within the trap? Great post! Personally I am happy that whoever is running this webforum seems to allow open and free discussion. That is very healthy, and very wise. Nice job! In contrast, any type of specific discussion of this nature on the GTD board is simply censored and deleted. That is how those type of groups like MSIA work, they literally cannot handle criticism and freedom of thought. It drives them nuts. This thread is certainly being monitored by the MSIA web-people, as they will not openly comment in the thread. Notice how not ONE MSIA person has come here to admit they are MSIA, or to defend their Godman J-R, or anything else? This is because they are ordered to not link GTD and MSIA, no matter what, and not to talk about it. But they will post general attacks, or diversions, or try to confuse the issue. Hi MSIA guys and gals! Please tell us why John-Roger is a Godman with magical powers, and not some obese, sociopathic con-artist? Also, one of the GTD webforum moderators is Lisa Peake, who is another MSIA member, who attends the "University" of Santa Monica which is owned and run by MSIA, and she works for GTD Connect and DavidCo as well. Here is her webpage, which is now [="Red"]also deleted[/] but is still in the Google cache. (lots of MSIA stuff being deleted now, and David Allens blog references will be taken offline soon as well. Its too much disclosure for them...so they delete it). There is also a Robert Peake who is appears to be in her family, who is a big GTD Connect techie and salesman and BLOGGER...and surprise...he is also a MSIA fanatic who wants to bring that stupid MSIA "Mystical Traveller" into your computer to brainwashing you 24/7! (I am not making this stuff up folks, have a look!) Again, the problem here is not some wacko New Age religious cult, per se. Its the DECEPTION. These groups all work by DECEPTION. What do we do? But first off, let me be clear. I personally have never said that GTD was only about getting everyone into MSIA. Sure, they would like that, but that is not realistic. GTD is a commercial operation and money-machine for MSIA, so they will happily start with taking your money, like anyone else. But then, with the damn COACHING, this is where it gets really creepy. Don't listen to people who are screaming that they don't do this, that is false, that is a conscious lie. That is what they are doing. They have all sorts of different kinds of programs and entry points. That's reality, and they think they are doing you a favor. And they also want to get into the schools, and reach as many kids as possible. That is what GTD Connect is all about. They make it sound "exclusive" and this is to draw a certain kind of person further into the fold. Its targeted marketing to those who have some money, and also who "need coaching". Perrrrfect. Nice job MSIA brainiacs! Nice pre-qualifying. So what does one do? -know what is going on. This simple Awareness that your GTD coach is MSIA, and is trying to influence you goes a long way. That is why the truth must be supressed, and who knows, maybe they will even get this thread taken down? I sure hope not. Why not have an open and truthful discussion? -don't join GTD Connect. That is a biggie, and they want to work on you bigtime. Hey, that Peake dude wants to hammer you with the Mystical Traveller 24/7 over the internet! No thanks. -don't get into GTD "coaching". These are all MSIA recruiters, who are trying to get you one on one. They are very highly trained. -don't try to do the "entire" GTD system. It does not work as advertised. Even big-shots like Robert Scoble said he could not make it work. So don't drive yourself nuts trying to do the ENTIRE THING. That is a bit of the trick, to make it so complex that you think you need GTD coaching, or GTD Connect, or GTD Mystical Traveller brainwashing 24/7. -don't obsess about GTD too much, and don't try to convert everyone to it, and don't try to make your spouse turn to GTD and get a GTD Inbox, etc. That is all wacko culty stuff. Creepy. (but notice how all the GTD MSIA spouses LOVE it?). -don't go to the MSIA "Love Bomb" sessions and get hugged by 50 strangers, to Love Bomb you into a MSIA love addiction. -don't be intimidated by the GTD Police and MSIA folks who attack and scream and yell bloody murder if anyone dares to tell the truth. F'em. -pick various tools that work for you, and do it your own way. I know all about GTD, and I was into it for a long time, but could NOT make it work as this so-called comprehensive system. Use an Inbox, lists, projects, etc, if that makes sense to you. Just watch out for all the mind-f*ck stuff that is in there. Watch it!! Its very very tricky... -don't believe the hype, without proof. GTD is not proven to reduce stress or increase productivity, or to release the Universal Traveller Within. Some stress is normal. Go to behavioral or cognitive psychology to deal with stress. -if you want to keep a Daily Task List, keep it! If you want to write on your Calendar, do it! Be a rebel, and do what you think is right. Again, don't let them trick you into thinking you have to do the ENTIRE GTD system, to become some GTD obsessed maniac. That is BS. -Criticize what does not work openly. Don't believe some Bloggers, as some of them are covert MSIA people pumping GTD up. -Don't get caught up in the GTD-Newspeak. You see, all those buzz-words, are pure Thought Reform. If they control the special language, and the meaning of the words, then they control the thoughts of the thinker. Literally. Also, study these techniques involved in what are called LGATS. Bone up on the current ultra-modern techniques of Thought Reform, which is really what GTD is all about, on the deepest level. Let people know that there is much more to GTD, David Allen, DavidCo, MSIA than meets the eye. Look at the facts very carefully, and trust your own thinking. Personally, I had to JUNK the entire GTD system, to purge myself of it. As soon as I did this, then I felt relaxed productivity!!!! I dumped the "GTD Newspeak", and just am doing things the way that makes sense to me. Personally, I think that GTD probably makes most people much more anxious and stressed, as you can see how frustrated people get trying to do it. Also, most folks get all over-excited, and then let it crash, which is human nature. But maybe I agree when one guy said jokingly that one cannot escape the GTD "trap" while still doing the "system". That was true for me. BUT, I still have an excellent personal system that is working much better than the so-called GTD Full Monty, and has some ideas that were in the GTD system, but many that are not. I am not happy it turned out that GTD has all this other mindcontrol junk going on inside of it, and around it, but that is how it was designed by the MSIA LGAT seminar Gurus, who worked with David Allen for years putting it together. Its very very tricky... » POSTED IN:
|
|
| EXPLORE 43Folders | THE GOOD STUFF |
