I've never done Landmark, but I was a part of a spiritual organization that attracted a number of their graduates. There was an underlying similarity to them that made Landmark grads immediately recognizable. They tended to be self-confident, at ease in their own skins, happy and above all quite outward-directed. In contrast, the organization I was part of, called The Inner Journey, tended to foster attitudes of contemplation and self-discovery, with less emphasis on being in control of the persona we project to the outside world.
I think Landmark fosters those qualities in their attendees, and so it tends to appeal to those who are looking for those skills - predisposed to look at the world through Landmark-tinted glasses you might say. Its training can be extremely valuable for many, but the risk is that any large organization concerned with being a (growing) organization tries to hold onto its recruits. More inner-directed spiritual teachings tend to expect (and even encourage) devotees to eventually grow beyond the framework - this doesn't seem to be the case so much with landmark.
I think one useful way of understanding Landmark is in the context of the "Victim, Victor, Vehicle" progression developed by Carol Ruth Knox in her book "The Incredible Journey". Landmark is intended to move people out of "Victim" state and into "Victor". Classical spiritual training in oriented towards moving people past the Victim and Victor states to eventually (perhaps) becoming Vehicles.
I've taken the liberty of creating the following chart and synopsis based on these ideas.
This table has been adapted from the work of Rev. Carol Ruth Knox, who first published it in her book “The Incredible Journey”. It represents the idea that each of us at any given moment is operating out of one of these three life states. It also demonstrates how personal spiritual development involves successive shifts from being a Victim, through being a Victor to becoming a Vehicle.
A Victim is someone who has a generally weak sense of self, sees themselves as being victimized by life, and responds to that feeling of powerlessness through complaint rather than action. In this state the individual mostly waits for things to happen to them, and is reactive rather than proactive. They tend to be stuck in very traditional spiritual states, whether religious or not. In the language of Transactional Analysis, you might think of this as the “Child” state.
As we mature, we may eventually choose to leave our victimhood behind and operate instead as a Victor. In this state we no longer blame others for our misfortunes, but act on our own behalf to overcome life’s challenges and obstacles. People in this state have a strong sense of self, and have internalized the belief that they are autonomous actors who can influence the world around them. They feel in control, and entitled to act. Victors tend to have a looser, more philosophical or metaphysical spirituality. In Transactional Analysis terms Victors are acting in the role of “Parent”.
When a person has done a lot of conscious self-development work and has opened themselves to grace, they may begin to operate as a Vehicle. Many of the “normal” rules change in this state. Our sense of self may no longer be the driving force behind our actions. We may see winning and losing as unimportant, irrelevant or even illusions. When we act creatively it is always together with others, whether the "others" are people or elements of the Universe. This state requires us to surrender to What Is, to fully accept our place as dancers in the great unfolding known in Hinduism as Lila. People in this state are prone to mystical perceptions of their relationship with the Universe, Reality, Creation or God. They experience direct communion with those larger forces, seeing themselves as complete representatives of the Infinite. At the same time they may become even more deeply aware of their role as individual creative elements in the Dance. Being in this state is also known as being an “Adult”.
Landmark is focused directly on helping people move out of Victim state and into Victor state. As a result it is very attractive to people who want to be more successful in their dealings with the outer world. The Landmark "technologies" give trainees the tools they need to make that step, but there are a couple of risks. The first is that it may interrupt one's natural progression, trapping one in Victor state because it feels so good and is so useful. The second is the risk inherent to large organizations - the program reinforces in graduates the value of the organization and its goals, and may suck up time, energy, attention and money that could go towards their further personal exploration.
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