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Erhard Seminars Training, an organization founded by Werner H. Erhard, offered to the general public (as well as other entities) an intense and rigorous 2-weekend (60-hours) course known officially as 'The est Standard Training'. The purpose of 'the Training' was to allow participants to achieve a sense of personal transformation and enhanced power in their lives, concepts that resonated with many during the socially turbulent and war-weary 1970s. The est Training was delivered, unchanged save for minor modifications to the program, for over 13 years, from late-1971 to late-1984. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... The term privately held company refers to ownership of a business company in two different ways—first, referring to ownership by non-governmental organizations; and second, referring to ownership of the companys stock by a relatively small number of holders who do not trade the stock publicly. ... For other uses, see Corporation (disambiguation). ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ... AUGUST 25 1981 US Marine Sean Vance is Born on the 25th of August {ear nav|1981}} Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... San Francisco redirects here. ... Werner Hans Erhard (born John “Jack” Paul Rosenberg on September 5, 1935 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), [11] became arguably best known to the general public for the programs he set up: the “est Training” (1971 – 1981) and the “Forum” (1981 – 1991). ... Werner Hans Erhard [2] (born John Paul Rosenberg) is a creator of transformational models and applications for individuals, groups, and organizations[3] and is best known by the public for the programs he created named the “est Training” (1971 – 1983) and the “Forum” (1984 – 1991). ...

The est Standard Training

The first est Training took place at the Jack Tar Hotel in San Francisco, California in October 1971. From this first course, as word of mouth about this powerful and life-changing 'experience-centered' workshop began to circulate, more and more people wanted to sign up, and est began to grow rapidly. Within a year, trainings were being held in New York City, and other major cities in the US followed soon after. By 1979 est had expanded to Great Britain, Europe, and other parts of the world. The popularity of est peaked in 1981, as enrollment for the various courses began to shrink. The last est Training was held in December 1984 in San Francisco, CA., and the program was officially retired. In its place came a newly-developed course called 'The Forum', which was first held in January 1985. The est Training presented several concepts to the American public, most notably the concept of transformation and taking responsibility for one's life. The actual teaching is called "the technology of transformation", and stresses the value of integrity. You will hear this language at business schools from Harvard and Yale to London and Melbourne. ^[2] San Francisco redirects here. ...

'est, Inc.' evolved into 'est, an Educational Corporation', and eventually into 'Werner Erhard & Associates'. WE&A purchased the assets of est in 1981.

Early Influences

In William Bartley's biography, Werner Erhard: The Transformation of a Man, the Founding of est (1978), Erhard describes his explorations of Zen Buddhism. Bartley quotes Erhard as acknowledging Zen as the essential contribution that "created the space for" est. ^[1] Bartley details Erhard's connections with Zen beginning with his extensive studies with Alan Watts in the mid 1960s. ^[3] Bartley quotes Erhard as acknowledging: For other uses, see Zen (disambiguation). ... From The Essential Alan Watts Alan Wilson Watts (January 6, 1915 – November 16, 1973) was a philosopher, writer, speaker, and expert in comparative religion. ...

Of all the disciplines that I studied, practiced, learned, Zen was the essential one. It was not so much an influence on me, rather it created space. It allowed those things that were there to be there. It gave some form to my experience. And it built up in me the critical mass from which was kindled the experience that produced est. ^[4]

Timeline

• 1971 - Erhard Seminars Training Inc, first est Training held in San Francisco, California
• 1973 - The Foundation for the Realization of Man - incorporated as a non-profit foundation in California (subsequently the name of the foundation was changed to the est Foundation in 1976, and in 1981 to the Werner Erhard Foundation)
• 1975 - est, an educational corporation
• 1981 - Sold assets to Werner Erhard and Associates and est ceased operations ^[5]

Notable Staff, participants, and other individuals

• Valerie Harper^[6]
• Mike Oldfield^[7]
• Yoko Ono
• Diana Ross
• John Denver
• Roy Scheider
• Harvey Korman
• Cloris Leachman

Valerie Harper (born August 22, 1940 in Suffern, New York) is an Emmy Award-winning American actress, best known for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern-Gerard on the 1970s television show The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and its spinoff, Rhoda. ... Michael Gordon Oldfield (born May 15, 1953 in Reading, England) is a multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music and more recently dance. ... For the song by Die Ärzte, see Yoko Ono (song). ... For the author-illustrator, see Diana Ross (author). ... John Denver (December 31, 1943 â€“ October 12, 1997), born Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. ... Roy Richard Scheider (born November 10, 1932 in Orange, New Jersey) is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-nominated American actor. ... Actor Harvey Korman in the 1974 comedy Blazing Saddles. ... Cloris Leachman (born April 30, 1926) is an Academy Award-, nine-time Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning American actress of stage, film and television. ...

Related organizations

• The Hunger Project 1977 - Present
• Landmark Education

See also the list of associated organizations. The Global Hunger Project describes itself as a global, strategic organization committed to the sustainable end of world hunger. In Africa, Asia and Latin America, the Hunger Project has the stated intent of empowering grassroots people to achieve lasting progress in health, education, nutrition and family income. ... Landmark Education LLC (LE) offers training and development programs in over twenty countries. ...

See also

• Large Group Awareness Training
• Human potential movement

The term Large Group Awareness Training (or LGAT) refers to training offered by some groups in what is often referred to as the human potential movement. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Related publications

Books

• William Warren Bartley (1978). Werner Erhard The Transformation of a Man: The Founding of est. New York, New York, USA: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc. ISBN 0-517-53502-5
• Pressman, Steven (1993). Outrageous Betrayal: The Dark Journey of Werner Erhard from est to Exile. New York: St. Martin's Press, 289. ISBN 0-312-09296-2. 
• Adelaide Bry est (Erhard Seminars Training): 60 Hours That Transform Your Life. Harpercollins, 1976
• Sheridan Fenwick Getting it: the psychology of est. Penguin, 1977. ISBN 0-14-004467-1
• Carl Frederick est: Playing the Game the New Way. Delacorte, 1974.
• Robert Hargrave est: Making Life Work. Delacorte, 1976.
• Ray E Hosford, C Scott Moss, Helene Cavior and Burton Kerish "Research on Erhard Seminar Training in a Correctional Institution"
• Rhinehart, Luke, The Book of Est
• Samways, Louise Dangerous Persuaders: An expose of gurus, personal development courses and cults, and how they operate, Penguin, 1994

Steven Pressman is an American legal journalist, freelance journalist, and author. ... Outrageous Betrayal: The Dark Journey of Werner Erhard from est to Exile is an Investigative journalism biography of Werner Erhard by Steven Pressman. ... This article is about the state. ... Headquartered in the legendary Flatiron Building in New York City, St. ... Luke Rhinehart is the pen name of the author George Cockcroft (see that entry for a biography). ... The Book of Est was written by George Cockcroft under the pen name Luke Rhinehart. ... Louise Samways, B.Sc. ...

Articles in periodicals

• Mark Brewerk. "We're Gonna Tear You Down and Put You Back Together", Psychology Today, August 1975
• L. L. Glass, M. A. Kirsch and F. N. Parris. "Psychiatric disturbances associated with Erhard Seminars Training", American Journal of Psychiatry. 1977; 134(3): 245-7.
• Peter Marin. "The New Narcissism", Harper's, October 1975, 251:45-56.
• Perry Pascarella. "Create Breakthroughs in Performance by Changing the Conversation,” by Perry Pascarella. Industry Week, Vol. 233, No. 6 (June 15), 1987.
• Eliezer Sobel. “This Is It: est, Twenty Years Later” (QUEST Magazine, Summer 1998)[1]

Harpers redirects here. ...

References

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External links

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Werner Erhard

• An account of the life, influences and controversies surrounding Erhard
• Conversations For Transformation: Essays By Laurence Platt Inspired By The Ideas Of Werner Erhard, And More, A friend of Werner Erhard shares light on Werner's work.
• Independent Research, Case Studies, and Surveys (Landmark Education Website July 2005)
• A skeptic's take on the mythology of est (The Skeptic's Dictionary)
• Independent Pro and contra presentation of est and Landmark Education, followed by series of links to articles (Apologetics Index - Resources on Religious Cults, Sects, Religions, Doctrines, etc.)
• Series of critical articles about est/Landmark Education (at SIMPOS, a Dutch "foundation for information on social problems and occult tendencies")