Louise Samways

Louise Samways
Occupation Psychologist
Author, Dangerous Persuaders

Louise Samways works as a psychologist and writer in Melbourne in Australia.

Dangerous Persuaders

Penguin Books published Samways's book Dangerous Persuaders in 1994.

Samways included comments on Landmark Education in her book on personal development courses and cults, Dangerous Persuaders. Preserving professional and scientific detachment, she made no claim to confirm or deny observation of Landmark Education programs first-hand; she stated that her book:

evolved ... from thousands of personal stories told to me over many years by my patients and people attending my seminars and lectures. I have mentioned the names of groups and courses only where I have heard similar and consistent stories from many separate sources." [1]

Samways goes on to list particular areas of concern:

"The courses I worry about particularly are those attempting dramatic change in short periods of time, such as Landmark Education, EST, Forum, Money & You and Hoffman Process, for they are misusing the psychological techniques allied to hypnosis in order to make the behavioural changes.[2]

Books and publications

The author's web site also includes articles, with full text available.

References

  1. ↑ Samways, Louise (2007) [1994]. Dangerous Persuaders: An expose of gurus, personal development courses and cults, and how they operate (Updated online ed.). Penguin. p. 8. ISBN 0-14-023553-1. Retrieved 2008-10-18. Dangerous Persuaders has evolved not from an academic study of cults and personal development courses, but from thousands of personal stories told to me over many years by my patients and people attending my seminars and lectures. I have mentioned the names of groups and courses only where I heard similar and consistent stories from many separate sources.
  2. ↑ Samways, Louise (2007) [1994]. Dangerous Persuaders: An expose of gurus, personal development courses and cults, and how they operate (Updated online ed.). Penguin. p. 31. ISBN 0-14-023553-1. Retrieved 2008-10-18. The personal development courses I consider dangerous are groups run by organisations or individuals who have either non-existent or inappropriate qualifications for what they are doing and effectively are accountable to no one. The courses I worry about particularly are those attempting dramatic changes in short periods of time, such as Landmark Education, EST, Forum, Money and You and Hoffman Process, for they are misusing the psychological techniques allied to hypnosis in order to make the behavioural changes.
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