Is Landmark a Cult? Anne Peterson Returns (Part 1)

In Part 1 of this conversation, former Landmark Forum staffer Anne Peterson returns to update us about life post-Is This a Cult? book launch. She takes us back inside the transformational training machine built on Werner Erhard’s EST curriculum, and how something sold as breakthrough personal growth slowly revealed classic high‑control dynamics. Going from enthusiastic participant to full‑time staff, Anne breaks down the structure of Landmark forums, leadership programs, and “enrollment” culture, and what it actually felt like to live inside a world of long days, unpaid labor framed as service, and constant pressure to bring in new people.






She also unpacks the language games, thought‑stopping clichés, and emotional high/low cycles that made it so hard to question Landmark Education or Erhard’s legacy, and shares how she eventually stepped away, began naming her experience as loaded with undue influence, and started rebuilding a life, career, and sense of self outside the Landmark universe.






Be sure to pick up Anne’s memoir, Is This a Cult? (https://amzn.to/4qWADPp) , follow her on Facebook (  / anne.l.peterson1  ) or Instagram (  / annelpeterson  ) , and follow iLumn8.Life on Facebook (  / ilumn8.life  ) and Instagram (  / ilumn8.life  ) .






Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of parental and physical abuse and trauma.






Also…let it be known that:


The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.






**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book here (https://checkout.square.site/merchant...)


Check out our amazing sponsors (https://alittlebitculty.com/sponsors)


Join A Little Bit Culty on Patreon (  / alittlebitculty  )


Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag (https://my-store-c9bd2a.creator-sprin...)


Support the pod and smash this link (https://donorbox.org/support-a-little...)


Check out our cult awareness and recovery resources (https://alittlebitculty.com/resources)


Watch Sarah's TED Talk (https://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_edmon...) and buy her memoir, Scarred (https://amzn.to/48PlcAT)






CREDITS:


Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames


Production Partner: Citizens of Sound (https://www.citizensofsound.com/)


Co-Creator: Jess Tardy


Audio production: Will Retherford


Production Coordinator: Lesli Dinsmore


Writer: Sandra Nomoto


Social media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke Keane


Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin






SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:


Give your skin a rest with clean, clinically tested skincare from OSEA. Right now we have a special discount just for our listeners. Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code CULTY at OSEAMalibu.com (http://oseamalibu.com)


















See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell....