I had a weird experience several years ago and having thought about it for a long time, I honestly believe that what I was seeing was some form of mind control. The idea that mind control is in the hands of business scares the bejesus out of me, frankly. I'll document my experience here, and I'm asking for any thoughts / alternative explanations please ...

I was working for a large, well established company in the UK retail sector, which underwent some changes at board level, and hard on the heels of some new divisional directors being appointed, throughout the whole company there was suddenly something new to enthuse about: "personal development"

OK - fair enough, I thought, maybe it's time I tried learning Spanish again.

Nope, that wasn't what it was about.

First of all these courses were residential. I complained due to my childcare commitments, and was immediately branded a troublemaker and "not a team player". (being "not a team player" is worse that a child molester!). Secondly, people who returned from these residential sessions scared the Hell out of me.

It genuinely was like a case of that film "invasion of the Body Snatchers", these people were changed, and not in a good way. There people were now convinced that "we aren't competent to do our jobs unless directed by someone senior (someone knowledgable)".

We're talking about very experienced staff who knew their jobs every which way imaginable suddenly being convinced that they knew nothing about the job at all, and the only way forwards was to be directed from above!

I was determined that my childcare commitments outweighed my loyalty to the company, and arguments continued, until in a blazing row with someone senior regarding the way senior management were directing things, he told me "you NEED to go on a course; because you're thinking WRONG - we will change that!"

What kind of a threat is that? "We will change how you think"??.

Well matey, the contents of my skull are mine to do with as I wish and NO WAY was I letting anyone else get in there and meddle.

I took a sideways move to get me out of the immediate heat, and soon secured another (far better) job with a smaller but more principled and ethical employer.

Can anyone suggest a reasonable explanation for what I observed?

Honestly what I imagine it as is what happens on this website alllll the time. Except people aren't sent to a class and the people that do change peoples mind on here I don't believe they do it intentionally. I'm pretty sure this course was very well written and gave its reasons on why these people should look up to their leader. It gave examples, it gave studies, it gave short stories, it probably even gave statistics. Have you noticed when you see a thread on ATS and the more well written it is the more believable it seems?

Hell even some of the Elenin/Nibiru threads were quite convincing with how well the author of them was.