October 30th, 1980. Geraldo Rivera for Eyewitness News brings us this provocative report on Lifespring, and the general cult ecosystem in the United States.
“…and his uncontrolled euphoria is one typical response. You see the Lifespring training uses powerful psychological techniques…”
The beginning of this segment puts it in perspective, with hundreds of thousands of young Americans looking for a new addiction. After mind-altering drugs came mind-altering organizations before leading to organizations likes Lifespring.
We look at the training sessions in use, speaking to members who have been through it. Does the group’s emphasis on self-reliance lead to ignorance of serious medical conditions?
Lifespring was a for-profit organization founded in 1974 and becoming defunct in the mid 1990s. Despite the controversy it claimed to have trained over 400,000 people across the United States.
Part 2 of this original expose is located here:https://youtu.be/yoYap38XBg4
Part 3:https://youtu.be/NbMZ2FiXwhM
This day, Geraldo’s television history.