Thursday, August 11, 2011

ACCESS Consciousness: a cult (or scam) by any other name...

I've been getting more mail recently about that loony, cult-like sex-and-money phenomenon called Access Consciousness. Few other people seem to be writing about them. Is there even a thread on the Rick Ross Web site or Forums about Access Consciousness? There wasn't the last time I checked. [Note: This has changed since this post was first published. See Addendum below, dated 27 June 2012 ~CC.] There's this thread on the Why We Protest forum, but it is really just another small voice in the wilderness.

Most of my own writing about Access has been on the snarky or light side, but I've shared unhappy Access stories here before as well,
such as on this October 2009 post. People are still writing to me because they are concerned about a friend or family member who has become involved in Access, and they want to present that person with hard, clear evidence that Access is a scam. Virtually the only critical information they can find on the Internet is my blog, and while I raise the questions (and, of course, serve a heapin' helpin' of snark), I don't necessarily provide concrete answers that they can print out and wave under their Access-infatuated loved one's nose.

My emphasis on
the crazy Rasputin origins of Access, for example, and my commentary about all of the concomitant silliness, don't seem to carry the same weight as a more careful critical analysis might, and I really can't expect that. Still, I try to be as helpful as I can, knowing full well that the task may be, as one of my favorite Anon detractors recently pointed out, utterly Sisyphean. Consider this post yet another one of many attempts to push that boulder up the mountain.

Dear Cosmic Connie...
I received an email last month that I'm printing verbatim because it has nothing that would identify the sender. I'm also including my reply to this correspondent, with a few added notes and links not in my original response. Those additions are indented and in italics:

Q. How much do you know about Access? Do you know anyone that has done the classes and then quit on them? I have a family member that is taking the classes and yes it does cost a lot of money. And they already bought their tickets to the event in Costa Rica. I don't know what to think about this. I'm scared about a lot of things that I read. My family member tells me it's not a cult and they don't do sex things. Can you help me with this? Thanks.
A. I've pretty much written everything I know about Access on my blog, but I hear from ex-Access people (and from worried friends and relatives of Access people) fairly frequently. The ex-Access folks generally feel that they wasted time and lots of money on the various classes, and in some cases they blame Access, at least in part, for destroying their relationships.
I'm not saying or implying that Access members "do sex things" in their actual classes, but Access does seem to have a free-and-easy attitude about sex; the general philosophy, as I understand it, is that people should experiment sexually with as many partners as they want to (and can get away with). It doesn't matter if they or the partner(s) are married to or in a committed relationship with others. I have heard this from numerous people who have been involved with Access.

Access also offers some classes specifically about sexuality, and while there's nothing intrinsically wrong with that, if you look at it in the context of their general teachings about sex, then I would say that someone who is NOT in Access -- but who is in a close, committed relationship with a person taking an Access class -- might have reason to worry about the future of their relationship.

Is Access a cult? It depends on your definition. Access founder Gary Douglas actually wrote a comment to my blog at one time and insisted that Access isn't a cult.

[Note: Although I didn't include this in my email response to this person, here's the link.
As I noted to my new friend Citizen Noir on a recent thread, I may have erred on the side of civility in my response to Gary, but commenters who followed were more direct. ~CC]
...Access may not be a "cult" in the classic sense of requiring that members leave home, shave their heads, dress a certain way, or recite some holy scripture or whatever. But there are many cult-like aspects to Access, not to mention a lot of utter nonsense that is being taught in those very expensive classes.


Also, while Access doesn't require that you give up all of your worldly goods to join (as many classic cults do), they apparently DO try to dip into your bank account as much as possible. Like so many similar organizations, Access is good at the upsell -- at manipulating members into believing they "need" the next [and more expensive] level.

Furthermore, there does seem to be a lot of "hero worship" of Gary Douglas and, especially, his younger sidekick Dain Heer. Dain apparently has his own constantly changing harem of very willing women; it would appear that, like so many New-Wage or pseudo-spiritual leaders, he is taking advantage of his position of "leadership," such as it is.

So, although some may argue with my use of the word, I've frequently referred to Access as a "cult" on my blog, or, alternatively, as a "cult-like" organization (or something similar to that description).
I think the main point here is that an organization doesn't have to be a classic "cult" in order to be silly at best and harmful at worst -- harmful to relationships, harmful to one's financial stability, and possibly harmful to one's health. (From what I have heard, for example, some Accessories don't believe "safe sex" practices are necessary; they apparently believe that the mind tricks they learn through Access will keep them from unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases.)

Not surprisingly, I have been told by Access believers that I am making too big a deal out of all of this, and that I am being too judgmental, and so forth.

[Here, for example, is one recent comment from someone who claims to be having a positive experience with Access. This person wrote in response to my 2009 post, "The Incredible lightness of boinking," in which I shared the story of a man who believes Access had rung the death knell for his already challenged marriage. ~CC]
Although everyone's experiences are different, it seems to me that the effects of Access are a big deal to those who have been hurt in some way by it.

I have a feeling that as Access gets more popular, which seems to be happening now, I will be hearing from more disillusioned ex-Access members, and worried friends and relatives of Access members such as you. I wish I could give you advice about what to do about a family member who is apparently getting sucked into the big Access money machine. If the person has reached the legal age of consent there probably isn't much you can do. But perhaps this is just a passing fancy and your relative will tire of it.

Meanwhile, even though a lot of what I've written about Access is pure snark, you might be able to get some insight from my blog posts. If you haven't read all of my Access-related posts, here's the link to the Google search results (which seem to work better than Blogger's internal search or the post labels): http://tinyurl.com/69neth7

I hope this was helpful. Keep in touch. And I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that your relative will see the light before too much money -- and possibly important relationships -- go down the drain.
~CC
Two other recent messages I received were similarly problematic because I couldn't really offer any resources beyond what I have already presented on my blog. Here's the first one, and my answer. Once again, my additions for the purpose of this blog post are indented and in italics:
Q. I have a friend that has recently began doing ACCESS groups [locally]. She picked up this ACCESS stuff [in another state] where it is quite big with the alt. medicine crowd. I am so glad I found your page, because I was invited to a group and did my research before going! My friend is slightly overweight, just got out of a bad break-up, and is financially unstable (perfect candidate, right?) ... This ACCESS thing is being marketed as a legitimate science, like chiropractic, or massage. I'm not sure what other resources (besides your blog) that I can share with people to show them it is a scam? I feel like the only person who knows it's a scam here, and anyone I tell thinks I'm ridiculous or doesn't believe me! Any help would be much appreciated!
A. I'm sorry to hear about your friend... I think you are correct in your assessment that she is in just the right state of vulnerability -- probably having self-esteem/body-image issues, being on the mend from a bad relationship, AND being financially unstable -- to make her ripe for the picking. These factors will possibly make her highly vulnerable to sexual manipulation from Access members, and certainly vulnerable to financial manipulation. If she has any money left at all I have little doubt that Access will find some way to persuade her to part with it...
...To me... the very silliness of Access is enough of a red flag to lead to the conclusion that the whole thing is a scam. However, I am painfully aware that to people who want to believe -- who NEED to believe -- it's going to take a lot more than snarking, or pointing out irrationalities and inconsistencies in Access' teachings, to convince them that Access is a sex-and-money scheme that really only benefits its very small group of leaders.
I have no doubt that there is a body of scientific research that would point to the ineffectiveness of Access tools such as "The Bars," other than a placebo effect. But I cannot point you to any particular source right now (though you have inspired me to go on a search). Certainly there is a dearth of critical information specifically about Access. I suspect that they're just not "big enough" yet to have captured the attention of serious journalists and scientific researchers.

And I suppose Gary Douglas' own claims that he originally received the information about "The Bars" from the very late Russian "holy" man Rasputin and other disembodied entities via channeling (
here's the link, in case you haven't read it) will do very little to dissuade those who are into alt-healing in a big way and are all too willing to accept pseudoscience as the real deal. This is especially true because Gary and gang seem to be doing everything they can to bury the alleged Rasputin origins as they try to go more mainstream.
[Note: The sanitized version of Access' history, as it currently appears on their Web site, simply says, "Access was generated as a series of insights and awareness developed by Gary starting in 1990, to process people energetically to release their limitations and generate their lives from choice. The target is to bring as much consciousness to as many people who are willing to have it." Not one mention of Rasputin or the other otherworldly sources.]
People who want to believe that, for example, Gary and properly trained Accessories can transform bad wine into good, or can otherwise manipulate objects at the molecular level simply by using Access mind tools, are probably going to believe that no matter how much rational, scientific evidence to the contrary you show them. The placebo effect can be powerful indeed, and someone who truly wants to believe in the power of Access will take a sip of bad wine that has been properly "treated" by Access mumbo-jumbo, and will say, "What do you know, it DOES taste better!"
Someone who wants to believe that a "Bars" session revived them, or that Dain Heer has magic hands and a gift for "energy work," will also believe it. (Never underestimate the power of lust, either. There are apparently plenty of horny and willing women who will gladly offer positive testimonials about Dain's work and Access.)
Perhaps more difficult to demonstrate will be the Access claim that those great gobs of plastic in an area of the Pacific Ocean, which Access' Ocean 300 project intends to tackle, will be "demanifested" by the group of Accessories who are planning to go out on a boat and work their magic. But I have no doubt that if and when that boat trip ever occurs, Accessories will find some way to fudge measurements or otherwise rationalize about it.
[Note: A friend pointed out that the bulk of the plastic out there is on a molecular scale, "Not the big glops of baggies and fishnet they show on the website. That means, if they ever get out there, that the results will be as imperceptible as ever." Here's more information.]
So in a way we're kind of fighting an uphill battle when it comes to demonstrating that Access or any other similar group or teaching is indeed a scam.
I am also more than aware that many eager believers have their shields up when it comes to snarky or critical bloggers... Many simply say, "Consider the source!" and are likely to dismiss [criticism as the product of] a hater, a negative thinker, a naysayer, an envious soul, an overly judgmental person, someone who is too closed-minded or fearful to look at things from the Access perspective -- or all of the above. Unfortunately many of these people have the same attitude towards more somber, scientific, and credentialed sources as well. They have a tendency to lump all critics and skeptics into one big category, looking upon the whole lot as a force whose closed-mindedness and naysaying are keeping the human race (or the humanoid race, as Access would have it) from progressing.
Although there's been a great deal of arguing back and forth over whether Access (or any other group I've written about) is actually a cult, I do think that the Rick Ross Cult Education Forums are a valuable general resource about influential groups...
I am in contact with other people who are either ex-Access members or who are worried or concerned about family members or friends who are members. I will get in touch with some of them and see if they can offer you any advice, support, or resources. Again, though, they may not be able to offer the hard-core proof you seek that Access is a scam.
I'm sorry I can't be of more help right now, but do know that you're NOT ridiculous, and you're certainly not alone. I hope you'll stay in touch.
~CC
Yet another email came from a European concerned about a sibling who had gone off the deep end with Access. I won't print this one verbatim; I'll just summarize. The person's sibling, who had just turned forty, had been married for more than a decade and a half and was the parent of two young children. Apparently the sibling had undergone a radical personality/behavioral change since attending an Access weekend event. The whole family was worried. One of the correspondent's other family members had paid a visit to the infatuated Accessory's home and reported that throughout the visit, the latter remained sequestered in a locked room in the house, "ignoring the children, just reading these weird books and CD's from the Access Consciousness...laughing strangely and behav[ing] as if on drugs."


And this was apparently after only a relatively brief involvement with Access. The sibling was now also demanding a divorce and reportedly wouldn't even talk to the dismayed spouse without first calling Access buddies so they could give advice over the phone about what the sibling should say to the spouse. The new Accessory had already spent thousands of euros on Access courses, books, and videos -- and even worse, was taking the young kids to some Access youth classes.

That last part is pretty disturbing but not surprising. Access is trying to capture the kiddie market in a big way, as indicated, for example, here and here and here. (That last link is to the Access True Knowledge Foundation, which includes among its Board of Directors Houston heiress Curry Glassell. There's a sad story right there, to which I've alluded several times on this blog, and will eventually go into more detail, but now is not the time.)

Anyway, my correspondent tried to reason with the sibling in an email, but only received a strange reply, the main message of which seemed to be that the Accessory's kids "had never been happier" after being told about the divorce.


"I am horrified to discover how much a person can be brain washed only after spending such a short time with these people," wrote my correspondent.

The writer wanted recommendations of support groups or groups that work against cults and groups like Access. I recommended Rick Ross's site as a resource, wishing there were a dedicated, Access-specific group. [Note: There is now; see addendum at the end of this post. ~CC] Apart from that, my response was much like the ones I printed above, except I also suggested that maybe the sibling was unhappy to begin with or at least discontented -- suffering from a bit of a midlife crisis, perhaps -- and it was possible that Access merely provided a convenient stepping stone out of the old life and into a new one. Had it not been Access, it might very well have been someone or something else. I added that I knew the point was moot since it was, after all, Access that the person had chosen, but I wanted to gently help put things in a larger perspective for my correspondent.
 

Cult or not, the results are often the same.
Anyone who knows anything about cults or cult-like groups knows that the story my European correspondent shared is a very common one, as are the Access tales I've heard from others. There is nothing extraordinary about these stories, nothing really shocking to cult experts or observers. And whatever damage Access may have done, it certainly isn't on the large scale of, say, Scientology (from which Access founder Gary Douglas almost certainly got some of his inspiration).

Moreover, Access probably has not yet wreaked the financial havoc of the boiler-room operations that lurk behind scammy TV infomercials and Internet marketing hustles. Of course the commonality of the stories, and the fact that the financial damage is on a smaller scale than that of boiler rooms, do not make the situations any less disturbing or even shocking to the individuals who are experiencing them.
 

Still, it's easy for some folks to dismiss stories like these by noting that people often go off the deep end when they get enthusiastic about anything, be it an LGAT method, a rock singer, a church group, a sports team, or what have you. When discussing these matters, it's also inevitable that someone will point out that if there weren't a willing market, the scammers and cult leaders (or leaders of cult-like organizations) would have to find another way to make a living. All of this is true. Yet charismatic leaders and groups take full advantage of people's weaknesses and vulnerability -- their desperation or discontent, their fears and longings -- so I think that in most cases the lion's share of the responsibility/blame is on them.

Not long ago I was involved in a mini-discussion on Salty Droid's blog about the definition of cults. I expressed my opinion that the word "cult" is sometimes overused and misused, and as a loaded word it can short-circuit rational discussion and genuine criticism about a group that may not truly be a cult. In some cases, labeling a group a "cult" has the same effect as calling someone a Nazi.
 

Said Sir Salty:
I like the word cult.
This is a very serious situation … a loaded word is called for. Plus :: using it maintains a kind of consanguinity with the long running fight against group manipulation. This problem didn’t just appear out of thin air :: it’s an evolution of darkness....
That said :: I like to say “cult-tactics” instead. Keep the word … but make it a verb. Label the leader :: not the group members. Cause there is nothing special about the people in the group :: they are just people doing what people do in groups. The aberrant :: and abhorrent :: behaviors are those of the leader/s.
Well, okay. What Salty said. Here is the link to his post. The "cult" thread begins with Citizen Noir's comment on 16 July 2011 at 2:42 am, and my response.

You can lead Accessories to facts, but you can't make 'em think.

I was discussing some of these matters with a friend who for several very good reasons is no fan of Access. I expressed my frustration at not really having a one-stop source for correspondents who request it -- a source that could scientifically or rationally debunk Access. My friend responded:
How can you scientifically debunk it? It is channeled from Rasputin. What else does somebody need to know? If a three-headed flaming goat coughs up a copy of "rules to live by" I know enough right there. I don't need to study them to see if they "work."... For many people there is an irresistible yearning for something greater that they want to be connected to. It might be religion or who knows what. And along comes Access and "it's easy" and they go for it. Then all the usual cult stuff and group think takes over. You get deeper in as you've invested $$ in it, of course.
Good points. Later, however, my friend reconsidered.
Well, actually, Access could be scientifically debunked. Not hard at all. Gary Douglas claims he can change matter and transport matter, etc. So demonstrate it in public. If he did that he could get the $1,000,000 Randi prize, and LOTS of attention for his group. I mean a real test, not changing "bad wine" into "not as bad wine" as confirmed by cleavaged accessories and his hotel host in Costa Rica.

Change a pencil into a pen; that would do it. Not hard at all. I could write the test protocol in 5 minutes; Randi's group would run it.

Lots of his other BS is easily dubunked, like the claim that dictionaries changed the meaning of the word "want" around 1946 and caused no end of problems for humanoid-kind. You can check a Middle English dictionary and find the meaning he claims was the incorrect one for "want" that fooled the universe into not helping us after 1946.
I like my friend's suggestion of a formal test, with or without James Randi, but of course Accessories could always protest that changing a pencil into a pen is a useless waste of energy and time -- a cheap parlor trick unworthy of an infinite being -- and that the REAL transformations Access creates are beyond the perception of us Muggles...er... humans.

At any rate, Gary and his sidekick Dain Heer are joyfully going forth with their claims -- or strong implications -- that the consciousness tricks they teach really "work." They are, for example, implying that Gary's mighty gift for asking questions of the Universe was responsible for helping to clean up the disastrous BP oil spill --
as noted in this blog post. It's all about the molecules, don't you know:
How could consciousness change the world? Douglas and Heer have been marshalling their forces to create some deliberate changes to our challenged physical environment. When the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico occurred, Douglas asked for weeks if anything could be done to assist the earth in recovering from its effects. For weeks and weeks, the answer he got was no. Finally, one day he got a yes—and that turned out to be the day when the gushing well was successfully capped.

Douglas then invited all his clients to collaborate with him on a coordinated effort to change the ecological devastation happening in the gulf at a specified time. Three days later, the New York Times revealed the discovery of the microbe, which was devouring the oil, resulting in much less remaining to damage the environment.

Thousands of people worldwide who have taken live or virtual seminars with Douglas and Heer have learned to do a method called “de-molecular manifestation and molecular de-manifestation.” Douglas calls this “talking to the molecules and asking them to show up differently.”
De-molecular manifestation is asking something which doesn’t show up to appear, while molecular de-manifestation is asking something which does exist to disappear something else can appear.
Sound woo-woo? Perhaps to some, however this method has been taught to complete novices with no prior exposure to Access Consciousness or other trainings, all over the world. Many witness changes in the pH of water—measured by an objective pH test strip. Others, including those who walked into the room after the changing process occurred, have tasted changes in cheap wine and the British gourmet delicacy, Marmite.
Changing marmite and cheap wine into something tasty is entertaining, and potentially life changing when the people who are participating realize they have that potency with energy. If major pollution situation, such as a nuclear accident that polluted huge portions of the food supply, were to occur, this process could be a potentially lifesaver for many people. Are the environmental affects of the on-going radiation leaks following March’s tsunami and earthquake in Japan fully known or revealed?
Marmite?!?
I guess my speculation, earlier this year, that Access would find a way to take credit for helping clean up the spill was not far off base. (Here's the link to the post; scroll down to "A Course in Methane Miracles.") On the other hand, it could be that the Magickal Clearing Audio from the Wimberliars was responsible for the mess being cleared up. But I digress.
Bidness is booming (sez Gary, anyway)
While the last of the BP oil molecules continue to de-manifest, Gary Douglas and Dain Heer and their giggly followers just keep spewing their own (snake) oil into more areas -- not just into the kiddie and education market, but also the business world.
This July 2011 blog post talks about Gary's astonishing business acumen.
Business is just one of the topics on which Douglas consults with clients worldwide. At a time when most seminars are dropping in attendance by 75%, Douglas’s seminars and product sales are booming.
The exactness of his questions is legendary. It’s in your best interest to be exact in business, Douglas observes. Many people talk around their issues in an attempt to create confusion.
...The more precise you can be about what the deal is, what you require to be delivered, and what the other person will deliver, the more you will avoid the misunderstandings about how much you’ve paid and what you will receive. Precision usually includes numbers and other details like “how much of x will you provide, for what cost, by what time?”
Once his exact questions have elicited a figure in a deal, Douglas has protected himself against someone coming back with a demand for more money for various “extras.”
Douglas always asks, “Exactly what is this going to cost me? Exactly what are you going to deliver it, when will you deliver it, and what do I have to deliver in order for you to make this work?”
But wait... doesn't exactness require thought and judgment, both of which are apparently frowned on in Access? Or maybe Access has changed its view about thought since this 2007 blurb about the effect of Access workshops on participants (originally quoted on my first Access post back in June 2007):
At the end of most workshops, the facilitator usually asks the audience if they have any thoughts or activity in their head. The participants of the class are often surprised to realize that they not only have no thoughts in their heads, they can't easily form any. From that place of no thought, they can create from infinite possibility. And that is the aim of ACCESS: to give you the freedom and the awareness AND THE TOOLS to be the infinite you.
Since Access is constantly changing and evolving, no-thinking may no longer be a desirable state for Accessories. Or maybe Gary and Dain preach about the importance of thought and precision when doing "business consulting," especially with men, and they downplay the importance of these things when leading Access classes filled with giggly, cleavage-baring women. Oh, well...whatever works to get Dain laid, or to persuade the wealthy gals to give all of their money to Gary.
Judging from some of the current copy on the Access Web site, however, there's still a place in Access for non-thinking:
Access is about facilitating people to be in oneness and to perceive, know, be and receive everything. It is not about teaching, proving or instructing. Many modalities and philosophies create teachers and gurus who have answers; the "knowing" of everyone else is diminished. Access empowers you to claim, own and acknowledge what you know what is right and true for you. You can choose for you as the energy, space, consciousness, generation and change you are. You do not have to embody solidity, form and structure. You can live a life of infinite possibility. What would it look like to generate your relationships, your business, your body, your sexualness, your finances and your life from consciousness?
Whew. That makes my brain hurt just to think about it. So I'm trying to non-think about it. Just give me a moment... Okay, I feel a little better, though I still seem to be embodying solidity, form, and structure. Then again, I'm only a human, as opposed to a humanoid and Infinite Being.
But getting back to Gary's stunning business smarts, as described in the blog post mentioned above: I wonder how the whole demanding-exact-answers routine fits into Access' teachings that only questions are useful, and answers are too limiting. Access is all about "Living in the Question." And one of Gary Douglas' favorite sayings, repeated time and again by Accessories, is, "A question empowers, an answer dis-empowers."

So is the person to whom you're asking the questions supposed to answer with another question? Wouldn't an answer be too limiting and judgmental?

Also, what about that Access practice of "living in 10-second increments" (as elucidated by that great non-thinking Access spokes-blond, Rikka, in this vid)? If someone seals a business deal with Gary and then that person changes his or her mind ten seconds later, is Gary cool with it? Apropos of that, I've heard from people who have been screwed (in a business sense) by Gary Douglas and his dodgy strategies of using inexact language, or living in 10-second increments, or what have you. Maybe the real deal is that he demands exactness from others but doesn't feel a need to deliver it himself.

I do wonder, though, if potential Accessories would be advised to ask, before paying for an Access class,
“Exactly what is this going to cost me? Exactly what are you going to deliver it, when will you deliver it, and what do I have to deliver in order for you to make this work?”

I wonder too about the accuracy of the claim that Gary Douglas's seminars and product sales are "booming." The idea that Access might actually be trying to make any significant inroads in corporate consulting or seminars is a little disgusting, and not as far-fetched as it might seem, given the corporate world's longstanding willingness to embrace cult-like LGATs and questionable gurus (think Landmark Education, Tony Robbins, etc).*

Access is already peddling business-related frauducts and workshops, as indicated on the "business" tagged page on the Access Web site. Is the next step a series of corporate workshops? Will decision makers in otherwise respectable, rational companies actually try to send their employees to Access classes?
MEMO TO CORPORATE MANAGERS WHO ARE EVEN REMOTELY CONSIDERING BRINGING ACCESS CONSCIOUSNESS TO YOUR WORKPLACE: Don't waste your company's money or your employees' time with this scammy organization that was founded by an ex-real estate agent and antiques dealer who originally claimed he received his information from Rasputin. Do your homework. Here is a link, once again.
In any case it does seem that Access is popping up in more and more places, and as I said to one of my correspondents above, as it continues to grow, I expect that I will be receiving more distress calls. And I wish I could do more to help.

Meanwhile, I invite any ex-Accessories to comment publicly on this blog for the benefit of those who are looking for information. Be a resource for someone who needs it. You don't have to use your real name, of course, and you can be completely anonymous.

If you don't want to publicly comment but would like to help someone via private correspondence, contact me off-blog with an email address I can share (privately) with those in need. That's is potentially a little more cumbersome, but I do want to respect everyone's privacy.**

My email address is
cosmic.connie@juno.com. And thank you in advance for your help. The whole effort may indeed be Sisyphean, but I still think it's worthwhile.

Addendum, 27 June 2012: There are now two Access threads on the Rick Ross Forum:
http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?4,111769
http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,111690
Both make reference to a very promising new site, Access Schism, which was founded by a person who knows much more about Access than he ever wanted to know. Access Schism also addresses other LGAT organizations such as Landmark, Lifespring, etc., but there is a lot of focus on Access. I applaud the founder for starting this site and plan to contribute myself as well.

* Here's more about Landmark and similar LGATs from SHAMblog's Steve Salerno. And here's a very good thread on the Rick Ross forum about the potential harm of LGATs.).** There are some ex-Access insiders who have on several occasions offered help and information when I asked, but they are understandably very intent on preserving their anonymity when acting as Access critics, so I have to contact them privately, and ask their permission to share their email addresses privately, each time someone asks for help. I understand the need for this but as I noted, it gets a little cumbersome. Also, these people have their own self-help seminar businesses, and given the fact that I am not a fan of such things I do not feel entirely comfortable referring those who need information about Access to sources who might have a marketing agenda of their own. Even so, these folks have been helpful in the past and I appreciate the information they have shared. 

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116 comments:

kyra said...

Ah! So refreshing to have a chance to sit down and read some of your latest posts. I love your responses to the people who have family involved with Access. I particularly enjoyed this bit:

People who want to believe that, for example, Gary and properly trained Accessories can transform bad wine into good, or can otherwise manipulate objects at the molecular level simply by using Access mind tools, are probably going to believe that no matter how much rational, scientific evidence to the contrary you show them.

Unfortunately, if science doesn't support New Wagers' conclusions, they just try to debunk science or prove why it is not an effective tool--anything to protect their precious ideology.

Glad to see that the people who need this information are finding it. Keep up the good work!

Cosmic Connie said...

Thanks, Kyra! I was beginning to feel a little under-appreciated here. :-)

I've noticed New-Wage believers use science as it suits them -- calling on it when something scientifical seems to support their beliefs, and kicking science to the curb when it fails to deliver that support.

Blue said...

Connie thank you for your continuing and refreshing discourse about access. As you say, it is hard to find critical opposition to it anywhere yet this is sorely needed. I was involved for a few years here in Australia, and am glad to offer my insight or support to people that are suffering as a result of their exposure. My internet access is very limited but I'll do my best
bluesaltredelephant@gmail.com
Just remove the name of the animal and you'll have my email address!

There are certain academic dissertions upon Cults and their modus operandi, popularly available, and upon reading I noted that access in fact fits many of the criteria outlined. It fits all of the dot point in the list ....eg, using specialised language that has absolute context within the group, and zero context outside of the group. Also changing the definition of words so that they have a different meaning in access, to the rest of the world. Gee that's a good trick!
Convincing participants that everything that is not within the
specific paramters of the group is totally wrong. In Access this includes writing off absolutely any type of group/system/philosophy/ etc that is not access.
All across the board is a 'with us or against us' type of mentality. Also putting extraordinary pressure upon members to confrom to group values. And siding members against their close ones to create exclusivity. And an ongoing sense of never being 'access' enough - one must always strive harder and higher . I could go on... oh and on that note there's an intriguing way of using the word access as a verb - not merely a noun! Now *that's* a good trick!

It would appear to me that the founders of access deliberately sought to establish a 'religion' for personal gain and fame (just like the found of scientology did) And those access folk studied the historically tried and proven methods for doing so. Mind control and hypnosis are indeed scientific phenomena, and so if one is requiring 'proof' - well I believe
these techniques have been used to pull in vulnerable parties. If you are in genuine need of support or advice regarding your experience or that of a loved one, regarding access, with my limited time I'm happy to do my best and/or refer you to resources that can assist you further.

Cosmic Connie said...

Thanks so much, Blue. I really appreciate your information and your desire to help, and I feel certain that many other people will too.

Anonymous said...

Connie,
Thanks for blogging about Access. I myself have taken bars classes and have friends heavily involved with Access. It seems like everytime my family has an issue it's always, "you need your bars run" or call so and so access facilitator to help you. Well, let me tell you why the red flags went up when it was encouraged that I become a bars faciliator (Which I did not, not to mention the horrible headaches that came along with bars for me).
I myself do energy work as well as a whole host of different types of work that "normal" people might not get. But who's "normal" right? Anyway, I'm also a wife, Mom, daugther and sister and am a very aware person myself. That's why Access has puzzled me for a couple of years. However, I finally figured it out recently. When you put your entire trust and hope outside yourself you totally give your power away. As humans we are powerful beings, why give that power to heal, make money, have sex or whatever to someone else? We all have that God given power within us to be whoever we want to be and whoever we came to be when we were born. Please let your concerned relatives and ex-accessories know that we all have the power within us and that giving it to Access Conciousness or any other group or religion is something you can choose to do but is totally unneccessary.
I love Stephen Hawkings statement that, "the universe is imperfect therefore we are perfect in our imperfection". (I don't know if I got that quote totally right but the perfect and imperfect parts are right). We are perfect and powerful human beings. We have the power to heal ourselves, the power to help our relationships, the power to support ourselves finacially. The total power without anyone or anything else.

Thanks again for your blog. It's absolutely perfect and you are doing a great job.

Peace!

J

Cosmic Connie said...

Thanks, J. You pointed out what I see as one of the deepest hypocrisies of Access, and so many other New-Wage schemes as well. Access (and Accessories) pretend to be all about each person finding his or her own truth. And yet it seems they are manipulated into giving up their autonomy along with their money, and turning to Gary/Dain as some great source of wisdom.

Unfortunately, many people have a tendency to give up their power anyway, but New-Wage scam artists just encourage it.

Anyway, J, I really appreciate your comment -- and your support.

Anonymous said...

http://dontgotothedarkside.wordpress.com/

Whipped this up recently! There needs to be more info out these about why this group is terrible!

Cosmic Connie said...

Thank you, Anon, and I'm sorry for the delay in publishing your comment. (Apparently there's a glitch in my email notification system, so I haven't been getting the notifications of comments on a timely basis.) You're off to a great start on your blog; I hope lots of people read it. And thanks for the link to this post.

Anonymous said...

thank you for this article.. i went looking for negative info on access which was difficult to find actually. i really appreciate you posting this. since i began listening to heer and zimmerman, something in me felt resistance, still i would open and allow... this is only with the free work via interviews that they do.. i've never given any money.

i believe the danger of access goes beyond losing money...

if you notice, often, they will make a statement and subtly ask you to clear something that is actually positive.. or they will totally confuse you saying something both positive and negative and then asking you to clear the positive...

take a look at rasputin.. didn't even know this was a channel from him... looks evil enough to me.

there are a lot of energy healers on the forefront these days and if you'll notice, some of them resmemble vampires... and i'm beginning to believe they actually are.

avoid access consciousness like the plague. i think they just created in me a desire to leave behind an opportunity i had to get myself heard and noticed with my life's work.

i still made the decision to wait on the exposure because i feel a little batty right now.

we can't really give our power away if we are aware of that.. however, mind manipulation is no small thing.

and i believe i've been had.

Anonymous said...

Wow! What would it take for more people to think independently? And to seek and hear and ask and question always - while checking in with themselves? I have never had issues with Access. I am rather enjoying it and there has never been any issue or pressure with money or with sex. Any course, any tool has a cost. So check in with yourself and see what is best for you. Just because someone gives you advice, does it mean you must take it? What happened to our greatest freedom - the power to choose? And Access speak addresses the non-logical mind often times. So if it sounds weird, That's ok! It does it's job! The main idea is to tune in with yourself, and take everything with a grain if salt. So I tap as I clear and I use some Ho'oponopono tools as well. Why not? It is all about cleaning clearing and unlimiting. So, how does it get any better than that?? Peace and love, and ease and joy and glory to you!

Cosmic Connie said...

Anon Thursday, October 27, 2011 4:03:00 PM: Thank you for your comment, and I apologize for the delay in acknowledging it. I hope you've recovered somewhat from your "battiness." Apparently Access can be a real brain scrambler, and I don't mean that in a good way, even though Accessories seem to take pride in Access' brand of crazy wisdumb.

Whether Rasputin was indeed evil or not is fodder for historians and biographers. I've always found him (and that period in Russian history) fascinating. But to use Raz as a source of wisdom? Jeez, if I were going to get into the imaginary-friends biz myself I would have chosen someone else, preferably someone less sleazy and, even better, someone who was not an actual historical figure. (In that respect Esther and the late Jerry had the right idea with that Abe gimmick.)

But the Raz ruse worked for Gary Douglas for years. In any case, Gary and gang pushed Raz to the background a few years ago. I seem to be just about the only person keeping that little story alive.

I think you're right in comparing Access leaders and other "energy workers" to vampires. Of course they don't feed on blood, but rather on money and souls.

Cosmic Connie said...

Anon Thursday, December 01, 2011 11:21:00 PM: You ask, "What would it take for more people to think independently?" The very use of such annoying Access cliches as "What would it take..." and "...how does it get any better than that??" and "ease and joy and glory" kinda makes me question your own independence of thought.

And oh, Good Goddess, don't get me started on tapping...
http://cosmicconnie.blogspot.com/2007/08/tapping-into-new-money-stream.html

...and Ho'opo "clearing."
http://cosmicconnie.blogspot.com/2007/06/mahalo-dr-yew.html

http://tinyurl.com/ccmqra

But hey, whatever works for you. In any case, the purpose and result of this blog have never been to squelch indie thought, but rather to encourage it.

wyld24 said...

Cosmic Connie! Thank You! Oh so refreshing this blog is - chock full of great info, insight and discourse!!! Thank You! I happened upon Access Consciousness a few weeks ago, have listened to some "free" lectures, thought some of the questions offered were interesting though had a feeling something wasn't on the up and up with it all. So glad for the net, critical thinking and your blog! I was fooled twice in life - once by "Landmark Education" then the heavier hit "Scientology" - only in both for a short time though enough to know they are twisted groups! I admit I have a curious naive side though thankfully I have learned to deeply question things! Your blog confirmed what I was sensing about Access Consciousness! Rick Ross' site is good - haven't been there in a few years though found it helpful in healing from my Scientology experience. This might be on his site though will share here - a good book to help one heal and understand cults is "Combatting Cult Mind Control" by Steve Hassan. A very good read! Again, thank you Cosmic Connie!

Cosmic Connie said...

Thanks, Wyld24; I appreciate your support. It's easy to get sucked into silly or even potentially harmful stuff when you're searching for "something more." (I know, I've been there.) I agree with you about Rick Ross' forum being a great resource for information about cults and cult-like groups. Last time I checked, there wasn't really a discussion thread there about Access, but that could change at any time, I'm sure. And thank you for the recommendation of the book by Hassan. Here's the Amazon link for those who are interested: www.amazon.com/Combatting-Cult-Mind-Control-Best-selling/dp/0892813113

Sabrina said...

http://access-consciousness-blog.com/2011/10/is-access-a-cult/
This is a link to an article about Access Consciousness that explains in some detail why Access Consciousness is NOT a cult or even vaguely "cult-like". Would you please publish it in response to these comments? It would be helpful for people to have this information when they are asking questions about Access Consciousness so they are not encouraged to believe other people's views which are based on erroneous and incomplete information. I am sure you would like people to be able to make an informed choice. Thank you.

Cosmic Connie said...

Sabrina, I will gladly post your link, although I think that anyone who chooses to follow Access based on the propaganda from (1) the Access leaders (people who are making money from the shtick) or (2) Access members (people who hope to make money and/or get laid as a result of being associated with Access) is not making an "informed" choice. The blog post to which you linked is on the Access site, of course, and I always provide links to official Access sites so readers can make up their own minds.

You can argue semantics all you want and protest that Access is not a cult, but as I've noted numerous times, the results are often cult-like. You get a bunch of silly, giggly people repeating by rote such expressions as, "How does it get any better than this?" and "All life comes to me with ease, joy, and glory" -- and babbling on about how they feel "lighter" and how they are unlimited beings and humanoids and so forth -- and it begins to look a LOT like a cult. Oh, and that "shorts/boys" etc. clearing mantra: that's a GREAT one. Cult, cult, cult.

And let's not forget the wackadoodle Raz origins of Access. Look up "Mad monk makes eyes at riled realtor" on my blog if Raz was before your time, Sabrina.

Anonymous said...

Ever notice that when something "new or unheard of" that isn't in the "norm"...what people aren't used to or open to are scams or cults? People mock it. Say there's no chance it's right. History is FULL of this...and yet those people with their "crazy beliefs" were proven right years later.

Perhaps FEAR comes into play here? You're not willing to open your mind to possibilities? You'd rather stay stuck in your reality than make a conscious effort to expand that reality? You feel you need to judge the people who are making an effort to make their life better and more expansive and choosing not to live in other's expectations?

But then again...Access would say... What an interesting point of view you have!! aka...You're entitled to your opinion...however, others don't need to accept it for their own. Just saying...

Cosmic Connie said...

Anon Thursday, January 12, 2012 7:22:00 PM: The derivative gumbo that Gary Douglas began cooking up in the early 1990s was anything but "new" or "unheard of." He was inspired by other so-called channelers he had seen, as well as several other New-Wage airy-fairy influences. And no doubt he was inspired by Scientology as well. Before he dreamed up Access he was just another Cali real estate agent and antiques dealer.

And speaking of derivative, those arguments you use to defend Access aren't exactly new and unheard of either. They're fallacies. Here's a page on Skeptico's blog that does a good job of 'splainin' those fallacies (scroll down to the "Fallacies" subhead):
http://skeptico.blogs.com/skeptico/comment-guidelines.html

Two that stuck out for me regarding the present conversation are:

http://skeptico.blogs.com/skeptico/2005/12/the_appeal_to_s.html

http://skeptico.blogs.com/skeptico/2005/10/the_appeal_to_b.html

And since this is an opinion blog by and large, it is an expression of my opinions -- informed opinions for the most part, I think, but opinions nevertheless. I've never insisted that others accept my opinions as gospel. But I like to think that I do provide a counterbalance to the unadulterated bull crap that Access is continually spewing.

Anonymous said...

Hej Connie. Thanks for your post on Access. I have met the laughter and nervous restless bodylanguage and both sweet but highflying energy you see on the youtube videos by Access promoters in other cultlike highflying groups, so I knew instantly, what its about. The hard thing is that it takes a long time to unwind and ground again and to gather your splintered life if possible at all , once this taste of joy and ecstacy turns into locked tired closed tastelessness after years.. So many have walked that path in different setups already , and so many now share their hard learned lessons on different netsites, but still its seldom possible to successfully warn a newly infected believer. But a blogg like yours might at least make the surroundings think and they might hold on to the relative or friend, that is slipping into thin air and is unable to hold on to anything but the illusion.

Curious of Qld said...

Hi Connie

Thank you for your comments on Access. I picked up a magazine in Queensland, Australia, recently called "Holistic Bliss" which featured a double-paged spread on Dr Dain Heer & Gary Douglas.

They are running many workshops in Queensland & it concerns me that

a) a lot of people are going to fall for Access's *very* persuasive selling techniques, and

b) I cannot find any information pertaining to "Dr" Dain Heer's qualifications.

What makes this guy a "Dr"? Do you know? Because I sure as hell don't!

Thanks so much for any light you can shed on this.

Curious,
of Queensland :)

Jemma said...

I have been doing Access, and it's been phenomenal. Just like ANY self help tools out there, people will choose to be "cultish" in their behavior. Isn't that what many of us did in SCHOOL when we were growing up? In essence, that's what Cliques are. There's always some ring leader that's ultimately manipulating everyone. It's human conditioning to try to "fit in" somewhere, to "belong." So long as we hold onto the notion of fitting in, we will choose to play out these behaviors.

Although Access encourages you to BE YOU, people will STILL choose to give their power away, and start being an Access Parrot.' Like you, Connie, I roll my eyes when people are asking, "OMG, How does it get any better?" And not even being present with what's actually going on.

A cult leader always TELLS people what to do, and instructs them how to live their lives. Gary doesn't really do that. He shares his awareness, asks questions, and tells people to find their OWN way, find out that they would like to have as their life.

He also asks people to be aware of what they are sharing- if someone doesn't want to know about Access, why would you try to force it? Yet people go home, and start using this stuff on people that don't even want it. It's just like anything- if you're not into Jesus, and someone just won't shut up about Jesus all day long, you're gonna start to think they are crazy and in a cult.

All this being said, of how much I love so many of the tools, it's not "perfect" or the "ultimate" of evolution, and it's constantly changing. It's interesting how we often look for something to be 100% "fool proof" or we judge it as a scam.

Anonymous said...

Hi Connie,

I'm new to Access and I was hunting for negative reviews and enjoyed reading yours. I like to entertain different opinions.

I like how I feel after a BARS session because it stops my negative thought patterns and makes me feel better. Watching Dain and Gary, however, does not make me feel better- there's definitely something wrong with them... or something that makes me want to stay away. So does that mean there's something wrong with the modality or just the humans and how they've corrupted it?

I think the BARS technique has value for some people at some points of their lives. I think the key is to stay true to yourself and not allow someone else to control your mind/life.

One question. I guess I might have to read other blog posts to answer this, but I was wondering, do you enjoy what you do?

Thanks again for your opinions on Access.

What else is possible? said...

Is your reality based on what people have taught you your entire life? Have you ever imagined your life be without judgement of others, and yourself? What would it be like to live in the question instead of the answer? Would you be willing to live your life without always being right, or wrong?

Up until a few months ago I was a complete skeptic of this kind of crap! Now forever changed. Thank you Access.

I is just another way to get closer to and achieve consciousness. However you get there is up to you. Or would you rather keep things comfortably as they are? Never creating something new?

Thank you for your efforts to spread consciousness, unconsciousnessly. :)

Valeria said...

I used to mostly refer to access as a cult to one of my relatives in it. I've recently slightly modified my stance on that. While they obviously employ cult-like tactics I believe they belong in a slightly different category due to their emphasis on making a profit. I believe they are more of a fancy & dressed up street gang and multi-level marketing scheme for (or more precisely targeting) troubled middle-aged women with a disposable income.

MagneticYellowSun said...

I just 'woke up' when on the verge of paying out over £400 for an access course in the UK.
I have done the bars class and had a private session of the bars following that. I was being swept along by the whole possibility of change happening in my life very quickly, it all sounded so good and the facilitators were really nice and seemed genuine enough, having been through their own life traumas and come through.I genuinely believe they really want to help people.
It was only when I truly asked MYSELF what was getting from this that I realised it wasn't really anything at all; I didn't feel anything from having the bars except spaced out and sleepy and hardly able to string a sentence together.I was promised so much from it but could not feel anything - and I have had every alternative treatment that exists!
I am so glad I came to in time.My usual way to gauge something is if it is beautifully simple, and access is as convoluted as hell, so I don't know where my mind went!I wouldn't mind learning some of the clearing techniques but I don't want to pay out £100's to learn de-molecular manifestation and all the new names I am suppose to call everything - like humanoids! I don't want a complete view of the universe that has come from one man's brain!!
I do believe in emotional/subconscious clearing as a way to help move forward in life, but there are far simpler techniques out there for a fraction of the cost.
I am keeping in touch with someone doing the course to see how she gets on, she is desperate to lose weight.
This stuff is taking off like wild fire so I am sure you will have more feedback in a few months.
I am going on holiday with the money!

Cosmic Connie said...

Anon Thursday, February 02, 2012 7:36:00 AM
You have some great descriptions of the phases people go through with Access and similar mind-f--k programs.

You write:
"But a blogg like yours might at least make the surroundings think and they might hold on to the relative or friend, that is slipping into thin air and is unable to hold on to anything but the illusion."

Ideally, yes... but if it doesn't work that way, at least I'll be here for moral support for the person who is losing a loved one, however fleetingly, to Access.

Cosmic Connie said...

"Curious of Qld": There's plenty of info on Dain Heer on the Net, though of course most of it is favorable propaganda. He was originally a practicing chiropractor, though apparently not a very successful one (by his account he was always struggling financially, was emotionally miserable, and was on the brink of suicide before being saved by Access).

Anyway, whatever one's opinion may be of chiropractic, at least in the USA he is within his rights to call himself "Dr."

While many chiros are into all sorts of woo-osh stuff, Dain takes it to an extreme with Access. He has used that chiropractic training as a segue to more smarmy "body work" techniques and, of course, his "expertise" and looks give him an in with the ladies. Can you say "sexual predator," anyone? But apparently most of his partners are willing, although it seems there's been some kinda dodgy stuff too.

Anyway, Queensland, IMO you're wise to stay away from him and Gary and all of their slimy teachings.

More about Dain can be found in this 2010 blog post of mine (this was back when he was trying out to get an Oprah-backed show):
http://cosmicconnie.blogspot.com/2010/06/now-heer-this-top-accessory-woos-oprah.html

I apologize in advance for the feeling of being encased in slime that you may experience after reading the post.

Cosmic Connie said...

Jemma, I'm glad you are having a good experience with Access (so far), and it is my hope that you haven't sacrificed any of your significant relationships, or spent all of your money, or been sexually preyed upon by anyone in Access. Others, unfortunately, have had those bad experiences.

I've never said or implied that anything that isn't 100% foolproof is a scam. But hey, just for starters, let's look again at that claim I wrote about in this post, and that Kyra (my first commenter above) quoted. Gary and Dain's claims that they can turn bad wine into good wine, or that they can transform plastic pollution in the ocean into harmless particles -- just by using Access mind "tools" -- seem to me to be claims that could easily be demonstrated if there were any validity to them.

And what about some Accessories' claims that using Access mind games can keep someone from getting a sexually transmitted disease, even if they take none of the usual safe-sex precautions? For that matter, what about Access' encouragement of sexual promiscuity?

Granted, some of the manipulative tools Access teaches may work on some people some of the time. But using them on folks who aren't conscious and willing participants in their own manipulation is just plain unethical. Oh, gosh, sorry... that was judgmental.

OMT... and I know I keep coming back to this... but it's too important to let slide. Please remember that Access was originally dreamed up in the early 1990s by Gary Douglas as a series of so-called channeled messages from Rasputin and a few other disembodied entities. It just grew from there. Gary says Raz is long gone. But he and Dain and perhaps a few others are still making crap up as they go along, pulling stuff out of their asses... and people believe it.

But hey, whatever works for you.

Cosmic Connie said...

Hi, Anon Wednesday, February 29, 2012 8:19:00 PM: Well,I can tell you that the Bars definitely came from Rasputin. Or so Gary Douglas used to tell everyone, till he decided to shut up about that story and later apparently tried to bury it. Now the more or less official tale is that the Bars just "came through" to him while he was doing a channeling session with a client.

So in my opinion, it's not a question of the Bars being some pure teaching that Gary, Dain, or anyone else corrupted. It was made-up crap from the get-go, and any pleasing results people get as a result of a Bars session is prolly a placebo effect. Or sexual attraction, in many cases. :-) At any rate, you're wise to stay away from Gary and Dain, IMO.

And in answer to your question at the end of your comment, yes, I very much enjoy writing this blog. I only wish I had more time to do it and still get all of my paying work done. I guess I will just have to write smarter, not harder. :-)

Cosmic Connie said...

What else is possible?:

I would love to hear about some of the wonderful things you are "creating" as a result of your participation in Access (other than creating larger bank accounts for Access facilitators and ultimately for Gary and Dain). If you don't mind my saying so, you kind of write like an Access robot -- one Access cliche after another.

I'll also say that it seems to me that it's difficult to create anything of lasting value if you're living in ten-second increments and are scrupulously avoiding anything remotely resembling judgment. But hey, that's just me.

Cosmic Connie said...

Valeria wrote about Access:
"I believe they are more of a fancy & dressed up street gang and multi-level marketing scheme for (or more precisely targeting) troubled middle-aged women with a disposable income."

Amen, Valeria! It seems, though, that they like to bring in their share of young attractive females too, not only as toys for Dain but also as bait for guys with money. Just my observation as an outsider (albeit one with a little bit of inside info).

Cosmic Connie said...

Good for you, MagneticYellowSun, for listening to your gut and holding on to your money. All of that crap about molecular demanifestation, etc., is just that: crap. The stuff about wine is a cheap parlor trick that only "works," if it works at all, for people who are willing to imagine that maybe the wine tastes a little better than it did before the hocus-pocus. And the humanoid stuff is pure fantasy, drawn from the rich imaginations of Gary and Dain, as a way of making Access members and wannabes feel more "special." As for any of Access' "clearing" techniques or statements, such as that ludicrous "shorts/boys" junk... more crap. Maybe some people feel better repeating those words like a mantra, but they're not actually accomplishing anything or changing anything or anyone.

Enjoy your vacation, and keep checking back here. I am so sorry to hear that Access is spreading like wildfire in your neck of the woods, but it is growing in the US and Oz too, apparently. The good news is that as it grows in popularity, maybe I'll have some company in the critics' corner. It gets kind of lonely here, what with almost no one but moi throwing stones at Access. :-)

PS ~ Regarding your friend who desperately wants to lose weight, I wish her luck. I've seen vids of overweight women who wanted the same thing, and who claimed that after a few sessions or weeks of Access they'd lost significant poundage, but the "after" vids indicated that they hadn't lost much at all, if anything. They did, however, seem more bubbly and giggly and accepting of themselves, so there's that.

Anonymous said...

Placing aside the Access beliefs and methodologies (tools) and wheteher they provide results or not, it is the constant push to take more classes, or buy tapes, mp3 downloads of X value for Y dollars, that shows the true focus of the group. In fact, they have classess and calls on how to run your acces bussiness. they prey on the on focused and unsucessful (financially and socially) that need the group/collective acceptance. I took various classes, but unlike those focused on becoming "facillitators", every other word out of my mouth is not gary says, ors dain says, or rikka says. even then I look at these gurus on their path to self agrandisement and I do not see individuals truly at peace. their lives are the next sale and next speeaking engagement. They are rarely home and besides peddling their wares are not as receptive to joyful and easy abundance as the profess to provide with their tools. I do give gary credit that he is aware that it is the followers that make cults. He personally laughs at these groupies and all they are willing to do and give up to utter the words of someone they see as greater than they. Back to my friend - you cannot have a conversation in which you get her personal take on anything. As much as she dismisses your insights as being "an interesting point of view" (POV in Access lingo)she is quick to back up everything by quoting ACCESS. Before it was her doctors, then her "healer", then Theta, now Gary. So it is a specific personality type that is drawn into this way of living, whether he/she quotes the Bible, the Kuran, the Buddah. ACCESS or even their political leader. So if your relative or friend has this tendency, just be patient and never chalenge them and thusly never give them the opportunity to quote some bozo needing paying followers. Access as a business is not profitable to anyone other than those with little marketable skills. As a professional, I calculated I would have to run 80 1.25 hour BAR sessions a week to quite my day job if I wanted to have benefits, pay my taxes and contribute to myself what any employer contributes in benefits and accounting support. The funniest awakening was when my friend send me a XMAS greeting with a coupon for 10% off her invaluable ACCESS services.....

mukonyi said...

It would be more informing if you took the class and then talk from experience. I have not taken the class although the stuff seems interesting and we know the mind can do great things if one believes.

Cosmic Connie said...

Mukonyi: I'm just going to cut and paste from one of my recent email replies to someone (you, perhaps?) who asked me why I didn't take an Access class so I could report from firsthand experience. Here's my reply, in part:

I have no interest in taking Access classes. Just from what I've read and heard about Access -- including extensive info from people who DO have lots of first-hand experience with classes and other Access events -- I have concluded that it is something I don't want to be involved in, even as a purely journalistic endeavor. I don't WANT to give those folks any money and I don't want to waste my time taking their "classes."

I am very well aware that some would claim I'm just being closed-minded, judgmental, or prejudiced. But I've had enough first-hand experience with similarly flaky stuff in the past -- and, equally as important, with the types of people who perpetrate these flaky things -- to be comfortable with my decision not to do much first-hand exploration of Access myself.

However, I am always glad to print comments -- positive and negative -- from people who have taken the classes.

Cosmic Connie said...

Anon Friday, March 16, 2012 7:03:00 PM: Sorry I didn't respond sooner to your comment. You make excellent points about Access being primarily a business. Anyone who tries to convince you that it isn't is either lying to you or to him or herself, or both.

There's nothing wrong with being in business to make money, but there is, IMO, something wrong with trying to make money by targeting vulnerable people and sucking their bank accounts dry in exchange for something of dubious value at best.

Lazyland said...

Several principles come to mind.

It does not pass the sniff test.

If it seems too good to be true it probably is.

and Tanstaafl, though I think the leader is pretending to be the Man From Mars, and Heinlein liked to write about serial open marriages. Do you think they are cribbing him a bit?

Tina said...

As a perfectly normal, happily married and faithful Access practitioner who often does sessions for free and who has not given up any autonomy, is not continually handing over cash for trainings, and is still capable of holding a conversation without Access speak, I've read this thread and laughed! It's a bit like a Spitting Image sketch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spitting_Image for those who aren't familiar with it) where caricatures have been created and truths have been twisted in the name of satire.

There is so much misrepresentation in these comments and sadly also those who simply don't know what they're talking about. For example, there is no Multi Level Marketing in Access, although thinking about it that WOULD make a good topic if you wanted to go after real villains.

Mind you, you freely admit your writing about Access "has been on the snarky or light side" and that you "serve a heapin' helpin' of snark" as you try to help people provide their loved ones with "hard, clear evidence that Access is a scam". So I guess it was never intended to be a balanced and honest discussion.

Cosmic Connie, when there are so many truly atrocious things going on in the world, when real cults like the Moonies are still arranging mass marriages, and real scams are dropping through letter boxes and into inboxes every day, do you not think your efforts could be better used elsewhere? Perhaps the reason there are so few people saying negative things about Access is because it's not as bad as you're making it out to be. I may have miscounted, but only 14 of the comments to your post are actually negative.

There will always be people who have bad experiences - there are in any modality for a whole host of reasons, but often this has more to do with the person than the process. I have only ever met genuine, caring people in Access, people who have a desire to help others. To crush them in your attempt to "push that (scam prooving) boulder up the mountain" is sadly shameful given you don't even know them!

wyld24 said...

Tina ... maybe you are perfectly normal and happy in Access. Just because you haven't experienced any hardship in Access does not mean Connie is wrong. There are degrees to cults. Access, from my very limited experience, along from reading on those who have had greater "access" to Access, has a definite degree of "cultish" to it. When I was involved in Scientology - the cosmic joke of cults - I met many wonderful helpful kind people who LOVED to help - mea culpa, until I woke up. They are so embedded in the thinking of the modality, they can't distinguish the forest or the trees. Take a step back and truly assess Access from your heart and soul, your own intuition ... that is your most valuable guide. Maybe you are the one who is in the wrong, and the peeps here are in the know. You view the info here as crushing peeps because it is so personal to you. Sometimes you don't have to know a sheep personally to know that they have been taken by some misguided wolf. Ya just know ... assess, assess, assess ...

Cosmic Connie said...

I'm glad you have had positive Access experiences, Tina. I have no doubt that there are some genuine, caring people who have been sucked into Access. But that doesn't make Access itself any less scummy, in my view. If you'll pardon my directness and obvious lack of balance.

I've often been told that I should direct my attention to the "real" problems and scams. That is a tactic frequently used by people who wish to distract critics from a given target.

You mention MLM as one example of the "villains" I should really be pursuing. If you'd actually read anything else on my blog you might have noticed that I have put a great deal of time and effort discussing some of major the MLM villains, such as Kevin Trudeau and his scammy Global Information Network (GIN). I have also frequently voiced support of, and provided links to, Salty Droid's blog, which covers the MLM villains like no one else.

Oddly enough, Salty's targets and random trolls frequently come onto his blog and tell him he should be focusing on the REAL villains of the world (and they proceed to name various evildoers and horrid world problems). Sound familiar?

But MLM or not, it's clear to me that Access is mostly about the money (and possibly the sex) for its smarmy founder and his house boy Dain. And I think Access is potentially just as harmful as MLM or even as a cult if it grows into anything significant.

I think that the main reason there are so few negative comments about Access is that it isn't really anything significant yet. It's natural that there would be so many positive comments since I am just about the only blogger who consistently writes critical stuff about Access, and of course the defenders feel compelled to come on and engage.

All voices are welcome here. But I have drawn my line in the sand, and the bottom line is that I will not let up on Access as long as I keep hearing from people who have in some way been annoyed, perplexed, or even harmed by its wacko teachings.

Tina said...

I'm sorry Cosmic Connie - you are right in that I haven't read any of your other blogs and am guilty of just visiting this one and making comments. If that is considered rude, please accept my apologies.

But I take offense at your suggestion that I've been "sucked in", and that I have neither the intelligence nor common sense to be able to make informed choices outside of the personality or sexual attractiveness (or not!!) of an elderly man and his "house boy".

I was merely trying to level the playing field given that you yourself freely admit you haven't undertaken any classes, don't intend to, and are clearly unaware of Access teachings given some of the incorrect statements you make. You say you are informed by people who have taken Access classes - well they must have taken different ones to me!

I'll pop back occasionally if it's OK with you, and should I make my fortune with Access or start having a load of sex I'll let you know you were right ;o)

Ginger said...

It's difficult to find negative reviews of Access Consciousness because the positive experiences far outweigh the ones you're describing, which may come from people who are uninformed or simply not a match for the work of Access.

Any person who wants their money back after an Access class will have no problem getting it.

I don't appreciate some of the overly emphasized sexual statements made by Gary, but they don't apply to me. I'm a happy, faithful, joyful wife, mother and grandmother, nurse educator and financially independent person (in large part due to using Access money tools). I am forever grateful to learn and teach these tools - and I'm freer than I've ever been.

As a scholar of existential philosophy, you may be interested to know that Access tools and processes are not different than what sages, teachers and philosophers have been teaching for thousands of years. The evidence of that is all there, but you have to be willing and able to look.

I can see how some folks can and do see Access askew, but it's not as you describe or interpret it. It is for you though. See? Thank you for the opportunity to share.

Anonymous said...

There is a listing on the Rick Ross web site. Here

http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?4,111769

and here

http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,111690

Access Consciousness sex and money cult.

Cosmic Connie said...

Sorry for getting behind on publishing and responding to comments. I've been so involved with watching another scammy New-Wage train wreck (Kevin Trudeau and the Global Information Network) that I have neglected Access.

Tina, Tuesday, June 05, 2012 10:39:00 AM: You made me realize once again that I sometimes get condescending about people who follow Access. That is not always entirely appropriate, particularly when they write intelligently, as you do. If Access works for you, more power to you. And yes, you're welcome to pop in and comment any time. Of course we will prolly have to continue to agree to disagree about Access. :-)

Ginger: I have never claimed to be a scholar of existential philosophy myself... or are you saying that you are, and you just dangled your participle? NBD. (WTW: Never dangle a participle around a snarky cat, because she will almost certainly bat at it. :-)) I have no doubt that Access -- like all such groups -- borrows from different philosophies and traditions. IMO, that doesn't make legitimate, particularly when Access teaches stuff such as "molecular demanifestation" -- or, for that matter, when they teach followers to issue death threats to 'ELFs.' And then there is that whole human v. humanoid shtick. There also seems to be an unhealthy dose of Scientology in Access. So there's that.

And I could go on and on and on, but I already have on my blog, and will continue to do so. Even so, as long as Access isn't harming you and you think it is helping you -- as long as you really can and do take what is helpful for you and throw out the rest -- I guess you will be all right. I hope so, anyway. If not, you know where to turn for moral support!

Anonymous Tuesday, June 26, 2012 3:26:00 PM: I'm glad there are now two Access threads on Rick Ross. It is a good start, and a good way of publicizing the new site, Access Schism. Of course those threads are quite new and were not there at the time I wrote my post, but I'll add the links on an addendum. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

The lunancy continues..... Ive done some research on this bunch of 'believers'. This blog is of one of the leaders or self proclaimed experts....

Lisa Murray of the sunshine coast / brisbane in queensland australia claims to be a practitioner of .... well this weird bunch in search of the easy (lets not actually do any work) way to 'bliss' and wealth.

She claims to be a successful "transformation speaker". http://www.revivecoaching.com.au/speaker Also claims of Author, successful business coach and the list goes on ....

I came to hear about his 'successful' business woman from a friend of mine in noosa. Truth is she lives in poverty with her parents having failed at numerous businesses and is reportedly bankrupt if not by the court but in reality. She has been heard to say that she "chooses not to live in that reality" ... whatever that means.

When will people like this stop lying and wake up? Well I suspect if they keep paying huge sums of money to listen to the dribble of "Dr Dain" of access ..... get this blog link of 3rd May. http://www.newenergiesofbusiness.com/_blog/Blissalicious_Blog

I have no problem with people seeking a better life.. none at all ... arent we all? but to constantly lie about success by using the 'tools' of access is fraudulent or at least 'false and misleading'.

Then again if you have failed at everything and access is your only hope that you have surrounded yourself with ... to give it up would be to admit another failure - and then what would be your crunch or what would they have left to blame ..... maybe just maybe - they should try working!

Ali

Anonymous said...

To use the same words as the very talented frauds......

Would you like to Uncreate & Destroy this insane cult ?

Ari said...

If another is an "ELF" ie Evil little Fuck ... as per the access bible then ..............


Quoting Access material again: This is DIRECTLY from Access Consciousness Level 1 manual.

"How do you handle a demon bitch or bastard from hell? You call them up and say quietly to them three times, "if you do this again, I will kill you." Make sure nobody else can hear you. You have to mean it. Maybe not in this lifetime, but YOU WILL KILL them. If they tell somebody, you go, "Me? Would I do such a thing?"

So, as you can see, Access Consciousness is suggesting you literally threaten someones life and then try to sneak and lie your way out of it. This takes things to another level.

A Legal level. A Death Threat!

This is the same thing the Church of Satan advises, the exception being the Church of Satan says to destroy the person.

According to U.S. Legal a death threat is this:

"Under state criminal codes, which vary by state, it is an offense to knowingly utter or convey a threat to cause death or bodily harm to any person. It is also an offense to threaten to burn, destroy or damage property or threaten to kill, poison or injure an animal or bird that belongs to a person."

Interestingly. Wikipedia describes a "death threat" as this;

"A death threat is a threat, often made anonymously, by one person or a group of people to kill another person or groups of people. These threats are usually designed to intimidate victims in order to manipulate their behavior, thus a death threat is a form of coercion."

A death threat is "designed to intimidate victims in order to MANIPULATE their behavior". And is a "form of COERCION". So, not only does Access Consciousness utilize coercion and manipulation, they suggest you and everyone else do the same thing by literally using a death threat.

Yet another illustration of how Access Consciousness uses coercion and manipulation. Here is more on Access Consciousness and coercive persuasion.

Ginger said...

Hi, Connie: Thanks for your comments too. You were right, I dangled my participle. People who write a lot sometimes do things like that, but so what? Anon puts his or her punctuation marks outside of quotation marks...better bat at that too, lol!

Gary or Dain or other very credible facilitators of Access -- would be happy to answer your questions. Just call or write to them.

Taken out of context is, of course, out of context.

Thanks for the offer of support. I won't be needing any such thing. I'm standing on both feet and make my own choices. If I found Access bad or wrong, I'd leave and that would be it.

If you tried a valid qualitative or quantitative study of access participants and facilitators, you'd likely find they're all okay -- and of their own mind.

They are happily using tools of access to benefit their lives and those of others.

No doubt, some have faced their troubles with Access. Folks will face trouble anywhere. Probably they feel better having you help them.

Anonymous said...

OMG check out the list of scammers. Her brother and mother are all in on the scam. Scott Murray. And the mother Pamela Murray who reportedly reads the written history of your past lives.

I want what they are smokin

EnoughsEnough said...

Dear lost and still not found Ginger. I agree. You are a nutter. You agree that trying to kill someone is fine ... It's only verbal after all.

By the way. How are the Jobbers going with cleaning up the ocean with their minds? Just wondering if a net would be more likely to succeed.

EnoughsEnough said...

Found this link.

Delusional or free thinkers?

Nahhhh delusional. Lost. Pathetic. Taking money from the stupid to teach them to delude other stupid lost scammers.

https://whyweprotest.net/community/threads/information-about-access-a-scientology-offshoot.41121/

Anonymous said...

very interesting points of view - have been into self realisation for some time and recently have been introduced to access and bars - my bars sessions have been fabulous and i know you don't want to hear this but my fractured ribs have realigned and a 30 year old injury to my leg causing bone and length loss and subsequent osteoarthritis and twisting of the leg has begun to change -now isn't the test of these things whether they work for you? others may not have been happy with access - always a choice to go or stay no-one has their arm twisted - and you have twisted the "sexual" thing - from my understanding its about recognising your body and recreating the moment by moment attraction if single or if married - nothing about jumping into bed with people etc - you may also now like to take a swipe at organised religion and Jesus turning water into wine as well - please do not twist that into me saying that access is like Jesus etc - lets be fair - religions are all cults - expectations of subservience, tithing and differences in religious philosophy have also broken up families - you would most likely find that if a marriage was just about over that maybe someone is seeking their identity out side of that relationship
as you yourself have said you get snarky more than have proof of scam - to me religion is a scam that has hurt people and caused wars throughout history but many people apparently gain benefit from it so who am i to tell them they are wrong and i am the arbiter of all things correct - why not allow people their choices - they really do not need nannies or ninnies - its called freedom of choice

Anonymous said...

Yeah, no, I'm sorry, what you say about Access is completely not true. I'm not really sure where you are getting your information or why you are posting the hatred about it. Maybe you should take some Access classes to eliminate how you feel about it, and maybe it'll provide some good for you and then you can actually see what it is and what's going on.
You're just completely lying about Gary & Dain- who are some of the kindest people around- have you ever met them? Maybe you should stop making up rumors about them until you've actually met them- they are just here to help people have better lives. If you stopped hating and starting being kind, maybe that would create some more happiness for you and the world around you. Remember- people hated Jesus too, and killed him for his teachings- there will always be hate when there are teachings of things beyond what people are willing to hear, know and see.

Cosmic Connie said...

Well, Anon Oct 24...which do you mean? "Yeah" or "no?" I'm always confused when I hear or read, "Yeah, no..." But it seems to be quite the trendy thing to say these days, particularly as an expression of hipster disdain. Disdain duly noted, but you will have to do better than that. Jeez, I'm not even religious and I find your comparison of Gary and Dain to Jesus to be almost offensive. I haven't made up any rumors about Dain or Gary; I only report what others have said.

Moreover, to criticize something that one finds to be completely ludicrous is not to "hate," and furthermore, nobody I know of has even remotely suggested that he or she wants to kill Dain and Gary. So please stop waving that straw man around.

Ginger said...

Hi, Connie! Just an update. I'm still an Access Consciousness facilitator, a professor, a mom, and grandmother, small business owner and so on. Nothing of what folks are telling you, have I seen after this year. I use the very powerful tools of Access to teach clinicians more ease in their communications about end-of-life care. It's so effective. Another result is that they have more inner quiet and more happiness in the process. If, per chance, it turns *bad* I'll let you know :D Thanks for your work too! It's good to try finding what's up, you know?

Anonymous said...

Should this bunch of modern day highway robbers be abbreviated to "Access Cons"?

Anonymous said...

Love this site!! So far, I just have one question..Why do the facilitators not need a massage license or some other kind of license one needs in order to touch people? This may not be an issue in some states and countries but in the state where I live, one must have a massage license to do even energy work, like Reiki.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps you should formulate your opinion on things you have actually experienced yourself, then you would be far more believable. I found your prostrations as ridiculous as Access. If you had however experienced Access for yourself, and then spent four hours writing about it, you would be far better received.

Anonymous said...

Access is highly dangerous. I was in it for a while, even a certified facilitator. These people writing to defend it haven't been in the position yet where Gary or Dain wanted to use them to gain power. They will see clearly once that occurs, trust me.

Anonymous said...

Hi
I've just read your blogs on Access. I am just curious as I have just come across it from a really good source.
Can I ask you what your views are on Reiki and, in particular, EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques)?
Thank you :)

Anonymous said...

Hi
Pressed the button too soon so not sure you got my request not to publish my last comment.
Thanks ever so

Anonymous said...

Well unlike many of the surmisers here, I actually visited an Access Consciousness practitioner yesterday to try it for myself and to get some extra help with some personal issues. What a load of crap. I'm a reiki and energy worker myself, and was curious as to how their version of energy work actually worked. Basically, she put her fingers on what I'm imagining to be pressure points or nerves on my head (it felt like getting a really good head massage from the hairdresser..for over an hour. You get really tingly. No wonder I felt like a space cadet afterwards). Then she started asking me what I'd like to change in myself. So yeah, reveal a few deep dark secrets..and she challenges every single one using AC psycho-babble. For example, I said I feared losing control and believed it stemmed from an childhood incident. The response? 'Truth: so..what if that fear wasn't from you? What if it was fear you picked up from your parents,teachers and society'? Then they want me to say 'YES' to accept her statement! While accessing the sub-conscious! And the statements went on and on until I basically had to tell her to shut up. They call it 'verbal processing'. So dangerous for people who really need help. I oscillated with being furious at her, pitying her and being angry at myself for sharing so much personal stuff only to have it thrown back in my face. I said 'no' to a lot of her statements, and in the end I think she realised she'd bitten off more than she could chew-she was really faltering at the end. This morning? I think and feel exactly the same (except for being pissed off I wasted $100!). Don't do it!! If you want to do some serious work on yourself, or at least play with energy work, try reiki. It works well for me.

Anonymous said...

I read many comments from people saying you must experience Access before you make a comment. I was a facilitator for 6 years. Any of you wonder why only about 3 women have been around any real length of time??? I saw it twice before I left and all the top facilitators left as well then they raise a new crop. I wanted to believe this was everything they say but it just is not. When you see the real side of these guys you will know they do NOT practice the good that they do preach. Even going to cheese master Malecheck to learn to be a "Million Dollar Speaker" These 2 are not stupid and if you notice they will prey on wealthy and insecure women... or men who cannot get laid any where else.... but only as long as Dain can be cooler.
Don't fool yourselves this is about the money. When I stopped facilitating and going to classes (or bringing people) my last conversation with Dain about my mother who I was taking care of at the time was to scream "FUCK HER!! She is going to die anyway! SHe has abused you her whole life and now you are throwing your life away for her...." I already had my doubts but this sealed the deal that none of what they preach they are they living. Had he been 'living in the question' he would have seen this was more healing and nurturing to me to be with my mother than they could give in a lifetime of classes!
Open your eyes people!
Hope you really wake up...what you are seeking is possible but not as long as under the drug they are giving you! Like a drug dealer you have to keep coming back for the next hit! Never really about empowering people,

Anonymous said...

I found this site had some interesting points of views. What is truth to some may not be truth for all. I see great love and concerns for others.

one of My favor quotes

"Be the living example that allows them to see in you that it might be worth while to choose the ideas that you are living. But be allowing at the same time because you know, that whatever they choose, they need to learn something from what they have chosen." ___ Bahar

So thank you for your love and concerns, and if choose to throw their money away for something they feel is a value for them. Be a friend, and be there to help pick them up afterwards. And please do not remind them that you had told them so. Most likely they are beating themselves up already.

Liam said...

When I found Access I was literally dying of an incurable disease. I use the tools and change my health and now run workshops called Curing the Incurable using the tools of Access. I am very grateful for the many awareness I have had over the years using these tools. I too was a skeptic not only of Access but everything. I think it is great to question things and find out what works for you.

Anonymous said...

Quote: 17th January: "Access is highly dangerous. I was in it for a while, even a certified facilitator. These people writing to defend it haven't been in the position yet where Gary or Dain wanted to use them to gain power. They will see clearly once that occurs, trust me."

Would somebody elaborate on this view - besides that AC's focus is on taking peoples money, manipulate people, destroy relationships and in general take advantage of people who need's honest help?

It would be interesting to hear experiences from people who have been deeply envolved in AC?

What happens to people who want to leave AC - besides being ruined and alone?

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

It is a very clever cult. Because you actually can work things to change in your life with the questions and bars. You can truly tap into abundance. I changed my mind after learning bars, using them and the tools with great effectiveness, and then attending a foundation class where certain parts of the manual were so confusing and actually abhorrent to me I went home nauseous. Here's the clever part, the universe/source law works. Ask quality questions and run bars you are going to get some major manifestations. That works. Yet, once you've spent money and want to progress, the nastiness starts, the lack of love. I didn't see anything loving about killing energy, or plenty of the other stuff in the manual. Here's the shame. I believe there's a strong possibility bars is a downloaded and helpful process. Perhaps it would be good to design our own questions, truly with our own boundaries and consciences to guide us, and find a way utilize the healing from this whilst questioning everything. I will not spend any more money, I didn't go back after the first day of foundation as firstly it was just reading from the manual with the clearing statement, not actually learning shifting or changing anything and I do not choose to have happiness at the obvious expense of others. That is not ok for me.I do choose happiness with being honest and authentic about my decisions even when others don't agree with them. Lying, cheating, stealing. I've done them all. I no longer choose them and no longer choose to subscribe to a system based on slipping those past you to "empower" yourself.
I am going to do research into Cranial Sacral Therapy to discover if Bars is similar, that will explain why it works.
Follow the money. Question everything. Do what serves your conscience, boundaries and life.
No dictators.

Anonymous said...

After years of seeking and searching for how to change areas of my life and body that werent working..I was so pleasantly surprised to find Access Consciousness..I have found nothing but great things taking the classes and running bars...

Every area of my life, reality and body have become better and these are things that nothing else i tried had changed..

I know everyone has the right to choose what works for them..and I know many posts on this site don't appreciate access consciousness for what it offers and thats fine however that has not been my experience at all for me or anyone else I know that participates in Access classes and processes.

So I am wondering what it might be like for people to try a different class or facilitator or look from a different place?

That's my two cents!

What else is possible?

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your posts Connie. I have a family member who is involving her young child and I'm extremely concerned. She claims it is self-help not a cult. Why does a seven year old need self-help? I wanted to be more informed before I passed judgement. Any doubts I have had that Access is not a negative manifestation preying on the confused and weak have been removed.

P.S. I notice that most of the pro-Access respondents not only live within the confines of their 'learned language', but they seem to have little mastery in the realm of written expression. I guess they haven't massaged those bars enough yet.

Anonymous said...

Ahahaha wow it's too funny...at the end somebody was teasing me for my spelling (i'm not native english speaker) and this is the best you can afford to diminish what i wrote?
then, again, everybody is free to be and do whtever...

Anonymous said...

hypnotherapy vs access consciousness which is better for my patients?

Cosmic Connie said...

Curious Educator, the first thing I need to say is that I am not qualified to give a professional opinion about specific therapies, and certainly not qualified to guide a professional therapist in his or her decisions. I am not a therapist myself, and have never undergone therapy. That said, you probably know that there are many different kinds of hypnotherapy, and hypnotherapy seems to have an actual track record and has been legitimized, or at least semi-legitimized, in the therapy biz.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnotherapy

Of course there are scam artists in hypnotherapy too, so it's probably best to tread carefully.

On the other hand, Access is just a freewheeling cultish thing that a couple of predatory "gurus" (Gary Douglas and Dain Heer) are making up as they go along. Remember how Access began: founder Gary Douglas claimed to be channeling the late Russian "mad monk" Rasputin and, later, other entities, who (he says) gave him the secrets of the Bars and other stuff that became part of Access. He just made up the whole thing back in the 1990s and it grew from there. Read "Mad Monk makes eyes at riled realtor, and the rest, as they say, is hysteria" on this blog.

In the early 2000s Gary Douglas met Dain Heer and added him to the show to draw in a younger and more attractive crowd.

Read the Access Schism site for more information about Access' teachings. Also see this November 2012 article by the Houston Press's Craig Malisow.
http://www.houstonpress.com/2012-11-08/news/gary-douglass-access-consicousness/full/

I hope this was helpful.

Anonymous said...

I, like probably so many other people,clicked on this link hoping to receive knowledgeable information about this topic.
Instead what I see is enabling of powerlessness. It is extremely concerning to me that someone like yourself, who feels they are in a position of authority, would perpectuate this state in others, rather than help them learn how to discern and decipher for themselves. Many of the posts i have read here stem from a place of fear and control. People mistaking their control issues for 'love' or 'worry' of another person. People looking to blamed one theory like Access for their failed marriages. What a shame and what a waste of influence. If you are so 'concerned' with people being jipped out of their money or marriages, perhaps you should focusing on empowering people to learn how to trust themselves and learn how to discern between truth & manipulation through agenda.

Cosmic Connie said...

Ha. You're reading a lot into my writing that isn't there. I have never fancied myself in a position of "authority" or even influence. Even so, I believe that there's enough "knowledgeable information" -- along with my own reasonably well-informed opinions -- on this post, and on my numerous other Access posts as well, to paint a pretty accurate picture of what Access is and what it is trying to do.

I do not see it as my job on this blog to "empower" people, although I like to think that my posts will at least make them ask questions -- and after all, you Accessories are all about questions, right?

Almost NOBODY who has shared his or her stories here has put all of the blame on Access for their own or their loved ones' problems. Most strike me as genuinely concerned about their loved ones' bizarre behavior or absence since becoming involved with Access. It sounds as if you, Anon, are rationalizing people's genuine worry/concern by dismissing all of it as "control issues."

I do think that my blog does its own small part in helping people learn to discern between truth and manipulation. Maybe at least some of them cab see that Access itself is ALL ABOUT manipulation.

fotofrenzy said...

Hey Connie = keep up the good work . trouble is that the jobbers will merely repeat the words of "there leaders" ... interesting point of view ...

still we can't save everyone - some are too far lost to find their own mind ...

Anonymous said...

Not to be a buzz kill on your rant here, but I feel you are putting a lot of negativity out to the world. Whats the worst case scenario, that people have a happy placebo affect and enJOY life more.

Just sayin life's too short - also all these people are big kids that can make their own decisions in life.

I hope you find peace outside of this negative circle you're creating around yourself. Sending you love from Canada.

Unknown said...

these people got to my wife in 2007. In early 2008 she tells me she's moving out - 'need my space'. Haven't seen here since the last week in Jan 2008.

As the divorce process finally ran its course I was able to review her spending - approximately $10,000 in community property money spent on this operation.

She then showed up as a 'certified facilitator' or some such title.

In retrospect, I'm able to note the subtle changes in her behavior until the big bang - at which point all that was of any importance to her was to milk every dime she could out of me.

I'm not a believer in coincidence.

I have noticed that she has apparently parted ways with these guyz.. how much damage was done to her above and beyond wrecking her marriage, etc is unknown.

Anonymous said...

My husband and I had a lousy marriage. I was severely depressed and suicidal. He felt neglected and thought the marriage was over, and did not realize how sick I really was. In steps pretty woman that he meets, and invites on a trip, to get to know her better with no sex involved. Turns out she is an access member and "chooses to live her life according to the access mantra of happiness for herself". Yes, of course they had sex. She knew he was married, and a father, and it did not matter. She thought she would find her happiness with him despite the potential pain for everyone else involved. He confessed immediately and we reconciled. I have since found out that she has done this before with other married men, and that she subscribes to this access way of life. We have since reconciled because I got the help I needed and no longer wish to end my life. I've forgiven both of them, but cannot forget this happened and live with the knowledge that my husband played the fool with someone who has not enough sense in her head to realize that access is a scam.

Unknown said...

Anonymous,

My sympathy on the damage caused by an Accessory.

Apparently these AC peeps have raised to an art form the practice of convincing the vulnerable they can be 'healed' or find happiness by being completely selfish and not caring how much damage they do to those around them. That and, of course, getting bled dry by the 'facilitator'. Hopefully making them famous will help prevent them from continuing to exploit the vulnerable to the extent they do. Their wrecked my marriage and former wife's life.

Cosmic Connie said...

Hey, everybody, my apologies for seeming to drop out of the conversation. I've been busy with other scalawags and scoundrels, but Access is still very much on my radar. It always makes me both sad and angry to hear about "Accessories" contributing to wrecking people's marriages and other intimate relationships, family relationships, and friendships. There are almost always more factors involved than just Access, but Access sure seems to be a common thread, and the "Accessories" as well as the alienated loved ones always seem to cite some Access teaching when explaining/rationalizing their behavior and bad decisions.

Thank you for your insights and for sharing your stories, Jim Adams and Anon Sunday, May 03, 2015. And for those of you who castigate me for putting out too much "negativity"... I think that somebody has to do that, in order to counter the false "positivity" and selfish, amoral mindsets fostered by systems such as Access.

John said...

I note in your article you are searching for scientific evidence that Bars is a scam.
Lucky you, I found two. Here are the links:
http://bit.do/Bars
http://bit.do/Bars1

Enjoy!

John Thoma
j5at@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Very compelling evidence, John!

I have been experimenting with Access over the last 2 weeks, and have noticed dramatic change in my ability to respond to life situations. I have had more fun, and an easier time having it, than I think I ever have in my life.

I have listened to their free podcasts non-stop for a few weeks (because the clearing processes they run are so effective.... and because I always gorge myself on whatever subject I'm interested in... LOL... is this parenthesized text getting a little long?), and have so enjoyed it! They have a wonderful sense of humor.

That being said, there are some things that I do find to be a bit negative. I think you said it well, Connie, when you mentioned that a lot of Access Consciousness' philosophy is 'amoral.' I personally have a high view of morality and love (specifically the type of love that is willing to sacrifice for the sake of others' well-being).

While Dain and Gary seem to be very sweet people, I think their relativism has led them to some risque and destructive lifestyle choices. In addition, I think this is reproducing itself in their clientele (which is pretty clear from the stories of women leaving their husbands abruptly, or men cheating on their wives, etc. ).

I am all for loving people THROUGH their bad decisions, but I find it reprehensible to say that all choices are created equal. Perhaps Dain and Gary could stand to ask some questions about the effects of their choices on those who struggle to make healthy relational decisions for themselves. However, Gary has been married and divorced multiple times, and Dain seems to have a real disDain for committed relationships.

All of that being said, I am going to continue to use Access Consciousness in a way that i find conscionable. I will use it to find greater freedom in choosing self-love, other-love, and the love of God, and to have freedom to make MY choices, instead of the choices being imposed on me by well-intentioned people who have taught me to approach life with fear and cynicism.

I cannot thank you enough Connie for facilitating this illuminating conversation. I knew I needed to slow down and hear the negatives of Access Consciousness, and I am very very grateful to you for allowing me to do that here.

You are loved, Connie.

Rod G.

Cosmic Connie said...

Well, first off, I am glad that this nearly four-year-old post is still generating discussion. Secondly, I personally am not staying up nights longing for evidence one way or the other that Access is or is not a scam. I think it is, as may be abundantly clear from my blog posts, and as for searching for evidence, that is not for my own benefit, but rather to help others. My own main points of contention have always centered around the cult-like aspects of Access (and yes, the amoral attitudes it seems to foster and encourage). If you, Rod G, are getting good results in your life, however you personally may define good, more power to you. I'd be a little concerned about that obsessive nonstop listening if I were you, but you say that's your normal M.O., so I'm sure you can handle it. I just can't seem to get over the whole Rasputin thing... as well as a whole lot of other things that are wrong with Access and its founders. But thanks, guys, for your participation.

Anonymous said...

Hi
Thanks for your website info and enabling those searching to discern truth and light to comment and share.

I have trained with Access Conscoiusness(AC) in BARS and in Levels 1&2.


AC in my experience essentially does not solve issues but sadly creates greater issues and this is probably why it exists and is needed out there.

In AC terms if you don't like the world as it is and it's giving you a hard time then play the world at its its own game knowing its rules and create for your own benefit and create newer and more bigger problems instead. The old saying goes 'if you can't beat them them join them'! In AC's terms why not learn how to self master the existing limitations and use questionable bigger forces to 'not join them' but 'to beat them' nevertheless for your own benefit. Yet, what's the ultimate value of replacing one thing with more of the same thing even if it is different and uses purported like'channelled' tools and techniques from XXXX? As of this world so are all worlds, the light and shady co-exist throughout most of time and space throughout all there is after all.

Bars shady side is like a delete programming code to eradicate negative memory. What happens to positive memory and balance settings as a result? The rest of AC training is a disparate list of tools and techniques. How do they add up to a greater and more joyful beingness? Do Gary or Dain know some or all of it themselves? In a world of staying in the question with no answers what's the value of learning? What is the value or benefit in learning? What is value or benefit? What matters about meaning? What matters about knowing? What matters about anything? AC searches for benefit and knowing, life related things and for what end? For what, for whose benefit, for what greater good?

I am not here to judge anyone or anything but to learn. The training in AC has been a real education for me and I am grateful I know what I know as a result of it. Everyone is here to choose and follow their own knowing. How lovely is it that the light always shine and one can always follow it. The light always is in you and is not to be found in anyone or anything else out there? You are your own guru and are the only one who knows how to access this within you. Seek to be your own limitless guru and not a limited follower. How does it get more lovelier than that?

Unknown said...

My daughter has been into AC and does weekly bars sessions. She posts the questions ....what would it take to ______________. She wants AC to change her life, for the universe to give her what she wants. She has talked about suicide if things don't change for her. She told me that a child i was working with who made suicidal statements may just be making that choice to leave. AC seems to make anything and everything okay, even suicide. I will continue to study AC and try to give my daughter other ways of looking at life and morality.

Scared Mom

Anonymous said...

My experience with access is it was like a gateway drug. I was recruited in by a handsome man who ran my bars for donation at a fair. I was in a troubled spot in my life and ended up putting three bars classes up to level 3 on my credit card spending around 10 grand or more. I was Hoping to make money as a bars facilitator. I made some money. But it never paid off like I thought. And honestly I had no business doing the work on the people. Then I moved to a city hoping to find Access community and did not find what I was looking for. At level 3 I naively asked Gary what I should for money, basically thinking he was mind reader or a fortune teller and he just told me to get a job. Ok. Great.

After Access I got recruited into a more destructive cult and fell further down the counter culture rabbit hole. Raw Food led to Access led to Modern Mystery School led to another high demand group and

After getting fet up with that cult I listened to some Access and that helped me get out the other cult I was in.

So now after around a decade and like..... I don't know.....30,000 spent I am like. Oh maybe I just have gone to college. And not spent my time in search of truth or answers or enlightenment or to be accepted by a group.

I was seduced for sure. I am not going to say I didn't get any value from it. But now I am happy to just see a therapist and have regular friends and not have the pressure of inviting people to weird groups.

I have always been an adventurous one. But I am done doing any even remotely cult like.

I didn't need a cult. I needed to accept myself! And now that I do. I don't need to find the answers or spend thousands of dollars for weird experiences.

And I did experience relief from the bars but a restorative yoga class or just simply relaxing my body for an hour is also a way to calm down.


I did bars on some people who felt nothing. And overall I walked away from this thing as a bad business investment.


I love the conversation here. I had to run my course with Access and after a while it just felt more important to do other things.

Every now and then I get seduced into thinking maybe I should go back. Facebook just led me to a Gary Douglas talk. But I need to be strong. Just say no.

And just live on this planet without a group.

Unknown said...

Anonymous .. feb 07, 16 comment ..

These peeps got to my wife in 07, early 08 she walks out saying "I need my space" not mentioning she'd made some rather large withdrawals from the our savings.

She would not communicate with me, dropped any sort of ethics, etc.

These peeps got to here for over $10K of community property money that I know about ----. She showed up as a 'licensed facilitator then. Since then she has parted ways with these guyz but they worked her over pretty good. She was always vulnerable to these kind of charlatans... AC apparently has developed it to an art form.

Middle aged women with access to money seem a favored target. They are predators.

Keeping them famous is probably the best way to keep their victimizing other people.

Anonymous said...

Hang in there. Having real friends that care about you no matter your beliefs, being allowed to love devotedly, and not losing all your money--these things are better than pea pods in boy shorts. it's exhilarating at first, like a drug. But like in addiction, you lose everything. which I know u know--sorry if I'm patronizing. just stay strong and trust yourself.

A person that hates the BARS said...

I'm glad I'm out, Dain is the nastiest piece of shit, I spent 2200 going to 3 day course which I walked out day two, he ran his mum down said she was a cunt cunt cunt over and over he said because she brought him funny looking Clothes, spoiled brat At least he got them brand-new I had all hand-me-downs, I knew my mum did the best that she could. He was wearing flower pattern closes I thought it look stupid and any time that dain couldn't think of something to say he would chuck silly tantrum on stage and turn around and put his finger on His bum continuously and start talking gay.I don't know why everyone was laughing it wasn't even funny what a nipple dick I'm paying for this !! listing to shit( he's gay but won't come out because he's the dangling carrots for all the single women) he really hates strong women and specially strong sexual woman, he ran people down and made them cry in class, bullied manipulated them then his excuse was You're probably wondering who side should You be on ? Then he would say everything that brought up please destroyed and uncreate it all.... good bad right wrong ... Blah blah blah blah....
He had one girl strong bubbly found a weak spot, got her Crying, yelling at her Told her "stop being so pathetic and weak your a bulldozer with a vagina" It when on, no one stood up for her everyone thinks he knows what is doing ...nope just ruining people's lives taken there money if they look like they can succeed without him he will pull them down making them feel like shit and they shutdown which then have to keep on having more treatments to get back to where they were before, they think they need him /the Bars.
I looked around, people talking have been following him 4 yrs. what ??? and still broke and they're still not happy needing treatment all the time!
People would ask him questions then he would say you need to buy this book or download these buy this buy that :( money money money
A alarm bell was going off my in head shit not good !! All waiting for a miraculous thing to happen so they could be rich like him. He told people later that the girl, she needed to be broken !....what the fuck!!! no one has that right, it was just disgusting. I found out later that he does this all the time to lady's done this the week before and it took a lady three days to stand up and say you are so nasty by are you bullying me why are you so horrible to me ?? he started crying walked off stage ! He can give it but you can't take it !!!!

Unknown said...

You summed it up so well. I took the bars class and watched so many of the girls get more heavily involved. I also watched how much money they were spending as "new" courses seem to spring out of nowhere. I read "talk to the animals" by Gary and all of the processes were in this book that cost $20....I am a Reiki Master and it would be shameful to my practice to think that we needed anything external to heal and grow as humans,yes, humans. Any time a client becomes to dependant on me, I stress to them that they have full power to help them self and will help them to see that.

Clazwing said...

Hi everyone. First of all I'd like to say thanks to everyone who's posted in this thread over all this time. & Connie thank you to you for keeping it live & current for people to find. It's been a really interesting read.
I ve been working in spirituality/ healing for quite a while now & have studied many different modalities over the years. Last year I was introduced to AC & a facilitator of access, who I started doing some personal sessions with. This connection then led to workshops & I eventually ended up working with this person more on a business & personal level as a team member. An official accessory... I was encouraged to complete the Bars practitioner training & AC Foundations to get a real understanding of the work. I ended up working an exchange deal my time for the courses (which would have cost over $3,000 if I'd paid cash). This was several months ago. and it was literally only a week ago I got the awareness of the level of manipulation that is at play in this in AC. I dedicated months of my time & care only for it all to be thrown back in my face when I said that I wasn't prepared to keep working for free. And some bullshit story that called my integrity into question, which was what AC would call an 'elf'. Well it turns out it was a big motherfucking elf because I was kicked out of a house I d been living in for months - literally overnight. Cut quicker & colder than I have experienced before. In my life. Ever. Not even a phone call or able to see me in person. No chance to share my truth. Didn't matter how much time & energy I had contributed - it didn't suit the facilitator to have someone around who was really questioning (them) ... At all. I feel like I have been in a black fog and gave away so much of my power. My friends could see it but didn't realise how deep I was getting in & didn't know what to do about it. It all shifted when I did a meditation on myself where I finally realised my own value & that I had simply been a puppet or a pawn in a chess game used to get what they wanted. Shifted my self worth & awareness of my own value energetically & then this whole shift happens.no coincidence. And as AC would say 'what's right about this'? Well as of today, it's Been the biggest blessing of my life actually getting out of it - before I was manipulated more & spent thousands of dollars on. I have my life back. My friends back. Freedom to choose what I want to do. Don't get me wrong, I did get a lot out of the experience & I do actually like some of the questions to help the subconscious mind create. & boy, did I learn a LOT. I have changed significantly & I do feel in part AC was responsible for some of the changes I've had.
But I will never go to an access class again. In fact I ve already burned some of the materials & cleared any of my clients I used the clearing statement on. It is totally disempowering when you have to keep going to other people to clear all your stuff. I did have some big breakthroughs but the biggest ones where when I ditched AC & went internal. I can feel the pull & the power in AC but it is not coming from an empowerment space. God only knows who or what the real power source is they are using but it does not feel from the 'light'.
Empowerment is an inside job - not this. Stay away at all costs & avoid getting caught up in the rabbit hole that is AC. You will get smashed energetically, financially, emotionally. It's just a question of when.

Cosmic Connie said...

Thank you to all of you who have been posting comments here, and my apologies for not replying to each one individually. I am always open to hearing about everyone's experiences with Access, be they positive or negative. Overwhelmingly, the comments I receive, both on this blog and via private communications, are negative.

Clazwing said...

Thanks again Connie. I was guided to burn all of the materials this morning & cannot believe the changes that have happened in my life this one week I am officially out of AC. Lots of Client bookings, settling in at my own home , I actually feel like a different person. An offer to fly all expenses paid & receive a full time wage in Europe to record all of my own healing meditations & coaching modules. (Totally unrelated to AC )
I ve since realised how much the statement used does blow up your neural networks & as a result have to retrain my mind completely. It's like thought hooks that are so embedded (implants is the term they use) - but coming from them, not anyone else.
Luckily I was connected enough to myself I wasn't in there that long. & I had friends strong enough to help me get all of my stuff out, quickly & swiftly.
I can only imagine the damage to the mind after years of being in there. It's no wonder people feel pulled back - it IS brainwashing. Have since been inspired to create a bunch of teaching modules for anyone trying to recover from a Similiar situation, & will be releasing messages to educate others in the hope they don't get caught up in it.
I have also pulled all & any references to AC quals on my site as I have zero desire to be connected with in any way, shape or form.
So grateful to have my life back. i was never meant to go further than I did with AC.
Unfortunately I think people only find this info once they realise they've been had. But better late than never. Thanks again everyone for sharing your stories.
I am officially inspired to create work to truly liberate & empower the human spirit!

Anonymous said...

Hello Connie,
I am from India and came across your blog as one of my closest female friends is lately joined this AC garbage here. As typical as it is mentioned in all these posts here, she's talking the same mumbo jumbo as typical Accessories do as you've mentioned. Now this friend of my has had her share of personal traumas in relationships and is also sexually vulnerable since she's someone who enjoys it and misses it since she had broken up with her man. Perfect prey for the AC franchise. As soon as she told me about AC, I ran up a search on Google and read all the blogs which blow the lid on this Gary character and his cronies. We have our share of tantric mystics by the truckloads here in India who exploit people sexually and financially promising to solve all sorts of problems they face in life. Of course, AC has taken bullshit to epic proportions and I find it shocking that perfectly intelligent folks fall for their scam. Certainly, they must be using some hypnotic techniques in the beginning to give people an out of body experience which makes them think these buggers are angels from heaven unlocking the mysteries of the Universe albeit for a price. Coming back to my friend, she recently told me she has got the elusive promotion at work she was dying for more than 3 years. When I congratulated for what she truly deserved, she said, I just asked for it. Precisely what AC does to a typical mind. I have pointed out everything that is written in blogs like yours and others on the net but she simply says she doesn't care as long as it works for her. I am rather worried how to pull her out of this and sincerely hope that like the many who have come out of the spell of AC without severe damage, my friend too realises her folly and dumps this trash. I am also checking out legal options because here we have specific laws that deal with black magic and un-natural practices and if not shut them down, I can certainly try to put some fire under this Gary & Inc's bottoms.

Rüya said...

I become one of the access bars practitioners in november in 2016. Worst mistake of my life. I am 24 years old. Ever since i joined them some problems i am dealing with. I can't even think anything when i do think my brain is burning! I dont know what the hell did they do to me. I feel so scared and lost all my hope! I tried to commit suicide my mom stopped me. But i cant live with myself either. Please if you can do anything , do it. I dont want anyone to go through what i do. I feel completely empty like i know nothing! Walking talking like a soul not a human

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Looking at Glitter Goddess bio I see she received training with Access Consciousness LLC and so I did some research. Glitter Goddess is a Pro Domme Dominatrix popular on various Sites and she is big into sexual hypnosis and eliminating all thought except about her.

Unknown said...

Its another escape from life. "Snap out of it!

Anonymous said...

Why is there no (critical) article on Wikipedia about the organisation?
Anybody should do it!

Anonymous said...

http://dontgotothedarkside.wordpress.com/2011/08/18/hello-world/
http://www.womenofgrace.com/blog/?p=29444
http://www.accessschism.com/
http://newsalloy.com/redirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcosmicconnie.blogspot.com%2F2013%2F08%2Fhouston-we-have-problem-access.html
http://reptiliansleepercell.blogspot.com/2011/08/access-consciousness-cult-scam.html
http://www.houstonpress.com/2012-11-08/news/gary-douglass-access-consicousness/full/
http://newsalloy.com/redirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcosmicconnie.blogspot.com%2F2013%2F08%2Fhouston-we-have-problem-access.html
https://freedomofmind.com/Info/infoDet.php?id=743
http://tonyortega.org/2012/11/10/scientology-knockoff-access-consciousnes/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x19yJ71FhlI
http://uk.complex.com/sports/2016/07/ricky-williams-access-consciousness
http://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/sports/2012-07-23/the-state-of-the-ricky-williams-foundation/
http://culteducation.com/group/800-access-consciousness.html
https://whyweprotest.net/threads/information-about-access-a-scientology-offshoot.41121/
https://forum.culteducation.com/read.php?4,111769
http://www.yourvibration.com/19423/gary-douglas-access-consciousness-cult/
http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthread.php?31933-Help-and-advice-regarding-family-member-joining-Access-Consciousness
http://spiritualseeker77.blogspot.de/2012/04/access-bars-not-so-great-experience.html
https://whyweprotest.net/threads/information-about-access-a-scientology-offshoot.41121/page-5
https://accessschism.proboards.com/
https://www.culteducation.com/group/800-access-consciousness/29846-scientology-knock-off-whistleblower-exposes-cult-that-thinks-children-are-sexy.html
https://spiritualseeker77.blogspot.jp/2012/04/access-bars-not-so-great-experience.html
https://www.yourvibration.com/19423/gary-douglas-access-consciousness-cult/

Anonymous said...

hi everyone

So I have been doing Access classes for about two years, listening to their talk shows, I even started working with an Access consciousness facilitator for about 6 months. Although a month ago I started getting a hunch, anyways I followed it. Access has a way that makes you feel like you lack so you keep buying their stuff. It was like unless you do their next class then your worthless. I was not until I recently got out of it and deleted all the people I follow on Access that I felt so joyful. I felt connected to everyone again and gratitude. Like I was not lacking anything. I just thought I would share my story. Its not to discourage anyone just my story.

Unknown said...

People need to be aware of these cults...Integrated Energy Therapy and Access Bars...it's evil .Families are being destroyed by gurus.Jennifer Jane Clark in Ottawa Ontario Canada is one evil cult leader..now pushing Access Bars to her many tribe/ hive followers.Run the other way !!!!

OccamShave said...

Reply to "anonymous" - - - oh, wait, you commented so many times! Or there are just SO many of you! Heh.
Okay, you prolific, prolific writer. Or one of the masses of Anonymouses. It is Greek root word, so Anonymi would be incorrect, but then it was also Latin, so, anyway, you massed hordes yearning to be free:
The Anonymous from February 29, 2012. The one who said, "I like how I feel after a BARS session because it stops my negative thought patterns and makes me feel better."

If it is a legitimate treatment, it will heal you, right?
You won't need to keep going back for more, right?
Like a drug that has cultivated a dependence and addiction in you?

I considered trying it. That is what put me off. Well, after the ever-steepening prices, and the "prerequisites". Becoming more aware may happen in gradual stages, but it doesn't have "prerequisites". Let alone increasingly expensive one.

So the male model's harem and bevy of broads say, in videos online, that they need to keep coming back.

That is antithetical to developing as a being becoming fully human.

Occam Shave said...

I am just now looking up the second-tier biggies that people who left A.C. mention.
Har.

Rikka Zimmerman says near the top of her home page, I shit you not, "Bust Through the Limitation of Physical Reality".

Must be a Barely There, Wonderbra Ultimate Plunge, or Spanx Up For Anything Strapless, Brassy Bra tape or Undercover Glamour silicone pasties.

"Bust" through - get it?
Ya like 'em?

It exhorts you to Bust Through right there next to the cheesecake pics.

Cosmic Connie said...

Hi, Occam Shave, and thank you for your comments and observations. I feel the same way you do about the value of the BARS sessions, which is why I have no interest in trying them myself. As for Rikka, as you've probably discerned, she too left Access years ago to begin delivering her own shtick. Back in the day she was definitely being used (i.e., allowing herself to be used) as an attractant to this sex-and-money cult-like org, and she continues to use exploit her physical attractiveness. Use it if you got it, I guess.

Jonathan said...

I'm happy this blog page exists. There is so much stuff on the internet that tells us that yes this AC thing is a huge scam like so many other things. I guess some people are either too gullible that they fall prey to things like this or they think its ok to earn a living via scamming others by becoming a practitioner and peddling this BS to gullible people. This is an MLM scheme (multi-level marketing). Every single one of their leaders and practitioners is basically a scammer at the end of the day. They have their own websites and are selling these expensive courses and telling everyone they have the solution to every problem. Humans are just not very intelligent.

Anonymous said...

a few of the links go to sites and pages that no longer exist - found this one https://accessschismblog.wordpress.com/

Unknown said...

Hi Blue, i've recently lost my partner to Access. Can i dm privately please?

Anonymous said...

Is there a way to heal from this?

Anonymous said...

I currently am experiencing the 10 second intervals among other things

Anonymous said...

Is there a way to heal from it or have the bars stop working after having a session?

Anonymous said...

How can I get out? Can you offer your help?

Anonymous said...

Hi! would you be willing to share your modules or where to find them?

Sugato said...

😮 I couldn’t believe it! This blog totally reveals everything I experienced with my new life-partner/marriage who is a Facilitator. I hope this blogs stays running for the benefit of others who find themselves in on of the most frustrating , confusing situations I have ever experienced.

✅ She would always try to encourage multi-partner sex relations, even though I was very clear on being monogamous from day 1. And generally more sexual than anyone I ever met.
✅ Lies, manipulations, contradictions
✅ You basically need to learn Access language in order to communicate with these people, I can definitely relate when someone says it’s like talking to a robot.
✅ Something like the Bars costs almost nothing to offer and yet they charge these crazy high prices.
✅ Gary Douglas really gives me the ‘creep’ feeling. Like he is the devil in sheep clothing or something.


I really for so sorry for people who get stuck in this. For all the destroyed families and broken hearts. The empty bank accounts. The many disasters that go silent and unheard. The fact that vulnerable people can be sucked into something so damaging is truly a great concern I have with Access.

Love this blog!

Cosmic Connie said...

Thank you so much for your comment and kind words about this blog, Sugato, and thank you for sharing your experiences. As you're probably discovering, many others have had similar experiences. Access has spent years and years protesting that they're not a cult. But if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

And I agree, Gary Douglas gives creepy vibes, and the older he gets the creepier he gets. He seems to be in some sort of aging time warp, though. In a November 2012 article in the Houston weekly "Houston Press" -- https://www.houstonpress.com/news/whats-behind-gary-douglass-scientology-knockoff-6596177 -- his age was listed as 70, which would mean his birth year was 1942 and would make him 81 in 2023.

But when you Google him, the big sidebar that appears lists him as being 73 and born in 1950 (a more detailed page says his birth date is January 1, 1950). Searching a little further, I found a 2016 Facebook post that said his birthday is May 22 (though a birth year was not specified).
https://www.facebook.com/accessconsciousness/posts/did-you-know-gary-douglas-and-dr-dain-heer-share-a-birthday-on-may-22nd-but-they/10153790583223772/
And I seem to recall various conversations I have had in the past with people who knew Gary, who said his birth year was 1946.

Maybe that Access magick allows him to change his age and birth date at will.