# Anyone participated in a Breaking Through workshop? (Company name: Summit) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 15, 2017, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992 "2017-10-15T21:26:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2017, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992/1 "2017-10-15T21:26:03Z")
A friend of mine has learned her company is paying for her to participate in this $1200, ten day workshop called “Breaking Through.” She can’t get any clear info on exactly what it _is_. People say “you just have to experience it” and stuff like this. Anyone know anything about it? Had any experience with it? It’s ten meetings from six thirty pm to midnight. A co-worker of hers decided to get a divorce after attending this workshop. She’s getting a little weirded out! ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992/2 "2017-10-16T15:02:50Z")
Since the OP is asking for personal experiences, let’s move this to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992/3 "2017-10-16T18:24:40Z")
Never heard of it, but [here’s](http://www.summiteducation.com/curriculum/breaking-through) their web page. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992/4 "2017-10-16T19:52:26Z")
Never heard of them before, but it raises alarm bells for me. I don’t see much online about them, but from poking around from the web page they do offer a Sexuality Workshop that requires taking the “Breaking Through” training so it REALLY doesn’t seem like the usual corporate team building stuff. [Are you ready for the Wildest Weekend Ever? Well its almost here!!!](http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs051/1102701454296/archive/1104473623261.html) ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992/5 "2017-10-16T19:59:56Z")
The number of misspellings and grammar mistakes on their website strike me as pretty low rent. **Frylock** , is she required to take this workshop? Please tell me they’re paying her at least, since it’s well outside normal working hours. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992/6 "2017-10-16T20:05:51Z")
I was just reading about [this sort of thing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large-group_awareness_training). It’s nothing I would ever consider investing my time and energy in. Remember “est”? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992/7 "2017-10-16T20:17:53Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > The number of misspellings and grammar mistakes on their website strike me as pretty low rent. “Self-fulfilling, because whatever we dewl on expands.” Whoa, I thought dewling was illegal! And they’re even planning to expand it? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992/8 "2017-10-16T20:18:25Z")
I wouldn’t care if they where paying me. 6:30-midnight? For what looks like quackery? Presumably after work? No freaking way. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992/9 "2017-10-16T20:32:11Z")
> [@](#): > > “teaching simple, but often overlooked wisdom, which takes place over the period of a few days, in which individuals receive intense, emotionally-focused instruction”. I’d rather drink paint. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992/10 "2017-10-16T21:35:32Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > I’d rather drink paint. Ditto. Wasting money on crap like this makes me protest every single mention of budgetary constraints. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992/11 "2017-10-16T23:02:48Z")
I would not invest in the company your friend works for ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992/12 "2017-10-16T23:09:05Z")
From a Google search, it sounds very cult-like. One page calls it generically a “large group awareness training” organization. Landmark, est and Lifespring are others of this type. So I would stay far away from it. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992/13 "2017-10-16T23:53:32Z")
The unemployment rate in the USA is 4.2%. There’s no way I’d go, my resignation would be effective immediately if my company even suggested this sort of nonsense Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992/14 "2017-10-17T03:46:32Z")
Took a peek around their website. The “Leadership Program” apparently focuses on getting other people to enroll in the basic workshop. Here’s a PDF of the program: [http://www.summiteducation.com/sites/default/files/LP\_packet.pdf](http://www.summiteducation.com/sites/default/files/LP_packet.pdf) Oy. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992/15 "2017-10-17T04:17:29Z")
a philosophical Ponzi scheme ? yeah … no ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992/16 "2017-10-18T05:31:43Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > Never heard of it, but [here’s](http://www.summiteducation.com/curriculum/breaking-through) their web page. One does wonder why apparently the only three comments (naturally, glowing recommendations) on that page (from ostensibly different people) were made on the same day (in 2011), within four minutes of one another. Sure quite a coincidence! ---
**Author:** ![TwoCarrotSnowman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twocarrotsnowman/32/15879_2.png) [@TwoCarrotSnowman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoCarrotSnowman)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992/17 "2017-10-18T06:09:29Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > a philosophical Ponzi scheme ? yeah … no Maybe? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992/18 "2017-10-19T04:45:39Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Took a peek around their website. The “Leadership Program” apparently focuses on getting other people to enroll in the basic workshop. Who wants to bet that someone high up in her company is in that ‘Leadership Program’, and that sending employees to take it gives him points? ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992/19 "2017-10-19T04:54:37Z")
at least its not this bunch…[MSN](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/inside-a-secretive-group-where-women-are-branded/ar-AAtER6j?li=BBnbfcL) ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-participated-in-a-breaking-through-workshop-company-name-summit/798992/20 "2017-10-19T06:25:23Z")
These things have been around for decades, and they are eternally re-emerging with different names, but they all come down to money-making schemes. They peddle what is fundamentally the same “power of positive thinking” psychology that has been available in $10 paperback books for ages, but they package their “seminars” as though they were mystic experiences wherein previously unknown secrets are unveiled. They make them into these lengthy gatherings so that they take on a kind of hazing quality, that bounds the participates through a group-think experience that becomes self-fulfilling. 90% of the “product” is the packaging itself–the production of language about the “experience,” and propagating that language in carefully designed ways. They span a wide range of configurations, from Scientology to Herbal Life, but fundamentally they are all pretty much the same–and they are as American as apple pie.