JV, what you describe is so completely at odds with my own experience that it's hard to believe we're talking about the same thing!
As I said, I acknowledge that there is some cultishness about Landmark. Is it a cult? I don’t know, could be (depending on what definition of a cult you use, or what characteristics you want to cite, you could probably make an argument either way) but I don’t think that’s the relevant question – A better question might be, is it effective? Does it do what it claims to do? It seems so - independent studies have shown that 96% of participants claim to have got great value from the Forum and 94% of people found that the Forum made a profound and lasting difference in their life.
The Landmark Forum is not the EST programme and it is a world away from what you may have experienced 20 years ago. As a company, Landmark has a commitment to continual improvement and has evolved significantly, even in the last two years. Landmark’s programmes are not religious or psychological in nature, they make no reference to God, nor do they have any connection or affiliation to the Church of Scientology. Many independent experts have provided comment on these and other false accusations - see: http://www.landmarkeducation.com/About_Us/Company_Overview/Company_History/Expert_Opinions.aspx
Telling people about Landmark is not a requirement to be able to participate in subsequent courses. No-one has to tell anyone about it fullstop. Landmark is open about being a for-profit corporation and yes, they invite participants to share their results, but it is always their choice. Many companies find ways to encourage word of mouth marketing and I don’t see anything wrong with that - it’s simply an invitation, if you got value yourself, to tell people in your life so that they have an opportunity to get value for themselves. If you thought it was valuable, why wouldn’t you tell people? How will they know about it otherwise? However, as with anything else in life, everyone is free to decline an invitation, and if a person is not able to say 'no' in any given situation then I'd suggest that’s something they may want to take a look at.
The open events are an opportunity for people to find out more about the course and whether or not it's for them - very few events involve being taken off into another room, there are no discounts offered for the Landmark Forum and no-one is ‘shamed’ into participating. Graduates share their own results as examples so that people who are checking it out can get an idea of what might be possible for them. The Landmark Forum is something you do for yourself, if it appeals to you - there is no suggestion that anyone should do the course to support someone else.
One of Landmark’s core values is authenticity. Authenticity is not about confessing real or imagined weaknesses, it's about being honest about when we lie to ourselves and others, which pretty much everyone does all the time! It’s about coming clean about our the things we do so that we’re not hiding anything (it’s the hiding of parts of ourselves that creates shame and Landmark is not the only proponent of revealing our ‘dark side’, in other circles it may be referred to as owning or integrating the shadow) - in that context, acknowledging and being open about our human weaknesses and the things we try to hide about ourselves can be a good thing, even liberating (though not necessarily fun!).
It is no secret that Werner Erhard is not his real name, or that his brother is the CEO of Landmark Education, or that he still consults for Landmark Education from time to time (it's worth noting he has no management position, ownership, or financial interests in the company). I see no problem with any of this. Werner has been very open about his life and the mistakes he’s made (he’s human like the rest of us) - regardless of anyone’s opinion about him as a personality, he has made a significant contribution to society and has at least remained true to himself and his purpose in life, whether you think that purpose is right or wrong. For more info see: http://www.wernererhard.com/ and www.transformationfilm.com
I’m not sure what you mean by a controller/sponsor, as there is no such position or structure. Since I wasn’t there I don’t know what was said to your step-son, but if anyone did in fact presume to tell him that his mother was unsupportive of him and wasn’t joining because she didn't love him enough, or to suggest that you were an evil step-father with ulterior motives, then I would advise him to make an official complaint.
The deep wounding and damage of being in a destructive religious cult is incomparable to any perceived negative effects of engaging in the Landmark conversation, which in my experience is a rich enquiry into what it is to be a human being. You're only ever invited to ‘try on’ what you hear and see if it fits for you, if you don’t like what they say you’re free to disregard it.
I understand that the experience of being in a high control cult is devastating and that you wouldn’t want anyone to go though that. You are right to be sceptical and you have every right to your opinion, especially if your family had a bad experience which has not been taken up with the company directly so that the issue could be addressed (and perhaps resolved).
I have no vested interest in defending or advocating Landmark, and I wouldn't say it’s appropriate for everyone, I only take the time to write this in an attempt to present an accurate and balanced view. As Dark Knight’s comment attests, for some people (myself included) it can undo years of JW indoctrination, in which case it would be unfair to bias people against at least finding out about it for themselves.