Self-actualization LARPing in San Jose this weekend

Regular Boing Boing readers may know that I am fascinated by self-actualization cults, and phenomena such as EST, Landmark, Scientology, heck, Tarvuism—and the like. BB regulars may also recall a Boing Boing Video episode of an art-LARP performance at Machine Project by Brody Condon, in which people dressed up as medieval knights and died in slow motion.

So, interesting news today: "Brody is doing a live action role playing game based on self-actualizing seminars," says Mark Allen of Machine Project. "They just did a round in LA and are going to do another one soon in Santa Jose."

The project is called LEVEL FIVE. Video from of the Los Angeles event, which took place at the Hammer Museum, is above. The website has many more videos, and interesting background on the project.

Snip:

LevelFive is a participatory performance focused on critically exploring self actualization seminars from the 1970′s. The LevelFive performance will loosely follow the structure of early Large Group Awareness Training sessions like Erhard Seminars Training. LevelFive is not a actual self-actualization seminar, nor is it affiliated with any actual Large Group Awareness Training company or group. It is a experimental live role-playing event based on self-actualization seminars which originated in the Bay Area in the early 1970's.

The next edition of LevelFive takes place at the San Jose Convention Center on Thursday, Sept 16th from 6-10pm. Admission is $40. If any Boing Boing readers go, I hope you'll tell me about it!

• [SkullHyphy]

  It kind of reminds me of Church of the Subgenius. Even though I’ve never attended any of their events, my take is that people know it’s not supposed to be “real” or “taken seriously” which actually allows them to more freely and willingly take part in ceremonies because they’re playing the role of a true believer. Even if the rituals are pre-agreed upon as being fake, the transcendental experience occurs through loss of self and the awareness of one’s own ability to choose the roles one plays in life.

• [Anonymous]

  I’m the chick in the sunglasses. Do you want to know the score? Heh heh heh. . .RRrrrrr.

• [Anonymous]

  OMFG! you guys really make my day, writing down these spontaneous responses. guess the topic hit some nerves somehow. I wish I could’ve been a player, no matter the trainwrecked aftermath. it’s fascinating as hell!

• [Pantograph]

  My fascination with self-actualization cults is only matched by my unwillingness to spend any money on them. Shame that time and space conspire to keep me from attending this performance.

• [Anonymous]

  Here is a description from one of the original participants:

  http://blog.wrigstad.com/

• [Iunnrais]

  Dequeued, you have hurt my feelings with your accusations of me being a bigot.

  Luckily, I feel no remorse in bigotry versus an organization that has committed treasonous espionage against my nation, been proven in court to have framed journalists to put them in prison, directly caused the deaths of numerous individuals, and to this day tortures its own members that don’t measure up.

  Wait, that’s not bigotry, that’s human rights activism! I feel *much* better now.

• [Donald Petersen]

  Having checked out the video and the website, I conclude that this event ain’t for me. Looks about as fun as acting in a marathon repertory production of Neil Labute’s oeuvre for a whole weekend.

  No doubt fascinating, illuminating, intense stuff, but not what I’d call fun.

• [Xenu]

  Sounds like a remix of the Jejune Institute game.

• [shadowfirebird]

  Maybe I’m missing the point here … but I don’t know what the point of this is. :)

  Is it supposed to be art? ‘Cos it sounds like the most boring role-playing experience ever. Actually, even art should be vaguely entertaining.

  The only way I see it making sense is if it’s a way to get self-actualisation training by the back door (sic) – like, for instance, if the term “self-actualisation” was copyrighted.

• [Steve Sharp]

  Why can’t we get this on the east coast? If I was at least a level four, I’d push for it.
  And I agree about the sunglasses…

• [Anonymous]

  I think they may be on to something here. Howabout a LARP marathon… not an actual marathon you understand, just a bunch of people pretending to be marathon runners, with their own fictional indivdual backgrounds actually running 26 miles in one day. Or… or… or yeah LARP drug dealing! Not actual drug dealing, but you know hanging around schoolyards with bags of sugar, renting highspeed boats to penetrate coastal defences. hooo hooo yeah! Or maybe LARP war, where a bunch of hipsters put on the ray bans and … oh crap wait that’s called paintball.

• [Ambiguity]

  Regular Boing Boing readers may know that I am fascinated by self-actualization cults, and phenomena such as EST, Landmark, Scientology…

  est? I actually took the est training back in the 80′s. I leaned some very important things! Mostly about money and “just saying no….”

• [abstract_reg]

  You know, if you consider the possibility of Scientology actually starting as LARP it explains almost everything. Perhaps all cults are just LARP games gone wrong.

  • [Burton]

    It kind of reminds me of Church of the Subgenius. Even though I’ve never attended any of their events, my take is that people know it’s not supposed to be “real” or “taken seriously” which actually allows them to more freely and willingly take part in ceremonies because they’re playing the role of a true believer. Even if the rituals are pre-agreed upon as being fake, the transcendental experience occurs through loss of self and the awareness of one’s own ability to choose the roles one plays in life. interpretazione sogni

• [Anonymous]

  Does this cost money? Can I get self-actualized for free?

  They might say it isn’t the real deal, but if they go through all the motions, isn’t it just as good? I NEED HELP, PEOPLE.

• [Anonymous]

  I do think it’s rather unfair to lump Scientology in with EST and Landmark – never head of Tarvuism. But Scientology has actually killed people, bullied others, ripped off millions, conducted espionage against the US government, etc. Whereas the worst thing about Landmark is how admittedly incredibly irritating their sales pushes are.

• [knoxblox]

  I don’t know, if I had the cash and they had a Leo Buscaglia LARP seminar, I might join that. I could use a hug right now.

• [Enormo]

  That guy in the blue shirt is totally going to score with the chick in the sun glasses. I can tell by her body language.

  • [Rich Keller]

    Probably, but it’s going to happen by playing rock, paper, scissors.

  • [Xeni Jardin]

    His capabilities are unlimited, even if not fully realized.

• [alicebt]

  I agree that it is unfair to lump these things together. Est and Landmark are not same and neither were/are not a religion. Est was certainly a phenomenon in the 70’s but it was no cult. It was personal development training and as the Level 5 website says, it preceded many of the successful programs around today. I appreciate how the Level 5 LARP seems to let people observe the phenomenon without prejudicial commentary. In a way that is all the Est training was; giving people a chance to observe for the first time how they behaved and related to others in life, separate from all of the meaning that they and society added to it.

• [Donald Petersen]

  Aw, she called the church a phenomenon. That ain’t as bigoted as it may sound.

• [Quiche de Resistance]

  Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology.