Author Topic: Chuck Spezzano & Psychology Of Vision  (Read 512008 times)

Offline Sandy S

  • Posts: 271
Re: Chuck Spezzano & Psychology Of Vision
« Reply #255 on: June 29, 2014, 11:47:29 pm »
The academic credentials of Charles Lee Spezzano has been a topic of conversation in this forum in the past. In examining a copy of his PhD dissertation, even more questions can be raised and further falsehoods in Lenora Kay Spezzano's "Truth" rant are revealed.

The "Dr." prefix used so often by Charles Lee Spezzano is an academic, not medical, title. He earned a PhD. in "Professional Psychology" from United States International University in San Diego in 1977.

At the time he was awarded this degree, the school was not accredited by the APA, hence this degree alone would be useless by most hiring authorities. In his LinkedIn page, his own SALPOV webpage, and in Lenora's recent "Truth" screed, we are told Charles Lee Spezzano's degree is in "Counseling Psychology."

But as we can see by the attachment this is not true.

So we have found yet another Spezzano lie to add to the long list of SALPOV misrepresentations.

This is not a trivial detail. It is important. In the academic world this is called Faking Your Academic Credentials and would result in being let go. Kicked out. Fired. For Lying.

Is there a difference between a degree in "Professional Psychology" and his claimed "Counseling Psychology"? Apparently there is. It looks like it varies from school to school, but it would appear the former is more generic, academic and quirky in nature, while the latter has more medical gravity. Plus, the former is somewhat more unusual. At USIU I am guessing this was sort of a made-up interdisciplinary degree and presented as an innovation at the time. Not a bad idea, actually. So why are the Spezzanos running away from it? I thought they liked the "cutting edge"? I am truly mystified.

The thesis is entitled The Words That Love Made--A Poetic Phenomenology of the Poet's Experience in Being a Poet. As far as I can see this effort did not involve any field work or medical research. Rather, it reads like a term paper required for a Masters Degree in Literature program, generously padded for thickness with lots of poetry by famous poets, and some poetic prose by Charles himself. Indeed, the library holding the copy I am reading has used the US Library of Congress classification PN1031, which is for poetry, not psychology.

Most dissertations make for dry reading, and this one is no exception. I won't even try to critique the content, but it seems clear Spezzano feels an allegiance to Jung. I am not a Jungian, but that is beside the point. Our problem with SALPOV is, as Grifter's Hotel always said, about behaviour, not belief.

There are some parts of this thesis that might be of interest to SALPOV watchers everywhere. Here's a passage from leaf 38--

Quote
The investigator's interest in the poetic path as a healing path came as a result of his work as a counselor. For the last three and one-half years, he has worked as a psychologist for the Federal Government at the Naval Drug Rehabilitation Center at NAS Miramar, San Diego, California.

Let me get this straight. He doesn't have his PhD yet but he is already a "psychologist"? This Navy=psychologist claim is repeated even today on YouTube, his own current SALPOV webpage (see attached), and in Lenora's "Truth" screed (in the same document she claims "I have never heard him refer to himself as a psychologist." Oh how nice it must be to live in such denial). I'm confused. Even after he was awarded his doctorate, he still couldn't legally (in the United States) call himself a "psychologist," so what gives? I sense a semantic shell game taking place here.

It seems that many people who hold a PhD in "Professional Psychology" had to get a second degree or go through significant continuing education before settling into private practice as a true professional. Spezzano's only post-PhD education was attending classes at Oneness University in 2007, quoted as one of his two "greatest inspirations" but became an educational activity which was purged from his LinkedIn resume and other websites early this year for some reason.

He's not a clinical psychologist. He's not a counseling psychologist. He's not any kind of psychologist. He is, as he and Lenora will both tell you, a "coach." So wouldn't it be more accurate to call their for-profit enterprise "Coaching of Vision"? 

So what has Charles done with this fabulous education other than make fools of vulnerable wealthy people? Well, we have these fine writings from his collaboration with Janie Ticehurst in the Healing Metaphors--

Quote
Diarrhea

Diarrhea is the frequent passage of abnormally watery bowel movements.

This symptom comes from the feeling that we "don’t have our shit together" about some issue or area in our life. There are feelings of loss of control and courage or feeling unprepared and disorganized.

Diarrhea reflects a fear of the next step because we have not yet handled this particular area of our life. We are "running" for it.

Classy, isn't it? Diarrhea is a major killer in the world of poverty. But that passage is not nearly as offensive as the next one. Asian readers please take special note--

Quote
Down's Syndrome

Down’s syndrome is a congenital abnormality (one that is present at birth). It is the result of having an extra chromosome in our genetic make-up, usually number 21 or 22.

Down’s causes moderate to severe mental retardation, oriental appearance of eyes, flat nose or absent bridge of nose, a single palmer [sic] crease on a short broad hand and a dwarfed body.

If we have Down’s syndrome, it means that we have come to learn some lessons at a soul level. We are here to seek soul fulfillment and the completion of a cycle, yet we are stuck in the transition between the old level and the new.

The two main soul lessons of Down’s syndrome are correcting over-willfulness and giving up the ego’s plan in exchange for heaven’s plan.

If Spezzano's fellow American Madison Grant was alive today I am sure he would've heartily endorsed SALPOV's view of human frailties, foibles,  race, and birth defects. Like I said, I am not a Jungian, but I wonder what Carl would've made out of the Spezzano/Ticehurst definition of Down's Syndrome?

Remember what SALPOV cult follower Jeremy Marchant wrote before it was mysteriously vanished from Internet--

Quote
"A primary source of emotional intelligence at work‘s EI material is based on Psychology of Vision, as developed by Chuck Spezzano.  This takes a largely mainstream post-Freudian approach [see, for example, Eric Berne, A layman’s guide to psychiatry and psychoanalysis] and elaborates it with extensive borrowings from other sources of which Carl Jung, NLP and transactional analysis are the most obvious. Chuck’s genius is to keep the complexity but hide it from the client (unless the client is interested in it) so as to provide a powerful transformational approach."

That isn't all Charles would hide from the client.

Somewhere, on another plane of existence, Carl Jung is probably puking his guts out.
« Last Edit: June 30, 2014, 02:14:30 am by Sandy S »

Offline Sturmboe

  • Posts: 117
Re: Chuck Spezzano & Psychology Of Vision
« Reply #256 on: June 30, 2014, 05:45:45 pm »

Quote
Diarrhea

Diarrhea is the frequent passage of abnormally watery bowel movements.

This symptom comes from the feeling that we "don’t have our shit together" about some issue or area in our life. There are feelings of loss of control and courage or feeling unprepared and disorganized.

Diarrhea reflects a fear of the next step because we have not yet handled this particular area of our life. We are "running" for it.


Many deseases got in the psychosomatic its relationship between somatic, physis and psychic reactions. In these keys there are little wellknown details but they are not coherent to the psychological issue that it is understandable - but some can reflect themselves.
People with eating disorders, Bulimia nervosa or Anorexia nervos, who are abusing laxative have got an psychic issue: A lot of these people got not a good relationship to their own body, not to them as a person. Eating disorders are a way for a self - destructions like suicide step by step.


Quote
Diarrhea
There are feelings of loss of control and courage or feeling unprepared and disorganized.
Diarrhea reflects a fear of the next step because we have not yet handled this particular area of our life. We are "running" for it.

In these both sentences people with eating disorders basing of a psychological issue can reflect themselves. POV claimes on, they had to take a deep look why they hide from their problem. But how this reflecting will go its way by POV I fear this could end in a catastrophy.

Chuck Spezzona tells he is just a coach, and this means (maybe?) that he got no intention to help in a pschological way. Coaching is much easier, with a distance to individual substantiated treatment, people can use his advises and what then happened is another matter, but not more in the responsibility of POV

[/quote]

Offline Sandy S

  • Posts: 271
Re: Chuck Spezzano & Psychology Of Vision
« Reply #257 on: July 02, 2014, 02:44:52 am »
Occasionally I'll run across references where Charles Lee Spezzano was the performer at a wedding ceremony and marry people (e.g. Michael North).

Anyone know under what religious authority he delivered this service?

According to the Hawaii Dept. of Health--

https://emrs.ehawaii.gov/emrs/public/registration.html


 
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There are four types of marriage and/or civil union performers in the State of Hawaii ...

    Religious

    Religious Marriage Performer

    Minister, priest, or officer of any religious denomination or society who has been ordained or is authorized to solemnize marriages according to the usages of such denomination or society, or any religious society not having clergy but providing solemnization in accordance with the rules and customs of that society (HRS §572-12)

    Religious Civil Union Perfomer
    Any ordained or licensed member of the clergy (Act 1, section -4(b), Session Laws 2011)

   Judge

    Judge for Marriage Performer
    Any justice, judge or magistrate, active or retired, of a state or federal court in the State (HRS §572-12).

    Judge for Civil Union Performer
    Any judge or retired judge, including a federal judge or judge from another state who may legally join persons in chapter 572 or a civil union, (Act 1, section -4(b), Session Laws 2011)

Obviously Spezzano falls into one of the first two categories. Anyone out there know the details? Was it via his association with the Unity Church, which is quickly becoming the American front organisation for Oneness University in many cities? Example below--

http://unityhouston.org/get-involved/oneness-ministry/oneness-travel-program/

Here is the text of Hawaii Revised Statutes 572-12

Quote
572-12 By whom solemnized


A license to solemnize marriages may be issued to, and the marriage rite may be performed and solemnized by any minister, priest, or officer of any religious denomination or society who has been ordained or is authorized to solemnize marriages according to the usages of such denomination or society, or any religious society not having clergy but providing solemnization in accordance with the rules and customs of that society, or any justice or judge or magistrate, active or retired, of a state or federal court in the State, upon presentation to such person or society of a license to marry, as prescribed by this chapter. Such person or society may receive the price stipulated by the parties or the gratification tendered.

Hawaii Revised Statutes - Division 1: Government - Title 31: Family - Chapter 572: Marriage - Part 1: Requisites, Procedures [CC 1859, §1285; RL 1925, §2950; am L 1929, c 104, §6; RL 1935, §4640; RL 1945, §12361; RL 1955, §323-12; HRS §572-12; am L 1969, c 19, §2; am L 1974, c 15, §1]

It would be good to know the theological foundation and qualifications of Charles the wedding performer.





Offline Sandy S

  • Posts: 271
Re: Chuck Spezzano & Psychology Of Vision
« Reply #258 on: July 04, 2014, 03:46:56 pm »
Today the USA is celebrating "Independence Day."

Since the Spezzanos regard "Independence" as a negative attribute, I'd like to extend the meaning of this American holiday to celebrate the SALPOV survivors worldwide who had the courage to turn around, walk away from this personality cult, and get their lives back. There is much more to living than feeding the Spezzano bank account.

Happy Independence Day! Welcome back!


Offline Sandy S

  • Posts: 271
Re: Chuck Spezzano & Psychology Of Vision
« Reply #259 on: July 06, 2014, 12:42:44 pm »
I am sure a lot of the nuances of the original meaning of the following post have been lost in the not always accurate Google translation, but in some ways it has produced some gems. I particularly like the mention of Charles Lee Spezzano "guiding thousands of dollars in therapy groups and individual talks ..."

Here's a link to the original--

http://pov.tw/events/49%E6%9C%88%E7%94%9F%E6%B4%BB%E5%8A%A0%E6%B2%B9%E7%AB%99%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB%E6%9C%83-4-2014-07-09/

And here's the Google translation. Highlights are mine--

Quote
From April to September, "life stations" Sharing
July 09 perception association activities no comments

Date / Time
Date (s) - 2014/07/09
6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Address
China Wenchang activity center in Delhi

Category

    Perception association activities


Our lives will have many big and small problems or doubts, bring emotional ups and downs that we hope to share their feelings through stories and the life course, in emotional self-healing process, providing mutual support and full of energy companionship, witnessed the courage and extraordinary life.

Leading: percent of seniors who know see

Date: Every second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:30 pm to 9:00 twice.

04/09, 04/23; 05/07, 05/21; 06/11, 06/25, 07/09, 07/23, 08/13, 08/27, 09/10, 09/24

Location: Wenchang Road, Shihlin District, Taipei City 211 Edward Wenchang Activity Center

Reference: dedication

Introduction

This book is a book full of practical wisdom, Chuck. Dr. Spiegel Sanna his thirty years of counseling experience, this book will bring to the unity of our hearts. The book describes how to fragment our hearts are obstacles in our lives ? ? We are frustrated by the bitter reality, words and deeds toward just another tragic ending.

This book will give us strength, indicating the end of our lives are all sorts of personal choice, how can we use our right to choose to let their thoughts and outer life one. This book provides tools we need to change in order that we can enjoy more for long life and enjoy the love, everyone can be released from the pain via treatment and understanding.

If you read this book, if you really ?? exercise book, one thing is guaranteed that you will no longer blindly toward broken hearts again. This book allows you to regain your strength and your heart, your heart is a fountain of life happiness.

About the Author

Chuck. Spitzer Sanna (Chuck Spezzano, Ph.D.), Psychology of the founders.

Dr. Counseling Psychology American International University in San Diego, in 1972 began his career counselor to family therapy, marital counseling, child counseling professional background, guiding thousands of dollars in therapy groups and individual talks and addiction treatment had planned workshops, and served as a psychologist in California Naval addiction center.

Twenty years ago, he was inspired by "A Course in Miracles" (A Course in Miracles), and the reference to Gestalt therapy (Gestalt Therapy), hypnosis (Hypnotherapy), neurological linguistics (NLP) and other principles of treatment, and wife Nancy (Lency) jointly developed the emotional and spiritual treatment approach ? ? perception psychology. At present this method has been held in many international seminars, workshops, training courses, and Chuck spend more than two hundred days a year traveling around the world teaching.

Now, more than nine countries translated Chuck over 20 books, including the popular was "hurt, not love." The past 10 years, Chuck and more people will look to focus on business achievements and difficulties, he believes the new century, for-profit companies should not only target, but to be able to fully realize the meaning of life and the purpose of life. Chuck and his wife currently live in Hawaii Ohana island.

« Last Edit: July 06, 2014, 12:45:18 pm by Sandy S »

Offline Sandy S

  • Posts: 271
Re: Chuck Spezzano & Psychology Of Vision
« Reply #260 on: July 06, 2014, 07:51:27 pm »
The Truth about Chuck And Lency Spezzano And The Psychology of Vision, Pt. 1

The time has come for us to systematically address Lenora Kay Spezzano's recent online document where she attempted to answer the growing number of Spezzano and Associates Ltd. Psychology of Vision (SALPOV) critics and gain some spin control. My reproduction of her text is for the purpose of nonprofit review, consumer education, and providing even more leads for law enforcement and the media.

Although in the legal notice colophon the website owner is identified as Spezzano and Associates Ltd. (not Psychology of Vision-- interesting, isn't it?), the entire work has a running note in the bottom margin-- "Copyright © 2014 The Truth about Chuck And Lency Spezzano And The Psychology of Vision." This would suggest the "The Truth about Chuck And Lency Spezzano And The Psychology of Vision" is yet another independent entity. Did they file Articles of Incorporation under that name in Hawaii? Otherwise this copyright statement is useless.

www.the-truth-about-chuck-and-lency-spezzano.com

As simple citizen investigators from several different nations, we do not have the resources of law enforcement or professional media, but we have done our best to gather available evidence to educate the public about the SALPOV cult. We are aware both law enforcement and some media are using the information we are providing. The horse is out of the barn.

So let us embark on this granular examination of Lenora's reaction--
 
Quote
Introduction   

Hi – I’m Lency Spezzano, and if you are reading this, it may well be because your search engine led you to a blog that is claiming peculiar things about my husband Chuck and myself, and the Psychology of Vision. Normally, we would not respond to Internet attack; unfortunately, the level of zeal involved in this libel is so high, and the accusations are so bizarre, I feel we need to respond with the truth, in support of the many thousands of people around the world that are doing the Psychology of Vision work, who could be hurt by the slander in some way.

Notice the words used here: peculiar, attack, zeal, libel, accusations, bizarre, slander. And that is only in the first paragraph! She is rounding up the wagons against those heathens and instilling a sense of fear in her cult followers to keep them in line. Objective non-cult viewers will immediately see this for what it is. From this point on Lenora has given up on recruiting new people, she is merely trying to defend the profit margin supplied by the vulnerable people who bought into this SALPOV fantasy.

Quote
The attacks on us claim:

"That Chuck and I have falsified our educational background information; that we have created a cult so we could be worshipped as its leaders; that we damage vulnerable people in our seminars in assorted terrible ways; that we have targeted Indigenous people for financial gain; that we are simply cons running a scam for money, and other complete falsehoods."

She has the above passage in quotes, which is strange since the original source is nowhere online. Perhaps it exists in an as yet unreleased legal document to be served on us critics. But in fact the educational background of both Spezzanos has been falsified by their self-purged mention of attendance at Oneness University in 2007, and the fact is Charles does not have a PhD in Counseling Psychology as SALPOV websites claim, according to his dissertation it is "Professional Psychology." Unaccredited by the APA, I might add. The English language POV Trainer's Manual, which has been deleted online after we brought attention to it, clearly proves SALPOV is a personality cult. The German POV Trainer's Manual disproves her First Nations claim. I don't think the Spezzanos are "simply cons running a scam for money." I think that in addition to that they enjoy the ego/power trip. Lenora's YouTubes confirm that last point.   

Quote
These deceptions have been picked up and spread by individuals who are hiding behind false identities, so as not to be accused of, or charged with, “cyber-harassment.” [1] Acting as if their motivation were to protect the vulnerable, rather than to intentionally do harm, the various bloggers combed through our past looking for anything to use against us, and when they couldn’t find anything improper, they started inventing improprieties out of thin air. The attackers invented malicious quotes, supposedly written or spoken by us, falsified input from “experts” and even fabricated names of books we have supposedly written. The people who engineered this campaign against us have never met us or attended any of our seminars, and they know no person who has been damaged in our seminars. I can say this with confidence, because I am certain that we would have heard about such an occurrence if it happened. We would have received negative feedback on the seminar feedback form, as well as feedback from our Trainers who live in that community and were friends with all the participants.

First off, many people who have bad experiences with both Spezzanos throughout the past do not want to be identified. Apparently the Spezzanos are known to be vindictive and prone to tantrums. And some of their followers are not any better. Those of us who are SALPOV watchers are in possession of more information than we can make public because we do not want to screw up the lives of our sources. I'll just say the world of SALPOV and those who have been in the Spezzanos' wake is not entirely comprised of obedient zombies. The spark of critical thinking keeps the fire of human individualism alive.

Also, there are several SALPOV critics over the last few years who have used their real names. At least one of them had to contact the RCMP over threatening emails from an unbalanced SALPOV devotee.

Second, the whole cyber-harassment charge is a non-issue. SALPOV is in the public arena. Free speech is free speech. It amuses me that an organisation that has skirted around the law for so long in terms of avoiding government regulations and licensing is suddenly quoting it to defend themselves. "Free speech for me, but not for thee." Interesting they quote a USA source but sent their bogus legal letter to Canadians.

Third, this quote: "Acting as if their motivation were to protect the vulnerable, rather than to intentionally do harm, the various bloggers combed through our past looking for anything to use against us, and when they couldn’t find anything improper, they started inventing improprieties out of thin air. The attackers invented malicious quotes, supposedly written or spoken by us, falsified input from 'experts' and even fabricated names of books we have supposedly written."

Actually we found a lot that was improper. And we are generously sharing it with people more powerful than ourselves in several countries. No authorities have told us our data is unwelcome. As for the rest, Lenora needs to provide examples of the supposed inventions, falsified input, and fabricated book titles. Personally, I have no idea what she is talking about.

Fourth, we have dealt with this claim earlier on this forum: "The people who engineered this campaign against us have never met us or attended any of our seminars, and they know no person who has been damaged in our seminars. I can say this with confidence, because I am certain that we would have heard about such an occurrence if it happened. We would have received negative feedback on the seminar feedback form, as well as feedback from our Trainers who live in that community and were friends with all the participants."

This is Lenora living in denial. Apparently she didn't watch the APTN broadcast and does not follow the data presented on this forum by people on Haida Gwaii. I attribute this to her wealthy upbringing, where the problems of little people do not register on her radar. But my comrades might have another opinion.

Quote
The original attackers are doing this to us – as best as I can tell – not because there is any form of evidence that we have done anything wrong, but as a political means of hurting the feelings and reputations of certain First Nations elders and leaders who have been our friends and supporters of our work for over 20 years; it hurts our friends if the attackers hurt us. The attackers want the Psychology of Vision work to not be helpful to Residential School Survivors, and other First Nations people. But the Psychology of Vision is nothing like what they claim. It has proven to be very beneficial to Residential School Survivors, as well as other Canadians (click to see letters of support from First Nations and other Canadian students of PoV Canadian Testimonials). just as it has been helpful to people all around the world. The Psychology of Vision does not replace cultures with a new culture, it leverages people on the spiritual path they are already on. (Click on this link to see a short story describing one example of First Nations Residential School Survivors’ healings ? The Miracles of Forgiveness)

And here Lenora plays the victim. In SALPOV, if you are victim that means you brought your malady upon yourself because you are guilty of something. So according to SALPOV doctrine we troublemaking critics are playing a role we are destined to play in helping liberate the cult followers so they can join the rest of us in the real world. And the problem with this is-- what?

Oh. Wait a minute. I forgot. The problem is this-- it interferes with the Spezzano & Associates Ltd. profit margin.

Speaking personally, I was interested in the Spezzanos before I knew about their presence on Haida Gwaii.

The testimonials are about as valuable as cheap "zombie points" in a video game. There is no one in there with any respected objective, academic, cultural, or government credentials. The whole point was to round up the cult followers and have them give a loyalty pledge. And it plainly comes across that way.

"The Psychology of Vision does not replace cultures with a new culture, it leverages people on the spiritual path they are already on." Excuse me? How does annihilating the ego and performing Deeksha blessings fit into Haida culture? This is a very arrogant and Ugly American colonist statement. It was this kind of thinking that got the USA into Vietnam, and maybe Haida Gwaii will be the Vietnam for SALPOV. 

Quote
It is a strange position to be in, to have spent your entire career in the helping field, to have received honors and appreciation from people and organizations around the world for your work (for example, see endnote)[2] and ultimately, in your sixties, have people who do not even know you do everything they can to ruin you and your family.

My question is-- how were they able to get away with this nonsense for so long without being held accountable by governments or the press to a greater degree?

The example award presented to Charles Lee Spezzano was given by group headed by his buddy, Michael North, making this an insular recognition. 

Quote
Many of the attacks accuse us of targeting First Nations people for financial gain. In actuality, rather than “take” money from First Nations, Chuck and I have donated around 30 3-day seminars to First Nations communities over the last 20 years, and have brought $1.5 million USD of donations to BC in their support. All of the Internet attacks against us have been this far off base.

Read the German language POV Trainers Manual, Section K. We'll get into more detail as we go along.
 
Quote
References and Footnotes

1. States have enacted ‘cyberstalking’ or ‘cyberharassment’ laws or have laws that explicitly include electronic forms of communication within more traditional stalking or harassment laws.” See, “State Cyberstalking and Cyberharassment Laws,” National Conference of State Legislature (NCLS). http://www.ncsl.org/research/telecommunications-and-information-technology/cyberstalking-and-cyberharassment-laws.aspx (accessed Feb. 2, 2014).
 
2. Here is a link to a video of Chuck receiving a “Hero of Forgiveness” award at the annual Hawai’i International Forgiveness Day event held at the Hawaii State Capital in July, 2012. https://vimeo.com/84539619 

The question among the SALPOV watchers on whether Lenora lives in a world of delusion or is indeed a true con artist remains open.       

Offline Sandy S

  • Posts: 271
Re: Chuck Spezzano & Psychology Of Vision
« Reply #261 on: July 06, 2014, 08:35:10 pm »
The Truth about Chuck And Lency Spezzano And The Psychology of Vision, Pt. 2


In her next installment, Lenora tells us she was basically pretty ignorant on the Wild West anarchy of the Internet. This "paradigm shift" reveals that perhaps she is not as "cutting edge" as she thinks when it comes to social change and cultural trends.

Quote
The Nature of The Internet   

Most people don’t understand the nature of the Internet – I certainly didn’t until this happened to us. Lies can be put on just one blog, and they get shared and re-shared by people looking for material for their own blogs, which then gets shared again and again and again, running up the number of “hits” of viewers. They all feed off of each other for new content to stay competitive. If an attack of this kind happens to you, in a short time, any Google search on your name or company brings up the false information and attacks before real information about you can be found. Soon, the entire first page of the search can be nothing but attack, and a recent study shows that 89% of Internet users do not look beyond the first page of results. That can be catastrophic for any individual or business targeted by this kind of Internet criminal.

Yes, lies get repeated over and over such as-- Charles Lee Spezzano is psychologist! She bemoans the lack of critical thinking by Internet users, yet refers to people who apply critical thinking regarding her activities as "criminal." We'd all like to have our cake and eat it too, but life doesn't work that way most of the time.   

Quote
The bulk of the attack against us is supposedly from Indigenous people, but my research showed me that in some cases these bloggers are only pretending to be First Nations, and appear to have even destroyed the lives of some Indigenous healers. The sad thing is that many individuals doing research on the Internet view these blogs as gospel, not realizing the nature of the Internet or what makes a credible source.

Once again, she cries about lack of critical thinking, but whines when it is directed at her activities. I am not acquainted with all of the SALPOV investigators and survivors, but the people I have communicated with come from different countries and cultures. We share a universal concern about the damage being done by the Spezzanos. Some of the critics come from the New Age community and a few of them are fairly close to Ground Zero. Not all is happiness and light within the Spezzano cult.

Perhaps her premise that the "bulk of the attack against us is supposedly from Indigenous people" is due to this forum hosting several of us. Many critics who are not FN have signed on to this forum because here we can share research and our interests overlap with the mission of NAFPS.   

Quote
It is easy enough to prove what your finances have been, and what your education was, but it is another thing to try to prove what is in your heart. How does one prove that they are not a “predator?” How does one defend their motives?

First, SALPOV has yet to reveal their finances. We are especially interested in that Swiss bank account. No joke, SALPOV has one. Second, there are valid questions about the educational background of Charles Lee Spezzano. Third, motives are revealed by actions. We'll get to all of these as we progress.

Quote
The people leading this character assassination campaign against us, and the bloggers who support them on their forums, do not appear to be the least bit interested in hearing the truth about us. Whenever someone has tried to correct the false information on the websites, their comments were either never posted or were removed quickly. One of the bloggers often boasts that he cannot be caught or stopped. If that is true, it is a sad state of affairs for the future of the Internet.

On the contrary, the critics have gone to great effort to learn the truth and share it. She calls this "character assassination." We call it "enlightenment" and educating the public. It will be a sad state of affairs when free speech is curtailed on the Internet thanks to the likes of cult leaders such as Lenora Kay Spezzano.

Many critical comments were removed from Lenora's YouTube videos and on SALPOV Facebook pages. When it comes to removing and deleting uncomfortable data, the SALPOV machine holds the prize. It is very Soviet-like in that way. I am not aware of any SALPOV comments being removed from the websites of critics. In order to make a point, the late Morty the Dog asked that SALPOV defenders also pay $1000 before posting comments since Charles Lee Spezzano charges $1000 for a personal consultation. And SALPOV supporter Julian Ticehurst actually became a member of this forum, but he deleted his posts and backed out by his own choice from what I understand.

I have no idea who boasts they cannot be caught or stopped, but I have found it amusing to read Lenora's psychological profile of some of her critics, particularly the initial Ripoff Report author who I know personally. Lenora is pretty clueless. And I mean REALLY clueless.

Some of our sources have been closer than she thinks.

Quote
I am hoping that if you hear a little about Chuck’s and my history, you will not readily believe that we are exploiting the Indigenous peoples we have actually honored and supported, pro bono, with our energy and resources for the past 20 years.

If you are interested in the truth about who we are, I would like to tell you a little bit about our background and the work that we do in the Psychology of Vision. The accusations will each be addressed, but I feel it fair to state here that all of the cyber-attacks on us that I have read are completely untrue, and in fact, in every case, they are the exact opposite of the truth.

The question among the SALPOV watchers on whether Lenora lives in a world of delusion or is indeed a true con artist remains open. 



Offline Sandy S

  • Posts: 271
Re: Chuck Spezzano & Psychology Of Vision
« Reply #262 on: July 06, 2014, 08:56:43 pm »
The Truth about Chuck And Lency Spezzano And The Psychology of Vision, Pt. 3

In this segment Lenora gives us an occupational autobiography, probably her strongest chapter in this online document. We see an earnest young woman out to do good. Frankly, her academic credentials are more impressive to me than those of Charles. Her encounter group experience was a hot and hip new activity at the time. It also messed up a lot of people since there was little follow-up (sound familiar?)

She entered public service with the best of intentions. But at some point something turned weird. Why?

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Lency Spezzano, Professional Background   

I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Arizona in 1975. Because the U of A had the best school in the nation for Rehabilitation Counseling, I stayed there for my graduate studies, and completed my Master of Science degree with High Distinction in 1976, specializing in working with deaf and multiply [sic] disabled deaf people. (My full name at the time was Lenora Kay Abel; Lency is the nickname I have had all my life.) I completed the regular psychiatric supervision for the practicum and internship elements of the M.Sc. program before graduating, working as a counselor for the Community Outreach Program for the Deaf in Tucson, Arizona. From 1976–77 I also served as their Coordinator of Counseling.

Of all the coursework I did in psychology when I was in school, my favorite classes included participation in what was called “encounter groups.” As an under-grad I was a participant, and in grad school I was a trained leader of these group encounters. The concept was for participants in the group to gain psychological benefit through increased self-awareness and social sensitivity, and to change behavior through interpersonal confrontation, self-disclosure and strong emotional expression. In these groups we communicated, took risks, and got to know each other in a therapeutic way that helped us understand ourselves better and supported our emotional growth and maturity. That background in having a therapeutic effect with a group of people, rather than just one person at a time in counseling, had a major influence on the work I developed as my contribution to the Psychology of Vision.

Not long after I received my M.Sc. degree, I was invited to Hawaii to write grants to develop much-needed programs and services for Hawaii’s deaf and hearing-impaired population. I accepted the challenge, working first as the Director of Honolulu’s Information and Referral Service from 1977- 78, as the Director of the Hawaii Center on Deafness from 1978-79, and the State Coordinator of Services for the Deaf for the State of Hawaii, Department of Social Services, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, from 1979-81.

So I have to wonder. What does Lenora think of the Charles Lee Spezzano/Janie Ticehurst "Healing Metaphor" on deafness?

 
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  Deafness

    Deafness is a complete or partial lack of the ability to hear.

    It signifies that there is something that we don’t want to hear either about relationship (left ear), or career (right ear).

    We have a fear of our purpose, and there is something that we are refusing to learn. There is an area where we have cut ourselves off, which is holding us back from joining the dance of life.

    Because we want to do things our way, there is something we don’t want to hear from others or from within. Deafness means we have some stubbornness and unwillingness to listen and communicate.

Just wondering.

Back to Lenora's story--

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As I matured, my interest in my spiritual development and personal growth also grew, and to support my own evolution, I developed a support program for children with life-threatening illness and their families. That program is still in operation today under the name “HUGS” (Help, Understanding and Group Support) – previously called “The Young People’s Support Center.” The program was based on concepts from A Course in Miracles[1], and it was an astounding success.

Red Flag 1, Course in Miracles.

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There was so much joy at our parties, passers-by at the church where we held our bi-weekly events often wanted to join the group, never imagining that it was a gathering of children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Even our funerals were such loving, joyful celebrations of life that they turned into parties that lasted for hours and hours – no one ever wanted to leave.

I learned so much from those kids and their families; the healing I received in the process, and the skills that I developed in that rarified atmosphere served me well in later years as I developed the feminine aspect of the Psychology of Vision – the “joining method,” which uses grace as a healing tool.

"Joining." Red Flag 2. Also, the self-directed "served me well."

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Through my work in this program, I learned that – however human beings self-identify in terms of age, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, socio-economics, religious beliefs, educational backgrounds and levels of health – we could come together in a purely horizontal, equal level of relationship. And whenever that happened (a rare event in this world, because of the competitive nature of our egos), people from diverse backgrounds and ages would see themselves as the same, as equals, through a beautiful extra element that also showed up in their joining: Love. In fact, all thirteen of us who came together to create the program, did it on this horizontal basis. I was the one who had the paying job to run the program, but that did not make me more important than those who were doing what they were doing as a gift. I was simply in a leadership position that could facilitate the process.

I'm a little confused here. First we're told Lenora developed the program, but then she says a group of 13 people shaped this thing. She "was the one who had the paying job to run the program." Very well. Apparently still a public servant at this time, did her superiors know she was basically mixing Church and State? Well, it was the Reagan era. If one of my staff people came to me today and declared they were basing their customer service on A Course in Miracles, it would seriously undermine my confidence in their ability to think critically and do their job. Case study: I actually had a supervisor who was a Course in Miracles follower. He was universally hated by the whole organisation and his departure was widely celebrated. "Manifesting" and magic thinking didn't work too well for him. 

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The love at our Support Center events was so palpable that it was like being in another, higher dimension, one in which love was the natural reality. And where there is love like that, emotional healing occurs automatically. As a result, I became an avid student of love, wanting to know how much love there is available to feel. And, as my capacity to give and receive love grew, I discovered that love is a very powerful healing tool.

"Another, higher dimension." Red Flag 3.

This passage about Love brings to mind a documentary about the Beatles from a couple decades ago called It Was Twenty Years Ago Today. In it, that old Yippie, Abbie Hoffman, was asked, "Is love all you need?"

"No," he responded, "It's nice to have. It's nice, as in peace. But it is not, and this is basically the flaw in Beatle politics: Justice is all you need."   

As we seen earlier in this forum within the insensitive remarks by Charles Lee Spezzano concerning the FN residential school survivors and other people who have suffered from the cruelty of humankind or disease, the victims are to blame and seeking "justice" just isn't in the 3 card deck.

Rather than seeking justice, SALPOV victims are told to employ forgiveness, which comes at a very expensive service fee. Yet, when it comes to those of us who dare to offer accurate critiques of SALPOV, they regard our observations as slander, libel, criminal cyber attacks and want legal justice. Sort of a double standard taking place here, wouldn't you say?

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I could tell you amazing story after amazing story about what I learned from those children, but I would love to share just one of them here, from a book I wrote and published in 1995, Make Way for Love, A Story to Open Your Heart, The Arthur Story.
[link provided on her website]

I invited Chuck out to Hawaii to do in-service training for the Center’s volunteers, partly because of his experience teaching at a holistic health Institute (where he taught “The Psychodynamics of Catastrophic Illness” and “Healing Relationships”), but primarily because of his level of understanding and application of A Course in Miracles. But you should know more about Chuck’s background before I go further.

This passage intrigues me. Watch Charles Lee Spezzano's enthusiastic endorsement and appeal to materialism in his YouTube Mo Money. As he markets the concept of manifesting for selfish gain at 2:50 he says--

"I once decided I was going to get moved to Hawaii without having to pay for it and that's exactly what happened. Somebody moved me to Hawaii a couple years later, paid for all the expenses."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOpoR3TmHSU

So, who paid for Charles to move to Hawaii? Makes ya think, don't it?

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References and Footnotes

1. A Course in Miracles is a self-study curriculum which aims to assist its readers in achieving spiritual transformation. 

Fascinating. If Lenora had stayed in the belly of the beast and changed it from within I'd be more receptive to her protestations in general. But somewhere in this narrative she crossed over to the Dark Side of her Ego and, ironically, became the very sort of figure the Spezzanos warn their trusting followers not to become.

The question among the SALPOV watchers on whether Lenora lives in a world of delusion or is indeed a true con artist remains open. 



Offline Sandy S

  • Posts: 271
Re: Chuck Spezzano & Psychology Of Vision
« Reply #263 on: July 06, 2014, 09:14:39 pm »
The Truth about Chuck And Lency Spezzano And The Psychology of Vision, Pt. 4

Now we shift to the credentials of Charles Lee Spezzano.

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Chuck Spezzano, Professional Background

Chuck’s first vocational goal was to become a priest. Later, during his third year at collegiate seminary, he realized that he felt a calling to be helpful to more people than just Catholics, and that he would like to marry one day and have children. He graduated Cum Laude from Duquesne University (the best school in the US for Existential Phenomenology, which is where Humanistic Philosophy and Psychology come from) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1970, getting his Bachelor of Arts degree, with a double major in Philosophy and Psychology. He received his Master of Arts degree in Sociology from Duquesne as well, in 1971. He was hired as a counselor and Director of Outreach at the Brashear Association, there in Pittsburgh in 1972. Later in 1972, Chuck moved to San Diego, California, to begin his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the United States International University. Chuck chose USIU because they had the strongest Humanistic Psychology program he could find in the US at the time. (USIU and the California School of Professional Psychology joined in 2001 to form Alliant International University.) He graduated with his Ph.D. in 1977.

We need to enhance this description with the facts that USIU was not accredited by the APA in 1977 and Charles listed his degree on his thesis as one in "Professional Psychology," not "Counseling Psychology" as his official online biographies claim. So what is the deal there? This is a very serious discrepancy which alone would qualify him to be classified as a fraud for the purposes of this forum and also have him removed from the faculty of any academic institution.   

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Chuck was employed as a psychologist by the Naval Drug Rehabilitation Center at the Naval Air Station Miramar, in San Diego, from 1973-79, and he also became an instructor at the Naval Drug and Alcohol Counseling School, their program to train Navy therapists, from 1974-79. From 1979-82 Chuck was a seminar trainer for ARAS (Awareness-Respect-Affection-Support) Trainings, which were based on a spiritual and personal growth model. This is where he developed his love for being able to help many people at once, rather than helping them just one at a time.

Oh, I love this mention of ARAS because it gives me an opportunity to bring up the Bob Trask connection. Trask, the ARAS chief who came up with the triangle the Spezzanos "borrowed," had a sudden parting of the ways with Charles Lee Spezzano. You professional reporters would do well to find out why. The resulting story will be fun and Lenora's above statement will contain an unintentional ironic humor.

And let us mark this, Lenora called Charles a "psychologist" here. Later in this document she claims SALPOV has never claimed Charles was a psychologist. Hmmm. Someone is suffering from a "split mind."   

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Chuck developed a seminar system for those in rehab, as an adjunct to the group and individual therapy treatments, to accelerate the healing process. It was also where he began to formulate his “Steps to Oneness,” a roadmap of all the steps, stages and levels that individuals, couples, companies and countries go through on their way to Oneness. It was because of the ever-heavier caseload, and shorter time allotted by the governmental budget for rehab, that Chuck studied short-term therapy models, and developed many methods and techniques for transformation that easily accessed the subconscious and unconscious levels of the mind.  When I first encountered Chuck’s model I was utterly astounded – even though I had recently received a M.Sc. in counseling, and I thought I knew the state of the art. In terms of effectiveness, Chuck’s insights were well beyond any traditional therapy I had studied in graduate school.

So how did Lenora first encounter Spezzano's work? What was the networking here?

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From 1979-83 Chuck developed a private practice as a licensed Marriage, Family and Child Counselor in Orange County, California. In 1983 he moved to Hawaii and served as the interim minister for Windward Unity Church, in Kailua, Hawaii, for one year. In 1981 Chuck began teaching his first international personal growth seminars, and I joined him in that calling in 1984.

Charles Lee Spezzano's experience as the interim minister for Windward Unity Church is another era worth investigating. I don't know why he later connected so closely to Oneness University, but I am wondering if his Unity ministry was the initial spark that fed his enthusiasm for Bhagavan and Amma. Later the Spezzanos would betray them.

Note to SALPOV corporate partners or influences-- they will throw you under the bus with no qualms if your association impacts their profit margin.

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Chuck and I had begun working together in Hawaii in 1983 and were married in 1984. Together we have developed the Psychology of Vision model, a path of the heart that focuses on the healing of relationships, leadership (or helping others) and non-denominational spirituality. With this as our base, we have created many healing techniques and principles. http://www.psychologyofvision.com/about/principles-of-pov/ This is Chuck’s 42nd year as a counselor/coach, and by the end of 2014 he will have 38 books (a few with my participation) published in Germany, with one or more books published in 19 other countries. He has a dozen other books in the works.

Putting together both of our backgrounds, I think it may be clear to see how the Psychology of Vision was inspired, and how it is based on the power of forgiveness and love, because, as Chuck and I have seen in seminars countless times, forgiveness is the key to happiness. I will now begin to answer the many attacks on us that have resulted from the primary attacker’s efforts.

And I will continue the reality checks.

The question among the SALPOV watchers on whether Lenora lives in a world of delusion or is indeed a true con artist remains open. 







Offline Sandy S

  • Posts: 271
Re: Chuck Spezzano & Psychology Of Vision
« Reply #264 on: July 06, 2014, 09:34:26 pm »
The Truth about Chuck And Lency Spezzano And The Psychology of Vision, Pt. 5

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Is The Psychology of Vision A Cult?

Yes.

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As I understand it, a cult is a religious or spiritual group with rigid ideas and authoritarian practices. Members give their power over to the group’s leader, and, in the process, they surrender their identity. Members are encouraged to cut their ties with family and friends, and for these reasons they are seen as exploitative and dangerous.

Read the English language version of the SALOV Trainer's Manual before continuing. Even though SALPOV took it down from public view, I maintained a copy which is attached. After reading it, you will see everything Lenora claims here is not true. SALPOV is a steep hierarchy and a personality cult. It is all perfectly laid out in their own words.

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The Psychology of Vision is the opposite of a cult. It is an organization that is owned by the group of Trainers themselves (there are presently 48 of us). All organizational decisions are discussed until the Trainers reach a unanimous decision, either as a whole body (for major decisions) at our annual Conference, or by the Steering Committee, which deals with day-to-day issues. Chuck and I, as founders, do not get more of a voice than any other Trainer or Steering Committee member. A Trainer’s vote, at Level 1, is as important as a vote of a Trainer Level 4. This is because our organization operates from a horizontal relationship between Trainers, not a hierarchy with a cult figure at the top. Any difference in the levels of Trainers purely reflects the level of leadership through service that the Trainers have attained, not their value or their importance.

Seminar participants develop their own connection to grace and healing, and do not need to go through any PoV Trainer at any time to access it. Focus is always made on empowering the participants in their daily lives, not on developing dependency on PoV Trainers. Participants do heal by releasing the pain of old emotional injuries to realize the truth; but contrary to the attack allegations, there is no emotional “freaking out” in the seminars, and although there is a lot of laughter, none of it is “hysterical.”

Poor Jordan was subjected to the hypnosis otherwise called "Downloading/Joining" and got hysterical at a couple points and had to be calmed down--

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btxyxm1BHhY

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No cult-like behavior exists in PoV, as far as I can see, nor is there any version of the typical “us versus them” mentality that would encourage seminar participants to cut ties with their family and friends. In fact, that is the opposite of what PoV is about. We focus on recovering failed relationships with our family members, forgiving our parents for our childhood injuries and being accountable for what takes place in our lives in relation to others.

The very existence of Lenora's "Truth" online document, equating honest criticism with criminal activity and rounding up the cult followers for loyalty oath "testimonials" reveals the opposite of what she is claiming about cult-like behavior. I would agree with Lenora that "No cult-like behavior exists in PoV." Instead, I would say rather than "cult-like" it is just a plain straight-ahead "cult."

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The Psychology of Vision governs itself in a professional manner, and any complaint about a Trainer’s behavior would be subject to a review process of accountability and consequences. If any of us, as PoV Trainers, unintentionally happened to hurt or damage a person in any way, there are clear processes in place to address a seminar participant’s feedback.

True professionals interested in transparency would open their complaints to the regulators of the public sector. The insular nature of their "discipline" only confirms the cult nature of SALPOV.

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Insofar as a “cult” may be accused of “swindling” their “followers” out of money – we had never been accused of any such thing. To my knowledge, neither PoV, nor Chuck and I personally, have ever received feedback that seminars are over-priced or are not worth what people paid for them. (A recent research of the price of popular seminars being taught in Germany found that Chuck’s and my PoV seminars are mid-range in price.) Also, seminar participants are never pressed to bring new members to seminars. This is a very important value for Chuck and me.

Read Section K of the German language SALPOV Trainers Manual--

http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=4179.msg36673#msg36673


http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=4179.msg36674#msg36674

Plus, who else charges over $1000 an hour for personal consultations like Charles Lee Spezzano does? 

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If people return to PoV seminars, and bring friends or family with them, it is not because we employ some kind of “mind control” over seminar participants, as “cults” might. People return because they value the healing they have received, and want to continue along that path. The process of healing emotional injuries, heartbreaks and defenses is only of interest to people who value it. People have to already be on their healing path to have any interest in the Psychology of Vision. It is not for everybody because not everyone wants to get in touch with their repressed pain so that it can be released and healed. For those who have not developed this value, they may feel threatened by those who have, which I feel is a primary reason for the kind of attack that accuses us of being a cult.

She is right about SALPOV is not for everybody. Most wage slaves cannot even begin to afford the high fees demanded by the Spezzanos. Only the affluent need apply. Apparently the wealthy class has no shortage of fools willing to part with their money. 

https://www.youtube.com/user/LencySpezzano/videos

The question among the SALPOV watchers on whether Lenora lives in a world of delusion or is indeed a true con artist remains open. 


 

 


Offline Sandy S

  • Posts: 271
Re: Chuck Spezzano & Psychology Of Vision
« Reply #265 on: July 06, 2014, 09:54:05 pm »
The Truth about Chuck And Lency Spezzano And The Psychology of Vision, Pt. 6


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Is A Course in Miracles A Cult?

Psychology of Vision is compatible with A Course in Miracles, which is a self-study spiritual thought system. Its primary teaching is that the way to universal love and peace—or, in their terms, remembering God—is by undoing guilt through forgiving others. It is a set of 3 books. There is no leader, no group, and therefore, it is not a cult.

The teachings of A Course in Miracles have been supported by such commentators and authors as Robert Schuller, Oprah Winfrey and Eckhart Tolle.

"Robert Schuller, Oprah Winfrey and Eckhart Tolle," not exactly a lineup I would embrace as champions of critical thinking. As I understand it, Helen Schucman "scribed" ACIM with the help of an "inner voice" she identified as Jesus Christ. Isn't that so special?

For some time SALPOV websites counted ACIM along with Oneness University as their two greatest inspirations. 

I'll just say this in plain speaking-- in my opinion ACIM is just another crackpot theology. If the Spezzanos eventually throw this inspiration under the bus like they did with their worship of Oneness University, then all they will have left is their bare greed. Since ACIM is pretty much in the public domain they can pillage from it all they can. Much better than coming up with something original. Although horribly behind the curve, the Spezzanos do try to ride whatever New Age fad will turn a profit (e.g. the "quantum physics" or 2012 or Deeksha or Louise Hay silliness). I have yet to hear a single original thought originate from the mouth of either Spezzano that was not previously expressed by some other New Age trend setter.

The question among the SALPOV watchers on whether Lenora lives in a world of delusion or is indeed a true con artist remains open. 



Offline Sandy S

  • Posts: 271
Re: Chuck Spezzano & Psychology Of Vision
« Reply #266 on: July 06, 2014, 11:00:14 pm »
The Truth about Chuck And Lency Spezzano And The Psychology of Vision, Pt. 7

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Are the Spezzanos Targeting First Nations (Or Other Indigenous Peoples – Metis, Inuit or Native Americans) For Financial Gain?

Of course they are. All you have to do is read Section K of the German language SALPOV Trainers Manual--


http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=4179.msg36673#msg36673


http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=4179.msg36674#msg36674

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This attack on us suggests that, not only have we billed exorbitantly high prices for our work with First Nations people, but that we have targeted the “Indian Residential School Settlement” (i.e., the Federal monetary compensation for residential school survivors) for personal gain. It goes so far as to suggest that entire grants, written to fund agencies for years at a time – such as the one that went to Haida Gwaii’s Ngystle Society’s programs for Residential School Survivors – went directly to Chuck and me. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The fact is, over the past twenty years, Chuck and I have donated one to two seminars yearly to First Nations communities in British Columbia, Canada, on numerous reserves – each at the invitation of a particular First Nation. This didn’t begin by our targeting First Nations people; we visited one community by invitation, and it just grew. More and more families invited us to their reserves and we responded. The result was always the same – First Nations people openly demonstrated their love and support for our work wherever we went.

We have never taken a penny in payment for these First Nations seminars, although in most, but not every case, we have received reimbursements for such out of pocket expenses as hotel and food, and a part of our airfare. Some agencies may have budgeted some funding to pay for some of the expenses of putting on PoV seminars – I don’t have information about that; for example, one place provided a free lunch to participants in the seminar, which I think may have come from their agency’s budget. But I can say that the source of funding for the production costs of First Nations seminars that Chuck and I have taught came primarily from asking non-First Nations seminar participants to donate the equivalent of a full priced seat (we allowed up to 25% of the seats to go to non-Natives, but no more than that, for this fundraising purpose). Since Chuck and I did not charge for our services, and the promoters always promoted us free of charge, the hard costs of the seminars were easily covered.

Sort of reminds one of Nixon's "Checkers Speech"--

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqjwBDH-vhY

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Chuck and I felt called to contribute what we could to Indigenous peoples because we feel that, in the next century, their voices will be crucial. We chose to support them on their healing path, because, as has become more and more historically evident, many First Nations, Metis, Inuit and Native Americans have publicly demonstrated their concern for the survival of all human beings on planet Earth. We recognize that they have been working toward the benefit of humanity throughout history, despite, and because of, living in many different forms of oppressive colonial conditions.  Chuck and I also have believed that human survival will ultimately depend on the ability of all peoples to return to the values and understandings related to our human connection with each other and the “natural world” on which we are all dependent.

".. return to the values and understandings related to our human connection with each other and the 'natural world' on which we are all dependent." And at what point in all of human history did that state ever exist? Even in prehistoric times humans were still at war with each other. Of course if you believe in the Christian concept of the Garden of Eden, as the Spezzanos clearly do since they equate the Ego with the Devil, then such a utopia once existed.

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So, we have wanted to do this work with, and in support of, Indigenous peoples, especially while this generation of elders is still alive. Over twenty years ago, Chuck and I determined that, “If we support First Nations in their healing now, they will be in a better position to support the world in the future.” Since that time, we have listened to their voices, as well as supported and witnessed the work they have been doing, which has been so vital to their own healing as Indigenous peoples; and more broadly speaking, we believe that their work, in terms of what it adds to the collective consciousness, is vital to the very future of this planet. [1]

How Jungian. And misleading.

If you watch the APTN broadcast, which Lenora refuses to recognize in her entire document, you will see several FN people, including elders, making critical comments about this cult.

Bill Wilson has recently stated:

"Approaching 70, with my privileged life nearly half over, I reflect on the condition of Indian Peoples:- I have seen the effects of the Whiteman's government, religion and foolish assumption of superiority. It is a sad and sorry litany of abuse.-My Mum often spoke lovingly of the time when the POTLATCH was our only form of government AND religion. She lived this ideal all her life, remaining a strong MUSGAMAGW even in the face of the destruction brought by the churches, DIA, welfare and industry. I am glad that she did not get to see the PHONY HEALERS & THEIR CULTS, the most recent group of maggots feeding on the decaying flesh of our Nations.- They are the NEW SMALLPOX sent to destroy Our Peoples."

Tell it like it is, Bill! Right on! "Maggots" is a good description of SALPOV.

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Another motivation for me, regarding these donations, was connected to the basic idea of tithing – an old spiritual value of giving ten percent of the good that comes to you back to those who have contributed to your own well being; it is an appreciation for blessings you have received. In my mind, our tithing back to the Indigenous peoples of the Americas is in gratitude for the continued ceremonies that many different Indigenous nations, groups and individuals continue to perform to balance out the negativity of our (global) collective consciousness, and the many blessings that their work brings to the table, for each and every one of us, whether we have known to ask for it or not.

Of the thousands of First Nations people that we have served in those pro bono seminars (a large percentage of whom were residential school survivors), Chuck and I have never received feedback that suggested we hurt anyone. To my knowledge, those seminars have always included a form for feedback when it was over; the worst feedback I can remember receiving was from one man who suggested I not use the word “chakra” in describing how the joining method works, because they didn’t have that concept in their Indigenous healing model. I learned from that feedback, and figured out a way to describe the process without using spiritual jargon.

In other words, change the terminology but not the psychocolonisation practice. Canadian trainer Babs Stevens still describes herself as a "Oneness Blessing Giver" on her LinkedIn and a "Oneness Blessing (Deeksha) Giver" on Twitter.

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Our main goal has been to develop First Nations PoV Trainers to carry on the work. Presently, we have two First Nations PoV Trainers. They “pay” for their licensing as Psychology of Vision Trainers by donating work to First Nations communities. So, in effect, the international Psychology of Vision Trainers’ Association also contributes to First Nations in B.C.

Why do any of the SALPOV cult graduates, regardless of geography or ethnicity, need to pay for a "license fee" on the first place? The above paragraph can serve as Exhibit # 2 in the British Columbia vs. Spezzano and Associates Ltd. affinity fraud case, after the German language SALPOV Trainers Manual Section K.

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The truth is, Chuck and I have never received any governmental funds from Canada or any other country. Rather, we have donated at least 30 three-day seminars to First Nations communities in British Columbia, Canada, over a period of 20 years, without ever receiving any financial payment for the considerable amount of work we did. We also donated seminars to the Navajo Nation in the Southwestern US, to Native Hawaiian people in Hawaii and Buddhist monks and nuns in Asia.

In addition to our First Nations Fund, the Psychology of Vision has also created three other funds, which students of the Psychology of Vision support internationally. In our India Fund http://www.freundschaft-mit-indien.de we help the Bethsaida Orphanage in Kerala, India, where Chuck and I are the honorary parents of 975 orphans. The fund also helps support 2,600 children in 25 neighboring villages that were orphaned by the tsunami, as well as other community programs.

Our Africa Fund http://www.visionzambia.co.uk supports a community of approximately 35,000 in Linda Compound near Lusaka, Zambia, contributing to their Aids hospice, community school, infant nutrition program, infrastructure for clean drinking water and women’s self-help groups. The fund also contributes to our son’s charity for Wisdom School in Ghana, where he taught fifth grade.

I am sure the Spezzano/Ticehurst take on AIDS must be a great comfort to these children--

"AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)

This disease means our body has lost its ability to fight off infection. Infection by the HIV virus has caused serious damage to our immune system.

Normally our immune systems produce antibodies to fight off foreign agents but, because we have a poorly functioning immune system, ‘opportunistic infections’ take advantage and infect the body.

The development of this syndrome is the result of immense self-attack and self-judgment. We have judgment on society, which we feel is judging or attacking us in return. We feel that we have no defenses against attack.

At some level, we experience an inability to receive or give help. We are caught in a trap of indulgence, martyrdom or rebellion, rather than leadership.

The martyrdom takes the form of not receiving help and at the same time criticizing parents, family and society’s ability to give.

Yet, we are ignoring our vocation, refusing to heed the call to giving, to leadership, purpose, vision and not allowing ourselves to have all the help and comfort we crave.

Suggested Exercises:
Purpose
Forgiveness"

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In our Bangladesh Fund http://www.cocoro-v.org/english/join_e4.html we donate seminars to aid workers in Dhaka’s slums, as well as support various school, farming and women’s programs there, aiming at a hunger and poverty free Bangladesh by 2021.

Our First Nations fund http://povcanada.com/first-nations/ does fundraising to cover accommodation and travel expenses for Indigenous people in Canada who want to attend Psychology of Vision seminars. In addition to the pro bono seminars we have donated to First Nations communities, for many years all seats in seminars that Chuck and I taught anywhere in the world were free for First Nations participants. In 2009, the PoV Steering Committee made the decision to make the “First Nations Fund” PoV’s official means of “tithing back,” which included recommending to all PoV seminar promoters around the world that First Nations seminar seats be available at half price.

I can say without hesitancy that, rather than “strip” First Nations communities of funding and resources, the Psychology of Vision has done the very opposite of what we have been accused of. The PoV First Nations Fund has brought $1.5 million USD of resources to British Columbia to support First Nations in their healing over the past 20 years.
 

We would all love to see an example of the transparency your organisation so frequently touts in action and read an account of this money trail, please? Particularly in British Columbia.

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But more importantly, in First Nations communities where the Psychology of Vision has been taught, we have received the following feedback: as emotional healing takes place in the families, there are not as many crises taking place in the community, and as the level of crisis in the community reduces, members have the luxury of time to learn their Nations’ languages and ancient skills from the elders before they are lost.

I think the current residents of Haida Gwaii who are not SALPOV cult followers might have a different opinion. Inconvenient, isn't it? You didn't quite brainwash the whole place. Well, you did have Erick Gonzalez competing with you. I understand you Spezzanos had a chance to meet him. Quite a story there.

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I remember one First Nations woman, a strong leader in her community, telling me that she credited PoV for giving her time. Time to be with her family (rather than having to always be responding to community crises and tragedies), time to learn her language, and time to learn such skills as how to tan a deer hide for the doeskin dress her daughter would need at her traditional coming of age ceremony. Their Nation had nearly lost those arts, and nearly lost its language.

And yet others on Haida Gwaii consider SALPOV to be a "Manifesting" Destiny force. Introducing Oneness University inspired Deeksha and Oneness Blessings can hardly be counted as a positive influence on Haida Gwaii. A local leader, Babs Stevens, in my opinion which I am free to have as a human walking between the Earth and sky, is clearly being hypnotised and manipulated in Lenora's YouTube entitled Original Mind Download.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fds1BgICdBY 


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References and Footnotes

1. Just to be clear, when I refer to the “natural world” in which we all live, or to some Indigenous peoples’ "relationships to their traditional lands, waterways and resources - I'm not talking about “Indian” stereotypes, such as the "Indian as Nature or as natural"; nor am I saying, “All Native people are so spiritual.” What I am talking about are the many Indigenous peoples who have already led the way in this regard, and those who are continuing to lead the way - the most recent being, for example, the Idle No More movement, which began in Canada and quickly caught fire across the globe. That said, as much I don’t want to sound like a corny wannabe, I do believe that many Indigenous groups and individuals have a very valuable sense of relationship with the - brace yourself! - "Great Spirit" who occupies the planet as a body.

Wow. She utterly failed here. She is totally talking stereotype. "Some of my best friends are non-white." She comes across as the square undercover narc attempting to be hip while trying to bust someone for smoking frog venom.

The question among the SALPOV watchers on whether Lenora lives in a world of delusion or is indeed a true con artist remains open. 


« Last Edit: July 06, 2014, 11:02:18 pm by Sandy S »

Offline Sandy S

  • Posts: 271
Re: Chuck Spezzano & Psychology Of Vision
« Reply #267 on: July 06, 2014, 11:37:49 pm »
The Truth about Chuck And Lency Spezzano And The Psychology of Vision, Pt. 8

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Are Chuck And Lency And The Psychology of Vision Only about Money?

When people whose first vocational goals were to be a priest, and to work with severely disabled people and dying children, it is not because they are only about money. Being a Psychology of Vision Trainer is very challenging and draining work, the overhead is high and the rewards are not primarily financial.

If we were only about money, there are much easier ways to acquire it. PoV Trainers are motivated by the love in their hearts for humanity and their desire to relieve suffering.

She is right. The Spezzanos are indeed not just about making lots of money, they are also about acquiring a sadistic kind of power over people, as evidenced by Lenora's YouTubes. Notice how she first poses her question as if it was just pointed to her and Charles, and then extends it to the trainers as if they were extensions of herself.

The trainers are being used as sandbags here. Most of them are probably not making all that much money, especially with all the fee-based requirements the Spezzanos demand. But you can bet the two top CEOs of Spezzano and Associates are raking it in. 

The fact Charles charges over $1000 an hour for a personal consultation wrecks the integrity of Lenora's whining about her defense they are not obsessed with money.

I won't dispute the fact both Spezzanos entered the occupation of helping others with the best of intentions. But it didn't last long. Somewhere along the line they crossed over to the Dark Side of greed and power. They have indeed become the very dark astral forces they warn their followers about. Unfortunately, one of the requirements of being a SALPOV client is to check your brains at the door, along with any sense of dignity, class, or (shudder) independence. A few souls have managed to crawl out of the SALPOV crazy house and are among the people working to convince British Columbia authorities that a public system of exit counseling needs to be in place as a support for SALPOV survivors trying to reclaim their lives.

It looks like the Spezzanos left the field of public service three decades ago and became retail spiritual capitalists, selling their vaporware to wealthy gullible people who were not subject to USA consumer protection laws. If they had remained in the low-paying and altruistic field of public service then perhaps I could have an iota of respect for them. But instead they chose to put profit ahead of social responsibility, as indicated by the damage they have created without admitting any responsibility for the negative consequences of their actions as outlined in this forum.

If they had been cast in the Big Chill, a movie where Boomer plans were torn asunder, they would've played the parts of corporate sellouts.

The question among the SALPOV watchers on whether Lenora lives in a world of delusion or is indeed a true con artist remains open. 

Offline Sandy S

  • Posts: 271
Re: Chuck Spezzano & Psychology Of Vision
« Reply #268 on: July 07, 2014, 12:01:44 am »
The Truth about Chuck And Lency Spezzano And The Psychology of Vision, Pt. 9

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What Is The Nature of The Relationship Between Psychology of Vision And Oneness University?

There is no relationship between the two organizations. Some of us attended healing programs there years ago, but for a number of reasons it felt true to me to distance Psychology of Vision from Oneness U. For about a year after making that decision, I stated in my seminars that I did not recommend that people attend their programs.

Of all the twisted misrepresentations spread on Lenora's online screed, this one is the most blatant. I won't waste my time repeating all the evidence we have already presented on this forum disproving this fantasy. The fact remains that Oneness University was a major influence on SALPOV teachings and is now too deeply embedded for the Spezzanos to remove. If they deny OU teachings then they must also deny much of their own curriculum and shut down their money-making operation.

SALPOV tried to remedy this by erasing all online connection with OU. My, how Soviet of them.

I'd love to hear in detail why Lenora does not approve of Oneness University. Both SALPOV and OU seem equally crazy to me. Perhaps her objections coincided with some negative press OU got for being a huge scam. So much for loyalty. Yet, OU philosophy is alive and well in SALPOV.

I'd like to take issue with her use of the word "seminar." This indicates equality among the participants, and as we have plainly seen in SALPOV promotional material and manuals, this is never the case. I am very familiar with the seminar method and have seen no evidence this is practiced in SALPOV. "Indoctrination" would be a more appropriate term. In a recent Facebook exchange, a loyal SALPOV follower attempted to approach and comfort Lenora as a fellow equal human being over the terrible and "nasty" treatment we critics are dishing out, and the Queen Bee let it be known she did not require the advice of underlings in no uncertain terms. This is consistent with the Great Chain of Being as outlined in the SALPOV Trainers Manual: God - Spezzanos - Trainers - Easy marks - Rabble - Troublemakers.

Notice the absence of detail in this post. No dates, no specific reasons. This is a pretty shifty-eyed and Nixonian answer. How did the Spezzanos first become enamored of OU? How much of OU philosophy worked its way into SALPOV theology and terminology? What caused Lenora to back away and exactly when did that happen? Why has this OU objection never appeared from an official online SALPOV source until this 2014 statement by Lenora? 

The question among the SALPOV watchers on whether Lenora lives in a world of delusion or is indeed a true con artist remains open. 
   

Offline Sandy S

  • Posts: 271
Re: Chuck Spezzano & Psychology Of Vision
« Reply #269 on: July 07, 2014, 12:17:41 am »
The Truth about Chuck And Lency Spezzano And The Psychology of Vision, Pt. 10

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Is Chuck Spezzano A Psychologist?

No.

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If you read Chuck’s resume section on this website, you will know that he holds a Ph.D. in psychology. I have never heard him refer to himself as a psychologist, and we have never advertised him as one, because that would require a psychologist’s license. We don’t edit the promotional material that PoV promoters and Trainers around the world create, as it is primarily in foreign languages. If some have been calling Chuck a psychologist instead of saying that he holds a Ph.D. in psychology, I’m sure it has been brought to their attention now.

Well, you know how that darn Internet works. "Lies can be put on just one blog, and they get shared and re-shared by people looking for material for their own blogs, which then gets shared again and again and again, running up the number of “hits” of viewers. They all feed off of each other for new content to stay competitive."

Lenora actually calls Charles a "psychologist" earlier in this document. That ol' split mind must be acting up again.

Internet also tells us over and over again that Charles has a PhD in "Counseling Psychology," but his thesis is presented as part of the requirements for "Professional Psychology." What's the deal with that?

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Chuck was still licensed as a Marriage, Family and Child Counselor in California when we set up our office in Hawaii. (There is a slight difference in strategies between Psychologists and Marriage Family and Child Counselors – the latter being committed to short-term intervention.) Chuck’s MFCC license was for California, and Hawaii did not yet offer MFCC licenses. Chuck had already moved on from having a private counseling practice to working internationally as a seminar trainer. The primary benefit for a therapist to be licensed is so that local insurance companies will pay for a certain number of sessions for people who live in your state. To go through this process of “third party payment” generates a lot of paper work, which would require us to hire additional office staff. Since Chuck was not developing a local private practice, and he and I were seminar trainers – which was our calling – we could not see any benefit for him to become licensed as a psychologist in Hawaii.

Yes, plus this way the SALPOV trainers do not have to be held accountable by government regulators. Also, all that nasty bureaucratic overhead from being licensed would mean a smaller profit margin for the Spezzanos.

Given Charles Lee Spezzano's history, I highly doubt he could qualify to be a licensed psychologist in Hawaii without some continuing education other than his 2007 Oneness University experience. His 2004 fine for pretending to be a psychologist might also hurt his chances.

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Although we will do some private coaching with people around the world, we generally try to steer people to a PoV seminar, if possible, because that is the more cost effective approach for the client. As Trainers, we don’t have the time to accomplish individually what can more easily be accomplished in a group. Our primary interest is what is in the best interest of our clients. As such, sometimes the nature of the issue the person wants to heal seems to them to be too personal to talk about in a group; so for them, the private coaching session is an option.

Private coaching at $1000 an hour. Nice. But it is always more profitable to make stew than serve steak. These two are really a piece of work.

The question among the SALPOV watchers on whether Lenora lives in a world of delusion or is indeed a true con artist remains open.