I find it sadly fascinating that several of the POV trainers, who seem like otherwise intelligent people, have squandered their time and money to feed the Spezzano bank account when with the same energy and finances they could've had a respected and truly professional academic degree.
The Psychology of Vision use of terms like "apprenticeship," "internship," and "mastery" for workshops beyond the introductory entry-level events suggests that POV serves as something of a vocational school for those who want to start or expand their own capitalist ventures in the esoteric business world. There are a considerable number of hypnotherapists, psychics, fortune card readers, NLP practitioners, quantum energy coaches, angel communicators, astrologers, Chakra cleansers, aura readers, Oneness Blessing givers, or just plain life coaches with no true professional training, etc., etc. who proudly list POV experience in their occupational resumes.
We have already supplied numerous checklists on this blog in order to provide a measurement and information for the consumer, seeker, potential customer, investigator, etc., etc. to decide for themselves if Psychology of Vision is a cult or/and a scam. And here's another one.
If we operate on the premise that POV is a vocational school, training and encouraging their students to either buy into a POV franchise (i.e. the expensive annual "license" fee per the POV Trainers Manual) or giving them the tools, even if by example, to begin their own for-profit operation, then I suggest we visit a consumer protection website from the home country of Chuck and Lency Spezzano. Come with me to the US Federal Trade Commission's webpage, "Choosing a Vocational School":
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0241-choosing-vocational-school
Here are some excellent questions posed by the FTC, along with my notes and links:
WHAT THE FACILITIES ARE LIKE
The closest thing to a POV central facility is a building called "The Barn" on the Spezzano property in Hawaii, which is surrounded by a high fence which sort of sticks out in their suburban neighborhood. The Barn has a loft and is cramped when workshops are filled to (and sometimes beyond) capacity. It is not ADA friendly, meaning if you are in a wheelchair or otherwise physically challenged this facility will not be an easy place to visit. Also, in most jurisdictions the local Fire Marshal might have some issues with the design.
http://psychologyofvision.blogspot.com/2018/05/lency-spezzanos-mysteries-of-love.html
In one photo of a POV training it appears the restroom facilities were actually outdoor portable toilets installed on the Spezzano lawn:
https://psychologyofvision.blogspot.com/2018/06/nafps-selections-theyve-been-love.html
Also, attendees are expected to pay for their own travel and lodging for the Hawaii gigs, and no transportation is provided from your hotel room to the Spezzano property the last I knew.
WHAT THE SCHOOL PROVIDES
Although Chuck and Lency Spezzano depend entirely 100% on customers from other countries, as far as I can ascertain neither one of them speak any language except English. So, for an extra cost, a translator is provided.
WHO THE INSTRUCTORS ARE
Chuck Spezzano is not a psychologist. Lency Spezzano is not a psychologist. Many of Chuck's commercial promoters and followers claim he is a psychologist and even a clinical psychologist. But the truth is his Ph.D. degree is not accredited by the American Psychological Association and he was fined by the State of Hawaii in 2004 for posing as a professional. Here are links to his thesis and the court decision:
https://psychologyofvision.blogspot.com/2015/09/charles-lee-spezzano-ph-d-in_28.html
https://psychologyofvision.blogspot.com/2015/09/state-of-hawaii-v-charles-l-spezzano.html
Spezzano has allowed himself to be marketed with false credentials for many years, both by his own POV organization and his promoters. He is ultimately responsible for this deception and I can find no record of any effort on his part to correct this.
http://psychologyofvision.blogspot.com/2015/10/pov-website-calls-chuck-spezzano-one-of.html
http://psychologyofvision.blogspot.com/2016/12/30-most-influential-psychologists.html
The Spezzanos have also attempted to whitewash and cover up their former adulation of Amma and Bhagavan's Oneness University. We unenlightened outsiders don't know why. But this does demonstrate how secretive and non-transparent POV leadership can be.
WHAT THE PROGRAM'S SUCCESS RATE IS
That depends on how you measure "success." The FTC uses completion rate, job placement, debt on graduation, students' experiences. From what I can see, POV has been somewhat successful in breaking up families, bringing people to the brink of suicide, depleting bank accounts of vulnerable people, leaving a wake of victims with no follow-up unless you pay even more (Chuck charges over $1000 an hour for individual sessions) and throwing loyal followers under the bus.
WHAT THE TOTAL COST IS
A lot, not even counting travel and lodging. By the time you have hit "trainer" status you have easily spent many thousands. POV offers payment plans, but their policy on refunds is a bit murky. Even POV loyalists admit the program is very expensive. A critic could make a good case that the tuition is basically for a private school run by frauds teaching others how they can be frauds as well.
As far as acquiring student aid to attend these events, good luck. British Columbia has deemed Psychology of Vision to be unworthy of financial support for students. In Germany, a school administrator was criminally convicted for using work funds for a jaunt to a Hawaiian POV junket, since the government does not recognize Psychology of Vision as a valid professional entity. Only in Canadian First Nations were government officials hoodwinked into supplementing POV events:
http://psychologyofvision.blogspot.com/2015/09/student-aid-bc-psychology-of-vision.html
http://psychologyofvision.blogspot.com/2017/12/honolulu-jutta-und-ihre-esoterik-trips.html
http://psychologyofvision.blogspot.com/2015/09/ngystle-society-grant-2010.html
http://psychologyofvision.blogspot.com/2017/12/francine-girard-peddles-pov-to-first.html
IF THE SCHOOL IS LICENSED AND ACCREDITED
It is not. The Spezzanos have been true artists in how they have created a money-making machine operating under the radar of government regulation. Also, they picked the best state in the union to run their operation, Hawaii, which is infamous for being a listless bureaucracy. It is remarkable Spezzano was even fined at all in 2004. According to the terms of his sentence he should've been hauled back into court countless times for continued false advertising. But, this is Hawaii we are talking about.
A certificate from Psychology of Vision is merely a piece of paper cheaply printed in order to make the client feel a sense of emotional accomplishment. It has absolutely no value in any workplace in the real world.
IF THE SCHOOL GETS MANY COMPLAINTS
POV has their own internal mechanism. You can bet the information they have stored will not be made public.
http://psychologyofvision.blogspot.com/2015/10/psychology-of-vision-complaint-procedure_28.html
Otherwise, simply search online and see what the vox populi have to say about Psychology of Vision. Investigate POV before you invest your time, energy and money.
