I undertook the process in my early 40s, having been unhappily stuck in some shitty 'patterns' of emotions / negative behaviours (all internally directed). I often compare it to doing 2 years of therapy in one week; the 'upside' is you can't go home between sessions and rationalize your way out of what you're learning. You're 'dropped in it' and for me that was a great thing. (I also repeated the whole week before I early retired...)
For specific reasons for me it was life-changing. Three things made it life-changing for me: I felt free, my body was more alive than ever before, I felt a deep peace. Subsequent 'refresher' weekends really allowed me to dig into patterns that persisted in a targeted way, and revealed further what my deepest issues / values in life are. (gosh, thanks for asking about this--it's great to revisit the value of the process a decade and a half on!) Many people do the process because they see themselves repeating negative parenting they received with their own children and want to not do that.
I was not aware at my first process that many / most patterns were set up in the family dynamic / situation and had no ways to view my behaviour that were helpful (despite some cognitive behavioural therapy for panic disorder that was successful in leaving attacks behind, thank g-d). I learned I did not have to believe my thoughts.
Some people think because it's a process done in a group, it's a group process. Uh, not really. You are intensely focused on you. There is no forced sharing. Some of what happens / gets revealed makes for very strong affinities (some the opposite), but it's all just grist for the mill and information for you.
Finally, some people think it's cult-like or weird. I'd say to the extent some people want the shift they experienced to continue and associate any positive changes with a specific set of methods / approach they might sound (or become) quite attached to the process. However, I and the vast majority of people I've been in process with (and some follow-up sessions) definitely see its benefits and just carry on with their lives (some make enormous desired changes, others move along with their paths). It is 'weird' if one is not used to looking at their life as affected by childhood, and family or if you've not been used to using physical expression to move energy out of the body.
My best advice to all those who have chosen to undertake it after seeing the difference it made to me is just to do everything asked to the best of your ability. Stepping out of the process part by questioning why or analyzing how you would make the process different is just another avoidance pattern. (I know some truly intellectually gifted people who just cannot do therapy or anything like this as they use their intellect to fend off their emotional responses. You really need to allow yourself to get out of your head.)
If you have specific questions, feel free to DM me. If people seem to be avoiding answering questions about something you really care about, it may just be because the process has surprising elements that no one wants to 'ruin' for future participants. If you want further information a British author wrote up the process, but if you want the full experience I wouldn't look at it before going.
