NAFPS Forum

General => Frauds => Topic started by: Diana on October 09, 2009, 07:47:03 pm

Title: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Diana on October 09, 2009, 07:47:03 pm
Just recieved this in my E-mails. Also, google "sweat lodge angel valley" for more news items on this tragic incident. 



2 dead after falling ill in sweat lodge in Sedona

by Jennifer Thomas

Posted on October 8, 2009 at 9:32 PM

Updated today at 12:21 PM


PHOENIX -- Two people are dead after becoming ill in a sweat lodge at a retreat center in Sedona.

According to the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office, approximately 21 retreat participants became ill Thursday at the Angel Valley Retreat Center located off of Highway 89A at Deer Pass Road in Sedona. They were transported to area hospitals where two of them were pronounced dead shortly after arrival.


http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/Haz-mat-situatiion-at-holistic-resort-sends-63824032.html

Added Ray's name to thread title. - k
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: earthw7 on October 10, 2009, 12:24:35 am
2 Dead, Several Hospitalized at New-Age Sweat Lodge in Arizona

2 Dead, Several Hospitalized at New-Age Sweat Lodge in Arizona
Friday, October 09, 2009 -


Two people are dead and several others remain hospitalized Friday after becoming mysteriously ill in a sauna-like sweat lodge at an Arizona resort.

Three people had heart attacks and about 21 in all were treated for injuries after being sickened Thursday night at the Angel Valley Sweat Lodge in Sedona. Two died.

The resort is next to GOP Sen. John McCain's ranch, according to MyFOXPhoenix.

Emergency crews responded about 5 p.m. Thursday to a hazardous materials situation at the sauna, the station said. Three patients were reportedly suffering cardiac arrest when ambulances and a helicopter arrived.

About 50 people were in a "sweatbox" type of structure when they were overcome at the resort, which provides Native American-style spiritual retreats, Yavapai County sheriff's spokesman Dwight D'Evelyn said Friday.

Many people began feeling ill after about two hours in the sweat lodge.

About 21 people were taken by ambulance or helicopter to area hospitals, where two were pronounced dead, D'Evelyn said. The dead were only identified as a man and woman, both middle-aged.

Two people taken to Flagstaff Medical Center were listed in critical condition on Friday. Three others who were admitted to a hospital in nearby Verde Valley recovered quickly; two were released overnight and one was reported in good condition on Friday.

Sheriff's homicide investigators were working to find the cause and determine if any criminal actions might have been a factor in the incident, D'Evelyn said. Investigators remained at the resort and were interviewing the retreat director, staff and resort guests on Friday.

Sedona is a resort town about 115 miles north of Phoenix famous for its red rocks. It is well-known as a center for a modern spiritual movement. Sweat lodges are indoor saunas usually located at spiritual resorts.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: earthw7 on October 10, 2009, 12:27:43 am
$999.00 double or triple occupancy per person

$1,399.00 single occupancy per person

http://www.angelights.net/tours.htm

http://jamesray.com/events/spiritual-warrior.php

http://www.angelvalley.org/guardians.html

http://jamesray.com/

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j4PHcSvMF8pPe_CpIRZejl7OD1vgD9B7PM5O0

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: dabosijigwokush on October 10, 2009, 12:56:07 am
i hope everyone that got injured or worse has a lawer
these people need to be sued right out of business
use there laws against them, they would do the same to us
 
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on October 10, 2009, 03:24:50 am
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j4PHcSvMF8pPe_CpIRZejl7OD1vgD9B7PM5O0
*********************************************

" Investigators were at the resort Friday interviewing the retreat director, staff and guests, including some who told detectives they paid up to $9,000 for the multi-day program.

"A woman who answered the phone at the resort Friday said its founders, Michael and Amayra Hamilton, would have no comment. A call to the Hamilton's home went unanswered.

"Authorities said self-help expert and author James Arthur Ray rented the facility and was hosting the group inside the dome, a low-lying structure covered with tarps and blankets. In a testimonial on the retreat's Web site, Ray said it "offers an ideal environment for my teachings and our participants."

"Ray's company, James Ray International, is based in Carlsbad, Calif."

***

"On Ray's Web site, a guide for participants of the five-day "Spiritual Warrior Event" includes a lengthy release of liability that acknowledges participants may suffer "physical, emotional, financial or other injuries."

"Doerksen, whose fire district responded to emergency calls, said he sent a hazardous materials team into the sweat lodge to test for carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and other contaminants. The test "didn't show anything out of the ordinary," he said.

"The Angel Valley Spiritual Retreat Center, built on former ranch property in the high-desert and red-rock country of northern Arizona, bills itself as a natural environment for self discovery and healing through a holistic approach aimed at balancing the mind, emotions, body and spirit.

"The property includes American Indian structures such as teepees, guest houses and outdoor labyrinths made of stones."
***********************************************

Full article at: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j4PHcSvMF8pPe_CpIRZejl7OD1vgD9B7PM5O0
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: AnnOminous on October 10, 2009, 03:50:09 am
I'm not sure if the article you refer to Kathryn is different from this one or not so I've included it in its entirety.  I especially lurve the last sentence; however I would replace the word "danger" with the word "guarantee."



The following News article can be located at:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j4PHcSvMF8pPe_CpIRZejl7OD1vgD9B7SCBG0
 
2 die, 19 overcome at Arizona retreat sweat lodge
By FELICIA FONSECA (AP) – 28 minutes ago
 
PHOENIX — A sauna-like sweat lodge at an Arizona resort meant to provide spiritual cleansing became a crime scene Friday after two people died and others became ill during a two-hour session inside the crude structure.
 
In all, 21 of the 64 people crowded inside the sweat lodge Thursday evening were transported to hospitals. Three of five who remained hospitalized Friday were in critical condition.
 
Authorities haven't determined the cause of the deaths and illnesses; tests for carbon monoxide and other contaminants were negative. Yavapai County sheriff's spokesman Dwight D'Evelyn said authorities were checking into whether any of the attendees had pre-existing medical conditions and the possibility that some of them might have been fasting.
 
Among those sickened were a middle-aged man and a woman who were unconscious, according to a 911 call, and a third person who was found not breathing.
 
"It's not something you'd normally see at one of the resorts there, and it's unfortunate regardless of the cause," D'Evelyn said.
 
Investigators were working to determine whether criminal actions might have been a factor in the incident, D'Evelyn said.
 
The Angel Valley Retreat Center sits on 70 acres nestled in a scrub forest just outside Sedona, a resort town 115 miles north of Phoenix that draws many in the New Age spiritual movement.
 
Self-help expert and author James Arthur Ray rented the facility as part of his "Spiritual Warrior" retreat that began Oct. 3 and that promised to "absolutely change your life." The schedule had few details about what participants could expect, other than thrice-daily meals and group gatherings that started at 7 a.m. and ended 16 hours later.
 
The details came in a lengthy release of liability that acknowledges participants may suffer "physical, emotional, financial or other injuries" while hiking or swimming, or during a multi-day personal and spiritual quest in the wilderness without food or water or the sweat lodge.
 
No one was required to participate in the activities.
 
Some participants told detectives they paid up to $9,000 for the event. In a testimonial on the Angel Valley retreat's Web site, Ray said it "offers an ideal environment for my teachings."
 
Ray spokesman Howard Bragman confirmed that his client was holding an event at the retreat, as he has done in the past. Authorities said Ray was inside the sweat lodge Thursday evening and was interviewed.
 
"We express our deepest condolences to those who lost friends and family, but we pray for a speedy recovery for those who took ill," Bragman said. "At this point there are more questions than answers, so it would not be appropriate to comment further."
 
Ray's company, James Ray International, is based in Carlsbad, Calif.
 
Ray's most recent posting on his Twitter account said: "Still in Spiritual Warrior ... for anything new to live something first must die. What needs to die in you so that new life can emerge?"
 
The posting and two others were deleted Friday afternoon.
 
A woman who answered the phone at the Angel Valley resort Friday said its founders, Michael and Amayra Hamilton, would have no comment. A call to the Hamiltons' home went unanswered.
 
The Angel Valley Spiritual Retreat Center, built on former ranch property in the high-desert and red-rock country of northern Arizona, bills itself as a natural environment for self discovery and healing through a holistic approach aimed at balancing the mind, emotions, body and spirit.
 
The property includes American Indian structures such as teepees, guest houses and outdoor labyrinths made of stones.
 
Sweat lodges, like that held on the final day of the Angel Valley retreat, are commonly used by American Indian tribes to cleanse the body and prepare for hunts, ceremonies and other events. The structure used Thursday was crudely built and covered with tarps and blankets.
 
Stones are heated up outside a lodge, brought inside and placed in a pail-sized hole. The door is closed, and water is poured on the stones, producing heat aimed at releasing toxins in the body.
 
The ritual is helpful in restoring balance and changing people's attitudes and self-image, said Joseph Bruchac, author of "The Native American Sweat Lodge: History and Legends."
 
American Indian sweat lodges typically hold a maximum of 12 people.
 
People have died in sweat lodges in the past. They were either sick tribal elders who voluntarily stayed until they died or people who had heart conditions and were in poor health.
 
"The sweat lodge needs to be respected," Bruchac said. "When you imitate someone's tradition and you don't know what you are doing, there's a danger of doing something very wrong."

*****************
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on October 10, 2009, 04:21:21 am

Ray's most recent posting on his Twitter account said: "Still in Spiritual Warrior ... for anything new to live something first must die. What needs to die in you so that new life can emerge?"

Holy crap.
 
Quote
The posting and two others were deleted Friday afternoon.

Probably at his attorney's urging. Though at $9,000 a head, he can afford legal advice. He's going to need it.

Quote
The property includes American Indian structures such as teepees, guest houses and outdoor labyrinths made of stones.
 
Sweat lodges, like that held on the final day of the Angel Valley retreat, are commonly used by American Indian tribes to cleanse the body and prepare for hunts, ceremonies and other events. The structure used Thursday was crudely built and covered with tarps and blankets.

We need to keep an eye on this stuff, and make sure, like with the cancer kid whose mother kept him from getting treatment, that the media keeps it straight that this was NOT an NDN ceremony.
 
Quote
People have died in sweat lodges in the past. They were either sick tribal elders who voluntarily stayed until they died or people who had heart conditions and were in poor health.

I've only heard of nuagers dying from suffocation, dehydration or psychotic breakdowns. Has anyone ever heard this claim of "tribal elders who voluntarily stayed until they died"?  ... I'm not going to speculate on that, but even if it were true, is that really an appropriate thing to say?
 
Quote
"The sweat lodge needs to be respected," Bruchac said. "When you imitate someone's tradition and you don't know what you are doing, there's a danger of doing something very wrong."

At least that got said. It needs to be said over and over as this case is covered. Everyone is talking about it, so I think we need to keep an eye on the coverage.



ETA: The people who hosted this debacle also participated in the Live H2O event that White Ego Fraud (Rachel Holzwarth) was involved with: http://www.angelvalley.org/events.html
(http://www.angelvalley.org/assets/images/special_events/2009_sedona_live_h2o/2009_sedona_live_h2o.jpg)
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: NDN_Outlaw on October 10, 2009, 05:25:42 am
Two dead, three in critical condition and sixteen others hospitalized. Sixty-four people in a huge lodge conducted by some greedy know nothing idiot. Traditionalists have warned so many people for so long. So many of these people have no ears-all mouth. I'm all muddled up with all kinds of powerful feelings but above all my heart goes out to those families who lost a loved one. There are probably children mourning a parent. Such a bizarre and senseless tradgedy. Who ever caused this needs to spend some time in jail.
Title: Spirtual Warrior Retreat
Post by: BlackWolf on October 10, 2009, 06:44:58 am
2 people died recently at a Sweat Lodge in Sedona, Arizona.  The news story says Sedona is the home of a modern Spirtual Movement.  Anyone have any info on this guy James Arthur Ray?  I guess he was the guy that rented the facility there.



http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9B7MOEG1&show_article=1 (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9B7MOEG1&show_article=1)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091010/ap_on_re_us/us_sweat_lodge_deaths_12 (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091010/ap_on_re_us/us_sweat_lodge_deaths_12)
Title: Re: Spirtual Warrior Retreat
Post by: BlackWolf on October 10, 2009, 06:58:22 am
I guess it all happened here at the Angel Valley Retreat Center.  They also offer "Crystal Skull Meditations" and "Full Moon Druming Circles"

http://www.angelvalley.org/sedona-calendar-of-spiritual-events.html (http://www.angelvalley.org/sedona-calendar-of-spiritual-events.html)
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Ingeborg on October 10, 2009, 10:21:54 am
Video of emergency calls:

http://www.azcentral.com/video/44317126001

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: outershell on October 10, 2009, 12:49:33 pm
Self-help expert and author James Arthur Ray rented the facility as part of his "Spiritual Warrior" retreat that began Oct. 3 and that promised to "absolutely change your life."


Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/09/angel-valley-resort-sweat_n_316137.html
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on October 10, 2009, 01:11:00 pm
See thread here: http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=2380 We should probably merge these.
Title: Re: Spirtual Warrior Retreat
Post by: Defend the Sacred on October 10, 2009, 01:28:16 pm
See thread here: http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=2380
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on October 10, 2009, 01:38:55 pm
Spirchul Death Cult:

(http://www.angelvalley.org/assets/images/retreats/2009/2009_james_ray_spiritual_warrior.jpg)

http://jamesray.com/

And I'd say it's no coincidence there's a pyramid image at the bottom of the page.

Sweat your way to wealth.  Pyramid schemes resulting in death.

(http://jamesray.com/skin1/images/index-continue.gif)
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: educatedindian on October 10, 2009, 03:12:26 pm
From James Ray's website.

---------------
....James’ most recent book, Harmonic Wealth: The Secret of Attracting the Life You Want, reached number five on the New York Times Best-Sellers list in its first week in print.

Throughout his life, James Arthur Ray has studied and been exposed to a wide diversity of teachings and teachers – from his collegiate learning and the schools of the corporate world, to the ancient cultures of Peru, Egypt and the Amazon. Armed with this comprehensive and diverse background in behavioral sciences, coupled with his experience as a successful, entrepreneur, and an avid thirst for spiritual knowledge, James boasts the unique and powerful ability to blend the practical and mystical into a usable and easy-to-access formula for achieving true wealth across all aspects of life.

Seeking to share his unique way of living with individuals around the world, James presents his insights at public appearances and seminars over 200 days each year. His Journey of Power® events fuse together the wealth-building principles, success strategies, and the teachings of all great spiritual traditions and practices that he has experienced and assimilated over the last 25 years.

James Arthur Ray has made multiple appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Larry King Live, and is a recurring guest on NBC's top-rated national morning show, Today. He has been featured in numerous publications, both regionally and nationally, including a feature article in a March 2009 issue of The New York Times on the growing success of his Harmonic Wealth Weekends and an April 2008 profile in Fortune Magazine.

-------------

That he's been promoted by one mainstream media outlet after another is despicable. Oprah Winfrey in particular has a horrible record of promoting other obvious frauds like "Don" Miguel Ruiz. These outlets helped make him wealthy and famous, and they helped draw these poor people to these phony dangerous knockoffs of sweatlodges.

Winfrey esp needs to come clean and accept her responsibility for her part in this. Hopefully she will do a program apologizing for promoting Ray, as she earlier apologized for promoting an author who lied about his past. 
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: educatedindian on October 10, 2009, 03:31:21 pm
Just happened:

A freelancer working for the NY Times just contacted me about this story. I'll talk to him, but I also urge anyone else wanting to give their POV to email or IM me ASAP if you want to speak with him. I will pass along his email and phone number to you, or yours to him.

I esp urge people living in AZ to talk with him. No doubt he'll want reactions from local NDNs.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on October 10, 2009, 05:01:59 pm
Good post at DDR: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Debunking_debunkersrule/message/203 with lots of links

Screen caps of the Shameon's deleted twitter posts from night of the deaths: http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/10/09/2-people-died-in-a-sweat-lodge-last-night-and-deleted-tweets-have-surfaced/
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Sizzle Flambé on October 11, 2009, 09:18:32 am
USA Today (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-10-10-sweat-lodge-deaths_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip) reprinted the AP article, with photo (http://content.usatoday.com/_common/_scripts/big_picture.aspx?width=490&height=302&storyURL=/news/nation/2009-10-10-sweat-lodge-deaths_N.htm&imageURL=http://i.usatoday.net/news/_photos/2009/10/10/sweatx-large.jpg).

Great Native-American yin-yang logo on the teepee!
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: educatedindian on October 12, 2009, 12:51:29 pm
The reporter working for the NY Times I spoke to on Saturday, his article came out. He quoted both me and the site, as well as Joseph Bruchac and a Klamath ceremonial leader. It's interesting to see that even the mayor of Sedona is appalled by these exploiters.

-------------------
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/us/12lodge.html?scp=3&sq=sweatlodge&st=cse

Sweat Lodge Deaths Bring Soul-Searching to Area Deep in Seekers
 Tom Tingle/The Arizona Republic, via Associated Press
Investigators are looking into two deaths that occurred in a spiritual retreat near Sedona, Ariz. The cause of death is unknown.

 By JOHN DOUGHERTY
Published: October 11, 2009
SEDONA, Ariz. — Tucked into stunning red rock formations and canyons punctuated with splashes of green junipers, this town of about 11,500 has long been a high-end golf and tennis resort, the choice location for second homes of the well-to-do and a favorite destination for hikers, rock climbers, cyclists and sightseers.

It has also become world-renowned as a New Age metaphysical center, attracting seekers and followers of an assortment of spiritual pathways, many of whom believe healing energy is released from “vortexes” that are said to be scattered among the rock formations.

Scores of self-proclaimed mystics, healers, channelers of past life experiences (and aliens), sacred touch massage therapists, wind whisperers and vision quest guides offer their services, often for a hefty price. Many of these spiritual pathways are based somewhat loosely around Native American traditions, including the ceremonial sweat lodge.

But the deaths of two people in a sweat lodge last week at Angel Valley, a New Age spiritual retreat about six miles south of West Sedona, is causing more soul-searching among New Age practitioners and concern among town leaders.

“We are severely impacted by the fact that this happened,” said Sedona’s mayor, Rob Adams. “We need to get to the bottom of what happened.”

Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, N.Y., and James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee, died on Thursday after collapsing inside the Angel Valley sweat lodge. Three other people were airlifted in critical condition to Flagstaff Medical Center.

“The people in the field will take a close look at their operations, absolutely,” said Marcus, an intuitive counselor — a kind of spiritual guide — who goes by only his first name. “This is ridiculous, it shouldn’t have happened.”

At least seven other people have died in ceremonial sweat lodges since 1993 in the United States, England and Australia, according to news accounts compiled by Alton Carroll, an adjunct professor of history at San Antonio College who also moderates the Web site Newagefraud.org.

James Arthur Ray, a self-help expert from Carlsbad, Calif., led what was billed as five-day “spiritual warrior” experience at Angel Valley, which concluded with a tightly packed sweat lodge ceremony. Participants paid about $9,000 each for the weeklong retreat, which included seminars, a 36-hour fast and solo experiences in the forest.

The authorities say that at any one time 55 to 65 people were packed for a two-hour period into a 415-square foot structure that was 53 inches high at the center and 30 inches high on the perimeter. Mr. Ray’s employees built the wood-frame lodge, which was wrapped in blankets and plastic tarps. Hot rocks were brought into the lodge and doused with water. Mr. Ray, who conducted the ceremony, left the area on Thursday after declining to give a statement to the police.

Sheriff Steve Waugh of Yavapai County said a death investigation would continue for several weeks. Mr. Ray, the Angel Valley owners, Michael and Amayra Hamilton, and all the participants are part of the investigation, the sheriff said. The results from autopsies that were conducted Friday have not been released and results from toxicology tests are not expected for several weeks.

Dr. Carroll, who is partly of Mescalero Apache descent, said the Angel Valley sweat lodge was the “best example I have seen, sadly, in a long time of why it is extremely dangerous to conduct sweat lodge ceremonies without proper training.”

Katherine Lash, a co-owner of Spiritquest Retreat in Sedona and a veteran of more than 100 sweat lodge ceremonies, said she had never heard of a sweat being conducted with as many people as were involved in the Angel Valley event. “In my experience it has been very rare to have more than 20 people,” she said.

Limiting the number of people inside a sweat lodge is critical because the person leading the event is supposed to carefully monitor the mental and physical condition of each participant, experts said.

“It’s important to know who is responsible for your spiritual and physical safety in that lodge,” said Vernon Foster, a member of the Klamath-Modoc tribe who regularly leads ceremonial sweat lodge events in central Arizona.

Mr. Foster said native people would use only natural materials in the construction of a sweat lodge. “We would never use plastic to cover our lodges,” he said. “The lodge has to breathe, that steam has to go someplace.”

Sheriff’s office investigators are conducting tests to determine whether any toxins were released during the ceremony. The authorities said sandalwood “was thrown on the rocks to give the effect of incense.” A 2007 study by the National University of Singapore on the effects of smoke emitted by sandalwood incense published in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials found that “continuous and prolonged exposure to incense smoke is of concern.”

Ms. Brown, said friends in Cabo San Lucas, Mex., where she lived and worked as a interior house painter, was in excellent physical condition and regularly practiced yoga and enjoyed surfing. “She was very beautiful and a very, very exceptional and unique person,” said Todd Clouser, a musician from Boston who met Ms. Brown three years ago.

Mr. Clouser said he was not surprised that Ms. Brown would attend a sweat lodge. “It was totally up her alley,” he said.

Mayor Adams said that Sedona believed that people should be free to follow their spiritual path and that metaphysical services would continue to be an important part of the area’s economy. But, he said he shared concerns of some Native Americans who complain that non-natives are, at times, exploiting their sacred ceremonial practices for profit.

“If it is simply to make money, then that’s another issue,” he said.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: NCRunningWolf on October 12, 2009, 07:31:18 pm
I live just a bit down the highway from Sedona.  Well, for us it isn't far. 
I understand the people up there are very upset, as many make their living off "Native American style" "vision quests", "sweat lodges", ceremony and expensive geegaws that are guaranteed to save your soul, lift your spirit to a higher plane, etc.
All this salvation for a price, of course.
It is a strange place indeed.  Beautiful, but the people up there tout "vortexes", "angel" places.   This may hurt businesses up there as they prey on the spiritually dissatisfied, those who are seeking a  deeper meaning in life, and a place to anchor themselves.
This James Ray is the guy who  wrote "The Secret". 
James Ray did not even visit the  people in the  hospital or stay to at least try to comfort the survivors.  He turned his back on them and walked away with his half million he made from this  debacle. I think many of the people who go to these things are fragile minded anyway.  There will be life time trauma for many of the people who participated in this thing.
The thing looks like a dump in the pictures in the news here.  If you noticed the shadows, I didn't at first, it was pointed out to me, even the alignment was wrong.
I am glad this is getting the national attention it deserves.
I am NOT glad anyone died, but if enough people read and hopefully understand this isn't a good thing, there may be fewer deaths.  This is far from the first instance of new age sweat lodge death. 
I am sure there are some that were not reported as such, either.
I hope that criminal charges will come out of this, but I doubt there will be.

Heated plastic gives off toxic gases.
There  was no way in hell that  that man could have given proper attention to the people for whom he was responsible.

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/113494414/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

Evolution of toxic gases from heated plastics
B. Bott, J. G. Firth, T. A. Jones
Safety in Mines Research Establishment, Ministry of Power, Sheffield S3 7HQ

Abstract
A brief investigation has been carried out into the nature and quantity of the toxic gases evolved during the thermal decomposition of polyurethane, urea-formaldehyde, nylon and acrylonitrile in air and in nitrogen. The weight fractions of the polymers evolved as hydrogen cyanide are given, together with the lowest temperatures at which hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide, ammonia and nitrogen oxides are evolved. Apparent activation energies for the evolution of hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide have been determined. A brief discussion of the experimental data is given.

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: earthw7 on October 12, 2009, 08:49:41 pm
he should go to jail
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: LittleOldMan on October 12, 2009, 10:55:09 pm
For a long long time!  "LOM"
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: E.P. Grondine on October 14, 2009, 01:24:54 am
Any one checked out where this guy advertised to line up his victims?

I have my guess...

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: BlackWolf on October 14, 2009, 03:34:21 am

I thought this article was interesting because the writer Johnny Flynn who is American Indian and has been attending and running sweats for 40 years says this
Quote
it’s just that no one religion has the corner on the borrowing and incongruity of sacred stories

and he goes on to mention that most Indian people are Christians.  He seems to disagree that "religions and Traditions" can be "stolen"  Just curious as to what everyone thinks about what he says?

http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/religionandtheology/1906/new_age_tragedy_in_sedona:_non-indians_in_the_sweat_lodge__/ (http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/religionandtheology/1906/new_age_tragedy_in_sedona:_non-indians_in_the_sweat_lodge__/)

Last week in Sedona Arizona, during a “spiritual warrior” retreat led by New Age, self-help expert James Arthur Ray, two people died in a “sweat lodge ceremony” and more than twenty were sickened.

Within hours after the news broke, the Web was alive with comments from Indians and non-Indians about the tragedy.

Sifting through the reactions I found a few themes that stood out.

Stealing the Religion?

First of all, there’s the question of the relationship of Indian religion to American culture. Non-Indians have been making a lucrative business out of the appropriation of Native ceremonies for years. Ray’s weeklong event in Sedona cost each participant more than $9,000. A search of any number of Web sites advertising these “Indian ceremonies” will turn up sweat lodges that average over $100 per event, and four-day “vision quests” going for around five hundred dollars, “all meals included” and “Visa and MasterCard accepted.”

Indians all across the country are upset, saying white people stole the land, killed the buffalo, and now want to steal the religion. The trouble is that most indigenous people in the Americas identify as Christian. Even the Native American Church, that features peyote as a “sacrament,” is incorporated as a church and uses the Bible as part of the altar display.

The origin of the peyote church can be traced to the late 19th century, the same time as the Ghost Dance, and shares a foundation from Christian eschatology. One of the central myths of the Native American Church is how a twenty-foot-tall Jesus came to Earth and saw the treatment of Indian people and began to cry. Wherever the tears hit the ground peyote grew, and so the buttons of the hallucinogenic plant are called the “tears of Jesus,” and visions generated by eating these tears allow participants to “see what Jesus saw.”

Understand, this is not a criticism of my own people and our myriad of religious beliefs; it’s just that no one religion has the corner on the borrowing and incongruity of sacred stories. New Agers who use the sweat lodge are not so much “stealing Indian religion” as they are weaving a new religion out of strands of what they believe to be old religions.

Various forms of the sweat ceremony were used by Indians from Canada into southern Mexico. In the south they’re called temescals and resemble a wet sauna or steam room; tribes in the American Southwest have dry sweats that feature heated rocks but no water, or a fire built inside the sweat with a smoke hole in the center of the lodge. The version that Ray and his followers used in Sedona is considered Plains style, where rocks are heated to glowing in a fire outside and brought into the lodge a dozen or so at a time. Water is poured on the hot rocks and the amount of steam and heat is controlled by the person conducting the ritual.

How this ritual made its way into the New Age religious movement can be traced to events in the early 1970s when the American Indian Movement made headlines across the country with occupations in South Dakota, Arizona, and Wisconsin. Among the participants were many American Indian spiritual leaders who were knowledgeable in the use of the sweat as a healing ritual—and they shared the ceremony with Indians and non-Indian supporters from around the country. Like the dried head of a dandelion, the sweat lodge drifted here and there and landed far from where it started.

Ceremony, Ritual, But Not Yet a Religion

Both the sweat lodge and the Native American Church peyote ceremony started as healing rituals for one or a few participants, people suffering from some kind of spiritual or physical ailment. Both grew into pan-tribal ceremonies because of the longstanding oppression of tribal religions by the United States government. Within a few decades of its origins, the peyote church grew into what is essentially an Indian-style Christian denomination. In order for the sweat lodge to grow into a denomination of Pan-Indian religious practice, there are some serious issues that have to be resolved within the sweat lodge movement.

In the interest of disclosure, I should say that I have been attending and running sweat lodges for almost forty years. I have been in lodges built for 3-4 people and those built to hold 20-30 people, sweated with elders in their 80s and infants only a few months old. People have had to leave because it was too hot, or they had other concerns, and more times than I can count have had to hug the ground due to the intensity of the heat. There are sweat lodge leaders with whom I would never sweat again, and those whose ceremonies were incredible learning experiences. The madodoigan is an integral part of my family, my tribe, and I hope to hand it down to the generations coming behind. But it is a ceremony, not a religion—not yet.
When I moved to California in 1974 after the Wounded Knee occupation the year before, the sweat lodge was already starting to spread from those origins. But I could not find a place to sweat for the first few months. Eventually some Paiute friends built one in their yard in a Southern California urban area, and within a few months, dozens of Indians and non-Indians started to attend.

By 1980, there were sweat lodges all over California and a yearly Lakota Sun Dance was being held at DQ University, a now-closed American Indian college near Davis, California. For the past seven years, I have lived in the Indianapolis urban area, and although there is only one federally recognized tribe in Indiana based out of southern Michigan, there are more than a dozen sweat lodges in or within fifteen miles of the city. Only two are run by Indian people.

So the first question to ask is, who is the priesthood going to be for the sweat lodge movement? And how are they going to be chosen and trained?

Honoring the Feminine? Or Endurance Contest?

At the heart of the reaction of Indians to the tragedy in Sedona last week is that James Arthur Ray is not an Indian. Running a sweat lodge ceremony is not simply constructing a lodge, heating rocks, and pouring water. In my language, the rocks are mishomsinanek ewi nokmisek, “grandmas and grandpas,” and so they must be chosen carefully. The wrong stones can explode in the fire, or worse, in the lodge. They can give off toxic fumes or not heat properly. As one sweat leader many years ago taught me, “the stones choose you, not the other way around.”

Even the act of bringing the stones into the lodge is dangerous; super-heated rocks carried from an even hotter fire can roll off the shovel or pitchfork and land in someone’s lap—and that possibility is an active part of the discussion of the participants in the sweat lodge as the rocks are coming in the door.

The sweat lodge is considered the womb of the Mother Earth, a living being, so it must breathe in order for it to participate in the ceremony. News accounts out of Sedona indicate that Ray’s sweat lodge was covered in plastic sheeting. As I have tracked the news stories and anecdotes of sweat lodge deaths and near-disasters, every one of them was covered with plastic sheeting or plastic tarps.

Missed by many who use the lodge is its fundamental purpose of celebrating creation and the creator as emerging from the principle of the feminine.

In my tribe, women control the sweat lodge. While men may tend the fire, brings the rocks, or be the one who pours the water, the lodge is “owned” by the women. They decide when; usually on the full or new moons. They decide who attends, and where the lodge is to be built. Participants become brothers and sisters in the womb and emergence allows a new start purified of past events or illnesses, spiritual or physical.

The sweat lodge is used in Native American substance abuse treatment programs and has been an integral part of ceremonies of spiritual cleansing of returning veterans dating back to the time of wars with the United States. Many tribes believe that participation in wars and battles cause the dead the cling to the soul of the combatants and must be released to the next world through a process of cleansing that includes the sweat lodge and other related purification rituals.

Participants in the Sedona event were told that this was part of becoming a “spiritual warrior,” and it is clear from the news accounts and Ray’s own advertisements that this was not about celebrating the feminine or purification of the spirit—it was an endurance contest. People were encouraged to compete with one another for no other purpose than to return to the workaday world ready to do battle.

And finally, no one ever pays for a sweat lodge. Ever. Participants may bring food to share, or wood, or work for the building and maintenance of the sweat lodge, or even share gas money with those who struggle to make it to the ceremony—but no money. Anyone who charges any money for any sweat lodge is not doing it for family, tribe, or as a celebration of the feminine.

There was a never a child born, or a spirit reborn, who came into this world from the last with a dime in their pocket. It is common sense.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on October 14, 2009, 06:11:06 am
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Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Diana on October 14, 2009, 04:47:18 pm
Here's another article about James Ray, my bold.



Sweat Lodge Retreat Leader 'Being Tested' by Deaths
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 



LOS ANGELES  —  The man in charge of a spiritual retreat last week in Arizona that left two people dead after they were overcome in a sweat lodge said Tuesday night he is facing a difficult time and is "being tested" by the tragedy.

The comments from self-help expert and author James Arthur Ray came during a seminar he held at a hotel in Marina del Rey, near Los Angeles. Ray broke down in tears as he addressed the deaths."This is the most difficult time I've ever faced," Ray told the crowd of about 200. "I don't know how to deal with it really."

An audience member asked Ray to describe what happened at the retreat, but he declined, saying only that he has hired his own investigative team and is cooperating with authorities.

"We're looking for answers," he said. "I'm as frustrated and confused as other people are."

Ray added that he wrestled with whether to go through with Tuesday's seminar, which he said was scheduled weeks before the sweat lodge deaths.

"My advisers told me, 'Don't do that. You don't know who'll show up. They're going to eat you alive,"' he told the audience. But he said it was important for him to keep his commitments.

"I'm grieving right now," Ray said. "I'm grieving for the families."

Ray led a group of more than 50 people last week through a five-day program at a resort near Sedona, Ariz., intended to push people beyond their limits. The course included a Thursday sweat lodge ceremony, which ended tragically in the deaths of Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, N.Y., and James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee.

Nineteen other people were hurt, and one remains in critical condition.

Ray's comments followed a demand earlier Tuesday from a spokesman for Brown's family for more accountability from Ray.

Tom McFeeley, Brown's cousin and family spokesman, called on Ray to assure that the retreat's participants "were not mistreated and not put in a reckless situation.

"He was someone people believed in, people paid good money to get his advice," McFeeley said. "It's a person we all wanted to believe had our best interest in mind. Quite simply, that didn't happen."

McFeeley also said he is concerned that Ray exhibited a "godlike complex" during the event that might have kept people from opting out of activities Ray acknowledged could cause "physical, emotional, financial or other injuries."

Fire department reports released Tuesday show the incident wasn't the first involving a sweat lodge ceremony at the resort. Verde Valley Fire Chief Jerry Doerksen said his department responded to a 911 call in October 2005 about a person who was unconscious after being in a sweat lodge.

Angel Valley resort owner Amayra Hamilton confirmed that Ray was leading the sweat ceremony during the 2005 event. Ray's spokesman declined to comment.

Meanwhile, the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office continued to investigate last week's ceremony to determine if criminal negligence played a role in the deaths or illnesses. Sheriff's spokesman Dwight D'Evelyn said Tuesday that authorities have not yet spoken with Ray.

Ray's spokesman, Howard Bragman, declined Tuesday to address the Brown family's concerns.

Authorities say 55 to 65 people attending the program were crowded into the 415-square-foot, crudely built sweat lodge during a two-hour period Thursday night. Participants paid between $9,000 and $10,000 for the retreat. They were highly encouraged, but not forced, to remain inside for the entire two hours, authorities said.

The participants had fasted for 36 hours as part of a personal and spiritual quest in the wilderness, then ate a breakfast buffet before entering the sweat lodge around 3 p.m. A 911 call two hours later said two people, who authorities said were Shore and Brown, had no pulse and weren't breathing.

Autopsies on Brown and Shore were conducted, but the results are being withheld pending additional tests. Carbon monoxide poisoning was ruled out as a cause of the deaths and illnesses.

A statement released by the family of Liz Neuman, who remains in critical condition at the Flagstaff Medical Center, said she is in a coma and doctors are working to stabilize damage to multiple organs.

Two others remained hospitalized. Fire officials say the victims exhibited symptoms ranging from dehydration to kidney failure after sitting in the sweat lodge.


Officials say the sweat lodge, built specifically for the five-day retreat, lacked the necessary building permit.

Resort owners Amayra Hamilton and her husband, Michael, asked Tuesday for prayers in hopes that something positive would come out of what they said was a tragic and unexpected event.

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: NCRunningWolf on October 14, 2009, 06:02:19 pm

Yeah, HE'S being "tested".
Yeah, HE'S "confused.
He's confused how he  is going to pull the same stunt for big bucks,
and get as many, if  not more ignorant, sad, people roped in.
A "difficult time' for him, eh?
I bet it's a helluva  lot more "difficult" on the people he  walked
out on.
Cowardly greedy fool.
I hope they get him for murder, but they won't.
Maybe manslaughter at the worse.
And, yes, maybe something good will come out of  this.
Maybe people will see what a  greedy phony James Ray is.
Maybe people won't be as quick to jump into something they don't know anything about.
I would like the media to point out these weren't the first deaths caused by non- Native sweat boxes.
I would like non- Natives to know how dangerous this is when practiced by people who know nothing about it.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on October 14, 2009, 07:26:41 pm
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Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: NDN_Outlaw on October 14, 2009, 07:58:47 pm
Being Canadian I'm not so familiar with American law.No doubt he will be confronted with civil law suits. Also what provision would there be for charging him with, what we in the north, would term criminal negligence causing death?
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: educatedindian on October 14, 2009, 09:01:19 pm
So far CNN, CBS News, and the AP have all left messages asking me for comment, then not gotten back to me. The NY Times asked if I wanted to write an editorial on the subject. I said yes, and they said it would be published on Thursday or Friday. So here it is below.

I'm hoping that Ray will be confronted over the deaths he caused by his incredibly callous negligence and endangerment. And I hope one of America's leading media figures, Oprah Winfrey, will have the integrity to confront her own role in promoting Ray and contributing to the man's rise to where he became a danger to his followers.

Obviously a big part of the editorial is trying to warn others as much as possible. With a 750 word count limit, I unfortunately couldn't more than briefly touch upon the problems with Nuage in general.

As far as I'm concerned, anyone is welcome to repost or quote from my editorial. I'm also going to try and post it on Oprah's online forum.

------------------------

Oprah Winfrey Should Apologize for Promoting Dangerous Fraud James Arthur Ray
By Al Carroll

Two people died in a distorted New Age version of a Native sweatlodge in Sedona. Dozens more were badly injured. They each paid over $9000 for a bastardized version of a ceremony which by tradition must never be charged for. Natives don’t believe in “pay to pray,” but apparently the New Age movement does. It is far more of a consumerist phenomena than a genuine spiritual movement. Many lost, misguided, and genuinely sincere seekers get caught up in the idea of paying cash for shortcuts to salvation, and Oprah Winfrey seems to be among them.

Winfrey promoted New Age leader James Arthur Ray on her program a number of times. It was Ray who jammed over sixty people into a “sweatbox.” Traditionally perhaps a dozen people are in a sweatlodge. The lodge is made from natural materials so the heat will not be too intense. But not Ray’s “sweatbox.” It was sealed with heavy plastic tarp to deliberately make the heat as intense as possible. People even competed to see who could withstand the highest temperatures, making it a bizarre contest rather than a ceremony to heal. Traditionally most of those in a sweatlodge have been through it before so they could guide novices, but seemingly the clients/victims of Ray’s outnumbered those conducting it by at least twenty to one.

Traditionally, you don’t charge for spiritual ceremony. You also don’t do it out of curiosity, because you think it would be “cool,” or for any reason except to heal. Survivors of alcoholism or PTSD are often healed by a sweatlodge. Thrill seekers should go elsewhere, hopefully to some self examination.

Spiritual exploiters like James Arthur Ray should be ashamed of themselves, but rarely are. After all, they get rich and have cult followings of the naïve or lost. Ray may belong in prison for negligent homicide, along with others who conduct extremely dangerous false versions of a sweatlodge. Ray’s operation likely knew that a sweatlodge, when run by anyone other than an extensively trained Native traditionalist, routinely results in deaths or injuries. There are deaths from phony New Age sweatlodges in Texas, Britain, Australia, and in California multiple times. The Australian Medical Association issued a warning about phony sweatlodges, something that American and European medical associations should do.

A sweatlodge that is not properly run can result in death from asphyxiation, heart attack, or dehydration. Hapless New Agers routinely get burned or scalded. There are also many cases of psychological damage. You can relive traumas in a sweatlodge, such as child molestation or rape, as well as manic episodes. The rocks heated in a sweatlodge, if not properly chosen, can explode. Finally, many of the worst exploiters sexually abuse their followers. It’s easy to pass out in the heat of a sweatlodge. Many women (and men) are molested or raped. No one should trust any operator who insists on a sweatlodge alone or in the nude.

Don’t trust anyone who advertises or charges for ceremony. There’s a simple standard that non-Natives should use when thinking about going to an alleged “Native” ceremony: If the operators seek out non-Native peoples, they are frauds looking to take your money. Actual Native traditionalists neither seek nor want converts. Native ceremonies are intended for Native communities, always. They lose their power and meaning once taken outside that context.

For her part in promoting the dangerous fraud James Arthur Ray, Oprah Winfrey should publicly apologize and vow to be more careful about who she endorses in the future. How many of the victims in Sedona would never have gone there had they not seen Winfrey’s program? How wealthy did Ray become off of his victims because of Winfrey’s repeated endorsement of Ray, both on her show and online? Why didn’t her show’s researchers take the time to look carefully and see what they should have known, that Ray was potentially dangerous to his followers?  

Winfrey, I believe, is a good hearted person who sincerely wants to help her audience. She apologized for promoting an author who lied about the life he described in his books and strongly criticized him on her own show. Why can’t she do the same to James Arthur Ray and confront him also? She should do the right thing and retract all endorsements of Ray and vow to take greater care in the future and never promote New Age exploiters again.

--------------
ETA- Here's the link to my thread on Oprah's forum. We'll see if they let it stand or not. Either way, they can't claim to not know.

http://www.oprah.com/community/thread/118818

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on October 14, 2009, 09:37:23 pm
@NDN Outlaw: I'd say two counts of Criminally Negligent Homicide, and about sixty counts of Reckless Endangerment. If they go too easy on him, maybe only Reckless Endangerment on the twenty or so who had to be hospitalized. I don't know if Manslaughter or CNH carries a higher penalty.

As for which charges concerning the woman who is still in a coma (http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/10/07/crimesider/entry5368846.shtml)... depends if she lives or dies.

---

@Al: Reposting.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Superdog on October 15, 2009, 12:16:42 am
Shawna Bowen's first-hand account of the incident.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ShawnaBowen/2009/10/13/Support-and-Insight-for-Parents-with-troubled-Teen
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: taraverti on October 15, 2009, 02:07:04 am
A comment on cbsnews.com claiming these were not the first deaths associated with a James Ray seminar

http://www.cbsnews.com/8618-504083_162-5378668.html?assetTypeId=41&messageId=8495457
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: earthw7 on October 15, 2009, 02:45:52 am
Below is a statement from Chief Arvol Looking Horse on the recent "sweat
lodge" deaths in Arizona.

As Keeper of our Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle, I am concerned
for  the 2 deaths and illnesses of the many people that participated in a
sweat  lodge in Sedona, Arizona that brought our sacred rite under fire in the
news. I would like to clarify that this lodge and many others, are not
our  ceremonial way of life, because of the way they are being conducted. My
prayers go out for their families and loved ones for their loss.

Our ceremonies are about life and healing, from the time this ancient
ceremonial rite was given to our people, never has death been a part of
our  inikag¹a (life within) when conducted properly. Today the rite is
interpreted as a sweat lodge, it is much more then that. So the term
does not fit our real meaning of purification.

Inikag¹a is the oldest ceremony brought to us by Wakan Tanka (Great
Spirit).  19 generations ago, the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota Oyate (people), were given
seven sacred rites of healing by a Spirit Woman Pte San Win (White
Buffalo  Calf Woman). She brought these rites along with our sacred C¹anupa
(pipe) to  our People, when our ancestors were suffering from a difficult time. It
was  also brought for the future to help us for much more difficult times to
come. They were brought to help us stay connected to who we are as a
traditional cultural People. The values of conduct are very strict in
any  of these ceremonies, because we work with spirit. The way the Creator,
Wakan Tanka told us; that if we stay humble and sincere, we will keep
that  connection with the inyan oyate (the stone people), who we call the
Grandfathers, to be able to heal our selves and loved ones. We have a
³gift² of prayer and healing and have to stay humble with our Unc¹i
Maka  (Grandmother Earth) and with one another. The inikag¹a is used in all
of the  seven sacred rites to prepare and finish the ceremonies, along with the
sacred eagle feather. The feather represents the sacred knowledge of our
ancestors.

Our First Nations People have to earn the right to pour the mini
wic¹oni  (water of life) upon the inyan oyate (the stone people) in creating
Inikag¹a  - by going on the vision quest for four years and four years Sundance.
Then  you are put through a ceremony to be painted - to recognize that you
have  now earned that right to take care of someone¹s life through
purification.  They should also be able to understand our sacred language, to be able
to  understand the messages from the Grandfathers, because they are ancient,
they are our spirit ancestors. They walk and teach the values of our
culture; in being humble, wise, caring and compassionate.

What has happened in the news with the make shift sauna called the sweat
lodge is not our ceremonial way of life!

When you do ceremony - you can not have money on your mind. We deal with
the  pure sincere energy to create healing that comes from everyone in that
circle of ceremony. The heart and mind must be connected. When you
involve  money, it changes the energy of healing. The person wants to get what
they  paid for; the Spirit Grandfathers will not be there, our way of life is
now  being exploited! You do more damage then good. No² mention² of
monetary  energy should exist in healing, not even with a can of love donations.
When  that energy exists, they will not even come. Only after¹ the
ceremony,  between the person that is being healed and the Intercessor who has
helped  connect with the Great Spirit, the energy of money can be given out of
appreciation. That exchange of energy is from the heart; it is private
and  does not involve the Grandfathers! Whatever gift of appreciation the
person  who received the help, can now give the Intercessor what ever they feel
their healing is worth.

In our Prophesy of the White Buffalo Calf Woman, she told us that she
would  return and stand upon the earth when we are having a hard time. In 1994
this  began to happen with the birth of the white buffalo, not only their
nation,  but many animal nations began to show their sacred color, which is
white.  She predicted that at this time there would be many changes upon
Grandmother  Earth. There would be things that we never experienced or heard of
before;  climate changes, earth changes, diseases, disrespect for life and one
another would be shocking and there would be also many false prophets!

My Grandmother that passed the bundle to me said I would be the last
Keeper  if the Oyate (people) do not straighten up. The assaults upon
Grandmother  Earth are horrendous, the assaults toward one another was not in our
culture, the assaults against our People (Oyate) have been termed as
genocide, and now we are experiencing spiritual genocide!

Because of the problems that began to arise with our rebirth of being
able  to do our ceremonies in the open since the Freedom of Religion Act of
1978,  our Elders began talking to me about the abuses they seen in our
ceremonial  way of life, which was once very strict. After many years of witnessing
their warnings, we held a meeting to address this very issue of lack of
protocol in our ceremonies. After reaching an agreement of addressing
the  misconduct of our ceremonies and reminding of the proper protocols, a
statement was made in March 2003. Every effort was made to insure our
way  of life of who we are as traditional cultural People was made, because
these  ways are for our future and all life upon the Grandmother Earth
(Mitakuye  Oyasin All my relations), so that they may have good health. Because
these  atrocities are being mocked and practiced all over the world, there was
even  a film we made called ³Spirits for Sale².

The non-native people have a right to seek help from our ³First Nation
Intercessors² for good health and well-being, it is up to that
Intercessor.  That is a privilege for all People that we gift for being able to have
good  health and understand that their protocol is to have respect and
appreciate  what we have to share. The First Nations Intercessor has to earn that
right  to our ceremonial way of life in the ways I have explained.

At this time, I would like to ask all Nations upon Grandmother Earth to
please respect our sacred ceremonial way of life and stop the
exploitation  of our Tunka Oyate (Spiritual Grandfathers).

In a Sacred Hoop of Life, where there is no ending and no beginning!

Namah¹u yo (hear my words),
Chief Arvol Looking Horse, 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White
Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle.
_________________
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Moma_porcupine on October 15, 2009, 03:14:49 am
I am really glad to read Arvol Looking Horse's statement on this. I hope people start paying attention to what the true Spiritual leaders are saying. Thanks for bringing his words here.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: NDN_Outlaw on October 15, 2009, 04:26:34 am
This forum is like a high reving engine running on all 8. Well done all of you.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on October 15, 2009, 04:56:20 am
.  
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Diana on October 15, 2009, 06:08:24 am
Found this on ABC 15.com news website out of Arizona, also there are some very good comments which I also posted from viewers. My Bold

Resort owners ask for prayers after Sedona lodge deaths


SEDONA, AZ – The owners of the Sedona property where a retreat was held that claimed two lives have released a written statement regarding the fatal sweat lodge.

In it, Michael and Amayra Hamilton said they called 911 and they're asking for prayers for the victims who were killed and are recovering.

"We ask to pray that something positive will come out of this," they said.

They also said they performed a prayer and meditation on the sweat lodge site James Ray rented for his "Spiritual Warrior" retreat.

But Ray is refusing to speak with media or detectives. He posted a statement on his website on Sunday.

His friend and colleague, John Asseraf said he understands why.

"We're ultimately responsible, ok, for what occurs in the environment that we're bringing people into," said Asseraf.

In all, the Yavapai County Sherriff's Office said up to 65 people were crammed inside the sweat lodge last week for upwards of two hours.

It was all part of a spiritual cleansing that turned deadly for two people, three others remain hospitalized.

Investigators said they may pursue criminal negligence and/or endangerment charges.

To determine that, they said they're not only waiting for autopsy results, but they're also waiting for lab results for potentially hazardous fumes that may have come from a long list of items from the sweat lodge's framework including tarps, soil, blankets, boulders and the sandalwood incense.

"There are some snake in the oil salespeople out there, but the majority of the people, James being one of them, really has the love and the intention and the care of other people," said Assaraf.

But one of the victims families said if that's true, why has he not taken any responsibility for the retreat investigators said netted him $500,000.

"I think he's (looking) for answers as well," said Assaraf, "And will he take responsibility? I hope he does, I think he will knowing his character."

Ray has posted several tweets on his twitter account since the deadly retreat, but he is scheduled to speak publicly at an event in Del Mar, California Wednesday night.

Stay with ABC15 and ABC15.com for developments.

PRESS RELEASE October 13, 2009
BY MICHAEL AND AMAYRA HAMILTON,
Angel Valley Sedona

A tragic and unexpected accident took place at Angel Valley on Thursday afternoon, October 8 during a sweat session under the direction and control of facilitator James Ray, who rented our facility for his Spiritual Warrior Retreat.

We express our deepest feelings of sympathy, love and support for the families and friends of those who passed on and for those who are still recovering.

We want to thank all the many people who have sent us tokens of their love and who have offered their support. Many prayer circles have been created to pray for all involved.

We want to express our sincerest feelings towards the Native American Community for this having taken place on the sacred land that we are the stewards of. We have been offered assistance by Native American friends to heal the land, which we have accepted with gratitude. We also know that an initiative has been taken among those who lead sweat lodges in the authentic way, to get together and review how incidents like this can be avoided in the future. We feel the pain of the Native American Community.

Our Angel Valley team is in pain and grief by what has occurred.  Since Thursday evening we have been attending to the needs of those involved in the accident along with their family and friends. We drove to the hospital to pick up people after they were released, we collected their belongings and were in contact with family members.

From the moment we dialed 911, minutes after people were brought out of the sweat lodge, we have done the best we could to assist and provide the space for the paramedics and the police to do their work. We want to thank both departments for the gracious and thorough way they went about performing their tasks.

We are being inundated by the media and we understand their need to report the News. Yet, we felt that it was our priority to take care of the participants of the retreat as well as our own staff. We told everybody that we will speak, but asked to give us some space to tend to our priorities.

Saturday October 10, after the police had released the site of the accident, we performed a ceremony in prayer and meditation on the sweat lodge site, together with those participants of the retreat that were still around and our staff, finalized by a prayer song by a Native American Elder. Our ceremony was our attempt to come to terms with what had happened, We prayed for Kirby Brown and James Shore and their families, for all others involved who need support, either physically or emotionally, for the Native American people and their tradition, for all those who struggle with what took place and for our own healing.We laid a heart in stones as a memorial to Kirby and James.

We ask all who see this to send your prayers and love to all involved and affected.
We ask to help transform anger and judgment.
We ask to pray that something positive will come out of this.

Michael and Amayra Hamilton,
Co-founders of Angel Valley Spiritual Retreat Center and owners of the land.

yumacat - 10/13/2009 10:37 PM  This statement from the resort owners is more shallow, clueless and just plain selfish than any I though possible. Mr. and Mrs. Resort Owner: No one cares about your prayer rocks in a heart shape; no one cares about the media hounding you; no one cares about whatever "native" people you hired to cleanse the site; no one cares that you were the one who called 911 (like you went out of the way to do some special duty or something); and, no one cares about your interest to turn something "positive" from this tragedy, at least not your definition of "positive". Two people died on your property either in a tragic accident or by a criminally negligent act. No amount of feather-waving, earth-cleansing, heart-stone monument ceremonies will change this fact. Therefore, maybe your statement could have been something like: "We are deeply grieved by these tragic deaths and deeply concerned for those who are still ill. While the exact cause of this tragedy is still under investigation, we pledge to do all that we can to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again as well as owning up to any legal or civil liabilities as a result of this tragedy for which we are responsible." I know, the power "within" you unleashed by all those vortexes and crystals is a bit too vain to stick your neck out like that and admit to possibly being wrong and liable even though it is the right thing to do.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crow Woman - 10/13/2009 7:22 PM 0 Votes Report User Angel Retreat owners, do you plan to refund everyone's money who was at the retreat? Are you paying for crisis counselling for the survivors? Are you paying the hospital bills, especially for those who have no medical insurance? And why did Mr. Ray turn tail and leave the state? He wouldn't talk to the police. Wouldn't a "spiritual leader" care about what happened and stick around to be of help to the survivors? I think his action of fleeing the scene tells us what this man truly is. I love Sedona and have been there many times. Angel Retreat owners, you have sullied the reputation of Sedona and of its neighboring native peoples, through your greed and your stupidity. I hope that all the bad publicity forces you to have to close your doors forever. I hope that no other spiritual pilgrim will ever appear on your doorstep again. Both you and Mr. Ray should face criminal charges. What a disgusting display of greed. Angel Retreat owners, guess what? Grace and enlightenment do not cost $10,000. How dare you offend one of the most sacred native ceremonies? Your "apology" is lame. Stand up and take responsibility for what you did. There is blood on your hands.
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doejoe - 10/13/2009 7:19 PM 0 Votes Report User This really does sound more like a promotional advertisement for their retreat than it does a letter of condolence. At least they made an effort to help. James the spiritual guru was completely MIA. Apparently preparing for his next love fest and raking in those fees.
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sagemind - 10/13/2009 6:22 PM 0 Votes Report User Attn: Angel Retreat Center murderers....obtw: being rich doesn't make you smart. Find more beneficial ways to spend your time and money; helping other human beings would be a tremendous start!
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sagemind - 10/13/2009 6:19 PM 0 Votes Report User CYA; is all I hear, yeah pray for him, he's gonna loose alot of his precious money. And he's probably got more "sheep" paid up for another stupid feat and doesn't want them to cancel and get refunds...imitating with the focus of making money; another culture's ceremony is a complete no, no on many levels.
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tricksterpower - 10/13/2009 6:15 PM 0 Votes Report User To the Angel Retreat Center: I hope & pray that you evil new age scumbags go under. You SUCK and will reap what you have sown. What balls to ASK for anything from anyone?! Goes to show how selfish you really are! Enjoy your ghosts that will haunt you to the end of your days.
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Lorida - 10/13/2009 4:17 PM 1 Vote Report User This is the statement from the Angel Valley Retreat? Its so shameful and lame, its shocking.....all they said to the media was they are "praying for the injured people that attended Rays sweat lodge,"... thats it? Thats their statement? Wow, hope the pd gets more than this lame ass response.....its a bunch of garbage! What did we expect from these guilty parties? I hope no one gets away with killing these two people, and the suffering of 65 people had to endure for hours, crammed into a tiny make shift tent, breathing toxic plastic fumes with out fresh drinking water nor any fresh air after being weakend by fasting prior to the sweat, of course now I realize Ray saved money on the food expense. What scammers in Sedona! Will they refund everyone's money or what? Will the police get face to face answers from James Ray and Assaraf? What are the police waiting for? Investigate everyone involved.
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IM4US - 10/13/2009 3:04 PM 0 Votes Report User i wonder how much he'll charge for this next public event...i'm wanting to go just to throw stones at the cheap foreflusher. he doesn't deserve the respect he's gotten and is still getting. that is so obvious. people listen to the wee small voices in your heart and head about this guy. he's a fake, a phony and a foreflushing coward. listen - it's all there inside you to hear.


http://www.abc15.com/content/news/northernarizona/sedona/story/Resort-owners-ask-for-prayers-after-Sedona-lodge/MT1DL-0GR0aBxwjmYC7mjQ.cspx?p=Comments



Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: taraverti on October 15, 2009, 07:28:20 am
This guy is just darn dangerous.


http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/10/14/20091014sweatlodgerecords1014-ON.html

Resort near Sedona had previous sweat lodge incident

44 commentsby JJ Hensley - Oct. 15, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
The scene that unfolded outside a sweat lodge at a remote compound near Sedona was not the first time paramedics responded to one of James Arthur Ray's seminars at the Angel Valley Spiritual Retreat Center.

Records released Wednesday show firefighters also were called to the center for a sweat-lodge-related illness in mid-October 2005.

Amayra Hamilton, one of the retreat's owners, said it was another Ray retreat.   
 

The records show paramedics treated a 42-year-old man who was unconscious after spending time in a sweat lodge. The man was taken to Verde Valley Medical Center about 20 minutes later. Hamilton said the man returned the next day.

As for the events that left two dead and four hospitalized last week, records that the Verde Valley Fire District released Wednesday depict a scene that tested the resources of the emergency responders in the Sedona area.

By the time the legion of ambulances, fire engines and helicopters reached the remote area at about 7:40 p.m. Thursday, emergency workers found "multiple people lying on the ground around a sweat lodge needing medical condition," according to reports.

In addition to two patients in cardiac arrest, some were lying on the ground unconscious and others were "walking around not feeling well," according to reports.

Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, N.Y., and James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee, were later pronounced dead at Verde Valley Medical Center. Services for both will be Saturday.

More people who were in the sweat lodge had moved to the retreat center's dining hall and, according to Angel Valley and Ray's spokesman, didn't need any medical attention. Eight of those people later went to emergency rooms in Sedona and Cottonwood after paramedics assessed them.

Others were feeling ill, but the doctor in charge of the outdoor triage scene determined that those who were not critical were "all becoming better fast" and instead recommended they call 911 or go to the hospital if they started to feel sick.

The reports didn't say what caused all of the people to get sick, although authorities have ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning. Investigators have said there were more than 60 people in the 415-square-foot enclosure.

Kim Moore of Verde Valley Ambulance Co. was one of the emergency-medical people called to the scene last week. She said one of her patients had burns. People didn't want to talk about what happened because the event was intended to be a personal spiritual experience.

"The people weren't talking about it, the ones who could talk," she said.

Ray stuck to his schedule of events this week. He told a Los Angeles-area seminar Tuesday night that his advisers told him not to, but he wanted to keep his commitments.

Ray had another seminar scheduled for Wednesday and also was scheduled to begin his two-day World Wealth Summit in San Diego on Friday. His Web site says the two-day event costs nearly $1,000. Authorities said people at the Sedona event paid more than $9,000 for the five days of lectures and exercises that culminated with the sweat-lodge event.

Howard Bragman, Ray's spokesman, said Ray wouldn't comment on the ongoing investigation.

"There's more questions than answers right now," he said.

Of the four people hospitalized after Thursday's events, two remained at Flagstaff Medical Center on Wednesday afternoon, with one patient in good condition and one in critical condition.

The family of Liz Neuman released a statement that said she remained in a coma in critical condition.

"Liz is still fighting hard and her family asks for everyone to keep her in their thoughts and prayers," according to the statement.

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: educatedindian on October 15, 2009, 02:19:03 pm
AIM Santa Barbara has called for protests to shut down Ray's outfit.

I'll also start a seperate thread on the other person mentioned in the message, Spivak.

And this is long overdue: Moved to Frauds.

--------------------

Corine Fairbanks sent a message to the members of American Indian Movement
Santa Barbara.

Good Afternoon-

Some of you might have already ran across this story about the New Age Death
Sweats occurring in Sedona, AZ- where 2 people died, 50 people were injured
and all of them paid over $9000 to participate.

the person responsible for this is named James Arthur Ray
http://www.facebook.com/l/d8d34;jamesray.com/events/spiritual-warrior.php

Ray will be in California next week at the World Wealth Summit for Oct 16-17
2009, at the Hyatt Regency in La Jolla,
http://www.facebook.com/l/d8d34;CAhttp://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/tix/1412556485.
html

(I hope some of you will be moved to organize a demonstration or a massive
letter to the editor campaign (or just get creative!)  against this guy)

by the looks of his website you can see how this person operates and preys
upon others and people are stupid enough to buy into it?.

We all have a responsibility to call people out on this- Do we have to be nice
about it? Do we have to be Politically Correct about it? And why should we?

#1 are OUR SACRED RELATIVES for SALE? These are Elders that teach us our ways,
and help us when we are sick- bring recovery and clarity in our lives- DO WE
SELL OUR RELATIVES?

#2 where does the money go when someone sells Sweats, Buffalo Skulls, Sage,
sweet grass or other sacred relatives? Not back to the people- in fact it is
BLOOD money- because all of our ancestors died trying to protect and yet now
there is some greedy freak counting the change from selling it

#3 Our people have been at WAR with the government, churches and schools to
protect our sacred ways, languages and medicine for over 500 years. To watch
our traditional ways, medicine and ceremonies be disrespected, mistreated,
ABUSED, and DESECRATED, CAPITALIZED ad MARKETED is a violation against all of
us. Someone that does this has no right to care take these items and the
sacred relatives should go back to where they can be prayed over and safe
before being used properly and what they were given to us to be used for.

We know that this goes on in every community; Natives and Non-Natives do it-

[Off topic section removed. See discussion on Spivak.]

When will it end? When someone dies in his sweats?

It is our responsibility- ALL OF US - to close these fakes down, it is a life
and death situation, and our silence makes it okay, our silence is a slap in
the face to those that died protecting it, and will mark the end our
spirituality.

(But we might be able to buy a really cheap version of it in the future on
some 2am infomercial?.)
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on October 16, 2009, 12:41:18 am
Sweat lodge deaths investigated as homicides (http://www.edition.cnn.com/2009/US/10/15/arizona.sweat.lodge/index.html)

"(CNN) -- An investigation into the deaths of two people who spent up to two hours inside a "sweat lodge" at an Arizona retreat last week has been elevated from an accidental death investigation to a homicide inquiry, Yavapai County Sheriff Steve Waugh told reporters Thursday."
... ... ...
" A search warrant was executed Wednesday at the James Ray International offices in Carlsbad, California, the sheriff said. Authorities were attempting to determine whether documents exist on how to construct sweat lodges and on their proper use, as well as documents showing whether participants were advised of the risks of sweat lodges either before or during the program. They also were searching for rosters from past events, Waugh said.

"Police would not say what, if anything, was found in executing the search warrant.

"Asked why the deaths have been classified as homicides and the investigation upgraded, Waugh said, 'We believe there are indications that it was not accidental, and ... we feel that there should be some culpability on some individuals.'

"Those individuals could include Ray and possibly others, he said."
... ... ...
"At least one of those who died was in the back of the structure, Waugh said. Ray was positioned near its door."

Read full article here (http://www.edition.cnn.com/2009/US/10/15/arizona.sweat.lodge/index.html)

Video report here (includes some footage of song and prayer in a lodge, which appears to be run by Vernon Foster in Sedona) (http://www.edition.cnn.com/2009/US/10/15/arizona.sweat.lodge/index.html#cnnSTCVideo)


ETA: Found this on Vernon Foster: http://www.worldviewzmedia.net/video/southwest-journey-july-1118th

*********************************************
This Southwest Journey will bring you in intimate connection with indigenous culture, traditional Native American ceremony and experiences, as well as being in the extra-ordinary nature of the Sedona and greater Southwest.

See more details at:
www.worldviewz.net
or email Robert Dakota
worldviewz@aol.com for a detailed
itinerary.

Our first day will be spent with
Vernon Foster & His Wife Leitha
on their land they will guide us in learning drumming, songs, creating a medicine wheel and sweat lodge, which we will sweat in at the end of the evening with more drumming, ssinging before entering the new sweat lodge. Following with the ever famous potluck feast. Everyone will participate in a potluck ceremonial feast and have the opportunity to stay on the land where we will sleep under the deep night sky of Sedona. The stars will be shining.

Spiritual Teachings
in the
Native American Tradition

The Buffalo Heart Project is managed and directed by Vernon Foster "Thunder He Walks With" (Klamath/Modoc)and is a vision of he and his wife, Leitha "Defender Woman" (Lakota).

Buffalo Heart is located on the banks of Oak Creek as it meanders through Cornville, Arizona. "Thunder He Walks With" has recreated a wonderfully peaceful environment that consists of Sweat Lodges, a Long House, Medicine Wheels and a clear sparkling pond.

You are cordially invited, as many others have from around the world, to join us for spiritual "passages", Native American "teachings" and experiences involving Mother Earth as passed down from the Elders.

For more information on the Buffalo Heart Project go to:
www.indigenouspeoplesresourcefoundation.org

*************************************************

from www.worldviewz.net:

Coming To Sedona…

Let us connect you with Local Film Production, Guides, Services, Healers, Artists, Musicians, Retreats, Journeys, Custom Tours, The Latest Seminars & Gatherings.

Are you a lightworker coming to Sedona with the intention of connecting with the local community?

Are you a lightworker bringing a group to Sedona? We have some clips that may Inspire You…. Check out our clips at: worldviewzmedia.net

Please consider joining: World ViewZ Global Culture Exchange www.worldviewzmedia.net

*******************************************

Looks like spiritual tourism.

Do the Klamath have sweatlodge? What about the Longhouse and Medicine Wheel?
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: debbieredbear on October 16, 2009, 01:11:41 am
This was in the Arizona Republic's article:
Quote
A woman identified as Barb told the callers that a channeler at the retreat said the deceased had an out-of-body experience during the ceremony and “were having so much fun that they chose not to come back.”

I'd like to give "barb" an out of body experience... ;)
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on October 16, 2009, 01:28:16 am
Because kidney failure from dehydration, and asphyxiation amidst plastic fumes while being lectured to by a crazy white man about making money, is really, really "fun".
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on October 16, 2009, 02:12:45 am
.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: NDN_Outlaw on October 16, 2009, 03:56:06 am
That lady is out past Pluto. There's more nuts in Sedona than in a jumbo can of Planters Peanuts. How is the poor woman in a coma doing? Will she be alright?
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on October 16, 2009, 04:06:08 pm
CNN: A spokesman for Ray said authorities should be focusing on the investigation rather than talking to reporters. "The Sheriff's Department is trying this case in the media," said Howard Bragman, noting that Thursday's news conference was the sheriff's second this week.
---------



Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: TRIBALMOONS@yahoo.com on October 16, 2009, 07:40:25 pm
I posted this in Ecetera so i will post it here:


The Buffalo Post
A news blog about Native people and the world we live in

Arvol Looking Horse on “sweat lodge” deaths: Stop the exploitation   

Posted by: admin   in Culture and Tradition, Lakota

The plea by Lakota spiritual leader Arvol Looking Horse comes in response to the recent deaths at a sweat lodge-type ceremony in Arizona. (See previous post, here.)

The so-called sweat, which claimed two lives, took place during a five-day retreat in Sedona, Ariz., run by white self-help guru James Arthur Ray. Ray’s Spiritual Warrior programs charges people almost $10,000 apiece.

As this piece in Black Hills Today points out, traditional Native sweats are spiritual and the idea of charging for them is anathema. “It appears that once again greed interfered with common sense,” the piece says.

And it quotes Looking Horse, a 19th-generation keeper of the sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe, who says, “I am concerned for the two deaths and illnesses of the many people that participated in a sweat lodge in Sedona, Arizona, that brought our sacred rite under fire in the news. I would like to clarify that this lodge and many others, are not our ceremonial way of life … My prayers go out for their families and loved ones for their loss.”

In 2006, Looking Horse received the Juliet Hollister Award for promoting peace and interfaith and secular understanding by the Temple of Understanding, joining past recipients Nelson Mandela, Ravi Shankar and the Dalai Lama.

Looking Horse says that while non-Native people have a right to seek help from First Nations intercessors, he has a plea:

“I would like to ask All Nations upon Grandmother Earth to please respect our sacred ceremonial way of life and stop the exploitation of our Tunka Oyate (Spiritual Grandfathers).”

Gwen Florio


Here is the Link to the original Article:

http://buffalopost.net/?p=3683
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: taraverti on October 17, 2009, 12:30:17 am
This article made me ill :'(

Inside accounts by survivors.

http://www.examiner.com/x-11245-Philadelphia-Speculative-Fiction-Examiner~y2009m10d16-Breaking-news-Inside-accounts-of-James-Ray-sweat-lodge-tragedy-and-retreat
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on October 17, 2009, 01:00:19 am
This article made me ill :'(

Inside accounts by survivors.

http://www.examiner.com/x-11245-Philadelphia-Speculative-Fiction-Examiner~y2009m10d16-Breaking-news-Inside-accounts-of-James-Ray-sweat-lodge-tragedy-and-retreat

Horrifying. The author also posted the transcript of that conference call between Ray and retreat survivors: http://www.examiner.com/x-11245-Philadelphia-Speculative-Fiction-Examiner~y2009m10d15-Breaking-news-transcript-of-private-call-between-James-Ray-and-sweat-lodge-victims 

It is very clear from the statements in that call that retreat participants and staff of Angel Valley were attempting to mimic NDN ceremonies, not only with the death sweat and fake "vision quest" but with the particular rituals they did afterwards to try to "heal" what had happened.

The "Death Games" they played during the sleep deprivation sound like the mind control "games" that Charles Manson used on his followers: getting them to turn their will and powers of decision over to him, getting them to reframe and redefine what death means, brainwashing them into believing any tragedy that happens to them is their own fault, and he is above fault and godlike.

Hideous. 
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on October 17, 2009, 05:30:10 pm
.  
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Diana on October 17, 2009, 08:23:58 pm
Saw this the other morning on the Early Show. Good interview with Harry smith, thou Shawna Bowen did strike me as a typical bliss bunny.


Sweat Lodge Horror Eyewitness
October 16, 2009 5:08 AM

Author Shawna Bowen spoke with Harry Smith about what she saw after two participants in an Az. sweat lodge died.


http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5388644n&tag=related;photovideo

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Superdog on October 18, 2009, 05:07:04 am
Sad news about the person fighting for their life in the hospital

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091018/ap_on_re_us/us_sweat_lodge_deaths
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: educatedindian on October 18, 2009, 04:21:02 pm
The article has been updated now. A third person died and all three deaths are being treated by the police as homicides.

Some other articles on Ray.

-----------------------

http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation/story/1514193.html
Sweat lodge deaths cast negative spotlight on guru
By FELICIA FONSECA and BOB CHRISTIE
The Associated Press

SEDONA, Ariz. | James Arthur Ray led a group of more than 50 followers into a cramped, sauna-like sweat lodge in Arizona recently by convincing them that his words would lead them to spiritual and financial wealth.

The mantra has made him a millionaire. People routinely pack Ray’s seminars and follow the motivational guru to weeklong retreats that can cost more than $9,000 per person.

Ray’s self-help empire was thrown into turmoil this month when three of his followers died after collapsing in the makeshift sweat lodge near Sedona and 19 others were hospitalized. A homicide investigation that followed has cast a critical spotlight on Ray’s company.

Critics are citing the sweat lodge deaths as evidence that Ray is a charlatan who is not to be trusted. A relative of one victim accused Ray of recklessly abandoning the safety of participants.

Dedicated followers said they fully trusted Ray to lead them through exercises that greatly improved their lives.

Ray, 51, has become a self-help superstar by packaging his charismatic personality and selling wealth. Those who first attend his free seminars hear a motivational mantra that promises that they can achieve what he calls “Harmonic Wealth” — on a financial, mental, physical spiritual level.

But his technique is not just motivational speaking. It’s a combination of New Age spiritualism, American Indian ritual, astrology and numerology. The sweat lodge experience was intended to be an almost religious awakening for the participants.....

------------------

A very caustic critique.

----------------------

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/oct/18/sweat-test-tragedy-drips-injustice/
Logan Jenkins
Sweat-test tragedy drips with injustice
By Logan Jenkins
2:00 a.m. October 18, 2009
A ton of hot bricks — the Sweat Me a River award — to James Arthur Ray, the Carlsbad-based Elmer Gantry of wealth and happiness.
Listen to the smarmy pitch on his Web site:
“Just like the harmony created by each unique and important instrument in an orchestra causes your emotions to soar (like an eagle rising on an invisible thermal), complete harmony in your life causes your level of happiness, wealth and success to soar.”
Mining the you-can-have-it-all vein of Terry Cole Whittaker, San Diego's high priestess of affluence in the 1970s, Ray evidently rakes in the smackers from the credulous.
Well, that's capitalism. A sucker yearning to embrace his “spiritual warrior” is born every minute. More power to the New Age flimflam artists. If you can make a living peddling enlightenment, more power to you.
What Ray's disciples at a recent retreat were not told, however, was that the sweaty festivities after fasting (saves on meals, one imagines) would coincide with two physical deaths in a Sedona, Ariz., sweat lodge Oct. 8.
Imagine a 415-square-foot room crammed with somewhere between 50 and 60 hot and heavy breathers straining for satori via a communal draining of body fluids.
In this vision of hell that, I suspect, would have terrified Dante, two acolytes died, four were hospitalized and others dangerously dehydrated.
As reported, this wasn't the first time Ray's humid high jinks at the Angel Valley Spiritual Retreat Center caused a health emergency. In 2005, paramedics were called to treat a man who blacked out during one of Ray's sweat tests.
Though you'd think he would have been ashamed to show his handsome face, Ray appeared at a seminar last week where he told the faithful that “I'm as frustrated and confused as others are” by the decidedly un-harmonic convergence.
Maybe so, but this much seems as clear as Sedona crystal:
If Ray is not charged with manslaughter — and thrown in an Arizona prison, the mother of all sweat lodges — his future retreats should be titled:
“Beating the Heat: How to Soar Like an Eagle When the Rubes Are Dropping Like Flies.”

-------------------

And a psychologist pointed out in an older interview on CBS that the whole premise of Ray's The Secret is also dangerous and gibberish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWfmkh7eN-4&feature=related
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on October 18, 2009, 05:02:47 pm
.  
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: NDN_Outlaw on October 18, 2009, 07:21:34 pm
As long as he lives, this man must live with the consequences of his actions.  My old people were humble and loved one another. An old ceremonial man once told me, “I am only learning” and he was eighty –two years old.  They were poor but grateful to the great mystery for all of life and they looked down on no one. I saw this as a child. James Ray is all mind and mouth- no ears and no heart just control and greed. Even now he is trying to control and manipulate but what goes around comes around as NDNZ are fond of saying. His world is collapsing, his financial empire will vanish. A jail cell awaits and his legacy will be black with shame. He will be condemned in this world and the next and he did it entirely to himself. His arrogance killed those people.  When the worst of the dominant culture steals our ways they commit spiritual genocide. Sadly it is all too pervasive. I’m staying close to the traditional people who still love one another.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: TRIBALMOONS@yahoo.com on October 19, 2009, 01:09:44 am
This is just so sad and sickening on all Levels, and now a third one died? That man is no better than Hitler himself.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: educatedindian on October 20, 2009, 03:35:28 am
It's even worse than we thought. Over at the Indybay site where I reposted my op ed, someone posted in comments how Ray bragged about how many people quit getting cancer treatment after reading his books.

---------------
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/10/14/18625444.php?show_comments=1#18625612
What about Accidents?
by Newton Fortuin
Saturday Oct 17th, 2009 12:11 AM
....BTW after airing The Secret Oprah received thousands of letters from people who indicated they decided to stop their cancer and other mediation on the advice of The Secret, yet she continued promoting it. That is on this cue in the book:

_________________________________________________________

"You don’t have to *fight* to get rid of disease. Just the *simple* process of letting go of negative thoughts will allow your natural state of health to emerge within you. And your body will heal itself.
"I’ve seen kidneys regenerated. I’ve seen cancer dissolved. I’ve seen eyesight improve and come back.”
_________________________________________________________


How many people actually died because of the false hope conveyed? Indeed she then is also culpable for the many who therefore must have died because of it as she she should have renounced her support of this abomination.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Smart Mule on October 20, 2009, 05:23:05 pm
This guy is seriously super scary.  The lodge deaths are not the deaths associated with him THIS YEAR.  A woman committed suicide during one of his exercises in July.  

http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,77450,page=1




*edited to correct link

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on October 20, 2009, 08:47:07 pm
"But Sweatlodges Are Universal"[sic], "But the Celts Had Sweatlodges"[sic], "But Sweats Are Done All Over the World"[sic]

- I have heard these ignorant things said every day since this debacle, especially by those who want to claim James Ray's negligent homicide was not about cultural appropriation. I'll be blogging about this eventually, but for now, here are some links that may be of use next time someone spouts the above nonsense.

We've had some discussion about the Irish and Scottish sweathouses, and the bogus English "reconstruction" of a burnt mound site, on NAFPS before:

Initial comments on the Irish and Scottish taigh an fhallais, teach an allais and fulacht fiadh sites and what we do and don't know about how they were used: http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=1527.msg9487#msg9487

Thread on "Bronze Age" burnt mound and sweathouse sites in general: http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=1539.0

My comments in that thread, expanding a bit on what we know of Irish and Scottish sweathouse usage into living memory: http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=1539.msg9534#msg9534

The main point is: while many cultures have used steam in some way for health purposes, and some of those cultures have also had prayer or ceremony as part of this, beliefs and ceremonies vary widely among cultures. And too many people who are claiming "sweatlodge" is "universal" are not even researching what their ancestors may have done; they are simply trying to excuse their misappropriation of NDN ceremonies. They are lazy and offensive and think people are too stupid to notice that if they call parts of their fake Inipi by terms in another language, no one will notice that their ceremony bears no resemblance to what their ancestors actually did.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: flyaway on October 21, 2009, 12:09:36 am
 And too many people who are claiming "sweatlodge" is "universal" are not even researching what their ancestors may have done; they are simply trying to excuse their misappropriation of NDN ceremonies. They are lazy and offensive and think people are too stupid to notice that if they call parts of their fake Inipi by terms in another language, no one will notice that their ceremony bears no resemblance to what their ancestors actually did.

I so agree with you. I will not use the name sweatlodge in the same sentance as James Ray!! this WAS NOT A SWEAT LODGE( it was a death chamber) Many of our people are up in arms about this terrible thing. This wasichu knew nothing of what he was doing. He speaks garbish, and all cult leaders are very charismatic. What he called a " vision quest" was not of our ways. These people put their total trust in someone who they felt  knew what he was doing, and indeed he did not. I would love to hear what went on in the chamber, I bet they were not offered water, as they were not even hydrated before going in. I will stop for now as I am very upset that once again the name of one of our sacred traditions, the inipi ceremony, is being misused instead of calling it what it really is. And NO the Inipi is not universal! >:(
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: NDN_Outlaw on October 21, 2009, 03:59:31 pm
Another question must be asked. Who if anyone passed to James Ray the right to make this quasi sweatlodge? Did he simply make this atrocity by himself, acting upon his inflated ego alone? Perhaps contacts among the media could find out. Shake a New Age bush and all kinds of connections emerge.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Superdog on October 21, 2009, 05:21:50 pm
Another question must be asked. Who if anyone passed to James Ray the right to make this quasi sweatlodge? Did he simply make this atrocity by himself, acting upon his inflated ego alone? Perhaps contacts among the media could find out. Shake a New Age bush and all kinds of connections emerge.

From what we've gathered here, James Ray didn't build the structure (can't call it a sweatlodge).  The owners of Angel Valley Resort (Michael and Amayra Hamilton) are responsible for doing that and IMHO also partially responsible for the pain and suffering caused as this structure was far too big and also made with plastic tarps.  Upon seeing the picture of it for the first time all I could think was "What the hell were they thinking!!" 

At the very least the structure has been destroyed and burnt.

Superdog
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: NDN_Outlaw on October 21, 2009, 05:33:25 pm
Sorry I could have made the question clearer. It's not who built the actual structure but who gave James Ray the authority to make what the New Agers call a "sweatlodge." Which person or persons told him to make this "ceremony" . Either he gave himself the authority or some one else granted him the right/ rite. Who was this person (or persons). The bliss bunny Bowen may know. Who ever they may be- if they may be- they should be made known.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: NDN_Outlaw on October 21, 2009, 07:00:06 pm

AP Newsbreak: 1st sweat lodge survivor speaks out
Oct 21 01:00 PM US/Eastern
By FELICIA FONSECA
Associated Press Writer
Email to a friend Share on Facebook Tweet this Bookmark and Share
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - A woman who took part in an Arizona sweat lodge ceremony that led to three deaths has provided a dramatic account of the ordeal in an interview with The Associated Press.

Texas resident Beverley Bunn says spiritual guru James Arthur Ray pushed participants too far in what was supposed to be a life-expanding experience. Within an hour of entering the ceremony, people began vomiting, gasping for air and collapsing. Yet Bunn says Ray continually urged everyone to stay inside.

Bunn says by the time the ceremony began, the participants had undergone days of physically and mentally strenuous events. In one game, Ray even played God.

Bunn is the first participant inside the sweat lodge to speak out publicly about the events.

Officials say the deaths are homicides and that Ray is a focus of the investigation. Ray says he is deeply saddened by the tragedy.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: flyaway on October 21, 2009, 07:27:19 pm
Perhaps this will answer your question ,who gave him the rights:
 Below is a statement from Chief Arvol Looking Horse on the recent "sweat
lodge" deaths in Arizona.
 Part of his statement under post #34

Our First Nations People have to earn the right to pour the mini
wic¹oni  (water of life) upon the inyan oyate (the stone people) in creating
Inikag¹a  - by going on the vision quest for four years and four years Sundance.
Then  you are put through a ceremony to be painted - to recognize that you
have  now earned that right to take care of someone¹s life through
purification.  They should also be able to understand our sacred language, to be able
to  understand the messages from the Grandfathers, because they are ancient,
they are our spirit ancestors. They walk and teach the values of our
culture; in being humble, wise, caring and compassionate.

What has happened in the news with the make shift sauna called the sweat
lodge is not our ceremonial way of life!


This is not the vision quest James Ray speaks of and I am sure he did not do what Arvol speaks of above!
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on October 21, 2009, 07:55:53 pm
.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: now 3 dead, 19 injured
Post by: educatedindian on October 21, 2009, 09:27:17 pm
A longer version of that AP story has more details.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33415987/ns/us_news-life/?GT1=43001
updated 12:53 p.m. CT, Wed., Oct . 21, 2009
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - A woman who took part in an Arizona sweat lodge ceremony said the spiritual guru who led the event pushed participants too far in what was supposed to be a life-expanding experience that culminated with people vomiting and passing out on the floor.

Texas resident Beverley Bunn is the first participant in the tragic incident to speak out publicly about the events that led up to the deaths. The 43-year-old told the AP that by the time the sweat lodge ceremony began, the participants had undergone days of physically and mentally strenuous events that included fasting. In one game, she said, guru James Arthur Ray even played God.

Within an hour of entering the sweat lodge, people began vomiting, gasping for air and collapsing. Yet Bunn said Ray continually urged everyone to stay inside. The ceremony was broken up into 15-minute "rounds," with the entrance flap to the lodge opened briefly and more heated rocks brought inside between sessions.

"I can't get her to move. I can't get her to wake up," Bunn recalled hearing from two sides of the 415-square-foot sweat lodge. Ray's response: "Leave her alone, she'll be dealt with in the next round."

By that time, Bunn said, she had already crawled to a spot near the opening of the sweat lodge, praying for the door to stay open as long as possible between rounds so that she could breathe in fresh air.

At one point, someone lifted up the back of the tent, shining light in the otherwise pitch-black enclosure. Ray demanded to know who was letting the light in and was committing a "sacrilegious act," Bunn said.

Charges could be filed
Investigators are considering bringing charges in a case that has cast a harsh spotlight on Ray, a millionaire self-help guru who led dozens of people into the sweat lodge during a five-day retreat that cost more than $9,000. He has hired his own investigative team to try to determine what went wrong.

Ray led the group in chants and prayers during the ceremony, Bunn said. People were not physically forced to stay inside but chided by Ray if they wanted to leave as he told them they were stronger than their bodies and weakness could be overcome.

Bunn lasted the entire two hours, but nearly two dozen others suffered serious injuries that sent them to the hospital.

Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, N.Y., and James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee, died upon arrival at a hospital. Liz Neuman, 49, of Prior Lake, Minn., lingered in a coma for more than a week before dying.

Sheriff's investigators in Arizona's Yavapai County are treating the deaths as homicides but have yet to determine the cause.

People ill at previous ceremonies
Investigators are looking into the construction of the sweat lodge, the fact that people had fallen ill at previous sweat ceremonies led by Ray and questionable medical care on site as they try to determine whether criminal negligence contributed to the deaths and illnesses.

Authorities have said a nurse hired by Ray was directing rescue efforts including CPR when emergency crews arrived. Ray is the primary focus of the probe but others also are being investigated, Sheriff Steve Waugh has said.

"I too want to know what happened that caused this horrible tragedy," Ray wrote on his Web site Tuesday.

He vowed to continue with his work.

"I have taken heat for that decision, but if I choose to lock myself in my home, I am sure I would be criticized for hiding and not practicing what I preach," he wrote.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: dabosijigwokush on October 21, 2009, 10:24:36 pm
The New Age spiritual resort in Arizona where nearly two dozen people fell ill and three died during a sweat lodge ceremony is owned and operated by a former Lancaster County businessman.

Paul Michael Hamilton, a 61-year-old former log-cabin builder who was born and raised near Lititz, and his second wife founded the Angel Valley Retreat Center near Sedona in 2002.

Hamilton said the creation of the 70-acre resort was the result of a "spiritual journey" and years of traveling across the United States and Europe following a divorce from his first wife.

"I began a journey of only doing what my heart was guiding me to do — following my excitement is another way of saying it," Hamilton said in an e-mail exchange. He declined to be interviewed by telephone.

"Angel Valley is a place where all are invited to use Nature and the Elementals to discover and to be One's True Natural Divine Self," Hamilton wrote. "It is about finding and living one's connection with God, with Spirit, with the Creator, or whatever name one wants to give to the Eternal Source of Life."

Court records on file here show that Hamilton changed his name. His given name was Paul Weidler Groff, and he last lived in the county on Westbrook Drive in Ephrata, according to records. He is a 1966 Warwick High School graduate and has four children from his first marriage. His ex-wife is a Garden Spot High School graduate.

Hamilton was president and owner of Lititz-based Century Log Homes Inc., which built and sold log homes here from 1974 through 1983. Hamilton then moved to California.

He said he and his second wife, Amayra, were guided to the property in Sedona by Archangel Michael and launched the retreat in 2002.

"Archangel Michael is one of the Archangels that is assisting mankind to a higher state of awareness and consciousness," he wrote in his e-mail. "I made my first conscious connection with Michael in July of 1995 and he has been with me since."

The resort offers a host of New Age and holistic services, such as "soul retrieval" and "angel healings," in which a practitioner connects with archangels it says are "strongly connected with and present" at the resort and channels their energies to help with healing clients.

The resort also was the scene of a now-infamous sweat lodge ceremony on Oct. 8. Three people died and nearly two dozen others were hospitalized after being overcome during the event, part of a five-day "Spiritual Warrior" retreat run by self-help expert and author James Arthur Ray.

Ray had rented the Angel Valley Retreat Center for the event.

Hamilton declined to speak about the incident and instead forwarded his prepared statement from earlier in the month that reads, in part: "We express our deepest feelings of sympathy, love and support for the families and friends those who passed on and for those who are still recovering. Our Angel Valley team is in pain and grief by what has occurred."

Between 55 and 65 people were in the makeshift sweat lodge over a two-hour period, and authorities said participants were encouraged but not forced to remain inside for the entire time. An emergency call reported that two people were not breathing and did not have pulses.

Sheriff's investigators in Arizona's Yavapai County are treating the deaths as homicides but have yet to determine the causes.

Investigators are looking into the construction of the sweat lodge, the fact that people had fallen ill at previous sweat ceremonies led by Ray and questionable medical care at the retreat as they try to determine whether criminal negligence contributed to the deaths and illnesses.

The Associated Press has reported that the sweat lodge was a temporary structure built with a wood frame and covered with layers of tarps and blankets. The ceremonies often are sponsored by American Indian tribes to cleanse the body and prepare for hunts, ceremonies and other events.

Ray is the primary focus of the probe, but others also are being investigated, Sheriff Steve Waugh has said.

Ray's pricey retreats are meant to push people beyond their physical and emotional limits. The "Spiritual Warrior" event is arguably the most physical of Ray's events. Participants paid between $9,000 and $10,000 to attend.

They engaged in a 36-hour fast during a "vision quest" in the nearby wilderness and were served a breakfast buffet before entering the sweat lodge, authorities said.

Hamilton would not comment orally to the newspaper because, he said, his remarks have been taken out of context or distorted by other media.

"We've had so many things in the past week and a half where one thing is said and another shows up in the newspaper," he wrote in his e-mail.

Hamilton still has family in the county. His brother, Ray Groff, of Lititz, said he visited the resort about five years ago but doesn't understand much of what goes on there.

"There are so many unknowns I'd rather not go into it," Groff said. "It's a gorgeous place, though. He has the ideal property there. And there's been a lot of people who have gone there over the years.

"When I went out there, I talked to some of the people. They just love it. It's a peaceful area. It's just something. You get away from the telephones, the day-to-day."

The retreat is in a secluded valley about 20 miles from Sedona, a town 115 miles north of Phoenix that draws many in the New Age spiritual movement.

Angel Valley is surrounded by thousands of acres of national forest land.

Groff described his brother as a lifelong traveler. "He never really hung around here much, even when he was younger," Groff said. "He met this other woman, his new wife, over in Holland."

Hamilton's wife declined to comment extensively.

"It doesn't serve us to go in front of the camera. I hope people understand," she said. "We are still very traumatized by the incident ourselves."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

tmurse@lnpnews.com
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Diana on October 22, 2009, 10:49:04 pm
Good video from Anderson Cooper 360.


http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2009/10/21/video-sweat-lodge-deaths-latest/



Sweat lodge survivor speaks 2:29
A woman who was in the sweat lodge when three people fell fatally ill describes the scene to CNN's Gary Tuchman.


http://www.blutalcity.com/2009/CRIME/10/22/sweat.lodge.deaths/index.html

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: NCRunningWolf on October 23, 2009, 02:50:10 pm
In my email box this morning.

"Stealing religion ignored if it’s Native

By Jim Kent | Posted: Thursday, October 22, 2009 5:00 pm |

Picture if you will: a Native American man in a priest's cassock, standing at an altar on a reservation anywhere in the state. He raises bread above a large gold cup and addresses the crowd around him: "We are all one in the body of the Great Spirit of Roslyn."

No, this isn't a new version of the Catholic Mass, nor is the man a Catholic priest. He just "digs" the Catholic religion, "respects" its history and culture and finds himself inexplicably "drawn" to all things Vatican. He wasn't born Catholic; never attended Catholic church or schools. But this recent hub-bub about Jesus Christ and the DaVinci Code has grabbed his "inner spirit." He's thinking that's because "way back" his ninth cousin on his father's side may have been 1/16 Catholic. He just feels it.

So, he did some research, sat in on some masses, picked up an abridged version of the Bible and decided he'd start his own congregation. He calls it "The Cody Two Bear Church of the New Holy Grail." Visitors "donate" $100 minimum for this unique spiritual experience that will bring them closer to the Knights Templar, Christ and Mary Magdalene while discovering the healing capabilities of candle wax - long used in the church, but with little awareness of its true powers. Retreats are available at a higher cost.

Yeah, I'll be surprised not to get e-mails from someone upset just by the mention of this fictional scenario. Imagine the reaction if it actually took place, regularly, across the country. It does; just not with the spiritual teachings of Christianity, Judaism, Islam or any of our other "major" religions.

But just suppose it did. There'd be hell to pay. From the local diocese to the Holy Land, the earth would tremble with accusations of blasphemy and calls for eternal damnation. Yet, it's perfectly all right for anyone to practice, preach and sell the spiritual ceremonies of the Native American cultures - and with little or no repercussions; even when it results in death.

I'm referencing, of course, the recent Arizona fiasco where three people paid $9,000 each to die in a sweat lodge under the guidance of their white "spiritual leader." Unfortunately, this doesn't surprise me. What does is reports that the white "medicine man" who hosted this "Spiritual Warrior" event "declined to be interviewed" by the local sheriff's department after the deaths. Declined? I'm trying to picture any Native American "declining" an interview in a similar situation. Right, that would happen.

And though this tragedy occurred several states away, the same circumstances that led to its disastrous consequences happen right here in South Dakota. Needless to say, local Native American e-mail lines were hopping with references to similarly questionable activities - both on and off the rez - in "the land of great places."

I can't speak to all of them, but I have lost track of the number of white folks who've invited me to their "sweat" somewhere in the Black Hills. Those claiming "true" respect for the Native American culture reference ancestral "Celtic sweats" they're imitating. Nice try. They may have had sweat lodges in Ireland, Scotland, and Sweden, but they didn't use sage, sweet grass, Native American drums or Lakota spiritual terms.

Have I been? Yes, to many over the years and across the states - at the invitation of Native American elders (those are the folks who aren't white "spiritual leaders" and don't charge money).

The elders tell me it's hard to be Lakota. No kidding. In what other culture do they "honor" you by stealing your religion and then destroying its principles along the way?

Jim Kent lives in Hot Springs. Write to kentvfte@gwtc.net. Find all local columnists and more at the Journal opinion site: www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/opinions/

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/opinion/article_103bc67e-be8f-11de-b1a6-001cc4c002e0.html  "
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Freija on October 23, 2009, 05:34:05 pm

Another article with Arvol´s statement:

http://www.blackhillsportal.com/npps/story.cfm?ID=3492


We are so deeply honoured that our film "Spirits for Sale" on You Tube has been included in the statement.
Thank you, Arvol, and BlackHills Today!
I hope the film will keep bringing awareness all over the world.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: educatedindian on October 23, 2009, 11:23:06 pm
Anderson Cooper, People magazine, and a paper in Tucson all asked me for comment. Hopefully this will help push for Ray to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

We've gotten quite a few compliments in the mail that I posted here.
http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=1235.msg19707#new

And a single piece of hate mail I posted online here.
http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=1846.msg19708#new
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on October 24, 2009, 10:06:00 pm
Rezerella (http://www.youtube.com/user/rezerella) brings us this video about DeathRay and his DeathTrap. Show it to all the others out there doing the same thing, but who just haven't killed anyone yet: Wannabe NDN (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_I1iVSPqZg)

And hey, you can dance to it ;-)  Those of us old enough to remember may have some seventies flashbacks.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Diana on October 25, 2009, 05:06:29 pm
I'm not sure where to put this? My bold.


http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/fromcomments/314664.php



Is there recourse if your healer doesn't balance your chakras?
By Tim Steller
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.24.2009
By Tim Steller Arizona Daily Star

Arizona has no shaman licensing board, no reiki review center and no sweat-lodge inspection department.
That means that in Tucson’s booming alternative-healing sector, the practitioners operate in a largely unregulated environment.
For customers, word of mouth, the Internet and the free market tend to guide their decisions about whom to see for sessions that can cost $100 or more per hour, local practitioners said. If something goes wrong, the practitioner won’t have a license revoked, but customers can take some recourse by voting with their feet, spreading their opinion, complaining to the Better Business Bureau, or in extreme cases, filing a civil lawsuit.

Perhaps the most extreme case of something going wrong happened in a crowded sweat lodge near sedona on Oct. 8, leading to the deaths of three people and the injuries of about 20 others. Sidney Spencer of the Patagonia area was one of the people in the lodge during the multi-day Spiritual Warrior seminar led by James Arthur Ray, said her attorney, Ted Schmidt. She is recovering in Tucson after suffering what appears to be neurological problems in the two-hour sweat lodge session, Schmidt said.

Schmidt could not envision a regulatory structure that would work for the variety of practitioners working today, he said.
“You could single out sweat lodges and say, ‘Let’s establish licensure regulations for running a sweat lodge,’ but there are so many other activities that these shamans and such do, that it’s hard to imagine licensure for all the different activities that they do,” he said.

A few alternative approaches are licensed: acupuncturists, massage therapists, naturopathic physicians, homeopathic physicians and chiropractors all have state boards regulating their practices. But the unregulated alternative healing methods available in Tucson are numerous. There are shamans, energy workers, sound healers, reiki practitioners, life coaches, and medicine men and women, among many others. And healers’ services are available in places ranging from small home offices to large wellness resorts like Miraval Life in Balance.

“Tucson is quite a spiritual mecca,” said Nancy Newton, who opened A Wild Purple Ranch and Retreat on the Northwest Side last year. “When I got to Tucson (in 2001), I knew it was going to be a place for me to become spiritual.”

Some Tucson practitioners bridge the unregulated and regulated worlds: Lynne Namka is a licensed psychologist using mainstream approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, but she also maintains a practice as a shaman carrying out “soul extractions” and other alternative activities. To stay in good standing with the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners, Namka keeps the two activities separate, she said. She has one Web site, Tucsonshaman.com, for her alternative practice, and another, Angriesout.com, for her psychological practice. She has separate fee structures for the two activities, and she only files insurance claims for her psychological practice.

In an industry without broadly enforced standards, practitioners work to highlight the validity of their training. Often that comes in the form of abbreviations after their written names that can be hard for the untrained eye to discern.

“CSP,” for example, stands for Certified Shamanic Practitioner. “CHTP” means Certified Healing Touch Practitioner.
“We’re such a degree and certification-based society,” said Tamra RowlandZaher, a certified shamanic practitioner in Tucson, explaining why people use the titles. “You’re talking about an area where people are using their gifts.”

On the Web site of Newton’s ranch, she spells out her qualifications in more direct words: “Nancy Newton is an adopted medicine woman of the Nemenhah Tribe.”

The Nemenhah band, as leader Philip “Cloudpiler” Landis calls it, is not a federally recognized tribe. Rather, Landis said, it is a branch of a Native American church. Using that status, Landis offers “spiritual adoption” in exchange for a donation.

Through this adoption process, he explained, the adoptee can become a medicine man or woman and be protected by the Native American Freedom of Expression and Religion Act, or NAFERA. As part of the adoption, the Nemenhah Web site says, the adoptee takes part in a “Sacred Giveaway” in which they make an “offering” of $250 at the outset, and $100 per year thereafter.

But some question the legitimacy of Landis, the Nemenhah and the titles he bestows, which also include “principal stone carrier.” One critic is Al Carroll, who operates the Web site newagefraud.com.

Asked whether being a Nemenhah medicine woman would protect a person under the act, Carroll wrote: “No. I doubt any lawyer would argue that either. Legally, Indian is a legal term that only applies to those enrolled in a federally recognized tribe.”


Alternative practitioners say many of their clients come to them through word of mouth, referred by friends who have benefited from seeing the practitioner. RowlandZaher said she only takes new clients by referral these days.

Some clients find practitioners by attending fairs and open houses that happen occasionally and are attended by a variety of practitioners, said Newton. Her ranch and retreat has hosted several such fairs to show people the services the ranch and its main healer, Darrell Hicks, offer.

She and others suggested that potential clients use their intuition — an important power for many alternative healers — in deciding whether to go with a given practitioner. Then afterwards, they can judge whether they got what they wanted.

It may not be easy argue with a practitioner that your chakras weren’t properly balanced, but it is possible to file a complaint if an agreement or contract isn’t followed, said Nick Lafleur, of the Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona.

“If they came to us with a complaint, we’d contact the business and mediate so that both sides reach some kind of understanding,” Lafleur said.
In the case of a greater problem, such as sexual abuse or fraud, attorney Schmidt said, that’s what county prosecutors and the Arizona Attorney General’s Office are for.

Contact reporter Tim Steller at 807-8427 or tsteller@azstarnet.com
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Sizzle Flambé on October 25, 2009, 11:41:39 pm
One critic is Al Carroll, who operates the Web site newagefraud.com.

Asked whether being a Nemenhah medicine woman would protect a person under the act, Carroll wrote: "No. I doubt any lawyer would argue that either. Legally, Indian is a legal term that only applies to those enrolled in a federally recognized tribe."

Ummm, Al, that's true in the narrow context of selling artwork and craftwork, under the IACA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Arts_and_Crafts_Act_of_1990); but where is that legal definition of "Indian" imposed outside that context, as in "spiritual" practices?
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: educatedindian on October 26, 2009, 12:25:42 am
One critic is Al Carroll, who operates the Web site newagefraud.com.

Asked whether being a Nemenhah medicine woman would protect a person under the act, Carroll wrote: "No. I doubt any lawyer would argue that either. Legally, Indian is a legal term that only applies to those enrolled in a federally recognized tribe."

Ummm, Al, that's true in the narrow context of selling artwork and craftwork, under the IACA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Arts_and_Crafts_Act_of_1990); but where is that legal definition of "Indian" imposed outside that context, as in "spiritual" practices?

NARFA doesn't legally protect NDNs who aren't enrolled. Among other things, not allowed to possess eagle feathers, no legal protection of peyote use (though some states still imprison for peyote use), no protection of sacred sites for unrecognized tribes, etc. In general, the legal term Indian=enrolled in a fed recognized tribe for most matters. And actually one of the fee exceptions is those in state enrolled tribes are unfortunately allowed to market their products as Indian made.

As far as I know, Nemenhah has never actually tried to use NARFA to protect their little racket. I think they're just blowing smoke hoping to convince anyone trying to be "certified" as one of their healers that the law can't prosecute them.

I'm surprised the reporter took that direction with the article, making it a showcase for practitioners to try and claim they are not like Ray, and putting it under the Entertainment section. Most of the questions asked me were about Ray. Also a few mistakes, the web address, and referring to me as "operator" when I'm just one of five mods.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: bls926 on October 26, 2009, 02:50:48 am
We have a thread about the Nemenhah and Phil Landis/Cloudpiler in Frauds.
Remember Daniel Hauser, the boy whose parents refused chemo treatment?

Official Nemenhah Online College of Healing
http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=1898.0
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Diana on October 26, 2009, 04:32:11 am
Thanks BLS, I started to put that article on the Official Nemenhah Online College of Healing thread but changed my mind. As for that Nancy Newman person maybe we should start a new thread.


Lim Lemtsh,

Diana
 
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: NDN_Outlaw on October 27, 2009, 01:57:31 am
www.healing.about.com/b/2009/10/26/second-sweat-lodge-lawsuit-looming-over-james-ray.htm

The aftermath of the James Ray Sedona sweatlodge deaths keeps coming.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: debbieredbear on October 27, 2009, 02:46:12 am
good! I hope he gets sued into being BROKE! Homeless would be an extra. He murdered these people and needs to pay.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on October 27, 2009, 04:27:56 pm
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/10/26/lkl.sweat.lodge.truth.cnn



Kirby Brown's family on Larry King.  It should continue into discussion of the 5k Ray sent to family.. if it doesn't, just click the link found there. 
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Edge on October 27, 2009, 05:01:22 pm
Hyperion Postpones James Arthur Ray Books Following Deaths

http://www.publishersweekly.com/index.asp?layout=talkbackCommentsFull&talk_back_header_id=6630808&articleid=CA6703677 (http://www.publishersweekly.com/index.asp?layout=talkbackCommentsFull&talk_back_header_id=6630808&articleid=CA6703677)



Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on October 27, 2009, 11:05:24 pm
Site of DeathRay's former Press Flack, Michelle Tennant Nicholson | Wasabi Publicity, Inc.: http://www.jamesray.presskit247.com/

This person is offering themselves, and their current clients, to the media as "experts" on Sweat Lodge and other Native traditions. Their advice includes:

Quote
Huna Trainer Dr. Matthew B. James and Comparative Religion Expert and Author Rev. Jonathan Ellerby, PhD, can discuss the importance of:
 
1) A spiritual checklist
Check out the leaders to whom you entrust your money, time and soul. Do we interview our therapists and pastors? Self-help and spiritual practice leaders need to have credibility behind the promises they offer.
 
2) Training
To lead indigenous, sacred traditions and rituals, one must go through extensive training and for most honored traditions, like sweat lodges, be blessed by elders and shamans.

She says this young guy is one of Ray's "Hawaiian" teachers: http://www.matthewbjames.presskit247.com/

Quote
Known as the Trainer of Trainers, Dr. James integrates the ancient practices of Huna with cutting-edge therapeutic techniques to help us build the solid foundation necessary for true transformation.
...
The ancient Hawaiians had this foundation and were able to create health and happiness effortlessly. Any one of us can do the same.

This is one of the men James claims trained him, Uncle George Na'ope: http://www.hawaii247.org/2009/10/26/uncle-george-naope-dies-at-age-81/ He died yesterday. I wonder if he was this boy's "teacher" when he was still alive? A google search turned up a few people selling "shamanism" classes who claim to be taught by Naope.


ETA: This site says Matthew B. James runs a diploma mill: http://damontucker.com/2008/11/12/president-of-unaccredited-american-pacific-university-in-honolulu-brings-in-more-then-3-million-per-year-on-hypnosis/ One commenter says James has been sued for fraud, but there are no details.

I took a look at his http://huna.com "Ancient Hawaiian Magical Shamanism and Healing" site. This gem was found at http://huna.com/ind.php?id=faqs#4

Quote
We can think of the origins of thought in Huna to be the same as Wicca, Alchemy, or Hermetics in western Europe; the same as the Native American tradition; and the same as the Aboriginal teachings in Australia, the Maori teachings in New Zealand, or the original teaching of Tantra in India.

So whereas there was the tradition of the Holy Guardian Spirit in Hermetics, Alchemy, and the Native American Tradition, so also in Huna we have the tradition of the Higher Self.

Where there was the tradition of the 5 elements in Hermetics, Alchemy, and Tantra in India, so also in Huna we have the 5 elements.

Where there was the tradition of the Dream Time in the Native American Tradition, Maori and Aboriginal traditions so also in Huna we have Moe Uhane (Dream Time) in Huna.

No, no, no, and no. Gah.

James looks to me like a young, white newager, selling a mixture of garbled bullshit about ceremonial magic, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), hypnosis, and generic nuage "prosperity consciousness"... mixed in with that ever-popular white fantasy of selling access to "indigenous teachings". This stuff is just laughable, but it looks like he's raking in the dough. If he's spawned old DeathRay, what other monsters has he spawned?

And if he's the idiot who trained DeathRay to kill people in plastic DeathTents... WTF is he doing to people at his retreats?
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on October 30, 2009, 08:08:20 pm
According to NightLine, JR is no longer giving his talks/seminars and is reportedly now cooperating with authorities.  My belief is that his lawyer told him to cooperate and to stop his lecture tour until this is resolved.  But, at least he's stopped for now.  Now, just have to wait for charges and hopefully see him sent to prison.

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on October 30, 2009, 09:01:34 pm
Fun facts about Sedona (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedona,_Arizona):

Demographics

"As of the census of 2000 ... The racial makeup of the city was 92.17% White, 0.49% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 4.29% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. 8.90% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race."

History
Native American

"The Yavapai-Apache tribe were forcefully removed from the Verde Valley in 1876, to the San Carlos Indian Reservation, 180 miles southeast. 1500 people were marched, in midwinter, to San Carlos. Several hundred lost their lives. The survivors were interned for 25 years. About 200 Yavapai-Apache people returned to the Verde Valley in 1900."
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: tachia on October 31, 2009, 05:03:18 pm
A friend sent this article to me .. and though it is from a source that I do not condone, it does have some good info in it .. just thought I would post it even though it is from manataka .. .. (if you do not know about manataka use the search here and look it up: http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?action=search2) .. I copied this from the email my friend sent, not from the manataka site, I did not check one against the other for content, so I am including the source the article came from ..

Source: http://www.manataka.org/page1108.html

Sweat Lodge Deaths Attributed to Greed and Ignorance

What Happened

You may have already heard about the tragic October 8 deaths of three people at a so-called "sweat lodge" at the Angle Valley Spiritual Retreat Center near Sedona, Arizona operated by the self-..improvement guru James Arthur Ray.

According to news reports, about 60 people were crowded into a makeshift 415 square-foot sweat lodge, as part of a "Spiritual Warrior" retreat. Participants paid $9,695 each for a series of exercises, seminars and American Indian ceremonies. Ray has been selling American Indian ceremonies for at least seven years, according to the owner of Angel Valley Spiritual Retreat who annually rent their property to him, “tee pees” included.

Another similar incident occurred in mid-October 2005 when several people became violently ill during one of Ray's retreats. People suffered from burns and others were found lying on the ground unconscious and two others suffered cardiac arrest. The owner the retreat and participants in the October tragedy said they were not aware of the 2005 incident and James Ray is not talking -- some brave warrior he is.

The local law enforcement agency probing the deaths of three people, says it is now treating the case as a homicide investigation. Yavapai County Sheriff Steve Waugh said his office is focusing the inquiry on James Arthur Ray and anyone else involved in organizing the ceremony. Ray immediately fled the scene and left the state and is refusing to speak with detectives -- that really says a lot about his character.

Kirby Anne Brown, 38, of Westtown, N.Y., James Scott Shore, 40, of Milwaukee, and Minnesota resident Lizabeth Neuman, 49, died and at least twenty people were treated for illness and injury at the hands of a greedy, ego-maniac who misappropriated.. American Indian ceremonies. Funerals are being arranged while Ray continues ranking in money on his speaking circuit.

American Indians are Appalled by Commercializati..on of Spiritual Ceremonies

Chief Arvol Looking Horse, 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle, said in a lengthy statement, "As Keeper of our Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle, I am concerned for the [three] deaths and illnesses of the many people that participated in a sweat lodge in Sedona, Arizona that brought our sacred rite under fire in the news. I would like to clarify that this lodge and many others, are not our ceremonial way of life, because of the way they are being conducted. My prayers go out for their families and loved ones for their loss... What has happened in the news with the make shift sauna called the sweat lodge is not our ceremonial way of life!..."

Tim Giago, an Oglala Lakota, publisher of Native Sun News and founder of the Native American Journalists Association, said "The outrage about the sweat lodge deaths reverberates around the country as everyone seeks an answer to questions they don’t even know how to pose. I am not going to dance around the consequences of Arthur Ray’s stupidity because he was blatantly using a religious ceremony of the Native Americans to enrich himself and what is worse, he didn’t know any of the sacred rites that accompany the inipi nor did he know the Lakota/..Dakota/Nakota language, an intricate part of the ceremony..."

"If you ask just about any Native American out there, they will be appalled by this," said Freddie Johnson, language and culture specialist at the Phoenix Indian Center. "It's disturbing to hear that there were three deaths from this so-called sweat lodge."

Rick Black Elk, head of the eastern Texas chapter of the American Indian Movement said, "The incident near Sedona unfairly calls legitimate sweat-lodge ceremonies into question."

Vernon Foster, an Arizona representative of the American Indian Movement is upset that James Ray and his staff apparently did not know how to conduct a sweat-lodge ceremony and placed the lives of sixty people in jeopardy through their ignorance and disrespect.

Valerie Taliman, a reporter for Indian Country Today, quotes Alvin Manitopyes, a healer from the Cree, Anishnawbe and Assiniboine nations, who said in 1993, “Our elders conduct sweat lodge ceremonies out of love for their people to help them in their healing and spiritual growth. When someone attaches a price tag to the ceremony, then the sacredness is gone and it comes down to them playing around with our sacred ceremonies.”

Other comments from American Indian leaders and spiritual elders across the country are pouring in to Manataka about the horrible tragedy in Sedona. Most are deeply saddened by the deaths, illness and injury. Some are angry and a few are demanding violent reprisals. All are concerned that sacred traditions like the pipe ceremony, vision quests, purification lodge ceremonies, and the sundance are being altered by fast-buck impersonators.

Similar Groups Run For Cover

There are dozens of companies and hundreds of individuals who are making great sums of money selling American Indian spirituality. While it is not possible to know the total dollar amount, Marketdata, Inc.,a market research firm, says Americans spent $11.3 billion last year on self-help products and services. The industry has grown by by 5.5% annually over the past few years. James Ray International enjoyed $10 million in revenue and 547.4% growth over the past three years, Inc. magazine reports. While the number of individuals, groups and companies and the amount of money they rake in each year selling American Indian ceremonies is impossible to know, it can be assumed the practice is lucrative enough to attract an ever growing number of people who are willing to sacrifice honor and respect in exchange for money.

The Institute For Cultural Awareness located near Sedona and headed up by Adam "Yellowbird" DeArmon charges large sums of money to unsuspecting seekers of spiritual enlightenment to participate in so-called American Indian ceremonies. In April 2009, the Hopi Nation barred the IFCA from holding its "Return of the Ancestors" gathering on "any portion of Hopi land" and directed its law enforcement officials to enforce the ban. DeArmon and the IFCA has come under scrutiny by American Indian tribes and organizations.

Shortly after the October 8 deaths, Jim Beard, a spokesman for Adam "Yellowbird" DeArmon and the Institute For Cultural Awareness said in an email directed to "like-minded" people, "We need to come to a consensus on broad protocols of conducting Sweat Lodges, including any energy exchange that may be taking place."

There is nothing to be gained by "like-minded" people who meet to agree on "broad protocols of conducting Sweat Lodges". It has taken our grandfathers and grandmothers thousands of years to learn the right ways to conduct Purification Lodge ceremonies. The protocols of the lodge are not "broad" -- they are very narrow for specific reasons. Who are these people who think they can sit down and write up a list of rules about our ceremonies to suit themselves? Who are they trying to fool but each other? The protocols of the Purification Lodge vary slightly from tribe to tribe, but the basic philosophy and respect displayed during ceremonies is constant. Any time money is present, the entire ceremony is tainted.

A close associate of DeArmon is James "Tyberonn" Tipton, of Conroe, Texas who operates Earth-..Keeper.com regularly hosts gatherings featuring American Indian spirituality -- for a big price. A few years ago, DeArmon allegedly taught Tipton how to conduct American Indian ceremonies in exchange for several thousand dollars. DeArmon and Tipton are not American Indians.

Tipton, who says he "channels" an Archangel he calls "Metatron", rakes in large sums of money for "healing" sessions featuring American Indian ceremonies. In September 2009, the Arkansas Attorney General's office was asked by local law enforcement authorities to investigate the "09-09-09" gathering at the Mount Magazine State Park in Arkansas hosted by Tipton. The event featured a number of so-called "healers", including one Hopi Indian, Ruben Saufkie, that Tipton alleged was a "Hopi Elder" and "Hopi Eagle Dancer". In letters to local groups and officials, the Hopi Nation and seven Hopi spiritual elders said that Mr. Saufkie "...is not who he says he is..." and said he was never trained by spiritual elders and Saufkie was not authorized or recognized as an Eagle Dancer by the tribe. It is estimated that Tipton put more than $155,000 in his pocket that day.

Like James Ray, some hucksters have gotten lawyered-up in recent years and believe they are better protected from law suits by forcing participants to sign a release of liability forms. No traditional American Indian does that sort of thing -- only coyotes do that.

Like James Arthur Ray, elders have attempted to dissuade DeArmon and Tipton too. Will they listen? Or, will they experience a tragedy?

Read Sacred Ceremonies for a Price?

DeArmon and his associates may wish to distance themselves from their friend and neighbor James Arthur Ray, but they will not succeed hiding their deliberate actions that demean and desecrate American Indian sacred ceremonies by charging money. Other organizers and promoters of events, large or small that appropriate American Indian ceremonies to enrich themselves will not escape the wrath of the Creator. Blasphemy of anything sacred is wrong and has grave consequences for those who not heed this warning. They will not escape the wrath of people who demand swift action by state and federal authorities.

What Did Ray Do Wrong?

James Arthur Ray may seem like a very intelligent, intuitive person with great knowledge and experience. But, James Arthur Ray is ignorant because he refused to listen when American Indian elders came to him several times in recent years asking him to stop conducting sweat lodges because he was hurting people. Several times they came and every time Ray refused to listen.

The 415 square foot tent-like structure Ray used was far too big for a sweat lodge ceremony. A typical lodge is small, capable of holding no more than 15 to 20 people - most accommodate 10 to 12 people or less. The fewer number of participants is important because the lodge leader must be completely aware of the physical and mental condition of all participants to help insure their safety and well-being. It was impossible for Ray to know these things with a group of sixty people -- especially when the only person he recognized was his over-inflated ego. He used a larger lodge to fit in more paying suckers.

The types of herbal medicines used to sprinkle lightly on the red-hot stones comes from specific knowledge gained after hundreds of years of use by trained elders. It is alleged Ray used all sorts of weird, non-..traditional concoctions that were liberally poured on the hot stones creating a thick cloud of smoke in the crowded confines of his make-shift structure. It is no wonder people where found laying on the ground unconscious.

The traditional sweat lodge is supposed to be round and emulate Mother Earth. Ray's lodge looked like a small oblong stadium. Failure to respect tradition is not wise.

The amount of time spent inside the sweat lodge is usually between 15 - 20 minutes per "round" with a break between each of the four rounds. Ray's marathon two to three hour sweats without a break was designed to prove his "macho" he-man image and completely disregarded the well-being of participants.

The entrance to a traditional lodge is round and small and requires one to crawl inside. Kissing the earth, offering thanks and asking permission to enter is a reminder to participants to be humble. The entrance to Ray's lodge was square and was large enough for people to simply stoop down.

A traditional lodge uses only natural materials that allows it to breathe with the wind and emulate the Mother Earth. Ray used plastic covers and other man-made materials that may have contributed to the toxic fumes that made some participants delirious and rendered many unconscious.



Ceremonies performed inside a traditional Purification Lodge do not originate in the Orient, East India, Europe, Africa or the Middle East. They are completely from Turtle Island -- this continent. Is it appropriate to sit inside a Catholic church singing a Tibetan chant? Is right for a Baptist preacher to conduct a Hindu wedding? The Purification Lodge is American Indian. It does not belong to those who wish to make something else. Stealing our ceremonies to make it appear that the hosts are some how endowed with some special spiritual knowledge is fraud.

The intent of the Purification lodge is to provide healing and enhance spiritual growth, restore balance and harmony within, and make a reverent connection between the Great Mystery and its participants. We call it a "Purification Lodge", not a sweat lodge, because its purpose is not to sweat as in a sauna, but instead its aim is to purify the body, mind, and soul. The intent of promoters of pseudo -sweat lodges is to enrich themselves.

A few participants who attended the death sweat in Sedona who defend the actions of Ray on October 8. They cannot bring themselves to admit their own culpability in the crimes committed on that day. They remain mesmerized by Ray's powerful charisma and New Age mumbo-jumbo that got them involved in the tragic situation.

There are many other things about Ray's farce of a sweat lodge that are wrong. The only way to make them right is for all these money mongers to stop offering American Indian ceremonies for a price.

What Can Be Done Stop These Idiots?

1. If someone asks you for money for the privilege of attending American Indian ceremonies, refuse and walk away. Traditional people do not charge for ceremonies. Period.

2. If someone invites you at attend a "seminar" where American Indian ceremonies will be performed and an admission price is charged, refuse and walk away.

3. If you hear about anyone who is performing ceremonies for a price, contact local law enforcement officials and ask for an investigation. Authorities take a dim view of frauds who offer religious ceremonies or healing for a price.

4. If you have personal knowledge or experience of a person who is selling American Indian ceremonies, write a letter the editor of your local newspaper
and national news agencies; send copies to prosecutors, law enforcement agencies and political office holders. Name names, give dates, places and a short narrative.

5. These people are human predators who prey on those in need of spiritual help. They are no better than child molesters or those who rob the elderly.
They sometimes appear to be American Indian and sometimes they are New Age mumbo-jumbo crazies, or well-polished and wealthy self-help frauds like Ray. Regardless, exposure is the key -- they hate the light of day.



6. Educate yourself and others about what constitutes traditional American Indian ceremonies.

7. Investigate the credentials of anyone offering American Indian ceremonies. If they say, "Thomas Long Wolf" or "Grandpa Jones" or whoever trained them, get specifics, phone numbers, addresses, dates, names of other participants and witnesses. Do not feel shy about asking. It is your spiritual health and integrity that is at stake. Ask reputable, recognized elders or people who walk the Good Red Road on a consistent basis.

8. Most of all, follow your own gut feelings. If the answers are nebulous or sketchy, walk away quickly. Practice using good discretion.

9. If you do participate in a Purification Lodge ceremony, or any other American Indian rites, and you start to feel uneasy or ill, ask to be excused immediately. Responsible lodge leaders are trained to keep a close watch on all participants and will often ask each person several times during the course of the ceremony about their well-being. A Purification Lodge is not a marathon intended to test ones physical, emotional or spiritual endurance.

10. People who attend and observe American Indian ceremonies, including non-Native and Natives, who think they can do the ceremonies themselves without proper training and without a true spiritual calling from the Spirit world and the Creator, are toying with the sacred ways and they will pay the price --- a whole lot more than they ever received from the pockets of the public.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: debbieredbear on October 31, 2009, 05:52:58 pm
AP article:First lawsuits filed in Ariz. sweat lodge tragedy:

This is the telling part:
Quote
"I believe he tricked these people, he coerced these people into this death trap, all for his financial gain," said Schmidt, who filed the lawsuit for Spencer.

plus this:
Quote
"This was a bizarre tragedy that could have easily been prevented if (Ray) and his staff had used just an ounce of common sense," said attorney Ted Schmidt, who represents survivor Sidney Spencer.

read the full article here:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j4PHcSvMF8pPe_CpIRZejl7OD1vgD9BLOG0O0 (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j4PHcSvMF8pPe_CpIRZejl7OD1vgD9BLOG0O0)
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: debbieredbear on October 31, 2009, 06:05:30 pm
I had to post this from the above article too:

[quote"He used way too many rocks, way too much heat, way too long, for the dimensions of this death trap and the number of people in there," Schmidt said. "And when finally it become apparent that this is a catastrophe, he runs away, which is probably the best evidence that he is a snake oil salesman."][/quote]

But I think we all new that!
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: ska on November 01, 2009, 04:32:36 am
This article was published in a Canadian newspaper and recounts the experiences of one of the participants in Ray's death tent:

http://www.newsrunner.com/display-article/?eUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.leaderpost.com%2Fhealth%2FWinnipeg%2Brecounts%2Bsweat%2Blodge%2Btragedy%2F2136492%2Fstory.html&eSrc=Regina+Leader+Post&eTitle=Winnipeg+man+recounts+U.S.+sweat-lodge+tragedy (http://www.newsrunner.com/display-article/?eUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.leaderpost.com%2Fhealth%2FWinnipeg%2Brecounts%2Bsweat%2Blodge%2Btragedy%2F2136492%2Fstory.html&eSrc=Regina+Leader+Post&eTitle=Winnipeg+man+recounts+U.S.+sweat-lodge+tragedy)

Couple of things jumped out at me in this article.  Firstly, the fellow says that, while attempting to get out of the enclosure, he ". . .collapsed on the coals, burning his arm." 

This is the first I'd heard that there were coals inside. If this is the case, then it seems likely that  carbon monoxide poisoning could have killed participants.

Taking smoldering embers or coals into an enclosed space?  This is a reminder to me that this is about twinkie practices, not Indian ones. 

Another comment that demonstrates this is twinkie terrain is the death tent participant's interpretation of sweat lodge as an "extreme spiritual experience".

I mean no disrespect to the ones who have been victimized.  Many of us settlers have become so spiritually numb that it seems we need to have our egos Tasered to feel alive.

Tonight, I pray for the prayers I have heard expressed by my husband and his Elders and family members: may the ceremonies go back to the language, and may the language go back to the ceremonies.

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Sizzle Flambé on November 01, 2009, 01:01:24 pm
This article was published in a Canadian newspaper and recounts the experiences of one of the participants in Ray's death tent. (http://www.newsrunner.com/display-article/?eUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.leaderpost.com%2Fhealth%2FWinnipeg%2Brecounts%2Bsweat%2Blodge%2Btragedy%2F2136492%2Fstory.html&eSrc=Regina+Leader+Post&eTitle=Winnipeg+man+recounts+U.S.+sweat-lodge+tragedy)

Couple of things jumped out at me in this article.  Firstly, the fellow says that, while attempting to get out of the enclosure, he ". . .collapsed on the coals, burning his arm." 

This is the first I'd heard that there were coals inside. If this is the case, then it seems likely that  carbon monoxide poisoning could have killed participants.

Taking smoldering embers or coals into an enclosed space?  This is a reminder to me that this is about twinkie practices, not Indian ones.

And just how stupid did the victims have to be, to sit around actual combustion in a closed-in space?

Which has me wondering whether by "coals" he meant merely "hot rocks" instead....

Otherwise, you know, we could market a great bargain plan, much cheaper than Ray's, where you tack-and-duct-tape some plastic sheeting up on a gazebo, and put your coal-burning barbecue inside it along with some lawn chairs, some incense for the coals, a stereo with New Age music, and play the marks out for only a few hundred dollars apiece. Serve Jonestown lemonade to speed things up. Catch up with the comet's crew. December 2012 is coming soon, don't miss the rush. What really is the percentage genetic difference between human beings and lemmings?

Damn, I woke up cynical today. Maybe if I go back to sleep for a while, that will change. Sorry for the foul mood.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: tachia on November 06, 2009, 03:35:03 am
anyone know anything about this? ..
(i received this third hand from a friend in germany, it appears that some of the LP support groups are circulating this and that it is making the rounds on the internet)
all i see are red flags .. .. jmo

Von: LPSG:TN (504058116)
An: (212441130)
Datum: 03.11.2009 04:35:02
Betreff: Leonard Crowdog Needs Our Help ~ Please Repost~URGENT~


A forward to the Peltier group Billie ~ I have been in contact for the last couple of days with Leonard Crowdog. He is currently in New Mexico on his way to Arizona because of the disaster with the sweatlodge death as you have probably heard about. There were three people that died in that sweatlodge ceremoney and Leonard Crowdogs with 7 other AIM groups are on there way there to prefrom a cermony and sort things out as to what happend. Right now i am the only contact person he does not want to talk to anybody because he is performing a four day cermony. However all the rocks they bring for this ceremony have to be inspected they have to pay 250 dollar per cermony, the willows of the inipi, the chanupa and everything else were conviscated as evidence. Leonard Crowdog needs our help. It is going to cost 1500 dollars to perform the cermonies and to feed the people participating in this event. He has a meeting with the govenor of Arizona to try to accomplish that not all sweatlodges across the nation will be shut down. If anybody is having sweatlodge ceremonies he want people to do the following. To pray for the rocks, willows, water. fire and the chanupa's that witness these death. He also want people to place the the four direction colors in the sweatlodge and place a stick outside of the sweatlodge were the altar would be with prayers for the people that died. Right now he is in need of 1500 dollars to perform all of this and is setting up a fund that is called "Lakoto cermonial way of life for all man kind" All donations can be sent to this fund c/o Marianne van Gulijk, 5090 Brush Ridge Court, Columbus, Ohio 43228. Any question can be called into 614-870-3334 or 614-530-2344. This is very serious, right now I am the only contact person because he will be in ceremony for the next four days. Please let us all give him the support he needs so that we can preserve the Native Traditions that they all have fought for so hard. As soon as I get more updates I will let you know. Thanks, Marianne


Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Edge on November 06, 2009, 05:54:20 am
I have not received anything like this. Thanks for posting this.

With all the scams going on with the internet today, it would not surprise me if someone tries to exploit this tragedy as well.

I like the way the woman who wrote this letter spelled "ceremony"...."ceremoney" is truly more like it.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: taraverti on November 06, 2009, 04:14:27 pm
Since it wasn't really a sweat lodge, (and everyone who knows anything about real sweat lodges knows that) but rather a hot house/death box, I think you are right about the red flags.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on November 06, 2009, 04:20:02 pm
.    
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: flyaway on November 07, 2009, 12:04:57 am
anyone know anything about this? ..
(i received this third hand from a friend in germany, it appears that some of the LP support groups are circulating this and that it is making the rounds on the internet)
all i see are red flags .. .. jmo

Von: LPSG:TN (504058116)
An: (212441130)
Datum: 03.11.2009 04:35:02
Betreff: Leonard Crowdog Needs Our Help ~ Please Repost~URGENT~


A forward to the Peltier group Billie ~ I have been in contact for the last couple of days with Leonard Crowdog. He is currently in New Mexico on his way to Arizona because of the disaster with the sweatlodge death as you have probably heard about. There were three people that died in that sweatlodge ceremoney and Leonard Crowdogs with 7 other AIM groups are on there way there to prefrom a cermony and sort things out as to what happend. Right now i am the only contact person he does not want to talk to anybody because he is performing a four day cermony. However all the rocks they bring for this ceremony have to be inspected they have to pay 250 dollar per cermony, the willows of the inipi, the chanupa and everything else were conviscated as evidence. Leonard Crowdog needs our help. It is going to cost 1500 dollars to perform the cermonies and to feed the people participating in this event. He has a meeting with the govenor of Arizona to try to accomplish that not all sweatlodges across the nation will be shut down. If anybody is having sweatlodge ceremonies he want people to do the following. To pray for the rocks, willows, water. fire and the chanupa's that witness these death. He also want people to place the the four direction colors in the sweatlodge and place a stick outside of the sweatlodge were the altar would be with prayers for the people that died. Right now he is in need of 1500 dollars to perform all of this and is setting up a fund that is called "Lakoto cermonial way of life for all man kind" All donations can be sent to this fund c/o Marianne van Gulijk, 5090 Brush Ridge Court, Columbus, Ohio 43228. Any question can be called into 614-870-3334 or 614-530-2344. This is very serious, right now I am the only contact person because he will be in ceremony for the next four days. Please let us all give him the support he needs so that we can preserve the Native Traditions that they all have fought for so hard. As soon as I get more updates I will let you know. Thanks, Marianne




http://www.linkedin.com/profi le?authToken=kngV&viewProfile=&authType=name&locale=en_US&ke y=16354320

This is what I found on this woman. also noted the date of this post as 03/11/09. According to the site she is Dutch and it is not of the Lakota ways to do things in this manner. Yes this is a scam. So SHE is the one and only to be contacted. LOL I pray no one falls for this crap. Another piece of info, Leonard would build their own Inipi and bring their own Chanupa. How so very sad that so many was"chisu" do not even respect a time as this , well than again they do not respect theirselve!!!
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: dabosijigwokush on November 07, 2009, 03:56:41 am
http://www.netherlands-embassy.org/article.asp?articleref=AR00000276EN

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?encType=1&where1=5090+Brush+Ridge+Ct%2c+Columbus%2c+OH+43228-2228&FORM=MIRE

any one for a road trip
going to report this to her post master, mail fraud
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: oldspirit on November 07, 2009, 04:12:11 am
Here's Ray's website with an update on Oct. 29th...
http://jamesray.com/
...and reading his words...
>Quote>I will keep you updated regularly as we move forward about our progress and about our plans for rescheduling the postponed events.
Much love and respect,
James Arthur Ray
President/CEO
James Ray International<End Quote
http://blog.jamesray.com/labels/sedona%20tragedy.html

...then going to his events schedule...
http://jamesray.com/events/

...and seeing a Sedona Spiritual Warrior Event for Sept. 18th - 23rd, 2010...
http://jamesray.com/events/event-dates.php
http://jamesray.com/events/spiritual-warrior.php

... and then reading these words of his on the bottom of the Spiritual Warrior page...
Quote>You owe it to the rest of your life to get to Spiritual Warrior as quickly as you can. The investment is ONLY $9695 per person.<End Quote

He just does not get it!  does he? ...sad
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: dabosijigwokush on November 07, 2009, 04:15:11 am
i got a report he was chased out of pa 12 to 15 years ago
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: NDN_Outlaw on November 07, 2009, 05:14:06 am
No ones dancing to James Ray's agenda but James Ray himself. "Denial is Bliss" would be an appropriate program for him to deliver for a dollar a day at Pelican Bay max prison. Pompous creep!
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: educatedindian on November 07, 2009, 03:37:10 pm
i got a report he was chased out of pa 12 to 15 years ago

Could you tell us more?

Found this. Ray's claims are even more bizarre than we thought.

--------------------
http://www.earnedmedia.org/maryk1027.htm
'Secret' Theory of James Arthur Ray is Flawed, Says Commentator, Best-Selling Author Jim Garlow
Contact: Mary Kuper, 619-972-2221, marykuper7@yahoo.com

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 27 /Christian Newswire/ -- Did self-proclaimed personal-success strategist James Arthur Ray reveal a flaw in his teachings on the principles of the The Secret (Rhonda Byrne, Atria Books, 2006) during his "spiritual warrior" spiritual cleansing ceremony at a new-age sweat lodge in Sedona this month where three attendees died, another in critical care, and 19 hospitalized?

"Yes." says San Diego megachurch pastor and best-selling author Dr. Jim Garlow, author of The Secret Revealed; Heaven and the Afterlife; and New York Times bestseller Cracking DiVinci's Code.

"Byrne's The Secret prominently features the teachings of James Arthur Ray, even including him in the 'Biographies' section at the end of the book. Many people do not realize how truly bizarre the central theme of The Secret really is," said Garlow. "They mistakenly think it is just another self-help, positive mental attitude book. It is not!"

"Byrne claims that people can project their thoughts into the universe like some sort of a radio transmitter." Garlow said "Then the universe is bound, according to The Secret, to give them things based on those thoughts. Succinctly said, this is totally bogus."

Garlow further stated: "Byrne -- and others who teach such things -- might be sincere, but they are sincerely wrong. The tragedy is not merely that people died, as horrible as that is. What is more preposterous is that there are still people willing to defend the rampant flaws of the message of The Secret. There will be many more casualties -- emotional, financial and otherwise -- of this dangerous and highly flawed system of thought."

James Arthur Ray uses the principles of the "Law of Attraction" found in The Secret during his wealth-building seminars and ceremonies for achieving personal success, claiming that "the Universe" is saying, "Your wish is my command."

Was "the Secret" applied during the spiritual cleansing ceremony within the destructive confines of the new-age sweat lodge where three people perished? If so, it surely did not work....
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: tachia on November 07, 2009, 06:55:14 pm
just an update on the bulletin about crowdog .. ..

as i had thought, apparently the letter is a scam ..

here is the retraction that the LPDOC group posted, again this is from my friend in germany .. i have yet to see it posted publicly .. so "Marianne van Gulijk" could very well be receiving money from people who did not get the retraction ..


Von:LPSG:TN
Datum 04 Nov 2009, 02:12
Betreff:~MUST READ Leonard Crowdog Has NOT Authorized anyone~
Text:
Billie Fidlin sent a message to the members of Leonard Peltier. Subject: URGENT
"Leonard Crowdog has not authorized anyone to collect funds. He asks that this effort cease."



also jfi .. the LPDOC group (their URL: www.myspace.com/strongheart58) that posted it seems to not know much about the issue of Peltier, the website they have up for Peltier is the old LPDC one that has been inactive since early 2008 .. lol .. my opinion is that they are just another group of wannabes satisfying their pretindian egos through their uninformed support of Peltier .. so for them to post that letter is really no surprise .. such things happen far too often, post the "look at me and how important i am to know this" without first checking the facts .. imo people like that are too ignorant of the issues to even see the red flags the rest of us see in such things .. .. jmo though .. ..
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Superdog on November 07, 2009, 10:32:51 pm
Here's Marianne's twitter page...

http://twitter.com/sadeydog

Reading it through she does seem to have a need for money.  One of her tweets talks about having her electricity turned off.  She lists her occupation as agricultural and immigration specialist. 

I'd probably keep in mind that there's a possibility she's somewhat innocent.  There's no guarantee she knows who Leonard Crow Dog is and that she might be in contact with someone claiming to be him and needing money.  From her tweets it seems as if her son is dealing with addiction and I can imagine another scenario where he would use her e-mail to attempt to collect money (addiction causes the ultimate crazy types of behavior).  Don't know anything for sure, that's just my imagination running a little, but it all gets figured out by having authorities contact her first and letting her know that her name is all over a fraudulent request for funds in someone else's name and finding out what the whole deal behind it is.

Superdog
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: oldspirit on November 08, 2009, 02:53:25 am
here is something else I just came across that makes me wonder... Anyone know about any of this?

http://eideard.wordpress.com/2009/10/10/two-die-at-arizona-spirit-sweat-lodge/
>Quote from reply message on above website<>>>>The Chumash Indians are the keepers of the western gate for what is known by most as Turtle Island. One of their traditional practioners, Mahiwo, is now in the Sedona area to help with the transition of souls and heal the hearts and emotions in this great atrosophy and for the participants of catastrophy.
Many of the people in the incident have now returned home.
You can contact us at eyeofthesoul@live.com and we will pass a message on to Mahiwo.<End quote<

I'm guessing here, yet I think this is Mahiwo...
http://eyeofthesoul.gaia.com/

Mahiwo Agdeppa
Title: Sustainable Advocate

Gender: Male

Location: California

About Me:

Traditonal Cultural Practitioner for the Dolphin Clan of Chumash Indians whose territorial boundery is from Topanga to Carpenteria California.

My ethnic is Chumash, Cherokee,Apache, Philipino and Irish

Most my life has been dedecated to the traditional medicine of my Chumash Heritage


Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: tachia on November 08, 2009, 07:34:01 pm
Here's Marianne's twitter page...

http://twitter.com/sadeydog

Reading it through she does seem to have a need for money.  One of her tweets talks about having her electricity turned off.  She lists her occupation as agricultural and immigration specialist. 

I'd probably keep in mind that there's a possibility she's somewhat innocent.  There's no guarantee she knows who Leonard Crow Dog is and that she might be in contact with someone claiming to be him and needing money.  From her tweets it seems as if her son is dealing with addiction and I can imagine another scenario where he would use her e-mail to attempt to collect money (addiction causes the ultimate crazy types of behavior).  Don't know anything for sure, that's just my imagination running a little, but it all gets figured out by having authorities contact her first and letting her know that her name is all over a fraudulent request for funds in someone else's name and finding out what the whole deal behind it is.

Superdog

superdog ..

your right .. there are many possibilities as the whys and hows of this letter .. .. indeed the letter raised huge red flags for me and i figured that it was a scam .. on the other hand i did stop and think, why would a scam artist place their full name, address and two phone numbers in this letter .. ..

i do believe that we all should check things out as thoroughly as possible .. checking things out was the reason i posted the letter in here .. to see if anyone else had any information about the contents etc .. but that was not the only step i have taken .. in addition to talking to many others in an effort to find out more, i have repeatedly called the two numbers listed for "marianne" .. others that i have been in contact with have also called repeatedly .. the first number takes you directly to a voice mail/answering machine, where messages have been left (politely) asking for a return call .. the second number gives us a message saying that the person is not taking phone calls at this time .. .. i will, of course, let this forum know if any of my calls are returned and i am able to find out "the story" on this letter ..

personally, i feel that anyone with any insights at all should have seen that this letter was at the very least suspect and most likely a scam .. i feel, like you, that this "marianne" could very well be innocent and was used in some way or another .. if i am placing blame/responsibility on anyone, it is on the original people who sent the letter out on the web without first checking out it's validity .. as i said in my post, this sort of thing happens far too often and innocent people do send their money in .. one of my concerns with this letter was where i received it from .. a friend in germany, who believed it to be true, based on who it originated with, an official LPDOC support group .. and more importantly, the letter was endorsed by billie fidlin, who is an active and current member of the official LPDOC ..  acting in an official capacity for LP these people should know better, they should know to check things out as everything that they do can, and does, reflect back onto LP ..if they endorse a scam, how does that look for LP??? .. .. this letter made its way quite quickly to germany and most likely to other european countries, where interest in the ndn people is huge .. the people who support the causes of the ndn people in europe do not have the means that we do to check things out, and most often rely on the credibility of the sender to ascertain whether it is legit or not .. which is exactly what happened in this case, people relying on the  credibility of LPDOC and their endorsement .. one has to now wonder how much money this scam has generated form innocent people merely wishing to help .. ..

i have always found it telling that the letters asking for money are quite long and quickly make the rounds .. and yet the retractions are very short, without much explanation if any at all, and are not widely distributed and seen .. ..

i do believe that we all have a moral and ethical responsibility to ferret these sort of scams out and inform people as much as we can about them .. and we do know that NAFPS and it's members do exactly that, with all the (hopefully) unbiased research that we all do on things such as this, among others .. .. 

thanks to all of you for your input on this letter .. i will let you all know if i find out the real story behind it ..

tachia

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: oldspirit on November 09, 2009, 03:12:50 am
http://www.netherlands-embassy.org/article.asp?articleref=AR00000276EN

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?encType=1&where1=5090+Brush+Ridge+Ct%2c+Columbus%2c+OH+43228-2228&FORM=MIRE

any one for a road trip
going to report this to her post master, mail fraud

...just so you know... I live two states away from Ohio, yet my oldest son actually lives just about three miles north of this address in an area known as Hillard, Ohio, also the western suburbs of Columbus, right above Marianne van Gulijk, 5090 Brush Ridge Court, Columbus, Ohio 43228... :)


Here's Marianne's twitter page...

http://twitter.com/sadeydog

Reading it through she does seem to have a need for money.  One of her tweets talks about having her electricity turned off.  She lists her occupation as agricultural and immigration specialist. 

I'd probably keep in mind that there's a possibility she's somewhat innocent.  There's no guarantee she knows who Leonard Crow Dog is and that she might be in contact with someone claiming to be him and needing money.  From her tweets it seems as if her son is dealing with addiction and I can imagine another scenario where he would use her e-mail to attempt to collect money (addiction causes the ultimate crazy types of behavior).  Don't know anything for sure, that's just my imagination running a little, but it all gets figured out by having authorities contact her first and letting her know that her name is all over a fraudulent request for funds in someone else's name and finding out what the whole deal behind it is.

Superdog

superdog ..

your right .. there are many possibilities as the whys and hows of this letter .. .. indeed the letter raised huge red flags for me and i figured that it was a scam .. on the other hand i did stop and think, why would a scam artist place their full name, address and two phone numbers in this letter .. ..

i do believe that we all should check things out as thoroughly as possible .. checking things out was the reason i posted the letter in here .. to see if anyone else had any information about the contents etc .. but that was not the only step i have taken .. in addition to talking to many others in an effort to find out more, i have repeatedly called the two numbers listed for "marianne" .. others that i have been in contact with have also called repeatedly .. the first number takes you directly to a voice mail/answering machine, where messages have been left (politely) asking for a return call .. the second number gives us a message saying that the person is not taking phone calls at this time .. .. i will, of course, let this forum know if any of my calls are returned and i am able to find out "the story" on this letter
i do believe that we all have a moral and ethical responsibility to ferret these sort of scams out and inform people as much as we can about them .. and we do know that NAFPS and it's members do exactly that, with all the (hopefully) unbiased research that we all do on things such as this, among others .. .. 

thanks to all of you for your input on this letter .. i will let you all know if i find out the real story behind it ..

tachia


Now my son, at this point, knows nothing about this forum's thread about any of this and I'm sure if I told him about it... well... he most likely would not wish to contact in person... yet I will talk to him about it to see what he may know or find out... and post back if anything comes of it.   
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: educatedindian on November 09, 2009, 02:30:50 pm
here is something else I just came across that makes me wonder... Anyone know about any of this?

http://eideard.wordpress.com/2009/10/10/two-die-at-arizona-spirit-sweat-lodge/
>Quote from reply message on above website<>>>>The Chumash Indians are the keepers of the western gate for what is known by most as Turtle Island. One of their traditional practioners, Mahiwo, is now in the Sedona area to help with the transition of souls and heal the hearts and emotions in this great atrosophy and for the participants of catastrophy.
Many of the people in the incident have now returned home.
You can contact us at eyeofthesoul@live.com and we will pass a message on to Mahiwo.<End quote<

I'm guessing here, yet I think this is Mahiwo...
http://eyeofthesoul.gaia.com/

Mahiwo Agdeppa
Title: Sustainable Advocate

Gender: Male

Location: California

About Me:

Traditonal Cultural Practitioner for the Dolphin Clan of Chumash Indians whose territorial boundery is from Topanga to Carpenteria California.

My ethnic is Chumash, Cherokee,Apache, Philipino and Irish

Most my life has been dedecated to the traditional medicine of my Chumash Heritage


He's apparently involved in animal rescue and the white bison issue.
http://earthangelsanimalsanctuary.org/blog/entry/54061/we-are-looking-for-a-grant-writer
http://ranchers.net/forum/about9230.html

Also listed as a New Age Contact, though he may not have any say over that.
http://www.djmsoft.no-ip.com/search_contacts.php?pagenumber=11&search_text=&searchfield=interests&match=any&country=Any+Country

My first thought was wondering if he'd been the supposed Native instructor for Ray's scam. But I don't see any sign of that. He may have been asked to go to Sedona because he was perceived as Nuage-friendly.

So I don't think Ray and co ever had a genuine NDN instructor for the sweats. Or if they did he's been in hiding since the deaths.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on November 09, 2009, 09:25:43 pm
So I don't think Ray and co ever had a genuine NDN instructor for the sweats. Or if they did he's been in hiding since the deaths.

Up-thread I posted the link to that young white guy (Matthew B. James) who seems to have been Ray's "instructor". The white guy seems to be claiming he was trained by that Hawaiian Hula instructor (George Na'ope), who just died: http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=2380.msg19795#msg19795

Hawaiian sweats? You already sweat plenty in Hawaii, just due to the climate. I don't know much about Hawaiian traditions, but what I do know is *nothing* like Plains-style cosmology or ceremonies.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on November 14, 2009, 12:26:09 am
Lakota Nation files lawsuit against parties in sweat lodge incident (http://www.sedona.biz/lakota-tribe-files-lawsuit-sweat-lodge-incident-sedona111209a.php)


"In the aftermath of the tragedy at Angel Valley Retreat Center, where an incompetently conducted “sweat lodge” held by Californian self-help guru James Arthur Ray killed three participants, political steps are being taken by several native people across the United States. ... the Lakota tribe of North and South Dakota has filed a lawsuit (http://www.sedona.biz/LAKOTA-LAWSUIT-SWEAT-LODGE.pdf) against the United States, the state of Arizona, James Arthur Ray and the Angel Valley Retreat Center."

"The lawsuit refers to the Treaty of Fort Laramie (http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/sioux-treaty/) between the United States and the Lakota Nation from 1868, which states that “if bad men among the whites or other people subject to the authority of the United States shall commit any wrong upon the person or the property of the Indians, the United States will (...) proceed at once to cause the offender to be arrested and punished according to the laws of the United States, and also reimburse the injured person for the loss sustained.” The plaintiffs hold that James Arthur Ray and the Angel Valley Retreat Center have “violated the peace between the United States and the Lakota Nation” and have caused the “desecration of our Sacred Oinikiga by causing the death of Liz Neuman, Kirby Brown and James Shore”. The lawsuit further holds that James Arthur Ray and the Angel Valley Retreat Center have committed fraud by impersonating Indians and must be held responsible for causing the deaths of the victims and injuries of the survivors, and for the destruction of evidence through the dismantling of the sweat lodge."


Read the full article here: http://www.sedona.biz/lakota-tribe-files-lawsuit-sweat-lodge-incident-sedona111209a.php

Apologies for the crassly commercial ads on the newspaper's website.

The Fort Laramie Treaty was also instrumental in setting a precedent for justice in a rape case this summer: Justice and Honors for Lakota Women (http://nicdhana.blogspot.com/2009/05/justice-and-honors-for-lakota-women.html).

(Thanks to Heather from Don't Pay to Pray (http://dontpaytopray.blogspot.com/) for passing this along. Follow her updates on Twitter (http://twitter.com/dontpaytopray).)
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: NDN_Outlaw on November 14, 2009, 03:20:42 am
He kills their daughter then sends them half a refund in honor of their daughter...ego without end. >:(

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) - James Arthur Ray, the new age guru whose Sedona, Ariz. sweat-lodge ceremony may have caused three deaths, sent one victim's family a check for $5,000, about half the participation fee for the event, the family told CNN's Larry King on Monday night. According to the mother of victim Kirby Brown, the check came in a sympathy card on Oct. 22, two weeks after the Oct. 8 tragedy, along with a note that read, "Please accept this financial assistance. And on the check he (Ray) wrote, 'In honor of Kirby Brown.'"
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on November 14, 2009, 03:21:05 am
.  

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: NDN_Outlaw on November 21, 2009, 05:10:27 pm
This is the first reference I have found indicating James Ray is being charged with homicide. Did the reporter get it right or is this simply under reported? It would be extremely unlikely he would not be charged with something.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/10/29/crimesider/entry5448060.shtml

Authorities are investigating the Oct. 8 ceremony at Angel Valley Resort near Sedona, Ariz. led by Ray, a motivational speaker. Three participants died and 18 were hospitalized after the event. The deaths have been ruled homicide by local law enforcement.

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: NDN_Outlaw on November 21, 2009, 05:21:31 pm
If you can stomach this I found this bliss bunny response to the Ray Death Lodge. I think it is a good example of the shallow self centered chronic New Age stupidity that minimizes and sugar coats this most blatant and disturbing tragedy.

http://blog.beliefnet.com/angelsonyourshoulder/2009/11/twilight-barbie-dolls-angel-valley-sweat-lodge---some-thoughts.html
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: bls926 on November 21, 2009, 06:30:57 pm
This is the first reference I have found indicating James Ray is being charged with homicide. Did the reporter get it right or is this simply under reported? It would be extremely unlikely he would not be charged with something.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/10/29/crimesider/entry5448060.shtml

Authorities are investigating the Oct. 8 ceremony at Angel Valley Resort near Sedona, Ariz. led by Ray, a motivational speaker. Three participants died and 18 were hospitalized after the event. The deaths have been ruled homicide by local law enforcement.

The deaths were ruled homicide early on, but I don't think any arrests have been made yet. Not sure what's taking so long.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on November 21, 2009, 07:10:52 pm
The deaths were ruled homicide early on, but I don't think any arrests have been made yet. Not sure what's taking so long.

Just because DeathRay isn't locked up yet doesn't mean he's off the hook. These things usually move slowly. It's not like on the TV shows and movies. They need to get their case all lined up before they make the arrest. They have to decide which charges they can get a conviction on, whether they're willing to plea bargain, what's the best they can hope for in sentencing, and then it has to go through the DA and sometimes a Grand Jury.

The cops should have arrested him at the scene, but I think they were too busy taking care of the victims and trying to figure out what happened. The perp took advantage of that. The fact that he fled the scene of the crime has led to him being "free" for longer, but it will work against him in the long run.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: NDN_Outlaw on November 22, 2009, 06:26:48 am
From what I understand the investigation would have to be complete before charges are laid. The investigation involves testimony from over one hundred individuals and is likely ongoing. I am wondering if the charges have now been laid and how severe are they. Ray could conceivably raise a defence stating the participants were willing participants and had signed waivers absolving him of any harm resulting from whatever risk they placed themselves in. Ray was able to leave the leave the sick and the dying simply because at that time a crime had not been committed. It is the police investigation which determines if criminal charges are laid. I would be very interested to see both the prosecution and defence arguments when this process comes around as it no doubt will. 
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: LittleOldMan on November 22, 2009, 09:31:56 am
Believe that they would need to take it to a Grand Jury and get an indictment.  They only meet every so often.  In this case Ray can be located and it would not be in the States best interest to to over play their hand.  "LOM"
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: uktena on November 23, 2009, 03:39:41 pm
I'm not sure that Ray has actually been charged with anything yet, though I haven't been keeping up.  They did rule the deaths a "homicide", meaning that somebody died through the actions of another human, as opposed to accidental death or suicide, and they're certainly investigating him as the one likely responsible.  As others have pointed out, the wheels of justice grind very slowly, and it may take years for anything to come of this.  There was an infamous  home invasion and murder not too far from me that occurred in the summer of 2007.  Two people were arrested at the scene, and arraigned three days later.  All this time, and the trial hasn't even started yet.  You can imagine how much longer it will take for the Ray case,  if they have to do a thorough investigation before they even charge anyone with anything, never mind that Ray is undoubtedly lawyered up to the gills, and can drag the whole matter out for a very long time if he wants to. So watch this turn into about the longest episode of Law and Order you can imagine.

Homicide comes in many forms, incuding negligent homicide, involuntary manslaughter, voluntary manslaughter, and murder.  Even the terms vary from state to state.  I'm guessing the charge will end up being some degree of involuntary manslaughter, since he clearly had no intention of killing anyone.  It depends on state law, too; for instance, in my state, some specific things, like being responsible for the death of a child or a police officer, automatically counts as murder, even if there was no intent to kill, as does an accidental death that occurred while commiting a felony, such as an armed robbery.  For the most part, the difference is that if you kill someone and meant to do it, it's murder; if someone died because of your thoughtless action, it's negligent homicide or involuntary manslaughter; and if someone died through your positive actions (rather than thoughtless ones), but there was no intent to kill, it's voluntary manslaughter.  So my guess is: murder is out, and whether it's negligent homicide or manslaughter depends on whether the grand jury decides whether the deaths were the result of his oblivious stupidity, or  the result of things he did deliberately. I'm rooting for first degree manslaughter myself, but it'll be something less severe unless the state gets a really good prosecutor.  Penalties vary, but manslaughter probably gets somewhere on the order of five to ten years for each count, so at most he's looking at some serious jail time, along with whatever fines the law could impose.  The REAL punishment is going to be from civil action, which could take every penny he has and every penny he makes for the rest of his life.  Prison, schmison, I say, hit him where it will really hurt him!

Last I heard, the people who run the resort were also being investigated.  If the authorities decide they have some responsibility, such as helping to build such an obviously dangerous structure, there are any number of things they could be charged with, but again, it depends on the state laws and what the prosecutors think will stick.

I'm sure Ray  thinks he's got his ass covered with signed waivers, but those things can definitely be challenged if the thing in question is something particularly dangerous. 

Where's Ben Stone when you need him, huh?
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on December 11, 2009, 04:13:02 pm
Hi everyone..   :)  Hope all is well.

Here's something I watched the other night..  good interview and hopefully more people will speak up and that will help to indict the jerk..

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/james-ray-employee-speaks-sweat-lodge-deaths/story?id=9278092
Former Employee: Ray Did Not Help People Dying in Sweat Lodge
ABC News Exclusive: Former Employee Said the Self-Help Guru Only Watched as People Died
By DAN HARRIS
Dec. 8, 2009 
5 comments Font Size   PrintRSSE-mailShare this story with friendsFacebookTwitterRedditStumbleUponMore
Self-help guru James Arthur Ray did nothing to help the people who had collapsed inside his Sedona, Ariz., sweat lodge two months ago in an incident that killed three people, according to Melinda Martin, a former employee.


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Former James Ray employee says the self-help guru refused to stop the ceremony."He came out and he stretched his arms up and everybody hosed him off and he's like, 'Hey thanks!'… and it really stopped me in my tracks. I just stopped, and I said, 'How can you walk out of there with all these people down, and they're, they just looked near death, and you guys can walk out there looking like you just spent the day in the spa,'" Martin said in an exclusive interview with ABC News.

Fire-heated rocks filled the 400-square-foot makeshift tent with steam while more than 60 participants crammed inside while Ray led them in a spiritual ceremony. The guests paid nearly $10,000 to spend the week with Ray at the retreat.

Martin said that while people were being dragged out from the tent in front of him, Ray neither stopped the ceremony nor helped afterward as Martin performed CPR on the dying.

"And I look up, and he's standing right over my head, watching. He's watching from a standing position. He didn't offer to help. He didn't say anything, nothing at all," Martin said, adding that she did not see Ray help anyone.

Several weeks after the deadly event Martin said she stopped receiving pay checks from the company.

Some participants inside have said some people inside were saying "We need water," vomiting and fighting to stay alive.

Kirby Brown, 38; James Shore, 40; and Liz Neuman, 49; died in the incident.

In response to Martin's comments, Ray's company said in a statement to ABC News that Ray tried to help, according to the information the company collected from employees and event participants during its private investigation:

"According to the signed statement of one participant, 'my impression was that James Ray was stunned about what was happening and was attempting to help as many people as he could. I do not feel there was any more James Ray could have done.' The signed statement of a second participant said that 'I realize that what has happened is a horrible tragedy, but I do not feel that James Ray is responsible for what has occurred.' Finally, the signed statement of a JRI employee indicates that 'the press reports stating that James abandoned the participants that night are completely false.'"

In his most recent public comments on the incident, Ray posted a statement on his Web site Nov. 30, 2009: "As you know, I've asked members of my team to travel to Arizona, meet with authorities there and provide all the information they have to offer. That process has gone on for the last two weeks, and we believe it's been helpful. Of course, if additional information is required, my team is ready to provide it in our continuing hope that the causes of the Sedona accident can be determined as quickly and authoritatively as possible."

Before the deadly Arizona sweat lodge incident, Colleen Conaway jumped to her death from the third floor of a mall in San Diego during another event Ray held at which he had his followers dress as homeless people.

Conaway's sister, Lynn Graham, said Conaway had no history of psychological problems.

"We would have never, ever thought this would have happened to her from attending a motivational speaker or a self-help guru. … It makes no sense to us," Graham said.

[Added the full text of the link.]
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: NDN_Outlaw on December 12, 2009, 05:09:03 pm
http://www.sweatlodgeinvestigation.com/

Predictable lawyer sharks in a feeding frenzy over James Ray death lodge. Despite the sell the site does include a news feed with interesting articles and videos.   
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 3 dead, 18 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on December 16, 2009, 08:36:18 pm
http://www.examiner.com/x-11245-Philadelphia-Speculative-Fiction-Examiner~y2009m12d15-Breaking-News-James-Ray-drugged-participants-and-forced-snake-handling

*** *** *** Begin Quote *** *** ***

Breaking News: James Ray drugged participants and forced snake handling

December 15, 9:07 PM Philadelphia Speculative Fiction Examiner Cassandra Yorgey

 When news of the death lodge first emerged everyone called it a tragic accident. As more information came to light everyone called it negligence. As we continue to look into the James Ray scandal we begin to see a larger picture, a pattern of abuse growing in severity that resulted in at least four deaths, possibly five.

          I fully expected Nightline to divulge all the dirty little experiential events at James Ray’s other seminars since they were speaking to former JRI employee Melinda Martin. They didn’t though, so it looks like it’s up to me.

          The death lodge was not James Ray’s first attempt to cook people. I’ve heard reports that both his Modern Magick and Practical Mysticism seminars include an event where participants walk across a bed of hot coals and lots of people have been badly burned because of this. The worst example I heard of this was at a retreat where approximately 80% of people received second or third degree burns. Now, I don’t know a whole lot about fire-walking and it seems like a pretty bad idea to me, but plenty of people have reported walking across coals without any injuries at all. In the retreat mentioned above, where the majority received burns, it appears to be due to the accelerant James Ray “spilled” on the coals and sections of the dirt where participants were walking barefoot.

          What are some other features of the Modern Magick retreat, besides the human barbeque? James Ray also drugged participants. I repeat - James Ray drugged participants. Hallucinogenic breathing techniques are one thing, but James Ray goes above and beyond that and actually drugs his victims with some sort of hallucinogenic muscle relaxer.

What is this drink he coerces people into consuming? I don’t know, but we have a pretty detailed description. It’s a thick liquid described as mud-like. It tastes like dirt and definitely had mind-altering effects. James Ray described the substance as a sort of truth serum, claiming that it would release inhibitions and allow participants’ honest feelings to come out. Participants drank about four cups of this and it produced a heavy bloated feeling. Another notable side effect was that participants pooped black insanity for a couple of days. If anyone has ideas as to what this drink might be or what it’s made of please let me know in the comments.

*** *** *** End Quote *** *** ***

Read the whole article... (http://www.examiner.com/x-11245-Philadelphia-Speculative-Fiction-Examiner~y2009m12d15-Breaking-News-James-Ray-drugged-participants-and-forced-snake-handling)

The author goes on to describe some very bizarre and dangerous stuff. People commenting say he gave them Kava, but some think it was Ayahuasca.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on December 16, 2009, 09:11:31 pm
There's also a discussion about Ray in the Rick Ross Cult Education forum. I found some interesting things in this thread (including a mention of us):

http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,77450,79406#msg-79406

December 12, 2009 01:54AM The Anticult wrote:

*** Begin Quote ***

What James Ray is doing, is at the end of a very long day, he pushes people into exhaustion, where their defenses are the lowest.
He then slowly paces and leads them into "unconscious" work, where he deliberately goes sub-vocal, and mixes in Suggestions with nonsense, confusion, and precise instruction.
James Ray is pushing people into Trance states, and then controlling those states of mind.

James Ray then inserts his Suggestions, deliberately done in a vague, confusing, and sub-vocal mumbling manner, to try and communicate directly with the unconscious.

He'd never get away with this with someone in the room who knew what he was doing. That is why James Ray (and others) kick out people from his seminars who stand up to him.

He also frames it probably with the hand-holding, as another deep unconsious bonding experience with people, and the "collective unconscious".

This is mental and emotional abuse of the highest order.
If you EVER notice anyone doing ANY of this stuff, and you have not studied this material for 10 years and know exactly what he/she is doing, get the hell out of that room immediately.
You have no idea of what they are trying to do to you.

This is James Ray doing an extreme perversion of Ericksonian hypnotherapy, and Deep Trance states.

*** End Quote ***

Oh yeah. I've seen this before. A vicious abuser/exploiter/ceremony-seller I knew does this under the guise of bonding and "instructing", and I also saw it in some of my run-ins with Newage cult types in the eighties. The exploiters especially use this on people with health problems, who are desperate for the healing the exploiter offers, and easy to tire out. Usually if some stranger would just spring this sort of manipulation on people, they wouldn't fall for it. But the clever criminal slowly builds up the illusion of mutual trust, mutual respect and dependence, and then once people have their guard down the exploiter starts chipping away at the people's self-esteem and free will, substituting their voice for the voice of the victim's conscience.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on December 19, 2009, 09:26:46 pm
We've been discussing this one for a while, but it looks like the mainstream media is now paying more attention to Ray's role in the suicide of Colleen Conaway. This makes four people dead that we know of.

Sweat lodge guru now linked to San Diego death (http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11652343)
Quote

(http://kfmb.images.worldnow.com/images/11652343_BG1.jpg)

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (CBS 8 ) - A self-help guru who is linked to three sweat lodge deaths in Arizona has now been linked to a bizarre suicide at Horton Plaza. A woman on one of his retreats committed suicide at the mall, and another participant actually witnessed it.

That witness didn't realize what he was seeing until hours later, or that the woman was a part of the group. There was confusion because the woman was dressed as though she was homeless.

Colleen Conaway's family is still in shock the Minnesota native took her own life while on a three-day seminar last July here in San Diego hosted by self-help guru James Ray.
... ... ...

Colleen Conaway had paid $12,000 dollars on the San Diego retreat and two future James Ray events. Her family says at the very least they're entitled to a refund. Conaway's family says they have received no money back from the James Ray group.



Read full article... (http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11652343)

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on December 26, 2009, 06:42:59 pm

Heather at Don't Pay to Pray (http://www.twitter.com/dontpaytopray) asked me to post this for her. Thanks for all the info, Heather.  8)



Breaking News on James Ray Deathlodge: Judge reverses ruling and orders Sweatlodge Records Unsealed

Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Michael Bluff vacated his previous order to seal search warrants and police reports and murder scene photos from James Arthur Ray’s Sweat Lodge held in Sedona on October 9, 2009 that has killed 3 human beings.

KGUN 9 has the AP story on this: http://www.kgun9.com/Global/story.asp?S=11725623

In the Senor Reporter blog today: http://regulus2.azstarnet.com/blogs/senorreporter/17743/judge-orders-sweat-lodge-case-reports-unsealed

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/322625

Here’s another blog

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AZ_PUBLIC_RECORDS_WIOL-?SITE=WIMAD&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

and another

http://www.examiner.com/x-23325-Tampa-Deism-Examiner~y2009m12d24-Judge-vacates-order-to-seal-documents-and-murder-scene-photos-in-James-Ray-sweat-lodge-case

and another:

Media Attorney Declares Records Win it 2 Big Cases:

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/local/phoenix/media_atty_122409

and another: http://www.thelizlibrary.org/liz/FRtactic.html

 
For the latest updates on the deathlodge, follow on twitter:

www.twitter.com/dontpaytopray

The public should be able to obtain records this coming week  through the Yavapai County Sherrif’s Office

Let's all do what we can to have an informed jury.

http://www.co.yavapai.az.us/SOContent.aspx?id=19320

Thanks,

Heather

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on December 29, 2009, 07:44:00 pm
More updates from Heather:


here's the latest updates:
For people in the News Blackout area - most of the Southwest Sedona Uncensored blog is publishing blocked news stories

http://sedonauncensored.blogspot.com/
 
There's an article today about conflicting accounts of what happened and the guy who built the sweat lodge, Theodore Mercer

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/12/28/20091228raydocs1228-ON.html

http://bizsayer.com/

Please distribute this info wherever you find appropriate.
thanks for your support,
Heather

Terry Hall has posted actual documents on line

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on December 30, 2009, 01:34:11 am
Can't recall if anyone posted this one yet:

Spiritual Warrior Participant Guide http://www.nhne-pulse.org/files/2009/2009103-spiritual_warrior.pdf

contains liability waivers people had to sign, instructions to bring tobacco, writing about NDNs in the past tense, etc
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Diana on December 30, 2009, 03:41:07 pm
Here's some more info on death ray. My bold.



http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SWEAT_LODGE_DEATHS_AZOL-?SITE=CODEN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


Docs in fatal sweat lodge case show past problems

By FELICIA FONSECA
Associated Press Writer
 
 
 

 
 
PRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) -- Documents released in the investigation of a fatal sweat lodge ceremony show that people lost consciousness and others suffered broken bones at past events led by self-help guru James Arthur Ray, but Ray largely ignored the medical problems that arose.

Three people died after an Oct. 8 sweat lodge ceremony that was the highlight of Ray's five-day "Spiritual Warrior" event at a retreat he rented near Sedona. The Yavapai County sheriff's office has focused a homicide investigation on Ray, who has made millions of dollars by convincing people his words will lead them to spiritual and financial wealth.

In documents released Monday, a man Ray hired to build the sweat lodge told investigators that he was hesitant to assist with the ceremony for a third year because participants previously had emerged in medical distress, and emergency help wasn't summoned. Theodore Mercer said the latest ceremony was hotter than in years past, but Ray repeatedly told participants, "You are not going to die. You might think you are, but you're not going to die."

Mercer's wife, Debra, told investigators that one man emerged from the sweat lodge halfway through the October ceremony believing he was having a heart attack and would die. She said that instead of summoning medical aid, Ray said "It's a good day to die," according to a search warrant affidavit.

When Ray was advised that two participants were unconscious near the end of the two-hour ceremony, Debra Mercer said Ray did not appear overly concerned and said they would be OK until the end.


A message left Monday at a phone listing for the Mercers was not immediately returned.

No charges have been filed. The investigation, including hundreds of interviews, is expected to be turned over to prosecutors next month. Sheriff's officials said they would have no further comment until then.

Ray has hired his own investigative team to determine what went wrong. Brad Brian, an attorney for Ray, said in a statement Monday that Ray's representatives have been working with Arizona authorities to determine the facts, and he urged people not to jump to conclusions.

Brian said he believes the investigation will show "that the Sedona tragedy was a terrible accident that no one, including James Ray, could have seen coming."

Authorities and participants have said no one was forced to remain in the sweat lodge, but they were highly encouraged to stay inside.

Sheriff's officials said they found nothing to explain how the three people - Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, N.Y.; James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee; and Liz Neuman, 49, of Prior Lake, Minn. - died other than the extreme heat inside the pitch-black sweat lodge - a 415-square-foot makeshift sauna covered with tarps and blankets and heated with hot rocks.

Authorities have interviewed most of the more than 50 people who attended the event and detailed about a dozen of the interviews in documents released Monday after a judge ruled last week that they be made public.

Some of the people told investigators that Ray responded to cries for help from a man who was burned and warned other participants not to leave the sweat lodge during eight 15-minute rounds so they wouldn't also be scorched by the hot rocks in the center.

Others who were interviewed by investigators described suffering broken bones at other Ray-led events after being instructed to break bricks with their hands. Others said they vomited and slipped into altered states of consciousness.

Mickey Reynolds, who attended Ray's 2005 "Spiritual Warrior" event said it was implied the sweat lodge was safe since Ray had done the ceremonies before. Reynolds told investigators there was no discussion of safety procedures or a plan if something went wrong.

The owner of the Sedona retreat, Amayra Hamilton, said she told Ray in 2005 that he would have to change his ceremonies after a man became severely ill and she saw improvements the following year.

Richard Wright said he took part in the latest sweat lodge as a test of courage, enduring seven of eight 15-minute rounds. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., resident told The Associated Press participants never were asked to provide emergency contacts or answer questions about their health, and they never were given a clear picture of the effects of a sweat lodge.

Instead, they took Ray's word that vomiting and passing out were normal, he said.

"We all chose what we did," Wright said. "But again, if you make a choice with only having half the story, have you really made a choice?"
 



Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: 04-2106-johanna on January 05, 2010, 07:10:32 pm
what has come out of this situation is that fake medicine men are claiming their way of life is being bastardized. This same person has done the same things, including murder in 1961. That is only the surface. Yes, he is only a racist if you don't give him money.  I gave him plenty including paying over two hunderd dollars for his business cards.  Now that i know the truth, you should too.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: flyingdust on January 07, 2010, 09:06:16 am
Last I heard or read is that Ray has not been charged to date.  He's made millions and will no doubt buy his way out of this one.  In fact he has made a few apologies to the families of his victims in a letter on his website, but in the next paragraph he promised to be back in business as soon as he can make sense of what happened in his own mind.  Freaky rationale, but then the society we live in is freaky that way.

I’m a Cree from Canada who grew up in the traditions and culture of our people. Fasting and sweat lodge ceremonies are a part of my everyday experience. My deepest condolences go to the families of those innocent victims of James Ray. It is so unfortunate that all of the participants were mislead into a trap that ended in tragedy.

But I do want to voice my opinion, which is in line with what others have said on this topic.  The possible cause of their deaths and illnesses are a combination of the following: No traditional ceremonial leader in his right mind would ever use plastic tarp on a sweat lodge structure. That is downright dangerous. Firstly, our sweat lodges have to breathe, so only porous canvas and/or blankets are used. Secondly, as someone else mentioned, the plastic releases toxins that participants breathe in. Ray’s sweat lodge was a death trap. In addition, traditional sweat lodge makers are trained to use certain types of rocks in a sweat. Certain rocks will either blow up in a sweat or give off toxic sulphuric fumes and dust. The temperature inside a sweat is controlled by an experienced and trained sweat leader who takes care not to “burn” anyone in the ceremony. Rarely if ever sweat lodge ceremonies are more than four rounds, some are only two rounds. Ray violated this observance and held 8 blistering, smothering rounds. These are just a few dangerous physical aspects he exposed his participants to through negligence, carelessness, and stupidity. Finally, along with the physical the spiritual aspect of ceremonies requires a great deal of humbleness, carefulness, and respect that can only be learned from people who observed them in the way they were intended for centuries on end. Ray most certainly neglected and is unaware of these areas.

Arthur Ray is literally a plastic shaman with a plastic sweat lodge – a fraud and a thief messing with something he knows nothing about. His greedy intent and shameless theft and exploitation of Indigenous American culture and the many careless mistakes he made with it was a recipe for tragedy. His intent to create a following and to make money off of them with Indigenous ceremonies was probably his greatest mistake. There are no gurus, priests, and especially no "shamans" in our world and advertising and show-boating our ceremonies is an absolute no no. These notions are not inherent to but are contrary to our traditional ways. Ray totally disrespected and violated an age old Indigenous tradition, fooling around with our ceremonies, mixing and matching, anything goes kind of attitude, and all this for personal gain. But beware there are many James Rays out there. Just a warning to people: if you approach a sweat lodge covered with blue plastic tarp, head in the other direction. ::)
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: nemesis on January 14, 2010, 01:37:32 pm
People were wondering about the identity of the hallucinogenic substance that was given to the participants.

I do not know what it was but my provisional hypothesis would be that it was a substance containing DMT.  For the DMT to be active when administered orally, an additional substance that is a MAO inhibitor would have been required.

MAO inhibitors can be extremely dangerous when combined with certain foodstuffs and medications (e.g. fatal when taken with veined cheese) and it is usual for anyone taking an MAO inhibitor to either take extreme care with their diet, or, when nuage people get together for ayahuasca "rituals" it is common for people to fast and abstain from medications for at least 48 hours prior to taking the substance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoamine_oxidase_inhibitor

A very common reaction to DMT is for people to fear that they are dying.  This is because, in the early stages of intoxication, people commonly experience time dilation.  It may seem that each breath, and even each heart beat, are minutes apart. Of course this is just a subjective experience, and once the effects really kick in people stop worrying that they are dying and become engaged with other things.

Death and rebirth are common themes of many Rites of Passage (ROP) rituals and may take many forms.  In Candomblé and in Masai ROP rituals death and rebirth are symbolised by washing and then shaving of the head.  Christian baptism has a similar ritual theme.

Purging though vomiting and / or diarrhea also feature in many ROP rituals, the purging being symbolic of the death of the old self prior to being "reborn" anew.

Such rituals can have a profound effect on people, especially when they take place in a community setting.  People can and do sometimes feel "born again".

The use of DMT and / or other hallucinogens in a ritual setting can affect people profoundly and can leave them extremely vulnerable to coercion and manipulation by unprincipled individuals.  

I can understand how the subjective experience of dying followed by a cleansing experience of a ritual bath can leave an individual feeling profoundly changed.  

What I find extremely disturbing is that a money orientated, greedy entrepreneur could play around with the deepest and most delicate and intimate aspects of a person's psyche in order to manipulate them and relieve them of their wealth and material possessions.

As I said before, I do not know what the substance was.  Kava kava is a very subtle experience conducive to socialising.  I would not consider it a hallucinogen.

I was just very interested by the anecdotal accounts of witnesses and survivors of this atrocity who described Ray's nonchalant responses to people who expressed the fear that they were dying.  His responses were what one might expect from a not very caring person who had administered DMT to his victims and who assumed that their anxieties about dying were due to the subjective experience of time dilation.

This is only a provisional hypothesis as I do not know what was in the substance and there are many ethnogens that it could have been, however on the basis of the reports so far my hypothesis would be DMT + MAO inhibitor.

I should also say that these fake gurus and shamans often control large groups of vulnerable people and may take the opportunity to conduct their own experiments into the effects of different ethnogens on the human psyche, using their victims as guinea pigs.

Sheela Silverman, the personal assistant of Bhagwan Rajneesh AKA Osho, ruled his massive sprawling ashram "big muddy" with a rod of iron and, according to various 1st person accounts of survivors, experimented on "orange people" in the medical facility, the same medical facility that produced salmonella bacteria for an act of bio-terrorism that left many people poisoned.  That was 25 years ago and it would be extremely surprising if things had not moved on since then.

A horrible state of affairs.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on January 14, 2010, 07:36:54 pm
What if he spiked an herbal preparation with DMT or LSD?

Someone might consent to drinking Kava, thinking it's "natural", safe and traditional. They'd be expecting a mild alteration in their perceptions... then find themselves tripping their brains out.

Similar to sprinkling cheap marijuana with Angel Dust, then selling it as "really good sh*t, man."

I've sometimes wondered if the touchy-feely sex gurus dose people with Ecstacy to destroy their boundaries. For those who are already fragile and prone to altered states, even cannabis can destroy their psychic boundaries, let alone chemical hallucinogens.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: flyingdust on January 15, 2010, 06:48:02 am
 Any use of hallucinogens in a ritual setting that is not conducted by practitioners of cultures who have been doing it for thousands of years is foolhardy and dangerous.  ;)
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: nemesis on January 15, 2010, 09:56:16 am
What if he spiked an herbal preparation with DMT or LSD?

Yes.  That could have happened.  At this point we have insufficient data to be certain.

When people put their trust in people who offer rituals using hallucinogens they put their mental health and their lives on the line. 

Someone might consent to drinking Kava, thinking it's "natural", safe and traditional. They'd be expecting a mild alteration in their perceptions... then find themselves tripping their brains out.

Or, if the shaman/guru/criminal has prepared the ground, people may actually believe that they are communicating with aliens/angels/spirits/gods and having an authentic spiritual experience.  If the shaman/guru/criminal possesses significant knowledge and experience of the drug and his/her motives are unethical, s/he can use the drug experience to manipulate other human beings in all kinds of ways including but not restricted to; financially, sexually, politically

IMO to abuse human beings through the use of DMT and other hallucinogens is a crime at least equal to rape. It is a way of getting right inside people's inner selves and abusing them in the most profound way possible.


I've sometimes wondered if the touchy-feely sex gurus dose people with Ecstacy to destroy their boundaries. For those who are already fragile and prone to altered states, even cannabis can destroy their psychic boundaries, let alone chemical hallucinogens.

You wondered right.

Bhagwan Rajneesh AKA Oshso covertly administered ecstasy to affluent followers during sessions in which they were invited to write him big cheques.  It was very successful.  Many former followers also believe that they were given drugs, probably ecstasy, while they were working crazy hours on starvation rations in Big Muddy.

Numerous sources claim that ecstasy was introduced to Europe via Bhagwan's followers, as a quick google will confirm.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: nemesis on January 15, 2010, 10:10:45 am
Any use of hallucinogens in a ritual setting that is not conducted by practitioners of cultures who have been doing it for thousands of years is foolhardy and dangerous.  ;)

^^^
this

Also there can be significant problems relating to the ritual use of hallucinogens, even when conducted by authentic practitioners with a cultural history of such use.

There are serious problems in some parts of South America where traditional healers who have served their communities for generations are being lured away with $$$$ by affluent tourists who want in on the shamanic experience.

I don't have any problem with traditional healers making money of course, but the relatively recent phenomenon of shamanic tourism is adversely affecting cultures that are already under immense threat from environmental destruction, the introduction of diseases, cultural and actual genocide, etc.

The removal of traditional healers from their communities in order to provide rituals for tourists is an important aspect of the cultural genocide currently affecting many communities today.


 
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on January 15, 2010, 02:40:14 pm
.  
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: nemesis on January 16, 2010, 08:52:34 am
The traditional healers should know better than to be lured away by/with money.  imho, a "traditional healer" who _can_ be lured away by money is part of the problem. Unfortunate.

I wonder if that may be a little harsh?

South America is a big place with many different indigenous tribes.  I am not an authority on South American tribal societies but from my limited experience of such things I understand that many tribal societies have complex cultural traditions relating to gift giving in relation to the services provided by healers.

Of course I have immense respect for healers who do not charge money or gifts for their services but I do not feel entitled to be critical of traditional healers who do make such demands, especially when payment / gifts for such services are part of their culture.

Also so many tribal peoples are affected by the encroachment of industrialization, environmental destruction and land theft, introduced diseases, etc. that they are unable to live in the way that their ancestors lived, even if they wanted to.

If such people want access to televisions, motorcycles, Nike trainers, conventional medicine, whatever, then who the hell and I to say that they should not have such things?  The fact is that healers can generate significant revenue for their communities by accommodating tourists on "shamanic" retreats and there is an upside and a downside to this for their communities.

The situation is complex.


All this goes back to the instant generation.. people don't want to do the work of a lifetime to gain experience, they want it now.  Trying to have spiritual experience via drugs.  First, it's not a spiritual experience, it's a drug experience.  Secondly, how can a person trust, lean on, their own inner spirit if they need a drug to access it?  It's weak. And a sham.  

Personally I do not believe that the fact that hallucinogens are used necessarily means that an experience is not a spiritual experience.

My concerns lay with the fact that shamanic tourists seem to take a "pick n mix" approach to their spiritual development where they feel entitled to take whatever appeals to them (usually a fast track approach to contacting "spirits" via hallucinogens) whilst at the same time playing around with other people's cultures in a massively disrespectful way.  

My understanding of the use of hallucinogens within traditional tribal settings is that they are used with extreme caution and respect using strict protocols and boundaries, for the purpose of serving the community.  

IME the nuager's motivation for taking hallucinogens in ritual settings is usually "self discovery" or the acquisition of supernatural powers.  Typically there is no deep feeling of family ties with or concern for the tribal community whose hospitality they may enjoy.  

I feel ashamed that my own people are plundering the ancestral heritage of tribal peoples in this way, especially given the historical and current issues relating to cultural and actual genocide.

It is not right to try to grab whatever you want that you feel will help your "me me me" quest for self knowledge and magical powers whilst dancing around in feathers and body paint prior to going home to your luxury apartment and leaving the tribal people whose hospitality and kindness you have enjoyed struggling in poverty and living with the multi-generational effects of terrible trauma arising from racism and genocide as though you have no responsibility towards them whatsoever.  

The really horrific thing is that some people have done exactly that; they have abused the kindness and hospitality of the people who accommodated them and then have gone on to abuse the knowledge they have gained in order to abuse and exploit vulnerable people in the vilest ways imaginable.

There are monsters abusing sacred knowledge and Mr Ray is one of them, not the worst by a long shot but a monster nonetheless.



Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on January 16, 2010, 04:34:30 pm
The traditional healers should know better than to be lured away by/with money.  imho, a "traditional healer" who _can_ be lured away by money is part of the problem. Unfortunate.

I wonder if that may be a little harsh?

South America is a big place with many different indigenous tribes.  I am not an authority on South American tribal societies but from my limited experience of such things I understand that many tribal societies have complex cultural traditions relating to gift giving in relation to the services provided by healers.

Well, true.  I spoke out of only knowing of traditional aspects that do not involve money. It could be that these peoples are not as aware of this since they are much more isolated than the peoples living here in the states who live aside a society that reveres the dollar.  But I have to wonder on the aspect of their spirits, if warning is given of their possible demise by providing these commercial tours. 

And true, I should not really think in same terms in regards to them.  Their situation perhaps different, and I do not know why they would allow it.  I do know some Amazon tribes are not 'outsider' friendly.  I'm sure it all depends on what their needs are, but then I think, they lived for eons without these invaders and did not need from them. 

I guess in the end, I cannot say what is or what should be for them.  I can only speak of my own point of view.  Having seen the destruction of the indigenous peoples here. 

All this goes back to the instant generation.. people don't want to do the work of a lifetime to gain experience, they want it now.  Trying to have spiritual experience via drugs.  First, it's not a spiritual experience, it's a drug experience.  Secondly, how can a person trust, lean on, their own inner spirit if they need a drug to access it?  It's weak. And a sham.


Personally I do not believe that the fact that hallucinogens are used necessarily means that an experience is not a spiritual experience.

This is not what I meant.  I did not mean that a drug experience is not a spiritual experience, actually, in my belief ALL experiences are spiritual experiences.  But that's beside the point.  What I mean is in regards to the many people I have seen who want to skip over the parts of 'living to gain knowledge' and just jump into the experience.  The experience is not the knowledge.  It's a sham and weak way.  And I'm not speaking of the serious person who with proper rights and protocol is working towards "something" and partakes of drug as 'part' of that practice with a qualified spiritual leader guiding. 

Several years with people into Castaneda who wanted to jump into the "nagual" and skip the "tonal".  It is the same thing, you can't just jump into the 'spiritual' deep end of the water without having yourself in shape so that you do not sink and drown. 

Many people take or seek the drug avenue to 'gain experience' but it is a sham because when they go back to their luxury homes as you say..  and back to their lives, they are only weakened by the experience.  And when faced with real life, do not possess the knowledge. They may claim they do because they had this or that "spiritual experience" but that experience does stand on it's own.  It was induced. 

You cannot claim knowledge without the direct experience of it.. people believe this means if they go take a drug and experience something spiritual directly, then they have the knowledge.  They don't.  What they have is an induced spiritual experience that they will most likely never have on their own w/o the drug. And when coming face to face with something direct, their so called 'knowledge' fails.  It has to be built up from the inside out.. not the from the outside in.. and that is what, imho, drugs for spiritual experience do when without the real living part of it.   The life they live mostly likely does not reflect the real walk of that knowledge..  they jump back and forth and get weaker every time. 

People like James Ray take advantage of this.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Superdog on January 16, 2010, 07:23:42 pm
Here's an update from James Ray's camp.  These are links to the information that James Ray's "investigators" have put together and their case of why it's not negligent homicide.  They're very long PDF files and will definitely take a while to go through.  I haven't finished them myself, but from what I have read...it's terrible.  The files make outrageous claims about Sweat Lodge and gives undeserving people titles like "expert".  It's obvious,  just from the little I read, that this is one very long excuse.  The articles are called "The White Pages".

Just a warning...the more I read...the angrier I get at the whole situation.  From the things I read....it was his fault, but he's trying to put the blame off everywhere but himself.

http://azruraltimes.com/2010/01/15/james-ray-issues-white-papers-on-sedona-death-lodge-incident/

Superdog
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on January 16, 2010, 07:35:51 pm
From the things I read....it was his fault, but he's trying to put the blame off everywhere but himself.

http://azruraltimes.com/2010/01/15/james-ray-issues-white-papers-on-sedona-death-lodge-incident/

Let's hear it for "You create your own reality."

Until your reality sucks, that is.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: flyingdust on January 17, 2010, 06:34:59 am
Why don't they just charge Ray already and throw the book at him.  Here's a criminal carrying out his own investigation on himself, in much the same way police forces conduct their internal investigations...and predictably come up with results favorable to them.  This is getting pretty freaky.  ???
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Diana on January 20, 2010, 02:19:20 am
Interesting article



http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/01/19/20100119sweat-lodge-deaths-lawmaker-wants-to-regulate.html


Regulations sought in wake of sweat-lodge deaths

7 commentsby Jonathan J. Cooper and Felicia Fonseca - Jan. 19, 2010 04:04 PM
Associated Press .


An Arizona lawmaker introduced a bill Tuesday to regulate the use of traditional Native American practices after three people died last year in a northern-Arizona sweat lodge ceremony.

The measure from Sen. Albert Hale, D-St. Michaels, seeks to sanction the use of Native American ceremonies off tribal land for profit without permission.

Self-help guru James Arthur Ray charged people more than $9,000 each to attend his five-day "Spiritual Warrior" retreat near Sedona that culminated in a sweat lodge ceremony on Oct. 8.
 
Participants said they trusted that Ray, who touted training under a Native American shaman, knew what he was doing.

Three people died and 18 others were hospitalized after becoming overwhelmed in the 415 square-foot sweat lodge that was covered with tarps and blankets. The deaths and illnesses sparked outrage among American Indians, who drew distinctions between what Ray did and what would be considered a traditional Native American sweat lodge.

Hale, a member and former president of the Navajo tribe, said the bill is partly an effort to protect people from false advertising.

"This process has been a perversion of our traditional ways," he said. "The dominant society has taken all that we have: Our land, our water, our language, and now they're trying to take our way of life."

The Yavapai County sheriff's office has focused a homicide investigation on Ray, who has made millions of dollars by convincing people his words will lead them to spiritual and financial wealth. Ray has hired an investigative team to find out what happened, and his lawyer said the deaths were the result of a tragic accident, not criminal negligence.

Hale's proposed restrictions would not apply to ceremonies taking place on tribal land or with the authorization of a tribal government.

It's unclear exactly how the law would be enforced. The bill leaves those details up to the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs, but Hale said a violation would likely be a civil offense similar to a traffic ticket.

Sweat lodges are commonly used by Native American tribes to cleanse the body and prepare for hunts, ceremonies and other events. They typically hold no more than a dozen people, compared with more than 50 people inside the one led by Ray.

The ceremony involves stones heated up outside the lodge, brought inside and placed in a pit. The door is closed, and water is poured on the stones, producing heat aimed at releasing toxins in the body. In traditional ceremonies, the person who pours the water is said to have an innate sense about the conditions of others inside the sweat lodge, many times recognizing problems before they physically are presented.

"We need to be respected," Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. said. "Our ways cannot be abused."
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Scott Brainard on January 20, 2010, 05:50:20 pm
The "on tribal land" part might be an issue for NA folks who live off-reserve and hold a lodge...might be better if the rule focused on doing them for hire which is never right.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Scott Brainard on January 28, 2010, 04:25:54 pm
An update on the ongoing blame game, seen in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

http://www.startribune.com/local/82875627.html
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Superdog on January 28, 2010, 05:36:57 pm
Interview with James Ray in NY Mag.

Lawyer by his side, not really answering a whole lot.  Any real questions are met with "You'll have to refer to the White Pages on that one"

Ironically titled "James Ray Defends Himself", but I've yet to see any real substantial defense to his lack of knowledge of what he was doing and subsequent maneuvering to keep himself out of jail at all costs since the moment things went wrong....he's slimy...IMHO

http://nymag.com/news/features/63259/

His homepage says to look for more to follow...looks like he's gonna do a media blitz and try to save his image before the charges come down.

Superdog
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: NDN_Outlaw on January 28, 2010, 06:33:11 pm
The photo of the interior of the "sweat lodge" is disturbing as it bares more than passing resemblance to the legs of a giant spider. I would like very much to know who passed him the lodge.  :(
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on January 28, 2010, 07:29:07 pm
I would like very much to know who passed him the lodge.  :(

No one. Or, no one legitimate.

Up thread I posted links to the sites of some young, white guy who lives in Hawaii. I'm pretty sure that's Ray's only named "teacher". The rest of his story is the usual, "many (unnamed) shamans".

And they don't even realize how absurd it is when they say their "teacher" is from a culture that doesn't even have the ceremonies they are claiming to lead.

There are now generations of these self-taught, self-proclaimed white leaders of these plastic ceremonies. None of them was ever passed anything. They went to a few events run by a fraud, who went to a few things led by a fraud, and on and on. Nons not even teaching nons, but simply being exposed to the outer forms of the ceremony a few times and thinking that's enough.

Most of the Newagers and Neoplaygans love to call anyone they ever spoke with or followed around a bit their "teacher". They claim they say that out of respect, but it's usually to try to ride people's coattails. I knew a non who bought a pipe, handed it to Sun Bear for a minute, then told people he had made them a "pipe keeper". No sh*t. People like that not only went on to lead fake ceremonies, but have now spawned generations of frauds... like bad xeroxes of a xerox of a xerox... each one less substantial. Each one potentially more dangerous.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: flyingdust on February 03, 2010, 08:31:01 am
It's sad that these newagers collect our objects that we respect so much and use in very sacred ways.   They collect them like they're popcorn prizes and play with them.  It's tragic that they use those objects to prey on so many people and I bet these poor victims wind up worse off then before they went to them.  I find this forum really interesting to read and really important to the cause of exposing these frauds for what they are.  :(
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray Arrested, Indicted 3 counts manslaughter
Post by: Defend the Sacred on February 04, 2010, 01:26:45 am
James Ray is arrested and charged. Looking at 15 years in prison.

----------------quote---------------

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/02/03/arizona.sweat.lodge.charges/index.html?hpt=T2

(CNN) -- Self-help guru James Ray was arrested Wednesday after a grand jury indictment charging him with three counts of manslaughter in the deaths of three participants at an Arizona sweat lodge ceremony he organized last year.

Yavapai County Sheriff Steve Waugh said Ray was arrested at his attorney's office in Prescott, Arizona, Wednesday afternoon.

He will eventually be housed at the Camp Verde Detention Center, the sheriff's office said, and his bond has been set at $5 million.

Ray is charged with the deaths of Kirby Brown, James Shore and Liz Neuman.

Ray's attorney, Luis Li, said that the charges were unjust and that Ray would be exonerated in court.

"This was a terrible accident -- but it was an accident, not a criminal act," Li said. "James Ray cooperated at every step of the way, providing information and witnesses to the authorities showing that no one could have foreseen this accident."

As many as 65 visitors, ranging in age from 30 to 60, attended Ray's "Spiritual Warrior" program at the Angel Valley Retreat Center near Sedona in October.

They spent as long as two hours inside a dome-like structure called a sweat lodge, which was covered with tarps and blankets and had hot rocks and water inside to create steam.

Three people died after spending time in the sweat lodge October 8 and nearly 20 others were sickened. Brown and Shore were pronounced dead shortly after they arrived at a local hospital, and Neuman died October 17 after being hospitalized since the incident.

Native Americans used sweat lodges in spiritual and physical purification ceremonies.

Ray is widely known for programs that claim to teach people how to create wealth from all aspects of their lives -- financially, mentally, physically and spiritually.

He has appeared on various national programs in the United States, including CNN's "Larry King Live."
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on February 04, 2010, 03:40:11 am
This made my day.  Very good news.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on February 04, 2010, 07:41:14 am
Perp Walk! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbwz1KCaucQ&feature=player_embedded#

Mugshot! http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/spiritual-leader-james-ray-arrested-sweat-lodge-deaths/story?id=9741781&page=2
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: simplyme on February 04, 2010, 02:34:18 pm
James Ray doesn't look so smooth or happy in his mugshot.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100204/ap_en_ot/us_sweat_lodge_deaths;_ylt=Ak3nS1624TAoubG22P.zn6wuQE4F;_ylu=X3oDMTNhZ2tiamZoBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwMjA0L3VzX3N3ZWF0X2xvZGdlX2RlYXRocwRjY29kZQNtb3N0cG9wdWxhcgRjcG9zAzcEcG9zAzcEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yaWVzBHNsawNzZWxmLWhlbHBzcGU-



They keep saying it was an accident and could not have been foreseen...  guess they didn't bother asking any REAL Elders, lodge pourers or firekeepers.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on February 04, 2010, 04:02:05 pm
.  
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: debbieredbear on February 05, 2010, 02:32:20 am
He was smug wasn't he? I thought that he must think this is all a big joke and he will write about this experience and have workshops and make more money. Ugh.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: taraverti on February 05, 2010, 08:02:09 am
They keep saying it was an accident and could not have been foreseen...  guess they didn't bother asking any REAL Elders, lodge pourers or firekeepers.

Worse. In this article one of his followers thinks he can help "the Native American Community".

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=9741748

One participant in the latest sweat lodge questioned the worth of having Ray behind bars and said he could do more good by speaking publicly about how to handle adversity and contributing financially to the families of the deceased — something the families have said hasn't been done so far.

"He can't change what happened, but he can respond to what happened in a concrete, tangible way," said Kristina Bivins of San Francisco. "His desire is to help the families, to help the Native American community, to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again."

blech blech blech

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: flyingdust on February 05, 2010, 09:43:12 am
I could just see James Ray going into Native American Communities and saying: "Now you people don't you ever EVER pack 60 people wall to wall into one very low sweat lodge and hold 8 - 10 long rounds back to back...and don't use plastic tarp because that can kill the participants for lack of air...and..."  And I can see him going to the families and saying, "Too bad for what happened...now here's some money...that'll make you feel better."   Best way Ray can help everyone is to do hard time in jail and set an example to all the other nuagers messing with our ceremonies and endangering people, make them think twice about what they’re doing.   ;D
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: educatedindian on February 20, 2010, 04:16:18 pm
Ray now claims to be broke and is whining about the high bail. Doubt he'll get much sympathy.

-----------------
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/19/guru-charged-in-sweat-lodge-deaths-says-hes-broke/
Guru charged in sweat lodge deaths says he's broke
By FELICIA FONSECA, Associated Press Writer

Friday, February 19, 2010 at 1:06 a.m.

 
/ AP

FILE - This undated image provided by James Ray International, shows James Arthur Ray. The man who built an empire with a motivational mantra that teaches people to create wealth contends he's broke and cannot post a $5 million bond in a criminal case that threatens the survival of his self-help business. (AP Photo/Courtesy of James Ray International, File) NO SALES

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — A man who built a multimillion-dollar empire with a motivational mantra that teaches people to create wealth contends he's broke and cannot post bond in a criminal case that threatens the survival of his self-help business.

James Arthur Ray was charged earlier this month with three counts of manslaughter stemming from the deaths of three people following a sweat lodge ceremony he led last year in Arizona. His bond has been set at $5 million, a figure his attorneys say is "excessive and oppressive."

"Despite misconceptions perpetrated in the media, Mr. Ray is not a man of significant assets and certainly not the millions reported in the press," his attorneys wrote in documents obtained by The Associated Press from the court. The documents are now officially sealed.

Ray himself has touted his wealth and success in numerous media interviews and on his Web site, including an estimated $10 million in revenue in 2009 and a seven-figure advance for his book, "Harmonic Wealth" that hit the New York Times Best Sellers List in May 2008.

He told "Fortune Magazine" for an April 2008 article that his financial goal was $21 million a year and that he was sure there were limits, but "I am not aware of them."

But the court documents paint a much different picture, showing that he is severely in debt with a net worth of negative $4.2 million. Real estate makes up about $3.1 million of Ray's total assets of nearly $4.2 million, but he has little equity.

The properties include homes in Hawaii and Nevada, and rentals in California. Ray's Carlsbad, Calif.-based business, James Ray International, and a Beverly Hills mansion he recently put up for sale are not listed among the assets.

Ray's liabilities were listed at more than $8.5 million, much of which was unexplained in a statement of net worth.

In a financial statement filled out by Ray the day of his arrest, he wrote that he pays out $94,000 a month in expenses, including for rent and mortgages, utilities, insurance and vehicles. He listed his assets as $14,000 in a checking account and $220,000 in a retirement account.

Ray's attorneys said his financial stability has been shaken by withdrawals from bank accounts in the last several months to pay creditors and legal fees, including a significant retainer deposited in a trust account at the California-based law firm representing him.

Ray's attorneys say he has no criminal history, isn't a threat to public safety or a flight risk and cannot afford the bail. They are set to argue Tuesday in court to have Ray released on his own recognizance coupled with the surrender of his passport or have bail set at a minimum.

It's unclear what position the Yavapai County, Ariz., attorney's office has taken on the defense request to reduce bail. Its response to the motion is sealed, and a spokeswoman cited fair trial rights in declining to comment.

Ray has pleaded not guilty to each of the manslaughter counts. If convicted, he faces up to 12 1/2 years on each count, with probation being an option.

Prosecutors contend Ray recklessly crammed more than 50 participants of his "Spiritual Warrior" event near Sedona into a 415-square-foot sweat lodge, a sauna-like experience that uses heated stones to cleanse the body and is commonly used by American Indian tribes. Many participants have said Ray chided them for wanting to leave, even as people were vomiting, getting burned by hot rocks and lying unconscious on the ground.

Three people died - Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, N.Y., James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee; and Liz Neuman, 49, of Prior Lake, Minn. Eighteen others were hospitalized.

Ray's attorneys have called the deaths a tragic accident and said he took all the necessary precautions and immediately tended to the ill.

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on February 20, 2010, 06:53:24 pm
Wow. Either he lied about being so wealthy in order to sell his scams or he's lying about his assets now. Either way, he's a liar, a killer, a fraud. He's created quite the reality for himself.  ::)
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: TRIBALMOONS@yahoo.com on March 07, 2010, 12:06:24 pm
Thought some of you may find this interesting.

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/mar/06/sweat-lodge-ceremonies-still-held-locally-since


Water hisses as it splatters in a glowing pit of lava rock at an avocado field outside Ventura. Steam rises. The air in an already sweltering shelter grows thicker, hotter.

Inside that cocoon — a 5-foot-tall lodge made of willow branches and covered with four layers of blankets and tarpaulin — 20 people sit cross-legged on the dirt in absolute darkness. They chant tribal songs. They pray for everything from direction in their lives to a good score in a coming law test.

And they sweat. So much perspiration streams down their bodies that the earth at their feet becomes a muddy puddle. Shorts and T-shirts look as if they’ve been left outside in a thunderstorm.

Last month, entrepreneurial self-help guru James Arthur Ray was charged with manslaughter because of an October sweat lodge tragedy in Sedona, Ariz., where nearly two dozen people suffered dehydration, burns and other injuries. Three people died.

End of five-day retreat

The sweat ceremony came at the end of Ray’s five-day spiritual retreat for which participants were charged $9,000. Survivors said people were vomiting and collapsing in the lodge but were urged to stay in the heat. Ray pleaded not guilty and on Feb. 25, his bail was reduced from $5 million to $525,000.

The deaths have shaded perceptions about sweat lodges everywhere, including the half-dozen in Ventura County that perform the ancient tribal ceremony. Operators of a sweat ritual held in an earthen structure at the Ojai Foundation have discussed making participants sign legal waivers. Two lodges at Lake Cachuma in Santa Barbara County closed because of safety and liability concerns.

But in the avocado field, little has changed. About 40 people stand around a raging fire built over rocks collected from the Mojave Desert and used to turn two small lodges into spiritual saunas. There’s a schoolteacher, a real estate agent, a holistic doctor and two men in their 20s with tattoos on their chests.

They come here to commune with each other in what they refer to as Mother Earth’s womb. They use buffalo skulls and sage in carefully regimented ceremonies. They enter the lodge on their knees, moving clockwise and saying “all my relations” as they enter.

There are no waivers to sign, no mention of liability. And if someone asks for water or to leave the heat for fresh air, there are no protests.

“What happened in Arizona is a separate reality from what we do,” said Moses Mora, a 60-year-old artist and community activist who has been leading sweat lodges for more than 20 years. “That was more of a new age, moneymaking enterprise that has nothing to do with what we do.”

Worried about liability

Sweat lodges in Ventura County range from an American Indian retreat in the Cuyama Valley to backyard shelters in Oxnard, Ventura and Box Canyon outside of Simi Valley. The Ojai Foundation holds but doesn’t advertise an open ceremony once a month. So does Mora.

Most of the operators say the Sedona tragedy couldn’t happen to them because they take precautions. Some question participants to see if they have heart conditions that can make them more vulnerable to heat. All say they offer water or allow people to leave if needed.

“My teacher taught me if you want endurance, join the Marines,” said Josie Salinas, a retired corrections officer who leads weekly sweat lodges for inmates at California Youth Authority in Camarillo. She praises people who ask for water or a break. “I say ‘good for you.’ You know how to speak up.”

The Los Angeles Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a spiritual humanitarian group, runs a camp for disadvantaged kids on Lake Cachuma in the mountains above Santa Barbara. When leaders of the group learned in November that an adult organization that rents the facility was planning on a sweat lodge, with rumors that nudity was somehow involved, they shut it down.

“It was just the concerns of health issues,” said David Fields, the council’s deputy executive director, pointing to the Arizona tragedy as justification for the closure. “We definitely did the right thing.”

Paul Perrotta of Simi Valley operated a sweat lodge at Lake Cachuma’s Camp Whittier. He said camp leaders told him to dismantle the lodge because of worries over the liability that would accompany any kind of accident.

He said similar worries are causing other lodges to close.

“They don’t understand why it happened,” he said of the Sedona tragedy. “It happened because of a man who is now up for manslaughter, not because of the lodge. ... It’s not the gun that’s dangerous, it’s one who uses it.”

Perrotta, who went through his first sweat 35 years ago, also runs a lodge that is used for youth retreats and other events at the Ojai Foundation retreat center in the Upper Ojai Valley. He said foundation leaders haven’t talked about ending the lodges but have broached the possibility of legal waivers.

Sweat lodge operators debate the training needed to run a lodge, with some arguing that it’s necessary to go through a tribal process that includes prayer, four days of fasting and, often, piercing. They argue over money, too, with many suggesting that even recommending a specific donation is wrong.

But they agree lodges should be seen in purely spiritual terms, as a place to pray. They say it’s a way to clear barriers that block people from their full potential. Addicts use ceremonies to gain strength for recovery. Others claim to have visions or even out-of-body experiences.

“I was taught that the lodge is alive, a living being,” said Perrotta, sitting in the dirt in the lodge he built outside his home in Box Canyon. “No matter how we come in, she loves us just the same.”

‘It’s church’

On a cold February Saturday in the avocado field, 20 people sit in two circles — one inside the other — in a lodge so enclosed there is not a sliver of light. Seven red-hot lava stones are placed in a fire pit in a ritual that will be repeated three more times in the next two hours. Water is poured over the rocks.

Leaders of the lodge won’t allow photographs or video of the ceremonies before or after the sweat because they say it is a spiritual experience. When a journalist tries to record the sounds of a chant inside the lodge, the tape recorder is confiscated and later returned. In the dark, a man worries that if any of the prayers are shared with the outside world, they won’t be answered.

The prayers, drumming and chants come in a steady stream. People ask for permission to speak and then talk about challenges in their lives.

“It’s church in a different form,” said Darrell Geer, a 51-year-old entertainment production worker from Glendale who has been doing sweats since 1986. “The difference in the native tradition is that everywhere is a church, everywhere is a place to worship.”

Others say the ceremony helps them feel connected to the world. Velia Soto, an Oxnard teacher for special needs students, said the ceremony makes her feel completely relaxed and at peace.

The heat is intense but not unbearable. At the end of each of four rounds, the lodge’s front flap opens, allowing outside air to enter, and the leader asks participants if they’re OK.

Near the end of the two hours, one woman leaves the lodge briefly for air and then returns. Geer said there’s a feeling in some lodges that if you’re uncomfortable with the heat, you’re not praying hard enough.

But he said being uncomfortable with the heat is different than being in medical danger — vomiting or being on the verge of unconsciousness. Most people who run lodges understand the difference, and those who don’t need to change.

“It’s that fine line between praying harder and being stupid,” he said.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Paul123 on March 07, 2010, 05:15:02 pm
If your going to sweat you may as well do it in style. and for only $300.00

(http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/9157/intentsmall.jpg) (http://img163.imageshack.us/i/intentsmall.jpg/)

This is NOT the one mentioned above.
http://www.cowboysindians.com/travel-adventure/lodging-leisure/2009-09/skana.jsp
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on March 07, 2010, 05:51:37 pm
Quote
Sweat lodge ceremonies still held locally since Arizona deaths (http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/mar/06/sweat-lodge-ceremonies-still-held-locally-since/)
By Tom Kisken

The reporter missed the point entirely. He never indicated anything about what cultures the people interviewed were from, or their backgrounds or training. Calling it an "ancient tribal ceremony" is meaningless when you don't indicate where the people got their training. This could be white people who attended thirty years of fake newage rituals. Bad journalism.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on March 07, 2010, 09:07:14 pm
.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: TRIBALMOONS@yahoo.com on March 08, 2010, 12:19:59 pm
I agree 100% with all of you.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: apukjij on March 10, 2010, 01:03:13 pm
as someone who is dedicated to Mi'kmaq Cultural Revival, and as Sacred as i hold the Lodge to be, i would never advise anyone to just go to a Sweat, they have to meet and dialogue with the Conductor of the Ceremony, understand what they are going for, and lastly, i insist they meet with their doctor, (they wont understand a Sweat-lodge but they will understand if you ask them is it ok to go to a sauna) high blood pressure is a dangerous malady for someone who wants to Sweat (the Lodge causes your blood pressure to fluctuate - usually a sudden drop, not good for those with heart problems like angina,) (my goodness i just got a mental picture of a Sweat-Lodge Conductor opening his Sacred Bundle and theres an electric thermometer and a high blood pressure machine in it! rofl)
and if you don't get the ok to enter the Lodge, there are many important activities that one can do to be fully integrated into the Ceremony; working the Fire, helping to prepare the Feast, fetching Water, etc.
what happened in sedona is criminal negligence, there's no other way to put it.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: ska on March 10, 2010, 04:18:19 pm
I would like to please respond to this comment from critter:

"If I were in a lodge and the people in it were praying for their own lives and test scores. I'd have to leave."

For anyone new here, I am the non-Lakota wife of a Lakota man.  I have been invited to sweat more times that I ever imagined I would be privileged to do so, always with Lakota people, always friends and family.  I feel so grateful to the Lakota Oyate, their ancestors and descendants, who have sacrificed so much so that this good way of life can continue to exist, a way of life that teaches through inclusion and gentleness, not self-righteousness and piousness.

Sometimes,  people pray for themselves.  Maybe a kid who hasn't been to ceremony for a while will show up and pray their hearts out for help in passing tests or winning games.  I've noticed that their elders and family members often chuckle about it, maybe even tease them in a good-natured way, reminding them that opening their hearts to the pain and suffering of all of our relations is a way of strengthening our personal connection to the Spirit.  They are so happy to see their people practicing their way of life, many of the young ones coming back to what is their birthright, they don't try to shame them about the way they prayed.  Over time, children (including adults taken away from their way of life) come to an understanding of their people's way of life, and an understanding of how our thoughts and actions affect one another.  Gradually we learn that when we pray for others, we are praying for ourselves. 

I never seen a traditional person chastise anyone for praying the wrong way.  Sure, someone who is new to praying in community may start off praying in a self-centered way, but don't we all learn to walk a path of ego in this society?  Ego orientation can be overcome. Surely a ceremonial space can be somewhere where people can talk to their Maker without judgment. 

Not once have I ever heard a traditional Lakota person judge the way a person prayed, or what they were praying for.  Judging or criticizing others is not a behavior that is valued or appreciated in my husband's traditional way, at least that is my observation. 

I do recall a ceremony where another non-Lakota (and non-Native) was in the lodge and, afterwards, he criticized the way that others were praying, saying they shouldn't have prayed for this or that, and that he himself was a really good prayer.  He was rebuked, but probably in a way that he didn't understand.  One elder spoke in Lakota and said a sentence that translates to "nobody says that".   I've noticed that, when I'm around traditional Lakota people, if I start talking bad about others, I am said to be revealing more about myself than the ones I am criticizing.

Many years ago, I remember my husband coming out to Coast Salish territories.  Many people were trying to complain to him about the behavior of others in a particular lodge.  Rather than entertaining their cricitism (my husband tends to refer to this kind of talk as "gossip and rumor"), my husband's response was "keep the focus on yourself, you are not in ceremony to focus on what others are doing or saying.  Take the opportunity to strengthen your own relationship with the Creator."

Thanks for letting me share this much. ska
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on March 10, 2010, 04:43:59 pm
Ska,

Thank you. Yes, I am aware of all this you wrote. I understand these, and I am not about to judge someone in ceremony.

My humble apologies for being so cold/blunt/destructive with my comment. It was not intended toward real ceremony of any kind.

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: ska on March 10, 2010, 05:20:44 pm
Dear Critter,

I do not find your words to be cold, blunt or destructive.  Forgive me if I took anything you said out of context.

It is not my intention to derail the focus of this thread, which is very important.  Rather,  I hope we can focus on the issues of fraud, predation, cultural appropriation and the destructive, even genocidal, consequences of these.  The issues of why people pray or what they pray for is not really our concern, but this is only my opinion. 
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on March 10, 2010, 05:28:34 pm
Agreed.  Plastic lodges are death traps, and that is the issue here. 

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: NDN_Outlaw on March 11, 2010, 11:13:06 pm
Is Ray stilled locked up or did he weasel his way out?
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on March 11, 2010, 11:59:48 pm
Out on bail. They took his passport. They let him keep his hormones and herpes drugs.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: nemesis on May 11, 2010, 09:21:13 am
I just wanted to share something I feel may be relevant to the issue of the anecdotal reports of people crying out that they were dying and Ray's response that it is "a good day to die".

Some years ago here in the UK there was a TV programme called "Extreme Celebrity Detox" in which various celebrities take ayahusaca

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/extreme-celebrity-detox/4od#2922381

This whole Celebrity Detox series is interesting for a range of reasons and anyone with some spare time on their hands might want to check it out, although I suspect it will be a depressing task.

This is a long video but it gets interesting is at approx 17.15 in where the ayahusaca ritual starts

At 20.25 a woman who has no experience of ayahuasca reports hallucinations and being afraid of dying.  I understand that the subjective experience of dying is extremely common to ayhusaca due to the experience of time dilation.  Heartbeats seem minutes apart and people genuinely believe that they are dying.

29.40 it gets interesting again.  Lots of puking so don't watch at meal times. At 32.16 is gets very interesting.  The other female, Nina, becomes convinced that she is going to die.

I wonder if this might throw some light on the activities at Sedona?






Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on May 11, 2010, 01:27:07 pm
It's really common for the nuagers and pretendians to present the fake ceremony as a "death-rebirth" experience. Adding in a drug that makes them feel like they're dying is something I think would appeal to many in that crowd. It fits the mainstream, consumerist belief that taking a drug or buying a weekend retreat will immediately make them enlightened, that faster and more intense is always better.

Though since people were actually dying, yeah, people definitely felt like they were dying, with or without the drug trip.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: nemesis on May 11, 2010, 04:34:10 pm
Perhaps I was unclear in my post

Please accept my apologies and allow me to clarify

My point is that

a) when people die from heat exposure / suffocation they tend to slip into unconsciousness and just die.  Shouting and screaming "I'm going to die!" is not, at least not to my knowledge, typical behaviour of dying people.  It is typical of people who have taken ayahuasca.

b) Ray's response to the shouting and screaming, that is his proclamation that "Today is a good day to die!" seems to me to be the response of a man who expects such shouting and screaming to occur and is thus unconcerned that it might mean that people are actually dying (which, as you pointed out, they were).

The above suggest to me that he knowingly and covertly administered ayahuasca or some other similar substance, to his victims.



Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on May 11, 2010, 04:47:33 pm
Good point. And no apology needed :-) This is good info to have and I'm sorry if I came off as disagreeing or angry at you. And didn't some of the survivors say they were given some kind of "herbal drink"? We also saw pictures of their big beverage dispensers; they could have put anything in there.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: nemesis on May 11, 2010, 05:05:14 pm
If my memory is correct I believe that Ray claimed that he had given the victims kava kava.

Kava kava is quite a mellow drug IME and does not induce this fear of dying that ayahuasca typically does.

No apology needed either :-)

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: SouthwestSkeptic on June 12, 2010, 09:59:34 pm
NBC's Dateline did an entire program on James Arthur Ray's deadly sweatlodge last night.  They do a fairly good job of summarizing what those of us who follow twitter already know - James Ray exercised cult-like control over his gullible victims. I'm glad the media isn't letting this tragic incident fall into the memory hole especially right before the Summer Solstice. We have more frauds than ever here in Tucson marketing their fake sweatlodges as authentic and not anything like James Ray's sweatlodge. You still have to sign a waiver, however. It doesn't seen to occur to people who talk about "intentions" all the time that the "intention" you have in your mind when you ask someon to sign a waiver is to avoid accountability when something goes wrong.

Here's a link where you can watch the entire program

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/37620054#37645203

Ironicly, there will be even MORE sweat lodges this year in Sedona. Especially next weekend, the twinkie high-holiday - Summer Solstice. James Ray is being marketed as a "defective product."  The solution being promoted is to eliminate James Ray's destructive fake spiritual hucksterism, while promoting the budget spiritual hucksterism of the remaining frauds. Fortunately for the suckers re-born every minute, we're having a cold snap in Arizona. It's a chilly 80 degrees today in Tucson and it's even cooler up north. That may prevent another unnecessary death - this year at least.

Rose
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on June 12, 2010, 11:31:05 pm
Thanks for posting the link, I caught just the tail end of it last night and was meaning to find the full episode.. you saved me the search.  :) 

Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: SouthwestSkeptic on June 12, 2010, 11:37:01 pm
My pleasure - feel free to pass it along to everyone interested.

Rose
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on June 29, 2010, 10:59:37 pm
ABC is running a show on this tonight on Primetime, called 'mind games'.  10pm EST.. 
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on June 30, 2010, 04:16:29 am
Welll.. it was good up until they visited some white nuage woman and her plastic lodge in a tent with a zipper door and plastic crates for people to sit on inside.. and called it a 'proper sweat lodge'.. :( 
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on June 30, 2010, 05:53:08 pm
Welll.. it was good up until they visited some white nuage woman and her plastic lodge in a tent with a zipper door and plastic crates for people to sit on inside.. and called it a 'proper sweat lodge'.. :( 

 :o

I guess now the producers of Primetime will be up for lawsuits the next time we have deaths from a similar "sweat".

And 'tis the season. Right now, and especially on the weekends, Nuagers from coast to coast and continent to continent are firing up their plastic lodges.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on June 30, 2010, 07:23:54 pm
yeh, it was an actual tent.. like used for camping. a square one.  Depressing. why did they go to some nuage white woman and not ndn's for what a proper sweat should be?  i was really pissed at that, and will most likely send off an email to Primetime expressing my disdain for this. They should do a retraction and an apology.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on July 01, 2010, 01:04:06 am
Here it is:  http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/

click on the "The Day of the Fatal" clip and you'll see it, it comes up in about a minute. It's wrong, it's so so wrong.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on July 01, 2010, 01:12:54 am
I watched the show and agree that the rest of it was pretty good. I think it was a pretty good overview of cult behaviour, mind control, and the type of techniques exploiters use to dominate their followers/victims. They did not let Ray off the hook.

I'm wondering if the fraud sweat, while inappropriate, was chosen because it's a closer representation of what Ray was doing: Nuage, not Native, not traditional, with weird and unsafe changes. But then they made the mistake of saying plastic crates and prefab tents are "proper". *sigh*
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: dabosijigwokush on July 01, 2010, 06:21:40 am
i saw the show as well
and to pass the other sweat as authentic was totally irresponsible, this needs to be pointed out in a rebuttal
and all of his staff are turning on him so they don't get sued as well , they were just as involved as he was
they should have stopped it before any one got hurt
but the stupid people still would go back to him, blind leading the blind over the cliff
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on July 01, 2010, 04:23:08 pm
It was scary and disturbing to hear the people who survived that say they would still go back to him. It happens when the predator has succeeded in making the victims rely on him.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: ShadowDancer on July 22, 2010, 04:43:03 am
I wanted to post some info that I don't recall seeing in this thread.  It has to do with the pharmacology of the supplements and testosterone drugs which were found in James Ray's possession when the search warrant was served.  Not that those supplements/drugs in any way, shape or form excuse the ceremony or the horrendous outcome afterwards, they might serve to explain his behaviour in the aftermath.

The info comes from the blog of Abel Pharmboy, Terra Sigillata. (http://abelpharmboy.wordpress.com)  The blog is written by a university educator and cancer researcher in North Carolina who holds a PhD in Pharmacology and Therapeutics and BS in Toxicology. The topics he covers relate to natural product drugs and dietary supplements, issues of under-represented groups in the STEMM disciplines, science and medical journalism, the science and culture of North Carolina, Florida, and Colorado.

James Ray’s Sedona sweat lodge stash: lessons in polypharmacy and endocrine pharmacology. (http://abelpharmboy.wordpress.com/2010/01/05/james_ray_sedona_testosterone/)

Quote
Behavioral effects?
As mentioned at the outset, one of the biggest reasons investigators were interested in any drugs that might have been in Ray’s possession was that there may have been psychoactive substances that could have impaired his judgment or that of followers/clients in the sweat lodge at the retreat. Ray was reported by several eyewitnesses as being aggressive and aloof, and even unhelpful when medics arrived at the sweat lodge. Dan Harris at ABC News asked me if I thought that Ray’s pharmacopeia might have contributed to his state of mind.
This is very difficult to do for a plethora of reasons, not the least of which because I am not a physician nor am I privy to what drugs he was actually taking or his basal personality characteristics. However, I am a pharmacologist and did train in endocrinology during my postdoctoral fellowship and can make some general comments.
A person taking any anabolic steroid regimen is prone to mood swings, anxiety, and aggressive behavior. A physician colleague also reminded me that some of the drugs on the search warrant could alone cause electrolyte disturbances that could be exacerbated by being in an enclosed area with hot stones where other people were vomiting and begging to get out after fasting for 36 hours. Specifically, testosterone can cause sodium retention and Diovan/valsartan can cause potassium retention. These ionic imbalances can certainly influence one’s state of mind and one can speculate that these imbalances would be made worse by fasting and dehydration.





Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Mato Istime on July 23, 2010, 08:36:22 pm
I read half way thru this thread and decided to stop and reply.
 The way I have seen things in the past years get worse over time with all the detractors trying to feed off of the un-knowledgable public.These people are trying to gain some sort of spirituality in the crisis our country is in at this time,and i feel that they are trying to go to the roots to get it without research. I have been to many Lodges and personally have one on my property in Tennessee,which i only use when my son can be a door man. I feel that if people would do research and try to respect the Elders that have laid the Red Road for all people to follow,they would weed out these detractors and be able to find true spirituality inside...JMO
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: dabosijigwokush on July 24, 2010, 04:23:14 am
It has to do with the pharmacology of the supplements and testosterone drugs which were found in James Ray's possession when the search warrant was served.  Not that those supplements/drugs in any way, shape or form excuse the ceremony or the horrendous outcome afterwards, they might serve to explain his behavior in the aftermath.


so now is he going to get off because of temporary insanity ?
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Diana on September 23, 2010, 02:23:19 am
Hi All, came across this on Blue Corn, seems kind of interesting. A woman by the name of Connie Joy has written a book about James Ray. She was supposedly among his inner circle for three years.

Also there's an excerpt from the book called "Meet James' sweat lodge." It's about her (Connie Joy) experience with James Ray and the almost tragic sweat lodge that happened in 2007. Here's a couple of links:  http://www.tragedyinsedona.com/Synopsis.html and
http://www.tragedyinsedona.com/uploads/Chapter_8_Excerpt.pdf


Lim lemtsh,


Diana
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on February 10, 2011, 09:36:30 pm
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-6186963-504083.html
**************************************************

February 9, 2010 6:00 AM

James Arthur Ray Employees Rat Out Self-Help Guru, Get Immunity from Sweat Lodge Deaths

Posted by Edecio Martinez

PRESCOTT, Ariz. (CBS/AP) Megan and Josh Fredrickson, who worked for self-help guru James Arthur Ray, told police they had no reason to be alarmed when participants in a deadly Arizona sweat lodge ceremony began vomiting and passing out, because Ray told them such responses were to be expected, according to documents released Friday.

Photo: James Arthur Ray.

PICTURES: Sweat Lodge Deaths

Investigators conducted a lengthy interview with the Fredricksons in mid-January on condition that nothing they said would be used against them, in the case stemming from the deaths of three sweat lodge attendees last October. The couple went to work for Ray in 2005 at his Carlsbad, Calif.-based company — James Ray International — and took part in the retreat near Sedona, Ariz. that led to Ray being charged with manslaughter.

Photo: Liz Neuman died after sweat lodge incident.

PICTURES: Sweat Lodge Deaths

Megan Fredrickson said people who were vomiting, unresponsive and unconscious raised no red flags with her because Ray had explained those responses were possibilities. She told authorities that her experience with sweat lodges was limited to the ones led by Ray, and she never took it upon herself to research them or find out why people would pass out.

"Ultimately the plan is we never really had a plan for the extent of what happened," said Josh Fredrickson. "Call paramedics, I think is the plan." The staff never was instructed to call 911, he said, but Ray appreciated that someone had done so.

Prosecutors contend Ray recklessly crammed participants into a 400-square-foot sweat lodge and chided them for wanting to leave, even as people were vomiting, getting burned by hot rocks, and lying lifeless on the ground. Public records show a pattern of illnesses at prior Ray-led events that he largely ignored.

Ray has pleaded not guilty to three counts of manslaughter. He is being held in a Yavapai County, Ariz., jail on a $5 million bond.

MEDIA
PICTURES: Sweat Lodge Deaths

MORE ON CRIMESIDER
December 29, 2009 - Sweat Lodge Guru James Arthur Ray Ignored Broken Bones, More, Leading Up To 3 Deaths, Say Court Docs
October 26, 2009 - Sweat Lodge Guru James Arthur Ray: From Poor Childhood to Self-Help Millionaire
October 26, 2009 - Sweat-Lodge Deaths Won't Stop James Arthur Ray, No Mention of $9,000 Per Person Pricetag
October 23, 2009 - Sweat Lodge Hero? Victim May Have Saved Woman Before Dying, Says Participant Beverley Bunn
October 21, 2009 - Sweat Lodge Survivor Beverley Bunn Says James Arthur Ray Played God Before Deadly Ending
October 18, 2009 - Third Death from Sweat Lodge Ceremony Led by James Arthur Ray
October 16, 2009 - Self-Help Guru James Arthur Ray in Crosshairs of Angel Valley Sweat Lodge Homicide Investigation
October 15, 2009 - Desperate 911 Call: First Glimpse Into Angel Valley Sweat Lodge Deaths
October 13, 2009 - Angel Valley Sweat Lodge Deaths: Owner Didn't Have Permits
October 12, 2009 - Sweat Lodge Death Investigation Turns to Self-Help Guru James Arthur Ray
October 12, 2009 - Family Says New Yorker Kirby Brown was in Great Shape before Mysterious Sweat Lodge Death
October 9, 2009 - Angel Valley Resort: Two Dead, Many Hospitalized in Sedona Sweat Lodge Illness
**************************************************************************
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on February 16, 2011, 07:16:29 pm
A Fading Aura For Arizona's Spiritual Tourism

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/16/133781540/a-fading-aura-for-arizonas-spiritual-tourism

Spiritual tourism, an economic staple of northern Arizona, continues to suffer in the wake of a fatal incident at a Sedona-area sweat lodge. In 2009, three participants in a "Spiritual Warrior" retreat died from heatstroke and organ failure; others were hospitalized.

As jury selection gets under way Wednesday in the manslaughter trial for the retreat's host — self-help guru James Arthur Ray — members of the area's spiritual tourism industry have been left asking: How much of their economic woe stems from the tragedy, and how much from an already tough economy?

In addition to the criminal case against Ray, people who were in the sweat lodge and victims' families have brought 10 lawsuits against the facility he rented, Angel Valley Retreat Center. Amid all this, business was down 50 percent last year, after five years of steady growth.

"I think most of it all has to do with people being unsure what exactly happened," says Amayra Hamilton, who runs Angel Valley with her husband. "So there's uncertainty."

Angel Valley lies south of Sedona, which is a mecca for spiritual travelers. For decades they've flocked to what locals refer to as Sedona's vortices. These are swirling centers of energy that some believe flow out of the region's stunning red rock formations. To serve visitors' spiritual needs, cottage industries have popped up, such as healers, counselors, teachers, tours, psychic readers and energetic healers.

But business has dropped for many of them, including bookstore owner Luci Guadreau. A retired teacher, Guadreau has had to dip into savings to keep Golden Word, her store of spiritual and metaphysical books, afloat.

"I literally see people walking around with their cell phones, adding up prices, and deciding which of the things they're going to buy," Guadreau said. "When we first got here I did not see [that] at all."

But Guadreau attributes her struggles to the recession, not to fallout from the sweat lodge incident. Jennifer Wesselhoff, CEO of the Sedona Chamber of Commerce, says a lot of her members have seen revenues decline by 20 percent or more. But she agrees it's hard to know whether the recession has caused it.

Other possible culprits for Arizona's economic woes are the state's controversial immigration law and the recent shooting in Tucson.

But some spiritual entrepreneurs say what they offer is recession-proof. Mark Pinkham, who leads vortex tours in Sedona, says his business has never been better.

"Maybe in a recession it's even more important to feel that connection to the spirit, to a higher power when things are difficult in your life," he says.

Kevin Wright, who has written several books on religious and spiritual travel, says spiritual tourists don't make travel decisions based on money. As a result, he says, "The leisure traveler market is down quite a bit, whereas the religious/spiritual market, it may be down a little bit, or it's holding steady."

Back at Angel Valley Retreat Center, Hamilton says she's starting to get more interest and bookings.

"We get questions like, 'Are you open?' Yes we are!" she says.

But she's worried that the James Ray trial may bring negative energy to a place where spiritual seekers come to escape it.
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on February 16, 2011, 08:00:37 pm
Because in a recession, it's all the more important to pay to pray.

< / sarcasm >
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on March 07, 2011, 10:44:30 pm
There's a daily update with links to stories about the James Ray case: http://paper.li/tag/JamesRay

Thanks to Heather from Don't Pay to Pray for the link.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: SouthwestSkeptic on March 09, 2011, 02:25:05 am
I'm not sure if this goes here but

Gary Adler Fourstar is creating quite a hype on Facebook by using the Sedona tragedy to promote his wannabe sweat.
http://is.gd/TTXqWc
There’s already over 150 comments, almost all negative.
He conducted a sweat lodge ceremony for members of the CNN News crew and apparently they filmed it and broadcast it.
http://is.gd/MUx5Za
He claims to be an “enrolled member of the Costanoan-Rumsen Carmel Tribe (Ohlone), and the son of Jerome FourStar, an Assiniboine Elder from the Fort Peck Reservation in Montana”.
http://is.gd/mVtr59
Contact info to complain:
contact info for CNN:
+14048782276,
FAX: +14048271995
Call: 1-877-TELL-HLN
Twitter: @HLNTV
...E-mail: cnn.com/hln
Text: HLNTV (45688)




Rose
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Laurel on March 09, 2011, 12:41:17 pm
why did they go to some nuage white woman and not ndn's for what a proper sweat should be? 

Did they have a white woman do it, or was it David Singing Bear?

http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=2479.0

http://64.38.12.138/boardx/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=42906
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on March 09, 2011, 02:14:46 pm
We have a thread on Adler (aka "Gary Fourstars"), who led the plastic sweat for the cameras and the non-Native group: http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=138.0
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Laurel on March 09, 2011, 02:21:24 pm
Sorry--I need a scorecard to keep up with all these players.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Ric_Richardson on March 09, 2011, 05:50:48 pm
Tansi;

In the March 14, 2011 issue of Macleans magazine http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/03/08/oprahs-so-called-experts/ , the issue of Oprah's involvement in a number of self help "gurus" is brought up, in an article entitled "Oprah's so-called experts.

James Ray is one of the people named in the article.

Ric
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: AlaskaGrl on March 10, 2011, 02:06:00 am

In Session gives more press to Gary Fourstars Sweat Lodge.
March 9, 2011

http://insession.blogs.cnn.com/

Video:     "March 9, 2011 Producer's Notebook: Building a Sweat Lodge Shoot"
Video subtitled:   "Sweat Lodge Rituals Uncovered"

I don't see a direct link to the video, it is at the above page.

"""The ground had just begun to turn to mud when we arrived at the Canton, GA, log home. Rain soaked the grass and shoes trampled it, as the participants of the days’ sweat lodge ceremony made preparations. HLN/In Session anchors Ryan Smith, Christi Paul, and Jane Velez-Mitchell were on their way to join the group, and share the experience.

I was there not to participate, but to make sure the shoot went off without a hitch – and there were a few too many unknowns for my liking. My colleague Adam Blank has participated in a sweat lodge ceremony himself, and was the driving force behind our project. But I had only the murkiest idea of how the day would unfold; the answers we received about specifics seemed, to the mind of a producer, pretty vague. There were technical questions too: Would the metal microphone clips burn our anchors’ skin once the heat rose? Would the steam deal a deathblow to our camera before the first frames of footage were even captured? And the mud – there was lots of mud. Someone, surely, would slip and take a spill with expensive equipment in tow.

As we were welcomed, a contagious spirit of anticipation and camaraderie spread. Lupe, the gracious mistress of the house, held out hope for a “donut” – a rain-free spot above her backyard. Gary Adler FourStar, the leader of the ceremony, said the cameras would work if the spirits wanted them to. The fire was built, the lodge was covered, and our veteran cameramen followed along to be the proverbial fly on the wall.

FourStar is of Assiniboine lineage, and the founder of the Many Horses Foundation. He said that rainy morning he’d be denounced by some for allowing filming of the sacred ceremony, and the criticisms have come. FourStar is an insightful guy and doesn’t need my help in defending his decision, nor is it my place to defend it. Native American heritage and tradition, like all other, is a complicated, multi-faceted thing, and reasonable minds can passionately disagree. Our job is to document what we can.

As it turned out, the infrared camera rolled unencumbered by the steam for some 40 minutes inside the hut before our photographer turned it off to allow privacy for the hours that followed. We show only Jane, Christi, and Ryan’s images from this footage, and not the intensely personal moments of others. The group emerged after three hours; some legs didn’t bear up after the physical and spiritual chore. Hugs were exchanged, water bottles drained, and one young couple wandered off to sit among trees surrounding the site.   

As I’m scrubbing my sneakers and Adam is nursing a cold, we are immensely grateful to FourStar and the others for allowing us to attend. The images and insights of Christi, Ryan, and Jane, however controversial, will illustrate the sweat lodge experience and its spiritual purpose in a way even four months of testimony in an Arizona courtroom can not. As we watch the trial of self-help guru James Ray on charges he caused the deaths of three participants in his own version of the ceremony, we know that agendas differ and each lodge is unique. At the end of the day, we, and our viewers, know a little bit more about the world around us.

-Lena Jakobsson, In Session Field Producer """"

Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on March 10, 2011, 04:37:12 am
depressing.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on March 10, 2011, 05:14:43 pm

Well... if CNN and In Session were looking to find out about legitimate Sweat ceremonies, they got pranked.

But if they were looking to understand the experience of the non-Natives who died in Sedona - non-Natives suffering through a confused and confusing heat endurance event with a bunch of other non-Natives in a plastic death tent, run by a non-Native for personal gain - they did get that.

So they probably did gain some understanding of what Ray's victims experienced. But every time they ignorantly claim they now know what "authentic" ceremonies are like... they need to be called on it like we do with anyone else who promotes a dangerous fraud. With his obvious ignorance, his flouting of cultural and ceremonial protocol, and those plastic tarps, maybe the next manslaughter trial they'll be covering will be Gary Adler's.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on March 10, 2011, 05:16:58 pm
i just feel sick every time i see/read of a fake inipi. no matter the cause/purpose.

just depressing.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: RunsWithScissorz on April 10, 2011, 04:21:10 pm
Excellent article today about previous knowledge of Ray's fake training (in several areas):

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/04/10/20110410james-arthur-ray-sweat-lodge-profile.html

Think he'll be found guilty?
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on April 10, 2011, 05:47:01 pm
Excellent article today about previous knowledge of Ray's fake training (in several areas):

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/04/10/20110410james-arthur-ray-sweat-lodge-profile.html

Thanks for this one. It's definitely one of the better, and more thorough recent summations of the many, many problems with Ray.

The author, Bob Ortega, makes the mistake of (mis)using the word "shaman". He over-relied on the self-reporting of other Newagers who have worked with Ray - trusting their outsider assessments of what is "traditional". He could have tried harder to get additional NDN input. But that said, he includes more Native opinions that most reporters have bothered to seek out. And he hits some of the problems with the newage fantasies about NDNs - and how Ray exploited these romantic fantasies - right on the head.

As to whether they'll get a conviction... who knows. Juries are hard to predict, and the pool of people I'm hearing feedback from already has their minds made up, as do I.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Superdog on April 12, 2011, 01:10:28 pm
Some potentially depressing news.  James Ray's attorneys have filed another motion for mistrial and the way the article is written they may have a shot.  If they're successful he goes free with no chance for a retrial.  Doesn't mean that a civil case can't be brought against him, but I'm hoping the wheels of justice can get over all the curve balls these high priced attorneys are able to throw.



http://www.prescottenews.com/news/current-news/item/18043-motion-for-mistrial-in-james-ray-case-oral-arguments-on-wednesday

Motion for Mistrial in James Ray Case; Oral Arguments on Wednesday
Written by  Lynne LaMaster

Is it possible a mistrial might be declared in the James Ray case?

It's been 29 long days of testimony in the manslaughter trial of Ray, who was leading a Spiritual Warrior retreat, in the hills between Sedona and Cottonwood, in October, 2009 at the Angel Valley Lodge. The final event of the Spiritual Warrior retreat was a sweat lodge, in which approximately 60 participants and James Ray himself, crowded together for approximately 2 hours. By the time the sweat lodge event was done, Kirby Brown and James Shore had died, and 19 others were transported to nearby hospitals. In the days following the incident, another participant, Liz Neuman, also died.

During those 29 days, testimony has been heard from participants, James Ray, International (JRI) volunteers and staff, medical personnel and Angel Lodge employees. People have come from Canada, California and the eastern United States to testify.

But, now, all that may be for nothing, as Judge Warren Darrow has placed the Ray trial in recess until further notice, after a second defense motion for a mistrial was filed Monday. That motion requested expedited oral argument.

In response, Judge Darrow's order states:

briefingschedule

 
What Led Up To This?

The Prosecution and the Defense have had innumerable legal wrangles and quarrels over the course of the last eight weeks in court, as well as the sixteen months of trial preparation. Each side has accused the other of using language that is unfair and even prejudicial; asking improper questions; witholding evidence that should have been provided to the other party, and much more. Most of the time, Judge Darrow has appeared even-handed and calm, but there have been times when his patience appeared to be stretched to the limit.

There have been three key situations, however, that have the potential for costly remedies, or, under extreme circumstances, a mistrial.
Situation One: The Medical Examiner Meeting

This situation occurred several months before the trial began. In December 2009, the State called the medical examiners together for a meeting to determine cause of death. Afterwards, the State did not reveal this meeting to the Defense, and even went so far as to tell the parties at the meeting that they should not disclose any of the details of this meeting.

The State's reasoning? According to a motion filed by Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk, "...the State honestly believed and continues to believe [the meeting notes and related information] were non-disclosable work product."

Judge Darrow disagreed, and on September 20, 2010, pdf Motion Regarding Medical Examiner Dec. 2009 meeting  ruled, "As the meeting among the prosecutors, law enforcement representatives, and the expert witnesses apparently was not recorded, the State must disclose any and all notes, regardless of the organizational affiliation of the author, summarizing the medical examiners' oral communications at the meeting... The Court also concludes that... the imposition of monetary sanctions in accordance with Rule 15.7 (a) is appropriate."

To boil the legal jargon down, the Court ruled that the State would have to reimburse the Defense for the costs associated with re-interviewing the medical examiners about this meeting and their findings.

The State complied with the disclosure order. On January 19, 2011, the Defense submitted a pdf bill in the amount of $31,259.43 .

That had the State returning to the Court in a motion dated January 21, 2011, asking for a rpdf econsideration of the impositon of monetary sanctions.  The Defense, of course, pdf, replied in justification   of their perspective,  to which the pdf State responded again.

In his ruling, Judge Darrow wrote, "The Court sustains the State's objection to the statement of costs, and the attorneys for the Defendant are directed to submit a revised statement. The State's motion for reconsideration is denied."

pdf Judge Darrow's Response

At this point, the Defense has not yet apparently submitted a revised statement.
Situation Two: First Mistrial Motion

It was Wednesday morning, April 6, that Judge Darrow agreed with County Attorney Polk that evidence pertaining to previous sweat lodges held by Ray at other Spiritual Warrior events could be admitted as evidence, as long as the evidence had to do with 'causation of death'.

Mark Duncan, reporting for Camp Verde's paper, The Bugle, in an article titled, Witness tells of troubles at three Ray-led sweat lodges, writes, "In a Feb. 3 ruling, Darrow ordered that 'without medical testimony connecting the observations of physical and mental distress exhibited by the pre-2009 sweat lodge participants with a risk of death and without evidence of the defendant's knowledge of the actual type of risk, the evidence is not relevant to the stated purpose.'"

Duncan continued, "Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk argued Wednesday that the medical testimony has taken place and that the alleged suffering of participants in Ray's pre-2009 sweat lodge ceremonies established a pattern she said was inescapable: that when Ray led a sweat lodge at the Angel Valley Retreat Center, people got sick, and that when others did so, no one got sick."

Despite several points of argument from Defense attorneys Tom Kelly and Luis Li, Judge Darrow remained calm and resolute.

The Defense then moved for a mistrial, which the Judge decisively denied the motion.

On April 6, the Defense also filed a 45-page miscellaneous memorandum detailing alleged pdf Prosecutorial misconduct 

As stated in the introduction, "...When prosecutorial misconduct becomes pervasive, however, Arizona law provides that the cumulative effect may require a mistrial... And where the government's misconduct is knowing, prejudicial and taken with 'indifference to a signuficant resulting danger of mistrial or reversal,' the Double Jeopardy clause bars retrial."
Situation Three: Second MIstrial Motion

But it was on Monday, April 11 that the Defense dropped their biggest accusation yet, titled, "Defendant James Arthur Ray's Motion for Mistrial Based on Intentional and Willful Suppression of Exculpatory Evidence, Emergency Hearing Requested".

pdf Mistrial Motion

In that 41-page document, Ray's attorneys insist that a mistrial must be granted and retrial barred.

The Defense writes in it's introduction statement, "The Defense has just learned of a constitutional violation that eclipses all other issues that have been litigated in this trial. For the past eleven months, the State has suppressed material, exculpatory evidence. The evidence - an expert witness report prepared by an environmental scientist at the State's request - identifies a different cause of death and a differeent culpable party than those which the State has alleged throughout this case. This amounts to a severe violation of Brady v. Maryland, Arizona Rule of Criminal Procedure 15.1(b)(8), and Due Process. The trial's entire trajectory has been infected, and the Court and jury misled, because of the suppression. The prejudice to the Defense cannot be cured. Under clearly established law, a mistrial must be granted and retrial barred."

At issue is an April 29. 2010 report from an alleged environmental expert, Richard Haddow. In that report, Haddow offers other explanations regarding the cause of death for Liz Neuman, Sidney Brown and James Shore.

The Defense maintains that the State did not disclose Haddow's opinion or existence until he appeared on a witness list in late October, 2010. Despite several requests for information regarding Haddow, the Defense alleges that those requests were essentially ignored. Had they known the information in the report, they would likely have prepared.

County Attorney Sheila Polk has not had an opportunity to respond yet to the charges, but Judge Darrow has ordered her to do so by 5 PM Tuesday night, April 12. Much is riding on that response, however, Polk has proven her ability to defend her positions over and over again throughout this entire trial.

The seriousness of this latest accusation by the Defense cannot be underestimated. Judge Darrow has responded swiftly and will attempt to determine the facts Wednesday at 8:30 AM, when the attorneys for both sides are ordered to appear in court for oral arguments.

In the meantime, the trial is in recess until further notice. According to a note from Judge Darrow's Judicial Assistant Diane Troxell, sent on Monday, "Please be advised that the James Ray trial will not be held tomorrow, April 12, 2011, due to a pending legal matter. The jurors are being asked to contact the Jury Commissioner at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday for further instructions."

Side note: Imagine having another judge as part of your jury. In a document uploaded to the County's website reads, "The Court has been advised that Superior Court Judge Cele' Hancock has been summoned to appear for jury duty in the matter of State of Arizona vs. James Arthur Ray...

"Good cause appearing therefor, it is ordered excusing Judge Hancock from jury duty..."

pdf Excusing Judge Hancock
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on April 13, 2011, 09:38:27 pm
http://ktar.com/category/local-news-articles/20110413/Judge-denies-mistrial-request-in-sweat-lodge-case/
************************************

Judge denies mistrial request in sweat lodge case
by Associated Press (April 13th, 2011 @ 2:07pm)

CAMP VERDE, Ariz. - A judge in a self-help author's manslaughter case has refused to declare a mistrial but says prosecutors broke legal rules when they failed to give documents to the defense.

Attorneys for James Arthur Ray urged the mistrial at a hearing Wednesday but Judge Warren Darrow ruled the trial will continue Thursday.

Ray's lawyers contend that the prosecution's yearlong failure to disclose an e-mail from an environmental scientist meant they couldn't adequately prepare a defense.

Ray has pleaded not guilty in the deaths of three people following a 2009 sweat lodge ceremony he led near Sedona.

Prosecutors say they inadvertently failed to turn over the e-mail from Richard Haddow, who looked at the environmental conditions surrounding the ceremony.
************************************
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: nemesis on April 14, 2011, 07:55:15 am
phew!!!

That was a bit scary for a moment there!

It would have been devastating if his lawyers had managed to swing a mistrial and he had walked due to a technicality.

*breathes sigh of relief*
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Edge on April 14, 2011, 07:42:00 pm
Thank heavens! I feared he'd walk free. My hat's off to the judge.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: AnnOminous on June 08, 2011, 04:44:46 pm
 
The following article can be located at the link below:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20069788-504083.html
 
 
Sweat Lodge Trial Update: Judge prohibits quick not guilty verdict in manslaughter case against James Arthur Ray
June 7, 2011 4:53 PM
Posted by Barry Leibowitz
 
(CBS/AP) CAMP VERDE, Ariz. (AP) - An Arizona judge has denied yet another bid by attorneys for self-help guru James Arthur Ray to cut his manslaughter trial short and issue a not guilty verdict.
 
Ray's attorneys had asked Judge Warren Darrow for such a directed verdict in the deaths of three people who attended Ray's spiritual retreat near Sedona in October 2009.
 
Darrow heard arguments on the request Tuesday but did not grant it.
 
Ray's attorneys argued that prosecutors hadn't proved their case and that Ray had no legal duty to check on participants during the sweat lodge ceremony.
 
 
Prosecutors claimed they clearly had proved that Ray was guilty. They say Ray conditioned participants through breathing exercises, sleep deprivation, a 36-hour fast and lectures to ignore their bodies' signs of danger.
 
Darrow's ruling means jurors will return to hear from defense witnesses in the case.
 
Ray was presiding over a sweat lodge ceremony that led to the deaths of Kirby Brown, Liz Neuman and James Shore.
 
Ray's attorneys say he did not have a legal duty to check on participants during the ceremony, that he was unaware people could die and that participants could have left at any time. They've also devoted a lot of time to arguing that toxins could have contributed to the deaths.
 
"There is no evidence that Mr. Ray knew the three individuals were dying," the defense wrote in the motion for a directed verdict. "Ms. Brown, Mr. Shore and Ms. Neuman were all breathing, talking with participants around them, specifically telling others they were `OK' or `fine' and moving until the end of the ceremony."
 
Prosecutors called about three dozen witnesses - less than half on their list - as they argued that Ray recklessly caused the deaths.
 
Motions for a directed verdict are typical in criminal cases, but Loyola Law School professor Stan Goldman said they are rarely granted even if there's a basis for them.
 
"Usually the judge wants to wait for what the jury has to say," he said.
 
More than 50 people participated in the sweat lodge ceremony that was the culmination of Ray's weeklong "Spiritual Warrior" seminar he held at the Angel Valley Retreat Center.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: LittleOldMan on June 08, 2011, 11:39:30 pm
wonder how long this will last? LOM
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: educatedindian on June 24, 2011, 03:47:45 am
Good news, kind of. He was found guilty of the lesser charges, escaped a guilty verdict on the more serious charges.

---------
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2011/06/self-help-guru-found-guilty-negligent-homicide/39161/
Self-Help Guru Found Guilty of Sweat Lodge Homicide
John Hudson 9:02 AM ET 421 Views Comment
A self-help guru famous for his appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show and the 2006 documentary The Secret was found guilty Wednesday of negligent homicide involving the deaths of three people in a sweat-lodge ceremony in 2009. James Arthur Ray charged participants $10,000 each to attend a five-day "Spiritual Warrior" event designed to "help participants overcome adversity to reach their full potential," reports The Los Angeles Times. Though the participants signed a wavier acknowledging the risk of death, the jury listened to recordings of him "urging participants to ignore their bodies' signs of distress during what he called a 'hellacious' event." "You will have to get to a point to where you surrender and it's O.K. to die," said Ray in the recording. He now faces up to 11 years on three negligent homicide convictions or a simple probation. "We totally believe that justice has been served here today," said Randy Neuman, the ex-husband Lix Neuman who died from the sweat-lodge ceremony. Ray made no comment following the ruling. According to The New York Times, he "seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when he was found not guilty on the first manslaughter charge. But he looked stunned a moment later when the guilty verdicts came in." A date has not been set for sentencing.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on June 24, 2011, 04:05:25 am
Ongoing roundup of media coverage, courtesy the #NDNZ and #JamesRay Twitter Crew: http://paper.li/tag/JamesRay
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: nemesis on June 24, 2011, 07:12:38 am
I'm not a lawyer but presumably conviction means that even if he only gets probation that the families of the victims can sue him for substantial damages?  That would be great, simply because the man is an arrogant fraud who appears unconcerned about the risks he takes with other people's lives and he needs to have his dangerous activities stopped before he kills some other innocent people.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: educatedindian on June 26, 2011, 01:32:57 pm
I posted this in the comments at the Huffingtonpost story about the verdict.

---------
There are reasons to cheer the guilty verdict but also reasons for concern.

This was the first time ever that a New Age exploiter was brought to justice for abusing people in an imitation of a Native religious ceremony. There are literally hundreds of such exploiters abusing people every day, all over America, Canada, Europe, and Australia, taking their money, hopes, dreams, and self respect. We have documented them over at NewAgeFrau­d.org.

Why weren't any of these exploiters brought to justive before? No one would have hesitated for an instant were a con man similar to Mr. Ray pose as a Catholic priest and charge people ten grand to take a eucharist as part of an alleged self help seminar. The reason is simple ignorance of Native traditions by the general public and a ludicrous claim that to do so would interfere with their First Amendment rights. Here's hoping the authoritie­s are more willing to listen, and to prosecute, as they did in the James Ray case.

This was not even the first time an exploiter killed people with a phony and dangerous imitation of a sweatlodge­. Again, we over at NewAgeFrau­d.org have documented such cases before. Here's hoping the authoritie­s in California­, Australia, and England look at the Ray verdict and consider prosecutin­g these older cases.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on July 08, 2011, 04:02:58 am
The look of fear on his face when convicted.. priceless.

Hey.. maybe he'll play "full on" with the other inmates..  ;)
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: OneRed on August 05, 2011, 04:31:30 am
I discussed this issue with quite a few internet marketers (because I am one) in our largest marketing forum and you'd be happy to know that most were pretty happy that he was getting the gears over it, because it's not something tolerated in our community either. For the record, James Arthur Ray adapted The Secret, he didn't really write it. Those teachings come from a book called Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, which is public domain (there are also video's of Napoleon Hill teaching Law of Attraction on youtube, way back in the 60's I think).
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Wakalapi on September 21, 2011, 05:34:37 pm
FYI: http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=98189

looks like next week ........
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Cetan on October 21, 2011, 04:48:45 pm
I saw that NBC Dateline will have a show about him on tonight, 9pm EDT - should be interesting  :)
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on October 22, 2011, 06:45:45 am
Well, at least Dateline referred to the deathlodge as "loosely based on NA sweat lodge" and did not
call it a NA sweat lodge outright.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: tecpaocelotl on October 22, 2011, 04:50:14 pm
That was a plus.

I'm just glad they played the "I am God" audio clip from James Ray.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: matt e on October 23, 2011, 11:58:30 pm
just an fyi, you do not have to be found guilty of a crime to be sued.

 a couple big examples are the OJ case, he was found not guilty in criminal court, but was found responsible in civil court. In the Catholic sex scandal, many of the people coming forward and suing the church and/or the priests and winning or getting settlements cannot go to criminal trial due to too much time passing.

 for the frauds that read this, keep that in mind.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on November 11, 2011, 06:39:25 pm
This video perfectly sums up what is wrong with the newagers and others who engage in cultural appropriation. James Ray admits he has no idea what a local, possibly indigenous, woman at this site is saying. She appears to be explaining the site to visitors. Ray not only ignores her words (that he could have recorded and had translated later) but he talks over her, giving his outsider interpretation of what the site means, and what religious significance he thinks it had.

He also tells us that his pay-to-pray, "prosperity consciousness" group, World Wealth Society, are over in a nearby "vortex" doing their own idea of a death/rebirth ritual. Or something. Hopefully no one in the group had any idea how to call to the spirits (since they don't understand the language) and hopefully they were so self-centered they didn't think to call on some of their own ancestral spirits who may clash with the local spirits. Then again, maybe they did get noticed by someone... as death is following James Ray.

Watch it for yourself. Astonishing: http://jamesray.com/james-arthur-ray-videos/abroad-sacsayhuaman.html


Thanks to Twinkie Wrangler for finding this: http://twitter.com/#!/twinkiewrangler/status/134752479727468544
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: educatedindian on November 12, 2011, 02:42:53 pm
And Ray could have easily found someone to translate. The woman is speaking in Spanish. She seems to be a tour guide, and possibly she knows English as well and uses it in her job. If not he could have easily found an English guide at these major tourist sites.

It's hard to hear most of what she said because of Ray talking over her. But she seems to be explaining how the sites were built, exactly at the same time Ray tries some pseudo mystical nonsense about "how science can't explain this site."
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on November 12, 2011, 07:04:24 pm
has he been sentenced yet?
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on November 14, 2011, 01:37:22 am
There were many delays, but finally the judge is hearing from witnesses as he decides on sentencing.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: naparyaq on November 14, 2011, 02:50:43 pm
Statements/depositions from the investigation:
http://www.tragedyinsedona.com/uploads/Narrative_Part_3_-_original_from_KPHO_Phoenix.pdf (http://www.tragedyinsedona.com/uploads/Narrative_Part_3_-_original_from_KPHO_Phoenix.pdf)
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: educatedindian on November 18, 2011, 07:18:44 pm
Ray apologized to the families and agreed to small restitution for cost of the trial, but not for wrongdoing. No doubt hoping for lighter sentencing.

---------
http://news.yahoo.com/guru-apologizes-families-sweat-lodge-victims-212346648.html
Guru apologizes to families of sweat lodge victims
By FELICIA FONSECA | AP – 12 hrs ago PRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) — A self-help author convicted in the deaths of three people following an Arizona sweat lodge ceremony expressed remorse Thursday, making his first extensive comments in open court before a prosecutor argued he should be locked up for the next nine years and called him a dangerous man.

Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Warren Darrow will determine James Arthur Ray's fate Friday after listening to six days of testimony in a mitigation hearing. The sentencing comes more than two years after Ray led dozens of people in the ceremony near Sedona with a promise that they would experience breakthroughs in their lives.

He was found guilty of three counts of negligent homicide in June following a fourth-month jury trial.

While defense witnesses said Ray is a compassionate man who should get probation and be given a chance to help others through his teachings, prosecutor Sheila Polk argued that his events progressively became more dangerous and that he ignored the sweat lodge participants who were in distress.

She said Ray lacked internal boundaries as she argued for the maximum sentence in the case.

"The idea that this court should balance the value of Mr. Ray's teachings and this opportunity for him to reach people in the future against three deaths is distasteful," she said. "What Mr. Ray did with his power, with the trust placed in him is irreversible to some. Mr. Ray took that authority, that blinding trust that people seemed to have in him and abused it."

Defense attorney Tom Kelly said Ray never forced anything upon the participants who paid around $10,000 apiece for his Spiritual Warrior seminar that culminated with the sweat lodge ceremony, nor did he cause harm to others in prior events.

"To take that self-help industry, spin it into an argument that if you were to grant Mr. Ray probation, that he would go out and speak to people, causing them to harm themselves is nothing more than absurd," Kelly said.

His lack of prior criminal history, good moral character, and the need to care for ailing parents should weigh in favor of probation, Kelly said. If Darrow sentences Ray to prison, Kelly asked that Ray not be required to serve the time until the appeals process plays out. He estimated that could take more than a year.

Ray himself apologized to the families of James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee; Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, N.Y; and Liz Neuman, 49, of Prior Lake, Minn. Ray choked up as he waived his right to a restitution hearing and agreed to pay more than $57,000 to the families to reimburse them for costs associated with the trial.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he said. "I don't believe any amount of money can compensate the families for their loss."

He asked for forgiveness in a letter submitted to Darrow shortly after, saying he regrets "all my efforts to help people's lives has caused them so much pain."

Darrow is considering whether civil settlements Ray reached with the families would offset that amount.

Polk questioned Ray's remorse, saying his actions didn't match up with his words. What kind of man disregards human life, ignores cries for help, fails to check on those in distress, and leaves a scene of death and sickness to shower and eat, she asked.

"That is the man before you, the man you will sentence tomorrow," Polk told Darrow.

But Ray's mother, Joyce, said her son was devastated and wanted to help but followed legal advice not to immediately contact the victims' families or send them letters as she suggested. She said she the response ran contrary to his character.

"For them to have lost their lives is sad, so sad, and we're so sorry," she said to the families in the courtroom before returning to her seat near Brown's parents.

Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: AnnOminous on November 18, 2011, 07:46:24 pm
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-11-18/sweat-lodge-sentencing/51298530/1
 
 
Self-help guru gets 6 years in sweat lodge deaths
 
PRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) – A self-help author convicted of negligent homicide has been sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to pay restitution of more than $57,000.
 
Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Warren Darrow handed down the sentence Friday in a central Arizona courtroom.
 
Ray's motivational mantra drew dozens of people to Sedona in October 2009 where they participated in a sweat lodge ceremony meant to purify their bodies.
 
The participants began showing signs of distress about halfway through the two-hour ceremony, and three died.
 
Ray insisted the deaths were a tragic accident. But a jury found him guilty on three counts of negligent homicide, rejecting the more serious charges of manslaughter.
 
Ray's potential sentence had ranged from probation to nine years in prison.
 
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on November 18, 2011, 08:57:04 pm
Two years. Darrow showed far too much mercy to the narcissistic sociopath and declared the sentences can run concurrently.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/11/18/20111118ray-gets-prison-time-sweat-lodge-deaths.html
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: SouthwestSkeptic on November 19, 2011, 02:46:22 am
A lot of ndnz don't know what to think about this.

I won the JamesRay bet - predicted 2 yrs on the lesser sentence last March. I was never so sad to win a bet before in my life.

The Don't Pay to Pray blog does an excellent summary of this weeks events:

I'm re-posting with permission (Copy-Lefted)

James Arthur Ray: Go to Jail! Go Directly to Jail!
http://is.gd/lSUKm4

Today is a historic day because James Arthur Ray is the first plastic shame-on to be held accountable for taking human lives in fake ceremonies. Finally, after more than two years, Ray has been sentenced for his negligence that caused the deaths of Kirby Brown, James Shore and Liz Neuman.

There’s a lot of mixed emotion in Indian country today. There’s happiness that someone was finally held accountable for perverting our ceremonies, but frustration that the prison term for killing three human beings was so short. Ray was sentenced today to only 2 years in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $57,514.12. He was given only 2 years for the death of each human being, but is being allowed to serve his sentence concurrently. With time off for ‘good behavior', he may be out of prison in less time than it took to try him.

Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Warren Darrow told the court that he wanted his decision to be based on law, not emotion. Yet, earlier he referred to James Ray as "vile" on an audiotape where he’s barking orders at people gullible enough to believe he had some masterly of what indigenous spiritual practices. The judge made it clear that he intended the sentence to be a deterrent to other frauds seeking to use bogus ceremonies and thought control methods to hustle money from cultural outsiders. Previously, Darrow threw out the defense motion to strike the aggravators that the jury found and stated, "I find that the aggravating circumstance of emotional harm is so strong and such that probation is simply unwarranted in this case.”

While the judge was convinced that it was necessary to punish James Ray for his recklessness, Darrow's concern about the deceased willingness to believe everything Ray claimed also factored into the sentence. Prior to handing down the sentence, the judge wondered out loud why doctors, lawyers, and other educated professional people attending the event did not exhibit any common sense. This seems to indicate that concern over the lack of critical thinking skills on the part of James Ray’s victims may have mitigated his sentence. Judge Darrow admonished Ray saying, "Mr. Ray, when a person has your capabilities to gain people’s trust, there is a large, large responsibility that goes with that trust … They placed their trust and it was violated.” The judge concluded, “a prison sentence is mandated in this case." Yavapai County prosecutor Sheila Polk strongly urged the judge to impose the maximum sentence of 9 years, 9 months "The defendant led the life of a pretender, and there are predictable consequences when one leads a life of pretense," she argued.

Most of the friends and family members of those who passed in the plastic sweat lodge agreed that it wasn’t about revenge for them; it was all about being accountable. Kirby Brown’s mother’s testimony was both moving and memorable. She testified previously that has come to realize that Kirby should have been more skeptical and has become active in educating the public about the dangers of blind acceptance of those who claim to know something about spirituality. Today, she told the judge, “my heart's been ripped out, my life blown apart.” She strongly criticized the New Age teachings that were promoted by James Ray and the Angel Valley camp and referred to the “horrible fact of Sedona.” Kirby’s mother made a strong statement against those who tried to rationalize her daughter’s needless death as a choice to "transition" and labeled the thinking behind it as “horrifying” and “disturbed.”

Although he wasn’t very convincing, James Ray addressed those in the courtroom and finally expressed remorse for his charlatanism. But instead of forthrightly accepting responsibility for concocting a scam, Ray blamed the deaths on the “arrogance that comes from my industry.” He justified his egotism and arrogance by blaming his behavior on his profession and suggesting that the self-help industry, not his own character flaws, bred ignorance and made him believe his own press.

Since Ray chose not to fight the claims for restitution, the judge ordered him to pay $57,514.12 of the nearly $130,000 the state requested. Most of this will go towards compensating the friends and relatives of those who passed in the bogus sweat lodge for the costs they incurred in coming to the lengthy trial.

While this landmark prison sentence for a plastic is encouraging, people shouldn’t be too confident that this will stop the thousands and thousands of other frauds out there trying to exploit Native American spiritual practices for money. Sadly, this sentence will probably do nothing more than make the existing frauds more cautious and more likely to adopt a “kinder, gentler” approach to the perversion of our sacred rites. There are still thousands of people out there who fraudulently present themselves as “shamans” and "medicine people" and “ascended masters”. The sad reality is that there are more individuals out there determined to sell their own perversions of Native American spiritual practices, to market their twisted and contorted from their own ignorance and arrogance, than any tribe has time or energy to deal with. Someone has already died this year in a bogus vision quest near Sedona, and I doubt that this sentence will do anything to stop the next person from dying in a “kinder, gentler” plastic ceremony run by a more clever huckster with a softer approach to cultural genocide.

Getting James Arthur Ray out of society for two years or less is a good start, but it's only a band-aid solution to the enormous problem of cultural appropriation of indigenous ways of being. Until the root of the problem is addressed, people will continue to be harmed emotionally, physically, financially and spiritually in the many bogus ceremonies offered by frauds who value material wealth over their fellow human beings. The root cause of plastic ceremony deaths are, ignorance, arrogance, deeply instilled racism, white privilege and colonialism. It would be a good thing if James Arthur Ray’s prison sentence served, as Judge Darrow wished, as a deterrent to the plastic medicine people, but experience has taught most Native people that frauds never stop their deceit. Even after being exposed, frauds merely transform themselves into less objectionable versions of themselves. Scam artists become addicted to the easy money and the glory and will do anything to continue their insatiable pursuit of profit and undeserved status. They re-market themselves, fix any flaws in their false persona that gives them away and continue to take people’s money in exchange for spiritual fool’s gold. But these frauds couldn’t make a penny without followers who are all too willing to believe their pretty lies. Until cultural outsiders are willing to take a hard and courageous look at themselves, to look at their privilege and entitlement and their indoctrination from centuries of colonialism, these frauds will continue to seek them out and offer them empty rituals that have no connection to anything spiritual. Those who refuse to look at this reality will continue to risk their welfare and even their lives when they seek arrogantly and out of willful ignorance. I hope the James Ray verdict will be a wake-up call to all those who misappropriate Native spirituality, but I know that all those frauds and exploiters out there will just use this as an opportunity to paint themselves as the opposite of James Ray. Only those with the courage to really look at what is lacking inside them that compels them to seek out Native spirituality as a solution to their affluenza and discontentment with their materialistic society will be safe from the next wave of James Ray wannabes that is surely to come along, dressed in the sheep's clothing of the "kinder, gentler" plastic shaman.





NEWS LINKS:

CNN: Sweat lodge leader sentenced to two years in prison
http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/18/justice/arizona-sweat-lodge-sentencing/index.html


Reuters: Guru gets two years jail for Arizona sweat lodge deaths
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/18/us-arizona-guru-idUSTRE7AH22420111118


The Guardian: Jail for self-help guru James Arthur Ray over sweat lodge deaths
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/18/arizona-sweat-lodge-guru-jailed


People: James Arthur Ray Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Sweat Lodge Deaths
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20546783,00.html


Associated Press: James Arthur Ray, self-help guru, gets prison time in sweat lodge deaths
http://ktar.com/6/1471663/Ray-gets-prison-time-in-sweat-lodge-deaths


CBS: Guru sentenced to 2 years for sweat lodge deaths
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57327563/guru-sentenced-to-2-years-for-sweat-lodge-deaths/


UPI: Sweat-lodge operator gets 2 years
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/11/18/Sweat-lodge-operator-gets-2-years/UPI-61961321647226/


Phoenix New Times: James Ray Sentenced to Just Two Years in Prison for Sweat Lodge Deaths
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2011/11/james_ray_sentenced_to_just_tw.php


An in-depth article from Self magazine ‘When Self-Help Harms
http://www.self.com/health/2010/09/scary-side-of-self-help

Dorothy Schley: Colorado Springs Spirituality Examiner
James Arthur Ray sentenced today
http://www.examiner.com/spirituality-in-colorado-springs/james-arthur-ray-sentenced-today



Older Posts

Sweat lodge victim's mother laments Ray's charisma
http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=99932


The most racist thing I’ve seen today … I James Ray listened to indigenous people, three need not have died
http://nicdhana.blogspot.com/2011/11/most-racist-thing-ive-seen-today.html


VIDEOS:

Video of Judge Darrow giving the sentence
Self-help Guru Gets 2 Yrs. in Sweat Lodge Deaths
http://youtu.be/iiDULh9Omeg

ABC 15 Video: Self-help Guru gets 2 years in sweat lodge case (this one shows a bit of the perp walk)
http://youtu.be/DWEY5Rasi_0




Families Tearfully Tell of Sweat Lodge Deaths
http://youtu.be/KGeni46_PEE


Video of James Ray crying and expressing remorse
Sweat lodge organizer to be sentenced Friday
http://youtu.be/NKGDmhbXm3c

James Ray, White Shamanism and Death
http://youtu.be/tmqEXfZsRCc


AUDIO


Native America Calling: Monday, November 14, 2011– What is Sacred?
The term “sacred” is thrown around quite a bit in Indian Country. Sacred lands, sacred ceremonies, sacred objects – sacred this and sacred that. The English definition describes sacred as something holy, blessed or revered. But what is the Native grassroots understanding of this term? Can something that is shared with the public be considered sacred, like our tribal dances or our traditional songs? Once they are revealed, do they lose their power or their sacredness? Is it necessary for the sacred to be shrouded in secrecy? Guests include traditional practitioners Boye Ladd (Ho Chunk) and Gladys Jefferson (Crow).
http://www.nativeamericacalling.com/nac_past.shtml
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Pono Aloha on November 19, 2011, 06:15:37 am
$57,000 when he got $30,000 from the three souls who died???? I guess the families can sue now for wrongful death. I hope they get millions.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: debbieredbear on November 19, 2011, 03:04:48 pm
His response is so typically narcissistic. Most of the nuage gurus are very narcissistic, as well as greedy. Wish they would have hit his bank account harder. That's what would have REALLY hurt him. And I had to agree that his business is an industry. Most elf help gurus and nuagers would argue, but it is true. It's how they make monry. Has nothing to do with being spiritual. My prediction: when he gets out, he will do speaking engagements on how prison improved him.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Pono Aloha on November 19, 2011, 09:07:27 pm
Yes, Debbieredbear! Maybe he will get religion and become a fundamentalist Christian, too. There's a lot of money to be made in that market. (Also, I had to laugh at your typo - "elf help" - that's true, too!)
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: SouthwestSkeptic on November 21, 2011, 04:21:27 am
Natives are speaking out all over turtle island!

Twinkie Wrangler’s Takes

http://is.gd/5nFlfC

James Arthur Ray: This is NOT What a Spiritual Warrior Looks Like

Picture: James Ray sobbing in court

In the past week, James Arthur Ray has demonstrated to the whole world that he has no right to define what a spiritual warrior is, or to call himself a spiritual warrior. In his desperate attempt to avoid accountability for his reckless actions, he as demonstrated behavior and values that are antithetical to the principles and values of a true spiritual warrior. He spent the last week behaving in a very un-warrior like manner– crying, appealing to emotion, blaming his profession for his megalomania and trying to emotionally manipulate the judge and the survivors of his negligence into allowing him to shirk responsibility for his actions.

Traditional values of a Lakota warrior are: respect, generosity, courage, fortitude, compassion, prayer and wisdom. James Ray exhibited none of these values. He used words like “harmonic” without any understanding of how to struggle towards harmony in a community through generosity and shared power. He preached about living “impeccably” while living only for himself. His prayers were nothing more than theater to trick people into believing he had some spiritual knowledge. He didn’t respect his followers enough or the Lakota people to humbly go to legitimate spiritual elders and ask permission to conduct sacred rites. He claimed to possess the wisdom of all the ancient spiritual giants, but all he could do was regurgitate the vapid works of charlatans like L. Ron Hubbard and Carlos Castaneda.

In indigenous communities, warriors are given a place of honor for their generosity, their leadership, and their bravery.  James Ray holds no honors in any indigenous community. A warrior is honored in indigenous societies for his selfless choice to dedicate himself to the welfare of all his people: his extended family, his clan, and his nation.  A warrior will endure anything if he believes it will create a better future for the generations to come. In contrast, James Ray dedicated himself to a life of ambition and self-aggrandizement. He knew how to manipulate people’s emotions by speaking frequently of helping others, but he lived a life dedicated to justifying the accumulation of much, much more than he needed. This type of selfishness and lack of generosity is the one characteristic that has universal disapproval in indigenous communities.
Ray tried to market identification with indigenous warrior societies while teaching his followers to be the exact opposite of spiritual warriors. Instead of standing up for the principles and values they were raised with, and unflinchingly defending the welfare of all their people, Ray taught his followers to be acquisitive, competitive, and to think only of themselves. He perverted the sweat lodge ceremony into an individual endurance competition and stripped it of any sense of community, compassion or duty to sacrifice for others. He twisted warrior values of bravery, generosity and sacrifice into a Western willingness to conform and to submit to an authority figure in order to gain a personal advantage. Because he knew that he needed to defeat their spirits in order to exploit them completely, Ray conditioned his followers to be the opposite of warriors. He knew that in order to maximize profits, had to diminish any strength his followers could find in unity with or compassion for each other.

Ray’s anti-intellectualism shows contempt towards what is the true essence of a warrior. A warrior is intelligent. He is always clear minded and takes direct action from his wisdom and understanding of the world to protect, women, children, elders and his land. Ray’s teachings taught people to distrust, not only their principles but their intellect as well. This is the opposite of the indigenous concept of a warrior. A warrior always strives to balance wisdom and understanding with compassion for those weaker than himself.  Ray exploited the popular conception of the warrior spirit for profit without any intention of helping others.  A warrior, raised with original instructions, traditional values and principles will naturally seek out environmental and social justice for others and for himself.  Ray sought out wealth and personal glory. These are things that have no value to a true spiritual warrior. Spiritual warriors do not equate material success with spiritual attainment, but Ray made this odious concept central to his teachings.

The warrior spirit isn’t something that you obtain by slapping down a credit card and blindly following the orders of the person who plays the role of an authority the most convincingly. Blind trust is not at all valued in indigenous communities. Every individual is valued for his unique thoughts and way of looking at the world and spiritual leaders do not discourage questioning. Indigenous warriors are judged by their willingness to act on behalf of their people, not on their eloquence or how adamantly they can state their “good intentions”. Intentions carry little weight with indigenous people, because actions mean everything.  Ray offered his followers an easy way to shop-lift the honor earned by a warrior by offering a short cut through “positive thinking” that involved no action, no sacrifice, no discomfort and no threat to the customer’s existing world view.
Because they have been taught love and compassion for their community, warriors make sure that power is shared equally among all. James Ray was all about power. He was addicted to it. He couldn’t get enough of it and he wasn’t at all concerned with sharing it others.  A warrior is defined by his commitment to something outside of himself. James Ray was all about himself, striving only for his own personal aggrandizement.

A warrior needs to display a balance of wisdom, compassion for those less powerful than he and generosity of spirit. Ray taught that “balance is bogus.” A warrior’s commitment to and passion for his people run deep. James Ray’s emotions were shallow. He didn’t feel strongly for any community, so he invented thrill seeking exercises to try to stimulate his own lack of feeling.   Living in undeserved privilege in Beverly Hills, he had no causes for which to struggle. His feigned concern for the environment was only to bait for potential followers.  A true spiritual warrior has a passion for social and environmental justice. He is compelled to take action to make things better for everyone. James Ray lacked a warrior’s sense of inter-connectedness to either the land or the people living on it.

Many Native scholars have written extensively about the humility of individuals who show true spiritual leadership. Those who we honor as spiritual leaders earn our respect through years of sacrifice to the community they were born into. Everyone in the community recognizes their abilities and their accomplishments. If someone is a medicine person or a spiritual elder, there is never any need to advertise on the internet or to go on national television to promote one’s abilities, because he is already known to his community. There is no need to instruct outsiders in the protocol of ceremonies, because this protocol is already known to everyone in the community.

Instead of using his rhetorical skills to inspire people towards generosity, compassion and bravery for their fellow citizens, Ray provided rationalizations for them to relinquish any responsibility to the people around them.  He re-defined self-interest and self-absorption as spiritual evolution. He redefined blind obedience as a path to spiritual enlightenment. He disrespected the individuality and intellect of his followers to an extreme degree because it was a hindrance to his own quest for power over them.
Indigenous warriors serve as an example to the youth on how to deal with colonialism, institutionalized racism and extreme poverty, addiction and lack of opportunity. To date, James Ray had an easy life selling the privileged class the ideas they so desperately wanted to hear. Ray possesses no wisdom or coherent analysis of the society he lived in. His only interest is in finding the easiest way to accumulate wealth and power. He has no compunctions about creating disunity and imbalance by telling the wealthy that they deserved their privileges due to their superior thoughts. He happily reinforces the destructive ideas and values of the status quo — that those trapped in racist institutions deserved to be there due to their inferior thinking.  A person who loves is community doesn’t do this. A spiritual leader doesn’t do this.

Perhaps the greatest show of cowardice is Ray’s ploy to elicit pity from the judge by claiming that Native American inmates were threatening him in the Yavapai county jail and will be “out to get him” in the Arizona correctional facility that will be his new home for the next 2 years. A warrior is direct and honest in his communication. Ray is incorporating racist stereotypes about the “savagery” of Native Americans in institutions to manipulate Judge Darrow into feeling sorry for him. Ray claims that a “Native American” slipped a threatening note under the door. I find it hard to believe that inmates are just allowed to wander around the Yavapai County facility slipping missives to each other. I also noticed that there wasn’t any documentation offered as to all these threats that were allegedly made by Native American inmates.  It seems to me that if Ray were being targeted by a specific inmate population, there would be some documentation of this. Yet, no documentation was admitted into evidence. Don’t correctional facilities keep track of threats? Ray paints a shocking lack of supervision in the Arizona correctional system that is difficult to believe. Furthermore, if there were any threats made at all, it seems more likely that a New Age white person who identifies as “Indian” would be impulsive and daring enough to make a physical threat to a white inmate.  It’s a further indictment of Ray’s lack of character that he would use a racist stereotype in an attempt to mitigate his sentence. A warrior admits his wrong-doings and accepts responsibility for his actions.  He doesn’t use the weaknesses of humanity to his advantage.

James Ray is no spiritual warrior and he was never qualified to talk about what one is.  No warrior would ever engage in such quackery, nor would he hoard all the profits he made from it without sharing it with his extended family, clan, and nation.  No warrior would ever manipulate a “channelor” into suggesting that someone in his community consented to dying in a spiritual ceremony . No warrior would have someone speak so flippantly about those who have passed just to avoid having to make restitution to the surviving relatives.

Picture: Klee Benally stopping and excavator from destroying a sacred place

While all the media attention was on the James Ray trial this year, the social and environmental issues of indigenous people were ignored. Klee Benally, in my opinion, is an example of what a spiritual warrior would look like.  If we lived in a society dominated by indigenous values, Klee Benally would be honored as a warrior. This summer, Benally made a conscious choice to sacrifice his safety for the good of everyone in his tribal nation and 12 other tribal nations. While James Ray was paying attorneys to argue that his victims consented to his depraved lack of concern for their welfare, Benally chained and handcuffed himself  an excavator in an effort to stop it from destroying mountain held sacred to 13 tribes in Arizona. Benally is not living in a Beverly Hills mansion. He doesn’t seek out publicity. He is not a superficial style warrior, like James Arthur Ray.
When you hear him speaking clearly and directly to the officers on the video, you can see that the courage, love and wisdom of this spiritual warrior come from the principles and values instilled in him by both the men and the women in the community in which he is raised. While Benally decided to act on his values, many friends and relatives  from his community stood by him and supported him as he confronted the Forest Service. A true warrior always thinks of the women and elders who made him the person who he is and he always puts them first. He would never use them to get himself out of trouble as James Ray has done.

Klee Benally has no catch words or pricey retreats to sell to anyone. He’ll probably never be on Oprah and he’ll never have thousands of devoted followers. He defined himself by taking a risk to fight against an ecological danger that understood as a threat to his whole community. He didn’t stop to think of his safety, or how to make money from the situation. He didn’t pompously advise anyone to think “positively” about the excavator. He knelt down in front of it and put his body between it and the Forest Service workers and risked his safety to defend what he held sacred. There is nothing James Ray would risk his life for, because he doesn’t hold anything sacred. Ray has no understanding of the concept of sacred other than as a means to manipulate people into paying him for the illusion of an encounter with it.

When a warrior makes a choice to risk his life for something he believes in. The greatness of that gift is based on the greatness of the love that the warrior has for the life that he’s willing to sacrifice. Benally clearly has a great love for the land he holds sacred. In contrast, James Ray risked other people’s lives to trick them into thinking that the symptoms of heat stroke were really a transformative experience.  He loves only the status that material things can bring and seems to have no feeling at all for the people he claims to help. To James Ray, human beings are only a means to an end.

Benally stood up the Forest Service and the corporations behind the Snow bowl who are violating the human rights and religious freedom rights of his people by desecrating this sacred  mountain. James Ray made himself into a corporation and tried to use that as an excuse for his recklessness. A warrior accepts responsibility for his actions. He doesn’t lie. He doesn’t justify. He doesn’t rationalize. He presents himself as what he is: a humble member of the human race.

There are dozens of indigenous environmental struggles going on all over the world.  James Ray could have taught himself and other people about: Yucca Mountain, Dooda Desert Rock, Black Hills, Kanehsatake,  Keweenaw Bay , the battle to stop the Keystone XL pipeline or to preserve any number of sacred sites. The half a million dollars he collected for his impersonation of a warrior would have gone a long way towards educating the public about indigenous environmental concerns. He could have taught about real indigenous struggles, but instead he wove fantastic stories from the most popular misconceptions about indigenous spirituality.  He cherry-picked  ideas about indigenous people from pop culture that challenged no one and sold them using the easiest techniques, copied from others who also lacked the courage to stand up for what is right. There is no integrity in anything Ray did to achieve his success and all the tears and hysterics this week only serve to expose him as the bully and the coward he really is.
Klee Benally will be tried in January. There will be no media circus surrounding this trial. He won’t have high powered attorneys to speak for him. He will stand up to the court with integrity, admit what he did with a clear conscience and accept responsibility for being a warrior for his people. CNN will not find his trial newsworthy enough to cover. James Ray will continue the appeal process. He will continue to refuse to accept responsibility for his actions and as soon as he is released he will re-make himself into another false persona and continue to exploit people’s emotions in order to chase the fast, easy buck.

If anything is to be learned from this tragedy, I hope Indian and non-Indian people will see that they need to have the courage to confront people making boastful claims to spiritual knowledge. If they want to be honored as spiritual leaders, they need to start their spiritual quest with honor. If James Ray were any kind of a man, let alone a warrior, he would have had the courage to go to a legitimate Lakota tribal community and ask what is involved in being entitled to conduct sacred rites such as the sweat lodge and the vision quest. And when he was certainly told that he was not entitled to lead any ceremonies, he would have been man enough to respect the words of the rightful guardians of the ceremonies. A true warrior respects his elders. He willingly admits his shortcomings, his lack of knowledge and accepts being told that there are things he is not entitled to do with humility.  Those who still think the ends justifies the means and are willing to sacrifice integrity and principles to take a short cuts to spiritual warrior status, should stop and consider James Ray’s fate. Every step on a spiritual path must be taken with the courage and humility. James Ray’s break down and loss of control toward the end of the trial should be a wakeup call to all the “seekers” who still think short cuts are justified.  It has been said that being a warrior is learning how to cry, but not in the self-serving way that James Ray was crying this week.

 A warrior knows how to cry for other people because he has compassion, wisdom and understanding . The crying of a real warrior is never for himself.  A warrior’s humility helps him see  beyond his own needs and empowers  him to act honorably towards the common welfare of his community.  The tragic sweat lodge trial is finally over. It’s time to talk about true spiritual warriors who sacrifice for others.  It’s time to forget about James Arthur Ray.


copy lefted and reposted with permission
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: naparyaq on November 21, 2011, 10:28:08 am
David Singing Bear interview

http://tragedyinsedona.com/uploads/Supplement__069_IV_David_Singing_Bear_interview_11.07.09.pdf (http://tragedyinsedona.com/uploads/Supplement__069_IV_David_Singing_Bear_interview_11.07.09.pdf)
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on November 22, 2011, 12:31:00 am
Natives are speaking out all over turtle island!

Twinkie Wrangler’s Takes

http://is.gd/5nFlfC

James Arthur Ray: This is NOT What a Spiritual Warrior Looks Like


Excellent piece. Thank you.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: SouthwestSkeptic on November 24, 2011, 12:59:44 am
Iktome Returns Collective weighs in on James Ray with

AZ v James Arthur Ray in 10 minutes: You're No Good!

Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: SouthwestSkeptic on November 27, 2011, 01:40:56 am
Arizona v. James Arthur Ray in 10 minutes

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/7780145/az_v_james_arthur_ray_in_10_minutes/

It’s Shake n Bake and I halped!

(Sorry, the first upload was aborted by Youtube and I forgot to post the alternative link – wine and an early Unthanksgiving day celebration might have had something to do with it.)

Here’s a transcript for our ESL friends & peeps with crappy computers:

James Arthur Ray, was a man with aspirations to be the first New Age billionaire.

He managed to kill 3 people in a bastardization of a sweat lodge he concocted from the teachings of various New Age frauds previously exposed.

He was arrested for manslaughter on
February 3, 2010 and held on a 5 million dollar bond he claimed he couldn't pay.

The trial began almost 2 years later, on March 8, 2011

The State's first witness, Jennifer Haley testified that when she left James Shore there was "purple foam coming out of his mouth."

Testifying about one of the other participants who left, Haley testified:  "a cute little like Argentina girl who was hallucinating earlier saying she didn’t want the Indians to get her."

About another participant, Haley testified: "this was girl that was scared of her own shadow she was very quiet and now she’s screaming she wants to have sex with James."

Linda Andressano testified that she did not know why she stayed in the sweat lodge.

Mellissa Phillips testified that James Ray told people that if they needed to defecate they had to do it “in the circle”

Laurie Gennari testified:
"It was an atmosphere of pressure: getting of very little sleep, controlling when our breaks were and controlling our food. It all put me off balance. I didn’t’ have access to my normal processing.

“Everything we did was about getting an order to do something uncomfortable and carrying through and doing it … we were well trained to do as we were told by the end of that week.”
He used the phrase “keep your goggles on” to encourage us to keep ourselves immersed in his teachings and not go back to our old way of thinking.

Dennis Mehravar testified, “When I had a doubt, he proved to me that I was wrong and he was right, so there’s no reason not to trust him.”

Scot Barratt:  James said High achievers make quick decisions and take fast action so I just stepped out of the back of the group and I trotted out of the group and they had 3 people waiting to cut your hair of and I was the first one to do that.

Melinda Martin testified: “I think he's a pervert and he got off on hearing the abuses others suffered when it came to SEX.”

“I was witnessing chaos and vomiting and disorientation all around me and I was told ‘this is normal. This is what happens.’"

Melinda Martin: “One of the medics asked me if this was a mass suicide and I said no, it was a sweat lodge gone wrong.”

Stephen Ray testified that here was another participant that played full on and threw out his shoulder because he cared about his team so much.

Prosecutor: You urinated in the sweat lodge? How did the other participants react to that?

Lou Caci: They said don’t worry about it brother well get through this.

I really don’t know why I went back in. … If any of you have played any organized sports, it’s more of a selfish thing … when you’re injured you want to go back in and support the team.
I wanted to play full on

Lou Caci: “Kirby Brown’s breathing was like when my dad and my brother passed. Her breathing was hard like people who have cancer. I wish I would have done something.”

Dr. Beverly Bunn testified: “You learn through the course of the week that you don’t question Mr. Ray on anything   …things are not optional.”

A woman told James Ray, “I can’t get her to move! She’s not breathing!” and he said “I can’t deal with that right now.”

James Ray said, “This round is now begun, the door is now closed we’ll deal with that at the end of the round.”

Beverly Bun testified that she did not want to shave her head, but she finally gave to pressure in and let them shave her head.

The Prosecution's first strategy was to claim that the waiver's the victim's signed relieved James Ray of any accountability for negligent homicide.

Luis Li continually asked each witness if they signed a waiver and if they had free will to leave the deathlodge--even those who were unconscious.

The prosecution's 2nd strategy was to introduce

Reasonable doubt

The defense blamed the deaths on everything about the sweat lodge EXCEPT the leader of the’sweat lodge’.

Mr. Li objected to .... well basically everything the State said.

And he was fond of showing the jury a big blue book that one day he intended to read.

Throughout the trail, Ms. Polk made every effort to humanize the victims of James Ray's deathlodge.

Kirby Brown’s spirit.

James Shore's heroism and commitment to being a good husband and father.

Liz Neuman's loyalty & willingness to see the good in people.

Then things really got weird.

The folks from Angel Valley began to testify.

Hamilton claimed he could only answer questions about spiritual things. As to the $125K he accepted from Ray even though people got sick previously--you'd have to ask his wife.

Michael Hamilton testified that he met a real Native American at the dumpster at the In&Out burger who taught him how to talk to ants.

Amyra Hamilton defiantly insisted it was all James Ray's fault.

Ted Mercer didn't really seem to understand what happened.

Critter biscuits?

Deb Mercer testified that James Ray said at the end of the ceremony, "I am the alpha and the omega."

Mark Rock caused a delay in the trial because he insisted on giving new testimony he claimed came from...

recovered memories uncovered through past life regression with the folks at Angel Valley.

Sane rational experts also gave testimony that it was more likely than not that the 3 people died of heat stroke.

Nice, reasonable scientists tried to explain scientific certainty to the defense.

Ms. Polk's closing arguments were inspired.

Early in the trail, Ms. Polk told Mr. Kelly: "This isn't gamesmanship ... it's a search for the truth."

Ms. Polk started her remarks by saying, “Three people are dead who should not be dead. Three people have lost loved ones who should not be gone.”

You heard a witness tell you that if not for James Ray's temper, he might have helped people.

James Ray intended that intense searing heat in order to obtain a financial investment from the participants of $10,000.

He controlled when people could talk in the sweat lodge and he even controlled when people could urinate.

The State has clearly proven that BUT FOR the defendant’s conduct, Kirby, James and Liz would not have died.

The defense wants you to ignore they want you to ignore what is right in front of your eyes as the cause of death.

The victims died of extreme heat.

James Ray intended to introduce hellaciously hot heat and steam.

I submit to you that he was aware of that risk.

She walked over to James Arthur Ray, pointed at him and said
The only difference between manslaughter and negligent homicide is the issue of awareness.

Mr. Ray intentionally used heat to create an altered state.

3 people are dead because James Ray consciously disregarded a substantial and unjustifiable risk that his conduct would cause death.

James Ray did in fact wear participants down using his words to get them less grounded so they could have that ultimate experience.

Mr. Li's closing arguments consisted of vivid stories designed to take the jury's attention away from his client's hideous behavior.

After 3 full days of theatrics and insisting that James Ray had no duty to help people, the case finally went to the jury.

On June 22, 2011 the jury reached a verdict in less than 9 hours.

Not Guilty on the charge of manslaughter.
But …
Guilty of Negligent Homicide.

Nevertheless, the defense still hoped to sway the judge in the mitigation hearing and get James Ray off with just probation.

Note: At crucial times during the trial, James Ray’s ears would turn bright red. This is called vasodilatation and some people think that the increase in blood flow comes from a kick in adrenalin. It is usually an indicator of embarrassment or the perception of a threat. This type of “ear blushing” is a function of the sympathetic nervous system that Ray has no conscious control over.

That plan didn't work out too well for them.

While everyone but the defense hoped for the maximum prison sentence ...

 Kirby Brown's mother eloquently expressed her grief and rage.

As did Liz Neuman's daughter.

Ginny Brown demanded to know: "Why couldn't he see that it was just too damn hot?"

Despite all the 'spiritual warrior's' sobbing….

James Ray was sentenced to serve 2 years in prison for needlessly taking 3 lives.

For the first time, someone who aspired to be a member of the 1% who used religion to kill was successfully prosecuted.

"Balance is baloney." ~ James Arthur Ray

Think about HOW all this happened.

When what inside you has to die is your conscience, it's time to ...

Take off the goggles!

Never Again!

Don’t pay to pray!

Please share!

feel free to mirror

Youtube silenced the audio, but metacafe accepted it.

Rose


Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: SouthwestSkeptic on November 27, 2011, 02:01:28 am
Low bandwidth version of AZ v James Arthur Ray in 10 Minutes available on ISUMA TV

http://www.isuma.tv/hi/en/node/34055
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on November 28, 2011, 12:04:11 am
Good Job!
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: SouthwestSkeptic on November 28, 2011, 04:08:37 am
Thanks, and it's also good to see that James Ray is safely locked away in prison!!!

Here's James wearing the latest in Arizona issued prison attire this season. Pink is his color!

http://is.gd/hhUKPm
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on November 28, 2011, 09:46:23 pm
Here's James wearing the latest in Arizona issued prison attire this season. Pink is his color!

http://is.gd/hhUKPm

Look at him manifesting!

Hair color is listed as "unknown". I'm looking forward to seeing how he looks without access to hair dye. Bet the prison won't let him have all those self-prescribed steroids and manly hormones he was dosing himself with, either. Though I guess they'll let him have his herpes meds.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: critter - a white non-ndn person on December 04, 2011, 03:41:44 am
So disheartening to hear of a 2 yr sentence. Not even 1 full year for each of the deceased. And, any time he's already spent in jail, will be counted. They didn't even ban him from ever doing a 'death lodge' again. This is just really sad.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Ari on July 13, 2013, 04:05:07 pm
He is out and might do it again.

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/state/james-ray-leader-of-arizona-sweat-lodge-to-be-freed-from-prison

Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: used2bnaf on September 08, 2013, 03:28:17 pm
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/09/06/news/self-help-guru-james-arthur-ray-moves-to-drop-appeal-of-convictions
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Epiphany on October 08, 2013, 05:18:30 pm
Quote
This Date in Native History: The often misguided and misrepresented spiritual representation of traditional Native practices broke into mainstream media on October 8, 2009 when James Arthur Ray, a 53-year-old “self-help guru,” saw tragedy strike his latest retreat.

Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/10/08/native-history-non-traditional-sweat-leads-tragedy-151634 (http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/10/08/native-history-non-traditional-sweat-leads-tragedy-151634)
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: milehighsalute on October 18, 2013, 07:16:43 pm
just wondering.....if an ndn ran this so-called "sweat" ......how much time do you all think he would have gotten?
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: debbieredbear on October 18, 2013, 10:15:46 pm
Twenty to life, most likely.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: milehighsalute on October 18, 2013, 10:23:33 pm
EXACTLY.......and thats just one of many reasons its important to fight these twinkies
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: debbieredbear on October 18, 2013, 11:26:01 pm
That and the racism these frauds bring. In fact, the racism was brought me to fighting frauds. I read a letter to the editor written by a white woman who had read Lynn Andrewes, Jamie Sames and Chuck Storm. She then went to a rez to find herself a guru. She didn't feel like she was treated nice enough (like her books) and that turned to hatred and disgust at the poverty and problems she found on the rez. She decided that all NDNs were dirty, bad, lazy drunks. Deserving of society's disdain. I wrote a letter back to the paper, pointing out some things, among them that no one from the rez invited her. None of them were responsible for what white frauds wrote. She needed to read her history and fond out that, besides having children stolen and religion forbidden, that NDNs were actually Human Beings, with the same life problems that many people have. Thta paper printed my letter, too. No editing. But that hatred this woman had, was directly the result of lies told by frauds.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: NeoPaleo on October 19, 2013, 04:04:47 pm
I'm sorry this happens. I though this shit went out of fashion.
At some point traditional leaders are going to have to take responsibility and
Manage the seekers after all it is their responsibility.
There are a lot of mixed bloods outside and they aren't going anywhere.
If the People think they have problems now, wait for the smart phone revolution.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: earthw7 on October 19, 2013, 04:14:40 pm
again you are mistaken this man has no Native blood is was making money off native tradition with no knowledge of what he was doing.
What went out of fashion?
Are you talking about our traditions?
They are very much alive among our people
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on October 19, 2013, 04:18:21 pm
I'm sorry this happens. I though this shit went out of fashion.
At some point traditional leaders are going to have to take responsibility and
Manage the seekers after all it is their responsibility.
There are a lot of mixed bloods outside and they aren't going anywhere.
If the People think they have problems now, wait for the smart phone revolution.

What?

Are you blaming traditional people for what James Ray did?

It's not about "mixed bloods," unless you're using that as a shorthand for "Non-Native who did their genealogy last year and found some distant heritage but has no real-life connection to any living Native community."

BQ is not the issue - it's whether someone is living their life as part of an in-person Native family and Native community - culturally Native.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Diana on November 26, 2013, 05:44:31 am
James Ray is on CNN giving an interview to Piers Morgan. Here's a clip http://piersmorgan.blogs.cnn.com/.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on March 11, 2015, 09:33:53 pm
Didn't it come out that Ray and Piers Morgan share the same publicist?

Apparently Ray has some kind of in at CNN: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cnn-orders-w-kamau-bell-780335

"Additionally, CNN will premiere five new documentaries in 2016, each a co-production with CNN Films and is expected to premiere in theaters prior to their broadcasts." Including "... a doc on controversial self-help boldface James Arthur Ray by Jenny Carchman"  [I assume that weird phrasing is a formatting error on their site.]

CNN better talk to Natives this time. As in, real ones. Not those white pretendians and newagers they showcased in their coverage of the court case. The Court TV coverage was seriously racist; they avoided talking to any NDNs. I'm pretty sure zero Natives appeared on screen. Aside from a brief phonecall with one of the Lakotas involved in the lawsuit against Angel Valley, every single person who spoke on the sweatlodge issue was non-Native. Their "expert" was a white fraud who has his own thread here on NAFPS.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Epiphany on March 15, 2015, 03:54:59 pm

Self-Help Author Imprisoned For Sweat Lodge Deaths Is Making a Comeback
James Arthur Ray spent two years in prison after a sweat lodge ceremony in 2009 left three people dead. His experiences behind bars now forms the bulk of his new self-help program

Bloomberg News/March 3, 2015
http://culteducation.com/group/997-james-arthur-ray/28350-self-help-author-imprisoned-for-sweat-lodge-deaths-is-making-a-comeback.html (http://culteducation.com/group/997-james-arthur-ray/28350-self-help-author-imprisoned-for-sweat-lodge-deaths-is-making-a-comeback.html)

Quote
I manage to get in one more question before the end. Why would Ray, after being held responsible for the deaths of three people and serving prison time for it, go back to the same pursuit that led to his downfall? There is nothing else that can bring him fulfillment, he replies. There is, he says, “a power that works through” him—a faith, not in his “finite abilities,” but in his “clarity of purpose” and his power to captivate audiences.

“If you see any level or mastery in my abilities, it’s not me. It’s something that was given to me that I developed.”

To give up on that power, he says, “would destroy me.”
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: debbieredbear on March 15, 2015, 07:23:18 pm
The real reason he goes back is his massive ego. That and the money is good. What a narccisistic jerk.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Autumn on March 15, 2015, 07:30:02 pm
IMHO, he should "let it destroy him" and "give up the power".
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on March 16, 2015, 06:52:58 pm
Better that he destroy himself before he destroys more people.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Epiphany on March 16, 2015, 08:27:45 pm
Convicted hackers can be told they cannot touch a computer for a certain amount of years, even life. Physicians can have licences revoked and not be able to practice again. Ray should be barred from doing anything in the self-help Nuage field again, ever.

His events, books, everything should be boycotted.

What a horrible man - to base a "comeback" on the bodies of those he murdered.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Epiphany on March 16, 2015, 09:00:24 pm
Quote
Kirby lost her life because she believed in a fraudulent leader. Her thirst for self-improvement and growth was exploited. She invested energy, money and trust, expecting a professionally-run and enlightening experience.

Instead, her leader lied about his knowledge and credentials, and he ultimately had little concern for his students. His behavior during the retreat and following the events of October 8, 2009, which took the life of Kirby and two others, revealed a reckless, arrogant, irresponsible, careless, heartless, self-absorbed, and basically “harmonically bankrupt” person – a FRAUD, unable to live what he taught. While there is value in the self-help industry, there is also great potential for so-called leaders to abuse the platform they have assumed for their own gains. In seeking their own ends, they exploit their customers and even put these customers in danger, using psychological techniques they are not certified in, therapeutic treatments they are not trained in, and orchestrating dangerous physical challenges without proper safeguards in place.

http://www.seeksafely.org/kirby-brown-story/ (http://www.seeksafely.org/kirby-brown-story/)

http://www.seeksafely.org/empowerment-guide/ (http://www.seeksafely.org/empowerment-guide/)
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Epiphany on March 16, 2015, 09:47:52 pm
Quote
At the top of his industry, James was involved in a terrible accident in 2009 that claimed the lives of 3 people he cared about deeply. As a result, James lost his
business and he was abandoned by most of his friends and colleagues. Simultaneously his mother was diagnosed with cancer; father with dementia and eventually…James also lost his freedom.

This is from his press kit. He has quite the slick web site and media machine.

http://www.jamesray.com/ (http://www.jamesray.com/)

Quote
One-on-one Harmonic Wealth Mentoring
6 hours
$ 12,500.00

http://harmonicwealthglobal.com/collections/frontpage/products/one-on-one-harmonic-wealth-mentoring (http://harmonicwealthglobal.com/collections/frontpage/products/one-on-one-harmonic-wealth-mentoring)

His past business is in forfeited status, don't know what he is operating under now.

Entity Name:   JAMES RAY INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Entity Number:   C2586229
Date Filed:   10/28/2004
Status:   FTB FORFEITED
Jurisdiction:   NEVADA
Entity Address:   PO BOX #691689
Entity City, State, Zip:   WEST HOLLYWOOD CA 90069
Agent for Service of Process:   INCORP SERVICES, INC.
Agent Address:   5716 CORSA AVE STE 110
Agent City, State, Zip:   WESTLAKE VILLAGE CA 91362-7354

Quote
forfeiture affects a business in many ways. The business loses its rights, powers, and privileges to conduct business in California

https://www.ftb.ca.gov/businesses/faq/728.shtml (https://www.ftb.ca.gov/businesses/faq/728.shtml)

James Ray International in Nevada is in revoked status.

http://my-gratitude-project.blogspot.com/2011/11/half-truths-lies-and-misdirection.html (http://my-gratitude-project.blogspot.com/2011/11/half-truths-lies-and-misdirection.html)

Can you trust anything James Arthur Ray says? http://my-gratitude-project.blogspot.com/2011/11/can-you-trust-anything-james-arthur-ray.html (http://my-gratitude-project.blogspot.com/2011/11/can-you-trust-anything-james-arthur-ray.html)

Ray does still have a company active in Nevada called Soluna Capital Management, LLC. Possibly others too.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: AClockworkWhite on June 14, 2015, 03:28:47 am
One of my friends asked if there's a petition to stop JAR from killing again. Or is there a site specifically to raise awareness of his re-birth after prison?
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on June 14, 2015, 05:06:26 pm
There's that "Seek Safely" group, started by the family of one of his victims. Some of us had some interaction with them, but it only went so far as they wouldn't come out against appropriation. So far, we may be it. His new scam is called IBIS. We could start a thread on that, as well.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: AClockworkWhite on June 15, 2015, 01:42:25 am
Thank you, Yells.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on December 12, 2015, 11:57:23 pm
I just took another look at the "Seek Safely" site: http://www.seeksafely.org/

While they may save some nuagers' lives and wallets, I still see no commitment to stopping the harm done to people who are not privileged. If I missed something, I would be happy to be pointed to anything I may have overlooked here.

The harm done by nuagers to POC and to Indigenous cultural survival via racism and racist cultural misappropriation is real, and a bigger concern to me than whether or not another rich white person loses some money. I don't mean to downplay the fact Ray killed people in addition to ripping them off. What he did was evil; he should still be locked up, and those people did not have to die.

But I look at this site, and the "who has signed the Seek Safely pledge" looks in some ways like self-promotion, and plenty of those people are just more Sedona-type appropriators. I think the families of the people Ray killed had a chance to make a big difference here, but they haven't gone far enough. So far it looks like they've only settled for "protecting" white people.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: milehighsalute on December 16, 2015, 04:00:19 pm
im still very interested what kinda time an indian would have gotten for those 3 deaths
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on December 16, 2015, 06:51:41 pm
Either life or death penalty, depending on the state.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: educatedindian on December 06, 2016, 01:33:57 pm
No shame nor remorse on his part. Ray is asking the court to set aside the verdict, so he can claim to clients he was never truly convicted. Families of the victims are petitioning the court not to. Can anyone track down the court? We need to contact it ourselves and petition the same.

----------
http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/01/us/sweat-lodge-james-arthur-ray-victims/index.html
A mother's anger
Virginia Brown remains skeptical.
"His three good friends that he left in the dirt? Unconscious and did nothing to help them?" she counters. She is among the families of the three dead and 19 hospitalized who are angered by Ray's use of the tragedy in his presentation.
"Really, returning to self help? Why don't you sell cars?" Brown asks of Ray. "I don't hold out that I want his life to be ruined. He should have a second chance for a good life, but not in this venue."
Based on what she has seen in the film "Enlighten Us," Brown considers Ray to be a dangerous force in the unregulated, $11 billion self-help industry.
Ray told CNN by phone last week that returning to self-help is "exactly where I should be, and absolutely must be." He said to quit now "would be disrespectful to the memory" of those who died.
"They're heroes, not victims," Ray said. "Like all of us they were there for a specific reason — something they believed in. So if their memories are going to live beyond the tragedy, to continue to have meaning, I really believe I have a responsibility to tell that over and over."
A calling, not a crime?
The victims' families question Ray's sincerity after he filed a motion earlier this year seeking to restore his civil rights and set aside the judgment of guilt against him. If granted, Ray would regain voting rights and international travel would become easier.
While he'd remain a convicted felon in Arizona, Ray would have the ability to explain to potential business entities like insurance companies that a court set the conviction aside, finding him to be a different person than the one originally found guilty.

"It's frustrating that the sentence he got was pretty light, and it's frustrating that he's trying to get it to look even lighter," said Andrea Puckett, whose mother Liz Neuman followed Ray for seven years until her death in the sweat lodge incident. "It's frustrating he's able to file motions and make things better for himself while the rest of us are all still living with the pain."
Puckett, along with Virginia Brown and family members of James Shore — the third person to die in the sweat lodge — all wrote letters to the court asking a judge to deny Ray's request.
Ray insists he's not trying to shirk responsibility for his actions.
"I've served two years in custody and paid restitution and complied with all of the laws. I'm applying that same law to get my rights back," he said. "I have an unwavering commitment to inspire entrepreneurs to live their best. That's a calling, not a crime."
Attempting a comeback
Today, Ray lives in Los Angeles and says he's working on a book along with an online learning platform. He doesn't deny that the sweat lodge incident should be a part of his story forever.
"The biggest error I made was participating myself — I was in there for 12 rounds," Ray said of the sweat lodge process, which consisted of participants sitting shoulder to shoulder in a large tent as hot rocks were doused with water. The resulting steam heated the air inside to well over 100 degrees.
"There was no way to anticipate what happened," Ray said, though he admitted that participating in the extreme conditions may have prevented him from objectively assessing the health of his followers. "Sure we were doing something extreme, but extreme athletes in our country are heroes and I believe Liz, James and Kirby are heroic as well."

Ray said he hopes the public will see his return "and say I can get through my challenges as well."
But the victims' families see the incident as more than a "challenge" to overcome. They point to witness testimony that outlined a horrific scene unfolding in front of James Ray: people were "vomiting," "babbling," "screaming," "crying," and "passed out," according to court documents.
Victim James Shore dragged someone to safety in view of Ray before returning to the tent to save Kirby Brown. But Shore and Brown did not make it out alive.
The incident, and resulting trial, left the victim's families raw and worried about Ray's attempt at a comeback.
What Ray said Friday on "CNN Tonight" to promote the documentary has caused the family more pain. When asked on the show to respond to Virginia Brown's comments made in this story, Ray said "my greatest critic, who said her daughter (Kirby) was 'cooked,' was actually estranged from her daughter and that was one of the reasons her daughter was there."
Kirby Brown's sister called that statement "absolutely untrue."
"Kirby was the maid of honor in my wedding at my parents' house three months before she died," Jean Brown said. "She was obviously seeking her own way in life but to say she was 'estranged' is a horribly, insulting misrepresentation of the truth."
'I want her death to save lives'
Virginia Brown has decided to be what her daughter always called her: a "Warrior Princess." She's trying to get the self-help industry regulated.
"Seeking isn't wrong," Brown said. "My daughter was a seeker and was always wanting to grow and expand her life."
Brown started a non-profit group called SEEK Safely, whose letters stand for "self empowerment through education and knowledge." While not a fan of regulation, Brown is now pushing for legislation after first asking big names in the self-help industry to sign a set of guidelines aimed at keeping consumers safe. She says they wouldn't do it.
But regulation may be difficult, admits Christine Whelan, a clinical professor at the University of Wisconsin who studies the lucrative self-help industry and now sits on the board of SEEK Safely.

"Do we regulate the physical things someone can do at one of these workshops?" Whelan says of the challenges of regulation. "Are we regulating the speech in terms of what advice people can give? And then who is the judge of what is good and bad advice?"
Whelan says the immediate solution will likely be more consumer awareness.
Through SEEK Safely's website Brown recently received an email from Calcutta, India. The writer was considering a series of self-help seminars echoing "The Secret," the documentary that propelled James Ray to stardom in the early 2000's.
"After looking at our site," Brown said, "this person said 'I think I better understand that maybe the answers are within myself, and not within someone else.'"
It's a small victory for a mother who says her daughter -- who tackled everything from surfing to horseback riding to building a painting business -- "never did anything small." Brown just wants people to live like her daughter did, not die like her.
"I want her death to save lives," Brown said. "I want the story of her death to be a cautionary tale that will save other people's lives."
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Piff on December 06, 2016, 07:03:27 pm
https://www.scribd.com/document/333053232/James-Arthur-Ray-Motion-to-Restore-Civil-Rights-and-Response-October-2016

Yavapai county, Arizona
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Laurel on January 28, 2017, 10:05:40 pm
Netflix instant streaming just put up a documentary about him called Enlighten Us. It's short on the "sweat lodge" deaths, but long on letting himself show exactly who and what he is.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Sparks on January 28, 2017, 10:48:28 pm
I don't subscribe to Netflix, trying to find other ways of watching the documentary. Found this:

http://edition.cnn.com/shows/enlighten-us (Interesting links below the trailer …)

https://nowtoronto.com/movies/features/documentary-enlighten-us-laura-tucker-cnn-james-arthur-ray/
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Laurel on January 28, 2017, 11:29:21 pm
I shouldn't have posted before watching the whole thing. There is a lot of material about the "sweat lodge" later in the film.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on June 12, 2018, 07:14:14 pm
He is getting ready to try to sell fake ceremonies again. He is trying to collect NDNs on social media in order to data-mine, to try to learn the right things to say, to try to infiltrate. Most of the NDNs he is trying to follow are blocking him.

https://twitter.com/JamesARay/following
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: debbieredbear on June 13, 2018, 12:54:08 am
This just makes me want to scream. How many more will this fraud/huckster/sociopath kill??
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Piff on June 13, 2018, 03:57:55 am
Quotes from surviving family members:

Quote
He took a Native American ceremony, perverted it, turned it into a marathon, by his own words. Even when you run a marathon, there's water stations. There are people there to help you if something goes wrong. He had no risk management plan because he didn't have to. This is an unregulated industry. He didn't have to have a risk management plan. He didn't have to have medical support on hand when he was doing something so dangerous.


Quote
He's not the victim, he's the architect of this tragedy.

Quote
There's no letter of the law to prevent him from lying, from manipulating people or from running away. He's not a psychologist, he's not a religious leader, he's a capitalist.

Quote
And his narrative of being a victim -- is he being deliberately deceitful? Or is he simply delusional? I think both are pretty dangerous.

Quote
He's a normal man with delusions of super power twisted in some bizarre belief of religious superiority. He's a charlatan with a steel will and uncanny ability to let those around him fall
.
Quote
His first business was built on lies and he's now looking to restart that business in a new way.

https://www.prescottenews.com/index.php/news/current-news/item/29290-james-ray-small-victories-large-denial
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Piff on June 13, 2018, 04:22:09 am
Quote
In 2009, after rising to the top of the industry, James was involved in a terrible incident that claimed the lives of three of his clients who he cared about deeply.

True to his own teachings, James maintained an attitude of Absolute Responsibility coupled with resilience, mental toughness, and emotional strength to get back up and climb back up.

https://jamesray.com/my-story/

His Habits of the Wealthy course consists of dvds and workbooks for $1,997.00 https://jamesray.com/habits-wealthy/

Recent brief advertisement video with him https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hyte7tIujw What a horrible man.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on June 15, 2018, 11:07:37 pm
Yes, "a terrible accident" that he pushed them into, then fled the scene of the crime. He never showed a bit of caring or compassion for those people that he cooked to death, while he sat by the door, cooling down every time the door was opened, yelling at them to just tough it out as they suffered and slowly baked to death.

In his talks now, in that new documentary, he does classic DARVO* and reframes the narrative to act like HE is the victim in all of this. He is begging people to pay him to gaslight them.

Yes, he acts like this is just a terrible accident. That happened to him. So pity him, and give him more money, so he can commit yet more negligent homicide. Horrific piece of work this con artist is. Horrific.

*DARVO - classic modus operandi of sociopaths:

Deny the crime/abuse happened, or deny it happened the way it actually did
Attack the people who are telling the truth about the crimes he committed
Reverse
Victim and
Offender

Poor, poor James. Giving his low-attendance seminars at Holiday Inns to lonely old white ladies. Posting his creepy memes on his twitter account. All he wants is to be paid to bully people? Why can't we just let him do that some more? We're so mean....
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Piff on November 05, 2018, 09:19:21 pm
Quote
Concerns surround Carlsbad self-help guru James Arthur Ray's redemption effort
Lindsey Peña
6:49 AM, Oct 31, 2018

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A Carlsbad self-help guru who went to prison after the deaths of three people at a sweat lodge is seeking redemption.

James Arthur Ray is back in the public eye, and he’s talking about the tragedy that occurred at his self-help retreat in Sedona, Arizona, in 2009.

Ray has recently released a book and is trying to rebuild his business, which some believe is the last thing he should be doing.

"Three people died at my event, under my watch, under my tutelage, and I have to live with that every single day … that's not an easy thing to do,” Ray told 10News.

In 2011, Ray was convicted of three counts of felony negligent homicide, and he served two years in prison. He was released in 2013.

While Ray continues his redemption effort, some are questioning whether he has learned from his mistakes.

“The fact that he would do this suggests to me he hasn't learned all that much -- the idea of trying to turn what he did into somehow generating money by the redemption book or whatever,” said Connie Joy.

Joy was a former client of Ray’s, and she has experienced his methods firsthand. She said he wasn’t qualified to help people then and isn’t now.

“Nothing’s changed. I mean, he didn't go off and learn how to do sweat lodges from Native Americans, go off to become a Kahuna; that takes you a lifetime. Same thing with being a Shaman,” Joy said.

Joy, who knew the three people who died in Ray’s sweat lodge, said even though he has paid his debt to society, he’s still a long way from making things right.

“I think this is just rubbing salt right back in the wounds for all of them and the people who are either financially ruined or mentally damaged by that entire event,” said Joy.

Joy and others who were involved with Ray are encouraging people to do their homework before they give their time or money to someone claiming to be able to help them.

https://www.10news.com/news/concerns-surround-carlsbad-self-help-guru-james-arthur-ray-s-redemption-effort
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 inju
Post by: Sparks on November 07, 2018, 03:07:29 am
I always find it interesting to see how people present themselves on Facebook. Also James Arthur Ray:

His FB profile: https://www.facebook.com/jamesaray

Quote
Intro
New York Times Bestselling Author at Official James Arthur Ray
Manages Official James Arthur Ray
twitter.com/jamesaray
JamesRay.com/jr-blog
Http://www.worldwealthsummit.com
JamesRay.com

Links from there:
https://www.facebook.com/officialjamesarthurray/
https://twitter.com/jamesaray
https://www.jamesray.com/jr-blog "404 The page not found."
http://worldwealthsummit.com/
"NOTICE: This domain name expired on 10/15/2018 and is pending renewal or deletion."
https://www.jamesray.com/

A critical FB profile and two critical, almost identical, FB pages:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014535061697
Jamesarthur Ray (narcissist con man)
"Here to expose james arthur ray as a fraud and a kool aid dispenser, narcissist."

https://www.facebook.com/TragedyInSedona/
"Tragedy In Sedona: My Life In James Arthur Ray's Inner Circle"

https://www.facebook.com/Tragedy-In-Sedona-My-life-in-James-Arthur-Rays-Inner-Circle-173265892726997/
"Tragedy In Sedona: My life in James Arthur Ray's Inner Circle"

The Wikipedia article about him has not been linked to in this thread, I'll quote part of it:

Quote from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Arthur_Ray
Native American perspective
Native American experts on sweat lodges have criticized the reported construction of the structure, as well as Ray's conduct of the event as not meeting traditional ways (the words "bastardized", "mocked" and "desecrated" have been used). As Indian Country Today reported, "Ray drew the ire of Indian country from the start as the ceremony he was selling bore little if any resemblance to an actual sweat lodge ceremony."[46] Native American leaders expressed concerns and uttered prayers for the dead and injured. The leaders say the ceremony is their way of life and not a religion. It is Native American intellectual property, protected by US laws and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The ceremony should only be in the hands of sanctioned lodge carriers from legitimate nations.[47] Objections included a lack of training (permission to lead lodges are usually only granted to those raised in the ceremonial ways of that particular Native American community, and after many years of apprenticeship), unusual construction from non-breathable materials, charging for the ceremony (seen as extremely inappropriate), too many participants, and excessive length of the ceremony.[48]

The Native American community actively seeks to prevent abuses of their traditions.[49][50][51][52] The Angel Valley owners announced they have accepted Native American friends' help to "heal the land".[53] On November 12, 2009, news reported Oglala Lakotas filed a lawsuit, Oglala Lakota Delegation of the Black Hills Sioux Nation Treaty Council v. United States against the United States, Arizona, Ray and site owners, to have Ray and the site owners arrested and punished under the Sioux Treaty of 1868 between the United States and the Lakota Nation, which states that:

if bad men among the whites or other people subject to the authority of the United States shall commit any wrong upon the person or the property of the Indians, the United States will (...) proceed at once to cause the offender to be arrested and punished according to the laws of the United States, and also reimburse the injured person for the loss sustained.

The Oglala Lakota delegation holds that James Arthur Ray and the Angel Valley Retreat Center have "violated the peace between the United States and the Lakota Nation" and have caused the “desecration of our Sacred Oinikiga (onikare, sweat lodge) by causing the death of Liz Neuman, Kirby Brown and James Shore".[49]

The Oglala Lakota Delegation also claim that James Arthur Ray and the Angel Valley Retreat Center fraudulently impersonated Indians and must be held responsible for causing the deaths and injuries, and for evidence destruction through dismantling of the sweat lodge. The lawsuit seeks to have the treaty enforced and does not seek monetary compensation.[49]

The lawsuit was eventually dismissed in October 2010, on the basis that the case was based on a good being offered, and the judge deciding that the sweat lodge was a service and not a good.[54]
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Sparks on February 28, 2019, 04:18:25 am
Comprehensive article summarising events from the Sedona deaths up to today:

Quote from: https://theconcourse.deadspin.com/felonious-self-help-guru-james-arthur-ray-wants-you-to-1831940749
Felonious Self-Help Guru James Arthur Ray Wants You To Remember Oprah Loves Him And Forget He's Killed People

Dave McKenna — Today 2:11pm Filed to: JAMES ARTHUR RAY
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: debbieredbear on February 28, 2019, 05:34:43 pm
Great find, Sparks! I like how they brought Oprah into it. She has a lot to answer for, with all the phonies she has promoted.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on April 28, 2020, 06:30:33 pm
The Oxygen Network, which was ironically co-founded by Oprah, is now running a True Crime show that just featured James Ray's killing of the three people in the fake sweat.

This would have never happened when Oprah still had a controlling share of the network, but Oxygen has been sold, so this featured clips of James Ray on Oprah, with Oprah, and mentioned multiple times how people trusted James Ray with their lives and finances largely because he had been endorsed by people like Oprah and Larry King.

Former followers stressed that James Ray used his lies about selling Indigenous Wisdom to rope them in. They gave him money because they wanted the benefits of Native teachings, fast and easy, for money, from a white man, rather than having to actually respect and trust Native people. Obviously, they didn't admit the latter part of this, but several were very clear about the fact that Ray's lies about having the Native Secrets were why they trusted this con man and subjected themselves to his deadly torture.

While no Natives were interviewed, the lead investigator stressed that they investigated Ray, and Ray's backround and training. They quickly discovered what we all know: James Arthur Ray had no training or qualifications to lead any Native American or Hawaiian ceremonies whatsoever. He is a complete fraud, con man and cult leader who killed people out of his own greed and negligence.

While phrasing was not consistent, it was repeated that this was not a real, or Native, or traditional, ceremony, and that Ray was not only totally unqualified and untrained, but that he was inventing harmful things and, as we know, completely ignoring people's cries and symptoms of severe distress. Family members of the victims are interviewed along with former followers.

As James Ray keeps trying to re-launch his appalling, self-help, newage grift, I think this new True Crime special is a good addition to the coverage out there.

The Show is on the Oxygen Network and is called "Deadly Cults". The James Arthur Ray episode, S2 E1, aired on Sunday under the title, "Spiritual Warriors", with the description: "After three obedient followers die during an intense sweat lodge ceremony put on by a prominent self-help guru, police must determine if their deaths were accidental, or did the guru push the participants too far."

Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Sparks on April 29, 2020, 01:13:22 am
The Oxygen Network, which was ironically co-founded by Oprah, is now running a True Crime show that just featured James Ray's killing of the three people in the fake sweat.

I tried to check if I could somehow see this show from Europe, and I found some information:

Quote from: https://www.oxygen.com/deadly-cults/preview-deadly-cults-oxygen-season-two
'Deadly Cults' Returns To Oxygen For Season Two On April 26
[…]
BY OXYGEN STAFF
- “Deadly Cults” is back for a chilling season two Sunday, April 26 at 7pm ET/PT on Oxygen.
[…]
- In the season premiere episode titled “Spiritual Warriors,” police must determine if the deaths of three obedient followers who die during an intense sweat lodge ceremony were accidental or if they were pushed too far by a prominent self-help guru.

Quote from: https://www.oxygen.com/deadly-cults/crime-news/james-arthur-ray-sweat-lodge-deaths
APRIL 26, 2020, 10:59 AM ET
Cults
'The Trap Got Set': Self-Help Cult Retreat Leads To Agonizing Sweat Lodge Deaths
Followers of James Ray went to the “Spiritual Warrior” retreat seeking enlightenment; what they found was misery and death.

BY ERIK HAWKINS
When authorities responded to an emergency in Yavapai County, Arizona in October 2009, they were greeted by the sight of dozens of people milling around aimlessly, and some writhing or unconscious on the ground.

“I noticed women with their heads shaved walking around in a daze,” Yavapai County Sheriff's Sgt. Ross Diskin said. “I initially thought, this has got to be some kind of cult.”

Three people were dead and 18 others were hospitalized after a sweat lodge ritual went terrible wrong. And authorities quickly realized they weren't investigating an accident, but a homicide, according to the season premiere of “Deadly Cults” on Oxygen.

The sweat lodge was the climactic event of a multi-day retreat organized by self-help guru James Arthur Ray, whose doctrine of personal improvement and enlightenment had exploded in popularity after he was featured in the hit 2007 film “The Secret.”

Melissa Phillips, a survivor of the sweat lodge incident, said that Ray promised that enduring — and shelling out thousands of dollars for — his intense course of ritual challenges would change their lives.

“I believed it. I really did believe it,” she told “Deadly Cults.”

The sweat lodge was meant to be a grueling ordeal, Ray told his followers. The peak of a five-event retreat called the “Journey of Power,” “Spiritual Warrior” would allegedly cause a spiritual breakthrough. Ray allegedly prepared followers for the trial by describing the effects of heat stroke — and painting them as signs of success.

Participants had shelled out thousands of dollars. Introductory events in Ray's school of positive thinking and the so-called “Law of Attraction” were often free, but successive retreats could cost as much as $10,000. 

At the Angel Valley Spiritual Retreat ranch, Ray's followers were asked to shave their heads — and ridiculed if they demurred, according to survivors interviewed on “Deadly Cults.”

First, they spent 36 hours without food or water in the desert. Ray played “God,” forcing people to lie on the ground motionless when he said they were dead, in something he called the “Samurai Game,” the Verge reported.

Ray warned his followers that they would feel like they were going to die. 

“You might think you are, but you are not going to die,” he told them, according to the Verge report.

Followers had been conditioned by weeks spent among happy, like-minded people and Ray's insistence that a breakthrough was imminent. Phillips described the experience as “thrilling” and “addictive” — until the deadly sweat lodge trial.

“The events program you to accept his instructions, even if it's personally detrimental,” she told producers. “You had to challenge yourself. That's how the trap got set for the people inside the sweat lodge.”

The trap Phillips described claimed the lives of Kirby Brown, 38; James Shore, 40, and Li Neuman, 49, inside a tent where hot rocks were piled upon a fire and participants were forbidden from leaving as they sweltered and some called for help.

Kirby Brown “cooked to death,” her mother, Virginia, told CNN. 

And authorities' investigation of Ray and the event soon made it plain that the self-help guru was well-aware of the dangers the sweat lodge posed. Ray would eventually go on trial and be convicted of negligent homicide, but the story is still not over.

For more on James Arthur Ray's deadly “Spiritual Warrior” trial, including disturbing accounts by survivors of how it sounded and felt inside the lodge and what happened to Ray afterward, don't miss the season premiere of “Deadly Cults” on Sunday, April 26, at 7/6c on Oxygen.

Ways to watch:
https://www.oxygen.com/deadly-cults
https://www.oxygen.com/deadly-cults/season-2/episode-1/spiritual-warriors
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Sparks on April 29, 2020, 02:44:11 am
Kirby Brown, one of the victims who did not survive, has been frequently mentioned in this thread.

Kirby Brown’s mother’s testimony was both moving and memorable. She testified previously that has come to realize that Kirby should have been more skeptical and has become active in educating the public about the dangers of blind acceptance of those who claim to know something about spirituality. Today, she told the judge, “my heart's been ripped out, my life blown apart.” She strongly criticized the New Age teachings that were promoted by James Ray and the Angel Valley camp and referred to the “horrible fact of Sedona.” Kirby’s mother made a strong statement against those who tried to rationalize her daughter’s needless death as a choice to "transition" and labeled the thinking behind it as “horrifying” and “disturbed.”

Out of this came a Facebook page and an Internet site started by members of Kirby Brown's family:

The Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SEEKSafely/ — Wide coverage of James Arthur Ray.

Quote from: https://www.facebook.com/SEEKSafely/about
SEEK Safely is a non-profit organization to educate the public, empower consumers, and promote ethics and safety in the unregulated self-help industry.

The comprehensive Internet site: https://www.seeksafely.org/

Quote from: https://www.seeksafely.org/
WHY WE EXIST.
Meet Kirby. She had an adventurous, dynamic spirit and lived every day to be a better person. Her boundless energy touched everyone around her, but her beautiful life came to a tragic end.

Kirby’s family started SEEK Safely as a way to guide consumers and keep Self-Help practitioners accountable for their actions through legislation.

Example of recent content:

Quote from: https://www.seeksafely.org/2020/02/07/open-letter-morgan-james-publishing/
AN OPEN LETTER TO MORGAN JAMES PUBLISHING, regarding the release of “The Business of Redemption: The Price of Leadership in Both Life and Business” by James Arthur Ray

February 7, 2020  —  Jean Brown  — Featured, Self-help in the News, The Story of Sedona

SEEK Safely is deeply disappointed that Morgan James Publishing has decided to enable James Arthur Ray to reach a wider audience and promote his life coaching business by publishing his new book, “The Business of Redemption.”

This book, which is available for order this week, significantly distorts and exploits the events surrounding the deaths of Kirby Brown, Liz Neuman, James Shore in 2009.

Kirby, Liz, and James Shore had been attending an intensive personal development retreat designed and led by James Arthur Ray in October 2009. The culminating experience of this retreat was a faux Native American “sweat lodge”— which James Arthur Ray was not trained or qualified to lead.

Prior to the event, James Arthur Ray proudly and openly touted his “sweat lodge” as hotter and longer than authentic Native American sweat lodges. But he assured his participants that, although they would feel like they were going to die, they would not, and it was safe for them to remain inside the lodge until its conclusion.

Three of them did die.

James’s role in the deaths of Kirby, James Shore, and Liz–and the injuries and trauma experienced by multiple other participants in that event–goes beyond having been present when an “accident” occurred.

Also contributing to the events and their aftermath was James having packed the sweat lodge beyond its intended capacity; having altered the design and duration of the traditional sweat lodge ceremony to make it hotter and longer; and James’s admitted behavior of encouraging participants to stay inside the lodge even though they had reached their physical limit.

After the ceremony had concluded, James left the area, oblivious that multiple of his clients were seriously ill and/or not breathing.

When he was informed that the police had arrived, that several of his clients had died, and that the event was being investigated as a homicide, he contacted an attorney and left the scene so as to avoid being arrested (he himself admits this).

This is the man who is now promoting a book on “leadership” and “crisis management.”

James served a year and a half in prison for the role he played in killing three people– and now he is literally looking to profit from it. 

It is hurtful and disrespectful to the families of Kirby, James, and Liz, that Morgan James Publishing has decided to publish and promote James’s book.

In “The Business of Redemption,” James frames his experience in being convinced of negligent homicide and serving less than two years in prison as something that happened “to” him.

James has repeatedly described the tragedy in Sedona as something that cost HIM his liberty and his business empire. 

James is trying effortfully to frame the experience of rebuilding his coaching business as a “comeback” story, describing how difficult the entire ordeal was for HIM, and how the tragedy of Sedona “had to happen” in order for HIM to “grow” as a person and as a teacher.

This is a sickeningly narcissistic take on a situation that saw James very briefly lose his liberty and some cachet in the self-help industry (although he is, as of February 2020, back to promoting seminars for which admission costs between $500 and $13,000…) but which cost the families of Kirby Brown, Liz Neuman, and James Shore much more than money or career opportunities.

SEEK Safely is an organization founded by the family of Kirby Brown to promote ethics and accountability in the self-help field. Part of that mission involves identifying those who enable James Arthur Ray to use the traumatic, painful events of Sedona to try to sell books and promote seminars.

Right now, that enabling entity is Morgan James Publishing.

We respectfully invite Morgan James to reconsider partnering with James Arthur Ray.

This is not a matter of James Arthur Ray having “served his time” and “paid his price” for the crime of which he was found guilty.

This is about whether someone with James Arthur Ray’s history of exploitation and dishonesty (even before Sedona, James routinely lied about his life experiences and qualifications in order to make his events more marketable) should be allowed back into the self-help space at this time, in this way: peddling a “comeback” story in which he casts himself as the conquering hero who was unjustly held responsible for what he seems to think was a freak accident.

We strongly urge Morgan James Publishing, its authors, and its customers, to consider whether they want to be part of James Arthur Ray exploiting and disrespecting the survivors of the Sedona tragedy in this way.

James Arthur Ray would desperately like to regain his fame and fortune as a self-help provider, and he needs to spin the story of Sedona as a “trial by fire” and a “comeback” narrative in order to do it.

On behalf of Kirby Brown’s family, Liz Neuman’s family, and James Shore’s family, SEEK Safely strongly advises Morgan James not to participate in James Arthur Ray’s deceptive, gratuitous, hollow attempt at “redemption.”

Written by Dr. Glenn Doyle, Psy. D., Board Member of SEEK Safely, Inc.

The "SEEK Safely" site was first referred to by Epiphany (Piff) five years ago, commented on twice by Defend the Sacred (also in 2015), and the background explained in a quote by educatedindian in 2016:

http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=2380.msg39752#msg39752
http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=2380.msg40476#msg40476
http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=2380.msg41959#msg41959
http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=2380.msg43194#msg43194
(Quoting: https://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/01/us/sweat-lodge-james-arthur-ray-victims/index.html (https://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/01/us/sweat-lodge-james-arthur-ray-victims/index.html))
Title: Re: Angel Valley Resort Sweat Lodge in Sedona: 2 dead, 19 injured
Post by: Sparks on April 30, 2020, 03:09:08 am
We've been discussing this one for a while, but it looks like the mainstream media is now paying more attention to Ray's role in the suicide of Colleen Conaway. This makes four people dead that we know of.

Sweat lodge guru now linked to San Diego death (http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11652343) (http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11652343 (http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11652343))
Quote
[Image not copied here — see original post.]
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (CBS 8 ) - A self-help guru who is linked to three sweat lodge deaths in Arizona has now been linked to a bizarre suicide at Horton Plaza. A woman on one of his retreats committed suicide at the mall, and another participant actually witnessed it.

That witness didn't realize what he was seeing until hours later, or that the woman was a part of the group. There was confusion because the woman was dressed as though she was homeless.

Colleen Conaway's family is still in shock the Minnesota native took her own life while on a three-day seminar last July here in San Diego hosted by self-help guru James Ray.
... ... ...
Colleen Conaway had paid $12,000 dollars on the San Diego retreat and two future James Ray events. Her family says at the very least they're entitled to a refund. Conaway's family says they have received no money back from the James Ray group.
Read full article... (http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11652343) (http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11652343) (http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11652343))

The link gives me (because I am in Europe?) an "Access Denied" response. The Colleen Conaway story has since then not been mentioned any more in the NAFPS forum, but I found this:

The Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SEEKSafely/ — Wide coverage of James Arthur Ray.

Quote from: https://www.facebook.com/SEEKSafely/posts/2882717875149818
SEEK Safely 21 hrs · Public
Welcome to everyone who is checking out SEEK Safely after seeing the James Arthur Ray episode of "Deadly Cults" on the Oxygen Network!
As a reminder, Kirby Brown, Liz Neuman, and James Shore weren't the first people to die at events run by James Arthur Ray.
Let's not forget the death of Colleen Conaway, whose death was effortfully covered up by James Arthur Ray:

Link to a long and interesting read, and I include three links from the article and two from a comment:

Quote from: https://spiritualityisnoexcuse.wordpress.com/james-rays-first-victim-colleen-conaway/
Site Info:
Colleen Conaway: James Ray’s First Victim
James Ray Trial Background
James Ray Trial Part 1
James Ray Trial Part 2
James Ray Trial Part 3

http://saltydroid.info/long-trips-to-the-mall/   —   http://saltydroid.info/143/
http://my-gratitude-project.blogspot.com/2011/07/sticks-and-stones-and-words-all-hurt.html

(Also see links from one of the comments: http://saltydroid.info/dont-bet-on-enlightenment/ (http://saltydroid.info/dont-bet-on-enlightenment/)
https://www.theverge.com/2016/4/18/11434916/enlighten-us-disgraced-guru-james-arthur-ray)
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 injured
Post by: Defend the Sacred on April 30, 2020, 07:32:09 pm
The "SEEK Safely" site was first referred to by Epiphany (Piff) five years ago, commented on twice by Defend the Sacred (also in 2015), and the background explained in a quote by educatedindian in 2016:

I messaged some with members of Kirby Brown's family when they were setting this up. But, as I noted in my comments then, they really seemed taken aback when I said this spiritual harm, fraud, injuries and even deaths would continue as long as white people felt entitled to appropriate and abuse Indigenous ways.

I told them I would only continue to help them if they added a bullet point to the pledge about how cultural appropriation is wrong and must be stopped. Those signing the "Seek Safely" pledge should agree to stop participating in, or offering, any pretendian ceremonies.

It seemed to me that they wanted the experience, labor, and platform our team could bring them, but only if it was on their terms. It didn't seem to have even occurred to them that racism and capitalist, newage, white entitlement was at the heart of this deadly problem, and that they were going to have to listen to Indigenous concerns if they wanted our help with this.

Once I made it clear that I, and the people I work with, were not on board to enable white people to keep appropriating, just in a "safer" way, all communication ceased.

At that point, I had serious concerns that this "pledge" was going to just be a way for white frauds to continue marketing their harmful scams, but just promising to do their best not to kill people. That's setting the bar WAY too low.

That said, it's good they're keeping after Ray. Kudos to them for that. At least that's something. I wish they understood the bigger problem, but if they can keep him from scamming any more people, at least they're doing that part of the work.
Title: Re: James Arthur Ray - Angel Valley Resort DeathSweat in Sedona: 3 dead, 20 inju
Post by: Sparks on June 03, 2020, 02:33:50 am
The Wikipedia article about him has not been linked to in this thread, I'll quote part of it:

Quote from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Arthur_Ray
Native American perspective
Native American experts on sweat lodges have criticized the reported construction of the structure, as well as Ray's conduct of the event as not meeting traditional ways (the words "bastardized", "mocked" and "desecrated" have been used). As Indian Country Today reported, "Ray drew the ire of Indian country from the start as the ceremony he was selling bore little if any resemblance to an actual sweat lodge ceremony."[46] Native American leaders expressed concerns and uttered prayers for the dead and injured. The leaders say the ceremony is their way of life and not a religion. It is Native American intellectual property, protected by US laws and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The ceremony should only be in the hands of sanctioned lodge carriers from legitimate nations.[47] Objections included a lack of training (permission to lead lodges are usually only granted to those raised in the ceremonial ways of that particular Native American community, and after many years of apprenticeship), unusual construction from non-breathable materials, charging for the ceremony (seen as extremely inappropriate), too many participants, and excessive length of the ceremony.[48]

The Native American community actively seeks to prevent abuses of their traditions.[49][50][51][52] The Angel Valley owners announced they have accepted Native American friends' help to "heal the land".[53] On November 12, 2009, news reported Oglala Lakotas filed a lawsuit, Oglala Lakota Delegation of the Black Hills Sioux Nation Treaty Council v. United States against the United States, Arizona, Ray and site owners, to have Ray and the site owners arrested and punished under the Sioux Treaty of 1868 between the United States and the Lakota Nation, which states that:

if bad men among the whites or other people subject to the authority of the United States shall commit any wrong upon the person or the property of the Indians, the United States will (...) proceed at once to cause the offender to be arrested and punished according to the laws of the United States, and also reimburse the injured person for the loss sustained.

The Oglala Lakota delegation holds that James Arthur Ray and the Angel Valley Retreat Center have "violated the peace between the United States and the Lakota Nation" and have caused the “desecration of our Sacred Oinikiga (onikare, sweat lodge) by causing the death of Liz Neuman, Kirby Brown and James Shore".[49]

The Oglala Lakota Delegation also claim that James Arthur Ray and the Angel Valley Retreat Center fraudulently impersonated Indians and must be held responsible for causing the deaths and injuries, and for evidence destruction through dismantling of the sweat lodge. The lawsuit seeks to have the treaty enforced and does not seek monetary compensation.[49]

The lawsuit was eventually dismissed in October 2010, on the basis that the case was based on a good being offered, and the judge deciding that the sweat lodge was a service and not a good.[54]

I found another Wikipedia article with a similar section:

Quote from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweat_lodge
Sedona deaths and Lakota Nation lawsuit
In October 2009, during a New Age retreat organized by James Arthur Ray, three people died and 21 more became ill while attending an overcrowded and improperly set up sweat lodge containing some 60 people and located near Sedona, Arizona.[18] Ray was arrested by the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office in connection with the deaths on February 3, 2010, and bond was set at $5 million.[19][20] In response to these deaths, Lakota spiritual leader Arvol Looking Horse issued a statement reading in part:

Our First Nations People have to earn the right to pour the mini wic'oni (water of life) upon the inyan oyate (the stone people) in creating Inikag'a – by going on the vision quest for four years and four years Sundance. Then you are put through a ceremony to be painted – to recognize that you have now earned that right to take care of someone's life through purification. They should also be able to understand our sacred language, to be able to understand the messages from the Grandfathers, because they are ancient, they are our spirit ancestors. They walk and teach the values of our culture; in being humble, wise, caring and compassionate. What has happened in the news with the make shift sauna called the sweat lodge is not our ceremonial way of life![2]

On November 2, 2009, the Lakota Nation filed a lawsuit against the United States, Arizona State, James Arthur Ray, and Angel Valley Retreat Center site owners, to have Ray and the site owners arrested and punished under the Sioux Treaty of 1868 between the United States and the Lakota Nation.[21] That treaty states that “if bad men among the whites or other people subject to the authority of the United States shall commit any wrong upon the person or the property of the Indians, the United States will (...) proceed at once to cause the offender to be arrested and punished according to the laws of the United States, and also reimburse the injured person for the loss sustained.”[21]

The Lakota Nation holds that James Arthur Ray and the Angel Valley Retreat Center have “violated the peace between the United States and the Lakota Nation” and have caused the “desecration of our Sacred Oinikiga (purification ceremony) by causing the death of Liz Neuman, Kirby Brown and James Shore”. As well, the Lakota claim that James Arthur Ray and the Angel Valley Retreat Center fraudulently impersonated Indians and must be held responsible for causing the deaths and injuries, and for evidence destruction through dismantling of the sweat lodge. The lawsuit seeks to have the treaty enforced and does not seek monetary compensation.[21]

Preceding the lawsuit, Native American experts on sweat lodges criticized the reported construction and conduct of the lodge as not meeting traditional ways ("bastardized", "mocked" and "desecrated"). Indian leaders expressed concerns and prayers for the dead and injured. The leaders said the ceremony is their way of life[2] and not a religion, as white men see it. It is Native American property protected by U.S. law and United Nations declaration. The ceremony should only be in sanctioned lodge carriers' hands from legitimate nations. Traditionally, a typical leader has 4 to 8 years of apprenticeship before being allowed to care for people in a lodge, and have been officially named as ceremonial leaders before the community. Participants are instructed to call out whenever they feel uncomfortable, and the ceremony is usually stopped to help them. The lodge was said to be unusually built from non-breathable materials. Charging for the ceremony was said to be inappropriate. The number of participants was criticized as too high and the ceremony length was said to be too long. Respect to elders' oversight was said to be important for avoiding unfortunate events. The tragedy was characterized as "plain carelessness", with a disregard for the participants' safety and outright negligence.[1] The Native American community actively seeks to prevent abuses of their traditions. Organizers have been discussing ways to formalize guidance and oversight to authentic or independent lodge leaders.[2][21][22][23][24][25][26]