Opinions on the Sedona Sweat Lodge are like belly buttons - everybody's got one

Well folks, the Yavapai County sherrif’s office isn’t commenting about the Sweat Lodge that killed 3 people out at Angle Valley, but the blogosphere sure is! Gawker’s blog seems to be the most controversial and the harderst to access online today. Some say Oprah’s Dangerous, some say she’s just a reflection of her audience. This blog isn’t available to all the folks in Arizona, so I’m putting it up for them. I don’t know if it’s because Oprah doesn’t fancy being associated with James Ray anymore or if the prosecutor wants to have a jury that doesn’t know anything about the sweat lodge that killed 3 people just outside of Sedona. There’s also an association with Scientology here, and you know how them folks are about criticism. Read it for yourself and decide who sounds credible and who doesn’t.




KPHO in Phoenix released a lot of pictures and copies of some of the documents taken in evidence.

http://www.kpho.com/news/22075834/detail.html



Here’s the newstory that was on CBS the other day

http://www.kpho.com/video/22076046/index.html

Here’s what Casandra Yorgey has to say about the new evidence

http://www.examiner.com/x-11245-Philadelphia-Speculative-Fiction-Examiner~y2009m12d29-Breaking-news-new-police-info-released-on-James-Ray-death-lodge



Terry Hall has a comment about James Ray’s law of gender

http://bizsayer.com/2009/12/03/james-arthur-ray-gender-crazy/





The search warrants and related info is on the Salty Droid blog:

http://saltydroid.info/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Search-Me.pdf





The 3 day schedule for the Spiritual Warrior Retreat is enlarged here:

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/9829/scheduley.jpg

Here’s the Spiritual Warrior manual. The wavier enclosed has some of the strictest terms I’ve ever heard of:

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/9829/scheduley.jpg





Here’s Gawker’s blog post today:

Oprah Guru to Dying Sweat Lodge Victims: 'It's a Good Day to Die'

Before three people died in his sweat lodge of horror, James Arthur Ray told them to "surrender to death to survive it." The police report is out, and it's thirty-three pages of insanity, chronicling Ray's sordid career and stanky retreat.

We begin with the scene of the crime: The tarp-covered sweat lodge where participants were to experience "rebirth." As participants began to drop, Ray kept asking for more "grandfathers" (heated rocks) and cut a cool, careless figure amid pandemonium:

This participant believed he was having a heart attack and believed he was going to die. He kept saying “I don’t’ want to die, I don’t’ want to die.” Instead of summoning medical aid, James Ray stated, “It’s a good day to die.”

“During the sweat lodge, Beverly remembers hearing someone say, “I can’t get her to move, I can’t get her to wake up.” James Ray replied, “Leave her alone, she’ll be death with in the next round.” This confirms the statements made by the Mercers.

A doctor who was participating in the ceremony, advised James Arthur Ray that one participant who had almost consciousness stumbled into the heated rocks and a severe burn on his arm. James Arthur Ray’s response was, “He is fine.”





The "let yourself die" theme grazes the aesthetics of cult suicide, which could add a whole new dimension to this already tawdry case, though I suspect Ray wasn't murderous in a premeditated way. He just had his head so far up his own butt he either didn't notice or care that people were perishing left and right. As stunning as this apparent callousness is, however, Ray's followers' continued to adore him. Stockholm syndrome?

Caci said that he observed what he called a large woman unconscious and advised Ray and nothing was done. Caci stated that he and another person at the end of the last round pulled this woman from the Lodge. Caci advised Surak that he felt James Ray could have conducted the sweat lodge better than he did and that there should have been doctors and nurses on the scene to assist in case of emergencies. Lou Caci also attended James Ray’s “Modern Magick” program in March of 2008. Caci was instructed to break a brick with his hand. Caci broke the brick but also broke his hand. Caci described breaking the brick and his hand as an “amazing experience.”

Another participant says she and her husband both broke bones there, along with sixteen Modern Magick participants who ended up in a Hawaiian emergency room. The police report establishes a pattern of physically distressed "vision quest" participants dating back to 2005:

Mickey told Detective Poling he was sitting outside the sweat house while the final session was being held and heard participants inside the lodge “screaming” to get out. Mickey heard James Ray tell the participants, “No!

The 33-page police report is equal parts thriller novel and parody. The detectives exchange emails with message board commenters, one of whom punctuates his murder accusations with a frowny face. We learn about Ray's "wealth society" (Ponzi-ish or Scientology-ish?) and the mysterious suicide of Colleen Conaway, a Ray follower who leapt to her death during a retreat in San Diego. He is motivated, it seems, by some sort of megalomaniacal power fetish:

In one of the events James Ray played the role of “God” and when anyone did anything he didn’t like James would point to them and say “You’re dead.” The participant would then have to play dead until James Ray decided they could live again.

Ray's inestimably irksome righteousness in the sweat lodge of horror aftermath—promoting the notion that the dead people weren't manslaughter victims, just freed of their corporeal beings and in a more spiritually enlightened place—seems to confirm the "megalomaniacal jackass" gloss. [NYT] [Gawker]



To comment on the above post, you can send an email to Azaria Jagger, the author of this post, at azaria@gawker.com or

moc.rekwag@airaza.



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The material in this site is provided for educational and informational purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute for doing your own research on this issue and making up your own mind. A lot of these bloggers are friends and family of people killed and injured at Angel Valley. A lot of the critics are also competitors of James Ray Industries. A lot of the supporters have financial relationships with James Arthur Ray and his associates. Please conduct your own research and form your own opinions or recommendations with respect to your own personal value system. The information on this site does not constitute legal or technical advice. No one mentioned on this site has given me any financial compensation.

Camp Verde Bugle and Verde Independent Sweat Lodge search warrant opened

Folks in Tucson are telling me that they can't get access to our online news in Yavapai County, so I'm posting this for their benefit.

This story comes from the Verde News




Saturday, December 26, 2009



CAMP VERDE -- Yavapai Superior Court Judge Micheal Bluff Wednesday raised his closure order on the first evidence from the case of James Ray's Spiritual Warrior Sweat Lodge deaths and illnesses at a retreat south of Sedona.



In a 40-minute proceeding in the final hours before the Christmas break, Bluff vacated his own order that sealed the documents related to a search warrant at the sweat lodge site at the Angel Valley Retreat.



Representing KPNX in Phoenix, David Bodney of Steptoe and Johnson, asked the court, "How does public access rights trump indefinite secrecy?"











In addition to the search warrant that Bluff had ordered sealed Oct. 12, Bodney also wondered what other documents may have been kept from public view by the County Attorney's "perpetual closure." Bluff, who had just given the attorneys copies of an earlier order allowing crime scene photos to finally be released, re-focused the proceeding exclusively on the closed search warrant.



Both Bodney and Deputy County Attorney Bill Hughes for the State, argued case law to open or keep the documents closed from public inspection.



Hughes said some interviews remain and the autopsy reports are not complete and that the investigation should be concluded by mid-January.



Bodney argued that much information about the case is already in public circulation after nearly three months.



"Witnesses have been talking to one another and the media. Civil lawsuits have been filed. What is the probability of harm? The County Attorney should not be allowed to operate in a vacuum," he argued.



Bodney concluded that the State has not met the burden of demonstrating how the release will harm their case or show an exception to public access.



In his order, Judge Bluff said, "The search warrant was already out there, because it was served and left with someone on the property. It seems to me that the 'return' document is also, at least the inventory is public information because it was left at the site. During the break I looked at the affidavit again. I issued the form, so I read everything. So it seems to me that the only document I have to look at again, is the affidavit. The State has not persuaded me to rebut the presumption of openness."



Outside the courtroom, Bodney told the Verde Independent, "We believe that the public has the right to inspect these search warrant records. They are fundamental documents pertaining to homicides that occurred more than two months ago, the circumstances of which are generally known and there is no legal justification for keeping them under seal until the county attorney feels she has interviewed every last witness and locked down all their statements."



"And if the County Attorney didn't objected to releasing more of these records I would have like to have been in a position to see them today as well. But, we are making progress."



Lizbeth Neuman, 49, of Michigan, 38-year old Kirby Brown of New York and 40-year old James Shore of Wisconsin died and 18 others were treated for illness suffered after the sweat lodge event for participants who paid nearly $10,000 for James Ray's Spiritual Warrior Retreat teachings.





Here's another story from the Camp Verde Bugle Online

from Saturday, December 26, 2009







CAMP VERDE -- Yavapai Superior Court Judge Micheal Bluff Wednesday raised his closure order on the first evidence from the case of James Ray's Spiritual Warrior Sweat Lodge deaths and illnesses at a retreat south of Sedona.



In a 40-minute proceeding in the final hours before the Christmas break, Bluff vacated his own order that sealed the documents related to a search warrant at the sweat lodge site at the Angel Valley Retreat.



Representing KPNX in Phoenix, David Bodney of Steptoe and Johnson, asked the court, "How does public access rights trump indefinite secrecy?"

In addition to the search warrant that Bluff had ordered sealed Oct. 12, Bodney also wondered what other documents may have been kept from public view by the County Attorney's "perpetual closure." Bluff, who had just given the attorneys copies of an earlier order allowing crime scene photos to finally be released, re-focused the proceeding exclusively on the closed search warrant.



Both Bodney and Deputy County Attorney Bill Hughes for the State, argued case law to open or keep the documents closed from public inspection.



Hughes said some interviews remain and the autopsy reports are not complete and that the investigation should be concluded by mid-January.



Bodney argued that much information about the case is already in public circulation after nearly three months.



"Witnesses have been talking to one another and the media. Civil lawsuits have been filed. What is the probability of harm? The County Attorney should not be allowed to operate in a vacuum," he argued.



Bodney concluded that the State has not met the burden of demonstrating how the release will harm their case or show an exception to public access.



In his order, Judge Bluff said, "The search warrant was already out there, because it was served and left with someone on the property. It seems to me that the 'return' document is also, at least the inventory is public information because it was left at the site. During the break I looked at the affidavit again. I issued the form, so I read everything. So it seems to me that the only document I have to look at again, is the affidavit. The State has not persuaded me to rebut the presumption of openness."



Outside the courtroom, Bodney told the Verde Independent, "We believe that the public has the right to inspect these search warrant records. They are fundamental documents pertaining to homicides that occurred more than two months ago, the circumstances of which are generally known and there is no legal justification for keeping them under seal until the county attorney feels she has interviewed every last witness and locked down all their statements."



"And if the County Attorney didn't objected to releasing more of these records I would have like to have been in a position to see them today as well. But, we are making progress."



Lizbeth Neuman, 49, of Michigan, 38-year old Kirby Brown of New York and 40-year old James Shore of Wisconsin died and 18 others were treated for illness suffered after the sweat lodge event for participants who paid nearly $10,000 for James Ray's Spiritual Warrior Retreat teachings.


Just in the interest of full disclosure, I sell my artwork in the Sedona area, but I don't get any monetary compensation from anybody mentioned in any of my posts.

The more I read about this terrible tragedy, the more I think that the government may need to step in and engage in some kind of regulation of these seminars. They seem to be getting out of hand. Ever since the late 1990s, I've heard about people being taken to the hospital at these retreats. A retreat is supposed to recharge you and make you feel rested and more balanced. This stuff seems to have gotten so out of balance that maybe we need to have some local hearings about putting some regulations on it. There at least should be trained medical staff on hand because you never know what medical conditions folks have. Some folks can have conditions they're not even aware of and they come from all over the world to see our beautiful landscapes.  Some folks can't handle the altitude, and a lot of folks lead pretty sedintary lifestyles.  It just seems like the humane thing to do to make sure nobody else gets sick or dies trying to connect with the spirits around here.

News From the Daily Courier - Sweat Lodge Search Warrents Soon to Be Opened to the Public

http://www.dcourier.com/

Saturday, December 26, 2009



Yavapai Superior Court Judge Michael Bluff rescinded Wednesday his earlier order to seal search warrants and crime scene photos of the sweat lodge site at Angel Valley Retreat where three people died and 18 were injured on Oct. 8.



The sweat lodge ceremony led by author and motivational speaker James Arthur Ray culminated his five-day Spiritual Warrior Retreat that participants paid as much as $9,000 to attend at the resort south of Sedona.



On Oct. 15, Yavapai County Sheriff Steve Waugh said the deaths - of Lizbeth Neuman, 49, of Michigan, Kirby Brown, 38, of New York, and James Shore, 40, of Wisconsin - are homicides, and Ray remains the primary focus of their investigation.





Sunday, December 27, 2009

2009 IN REVIEW: #6 - Self-help guru's retreat culminates in grueling sweat lodge ritual - and 3 deaths

Yavapai Superior Court Judge Michael Bluff rescinded Wednesday his earlier order to seal search warrants and crime scene photos of the sweat lodge site at Angel Valley Retreat where three people died and 18 were injured on Oct. 8.

So what do folks think about this?  Why were the details of the search warrant sealed in the first place and what arguments did the Phoenix attorney make to get them unsealed. I personally feel that sunlight always makes the best disinfectant and as long as this won't traumatize the surviving family and loved ones, I think everything should be out in the open. What do other folks think?  Have we heard too much about this tragedy, or is this just the beginning?  Does the public have a right to know what goes on in these self-help seminars so they can protect themselves against injury and possibly even death?  What does James Ray and associates have to hide?

Howdy Folks!

I’m writing this blog so that folks in the Sedona area and keep themselves informed about the incident that happened out at Angel Valley last October. I’ve been noticing that we’re not getting much news on the incident anymore and most of the people speaking now are small business owners who want to put the tragedy behind them. It’s always important to get the perspectives of as many people as possible. The most active group of bloggers I’ve found are Cassandra Yorgey with the examiner, The Salty Droid http://saltydroid.info/category/james-arthur-ray/>Terry Hall with Biz Sayer Duff McDuffee’s blog, Beyond Growth and of course Cosmic Connie’s Whirled Musings. There’s also been a lot of discussion in a forum for Native Americans called New Age Frauds, Plastic Shamans newagefraud.org Go to their forum, click the fraud category and read about what real Native Americans think about Angel Valley.

Anti-cult activists have a lot to say about the techniques that were used on folks at Angel Valley. There’s an interesting thread here.

Rick Ross’s Anti-cult Forum

I personally am reserving judgment until all the facts are in, but I also feel it’s important to get all the news that’s available. Some folks are telling me that they can’t get the Daily Courier online or the Camp Verde Bugle. I’ve taken the liberty of putting up the latest articles. It seems that sometime tomorrow, the public is going to have access to the details of the search warrant that was issued for James Ray International headquarters and to the photos of the crime scene. Things should heat up around here on Monday, so stay tuned for my updates. Another way to keep up is to join twitter http://www.twitter.com/ and do a search in the box at the right with the little magnifying glass - just type in #jamesray or #deathlodge and you can find out new things everyday. We all know what the channelers and the New Age business owners are saying, but it’s an eye opening experience to see what other folks think of us. I welcome comments about this issue.

Happy hunting folks!