HU$H - Financial Records Barred from Sweat Lodge Trial

As of today (11/5), Ray’s house in California which he purchased earlier this year for $4.5 million is now on the market for over $5 million. There’s no indication that this is directly related to the lawsuits, but I would not be surprised if this move was occasioned by the possibility of settlement in those suits.

James Ray’s father has the exact same job…self-help guru.

http://www.agordonray.com

Sweat lodges are going to be regulated?? It’s the new age LGAT industry that needs to be regulated!! I am furious about this story, but it has absolutely nothing to do with Native American religious practices. It’s all about greed, ego, and unqualified “leaders” putting others at extreme risk. That sweatbox was NOT a Native American ceremony. It was a scam and a hoax.

After having sat in on the trial and Laura’s testimony on Friday 3/4, it seems readily apparent that the sweat lodge experience was on the lines of a personal improvement challenge, and not a spiritual one. Laura testified that there were participants (among the 50) who did chanting but it was not prompted (that I heard) or required and most participants didn’t chant. Liz Neumann – who did not survive – had been sick in the previous days but she participated in the sweat lodge that fateful day because she had done so at least once before in previous seminars and didn’t anticipate having problems herself.

The whole thing is sad and ridiculous. The people who died were adults. They signed waivers — not contracts of bondage. If they wanted to leave, they could and should have left. It reminds me of the people suing McDonald’s for selling food that made them fat. I think that everyone in the tent is responsible, not just the leader.

Sweat lodges are generally wonderful, sacred ceremonies. Any ceremony can be abused and held with bad intent, whether it is held by a native or not. The condemnation from the tribes is just as disheartening as the lawsuits: this was man’s mistake. Period. His genetics have nothing to do with it. I have heard of irresponsibly led native ceremonies, too.

Also, to try to OWN sweats as purely native american is not right — celtic and slavic/nordic cultures also have spiritual sweat rite traditions.

Everyone needs to grow up, and stop looking to blame everyone else.

I really enjoyed reading your post healinggreen. That’s the kind of attitude I like to see. Non-judgementalness [if there is such a word] is rare in this world.

This website is collecting information from others who have experience with James Ray and JRI.

http://sweatlodgeinvestigation.com/

James Ray is only concern about one element,,,,,,
“Money”!!!!
He hides behind religious Gods and believes,,,,steels information from the traditions of many sincere people to write his books!!,,,
Yet he only has one God ,,,,”Greed”!!!!
It’s great to see his true color revealed!!

At the trial, which I sat in on Friday 3/4, it was readily apparent to all – and to all the Jim Ray ‘fling’ participants – that this is a ‘get what you pay for’ business. Everyone knows it. Obviously, Mr James Ray is good at what he does… he has a lot of repeat attendees and a loyal staff, it seems. To his regret – and he’s definitely feeling the pain of it, you can tell by looking at him close up – he just wasn’t careful enough and fate snuck up on him – and everyone else – that fateful day. He will pay … just the same way Disneyland pays when someone dies there.
At the trial, Jimmie is trying to keep a calm, serene ‘face’ on things. It’ a sweat lodge of a diffent color now. The jury looks difficult, and the prosecution has lots of ‘pins’ to stick in the ‘pin cushion.’ He knows, that as he is the boss, it’s all on him, alone. This ain’t no opportunity to BS. He’s got a fairly good looking defense team, the judge is a pro tem – this isn’t a trial where all the questions have to be answered yes or no – the witnesses seem to be very encouraged to blab, and so far, that’s okay for both sides…

It’s easy to vilify Mr. Ray, however, the consequences of his actions are now in the hands of the judicial system… but what of the REST of the self-help “industrial complex?” I respectfully submit that we (consumers and producers of self-help) establish the Association of Self-Help Professionals or whatever name seems most appropriate to elevate the professional and protect the public. All that is lacking now is the motivation and leadership. If you consider yourself a self-help expert OR if you are a consumer of self-help products, I urge you to consider working together to turn the Sedona Sweat Lodge deaths into a legacy that salutes the work of the earliest self-help experts like Napoleon Hill, Norman Vincent Peale and Dale Carneige, honors the efforts of well-intentioned, self-help professionals of today and turns the deaths of those who died in the Sweat Lodge… Liz Neuman, Kirby Brown and James Shore into a legacy for the betterment of the self-help profession and society.

Right! as in any business, workplace safety must come first and the manslaughter trial that James Ray has to endure is what happens if you don’t put safety first. In Ray’s ‘Spiritual Warrior’ week, participants expect to be put to the task and that they’ll have to go beyond the norm… like in the TV show Survivor.
At court, which I attended Friday, there was testimony tha safety concerns were voiced to the participants, and a considered amount of participant ‘monitoring’ was done by the employees, called the Dream Teamers. But the sweat lodge was dark and difficult to monitor – tho breaks were frequent – participants did do some teamwork in order to check up on each other’s well-being – in fact, Liz Neuman (one of the 3 deceased) was one of the participants who instructed others on how to descretely check on the well-being of others within your reach. In fact, James Shore (another of the deceased) did help another participant out of the sweat lodge earlier, but he, Shore, returned, unfortunately.
Obviously, there needs to be much great attention paid to safety, and I’m sure, after this trial and such is over, James Ray will be the first to admit to that, and probably will crusade for that, loudly!
Heat asphyxiation is difficult to diagnose oneself. What happens to you is your body overheats and your too-hot blood in your brain causes you to faint, and if you do, you’re done. Adios. No 2nd chance.

John Curtis speaks about guidelines for the entire industry and suggests that “villifying” one man, James Ray, is “easy,” i.e. not terribly significant. The import of this case is that there need to be consequences for an individual who would see the signs of encroaching death and look the other way or argue that it’s not happening — whether it’s on the job, in the home, on a cruise, in a classroom, or on a self-help expedition. This is a matter of common sense. It’s knowing right from wrong. It’s not taking risks with people’s lives. And it’s making sure there is hell to pay by people who are careless with other people’s lives and dominate others with their own will to the point of death and/or serious or chronic mental or physical complications. It’s proving that one cannot get away scott free because they pretend that those who died preferred to die and that those left with chronic illness willed it that way.

http://davidreidlowell2.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-havent-charges-been-filed-against.html

I think we need to put pressure on the police and the DA to file charges. This is simply an outrage.

People should feel safe, they sould BE safe, and they should be able to go home after an event.

Too many people in a sweat lodge closed container uses up the oxygen faster that it seeps in at the edges. In this case the deaths and injuries were probably due to asphyxiation more so than heat. In addition there is probably considerable brain damage because of the oxygen deprivation for at least one hour.

Has anyone ever considered that the holistic/healing community is under attack by black ops in the government? What better way to sabotage our future than to make one key figure look bad and then have a “reason” to start regulating our own spiritual growth.
DON’T always believe what you hear in the media. There are alot of half truths and manipulations. You can’t possibly know what happened unless you were actually THERE

I would be most appreciative if we could stop calling this event a sweat lodge. It was not sponsored or presided over by a Holy Man or Holy Woman nor as far as I understand it treated as a Native American ceremony. Thank you.

It doesn’t take a genius to understand Ray teaches about how to make money. Some people have their minds so closed they can’t see straight. That’s why beauty, or anything else for that matter, is in the “aye of the beholder”. Get a life people, cause we all die and we’re greater in death! Only our ignor-ant-earthly-thinking-limits tell us it’s a bad thing.

Love that you will rejoin with your kitty cat! Happy some live in the truth of Spirit!

Thought you might want to add to your timeline the 10/9 Twitter.com/jamesaray comments Ray announced to the world as the tragedy was unfolding.

Looking forward to the elevation of our species as non-judgemental! Too bad some ignore the wisest of our world to have compassion. Hate is what makes the world an ugly place, making ugly the human race.

What I find most disturbing is that it isn’t mentioned that people were told to honor their body, and to leave (Or move, or alert someone) if they felt bodily distress. There seem to be so much that can go wrong when you bring so many people into a practice like that – a practice which they are unfamiliar, where they don’t know that they are actually unsafe, maybe dying…that practitioner is an evil man and will have those deaths on his soul.

we never pay or charge for ceremony… ray is paying for his misuse of ceremony.. my fear is that the government will use this as a to further their aims to keep native and non natives fighting amongst theirselves… ceremony is spirit given. it is not a religion it is a way of life… this is not something we need to fight over .. we need to respect the pipe and let him be charged for his crimes against people.. do not make the ceremony itself an issue.. ndns need to remember not to act like white men..

We chose this. The people involved all signed on for the events to take place before they even came to earth. We have no place to judge because we don’t have or know the larger picture surrounding this situation and the karma of those involved

I agree with healinggreen. People signed waivers.

Let’s see… three people are dead. Did they sign waivers saying James Ray could roast them alive in a pathetic imitation of a sacred sweat lodge? Nope.

Three people died and countless others became sick. Were they able to leave the death box when they realized there was a problem? Or was it already too late? We may never know? But did James Ray delay and hinder lifesaving first aid then abandon his victims? Yup.

Three people are dead. They paid the ultimate price for their real or imagined bad judgment. Does that in any way exonerate James Ray for his possibly criminal bad judgment which led to their deaths? Nope.

James Ray is on trial for manslaughter and already there has been excellent in-depth, minute-by-minute testimony about what went on inside the sweat lodge. For instance, Laura Tucker testified that right before tragedy struck, victim Liz Neuman indicated that she was okay. Laura further testified that, at first she herself had had physical problems and worries, but her body, apparently adjusted and then she felt okay for the rest of the time. The participants were given instructions beforehand about how to enter and exit in an orderly manner so as not to risk an injury. All this is testimony. On the other hand, when Laura told James that she thought Liz didn’t seem right, James said ‘Liz has done this before and she knows what she’s doing.” Wrong! Liz had been sick the previous days and probably should have excused herself from the sweat lodge ordeal, except that Liz was one of the helpers – dream teamers -so she considered that her presence was necessary for the safety and well-being of the others.

The “Sweat” is unique to each and every person who performs it…from the Lakota Natives to the Swedish Indigenous Peoples. This guy made the terrible mistake of placing human lives ahead of a sacred ceremony and safety of all involved. I hope this is not an attempt to use one person’s misguided evil to judge a Wakan (Holy) ceremony by the government. Peace my Sisters and Brothers.

I read all of the downing of one man for 3 accidental deaths. I don’t make a judgment here as I wasn’t present.

I have personally experienced a sweat lodge and it was a wonderful experience.

In the US, some 200,000 to 220,000 people die each year from prescription drug reactions and I have never seen any outrage over this fact. Why?

Maybe the news media will not bite the hand that feeds them!

I persoanlly experienced in my family where a doctor broke the rules of giving a shot and killed my grand daughter with a pain shot direct into the blood stream causing instant death. Was the doctor charged? No, never.

..It’s has nothing to do with blaming this man who not only abused his own people by taking their lives, or taken a sacred tradition and was unable to fully understand it’s true meaning, he wasn’t seeing the people, he was seeing the money…just as he was responsible for taken that money from those people,he should man-up and take responsibility for the lives he took for preforming a Ceremony he couldn’t fully comprehend…Accidental, is just another word for not taken responsibility…Ask the family and friends of those people who had their lives taken away, if the tears they shed and hurt they feel is ACCIDENTAL!!!!!

James Ray, I’m sure, feels mi culpa, is sorrowful for the victims, and will conpensate the families, I would think — but he doesn’t feel he did a criminal act, for, in a criminal act, there is usually a motive and a special damning action against a person. In an accident, the victims are random – that is, in this case, beyond Mr Jimmie’s control. It is negligence, but not due to his greed, per se, and we know that certain safety warnings were given and a sort-of buddy-system used in the sweat lodge, tho, obviously this was not sufficient to prevent the tragedy. The participants were trying to be ‘good spiritual warriors’ – and well, at the risk of sounding crass, the victims went out as spiritual warriors, although to perish in the proccess was definitely not and in no-way part of anyone’s plan, wish, or predictable. One victim, James Shore, had actually earlier helped one of the other participants by escorting them outside so as to relieve their discomfort … unfortunately James Shore returned inside, passed out, and could not be revived with CPR later. That’s the testimony of Laura Tucker, who was an exception court witness.

I feel sad because there are so many Native Americans with a beautiful sweat lodge tradition that are now going to be subject to regulation because of Ray’s negligent philosophy. I knew from the beginning that his philososphy callously disregarded the misfortunate of others that often occurs through no fault of their own, because Ray egotistically thought he had all the answers. That’s what led Ray to mislead others. It’s just sad. Hopefully people won’t be such egomaniacs and admit their only human animals and proceed with more caution and compassion.

I believe James Arthur Ray is a good man. It is sad that there was an incident at one of the sweat lodges. I am sure that some improvements to organised events need to be made. The truth will emerge. I think it is important to have a balanced view to get to the truth. As another poster wrote, let’s not rule out government black ops trying to tarnish the spiritual community. Let’s shine a light on it and them!
Stand strong, use your intuition and the answers will come.

Love and light to all.

I have been to 3 of Ray’s events. I believe him to be a good man. At no time did he instruct us to put our self in danger. And at each event he instructed us with safety in mind. His saying you need to get out of your comfort zone refers to taking chances in standing up and sharing your experiences with others He dose teach about increasing your wealth but most of his events are focused on balancing your Health, Your Relation ships and Your Wealth read or watch Harmonic wealth. James Ray is a very Charismatic Person and like all people like him there are people who take what he says to0 far. I have talked with him and know him to be a humble man. I don’t believe he realized that people who are looking for some person on earth to be there God would take what he said and put there lives in danger. He is a good man and like I said at the 3 events I participated in. He never instructed us to do something that would harm us. He is into health and doing everything you can to remain healthy and stop the aging process. He talks about increasing your reading, removing sugar and starches from your diet. Eating to live and not watching to much T.V. He teaches you how to meditate. And to forgive anyone who has done you wrong. To set intentions and then take actions to achieve them. Because he is called a self help guru people may not really know what he teaches. He says its not the money you want its the things money can bring you. The the 3 most important things want is a great relationship with God or there higher power. A great relationship with you Wife, Husband or partner and family and friends and Money to have the life god wants you to have and money to help others his world wealth society has donated thousands and has help many people. He created this so people can share there wealth and make a difference in the planted in order to part of this you must commit to live your life green run your business green. So before you condemn let the facts come out

I am confused by the media arricle being tiitled ” sweat lodge deaths ruled ***accidental***”. This gives the implication that Ray was not culpable, not responsible. To the best I can tell the coroner only states the causes of death, and the issue of responsibilty is still left to the courts. Why the misleading term “accidental” which alludes to causes not related to… um, human factors…

What YOU don’t understand is that the information was out there that people have been injured at his previously held sweat lodge workshops. If (((YOU))) are considering spending close to 10,000 dollars at his workshop it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to do the research. Once you find out that people have been injured in the past it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to decide whether or not you want to take YOUR chances, pay the money and sign the liability waiver. Once you do, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to get out of the sweat lodge and STAY OUT if you feel you can’t take the heat.

A New American Axiom:

If you can’t take the heat, STAY OUT OF THE SWEAT LODGE!!

When you sign a liability waiver it is a matter of honor for you to keep the promise you made when you signed it. Only the dishonorable will try to get out of such an agreement they have signed. The dishonorable may win the legal case, but THEY DESERVE TO BURN IN HELL!!!!

You’re right, those three people should burn in Hell for being so dishonorable as to die just to break their promise and get out of the liability waiver they signed. How dare they!

Ok, so when you are in a sweat lodge and you are sweating up a storm, becoming dehydrated, feeling euphoric and you feel uncomfortable and then you are told to “go past your limits”? (I am paraphrasing of course, but you get the picture)What effn idiot says this in a situation where it is know people could die? Additionally, when oan individual reaches a point of euphoria or severe dehydration most are not truly aware of the facts that they are. This is why there needs to be trained and educated individuals who are aware of the signs of physical problems who can take people out when they start to see the signs physical problems. It is clear in this situation that severe negligence and incompetence played a role in these peoples death. Ray as the leader of this event is ultimatley and wholeheartedly responsible for the deaths of these individuals.

What a tragedy, I hope everything works out okay in the end.

Ah judges always getting sick at the worst times. Well hopefully the trial will get under way in a timely manner. And that justice will be served.

If you ‘accidentally’ cause the death of a person you can be charged with manslaughter. If you were driving along and suddenly your wheel falls off causing you to plow into some pedestrians, killing them, you would not be considered at fault unless you knew about the wheel problem and the risk of it coming off and ignored those warnings. Then you might be charged with manslaughter. In a way, James Ray intended to kill the participants of his spiritual warrior retreat. Using hypnotic suggestion he suggested they push past their pain limits. For me, I know when to get out of a sauna or a sweat lodge ( I have experienced 3 genuine sweat lodges presided over by native holy men) There is definitely the aspect of being in an altered state, but in a real sweat lodge ceremony, no one is pushing anyone to do anything. James Ray pushed these people while in altered state, to sit through their suffering (poaching organs sizzling skin and lungs) to reach some perceived goal of the retreat, which they paid ten grand for, so no one wanted to fail. He should be charged with aggravated 400 degree murder.

So, you are saying that you would stay in a sweat lodge if you felt it was too hot because Mr Ray was encouraging you to stay? I wouldn’t. Are you dumb enough to stay? Of course not, right? Adults have to make the decision when they have had enough sunlight and get out of the sun. Don’t go blaming others because you got a bad sunburn. It was your responsibility to get out of the sun, or sweat lodge, when you felt you could not handle anymore. It’s a fact and you know it!

What many people reading about this tragedy don’t realize is that these guests on this retreat had been deprived food and water for 36 hours, then encouraged to eat and hydrate for just a few hours before being tossed into an overcrowded inferno and roasted alive. I want to see justice done here.

Sometimes I am stunned when I read some of the comments…comparing Pharmaceutical adverse events to extreme negligence in a sweatlodge. Such ignorance…

I worked for a major Pharmaceutical company for many years and I personally knew Mr. Ray…I can tell you he is a phony and after money…just look at what he did after the Sedona event if you want to see his real character….he doesn’t even give a full refund to the families of the people who died…he hasn’t paid back the people who prepaid other events….don’t be so blind….it is what it is…

I was at the James Ray trial on Friday, March 4. Laura Tucker testified for 5 hours. Dream Teamer/volunteer Jennifer Haley – I have to nickname her Roseanne Roseanna-danna – for one hour. Laura Tucker was an EXCELLENT CREDIBLE witness. She testified that as she sat in the sweat lodge, she was concerned about Liz Neuman (deceased), who was sitting propped up in front of her, but James and Liz both indicated that things were okay. There was no panic inside the dark sweat lodge including as the 50-or-so participants began filing out.
Lix Neuman had been sick in the days before the lodge. James Shore (deceased) had assisted another participant earlier, but then he returned into the sweat lodge.
Laura Tucker had had a minor tiff with James earlier in the week, and she was penaltized by him by being declared dead in the group’s Samurai Warrior role-playing game when she asked a question about rules, apparently verboten. Earlier in the week, she did not choose to have her hair cut, which had been suggested, willfully by James and the dream teamers. Laura changed her mind and consented within a day or two, but not a complete head shave. Overal, Laura was very fair and earnest and she painted a factual picture of events and of life at the seminar. No damage done to James’ cause, me thinks.
The Spiritual Warrior seminar/exercise fee is upwards of $3000 for the week, and appears to be very, very ‘Survivor-esque.’ The sweat lodge ordeal was the final event and all participants were adequately forewarned of what they were in for…

I found this on the Internet: Is there any substance to the rumor I heard that Angel Valley paid a very large sum of money in order to bribe the investigators to elevate the investigation from an accidental death to a homicide so that the attention would be shifted off of the sweat lodge and onto James Arthur Ray? The investigators deliberately left exhibit A at the crime scene knowing full well that Angel Valley would completely destroy the evidence. One of the people who was paid off supposedly got guilty drunk one night and confessed to some friends who in turn spoke to others. They made certain Mr Ray could not get an independent autopsy performed on the three bodies. They actually died from a strange combination of toxins from the melting vinyl tarps of the sweat lodge and the scrap construction wood used to heat the Grandfather Stones. It’s some weird combination of chemicals that apparently made especially sensitive participants feel they were fine when they were actually dying. Supposedly, Angel Valley made Mr Ray the ‘fall guy’ and threw him to the wolves in order to save themselves. I think it was one of the coroners who got drunk and spilled the beans. Have any of you heard this rumor?

What about the events became characteristic of a cult with followers who didnt question the leader out of “obedience”. What about that thought–James Ray took his role outside the box of instructor?? He made them shave their heads?? What a cult and that activity is for obedience to the leader nothing else. A test if you will. Cult leaders want your time, obedience and MONEY. He still has followers protecting him. pppllease!

He is GUILTY of those deaths. period.

Peter Weber you are full of it. There are many people sitting in jail who had NO INTENTIONS OR PLANS to kill their victims but are still found GUILTY by a jury.

James Ray is guilty as sin and I hope the prosecution proves this to the jury. God willing they will win.

“You have to understand the situation before you blindly judge it. If YOU went to that workshop, with any one of the three people who eventually died, and lasted till half-way though the last round of the sweat lodge you would have said something like, ‘That’s it for me, I’ve got to get out. Are you doing okay?’ And they would have said, ‘Yes”. Then you would have asked, ‘Are you sure you’re okay and want to stay?’ and they would have said, ‘Yes!’” Everyone around them was convinced they were okay. (((EVERYONE))). If ANYONE for one moment was certain these people were actually dying they would have started screaming (((SHE’S DYING!!!))) No one ever did. That’s why James Arthur Ray wasn’t concerned. He trusted that the people were responsible enough to get out when they had had enough. There is no crime in this! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT, as he said all along, and the coroners agree with him. All three deaths were officially categorized as “accidents”. Look it up if you don’t believe me!

All those who initially were certain the deaths were not accidental were DEAD WRONG!!!!

Whoah! Now here’s something interesting I just found. He must be able to prove it:

http://www.jamesray.com/blog/2011/03/

Is it true that toxic press wood was used by Angel Valley to heat the stones for the sweat lodge? I’ve also read that the vinyl tarps were stored wrapped in rat poison. On a Native American site someone wrote that a medicine man said that it was Native American shaman spirit who murdered the three white people at the event and that now that they have taken three human sacrifices that whole area it now more haunted than ever. He went on to say that the relatives of the people who died can verify this if they camp on the site, alone, where their loved ones spent 36 hours fasting.

As of today it has been revealed that the prosecution violated a very big law by hiding information that would implicate Angel Valley! Yes, it seems there is more going on with Angel Valley than the prosecution wants the world to know. I mean, building a sweat lodge then covering it with rubber and sealing it until it is almost airtight. That is just plain crazy!