Killer Sweat Lodge
Spiritual retreat goes awry. It happened here, among the beautiful, serene red rocks of Sedona, Arizona. Motivational speaker and author James Arthur Ray fled the site of the tragedy and then the state. The events on October 8th went horribly wrong during a five-day retreat to “accelerate the releasing of your limitations and push yourself past your self-imposed and conditioned borders”. Ray was given the opportunity to stand strong in his integrity and to take responsibility for his actions as the tragic ending of his five day retreat unfolded. There are many lessons to learn from this tragic event.
First, Ray’s behavior calls into question his dedication and his belief in the very concepts he teaches. It would appear that he fled out of fear, believing he might be blamed for creating the unsafe conditions that caused the death of two people and injured 19 others. Not only did he leave the site and as reported by the police, refused to speak with the authorities, but he left the state of Arizona. He did not remain to tend to the injured and frightened people who paid him to teach them and who trusted and followed him into the sweat lodge where they died. His response was to escape a situation in which he might get blamed. The line between cowardice and courage is drawn by fear. Cowardice drives us to flee, while courage stands firm, takes action and accepts the consequences. The measure of any person is evidenced by their willingness to accept accountability for their actions and to do what is best for all. One must acknowledge his or her connection to others and to the universe and consciously make choices. It is sad to see James Ray revealed in this way when he has been so highly revered and respected by so many people. If nothing else, this tragic event teaches us that everyone has human foibles and that ego is at work in everyone. What we know now is that Ray is not taking responsibility for those who died or the many injured during the event, in spite of the fact that these people were following direction he gave in the belief that they would grow and evolve as whole human beings. Rather than believing in the universal law and the correctness of his actions, Ray demonstrated that he does not understand or believe in what “The Secret” teaches, namely that you create the reality of the moment for good or ill.
In this particular case, James Ray had two choices. He could choose to believe in and remain committed to the principles he espoused and taught. He could have taken this tragedy in hand and remained on site to support those who were frightened and suffering. Whatever the cause of the emergency, he could have stayed to answer questions for the police, and to be a source of strength, offering emotional support to those who needed him, and demonstrating to the world that James Arthur Ray was concerned about the people with whom he had just shared several days of meditation and work, and that he valued and respected them.
Unfortunately, Ray did not take this path. Instead he allowed fear to rule his life. He ran away from the scene and deleted posts about the event on Twitter . While we cannot know what was, or is, in his heart, what we can see is that his actions after the tragedy made him look guilty. By acting from a place of fear, he created a different reality than he originally intended. Making peace with the fear would have created a different outcome for him as a person and as a spiritual being. Fear led him to believe he was in trouble and in response to this fear, he fled. If Ray had stayed and faced the problem; if he had assisted those who trusted him, his courage would have shown him to be the man he claims to be, and it would have provided comfort to those in need.
Perhaps Ray did not realize that the concepts he discusses in “The Secret” played out in a very different way. This tragedy reveals just how powerful the universe is in giving back what you request, but not always in the way you anticipate. In other words, “be careful what you ask for”. Had Ray focused on a gentler method to release blockages with love, the death and injury of 19 people may have been averted, and the trauma suffered by over 50 people would not have occurred. Perhaps the two people who died and the 19 injured were the ones most passionately commanding the universal energies to do their will. We will never know.
We at the Psychic Buzz feel that this tragedy was a self fulfilling prophecy – a good example of how unfocused, ill-conceived intention can expand and take on a character you did not intend. A week before the retreat, the focus was about the death of an old way of living and being. As Ray posted on the evening of the event before the sweat lodge took place “For anything new to live something first must die. What needs to die in you so that new life can emerge? The Spiritual Warrior has conquered death and therefore has no enemies, and no fear, in this life or the next”. After the tragedy he deleted this message from Twitter, but the message resonates still.
With all of the positive messages to ponder, why would Ray focus on Spiritual Warriors and Death? This retreat took place in Sedona Arizona, a place known for its active vortex energy and one which many value for its ability to focus energy in a positive way. Imagine the energy of 60 or more people working together to kill the part of themselves that holds them back from being the person they desire to become. Now take this powerful group energy, and combine it with persuasive motivational rhetoric and place everyone in a packed sweat lodge. In this situation, all the components were in place to create the changes but not in a way anyone wanted or expected. Because the focus was on death the universe combined with the intense vortex energy of Sedona to bring about the reality of death and the end of life. It is easy to see how this scenario could result in a shifted reality. Into this shifted reality comes the nightmare of a new reality. People die and the lives of those who lived through the tragedy are forever changed. This event has also changed the reality lived by the families and friends of those who died, fell ill or lived through the event. In effect, the situation has created a shock wave of energy and change that now affects thousands of people.
As the events of the past week are analyzed and those who attended the event speak out, we will perhaps find out more about how Ray organized this event and what results he expected to achieve. If the focus of this event had been different, and if all activities had been planned with a positive focus, and in a professional manner, this tragedy would never have happened. We at the Psychic Buzz are angered by “New Age” spiritual gurus who twist time honored ceremonial practices for their own purposes. Not only does this endanger the trusting followers of the guru, but it also casts a negative light on the spiritual endeavors of those who truly respect and honor spiritual traditions and who work with the pure intention of spiritual growth. In spite of the fact that the Sedona has many respected resources and practitioners who might have helped Ray to plan his spiritual growth activities and to run the sweat lodge event in a credible, safe manner, Ray chose mere mimicry of the actual sweat lodge ceremony. Consequently, two people died, and many more were injured and traumatized. These practices are not to be taken lightly, nor should they be attempted without a thorough understanding of the health and safety concerns. Ray did not respect the tradition of a sweat lodge ceremony nor did he understand the physical results of a 36 hour fast and sleep deprivation.
Anyone can write a book and they might just be lucky enough to become famous, but that does not mean they are spiritual or ethical, nor does it make them an authority on respected spiritual practices or even the powerful laws of the universe. “The Secret” is about the Law of Attraction and applying this law to create what you want in life. James Arthur Ray is one of the stars of this hit movie and he became famous as a self-help expert, author and motivational speaker. But appearing in a movie does not make one an expert. If that were the case we would all take magic classes from the star of the Harry Potter movies!
Finally, we must state for the record that the thoughts expressed here are opinions. We expect that the facts will speak for themselves as the tragedy is analyzed. As we discuss this incident with our colleagues who work in spiritual, metaphysical and holistic practices we ponder our responsibility to those who trust us as advisors and honor our profound obligation to ourselves and to others. Our vision is one of humility and courage and our focus is on creating a reality of truth, love and acceptance. If we achieve this reality we can fulfill our purpose in this world and in the next.