Sedona Sweat Lodge Tragedy Update

In a previous blog in October 2009, I wrote about a tragedy that happened in Sedona, AZ that ultimately took the lives of three people and hospitalized eighteen others.  These people along with many others, were attending a spiritual retreat in Arizona hosted by guru James Arthur Ray.  One of the activities of this "Spirtitual Warrior" retreat involved a very intense sweat lodge.  Events surrounding this sweat lodge have been under investigation for almost four months now. 

On February 3, 2010, authorities arrested James Arthur Ray on three counts of manslaughter. It will be interesting to see if these charges actually hold up in a court of law.  I believe he definitely needs to be held accountable for his actions that caused three people to die in his intense sweat lodge.  I still can't believe that people paid close to $10,000 each to attend this weeklong retreat. He promosed a profound experience and he delivered in a way that may not have been in line with the intentions of the participants.  Through my research on this self help guru, I am convinced that he is a person who is charasmatic and has the potential to attain a strong hold on his followers.

Now that James Arthur Ray has been arrested, the families of the people who lost their lives may now feel that they have some kind of closure. This story really touched me when I orignially read about it, and I am comforted that authorities have pursued this investigation.