How James Arthur Ray May Have Stayed Out of Jail
As a person who has NOT been kind in my posts and comments about James Ray’s and his Sedona actions, I regularly receive email and comments from James Ray supporters and fans who feel I am judging Ray harshly, wrongly and maliciously. This post is to the people in the James Ray Camp. Specifically I want to paint a different picture that may well have kept James Ray out of jail.
In this picture we will assume, as James Ray’s lawyers and PR people are stating, the deaths in Sedona were a “tragic accident”, but not criminal. If indeed this were true I propose an alternate sequence of possible events.
Reports out of Sedona on October 8 & 9 would have been something like:
- Speaker James Arthur Ray, presently at the hospital consoling his customers was heroic last night after after an tragic accident sent several people to the hospital and left 2 dead.
- Ray used his satellite phone to call authorities immediately upon seeing people were injured.
- In these initial reports, it would have been stated that “several people fell ill” during a sweat lodge. When authorities and emergency crews arrived on scene, Ray & his staff were tending to those who were ill. Rendering CPR, first aid and comfort.
- It’s would have been reported that the JRI staff have contacted the family members and emergency contacts of all seminar participants and informed this what happened, the status of their loved ones well being and which hospital they may be located.
- Ray has personally contacted the families of those who died and with the worst injuries and offered them comfort and offered to fly them to Arizona to be with their loved ones.
- In a statement from Ray’s PR Firm, he is canceling his events until he is certain he has done all he can. JRI will reschedule them as quickly as possible. Ray will be personally attending the funeral services for those who died and offering his full support during the grief process. Ray personally request your prayers and support.
- Ray has been and will continue to personally work with Yavapai County Authorities to investigate this tragic accident. According to YCSO Ray has personally facilitated the investigation by officials.
- Seminar participant Beverly Bunn, an Ophthalmologist and Medical Doctor commented on how well prepared the JRI staff was. She stated her admiration to James Ray and supporting participants to ensure their needs were met. Bunn also commented that if weren’t for James Ray’s preparedness & actions, there may have been more injuries or deaths.
This would have been in the initial reports. Followed by pictures of Ray at the hospital, working with the survivors, several press conferences and interviews on Oprah & Larry King.
BUT THAT’S NOT WHAT HAPPENED, IS IT?
Ray probably would have had to cancel the 2 free events the week following the Sedona Events and would have held his paid event the following weekend in San Diego AS A HERO.
Had this happened or anything similar James Arthur Ray who would be the hero and James Shore may be alive and not a posthumous hero. To those who feel I am judging Ray harshly, unfairly and unjustly, all I can say is go look at the pictures of James Shore’s children and widow who lost their father and husband due to the actions of James Ray.
The irony is, had Ray acted with love and compassion for others, he would have made millions more in sells and been a media sensation again.
Instead, James Ray did what he did. He acted (and still acts) to cover his own ass and protect his self-help business. James Ray’s actions led directly to his incarceration. When James Ray lawyered up October 8 and stopped directly speaking to investigators, he acted like a guilty man with something to hide.
Of course it came out very quickly about the death of Colleen Conaway in San Diego about 10 weeks earlier and the Ray & JRI’s cover-up of this incident was one of the main reasons the YCSO bumped the investigation from an accident to negligent homicide.
Ann, 
lupits, 
Write On, 
Melinda Martin is named in the James Arthur Ray 
The PPL have the Power, 
wondering why, 
No Where in the 
James Ray and his legal team are saying that James Ray informed his customers that they were about to play Russian Roulette and that it was the customers who were holding the gun and who pulled the trigger. That James Ray is NOT guilty of anything wrong. Simply another victim in a horrible accident.
Leave a comment and let me know what you think I should do with the YCSO interview transcripts released yesterday?
intheknow, 
Windy, 
Don’t be a schmuck! Here is the legal document that JRI customers signed to participate at Spiritual Warrior in 2009. The issue that I have is this document was not received by the JRI customers until after their 3 day refund period had expired. In other words, a customer refusing to sign this document could not attend and would NOT receive a refund for the seminar.
Amy Hall, former James Arthur Ray Employee
To contact Amy use the contact form at 
Lynne, 
dede briscoe, 
Amy Hall and 2 others are discussing. 
ltg are discussing. 
Detached observer 1:04 pm on February 7, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I couldn’t have said it better myself. I hear people in their discussions about the event who just want to defend him blindly. They have yet to do research, they like James Ray, “want the truth to come out.”
Thank you for writing this. It should at least crack their armor of ignorance but you never know.
Terry Hall 3:10 pm on February 7, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
No one likes to have their guru whom they have invested time and money with fall from their pedestal. This means they chose the wrong guru and the guru may have taught them wrongly.
As far as their “armor of ingnorance”, it’s impossible to awaken someone who only pretends to be asleep. In my experience, people have become too afraid that anything critical is negative and play childish games avoiding “negative thoughts” without understanding the difference between thoughts and thinking. The distinction between thoughts and thinking is evidenced by those who teach and practice “adding great emotion” to their affirmations and affirmative thoughts. While this makes it feel like your affirmations and thoughts are real, indeed your merely thinking and feeling, but not attracting or manifesting much at all.
To illustrate my last point, there is the guy in the Christian Bible who was known for his miracles and specifically for his healing abilities. There are no accounts in the Bible about his use of emotions during his miracles. He was quite, calm and saw things as he wanted them.
The older I get the more I realize that clarity of thought and mental control is all there is to the New Age movement. What I do not mean is your thinking, but your thoughts. Solve that koan, you you’re indeed heading down the right path.
Jerry 8:46 pm on February 7, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Terry,
The scenario you wrote was if James Ray took responsibility. I agree, if he did, then the resulting media and public opinion could very well be less harsh. I certainly would not be watching this situation this closely if he did.
If he gets convicted I wonder if the James Ray supporters will change their mind? I think too many people in the personal development industry assume the participants should take responsibility for their injuries, while giving Ray a free pass. Luckily, the Yavapai County Authorities aren’t interested in self-help and DIDN’T read Harmonic Wealth.
Terry Hall 9:16 am on February 8, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
@Jerry – In me experience, people who patronize self-help products, services & seminars are driven to get the answers they want. If James Ray is convicted, they will find someone/something else to feed their self-help addiction.
> I speak from personal experience having reached my self-help rock bottom a few years back. Hi I’m Terry and I a self-help seminar alcoholic.
Ann 7:12 pm on February 14, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Terry …
Loved the post .. I did attend a James Ray seminar in Vegas 2007. Thank GOD …. I did not sign up for the entire $10,000 package at the time. I came home … wrote out note cards of James’ quotes … life lessons etc.
His fall from grace has been just that. I waited .. and waited .. and waited for him to accept responsibility.
Instead he sent his staff to meet with officials etc. Thank you God … for getting me OFF .. the path of Harmonic Wealth. James’ Harmonic Wealth does not seem to be helping him right now as he can not post bail.
Catlover 9:03 pm on February 7, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks for writing this Terry, I totally agree with ‘Detached Observer’ too. My thoughts exactly. And, as the ‘thought leader’ he proclaims himself to be, he missed a wonderful opportunity to SHARE what he’s going through with these (loyal) fans – without any admission of guilt, it would’ve been good to hear which of the methods he teaches are working for him at the moment, what’s helping him get through this from a spiritual perspective – and how he’s actually FEELING about it, instead of all these inane lawyer-speak press releases. In other words, his ‘students’ could really be learning from his experiences around this. No doubt his legal advisers have him pegged down tight so he doesn’t compound his ‘problems’ by opening his mouth in appropriately, but if he’d achieved only HALF of your ‘fantasy’, he would’ve proved himself to be the strong ‘warrior’ he claims to be, no question.
Terry Hall 9:17 am on February 8, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
@Catlover, Nicely said.
I Think I've Become A Terry Fan! 10:27 pm on February 7, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
This is a GREAT post. In other words if James Ray was and responded like a compassionate, connected Human Being.. we would not be where we are now and he would not be where he was now.
James operates from massive ego and self protection. He operate with the principles of exclusion it appears.. us (or me) and them. One day James Ray might be enlightened and awakened. Maybe.
Even in such tragic circumstances it would have been wonderful to see such a compassionate and loving human being as you describe above. I don’t know *one* person who would have reacted as James Ray did in these circumstances. SHOCK OR NO SHOCK. Only a cold hearted narcissistic ego would have. (me and them) who felt fear would have.
James Ray has now created through thought and actions the ultimate separation between himself and others. Arrest and jail.
Human consciousness is evolving and the “us and them” belief and exclusion vanishing in favor or “you are me and I am you” and inclusion. Those attached to the unawakened separateness behavior will find themselves facing more and more soul searching episodes until hopefully, they wake up into Oneness.
Ray is now living the truth that you can not harm another without harming yourself (no matter how fast and hard you try to run and hide) because that other is really you and you are essentially harming yourself.
TSarten 8:31 am on February 8, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I joined the cause of James Ray “haters” (David Schimer’s name for those of us who keep the pressure going for truth) for the simple reason that James did not step up to the microphone on the day after the event and proclaim his deep sorrow and commitment to do everything he could for the people touched by this event. To me, it spoke volumes about character.
Rather, he ran home to San Diego because he had a flight to catch. (Like a ticket from Phoenix to San Diego was some HUGE expensive to replace.) He had such an urgent need to leave, he left his suitcases behind.
And not only did he not speak to everyone publicly, he hired a high-powered PR firm to “handle” his messaging. Was that a mistake, or the actions of an egomaniac who thought he was too important to issue a simple, sincere and heart felt message?
James has now taught the Law Of Attraction since this tragedy in ways he never anticipated. James is solely, and completely showing his 3-4-3 manta is true. Thoughts, feelings and action = results.
Go back through his podcasts and listen to the one with Nicole Witney and the one with George Noory. He talks about his near-death experiences and the exhilaration of not dying. I speculate that he was emboldened to believe that near-death could never actually go all the way to death.
I agree with you Terry, if James had done your fantasy list of actions immediately following the tragedy, the results would have been different. But instead, he went into defense mode indicating he believed he was guilty and would be charged. Guilt perhaps over the Colleen Conway death?
Hippo 11:17 am on February 8, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Bingo! Even if these deaths and injuries were unintentional, James Ray did everything WRONG in the aftermath.
He acted like a guilty person with something to hide, rather than the compassionate teacher he professes to be.
wondering why 8:01 pm on February 8, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Sociopaths don’t know HOW to act normal.They don’t have a clue…They also think the the laws do not apply to them as they are above them..Thus Ray wanted the police to speak to one of his employees instead of him as he thought he was beyond having to talk to any one in Law Enforcement. The fact that Ray thought he was too important to even let his employees talk to him directly speaks volumes..
lupits 10:13 pm on February 8, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Terry, just came across your site. I am glad your wife had the sense to see what was going on and get out quick. It is also good to see you appear to be taking care of her and screening out the brainwashed people who want to attack her for what she’s done. I also support your idea of regulating the “self-help” industry. However, it’s going to be tricky, if the notion of regulation actually ever does get picked up. It’s the tip of a very big iceberg that a lot of people have invested a lot of emotions (and money) in.
The entire self-help industry is hard to distinguish from the “new age” movement, and in fact, Ray and others like him share many characteristics of so-called “spiritual” leaders of the “new age.” In a nutshell, these characters are everywhere (just about anybody who is advertising events at the Angel Valley retreat in Sedona, for example), and they are going to put up one hell of a fight if challenged. What marks them is that they always and without exception take ideas and principles that have a certain degree of validity and may even have originally been of divine inspiration, cut them off completely from their authentic sources, and lower them to the crassest possible levels: of making money, making up fake and deluded forms so-called “spirituality,” pumping up egos, and feeding on people’s insecurities. I believe the only way to truly regulate this is to bring together authentic and orthodox representatives of real Traditions (whether Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, or Native American, for example) and ask them to help come up with standards protecting real Traditions from the pilfering charlatans. Problem is, who judges who’s authentic? The scientologists might come along and say they are a real religion, for example (which they are not), and I don’t know enough about groups like the Hare Krishnas to say whether they are real Hindus or just a degenerated form of Hinduism (which I suspect), and so on. No question, it would be a headache – but I think if you could discreetly at least start to discuss the possibility with some ecumenical groups that have integrity, it would be helpful.
There are some useful signs to recognize what’s real, and this may help: people who claim to be offering spiritual teachings should NEVER be operating as a business (some fees may apply; for example, when I was married in a Catholic church, I paid about $50 for some kind of admin fee, and in Native American traditions, people may bring offerings or gifts to the Elder conducting the ritual – but this is different from having set rates with the aim of making profit). Furthermore, the people should be following a tradition that has been passed on to them by authentic teachers and they have passed through a rigorous apprenticeship or ordination process that is part of a longstanding tradition. They didn’t just read a bunch of books and attend some ceremonies and decide to hang up their own shingle. Related to this, they ought to be representing one tradition, not some mishmash of stuff they picked up here and there. Any cross-pollination of spiritual traditions can’t be just thrown together willy-nilly, the way James Ray does. It’s hard enough to really penetrate one of them. I think it would certainly take several lifetimes for me to understand one religious way (although I will say with confidence that I certainly understand them far better than James Ray).
One this is sure: James Arthur Ray has exposed the “self-empowerment” and “new age” phenomenon for what it is, and for that (and that alone), the world owes him a debt of gratitude. I wish you the best in your attempts to work at this.
Carlon 12:14 am on February 9, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
The cover-up is worse than the crime, so they say…
lupits 4:19 pm on February 12, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi again Terry. i just came across this call for action on another site and though you might want to connect with him, if you haven’t already done so (cut and pasted below).
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 virtuous work of the earliest self-help experts like Napoleon Hill, Norman Vincent Peale and Dale Carneige, honors the efforts of legitimate, self-help professionals of today, and turns the deaths of those who died in the Sedona Sweat Lodge… Liz Neuman, Kirby Brown and James Shore into a legacy for the betterment of the self-help profession and society.
Any help you can provide in this regard would be greatly appreciated!
John Curtis, Ph.D.
Americans Against Self-Help Fraud
http://www.selfhelpfraud.com
Read more: Q&A With James Arthur Ray on the Tragedy at His ‘Spiritual Warrior’ Sweat Lodge — New York Magazine http://nymag.com/news/features/63259/comments.html#comments#ixzz0fN2HI0q6