James Arthur Ray Situation: Sacred Sweat Lodge, Old School: A Difference Between Prayer and Pomp

news said they paid $10,000 each. All for a "spiritual" experience.

scam.

The white cult-tribe seeks, for cash, to assume, by pretense, that which is not its own. Sad that three are dead and many ill, but the spiritual may teach something of justice from this lesson.

Thank-you Dr. E for your thoughtful and moving words. It's sad to think of people believing they can somehow buy a spiritual or religious experience, and even more unfortunate to know there are those who will exploit such a belief. Some forms of knowledge only come from long experience, not from religious vacations, or "accelerated" programs. I say this not to be unkind to those who died or became sick, as my heart goes out to them.

"Some forms of knowledge only come from long experience, not from religious vacations"

truth.

Well sure there is some truth there and catchy too, "religious vacations", but really it is just another way of saying a retreat. There is really a lot of risk out there and where would we be if we never ventured off the beaten path, never stepped out of the light into our darker recesses to look for something we thought we saw. Even in times less stressful, slower times, there was a need to go elsewhere, leave all we knew behind, to learn to count the leaves and smell the air again. Nothing to do, precisely, dealing with our boredom, our sense of empty, that can only come up on us when we slow down and trade all the doing to just "be" on a little muddy pillow in sweat lodge.

When I did my vision quest last year I was guided by the natives and his helpers, and the medicine men. Out there in the little postage stamp of property surrounded by protective prayer flags, enthralled with all that occurs in a 100 hour stretch. Down at base camp they drum for us every night and pray while we lament for a vision. I will never forget the sunrises and sunsets and the incredible starlit universe as a blanket every night. I have never felt so alive.

I don't understand what happened here..........I suspect lack of experience and knowledge played a part. But there is something else missing here. toxic fumes? from what? plastic? -- that is a common material used to cover a sweat lodge or such has been my experience. There are a lot of questions unanswered here. And say a little prayers for the seekers who died ..........though they didn't know it they had arrived at their final destination.

Dr. E. Thanks for this poem and seeing. . .

thought i would share a bit from emails i received from Native people this week. . .i have been interested in what Indians have to say about this incident and what it touched in them. . .concerning Arthur Ray the hair has stood on the back of the neck in the past years with his media selling of "The Secret". . .i saw this one coming not because i am psychic but because there is strong "ju ju" in the Earth Mother and it needs to be done with honor. . . .


(from a friend that lives in Arizonia that is in the process of being by Elders about the Sweat Lodge)

". . . the tragedy in Sedona...The quote in the Bible ( the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God.) is pretty much the same thing I had drilled into me over and over coming up, "If you mishandle the Pipe and ceremony, someone will get hurt and it'll probably be a family member or someone you love." "You don't charge for ceremony, ever." "You are here to serve the People. The Pipe belongs to the People. You forget that and somebody will get hurt."

I went to that man's website and it was all about getting rich and how he's been on Oprah and Larry King to talk about how good he is at making money. He charged $9,000 to $10,000 to put people on the Hill for three days! If less than half the people in his lodge were people who had paid to go on the Hill, he raked in a quarter million dollars that weekend for conducting sacred ceremonies that he likely hadn't ever been taught. It blows my mind, and it saddens me, because even if he hadn't ever been taught by a human, if the spirits had taught him and told him to serve the People, he must have ignored their warnings over and over again for it to get to point that people gave up their lives in order to push him back on the path. "

I am praying for all the lodges and all the water-pourers and all the Pipe carriers and all who lead circles and serve the People, because I know it is hard, and I know it can be tempting, and I know we are tested over and over again. When I look at that situation, and every other situation in which a leader or medicine person has gone awry, I think, "There but by the grace of God go i." I give thanks for those who help me, and for those love me, and how they laugh their butts off at me anytime they think I'm getting too serious or out of whack! "

Someone sent this link from Indian Country and Arvol Looking Horse
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/opinion/64486...

For Native American this incident opens up a lot of old things that have not been healed by our Nation. . . truly lots of prayers are needed

Thanks Spirasol. . .and yes all things with great honor. . .in this world people need to do what they can to reconnect with the sacred. . .so good to read your first two paragraphs, we all need eyes that can honor and see the connection with that which sustains us every day. . .

I would say this to our good commenters; In my humble opinion, each viewpoint is true. There are not two side, as usual. There are many. Though I grew up in the backwoods, for these last 5 decades I've lived in Ariz, New Mexico and Colo. People of great heart go to the desert or onto the mountain or into the interior, and die accidentally. It is common, not rare.

Death comes to those who dont know the desert and are filled with sanctity, and Death comes to those who know the desert or the mountain like the back of their hands, and who are filled with deep sanctity.

Also those who come into the mountains and down to the precious lakes and lands, those who come crazed with drugs and alcohol, those who come unprepared, those who come for crass reasons, who litter and deface... they most often do not die.

There is a sanctity preferred by many of us, but sanctity is no armor against death, only perhaps melded with one's way of dying.

There appears to be no just punishment meted out for those who are living in disrespect, although we might try to attribute such. But, I think it is not the lense to use. In part because no one can ever know what promises are between even the most scorning and even the most sacred-acting... with their Creator. It could be the most raucous plays an important part. It could be the sacred has no depth. It could be many things. But one would have to have an aerial vantage point to see all within the larger hoop.

That people died in the midst of 50 people and no one knew the dangers seems the story, in one way, of the split between groups of people on this earth... one group having the knowing and being, in my experience, and as you see Spirasol's too, being so generous to share ways of revivification with others in full prayer and such gentle respect. That is far more my experience of those who are indigenous, than those who claim to speak for tribes in terms that continue to be severing.

Somewhere there are people on all sides who will step around the walls history and wounding have made, thereby effectively cementing in many into and under those walls. Some day people who have a stake most only in the the now and the future, will create a new way with regard and respect in all direcctions. This is not an aery faerie ideal. One has to look at the give and take in all directions, including the hard facts of BIA payouts, casino contracts, hazardous waste contracts, mineral and water rights contracts, other exploitations and boons, all... and in this moment.

And, I would say, regarding Mr. James Arthur Ray, that something seems seriously amiss in the root of whatever it is he thinks he is doing/ or in those having oversight of the business . Do you remember about a year ago, I wrote about a Congressional Investigation into the huge TV ministries that bring in jillions of dollars? And are tax exempt religious orgs? I think the time may have come to move such inquiry into other areas. I think its fine for people to earn a living at whatever level they can achieve. But I cant help but question/ not understand yet... how/why 3-5 days of anything would be worth 10k without chicanery of some sort, unless it garunteed hard knowledge so usable, so wondrous, that one could transform the world in a week. I mean, call me simple, but 10k is half a year of college at a good school.

Something about the amount of money and mob psych. Something there.

just thinking out loud. just my two cents worth opinion.

1. Sweat lodges are age-old and ripe for exploitation by guys like this.

2. Sedona is a New Agey bizarre-land ("Vortex Maps Here" -- sign). Where was the Heene family???

3. That someone was making lots of money off this simply fits with the whole New Age thing.

(At least Obama hasn't tried anything this bad -- just a more diffuse, nation-wide version -- in Washington!)

Sparrow, And yes, praying now is a response req.

and DLS, you are right, sweat lodges are age-old. They are ritual amongst the Hebrews (in modern times sometimes called schvitz, not as relaxation, but as ritual), old Teutonic peoples, every group of persons it seems, who have ever existed... for prayer, cleansing of spirit, and for health too. The 'sweat chamber' does not belong to one group only, but the rituals of each group are different.

I personally dont disparage 'new age' people ...or snake handlers in Texas.. or the Hopi snake dance, or those who do 'perpetual adoration,' even though I dont do those rituals myself (yet? one never knows what one will be called to learn)... I'd rather live and let live on that particular subject, in part, because those who believe various things that mainstream people dont believe, often seem to be such gentle souls who simply and deeply believe what they believe.. and esp, without harm to others.

The ones I keep my eye on most are those of any faith who believe others are not to be respected, or that others are to be pulverized or looked down upon .... or that it's their way or the highway... impulses and attitudes like that.

Dr E, thank you for your compassion, spiritual insights, and gift for using language to make meaning. You are quite a special person.

"I personally dont disparage 'new agey' people"

As a rule, I simply move on, with a chuckle. (As I did at the sign, while going by Sedona through Oak Creek Canyon, the fun way to Flagstaff and back, my first weekend in Phoenix after going there from Seattle.) It's amusing, so long as they don't overvalue themselves (and denigrate the lesser enlightened). I also question the "authenticity" or the "fidelity" toward New Age principles this guy making money actually has. (Is it just part of the act to charm people and get them to pay him?)

"Some forms of knowledge only come from long experience, not from religious vacations, or "accelerated" programs."

Gosh JSpencer, please. From your lips to Creator's ears. Well said.

yes, boy shannonlee, you said it. Truth.

i can tell from your small details, this was real... and good. I am glad for you Spirasol.

"where would we be if we never ventured off the beaten path"

Well said spirasol, and each such venture adds to the sum total of our experience... and yet (as Dr E observed) even the experienced aren't immune from misfortune or accident. It wasn't my intention to suggest they were, or that "retreats" and various short-term ventures aren't of value. Heck, I can go into the woods behind my house for a couple hours and come back feeling revived. :-)

i can so hear you Dr. E. about the rain shines on both the good and the bad. . . for me there is an different energetic relay going on here. . .

the individual that leads the ceremony becomes the link for the channel of Earth Shakti/lifeforce energy. . . almost like the umbilical cord of the a Mother and the child in the womb. . .that is expressed within the lodge. . .that is why it is so important to have a person of deep impeccability and integrity for its transmission. . . kinda like the concept of the Pope and Priests with the Eucharist symbolism; in the pure energetic of the ceremony there is to be transmission of essence beyond the known world. . .and when that is not pure or becomes contaminated by the egoic then lower vibration comes forth that gets mixed with the powerful sacred energy and it can become antithesis and can effect everything and everybody within the Church . .

if James Arthur Ray had truly gone through spiritual purification himself, like a Mother he would of been able to feel the distress of the children in the womb. . .Mother Earth energies operate by the laws of karma, and karma is like an echo what is sent forth comes back. . . .that is why such great emphasis is set forth for the Priests. . .

Dr. E. just thinking out loud also, and am looking at the angle of Priest when it comes to the energetic world and how that can influence all that is in the sacred container. . . all of this touches on the energetic world, that every one deems crazy if it is experienced or spoken about in the over-culture. . .

God or Goddess does not make bad "ju ju" but priest and the rest of us can truly misuse the sacred forces. . . .oh my wish i did not know that one. . .sparrow. . .

"Somewhere there are people on all sides who will step around the walls history and wounding have made, thereby effectively cementing in many into and under those walls. Some day people who have a stake most only in the the now and the future, will create a new way with regard and respect in all directions. This is not an aery faerie ideal. One has to look at the give and take in all directions, including the hard facts of BIA payouts, casino contracts, hazardous waste contracts, mineral and water rights contracts, other exploitations and boons, all... and in this moment."

this is so very powerful and true Dr. E.. . .and when i replied to the emails sent me by Native people i wrote paragraphs trying to say what you said in a couple of sentences. . .thank you. . .

"...if James Arthur Ray had truly gone through spiritual purification himself, like a Mother he would of been able to feel the distress of the children in the womb."

well said. really well said. And too, it would logically seem that even anyone who'd taken a so basic red cross first aid course would be aware of people suffering right before their eyes and call halt. I just dont understand this whole story yet. I'm looking for first witness reliable report about what what said inside the 'lodge' when some asked for air or relief or to leave. I've never heard of a 'sweat lodge' with that many (50?) people in it and seemingly sealed too tight. The carbon dioxide from human exhalation alone would build up leaving even less oxygen perhaps?

We'll keep praying for all the injured and the spirits and families of the dead. Yet, I still have an open question about why the sheriff called this murder rather than accident. You saw on Mr. Ray's site, just the merest notices of this event on his blog, saying so oddly to my way of hearing, that this tragic event would not stop him from continuing to bring his company to the world because that's what he is here for? I wondered, if this would not stop business as usual, what would? What in the name of all that is holy, would?

Wouldnt it be of the soul, to temporarily shut down the whole web site and put in memorium black crepe over the whole thing until at least the dead are buried and the seriously injured are well on the road to recovery?

i'm with you Jspencer. Pls invite me sometime to go into your woods with you, that's be cool. I think I know just what you mean. I have a little lake nearby, and sometimes in the winter when more than 100 Canadian geese have landed right under my window, I open the window and talk to them-- ok ok I know... well, anyway, I talk to them, and they all turn as though they are one being, and cock their heads and listen to me. My heart always feels brand new in that moment. That's good that you know about renewal right where you live. A treasure. I remember long ago living in a 'broken glass' neighborhood. I found that the stubborn green that grew through the sidewalks was that way too, and that broken glass had rainbows when oil from cars leaked on it. I know it sounds odd, but somehow even the tiniest bits of nature can raise you up

"somehow even the tiniest bits of nature can raise you up"

So true. Peoples lives get out of balance I think when they are too disconnected from nature, and it's easy for that to happen in a culture that at times imagines nature to be a separate entity. Anyway, you can go for a walk with me anytime Dr. E. :-)

As someone who has done a fair amount of spiritual seeking in my time, I've encountered people who I think of as truly spiritually evolved and genuinely helpful to me in my own growth. I hope you don't mind my telling you that your book "WWRWTW" is one of those very helpful keys. Yet I've also encountered my share of charlatans who take advantage of earnest seekers. I think what I find most inspiring at this point of my life are people like Mister Rogers who live(d) their spirituality in a simple, quiet and unassuming way. The nuns who educated me in my girlhood were much like that too.

The trouble is I think sometimes people are so hungry for enlightenment that they aren't as discerning as they should be. I could have counted myself in that category when I was younger, but I was fortunate to have some ah-ha! moments with only gentle consequences. One time I was on a retreat that had an Indian "Medicine Woman" theme (facilitated by a non-Indian of course). Now there were many positive elements and I met some wonderful people. But then when we were to spend some time in solitude, alone with nature, we were instructed to "ask nature" if we found some object we wanted to bring away with us. Somehow we were to be divinely guided as to the rightness of our request. I suppose I was not surprised when the majority of retreat attendees came back with "souvenirs," clearly having been granted permission by whatever invisible force they were looking to for validation. They were special, I guess. That might seem like a small thing, but it struck me as so very silly, it reinforced my growing feeling that ego (or pomp, in your words) is an ever-present temptation regardless of creed. I've seen self-promoting gurus that just scream "phony" yet they are living the high life. I've seen other ministers, highly regarded in their field, who achieve some pinnacle of success and -- I don't know what happens -- but they take a big fall, often because of financial malfeasance.

Dr. E, you've written about the wounded instinct, and that really resonates with me here. Coincidentally one of the sweat lodge attendees has now spoken out about the event and it sounds like people were getting sick but substituting this guru's judgment with their own, perhaps, ignoring their own instincts and feelings of un-wellness. Perhaps I don't quite understand the ritual, but it seems like there should be a distinct difference between purification and self-mortification as keys to spiritual growth. What devastating irony. I'm reminded of so many epic tales of a seeker going on a quest to find what they possessed all along without ever realizing it, perhaps.

about using plastic: I am only reciting my experience that plastic is used in the building of sweat lodges AND by native indians too. Not all/but some. I defer to the knowledge you put forth, and accept that plastic should likely not be used.

About nearby nature: I too engage with nature with reach, for a a walk, for refreshment, to hear the call of the wild things, etc. but I would not talk about that or even my love of that in the same breath as the seekers for they are not quite the same thing.

About cost: The vision quest I attended was based on donation, which in my case had to be less than the amount suggested, due to meager economy.

About danger: It is not possible to experience a vision quest without being physically, psychologically, and spiritually challenged. The weaker areas will likely be challenged. Likely too it is a challenge for all to stay for the duration, to not give up, to pray for strength.....among other things. In our group one of us lost it a bit and wandered away from her protected site. Another had to be carried down from the mountain. It took her a few days to fully come back though she got lots of help and attention, including an offer to be taken to the hospital. Whatever you experience, whether you were attacked by real or imaginary animals, or you walked away or quit, or you were passive in the face of massive discomfort, or you over relied on the teaching of another-- it is your experience and grist for the mill.....to be pondered for weeks, months, sometimes years later.

About new age: I don't like the proscribed positivity and general goal of "happiness" per say, or the general superficiality that is out there. But one must acknowledge this goes on everywhere. All deep spiritual faiths are translated into western jargon and that often underscores the dictates of the abiding culture. I don't mind so much as most of these people would not be reachable with the real material, so material light may be all they are ready for....okay, live and let live. And there is a "market" out there, where we all compete or try to prepare our product so that certain people can hear it, buy it.....IMHO, it is best if we are aware/conscious of how and what we are doing, who we are trying to reach and why.... Even Dr.E has to go to market and likely knows something about who her market is, and if she doesn't or chooses not to know, then the publisher will know and will dictate certain things to better sell the material. So selling and maximizing profit are not anethema to so many things spiritual or not spiritual.

I still think there are questions to be answered and some of the answers will come from him, some from the participants, and some from the beyond..........

My aunt told me once ..
"NEVER ..EVER ...ever .. attend a lodge where you don't know, and I do mean KNOW, as in personally, all the women attending the lodge..."
Why is that ??? (squeaks the wee young Ghosty)
"Because ... Coyote is out there.. and he's a master of disguise...He can look like an ordinary person...He can look like a SHE ..but he can't look exactly like someone you know.... he's not that good. And when coyote goes into the lodge.. you best hope you are not in there ...because Coyote is always hungry!"

I believe Mr. Ray has managed to evoke a very unpleasant variety of the Trickster spirit ...but I' am superstitious to the extreme so ...
I will pray for the ones lost and for those suffering and I will pray that Mr. Ray is arrested as there is just no excuse for what happened. He shouldn't have been leading a Lodge and I do not believe that he was unaware of the warning about the effects of bad medicine, etc.
There is just TOO much info out there warning against the very thing's he did wrong. He just didn't want to listen. He wanted the greenbacks and now ..
We have people dead, and many ill ..and even more suffering heartbreak.
So very wrong.

On a lighter note and completely off topic but I have to say it ..
The Mother Night Session tonight ROCKED! The work you do is so intensely needed by this world Doc!
Thank you so very much!

My two cents worth
Ghost

Here's an excerpt about Ray which sounds rather unenlightened. At minimum he did not seem to know much about the varying capacities of his participants which need to be catered to to some degree and a bit of insensitivity to the danger and people's suffering. No one will benefit with this; not the Indians, not the Shamanic workshop givers, and not the public. Maybe the lawyers....?

"People were vomiting in the stifling heat, gasping for air, and lying lifeless on the sand and gravel floor beneath them, according to participant Beverley Bunn. One man was burned when he crawled into the rocks, seemingly unaware of what he was doing, When participants exhibited weakness, Ray urged them to push past it and chided those who wanted to leave, she said. "I can't get her to move. I can't get her to wake up," Bunn recalls hearing from two sides of the 415-square-foot sweat lodge. Ray's response: "Leave her alone, she'll be dealt with in the next round."

IMHO, it won't matter if many of the participants had ecstatic profound experiences, because the weakest among them were not taken care of...............

There is some kind of Viking Male macho warrior thing happening here...........my radar tells me..........which in the long run is not gonna take them very far.........

.Dear Spirasol, just a note before I have to make a run to the city. I think the KIND of plastic or tarp matters. I know for instance, just a tiny bit, mainly from lodge makers, that some cloth has open pores and some has coatings, chemical coatings on it to make it waterproof. The chemical coatings heat up and outgas. Maybe likely whatever was used at yours was 'open' rather than sealed with chemicals making it unbreathable in more ways than one?

I'll come back to this again if I learn more about safety re coverings.

on the other note, 'market' you mentioned, I dont know a market, but working underground, I do sense people in need that I hope to reach to, teach, assist on the road. It's calling rather than other. I think 'market' maybe belongs to people like the way fat cats at the top of big publishing who actually seem not to care about the things you and I and many others care about. That big depersonalized business masticates people like us. .. it's as Maya Angelou said, a huge loss of innocence. What I once thought it was and what it actually is, are way two different things. A good many authors I know, including myself, try hard to just keep creating under fire, remain as intact as possible, and to stay out of the swing of their blades. Another time, more about all that.

dear leebot, injured instinct. You said it and elaborated it well. I'd agree. It's a peculiar state that lost of instinct, or a weird kind of overacculturation by the say, 'business first' tribe, wherein guarding the core of the body, so to speak, isnt being attended to.

Many think it's conceit only, but actually an inflation or deflation of psyche, both, can make people blind to balance, particularly their abilities to see imbalances. We've all been there in 'not seeing' more often when we are hurt or weakened somehow by outer or inner events, or both. It seems from what I've seen clinically these many decades that the superiority and inferiority complexes actually share a common wall; that if one rumbles, the other one starts to smoke too.

Leebot, if you can find the link to the person/participant who spoke about their experience in this particular event, please feel free to post the link. I am still trying to find out definitively why this tragedy was posted as murder, not accident. It could have been 'fog of war,' as we say, but then again, not sure yet.

thank you

I hope the folks that died found whatever they were looking for.
(Not being sarcastic.)

Dr. E. i tried to post this link around noon time but once again it just remained in the box going in circles. . .

Survivor of Arizona Sweat Lodge. . .

http://www.kansascity.com/437/story/1521170.html

for those that might be interested here is link to a short book on Google books that goes into the history and legends. . .

http://books.google.com/books?id=hNkQkgdTuJUC&d...

Hey Doc.
Some of the released some video and audio accounts of the survivors:
The first one on the given page is Beverly Bunn (it's from yesterday and quite extensive), the second is some of the families of those who died and the third is survivor Sidney Spencer.
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23810/james-art...
Ms Spencer reported that she got this phone call from Ray and his message was very disturbing.
Ray called her fairly recently and told her that the people who died had an out of body experience and once they were out of body, they were so HAPPY that they just didn't want to come back."
There's been numerous reports that Ray and many of his followers are saying that the people "chose" to die (which is not new, I've heard this exact line from many new agers repeatedly ..."Anything that happens to you, you chose it.")
They are calling the death lodge a "profound experience."
Can we say "cult activity?"

Laters
Ghosty

It's attitudes like that which make me stay as far away from the new age movement as I can.

after thinking about this one for the last couple days and listening to the rumbling of the mind that wants to put some kind of comprehension on the incomprehensible . . . can only go back to the spirit of the poem and stand and stay with those "two little raggedy boys". . .

Perspective:

--3 innocent people died likely because of a poorly conceived, poorly activated, and poorly led event. It is sad, causes us to fear those possibilities and people who are meant to lead us into darker unknown spaces. What is it that lurks behind in the shadows......

-- 1700 innocent men, women, and children die at the hands of Israeli modern war toys given to them by the USA. It is very sad and causes us to question the validity of Israeli victim consciousness and the degree to which they increasingly identify with aggression as a cover for stealing land and continue to dis-empower and ethnically cleanse Israel of all but Jewish citizens.

-- 100,000 innocent Iraqi men, women and children die in the American occupation. It is deeply disturbing and very very sad that the naivety of America has to be so brutally awakened, to discover nearly everything we were told about the war was a lie........uh, except about the oil.....

Imagine yourself to be a supporter of Indians at the time their land was being usurped and their families slaughtered.......

Koan: Into how many pieces can one heart break?

they pour salt on snails to make them die
banana slugs, also, whole salt shakers
some say
are poured out over the creatures.
They say some people laugh
as they pour.
Then the creatures, these tiny
little oceans
die of dehydration,
die of the tiny ocean going
suddenly paper dry.



I've read what Ghost and Sparrow have linked to and what they have said, and everything in me wants to cry... as Spirisol points out in his last post, although the comparative scenes of death is not my way, rather I keep thinking it cannot be even ONE person who ought die because of innocence or lack of knowing. Any ONE is tragic.

and I am made to walk with a tremor, serious, for it cannot be that people say others 'chose to die." We all know men and women who chose to die to SAVE others. That's one of the 'chose to die' situs we know holds honored intent.

But... to say that people at a conference chose to die, anyone of any part chose to die, to say this as a defense against the black sorrow that would normally be in that defensive place... it just defies a decency so basic, that I almost am wordless.

I have been praying on what to do about this all. I've spoken to several prominent authors in the last two days and they are as stunned at this making light of laceration as I am.

The indecency of the response by Mr. Ray('s) org has become almost equal to the tragedy. I have been over the last week been contrasting this in my memory with the collapse of the bonfire pyre at Texas A & M a few years ago. That tragedy killed several students, and everyone, EVERYONE mourned together, and mourned long. Same at Columbine. I came there to the teachers and kids the day after the massacre, when the dead children's bodies were still lying in the school, for some intelligence had been put forth that the bodies had been boobytrapped. I ththink of the collective scream that went on there for months on end. No certainty about anything. Only why. Why Why How How What What, Where Where, Who Who, and over and over again. Those are some of my groundnotes for comparison.

THe closest I have come in my research today is understanding that 'murder'... remember the law enforcement people said it was murder... is that it is possible is could be a charge of 'manslaughter.' Which I understand in our part of the world here in the southwest, as being causing the death of another by negligence, such as a drunk driver killing someone.

I think Ghost and Sparrow, Jilly and Leebot, Kathy, Tidbits, Shannonlee, Jspencer, Spira and others who have commented here so strongly and tenderly too... that maybe there are three fronts that have been opened in many of us: trying to make sense of the crassness of certain endeavors fashioned under the banner of a specious promise of goodness. Maybe the second, trying to comprehend the abject ignorance and seeming lack of care about other human beings in an atmosphere which it would have been SO easy to take safety precautions and preserve life, for the inaugurators are NOT in the line of gunfire or other horror. And the backwash then, the seeming lack of even common sense about mourning with prayer and sorrow.

I am thinking about what to do about making prayer over this more broadly. If you have additional ideas, pls let me know.

I think sparrow telling us to turn toward and 'actually turn into being' the little boys learning to pray is just right. One of many ways to seek peace for those harmed, for us, also, I hope/pray.

Dr. E. i would like to hear more spiritual leaders come forward and speak words concerning, discrimination, discernment, honor. . . . and prayer. .like this poem, as it sinks it becomes more powerful. . .

i take a step back at the blaming of victims and also the attacks what others often call New Age. . .for me that has similar vein as attacking all Muslims because of the few extremists. . . That term has become so derogatory and i have no desire to become a 'fundamentalist' about anybody's religious expression. . .one of the things i deeply truth is that in all spiritual expressions there is the Source that is greater than any religious frame and with sincere heart lessons and guidance will come forth from that which is greater than any of the frames. . .

personally i have a huge growl at James Arthur Ray as much from how he has handled the aftermath as to the tragedies of the event. . .do not have to reach very deep to know what has transpired here is not about spirituality, but some kind of disowned soul sickness. . . people of all faiths give him too much power if they allow him to be used to scorn sacred expression for those we may or may not know or understand. . .

another layer i have thought about in these discussions has been that of karma. . .it seems to me that karma as well as grace is one of the universal laws,every religion has teachings of karma and grace and i cannot deny the experiences of my own karma, i have felt the boomerang. . where i get in trouble every time is when i externalize the teachings of karma and make karma about what happens to other people. . .it works best for me when i hold the laws of karma and take responsibility for what i send forth and what comes back to me personally, but hold the gift of grace for everyone else. . .still practicing. . . sorry looking at some of the angles this tragedy has touched. . . many angles like the kaleidoscope. . .and yes Dr. E. the survivors and the families surely need to known more than blame and judgments. . .

perhaps here at TMV you could provide allowance for some of the spiritual leaders you know to respond with voices of discernment, honor and prayer? Ask them for a prayer?. . . .and those little boys can be the lights for us. . .

i wonder if anyone would have the courage it given the opportunity?

additional thoughts. . .

Dr. E. what you are already doing in your work, such as Mother Night, and the medial nature is the deepest response for teaching how to avoid these kinds of situations by guiding each person to listen to their source within that truly knows each soul's perimeters. . . .I hope you don't mind me saying. . . now what is the last line of that poem by."Derek Walcott, - "The time will come, when you will meet yourself arriving at your own front door.". . . i think you are at your own front door, Dr. E.. . .

Ah, sorry for not posting the links but am glad that's been done.

If this guru truly made the comment about those who died having made a "choice" -- well, what an outrageous and convenient way for him to abdicate his own culpability in this horrid affair. I am ever more inclined to think of him as a charlatan, if he bestows upon himself a kind of supernatural ability to speak for those now beyond the veil, unable to testify otherwise.

No doubt people had "amazing" experiences, with their physical bodies in such a compromised state and the synapses firing like a pinball machine in FULL TILT. My guess is that the word "homicide" is being used as an umbrella term and is not necessarily meant to convey malevolent intention but could also cover negligence and extreme indifference. I will be watching to see what the law does in this case.

Dr E, I think your approach is beautiful so far and will crystallize for you as you continue to pray, to speak with experts, to ask for clarity. I think there is something here you can do and that will crystallize for you. Perhaps the key is to examine over-arching themes, and I think you're on to something with your words "superiority and inferiority complexes actually share a common wall; that if one rumbles, the other one starts to smoke too." Understanding what happened at this sweat lodge could be the theme of a book in terms of understanding the whole psychology. Some random free-floating thoughts of my own:

* Cultural Misappropriation. This theme looms large for a couple of my friends -- one of whom has Native American ties, another of a different minority culture, who feels that their own honored traditions are misappropriated and commercially "marketed." No doubt they would see a certain karmic irony in this sweat lodge incident. And there are numerous other cautionary tales of "Man Pushing Limits With Tragic Results" -- Timothy Treadwell eaten by the grizzlies with whom he felt a spiritual bond and perhaps, sense of mastery over . . . . Christopher McCandless who jumped headfirst and woefully unprepared into a solitary wilderness experience without an adequate and proper regard for just what he'd be up against?

* Tearing Down to Build Up. I'm reminded of the popularity of the Erhard EST seminars back in the 1970s, and the questionable tactics used there too. Why do some of us feel that the breaking down of the self is required in order to re-build on our quest for personal and spiritual growth? I think there is a social construct that says we must be tolerant and respectful of the religion and spiritual traditions of others -- but then that paradigm allows us to shy away from criticizing where certain practices end up exploiting and abusing others. I understand spiritual hunger, I understand seeking, but yes, it's easy to cross a line when it comes to notions of faith, surrender, challenging ourselves, risk-taking, pushing past boundaries. Some boundaries are actually good things, especially when it comes to trusting our own instincts rather than surrendering those to some charismatic charlatan. I heard a remarkable lecture by a priest in Denver many years ago; his name may have been Angelo or Angelus. His critiqued Catholic Church doctrine and liturgical tradition as too patriarchal and out of balance - that the feminine, the Mother, the right brain aspect of intuition, dream time -- was not given its proper place. I sense that lack of balance in this situation -- why is this guru "playing God" both metaphorically and literally?

* They call it "Spiritual Practice" for a reason. It takes a lot of practice. Do we, in our society of instant gratification and consumerism, come to think of spiritual and personal growth as a commodity that can be neatly packaged and marketed? That the $9,000 Cadillac Package will yield more bang for the buck in terms of quick return on the investment. Spirituality as Extreme Sport? Bigger and Better Insights? Not that light-bulb moments don't happen -- of course they do -- but what is wrong with slow and incremental changes? I'm not trying to criticize Sweat Lodges as purification or the inherent value of that ritual when done properly, but rather the larger theme of punishing the body in such extreme ways as a path to Enlightenment? I confess I don't get it, and am thinking that finding a deserving cause to endow with $9,000 could be a safer and more satisfying way to grow spiritually.

I don't want this to become any lengthier than it is already so I'll stop here, but clearly this brings up a lot of stuff.

James Ray has had other people get hurt or die on his watch:

NYPost:
Ray's past seminars are also peppered with horrific incidents, public records show, including:
* The July 2009 suicide of a Minnesota woman who jumped three floors to her death from a San Diego mall balcony.

* A May 2005 event at Disney World, where a New Jersey woman shattered her hand after Ray allegedly bullied her into performing a ritualistic board-breaking exercise

On July 25, just 10 weeks before the sweat-lodge deaths, Colleen Conaway, a typically cheerful 46-year-old from Minnesota, made her fatal plunge at the California mall.

Like the victims in Arizona, Conaway had no identification on her when she died, according to law enforcement.

After the jump, Ray and his staffers left the mall knowing that Conaway was missing from the group, according to authorities.

"I had just talked to her two days before, and she was still the sister I knew," said Lynn.

"I can't even comprehend what changed, what went on in those two days that would cause her to do this."

In the Disney World incident, a 2005 negligence lawsuit charged a "reckless" Ray pushed seminar attendee Diane Konopka to smash the board to "overcome . . . self-esteem issues."

Repeatedly unsuccessful, the "humiliated" and "extremely exhausted" Konopka felt "she had no choice" but to do what Ray demanded, the suit says.

The guru settled in 2007 for an undisclosed sum.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/mystic_pa...
-------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't know if anyone else has thought it ..but I have.
What if he set this all up and wanted people to die.
People die but those followers keep paying the bucks to come and have the guy abuse them.
What a charge for the psychopathic/narcissistic ego AND he is GETTING away with it.
And no remorse. The guy could care less.

Check out psychopathic behavior at wiki:
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/mystic_pa...

My two cents worth
Ghost

Dear Ghost, thank you for the links and the summary of injuries and far worse. I will try to respond with an article this weekend. I think most of us would hope against hope that no one would purposely try to dispatch anyone's life at a 'spiritually' oriented retreat? Let me work on this info a bit ...

Dear Leebot, that is an amazing list. i think YOU are the one to write the book. Your tropes are sharp, but esp this one, "Spirituality as Extreme Sport."

just thank you sparrow. words can matter. I appreciate it.

I have some chagrin finding today that thus far the answer to your question "i wonder if anyone would have the courage it given the opportunity?" is a No. Or, a not yet. Or, a not interested other than gossip. Or, a dont care that much.

I am still thinking. Ghost's reports are giving more pause.

I am still stuck on the seeming lack of sorrow in those whom the press has detailed, or those who have reached to the internet to say their piece, Mr Ray in particular. I've read the last two posts on his blog several times and still keep thinking, but there's got to be more to say publicly. Much more. And why not. Why is there no more. I dont know yet, Sparrow.

dear Jilly, I can understand that veering away.... I wonder about and think maybe the differentiation might be to stay far from those who... well, what exactly? Be selling instead of teaching? I think of New Age as a name made up by the press. It became a term of denigration quickly, seeming before anyone stepped out of line anywhere. I do note still that the best of the people I know in any spiritual movement are often kind souls, not harmful. I am still trying to understand exactly what the 'beliefs' are, if there is such a thing as New Age anything. I am still trying to see if Mr. Ray is a 'new age' follower, or if he is a version of tent-ministry, or ?

still thinking

Dr. E. just my opinion on the philosophy which James Arthur Ray is probably mixed within. . .
Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie's, Tony Robbins; the wealth and prosperity laws, fortified with "New Thought" metaphysics rolling back to Mary Baker Eddy and Theosophy of Madame Helena Blavatsky. . . throw in the "Fear Factor" and psychology of Extreme Sports as Leebot suggested, and bake it in a container of individual pathology. . . outcomes James Arthur Ray 2009. . .

"Though the demonism of the Middle Ages seems to have disappeared, there is abundant evidence that in many forms of modern thought - especially the so-called "prosperity" psychology, "willpower-building" metaphysics, and systems of "high-pressure" salesmanship - black magic has merely passed through a metamorphosis, and although its name be changed its nature remains the same."
- Manly P. Hall, Secret Teachings of All Ages, pp. 101-2

quote from one of Hill's disciples;
" From Hill's inspiring life I have gleaned another Law of Success: Don't waste your time chasing a rainbow. Package it and sell it to others. Then you'll find a pot of gold." W. Clement Stone disciple of Napoleon Hill

. . .maybe so or maybe not. . . for me the wealth and prosperity gospels used in this vein to glorify the lower self are 'anti-christic', so far from the heart of man and even further from the heart of the sacred source. . .

Dr. E. i am sad but not surprised that other integral or alternative spiritual leaders cannot find voice on this one. . .

I found quite a few folks to be unsavory (around the time of the harmonic convergence). That experience, I'm sure, has colored my thinking. But I did meet my husband during that time. :)

I find the whole prosperity consciousness movement kind of icky. And I know positive thinking helps but there is an underbelly to it too I think. I know my husband and I have locked horns a few times since I became ill - as if it is somehow my attitude had some causation for this autosomal dominate genetic disorder LOL.

New Age terminology -- I think is a huge "umbrella" label that is applied to a wide range of practices and beliefs -- fairly or not -- from stuff that could seem woo-woo and ripe for charlatanry (crystals, energy vortexes etc.) to Wicca/paganism, shamanic and Native American traditions (or those traditions re-packaged and marketed), to even more simpler and rather innocuous practices and philosophies such as meditation, yoga, the power of positive thinking or a desire for self-improvement (often referred to as "New Thought.") (As an aside, I find it quite interesting that New Thought churches tend to be heavily represented with former Catholics.)

Dr. E., yes -- selling rather than teaching is a good yardstick, especially since in this day and age, marketing a spiritual package -- even if it co-opts the rituals and traditions of another culture -- is easily done. I've seen some very rich "channelers" who seemed nothing more than dreadful actors to me. Of course it doesn't preclude that a good snake oil salesman might actually be able to impart some wisdom (think Wizard of Oz). Perhaps another yardstick is when the teacher/guru/minister/priest displays a bit of unhealthy ego. I don't really know how to describe this, other than that the leader and certain followers seem to develop a unhealthy co-dependent relationship. The draw for the followers is not just the teachings or message, but the person, and even if the leader starts out with sincere intentions, that level of adulation could have a corrupting influence. Or maybe at some point the leader becomes convinced s/he is spiritually superior (or maybe just the opposite, feels like an imposter with nothing of true value to offer) and develops a sense of contempt for the seekers. What I'm reading here of Mr. Ray certainly sounds as though he displays contempt to those who don't fall into his line. NOT the spirit of "Namaste."

New Age is one of those terms, actually a lot like "Liberal" that may have had some meaning at some point, but has morphed to mean something else, in this case, spirituality light or superficial. It seems to serve the market more than anything else and you can find new age products almost anywhere, from post office to pharmacy. It is what the market does. It kind of takes something over and re-markets it in a way that is palatable to all. In the hippie days, we used to wear used army clothes, then the market made it popular for everyone, now with Calvin Klein stickers on it and a 1st class price tag. These days they are marketing homeless dolls, and beds manufactured to appear as a sidewalk, also the appeal of the homeless look. Most of it is somewhat dumb, but fairly innocuous. I wouldn't buy the homeless stuff, but I might on impulse pick up an incense burner made from poor material.

The market knows that there are millions who, for various reasons, would not attend an actual native Indian ritual, but they might attend if it could be marketed in another way. In a way the attendees want what the guru is selling: Success, instant optimism, painless growth, attend once and never have to attend again. The market is flooded with positive thinking (read Barbara Erenreich's new book debunking all this) sickness. Americans are particularly inundated and it has been documented elsewhere that we believe it is our right to be "happy" ....so if we are not, however momentarily, we will fix it anyway we can.........drugs, drink, pharmaceuticals, sex with strangers, following gurus, etc.and yes.........new age instant fixes. Dr. Phil is a fraud! You don't have to go to these exotic practices, the con men are in the SCIENCE too. It was the psychologists and the doctors that created and advised around the torture of hundreds of innocent people. Its the psychologists who advise the market people about how to make us want what they are selling, teaching us to be ashamed of our bodies, smells, etc.
The market doesn't care: its message is buy, buy, buy......so you can become, become........who you are now not....It will market under the guise of science, secularity, religion..culture.... special groups-- any way it can to try to reach each individual markets .......My mother used to buy day-glow plastic crucifixes.

So it is here where I begin to struggle with Leebots line of thought as a lot of different beliefs/approaches are thrown into the bag of charlatanism. Most spiritual paths are fraught with identity crisis and downright danger, even if you never leave your room. All require faith and perseverance. Fasting, sweating, retreating, being alone for extended periods/or thrown together to "polish the pearls," as the saying goes. all are challenging and a part of many traditions. Even psychotherapy has an unequal power balance: expert/non expert or teacher/student or guru/novitiate, no matter how much the therapist is willing to undermine the imbalance it is still there. And the client too pulls to trust the therapist so they can be vulnerable, open up, and be supported as they venture into scary areas of their life story.

We all have shadow sides too, and the trickster is relentless, how conscious can you be and for how long at a stretch....and to what extent are you willing to take a risk? What if the risk is balanced by a promise of growth? We can become so risk adverse that we would find it difficult to take on the risk of being loved or loving another. There are likely very many very good shaman, gurus/teachers/psychotherapists/psychologist, etc-- who are minimally well intentioned and still things go wrong.

To be clear I am not apologizing for Ray. I think what he did and continues to do is not representative of anything but the extent of his own lack of consciousness, and his efforts to minimize his losses with little understanding or expressed sorrow/regret for what he could have done differently. Said plainly, he is a chump and should be sent someplace to think about his role in these events; jail/retreat center/or counseling would be fine so long as he sequesters himself to acquire a deeper understanding. I am not so sure punishment is the answer, unless that would provide the necessary impetus of survival to help him to look inward.

...but you know he wasn't created in a vacuum.......there are many Rays out there and they represent a certain inauthenticy, a lack of personal ethics that we see is rampant in the culture at large. He must take on his personal responsibility but we must ask of our culture: What are the underpinnings of such an ethic? How does the culture at large help to create such a situation? What messages do we as a culture give to such "healers" and that they then attempt to market back to us what we are asking/looking for? Is the culture such that it reflects rampant inauthenticity/ethics violations? Think of Wall street, the banking crisis, the S&L crisis, torture, lies, lies, the poor state of journalism, hypocrisy in politics and religion, etc, I know this list wants to stay focused on Ray and his behavior, culpability, and his disassociation from actual events and responsibility. I have difficulty seeing Ray as a small player in a culture absorbed in individuality, success, and escape.

Sorry for cutting loose with babble......babble

Not babble at all, Spirasol, I really enjoyed reading your post and your last paragraph in particular seems profound and wise. Just so my own babbling isn't misconstrued I do want to be clear that when I use the word "charlatanism" I'm not trying to label a particular spiritual practice or path as such, but it's an observation that anything sincere, useful and good can be exploited and corrupted by charlatans. I'm really just thinking out loud here about how sincere and well-intentioned spiritual seekers can "sort the wheat from the chaff" and avoid exploitation. I don't want to throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. You are absolutely spot-on that risk IS a component in personal growth and fulfillment, and aye, there's the rub. Maybe the same questions might come to bear here with respect to ANY relationship that involves placing trust in another human being . . . how to mitigate risk so chances of a rewarding and happy experience rather than a destructive miserable one are greatly improved? Perhaps one such question to ask is -- in the course of choosing our relationships -- how do we fine-tune our "picker outer" so we make better choices, recognize red flags, avoid trouble, learn to hone our instincts and become discerning enough to know when we really really should not let someone else's judgment trump our own? (I wonder if the Warrior Experience attendees' $9K investment cemented a psychological investment so weighty that it trumped what their own instincts might have been screaming at them to do?)

I don't know if it's possible to suss out the story of Ray without also looking at the broader cultural petri dish, especially since the themes of exploitation, victimization, culpability and personal responsibility seem to pop up repeatedly. And yet I think it's so ironic that what draws many people to New Age/New Thought type philosophies is the inherent notion of self-mastery -- that if something isn't working in our life, we have more power to change that than we might have been brought up to believe. For those who felt wounded by traditional religion, or find it difficult to accept certain tenets or beliefs, it can feel empowering to subscribe to a philosophy of God as inclusive universal intelligence/energy, rather than God as Separate All-Powerful and Sometimes Capricious Being. It can feel incredibly empowering, whatever your creed, to undertake the kind of ruthless self-examination that moves us forward, whether that be facilitated with a book, therapist, 12-step program whatever the tool.

The irony though, is when the pursuit of self-mastery goes wonky, and someone ends up unwittingly transferring personal autonomy to somebody else in the shape of a channeler or guru or minister or even just another set of prescribed rituals, and nothing has really changed.

Ordinarysparrow, I read the article at this link and will try to rent the film they made, "Spirits for Sale." Thanks for the Arvol Looking Horse link.

Interesting commentary here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/ar...

For me one of the many sad aspects has been the denigration of the sacred sweat lodge. . .in its true form it is sacred space for the soul's naked prayer. . .

This is a poem by Joy Harjo that comes in wisps as i have thought of the deaths and the family members that must be having such a difficult time understanding the event and aftermath. . i believe it was spoken for the Audre Lorde Memorial 1993. . . .

This prayer poem is aligned with the essence of the sacred sweat lodge . . . .



excerpt from Reconcilation a prayer:

. . . We gather up these strands broken from the web of life. They shiver with our love, as we call them the names of our relatives and carry them to our home made of the four directions.

Of the south, where we feasted and where given new clothes.

Of the west, were we gave up the best of us to the stars as food for the battle.

Of the north, where we cried because we where forsaken our dreams.

Of the east, because return to us is the spirit of all that we love.

thank you Leebot. . .and i too will look up the film. . .

For those who have experienced it, the sweat lodge has not been denigrated. Anybody can put up a structure and import heat of some kind, and we will sweat even if we are just reading comic books and enjoying the piped in heat from the dryer pipe.

The experience you are talking about remains intact and is only accessible to a few or at least not the mass public.

The poem below was roughly created and recited grasping for words in the darkness of a sweatlodge run by a native elder.

Sweat Lodge Prayer
--For Ray with Gratitude


Oh Great Spirit
Divine life-long companion--

When I, When we wander
Into the wild wide world--

In the time it takes to duck a thunderclap
We may feel ourselves lost or disconnected

Our ears may fill with untruths
and misdirection suddenly deaf

And dumb our hearts may swell
With fear and doubt, dread and sorrow

Help me, Help us
To wipe the dust from our eyes

That we may see the markers
You have left for us to follow;

The bent and broken branches, the colorful
Thread of your unraveling blanket, a pile of

feathers the sudden scent of dead fish on a dirt path
The sound of your welcoming bird cries

The glow of your steps in the moonlight
The grumble of your low key prayers

And the shadow of your hand
Extending from an iridescent bush

Verily will we come to know
The shadow we were following

Was none other than our own fortified by
the subtle guidance of the divine…..
spinning the light and energy
before us.

copyright-Dennis DuBois 2008

Thanks Leebot for your balanced response I was thinking there might be some "incoming" based on the length and strength of my little diatribe. I'm going to respond to some of what you wrote below.

"anything sincere, useful and good can be exploited and corrupted by charlatans"

Not only can it, it will be, and more personally, while we expend our energies looking for the charlatans without, --what about the charlatan within? We can strive to be ethical and caring, but we can also become weak, perhaps momentarily, and there you are out on a limb, exposed, and the mob just outside and inside wants their piece of flesh. It is not so much that it is done intentionally, but there exist lucani/holes I mean in each individual's experience, whether one is teacher or student.

"how to mitigate risk"

Well, in fact, I think we all try. We don't usually sign on for more than we can handle, unless of coarse we sign on naively or with bravado-- like joining a military at war or a challenging spiritual/psychological coarse. The problem is that it is not a static thing-- we can only see based on where we are at and that keeps shifting beneath us, again whether we are teacher or student.

Given the degree to which we admit our wrong doing we can work on our healing. I think this is also available to Ray, but he has to accept the responsibility and weave his sorrow and transformation humbly into the fabric of his life blanket. If he doesn't we now know him for who he is, and none of us would be willing to pay the price or accept the basic false bravado in his teachings. To not use this experience as a teaching moment for his own redemption would mean a total denigration of the experience and a waste of the lives given for him to have it (I only mean in terms of what the deaths could mean to/for him). As all things represent opportunity, to underscore a new age but also ancient point, so is this that, and thusly, represents and opportunity to see through his new age/ego driven/success-oriented macho flawed persona and change by dint of sorrow and deep efforts to understand and take responsibility to become a more authentic, heart-centered, deeply spiritual person, also flawed, but more wisely and consciously oriented.

how do we fine-tune our "picker outer"

Our "Picker outer" is informed by our experience and our intuition. It is not always correct, either, though one could say, "I avoided that event for some reason" and have that be good enough. But we could as easily be responding to our insecurity/fears which could prevent us from moving further down the line of our experience until much later. It is not a race, so likely this works out well, but still there are those who fear a great deal.......maybe for them, a fully dressed, lights on, sauna, with magazines strewn about, light talk allowed, underscoring the normalcy of it all-- would be a place for them to start.

Sometimes we don't see a telltale flaw until down the road in our experience. We wouldn't have spotted this thing that bothers us about the teachings or the teacher until later. sometimes it is designed that way. All things have contradictions, and we wouldn't be able to handle them on the front end.........so they come later. What looks like small, actually tiny print, becomes, down the road, very large print, which we sometimes can no longer over look. This happens with all our experience. There is no safe place to stand without safety becoming our primary mode of existing. so we proceed with caution, with one foot in the light and one foot in the dark, moving forward, feelingly.

Thanks for listening...........I think I have used up my nickle....

Oh dear, Spirits for Sale costs $295 for the DVD. It's not available on Amazon or Netflix.

Thanks spirasol for this beautiful poem

Did not know this -- James Arthur Ray wrote occasional essays for the blog Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-arthur-ray