“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”- Wizard of Oz
Now that the trial is over and the sentencing has been handed down, *James Arthur Ray is no doubt getting used to his new home in an Arizona prison. There were mixed emotions about the length of sentencing : 2 years each for the deaths of Kirby Brown, James Shore, and Liz Newman, to be served consecutively. Though I’m certain that the families of the victims will never come to terms with the manner in which they lost their loved ones, I pray that their “new normal” is within reach.
There are many people that support the families and honor their journey by continuing the fight to make sure that no other “self-help guru” can scam, harm, or cause the death of another innocent person seeking enlightenment. One such important organization was founded by the family of Kirby Brown called SEEK Safely.
From the SEEK Safely website:
“We have launched a not-for-profit organization, SEEK, (Self-help Empowerment through Education and Knowledge) to educate the public about the self-help industry. It will empower all seekers to ask important questions and consider possible “red-flags” before following a self-proclaimed “guru”, even if they have been vetted by the public media. We will work to protect those desiring personal growth by exposing scam artists and frauds.
SEEK will advocate for professional standards, and explore avenues of accountability for this totally unregulated industry.” – via Thomas McFeeley, cousin of Kirby Brown.
I urge you to go to the website and follow them on Twitter.
Remember, in the beginning, it was the lessons of James Ray that so many of us were attracted to. (“Energy flows where attention goes.”) In the end, James Ray, the man, only served us by igniting the spark of knowledge we already had inside of us.
I believe it is up to those who have seen “the man behind the curtain” to guide those who have only seen "the great and powerful wizard". We can expose the tricks and manipulation tactics by sharing our stories. I hope you will feel free to do so in the comments below.
Not all teachers are scam artists. There are many pure souls out there that freely share their Knowledge with the world. Our duty is to “separate the wheat from the chaff”.
* James Arthur Ray conducted a “Spiritual Warrior” seminar in Sedona, Arizona where Kirby Brown, age 38, James Shore, age 40, and Liz Neuman, age 49, died following his “sweat lodge ceremony” in October 2009. Wednesday, June 22, 2011, an Arizona jury of eight men and four women took eight hours to find James Ray GUILTY of three counts of NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE. (The jury found him NOT GUILTY of MANSLAUGHTER charges.)
THANK YOU for taking the time to read my article! I hope that you took away some bit of wisdom or new idea.
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