Death Ray Walks Away
James Arthur Ray :: Death Ray! … that’s what everyone else is going with … Death Ray … it’s pretty cool actually. I’m going to accept it … I was thinking about something more like Rat Fucker {no good for TV} :: or :: You’re Dead to Me You Fucking Slime Licking Pox on a Pox Ridden Twinkie Eater Etc. :: a bit long and nonsensical. So Death Ray it is.
Who killed Colleen Conaway? Question not answered :: But it is in the NY Post {link}. The Post reports that Colleen’s body was found without identification {like the sweat lodge victims} :: and that
“After the jump, Ray and his staffers left the mall knowing that Conaway was missing from the group, according to authorities.”
The attendees had been stripped of their ID’s :: wallets :: jewelry :: phones :: and clothes. They were dressed up in ratty clothes and told to wander around like homeless people. An absolute necessity on the path to Creating Absolute Wealth.
Fellow seminar attendee AF Grant saw Colleen jump. He tweeted this on the day of the event {link} ::
Today with James Ray: wallets, phone, id taken and we put on old clothes to wander San Diego as homeless. I witnessed a suicide attempt :(
Frowny Face indeed.
A couple of weeks later he further elaborated on his frowny face moment at the seminar {link} ::
“I spotted a woman standing outside the railing of a balcony on the third level at a mall. I thought it was some sort of stunt because ComicCon was going on. She jumped. It wasn’t a stunt. I was the only witness who had the vantage point to know it was intentional.”
AF Grant declined several glorious opportunities to speak with me {perhaps because I am a terrifying freak} :: but he did reply by email and in comment to his own blog ::
“I wonder if anyone with James Ray even realizes she was part of the seminar? I spoke to many staff members that day about what I saw, even James himself. It seems the seminar was over before she was identified – which makes complete sense because none of us had ID on us that Saturday afternoon. All CAW participants were roaming around downtown San Diego alone that afternoon. A security guard at the mall told me the jumper left her daughter behind on the balcony (that must have just been a bad rumor) but was one of many reasons why it never even dawned on me that should could have been part of our group.
I do not doubt that it was a suicide, but the fact that she was part of the seminar is certainly disturbing.”
I’d say “certainly disturbing” :: much like the frowning emoticon :: dramatically understates the fucking horribleness of this situation. Colleen is an out-of-place Midwesterner :: dressed in rags :: and looking like someone who has just spent the weekend at an 18 hour a day bizarro world seminar that AF himself describes as inducing “panic” and a “desire to run away.” None of that rings a bell when he sees her standing on the ledge? :(
AF tells the authorities that it was an intentional jump :: I wonder if he’s dressed up in rags that match Colleen’s at the time he makes his report or if he’s somehow found the time to change?
So James Ray walks out of the mall knowing that he’s leaving someone behind {dead}. AF {who just so happened to have witnessed and reported her “no doubt” intentional suicide} walks out having no idea that he just watched a fellow attendee die? Zero other attendees notice that Colleen is missing? The massive scene at the mall around a dead body draped in second hand rags doesn’t spark any brains into action?
Were Death Ray and his staff so unmoved by the events that they were able to continue on with the seminar as planned? Or did people notice the obvious :: and a change was made to the rest of the weekend’s curriculum? “We need to stick together. Remember your lessons. Let’s only reach out to others who are living the Harmonic lifestyle for true comfort … the Non-Harmonious do not understand the beauty of our transformational transformationals.” {link}
Colleen’s sister Lynn {who actually knew Colleen} :: has more doubts about the intentional nature of her “suicide” than random jackass AF Grant. From the NY Post article ::
“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.”
What went on was the malicious influence of Death Ray and his staff of soulless thugs. Cassandra Yorgey’s kickass article about the recent Spiritual Warrior event gives a good indication of the kind of psycho bullshit this freak was pulling. In one “James Ray Game” :: Ray casts himself in the role of God and then “kills” various participants. Fake dead participants are covered with a blanket and other participants “die” if they are unable to remain still. Sleep deprivation :: dehydration :: starvation :: death fixations :: god complex :: trouble.
While the details of Colleen’s tragedy are still sketchy :: One thing is clear :: Just a few months before James Arthur Ray walked away from three dead believers in the desert :: He walked away from one dead believer on the floor of a shopping mall.
Death Ray Walks Away
>> bleep bleep
-------------More fabulously hilarious writing ::
- Messages for the Dead Colleen Conaway was bussed to the Horton Plaza Mall...
- Who Killed Colleen Conaway? Colleen Marian Conaway :: a gentle and kind Midwestern Lady...
- Long Trips to the Mall Colleen Conaway died at the Horton Plaza Mall on...
- Death Ray Dancing and Testimonials It’s July 25th, 2009 :: James Arthur Ray’s Creating...
- 1:43 What were you doing on July 25, 2009? The...
:: read one now before you die of stupid.
This topic is hard for me to respond to because it touches on some very dark, personal tones for me. But I’ll just say it shakes me to my core whenever I see followers protecting their cult leader without even knowing that is what they’re doing
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This whole story stinks to high heaven.
I think AF is afraid to talk because he knows more then he is saying. He saw it all, the perfect vantage point. They were all dressed as homeless?
Surely he would have realized she was part of the group.
AF gave statements to the police????? Was he dressed as a homeless man at that point and without ID? Didn’t they wonder why the lady who jumped was also dressed as a homeless women without ID? That seems fishy to me. OK maybe they just assumed she was homeless. Don’t you think they would have wondered why the one man who witnessed the event was also homeless?
Do the police take statements from witnesses without confirming who they are and who they say they are? If AF Grant was in the mall and able to give statements, he too would have been void of ID and proper clothes.
Don’t you think he said during his statement “I’m attending a James Ray Seminar and today wallets, phone, id were taken and we put on old clothes to wander San Diego as homeless.”
Don’t you think the police would have thought “GEE MAYBE she is ALSO a part of this stupid seminar”
TOOOOOOOO MANY HOLES HERE FOR ME.
Two days to figure out who she was? Never any connection to the seminar. Never asked James Ray and his camp any questions??? WTF.
AF also talked to Ray about what he saw. No acknowledgment whatsoever? How much did this conference cost? 10k??? Something clearly happened over those two days between when Colleen’s sister spoke to her.
Stripped of clothes and ID. Why? Did anyone wonder why a huge group of “clean cut” people were dressed as homeless and ALL wondering through the mall? Yet nobody clued in that Colleen was also part of this group.
This is some weird shit. This seems like that part in the movie where we start to get those mini-flashbacks of all the weird shit going down and the pictures start to come together.
James Ray is one messed up SOB deep down and I think we’re slowly going to see that. There is some serious brainwashing going on from his camp of believers.
Maybe authorities are willing to look at the Colleen story closer….again….
Keep digging salty…the truth will be found I hope.
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Has anyone read these eyewitness accounts of the sweat lodge?
http://www.facebook.com/jamesray?v=feed&story_fbid=158012462715&ref=mf
The eyewitness accounts are pretty scary. If true, this shed some serious light on the man himself.
“People are flailing in seizures; others are vomiting violently, or foaming at the mouth. Bodies are lined up unconscious, some are blue from lack of oxygen, but for some it is too late, they are already dead. Survivors… Read More that are barely able to stand struggle to help the others, they have had almost no food or water for nearly three days, even longer without sleep. It looks like a war zone, but for the incongruent figure of James Arthur Ray (a contributing author to The Secret) who exits the sweat lodge and stands tall with a big smile, the only one able to stand on his own volition. He is not concerned with the medical emergency going on full swing around him. He is not worried about the health and well-being of his followers who have paid $10,000.00 (tack on an additional 5,000.00 or so if you include flights, room and board, and camping supplies) to attend his retreat. In fact, he and his team urge people to stop taking care of others and focus on their own journey, assuring them they are fine and only “purging”. Someone finally realizes James Ray is not in control of the situation and calls 911.”…
“Day Two the sleep deprivation has begun – but that by itself is not enough of a warning to foresee this tragedy. The real warning signs begin with the James Ray Games. One of the brave and recovering victims described a game they all had to play in which James Ray played God. Yep, you read that right; James Ray cast himself in the role of God and More would then command participants to die. He would point at someone and they would have to fall down and play dead. They would be covered with a blanket and if they moved another person would “die”….
”At the end of the second day the James Ray Vision Quest began. I personally have done several vision quests in the desert so I do have an inkling of an idea of what I… Read More’m talking about here. I find the biggest red flags of dangerous indoctrination to be restriction of water, food, or bathroom breaks – So when I heard James Ray dropped everyone off in the desert with no food, no water, and nothing but a sleeping bag, the clothes on their back, and a notebook I start to sputter obscenities. No water, in the desert, for 36+ hours is dangerous. I’ve always been told to drink at least a gallon of water a day when hiking in the desert. Furthermore, even if the participants had been fully rested and cognitively ready to question the water restriction, it is still completely traditional (and uneccesary) to go without food on these solo journeys.”
”James Ray mixes a subtle combination of increasingly risky behavior with perfectly legitimate practices that leave these poor victims slightly confused and he keeps them physically in a hurry -preventing them from sitting down and taking the time to think these things through. We… Read More’ve all been in that state of mind. Who hasn’t pulled an all-nighter studying just to be on autopilot the next day in class? Yeah, we can still function but it takes its toll. Now imagine before this all-nighter you’ve spent your classes working on trust exercises, being coddled by your professor and told how it’s important to relearn trusting others. You will be taken care. You are provided for. Stop thinking about those things and focus on your inner journey. Just learn stuff. Of course, you’ve paid $15,000 dollars or so to be there, so you expect to be able to really relax and let go. This is why James Ray is such a dangerous man, anyone could fall into that trap. By the time the participants started to think “Hey, I should have really insisted on that canteen of sweet, delicious, life-giving water…” it’s too late. They were stranded alone, in the dark, in an unknown location in the Arizona desert.”
”If you haven. More’t done one of these vision quests it might be hard to understand how the participants didn’t want to leave after that, but I assure you, it’s a powerful experience even when you’re fully rested and stuff yourself full of food and water. I imagine that sense of wonder and transformation is magnified when one is starving and dehydrated. Sleep was still hard to come by because most participants were not prepared for the devastating cold that comes over the desert at night. Participants were coerced into buying thickly woven Peruvian ponchos for additional charges of $250.00. While that price may seem exorbitant, one victim I interviewed was happy to have paid it, repeatedly stating that it was literally life-saving. The tightly woven material also kept out the intermittent rain, helping to keep participants dry. Still, sleep was hard to come by in those temperatures, being fitful at best and it hardly alleviated the impaired thinking that has become prevalent. It’s easy to see how thinking could become distorted at this point – feelings of being ripped off by a leader and staff that didn’t give proper information about necessary equipment are battling with rationalizations of how at least they pushed the extra gear on everyone instead of letting them freeze to death.”
”When James Ray More’s team finally returned to pick them up from their isolation (surprisingly enough, James Ray was not fasting on a vision quest during this period, nor were his staff – makes you wonder what they were doing, huh?) the participants were all so happy to be warm, with food and water, and thrilled to be surrounded by all their new friends who were all equally excited about their amazing transformative experiences, that the measly hour or so they had to eat and rehydrate themselves flew by. Food was hardly touched, most people opting to drink water first which quickly filled their newly shrunken stomachs. Before anyone had a chance to really recover the participants were whisked off to a group meditation (led by James Ray) and then to the final piece of the James Ray Spiritual Warrior Retreat. The sweat lodge.”
”We More’ve painted a picture of the participants mental state leading up to the sweat lodge, and we know what happened when James Ray turned the relaxing Native American equivalent of a sauna into an endurance competition. He not only encouraged participants to stay and push past physical discomfort, he also actively dissuaded people that wanted to leave. The phrase “push through your threshold” was repeated often by James Ray. If participants didn’t make it to the door fast enough they had to wait for the next round. James Ray would slam the tarp shut shouting “Too late! Door’s shut!” and as he was sitting directly next to the door he was escalating it into a physical confrontation (not to mention he was the only one getting reprieve from the heat. Others could not feel a thing when the door was opened) – playing off something we are trained from birth to avoid. Throughout all this, James Ray is speaking words of encouragement. He speaks of how throwing up is good and actually purging (it isn’t. it’s actually a sign of dehydration and many other bad things), and explains that passing out is common (it isn’t). He encourages people who find it too hot to bury their faces in the dirt, because it was cooler. This is like telling people to stay in a sauna and if it’s too hot – hey, just stick your face by the bottom of the door!” “These honorable participants tried time and time again to re-organize and keep everyone safe, but at every stage they were thwarted by James Ray and his staff. Participants who expressed concern over others were told time and time again to focus on their own journey, and not to interfere with another… Read More’s. Once outside the enclosure some people were physically restrained from helping the rescue effort by staff members. One unconscious victim was dropped on their head while staff carried them out of the sweat lodge. After paramedics responded, James Ray was escorted away by police; however he chose his right to silence. Police are reported to have released James Ray
that evening, at which point he immediately left the State.
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that is a really good point.
the police don’t take statements about a death from people without ID. as a matter of fact, the first thing they ask for is ID, when they are taking any type of statement.
so did he give statements to the police pretending he really was a homeless person without ID?
or did he tell the police he was on some wacko seminar in the mall and merely posing as a homeless person, so he had to go ask the James Ray staffers for his ID first? or was he given his ID back by the staffers who saw what happened.
that is a key point, where did he get his ID to show to the police?
Because if he gave the statements without ID telling them he was posing as homeless without ID doing a seminar, then the police would have suspected she was also from the seminar and looked into it.
Did anyone check the mall video security cameras?
to see who was near from where she jumped from? was she being spoken to by someone up on the 3rd floor, by someone not in plain sight?
maybe the mall security videos would show who was entering and leaving the area where she was at the time.
and the article says the James Ray and his gang of staffers left the mall knowing she was missing, and the other guy said he told them there was a suicide.
these people are full of shit. the only thing that makes sense is they saw what happened, or were involved in it, and then just got the hell out of there so as to not be implicated.
the entire thing is beyond sick,
maybe one of the insiders will start singing like a canary when it gets too hot.
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Ryan Healy Reply:
October 21st, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Great point about checking the videos from the security cameras.
Also: Isn’t leaving the scene of an accident a crime — if you are a witness? Wouldn’t it then also be a crime to leave the scene of a suicide if you either witnessed it or were with that person just prior to the suicide??
Ryan
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This is just so unbelievably horrifying. I’m so glad the authorities are on it and are investigating.
This part was shocking to me…
“He not only encouraged participants to stay and push past physical discomfort, he also actively dissuaded people that wanted to leave. The phrase “push through your threshold” was repeated often by James Ray. If participants didn’t make it to the door fast enough they had to wait for the next round. James Ray would slam the tarp shut shouting “Too late! Door’s shut!” and as he was sitting directly next to the door he was escalating it into a physical confrontation (not to mention he was the only one getting reprieve from the heat. Others could not feel a thing when the door was opened) – playing off something we are trained from birth to avoid. Throughout all this, James Ray is speaking words of encouragement. He speaks of how throwing up is good and actually purging (it isn’t. it’s actually a sign of dehydration and many other bad things), and explains that passing out is common (it isn’t).”
People have argued that James didn’t “mean” for any harm to come to his participants, and they may be right. But it doesn’t matter if he “meant” for them to die, it only matters that his arrogance killed them.
His arrogance and God Complex drove him to push them beyond human capacity, just so he could be seen as their “fearless leader” who knew better than they did about what was good for them.
It is vile, disgusting, and horrifying to think that even when people were falling down around him, he still believed that he was doing something “good”.
Runaway Ray, indeed.
I need a long shower to try and wash these images out of my head.
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Ryan Healy Reply:
October 21st, 2009 at 5:11 pm
It could be argued that Ray actually wanted them to die. The reason I say this is because of the reports that describe Ray playing God and pointing to people and telling them to play dead.
This guy has some serious power-trip issues. Makes me wonder if he’s some kind of Fabian socialist or Malthusian disciple who takes seriously the idea that he needs to control population growth.
Ryan
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There are plenty of psychos and psychogurus who get off on the power they have over their people. That’s why they become a guru in the first place.
Some of the worst of them get off on the power of commanding people to die in their mindgames to show their dominance.
Once a guru gets power they get carried away with it, and go from bad to worse.
Some really psychogurus become quite obsessed with death and the power of death, and all of a sudden there are accidents with their followers where people end up hurt and dead.
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Wow, they didn’t even bother with a head count to make sure that everyone was on the bus. No one stayed behind to take care of Colleen and make sure that she was treated with a modicum of dignity. No one bothered to report that an attendee was missing from the bus. I wonder if they even called Colleen’s family, I’m sure they didn’t. Milgram would be proud, or maybe not.
Amazing.
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I just hope JUSTICE moves swiftly. Arizona is not known for molly-coddling criminals. I hope they can change venue to Maricopa county so Death Ray ends up living in a GP medium and wearing a pink jumpsuit.
There is no punishment harsh enough in our current system to punish those in positions of power who abuse their authority – whether gurus or any other person. With authority comes responsibility. This is a lesson most of these idiots are never taught. As you have aptly pointed out, the only thing they understand is reciprocal force, and from the reactions you and others who challenge them get, it is clear they are ugly, small people who get by on bullying.
Give ‘em hell!
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A question for Mr Salty or Ms Droid;
The photo for this piece is a copy from the blog in question, is it not? (with some add-ons)
http://www.saltydroid.info/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Grateful-for-Colleen.jpg
http://www.afgrant.com/uploaded_images/P8020022-web-746905.jpg
The blog in question said something about suicide being a sensitive issue for the blogger, and being the biggest button he has to push, didn’t it?
Somewhat cryptic.
And the word “grateful” was tattooed right across his wrist, correct?
Does anyone see a “scar” right above the word Grateful, or is that just a shadow or wrinkle?
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SD Reply:
October 21st, 2009 at 3:25 am
I hope that is not the case :: because that would be too much sadness. I might take it down if you are right. I think it’s just puffy from the “seminar-tatt” :: Wrong direction for that sort of scar.
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Great work, Droid. As I understood AF Grant’s comment on his blog, he meant he contacted authorities only recently – after he realised who it was. I can understand that he didn’t want to stick around and talk to the police in the state of mind and condition he was in. (Understand, not excuse.) I doubt Ray was in the Plaza, and it may also be that none of the “crew” was there either. To properly supervise 300 participants (the number AF gave) you’d need a minimum of 60 or 70 staff. But there could well have been one there who saw it and just disappeared.
Quite possibly Ray didn’t know either. She’d paid. She disappeared. Probably happens all the time at his groups. It wouldn’t surprise me if Ray first heard about it was about the same time AF Grant heard about it.
Of course, it’s just as possible a staffer saw it and ducked off quickly. Wouldn’t want to lead those nasty coppers back to the boss, would we. As for AF Grant, if he suspected any foul play, I don’t think he would’ve posted about it, or answered questions. He might want to do ray’s next group, but I don’t know that Ray will be all that pleased about his revelations that Ray either hushed it up, or didn’t even fucking know one of his participants was dead.
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Grant Reply:
October 21st, 2009 at 6:39 am
Yakaru – That’s why this stinks in my opinion and seeing the actual police report would tell us something we’re not being told.
AF Grant says in his recap of the weekend.
“She jumped. It wasn’t a stunt. I was the only witness who had the vantage point to know it was intentional. I gave statements to the police and mall security. If you know anything about me, you know suicide is about the biggest button I have to push.”
He gave statements THERE and THEN. With or without ID? Dressed in rags and old clothes or not?
I believe if Salty keeps digging suddenly bigger organizations are going to see a pattern of serious fucked-up-ed-ness here and hopefully begin investigating.
Maybe AF grant knows nothing more and we can 100% agree that he is not out to mislead anyone, but maybe just maybe he will start to realize something more and do it pretty fucking quick.
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Loving your articles. I know that Colleen was at the mall with the Absolute Wealth field trip, they are saying she got seperated from the group and the leader of her group told the mall security that she had gotten lost. They said that someone had just jumped from the 3rd story and the leader said that couldn’t of been Colleen. But they all got back on their bus or whatever they were in and left without her. When she never showed up they finally called mall security again and got the coroners number. They realized it was her and took her purse down there to identify her. Of course they forgot to bring along all of the fucking books and papers that she had been writing for 3 days that might of given us some insight into why she jumped. The video does not show anyone around her and that she jumped on her own. However we all know that the reason she must of done this was because of the JAR event she was attending. Something must of snapped and she figured out he wasn’t all that and he wasn’t going to help her in any way to make the best of her life and help her start a new business. He couldn’t of cared less about her, unless she was going to sign up for his next bigger and better seminar!!! Needless to say, we are hoping to find some answers but it’s really hard when she isn’t here to help us.
AF if you were there and saw what happened, please let us know what you were suppose to be doing at the mall that day? What were you to do? Act homeless? Beg for money, what was the goal of this field trip?
Thanks
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there are several errors above. either errors, or some deliberate confusion.
He said he gave a statement to the authorities about the suicide right on the scene, not later.
He said he didn’t realize it was Colleen until someone posted it on his blog.
which is impossible to believe.
the news article says that “After the jump, Ray and his staffers left the mall knowing that Conaway was missing from the group, according to authorities.” http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/mystic_past_is_guru_some_rZkrxu8pPw7WGOHiKCA3uI
Ray and his staffers were at the mall, and left without her, which is more than suspicious, of course. they wanted to get out of there.
Why did they leave? The same reason he left Sedona without saying anything.
they did not forget her papers either, no way. those would have gone missing. Did they ever turn up? doubt it, it might incriminate the seminar.
any official statement from the family of Colleen about what happened, would have to be verified they actually said it. there are too many lies already around this.
can anyone access a public record police statement from the san diego police about what really happened?
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a reporter, or a blogger reporter, could contact the San Diego police to see if there is a public record report that can be accessed about Colleen Conaway.
Police Department | City of San Diego http://www.sandiego.gov/police/
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Death Ray addresses his critics on his blog which was just updated today…
http://blog.jamesray.com/
Excerpt: “People are throwing out accusations and disparaging me and our mission. Yet despite that, and despite considerable criticism, I have chosen to continue with my work. It’s too important not to. One of the lessons I try to impart is that you have to confront and embrace adversity and learn and grow from it. I promise you I am doing a lot of learning and growing. I have taken heat for that decision, but if I chose to lock myself in my home, I am sure I would be criticized for hiding and not practicing what I preach.”
LOL! Maybe if James hadn’t walked away, maybe if he had at least personally visited with the victims in the hospital… He’d have at least a few less criticisms to deal with.
Another bit I I found amusing…
“My team and I are working with the appropriate authorities and have even hired our own investigators to find out the truth.”
Hey Death Ray… I think you have to actually talk to the police first to be considered as working with them. It’s NOT like you had a choice when they laid the search warrants on ya! LOL!
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ray should start by meeting with the police investigators as they have asked repeatedly.
but he’s too smart to meet with trained questioners.
oh well, his insults and games with the investigators will just make them want to nail him even more, and dig up everything he’s done that’s relevant.
but no, ray has hired his own investigators, just like OJ is still looking for the real killers.
and the James Ray staffers should be very very afraid, as they could be implicated in all sorts of stuff. if they are smart, the staffers will cut themselves a deal by providing evidence.
keep all that evidence staffers!
don’t let old ray pin it all on you. you know he will if he can do it.
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Remember that a big part of these LGAT type seminars is to break down the participant, causing confusion and disassociation. I think that this could help explain the holes in Grant’s story. I don’t believe it is to intentionally <i>mislead</i> anyone. It’s possible that A.F Grant wasn’t *all there* when they witnessed the suicide. For some people it takes weeks and months to recover from these *seminars* (i.e. brainwashing), and for others many years or never.
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Family of victims call deaths “murder”
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Ryan Healy Reply:
October 21st, 2009 at 5:24 pm
So sad.
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Another participant spills the beans…
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j4PHcSvMF8pPe_CpIRZejl7OD1vgD9BFKMJO0
Excerpt:
<i>”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.”
By that time, Bunn had already crawled to a spot near the opening of the sweat lodge, praying for the door to stay open as long as possible between rounds so that she could breathe in fresh air.
At one point, someone lifted up the back of the tent, shining light in the otherwise pitch-black enclosure. Ray demanded to know who was letting the light in and committing a “sacrilegious act,” Bunn said.</i>
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And even more…
http://www.kpho.com/news/21362428/detail.html
Excerpt: It was during that altered state that Kurt and hundreds of others did something most people would see as reckless, he said. Participants were required to sign a waiver that released Ray of any responsibility if someone got hurt.
“They had us put the sharp side of the arrow … (a) true, real archery arrow right on the soft part of your neck,” Kurt said. “There’s no bone behind it, just the real soft area .. your trachea is right there and your spine behind it, and you lean forward into the arrow.”As Kurt leaned into the arrow — a challenge designed to make him face his fears — his fear was realized.”When the shaft snapped, a large piece went up under my glasses and penetrated my eyelid,” he said. “(It) just missed my eye by an eighth of an inch. It was a deep cut — probably needed stitches.”"I was greatly concerned,” Laura said. “We could not tell if his eye was intact. It was a bloody mess.”Kurt and Lauren said they believe Ray was not prepared for anything to go wrong.The event did not have the proper medical staff, and it took time for them to dig around for a first aid kit, Kurt said.
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I am so bloody angry that this was allowed to go this far. Why haven’t the authorities shut the likes of James Ray and David Schirmer and their cronies down BEFORE any of this happened. These people appear to have no qualifications yet they make the most ridiculous claims about their own abilities and get this, they actually believe it. They are the deluded ones and they have been allowed to hold seminars and manipulate people for years without any consequences. There is something very evil about what they do and they will be made to suffer if they aren’t already.
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Really–could this say it any better? It doesn’t just speak to James Ray’s outsized ego, but to why so many probably decent people could be fooled. My first reaction was along the lines of ‘how could they be taken so easily” with the implication that I’m smarter than that. But there is usually something very subtle and deceptive going on (along with implied promises of ‘enlightenment’ and real happiness–and monetary wealth) that we aren’t tuned into unless we’ve experienced this level of deception before. As I mentioned in another post, I have a friend who is ‘being taken’, I think, by some excellent marketers who also speak of ‘higher purpose’ and other psycho babble. The bolds are mine:
We find narcissists everywhere—in our boardrooms, with spouses, ex-spouses, family members, bosses, co-workers, friends. Most of us don’t expect to discover them among spiritual mentors and gurus. A number of years ago the great sociologist, Christopher Lasch prophetically announced: “In a dying culture, narcissism appears to embody—in the guise of personal ‘growth’ and ‘awareness’—the highest attainment of spiritual enlightenment.” Many of us make the assumption that if an individual has theological credentials or training in spiritual disciplines, he or she is authentic. Some of the most insidious forms of narcissism are perpetrated by spiritual teachers and gurus.
There are as many styles and levels of narcissistic spiritual gurus as there are spiritual movements. They range from the itinerant preacher type a la Elmer Gantry to the most educated, highly trained individuals who create worldwide movements and success through their foundations, seminars, numerous books, dvds, cds, and media appearances. Being respected in the world does not mean that an individual cannot be a narcissistic spiritual guru who brings psychological and monetary injury to others.
The narcissistic guru (male or female) is often dynamic and charismatic. He magnetizes individuals to him with an irresistible persona that conveys that he possesses unique spiritual gifts and has access to secrets that will lead to higher levels of consciousness. The skilled narcissistic guru assesses which individuals will be receptive to joining his spiritual circle. He fixates his attention on the prospective member, communicating to him that he is special and indispensable. These gurus use riveting eye contact. Their gestures, tone of voice, all of their nonverbal cues are focused on their target. Narcissistic spiritual gurus are superb actors (who often believe their own performances). They appeal to that part of us that is emotionally vulnerable, feeling deprived or unworthy. Some of us are seeking a magic key or formula that will lead us beyond suffering—that ego voice that wants to feel all powerful, without limits—godlike. All of those who fall under the spell of the narcissistic spiritual guru are not ignorant or naïve. The high-level narcissistic spiritual teacher possesses dynamic and intuitive powers that seduce and fool many people. Despite their allure and tempting promises, there are warning signs that a spiritual teacher is more dedicated to making himself powerful and affluent than helping his devotees:
1. Pay attention to the money barometer. Does the guru charge exorbitant fees for his services?
2. Is there continuing pressure placed on members to sign up for ongoing expensive programs? The not so hidden message here is: the more courses you take with us, the holier you will become. This can be called a pay to pray or pay to be holy spiritual scheme.
3. Another observation is that devotees often venerate the guru, reflexively obeying him. Having been deluded by their charismatic leader, they are no longer capable of independent thinking.
4. The narcissistic spiritual guru often uses his closest followers as servants who perform free labor: going on special errands, cleaning their residences, arranging public events. The loyal devotee considers these requests as a privilege and evidence that they hold an honored place in the guru’s hierarchy.
5. Narcissists play favorites. They pit one member against another to maintain ultimate power and control over their members.
6. Devotees are often mistreated. The slightest mistake can cause ugly scenes of humiliation in front of other group members.
7. Followers who question the spiritual leader or are considered dangerous rivals are excommunicated from the group.
8. The narcissistic guru behaves very differently in his personal life than among his devotees. He is often extremely self indulgent, materialistic, greedy, and in some cases, uses drugs and alcohol to excess. He might engage in sexual exploitation with compliant devotees who are emotionally dependent and vulnerable and psychologically fused with him.
Becoming more spiritually awake and heart centered doesn’t cost money. It requires devotion, discipline, and perseverance despite all the obstacles that come in our path. It’s not a short trip; it’s an adventurous journey.
Linda Martinez-Lewi holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is a licensed marriage family therapist. She has extensive clinical training in narcissistic and borderline disorders. Dr. Linda Martinez-Lewi is the author of the book “Freeing Yourself From the Narcissist in Your Life.”
Dr. Martinez-Lewi has worked for many years with patients experiencing psychological problems as a result of personal and professional relationships with narcissistic personality disorders. She has clinical experience treating patients suffering from childhood trauma, anxiety disorders, and depression.
Dr. Martinez-Lewi has been interviewed on numerous radio talk shows throughout the country.
Visit her website at:http://www.thenarcissistinyourlife.com
[Reply]
Hey Lynn, I think you’ve edited your post since I first saw it this evening – you had the link to the article and mentioned something about what they were telling your friend about making stuff up about being an expert and Ali Brown. I wanted to answer it then but did something else, came back and found it gone so I will do so now. That is what they do and I’ve traced it for several of her girls.
Quick example: Check out http://rockstarweddingplanner.com/. That girl was in the beginner program last year with no biz or website and stepped up to the top tier this year. She was successful because she sold herself out as a coach to others in the wedding planning biz with no online presence or lead gen – despite having no successful wedding biz herself . She used Ali’s stuff to help them get online like she did. Here is an example of one her students this year: http://www.nataliebradley.com/Home.html.
Check out some of Fabienne Fredickson’s stuff and get on her list if you want to watch some real cult like stuff. She’s one of Ali’s former top students.
[Reply]
“Some of the most insidious forms of narcissism are perpetrated by spiritual teachers and gurus.”
… but that would be thinking very negatively now wouldn’t it?
[Reply]
I attended Creating Absolute Wealth in December 2008. Several busses dropped us off near downtown San Diego with instructions to not make any contact whatsoever with other attendees. We were suppose to all disperse and separate from each other and if we came upon someone from the group, we were to ignore and pretend not to see them. So separation from the group was expected. Not only that, we were told that we could not tell anyone that we were attending a seminar, we had to stay “in character”. So we spent 3 hours walking the streets of SD trying to look inconspicuous ( I think there was about 350 of us “homeless” people converging on SD, how would we not be conspicuous?). We were told to meet at a certain time back at the place where the bus had dropped us off originally. We had no buddies assigned to keep track of each other. By the way, we had no water, food, money, cell phones, watches or ID. A map would have been nice since I was not from SD. Nothing but ragged clothes and the dirt that had been smeared on our faces and clothes by the JRI staff and Dream Team. Oh and women had to remove all makeup and jewelry. They also glopped our hair with gel to make us look not only homeless but crazy psycho I never take a shower homeless as well. And they didn’t confiscate our phones and ID, we got our homeless clothing in the classroom and then went back to our rooms to change and leave our stuff there. The only thing I took with me was my room key, which I put in my shoe. One other thing, they gave us an emergency card with a phone number on it. I guess we were suppose to beg for a quarter and locate a pay phone or maybe steal a cellphone just in case something bad happened . That’s the way it was. I’ve been to 6 JR events and CAW was not my favorite. No, I did not attend SW. That would have been the pinnacle event and I was thinking of attending next year…..until the horrific tragedy. I honestly don’t know why I am writing this, I never comment in these forums. But there’s alot of misperception about what happens in the events and about the people who attend, I just felt the need to provide some actual facts. Oh, and I just remembered, you weren’t forced to do this, I know at least one person who stayed in their room. So JRI did not force anyone to participate or take attendance of who did or didn’t go. And there were 3 total outings during the event.
I think it’s inconceivable that they would sweep Colleen’s death under the rug and party down that night but it appears they did. I am so sickened and repulsed by James and his staff’s behavior regarding Colleen and the Sedona tragedy that I have completely disavowed myself from all of them. He was my teacher and I trusted him, many people did. We were all betrayed. But there are many of his students still in denial about this. They are still standing by him. That will soon change. His kingdom is crumbling around him and there is nothing he can do about it. He is powerless to reverse the damage. He has taught us to be impeccable in our word and deed, to take responsibility for our actions or inactions. But he is not walking the talk. The biggest challenge is for me to separate the teacher from the teachings because much of the knowledge he has given us (for a more than nominal price) is good and will serve us for the rest of our lives. But everything associated with him is now tainted with blood so I am struggling with what to do with all the materials I have bought from him. I thought about a bonfire but I think I will give myself time to cool off and think about it.
[Reply]
there is so much conflicting information coming out about this stuff, it smells of a disinformation campaign mixed in with everything else.
one thing to think about is that of course no one is forced like from the mafia to do things, its all about very intense pressures, peer pressures and all the heavy mind games going down.
and when you are spending 10 grand, and you are told you have to play full out to get the full experience, that also drives people too far, as they don’t want to miss out, that is another club used on them.
so its not good to oversimply it, but to try to understand the full process.
its all about knowing how to manipulate people to do what you want them to do, without them knowing you are manipulating them, and even thinking it was their own idea.
learn how to become a talented manipulator, and you can make millions too.
[Reply]
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