70 Comments »

Yakaru said:
I love it……The internet archive – every Spirit-Scammer’s enemy!
Very appropriate use of the pyramid, James – with “begin the journey” written at the bottom of it. Sums up the business perfectly.
  +2
[Reply]

Duff Reply:
February 16th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
I never put that together. Thanks, Yakaru!
A pyramid is where Egyptian Pharaohs go to die, with all their riches and wealth buried with them (he who dies with the most toys wins). To “begin the journey” by clicking on a pyramid is to dying in the pursuit of wealth.
  +5
[Reply]
# 15 February 2010 at 10:17 am

wondering why said:
Here is a link for docs on James Ray..go to High Profile cases and click link..
http://www.co.yavapai.az.us/clerksupct.aspx
  +1
[Reply]
# 15 February 2010 at 11:22 am

hrm said:
Debbie?
Why would Debbie have bad karma?
lol…………….
  +1
[Reply]
# 15 February 2010 at 1:20 pm

stoic said:
Salty,
Do you have an affiliate programme in place? Death Ray looks so fetching in orange with his hands on his hips that I am sure I can build a list and shift a few units of that one.
WINNER!! ::   +7
[Reply]

Hippo Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 11:39 pm
This one would make an awesome bobble-head doll.
  +5
[Reply]
# 15 February 2010 at 2:10 pm

TSarten said:
Thanks Salty.
The wayback machine is forgetful right now — can’t access 1996.
But I do love Senior Ray from his Mexican prison photo. But I think you need to stipulate that the penis rocket is magnified 100 x’s its actual size. Unless of course you and Debbie are selling a natural Viagra and James Ray is your big dick model.
  +5
[Reply]
# 15 February 2010 at 4:27 pm

Jean D said:
This is the best President’s Day gift ever! Does it look to anyone else like he’s missing his dentures in the prison picture or is that really the formation of his mouth?
  +4
[Reply]

TinyDancer Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
That is always the way people hold their mouth when they are doing the Mockerana.
  +4
[Reply]
# 15 February 2010 at 4:43 pm

beejeezuz said:
He has the same quickly worn down look that his aussie supporter does. David Squirmers photos circa 2006 when his troubles seemed so far away then fast forward to circa 2007 when he was caught in new zealand are way priceless. Only problem is he cant afford anyone to use anything other than his head because well lets just say the rest aint what golirocks had in mind as a pleasant vision. Damn that internet archive not to mention the library of salivorous shots his detractors extract on a whim. Awww we shouldn’t pick on them really makes them all sad but bugger it since when did they care anyway they had their fun now its our turn.
  +2
[Reply]
# 15 February 2010 at 5:21 pm

SD (author) said:
Daniel Pfankuch :: who came out of the 2005 Death Lodge throwing punches and was taken to the hospital {seemingly over Death Ray’s strenuous objections}.
Here he is in a strange picture with James in 2007 ::

He now describes himself as divorced and occasionally homeless since his “Journey of Power” ended. On this night he must have still been married … because his wife is there too {thumb ring!} …

I wonder what happened to their marriage? Taking your wife to James Herpe Ray’s for a party is never a good idea.
From the Arizona Republic ::
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/01/12/20100112sweat-lodge-documents-james-ray.html
“Daniel Pfankuch was taken to a hospital after the incident. Doctors there told him he suffered from heat stroke and severe dehydration.
“I mean, in my opinion, that was huge,” Gingerella told a detective in early November. “When I heard about what happened . . . a couple weeks ago, I, was I shocked? Not really, because my last experience at the sweat lodge was not a good one.”
Luis Li, a Ray attorney, said the statements about the 2005 incident, which multiple witnesses recounted, were “neither accurate or credible.”
“We’ve checked the records and Mr. Pfankuch signed up for, and attended, three additional James Ray International events after attending the 2005 sweat lodge,” Li said.”
… Great point Luis Li … it’s a sure sign of Ray’s innocence that he was able to finish Daniel off … even after almost killing him.
[Reply]

Hippo Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 11:37 pm
To Mr. Salty:
Thank you so much for posting about this man.
I have been hoping that you, or someone else, would go into the issue of permanent physical injuries, such as brain damage, or lung damage, from over-extending oneself at a James Ray event.
The fact that Mr. Pfankuch went back after being injured in 2005 doesn’t mean anything. If he suffered brain damage from the sweat lodge, and was still very suggestible to James Ray, he might have thought that his new symptoms would be alleviated by more seminars.
WINNER!! ::   +10
[Reply]

stoic Reply:
February 16th, 2010 at 4:18 am
Undoubtedly that is a key component of Death Ray’s sales spiel:
“You suffered a bad reaction at Spiritual Warrior? That is a sure sign that you are not yet fully evolved, you have not yet got “it”.
It cannot be a problem with the programme because the great Death Ray received the programme as a gift from the blue genie of the Universe, it must be a problem with you.
I prescribe many more doses of Spiritual Warrior–in a homeopathic way—until you are so fucked up that your present troubles will seem negligible by comparison.”
WINNER!! ::   +9
[Reply]

Jean D Reply:
February 16th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
Check out this video of the Law of Attraction guy explaining death ray’s arrest and how he attracted this:
  +1
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Nancy O Reply:
December 15th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
@Jean D, the music is way creepy isn’t it? yikes… never ever heard of this guy…he “knows” James very well? he is referring to a free 2 hour event that if he got lots o’ people to it…then he would make a cut from their tuition. This video is proof positive that he has no fucking idea what he is talking about.
  +1
[Reply]

Nancy O Reply:
December 15th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
@Jean D, the music is way creepy isn’t it? yikes… never ever heard of this guy…he “knows” James very well? he is referring to a free 2 hour event that if he got lots o’ people to it…then he would make a cut from their tuition. This video is proof positive that he has no fucking idea what he is talking about.
  0
[Reply]

Jean D Reply:
December 16th, 2010 at 3:01 pm
@Nancy O, Yea this guy is definitely a LOA scam artist. Can you believe someone thinks they have the ability to explain “why” he was arrested? As if taking 3 lives and injuring many is not a real reason.
  +1
# 15 February 2010 at 7:20 pm

HarmonicallyBogus!(TM pending) said:
Awesome post (as always!), Salty Droid; thanks for all of your in-depth research & coverage of Ray, and of all of the scam artists like him who have victimized so many for so long.
(Kudos on all of the pics, too…Never before have I seen photos that were so funny and yet so totally nightmare-inducing, at the same time. ;) )
Not to detract from the story about JAR, but, incidentally, his “pal” Joe Vitale sent out an email about his new product today, and I found a note at the very bottom of the sales page to be disturbing, but rather fitting, with regard to the topic of this blog. It reads: “It can be assumed that no results are to be expected as a result of one’s purchase of these products….That being said, HMI, Dr. Vitale and his associates, partners and affiliates firmly believe in the effectiveness of hard work and the power of positive thought and that, more than anything, is what he is selling and teaching.”
So, to be polite…umm, WTF? He’s selling…his customer’s hard work?!? How can these “Masters of the Secret” continue to keep swindling people — especially following such a horrible tragedy???
Here’s hoping for some quick Karma for Vitale…and even quicker criminal convictions for Ray.
(P.S. He really does look like he’s missing dentures! I bet he’ll be “attracting” some new cellmate partners in no time…)
  +6
[Reply]

hrm Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
It becomes a circle where the people that are paying the exuberant amounts of money for the high-end access to these guys like Vitale, Kennedy, Kern, etc, are just trying to get their foot in the door to make a buck in the same biz.
I saw a quote somewhere that said something along the lines of “the only way you’ll make money with a get rich quick book is by writing a get rich quick book”.
That’s why Kern shelled out the bucks to be part of Dan Kennedy’s platinum member inner circle. That’s why Kennedy emails for Kern.
Just picture a big circle jerk with about 10 or so of the biggest names in “internet marketing”. When one of them is about to “launch”, all of the rest of them try to collect the biggest percentage of the “launch”.
Are you all really surprised though? Haven’t you read “think and grow rich”? The bible of these douchebags?
This is just the mastermind principle. Associate with those with the same goals. Well, these guys have succeeded in that, and that’s why they’re raking in cash. They’ve aligned themselves with other people that magnify their trickery.
WINNER!! ::   +7
[Reply]

hrm Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 10:55 pm
And as far as outsiders trying to get in the circle, you’re more likely to just waste a bunch of money and have them laugh at you.
You have to have your hardcore influence principles down. Or – in circle jerk speak – if you can’t blow a big enough load, you’re not in!
Piss on Irwin “Frank” Kern dog training bullshit artist all you want, but the guy made a boatload because his fake good old southern boy shtick tickled the feel good emotions of the oblivious population.
And that equates to a big load in the circle.
  +5
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Burned By Fire Reply:
February 16th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
Joe Vitale is getting his just due. Just think, he actually has to wake up in the morning and be Joe Vitale/Mr. Fire. If I didn’t know better, he was in the sweatlodge himself. Since then, his crazy products have gotten even crazier. Wish dolls, “clearing (mindfuck) audios” with subliminal messages in them that say things like “buy more of Mr. Fire’s products!” Oh, but don’t look any deeper or he’ll just throw a freaking disclaimer up as a defense. You were never supposed to take him SERIOUSLY!
  +6
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stoic Reply:
February 16th, 2010 at 6:54 pm
Brilliant, the real horror of Joes schtick is that he himself has to live with what is inside his head. An elegant revenge.
  +3
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Cosmic Connie Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 9:54 am
If you just read part of the copy on the sales page for Joe and Pat’s new “Clearing Mind Blast Audio” — which combines music from Joe’s so-called “alien guitar” with subliminal chanting (Sanskrit, we’re told!), and the obligatory binaural beats) — you get something approaching honest marketing. Towards the bottom of the page, in smallish type and buried in a bunch of other copy, is this:
“Look. We can’t guarantee what good things will happen once you listen to this spectacular and unusual new clearing audio. It is not therapy or medication. We are not therapists or doctors. We can only offer The Clearing Mind Blast as entertainment.
“But, as you know, entertainment can often be very healing.”
I’ve often said that selfish-help/New-Wage/McSpirituality are little more than forms of entertainment, albeit expensive entertainment in all too many cases. The Mind Blast product isn’t all that pricey — only about $40.00 — but I have no doubt that it is entertaining. I don’t mean that solely in a snarky sense either; for folks who like unusual music it might be a fun listen. As for “healing,” well, music hath charms and all that.
In any case, that smidgen of honesty on the sales page is pretty much negated by the large-type copy at the beginning:
“How can an Alien Guitar and an Ancient Chant help you get clear of the most stubborn, hidden, and deepest blocks preventing you from attracting what you really really want?”
Then it goes on:
“…Dr. Joe Vitale of the hit movie The Secret says, ‘The Clearing Mind Blast is a stick of dynamite in music form, designed to blow to smithereens most if not all the negative thoughts in you.’
“It will help melt down and chase out all negativity, limiting beliefs, and hidden blocks in your unconscious mind….
“After all, how are you ever going to get what you want until you get clear of what’s in you preventing it???
“Relax. Help is here…”
And so on, and so forth. The copy begins and ends with the requisite promises (mostly implicit, since they’re being a bit more careful these days) of magic and miracles. Joe also says the alien guitar made him a better guitarist than Eric Clapton. Yes, really. Joe writes:
“When I plugged the amazing Alien Guitar into a cool amp Pat O’Bryan gave me, I suddenly became better than guitarists Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa and Eric Clapton, all combined and then multiplied by a quad-crack extra talent formula from another galaxy; all pumping through my veins like a Star Wars battle in my skull while the lust of the gods danced under my skin and made my face contort in ecstasy.”
Whew. I think I need a cigarette. Or a dose of promethazine.
I also noticed that in order for the Mind Blast Alien audio product to really, really work, it is strongly recommended that you purchase its predecessor, Pat and Joe’s famous Clearing Audio. No hard sell there; just a helpful recommendation.
I was a bit surprised that once again Joe dragged out his little cartoon of “how the Universe works,” but there it is, big as life, and there it probably will stay until enough people make fun of it and the guys either remove it altogether or have it re-created by a professional.
http://www.clearingmindblast.com/missingsecretnew.png
If you’re interested, here’s how the Universe REALLY works (courtesy of one of my favorite contributors, HHH):
http://tinyurl.com/ycl3wkc
Now if you’ll excuse me, BBF and I need to get back to creating our own audio product that combines subliminal Pig Latin chants with ukulele, kazoo, and a cheap toy piano. We’re both certified Rakey healers and Ka-Ching masters, so we’re infusing the product with lots of top-seekrit energies.
  +6
[Reply]

Bart Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Holy cow. Joe’s stuff is getting really OUT THERE. I mean, wow. Alien guitars, star wars battle in his skull, lust of the gods, contorting in ecstasty, WOW! That guy needs a vacation IN REALITY, not from reality. Sheesh!
  +3
[Reply]
# 15 February 2010 at 8:31 pm

AnnAustin said:
Droid–
I’ve been following along ever so quietly on this story since the beginning. Thanks for doing a great job. And for using humor now and then. Glad I had no liquids in my mouth, or I would have spewed all over my monitor on this post.
Looks like Bryan could use some help over at NYMAG. Either that or the Leekuan mentioned yesterday is just and unstoppable internet troll not worthy of any response. Ugh.
  +5
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Bryan Neuman Reply:
February 16th, 2010 at 6:55 pm
We haven’t heard from leekuan since this morning, so hopefully he realized that he truly does need professional help. Thanks again everyone for posting.
  +3
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Hippo Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 9:04 am
Dear Bryan:
I am afraid you spoke too soon–he’s back.
Changed his tactic a little bit, but crazy as ever.
  +3
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Bryan Neuman Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 9:06 am
Never mind, he’s back at it again.
  +2
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Bryan Neuman Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 9:14 am
I’m taking a page out of the leekuan playbook… post the same crap over and over again, since he never answers our questions anyway.
  +2
[Reply]
# 15 February 2010 at 10:06 pm

Jean D said:
I bantered with LeeKuan throughout the day. I first thought he was a deathray rep,then began to sense he was deranged,and finally my suspicions were confirmed when he said The Secret and james ray, helped him focus and obtain a house in a better neighborhood with walls so high he does not have to make eye contact with his neighbor.
  +6
[Reply]

stoic Reply:
February 16th, 2010 at 4:01 am
Leekuan’s remark that he is awaiting delivery of Death Rays books and CD’s and intended to be bigger than Ray ever was told me that we are dealing with a fully blown narcissist close to melt-down.
Let him crash and burn, he is beyond preventative help right now and will soon need the heavy meds.
  +5
[Reply]

Cosmic Connie Reply:
February 16th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
I hadn’t been to the discussion at New York mag in quite a while so I had to go there and check it out in order to understand the stuff about “LeeKuan.” I have to say that what caught my eye was fear that people might somehow confuse that “LeeKuan” with the @LiKuan on Twitter. I have it on good authority (my own) that @LiKuan is a good guy — i.e., he’s on *our* side in these matters.
For the benefit of those who want a quick link to all of the deranged “LeeKuan’s” comments on the NYMag site…
http://my.nymag.com/LeeKuan/comments/
He does sound rather nutty, IMO.
  +5
[Reply]
# 15 February 2010 at 11:51 pm

jojo said:
LOL that is so funny. there are several of these people in need of heavy meds.
  +3
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# 16 February 2010 at 4:49 am

wondering why said:
Salty..were they taliking about you in this interview? http://bit.ly/coVOjG
  +5
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SD Reply:
February 16th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
@WonderingWhy ::
Sounds like it :: FTW! How many “salty droids” could there be?
I guess I’m famous {with Arizona law enforcement} … all that’s left now is to sit back and wait for the riches to start raining down.
[Reply]

wondering why Reply:
February 16th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
I thought so..That is so cool..it sounds like you are part of helping the investigation!!
  +5
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stoic Reply:
February 16th, 2010 at 6:56 pm
The Yahapai County law enforcement sound like savvy guys, I’ll bet they’re regular readers of the Droid.
  +6
[Reply]
# 16 February 2010 at 12:26 pm

jojo said:
disenchanted
full of himself
not being who he says he proclaims to be
how many times have we heard that? How many times have people complained about that with these people? How many times have these self proclaimed teachers been told that and excommunicated the complainers?
in my view the whole secret thing makes people think that they are above the law by forcing people to only think positive things and not even let the negative enter their minds. therefore anything that people consider hurtful or negative is brushed under the carpet and forbidden in any discussion. If people try to discuss it the complainers are excommunicated. That is how these self proclaimed teachers work on peoples minds and they have got away with it until now!
  +6
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Detached Observer Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 3:24 am
You are exactly right about them avoiding anything “dark.” I know a couple of groups that get together here in the Phoenix area and for the most part they are good people and mean well. But they use “The secret,” as a crutch in my opinion. Most of them I meet see it as a way to just ignore the past and their darker emotions and act as if it didn’t happen because all you have to do is focus on what you want from this day forward, and presto! It comes and all your troubles just fall away. But they forget that they are also creating at an unconscious level and also at an old residual emotional level that needs to be acknowledged. They may get what they are focusing on, but it comes with an emotional price tag.
You just can’t bury those old fears and emotions away, they will have their day. Example.. James Ray and his famous line of “I never have a bad day!” Well Mr. Ray you are not above others. You buried and hid your inner shit FOR PROFIT so far down inside, you projected your seething anger, and misguided control issues on others, and now it’s time for that shit to come back out. No distractions anymore, just you and that dark veil inside of a cell. Now you get to sit in prison with those old emotions for a long, long, time. They are going to wrap their sticky, icky, dark, unrelenting, paralyzing, hands around you every moment they get. You now get to feel them at the deepest levels within yourself, places you never knew existed are gonna feel as if they are the vibration of frustration and fear itself. How much fun is that gonna be? Congratulations! You are the living example of the law of attraction at work, for reals!!!
Oh ya, that dark shit inside of you is gonna show you what impeccability really is. It’s going to be the gift that keeps on giving.
  +4
[Reply]

Yakaru Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 3:42 am
Exactly! Well put. There’s something a bit sick about dividing your experiences and emotions up into positive and negative. People finish up building a wall around themselves which makes them fearful angry if anyone criticises the idea or even says anything that clashes with it. The only people served by the LoA are those who sell it. And as we know, they don’t live according to it, and they certainly didn’t get by rich practising it – despit eall their rags to riches stories and claims.
  +3
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anon Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 4:28 am
..rags to riches LIES!
  +3
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Hippo Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 9:00 am
Church of Religious Science does this, too. A neighbor invited me to one of her church services once, and I could not believe it.
The people were very nice and I am sure they meant well. However, you were not allowed to express any kind of negative emotion, because they believed that it would “manifest” itself in the form of a problem. Oh, and you weren’t allowed to say the word “problem,” you had to say “challenge.”
I came away from that place, and I renamed it “The Denial Church.”
  +1
[Reply]
# 16 February 2010 at 5:31 pm

Yakaru said:
@Jean D
Some idiot wrote a take down of Antonio Thornton, the LoA guy last week –
http://spiritualityisnoexcuse.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/defending-james-and-the-loa/
WINNER!! ::   +8
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wondering why Reply:
February 16th, 2010 at 8:30 pm
Wait a minute..isn’t that your blog Yakaru? Good one!!
  +3
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Jean D Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 12:59 am
@Yakura Oops!I’ll have to check your blog now.:-} Kinda new to this stuff. Did you hear mr LoA confidently report that he knows ray and that he is innocent? and that it’s difficult to understand the law of attraction because no one can understand it.
  +3
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Yakaru Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 2:51 am
Good that you posted it here Jean – the guy deserves a bit of public ridicule. It hasn’t really registered with him what has happened, and he thinks a few cliches will suffice before it’s back to business as usual.
It’s a classic example of how LoA scammers are in a dilemma – either the LoA is real and Ray’s guilty as hell, or Ray is innocent and the LoA is just a nicely packaged piece of nonsense.
He doesn’t want to defend either of those positions, so he finishes up taking no position at all really, but knows he has to say something.
  +6
[Reply]

Jean D. Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
Yes, the LoA folks like to say that no one really knows for sure how it works,but they “feel” that they do. Somehow, inside their brains, the knowledge of this scientific fact is right there…but can’t be accessed or demonstrated and can’t be talked about. But it’s definitely real.
  0
[Reply]

stoic Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 6:42 pm
Here’s Death Ray on “measuring the quality of your life by measuring the quality of your relationships”
He makes the point that the main relationship is the one you have with different aspects of yourself and the LOA brings whatever you need to learn.
Guess Death Ray was missing a relationship with his inner jailbird.
  +1
[Reply]
# 16 February 2010 at 5:54 pm

Bryan Neuman said:
Hi SD, I seriously looked long and hard for some of these older, creepy pics of JR with no success. I’m extremely impressed, nice work!
  +4
[Reply]
# 16 February 2010 at 6:51 pm

TR said:
Ray started out as a follower of Tony Robbins, as as the quote above proves, he even worked for Tony Robbins in telemarketing, and at the Tony Robbins seminars, where Ray picked up a lot of techniques from Robbins.
Ray also copied his multi seminar structure from Tony Robbins, starting with small seminars into selling seminars costing 50K, with even more expensivel levels above that.
Ray copied a bunch of those seminar guys, and then made things even worse, as Ray was even greedier than the greedy.
Joe Vitale is a scammer of the highest order. What a con, to run around calling himself a “Dr.”, Joe Vitale is not a Dr, he’s nothing. He’s a terrible scam artist, who is also going down the drain. Joe Vitale deserves to end up in jail for fraud. That is why he is now posting his disclaimer, as he doesn’t want to get nailed too, and end up charged with fraud or worse. Joe Vitale is a fraud, and just watch, he will be bankrupt in the near future.
  +4
[Reply]
# 17 February 2010 at 12:56 am

anon said:
“….just watch, he will be bankrupt in the near future”
along with a few more of the secreteers as a result of false promises, manipulation, deception, lies, cheating, stealing, you name it it will surface.
  +6
[Reply]
# 17 February 2010 at 4:25 am

soso said:
Want to have puke today? read this.
“we are praying for you Mate”
written by the one and only misguided secret mudflap David Schirmer. Now why would Schirmer be praying for Ray when he is freakin clueless as to what the TRUTH is?
Those guys are twisted warts.
  +5
[Reply]
# 17 February 2010 at 4:36 am

Yakaru said:
MYSTERy SOLVED!!!!
From an interview with a former dream teamer who got pissed off long before the sweat lodge:
“I packed up my robe and I packed up my ring and I packed up anything that you know he had sort of given me or that I have bought from him and shipped it back to their office.”
So that’s where those thumb rings come from.
…………..
Also, it turns out the investigator still hasn’t bothered watching The Secret. Instead they turn to the Droid for their information and perspective on the issues!
  +2
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stoic Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
I can just tell those investigators are smart guys, see how psychic I am?
  +2
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Jean D. Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
Hats off to them for asking about Colleen Conaway!
  +2
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stoic Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 6:58 pm
That was quite revealing about the robes, apparently Death Ray used to dress up his inner circle in robes before he rolled out the programme to all comers and decided that the robed followers might be too freaky to be good PR. Robed attendants might possibly give the culty games away too easily.
  +4
[Reply]

SD Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 7:04 pm
@Yakuru ::
Point to where you found that … I’s wants to look
thumb rings!
[Reply]

stoic Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
Not Yakaru, but the info is here, page 19-22:
http://tommcfeeley.com/content/MarthaSterm-Police-Interview-transcript-120209-C271.pdf
  +1
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Yakaru Reply:
February 18th, 2010 at 4:08 am
Here’s the quote: (p22)
Martha: Now, you know cause I talked an awful lot of stuff because I still have a lot of stuff in the house and I was guided to clear it all out and get rid of it. So I packed up my robe and I packed up, because I still had it in the closet. I packed up my robe and I packed up my ring and I packed up anything that you know he had sort of given me or that I have bought from him and shipped it back to their office.
  +1
[Reply]
# 17 February 2010 at 9:31 am

Secretron said:
there is a good thread on the Rick Ross forum about The Secret.
The Secret (a movie) http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?4,30230,page=1
there is a bunch of info in that thread about the crook Joe Vitale, and many others.
the reality is that Ray doesn’t really believe in The Secret crap, he just used it as a tool of self-promotion to sell his own material. Ray knows The Secret is opium for the unwashed masses and Oprah soccer moms, who he can manipulate and extract money from.
Rays real business and beliefs are in his devious methods of manipulation, or as some people call it, mind-control. that is what Ray is all about.
there are many seminar leaders who also do the same thing.
their real business is in group mind control, all the jabbering about The Secret is just meant as a facade.
  +3
[Reply]

Jean D. Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 6:41 pm
In the 90s Oprah promoted Marianne Williamson,who,at the time,seemed interesting,so I bought one of her books, along with a copy of A Course in Miracles.(That thing is unreadable,by the way!)After being invited to a Course in Miracles discussion group,I became completely disillusioned and threw the book away. These folks had the audacity to claim that an F5 tornado, which had just left a huge path of death and destruction across Oklahoma on May 3,1999, was “created” by people’s thoughts and feelings!
  +1
[Reply]

Detached_observer Reply:
February 17th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
I had a funny experience at a Course in miracles group also. I went with my then girlfriend and there is nothing I love more than having discussions on philosophy, teachings etc. I hadn’t read the book, but my girlfriend had so I figured I could absorb it through osmosis, or pick up the gist of the book during the discussion.
So while the guy is leading the group I ask a question about positive thinking, spiritual cliches etc. and how I feel that stuff is ok to reference once in awhile, but from my experience unless someone is touched at an emotional level, quotes aren’t going to help much, that you can have god himself come down from the heavens and give someone great advice or an inspirational quote to carry around with them, but it’s not going to do any good. It will just roll off their back moments later and they will keep doing what they are doing. Only to search for the new quote or inspiration somewhere else. So the guy gets upset with me and says he is an expert on a course in miracles and he is the living example of what trusting god and the process is, blah, blah, blah. I didn’t want to argue with the guy, I was just trying to understand his take on what I was feeling.
So about 10 minutes later, someone made mention that he just noticed new tile on his floor and the guy immediately went into this long story about how he can’t sleep at night, how he is always afraid and tired because the tile amplifies any noise in the house and he thinks someone is constantly breaking in because he has never trusted the neighbors etc.
After he settled down from his drama, I was like… my point exactly.
  +3
[Reply]

Jean D. Reply:
February 18th, 2010 at 12:06 am
The only reason I bought those books was because Oprah endorsed them. And,you know what,the people in that group got mad at me,too! Just for disagreeing with them by saying that tornadoes are aerodynamic phenomena that have occurred for billions of years,and are not connected to human thought.
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[Reply]

Cosmic Connie Reply:
February 18th, 2010 at 11:16 am
Jean, Jean, don’t you know that storms such as tornadoes and hurricanes are not only a reflection of our collective inner reality (as the ACIM folks tried to ‘splain to you), but storms can also be influenced by our thoughts? The trick is to use love to neutralize any damage they might do. I know it works ‘cos I read it on the Interwebs.
Consider, for example, 2005′s Hurricane Rita, which occurred shortly after the infamous Katrina. Mr. Fire apparently didn’t get the memo about Katrina in time, but he was right there on top of the Rita situation, and spared no effort to stop the storm in its tracks:
http://www.mrfire.com/article-archives/new-articles/stop-rita.html
In the addendum to that piece he seems quite proud of the results of all that love-bombing by him and his followers.
Here, however, is a link to independent sources of information:
http://tinyurl.com/y8fzh73
But what do they know? Mainstream media are always making up bad news and ignoring the good!
Three years later, Joe recycled his Rita email and sent it out just before Hurricane Ike made landfall in Texas.
http://localism.com/blog/tx/the_woodlands/posts/686205/Joe-Vitale-is-asking
I can tell you first-hand how that one turned out.
http://cosmicconnie.blogspot.com/2008/09/after-storm.html
Then again, why should you listen to me? I’m a hater!
But seriously. Joe is certainly not the only person who has tried to influence the weather in “miraculous” ways, and to my knowledge he has only tried it with those two hurricanes. I think he probably backed out of the weather-influencing business after Ike. But I’d be willing to bet that his mailing list is a lot larger than others who regularly market their wind whispering capabilities (e.g., a Florida woman going by the names “Phoenix/Spirit Diva,” who regularly “channels” messages from hurricanes).
It’s abundantly clear that magickal thinking plays a big part in selfish-help/New-Wage/McSpirituality culture. I suppose one could make the argument that trying to influence hurricanes with one’s mind is not all that different from prayer, so, unless you’re Richard Dawkins or someone, why bother going after folks for harmlessly exercising their faith?? Given the outrageous claims made by some of these people about the “results” of their efforts, however, I think that wind whispering and similar activities are worthy of at least a snark or two.
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Jean D. Reply:
February 18th, 2010 at 7:17 pm
This Vitale guy is a freak! Does this mean you and Ron had problems with your “focus”?
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# 17 February 2010 at 12:25 pm

Vitale said:
Vitale is calling his recent product ENTERTAINMENT not because he is trying to be honest.
It because Vitale does not want to go to jail or get sued for making false claims in advertising. his lawyers have told him if he calls his crap entertainment in the small print, then he should be able to say anything he wants and stay out of jail, and not get put out of business from the FTC.
please do not misunderestimate Joe Vitale. he is a ruthless scammer.
he does not have an honest bone in his body, and only wants to make money without working, and stay out of jail, and not get sued by those he scams.
besides Joe Vitale is one of the worst guitar players on the face of earth, or any other planet.
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[Reply]
# 17 February 2010 at 1:25 pm

Carlon said:
Awesome post!
But you forgot to add your P.S.
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[Reply]
# 18 February 2010 at 10:03 am

www.rumorrat.com said:
Ray is out of the slammer and tweeting like the mad man he is… details at James Ray just keeps tweeting away… latest at http://rumorrat.com/2010/02/27/james-ray-tweets-is-an-insanity-plea-in-his-future/
Also other James Ray-related stories at http://www.rumorrat.com
Thanks.
-The Big Cheese
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[Reply]

SD Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
Wow! That is not right …
“Very few understand that it’s the dark that creates and gives birth to greater light. Read the book of Genesis again.”
http://twitter.com/JamesARay/status/9741879574
[Reply]

stoic Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
For another view on the craziness of Death Rays post-slammer tweeting:
http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,77450,page=64
He’s taking a leaf out of Schirmer’s playbook, the last resort of the scoundrel, to find God in jail.
Anticults analysis skewers the method behind Death Rays craziness, he is setting the metaphorical frame to recast his net over the faithful, reframing his jailtime as some kind of spiritual test which he of course overcomes (embracing the dark) to continue bringing his light to the world.
There’s a wee problem there though, his entire spiel, his ‘light-bringing’ was teaching his wealth attraction methods. He has admitted in court that he is broke–his methods do not work–what is his spiel going to be now?
Doubtless we will see the light–via twitter–soon enough.
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# 27 February 2010 at 8:31 pm

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