This time it even made the news over the other side of the pond. This is from the UK
Daily Mail. Death Ray doesn't look so suave in that police mugshot...
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www.dailymail.co.uk]
Sweat lodge deaths: Guru James Arthur Ray charged with manslaughter of three who died during New Age ceremonyBy Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 10:31 AM on 04th February 2010
The self-help guru who led a ceremony inside a sweat lodge where three people died has been charged with manslaughter.
James Arthur Ray was arrested yesterday over the deaths at the retreat in Northern Arizona last year. His bail was set at $5million.
More than 60 people were packed into the sweat dome at the Angel Valley Retreat Center for more than two hours on October 8 last year.
![](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/02/04/article-1248426-08259C2E000005DC-577_468x390.jpg)
Facing jail: James Arthur Ray, right, is escorted into prison in Arizona yesterday after being charged with the manslaughter of three people during a sweat lodge ceremony last yearAbout halfway through the two-hour ceremony, some began feeling ill, vomiting and collapsing inside the 415-square-foot structure.
Despite that, Ray urged participants to push past their physical weaknesses and chided those who wanted to leave, authorities and participants have said.
Twenty-one people were taken for treatment to nearby hospitals, where James Shore, 40, and Kirby Brown, 38, were pronounced dead.
Liz Neuman, 49, slipped into a coma and died several days later in hospital.
The group was on a five-day 'Spiritual Warrior' program hosted by Ray, a motivational speaker based in California.
Brown's mother, Ginny, said yesterday that she would have liked to believe the deaths were accidental - but that everything that Ray did during the 'Spiritual Warrior' event almost made them inevitable.
![](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/02/04/article-1248426-0825CC19000005DC-276_468x350.jpg)
Victim: James Shore, back left, is seen with his wife Alyssa Gillespie and their children, from left, Darshan, Amrita and Inaya. Shore was one of the three who died during the ceremony led by James Arthur Ray last year'One of the things that horrifies me after we found out Kirby had died was to see how he behaved, to really yield his true character,' she said.
'This wasn't just a horrible accident. His own conviction in his omnipotence and his own seduction of money and wealth made him delusional.'
Authorities said they quickly determined the deaths were not accidental and focused their investigation on Ray.
They conducted hundreds of interviews that reached into Ray's past ceremonies and events, including one in which a man fell unconscious during a 2005 sweat lodge ceremony at the same retreat near Sedona.
Ray's representatives have said there was no way he could have predicted the night's tragic events.
![](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/02/04/article-1248426-0825C95D000005DC-266_233x359.jpg)
Self-help guru: Ray in a mugshot provided by policeHad he heard any pleas for help inside the pitch-black sweat lodge, he would have stopped the ceremony immediately, his lawyers said.
Documents released in the investigation showed that some people lost consciousness and others suffered broken bones at past Ray-led events and that Ray largely ignored medical problems that arose.
His lawyer Luis Li said the charges were 'unjust' and he was confident his client would be exonerated in court.
'This was a terrible accident - but it was an accident, not a criminal act,' Li said
If convicted, Ray faces a minimum of 3 years and a maximum of 12½ years on each count.
The sheriff's office said participants had paid up to $9,000 to take part in the retreat involving the sweat dome, which was warmed by heated rocks brought inside.
The retreat took place near the town of Sedona, 117 miles (188 km) north of Phoenix. The area is renowned for its red rocks, which some people believe have spiritual and restorative powers. It is a popular destination for New Age retreats.
Television news images of the sweat dome showed a large, windowless circular structure, covered in a black roofing material.
Sweat or medicine lodges, smaller domed or oblong structures warmed with heated stones, have traditionally been used in ceremonies by some Native American cultures.
Ray has built a multimillion-dollar empire as a self-help superstar who teaches people about financial and spiritual wealth, and uses free seminars to recruit followers to more expensive events.
He soared in popularity after appearing in the 2006's Rhonda Byrne documentary 'The Secret,' and he promoted himself on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' and 'Larry King Live'.