What You Need To Learn From The James Arthur Ray Spiritual Warrior Tragedy

What You Need To Learn
From The James Arthur Ray
Spiritual Warrior Tragedy
by Vincent Cooper

By now many, if not all of you, will have heard about the tragedy that occurred on October 9th at a James Arthur Ray spiritual Warrior retreat in Sedona, Arizona. With around 60 attendees, a ‘spiritual’ exercise drawn from the Native North American tradition went disastrously wrong with the result that 3 people lost their lives and almost 20 others were harmed and needed medical attention. I say ‘spiritual’ because it appears that James Arthur Ray either was not trained in the technique he was using or, if he was, he ignored the training, much to the subsequent disgust and derision of Native North American Elders whose spiritual practice has been abused and misrepresented.

The particular event that led to the deaths occurred late in the program and involved the participants entering a ‘sweat house’. A ‘sweat house’ can be described as a large tent-like structure in which hot stones are placed periodically that cause a rise in temperature. Traditionally the intention is to open the mind to some kind of ‘divine’ experience and people who have attended such traditional sessions have positive feedback and, to be fair to James Arthur Ray, though previously people had been hurt while conducting this exercise, certain other people maintain they also benefited.

On the particular day in question however several things were demonstrably wrong. The first is that the ‘sweat lodge’, normally constructed with porous materials was, on this occasion, made from tarps and blankets that prevented oxygen from entering the confined space. A second problem is that there were too many people in the tight space. This contributed to raising the heat and caused what little oxygen was already there to be used up more quickly. Thirdly regular breaks were not taken during the two hour session. Fourthly the only time fresh oxygen entered the area was when more rocks were brought in. James Arthur Ray was close to the door and the further back you were the less exposure you had. The people at the rear apparently received no benefit from these moments. The fifth issue is that James Arthur Ray actively discouraged (though didn’t physically stop) people from leaving the sweat lodge while also ignoring pleas for water, rest and cool, fresh air. It should also be noted that this final ‘sweat house’ event occurred after a 36 hour period of fasting, dehydration and sleep deprivation.

At the time of writing James Arthur Ray is free. For a short time he was conducting his business as normal while police tried to establish whether or not he should face criminal charges. Right now he has cancelled his seminar program and is helping police in their inquiries while assembling his own legal defense team.

There are a lot of different points to consider here and while I may cover other aspects regarding this tragedy in the future, the particular issue I want to focus on here is the debate as to whether or not the people inside the sweat lodge were responsible for their own safety. The main point in the debate is quite simple in essence: no-one forced the participants to stay and they entered by their own free will so they are therefore solely responsible for their well-being. There is a more complex issue though when considering the difference between who was legally responsible and who was morally responsible for the well-being of attendees. I leave individual readers to decide for themselves.

Right now it is impossible to say who is to blame and it would be unfair and irresponsible of me to sit here and point my finger. What I would like to do though is draw your attention to what I see as being a danger when engaging in extreme spiritual practices and to advise you on how to avoid anything even remotely similar happening to you in pursuit of your truth.

I come to the field of spiritualism primarily from a Japanese perspective, and from Warrior Zen in particular combined with certain esoteric practices. One such practice is that of shugyo, or ‘mind-body training’ but with a further connotation of austere mind-body training. This type of practice is common in the more extreme traditions and some examples could be meditating under an icy waterfall, running on a sandy beach while holding an object with your arms outstretched or completing a repetitive meditation or physical activity over an extended period of time. These activities are often combined with a minimal diet and reduced sleep. Whatever the actual form taken, the aim is always the same: to quiet the left hemisphere (the home of our conceptual life) and shift awareness to the right hemisphere (beyond the conceptual).

This then is shugyo. It is extreme and hard and is intended to be so. However, when conducted by a credible and responsible mentor (sensei) the experience, though unlike anything else you would normally experience in life, is safe. Safety is ensured by making sure that activities are not done excessively without a break and with no pressure put on participants to go beyond a certain point that they deem their limit.

Although I am not an expert on Native North American spiritual practices, from what I have been able to learn in the last couple of weeks, the Elders who would conduct a sweat lodge are also aware of the dangers inherent in the practice and, like their Japanese counterparts, are careful to make such events safe. For example, an Elder would use porous materials in constructing the sweat lodge. He would restrict the number of people entering the area. He would give regular breaks every 15-30 minutes between new stones being placed in the area and he would never actively discourage anyone from leaving.

Clearly there are numerous and important differences between how an Elder would conduct the ceremony and how James Arthur Ray and his staff did.

For many of you reading this though it is likely that you have no particular interest in either shugyo or in attending a sweat lodge session. But while these practices are extreme, there are still important safety lessons that you need to learn and maintain an awareness of regardless of how mild your spiritual practice is.

Remember, one of the discussions here is whether or not the participants were responsible for their own behavior and safety.

What you need to be aware of and to compensate for, is that during meditation of any kind you are shifting your awareness from your left hemisphere to your right hemisphere. You are then – literally – transitioning from an ability to think rationally to become more intuitive (which can result in actions being taken deemed to be irrational). How extreme and abrupt this shift is will depend on the person, the severity of the meditation technique employed and the intensity of the experience. But take note that the more extreme the shift is, the less you will be able to think rationally and make rational decisions.

A credible spiritual coach will be aware of this and will make sure that regular breaks are taken. These breaks are not only intended to allow you to stretch your body and get your blood circulating again (if you are doing stationary meditation) or for you to get your breath back and take a rest (if you are doing dynamic meditation) but they also provide you with a chance for your awareness to shift back again from your right hemisphere to your left hemisphere or, to put it another way, they allow you a chance to think more clearly or more rationally once again. During these break times you are then able to make a more informed, rational decision as to whether you want to continue your meditation or not. And remember, a credible mentor will never force you or chide you to go beyond your limit. The process of spiritual awakening should be a drawn out and, above all, safe one. If you decide to quit, then quit. Look after yourself.

This lesson – not to overdo things and to check in with your rational mind regularly – is extremely important no matter what spiritual discipline you follow or to what degree of seriousness. Regardless of how pleasant the meditation may be you cannot afford to become ‘stuck’ there. You need to constantly recheck your situation rationally.

- Take regular breaks from meditation to make sure both your body AND your mind are functioning correctly and, in the case of your mind, rationally.

- Listen to your body and your mind and stop your meditation if you feel uncomfortable.

- Do not heed any chiding from anyone that discourages you from listening to your own body and mind.

- Do not allow yourself to be in a situation where you will need to make rational decisions while in a state of meditation. Ensure that the environment is safe.

- Further, do not attempt to make any rational decisions while in a meditative state, whether you are encouraged to or not. Meditation offers you the chance (among other things) to contact your inner guide; listen and pay heed but do not make any decisions based on your internal feed until you are no longer in an altered state of mind.

- Be very careful in allowing anyone to talk to you or touch you or interact with you in any manner while meditating. In the meditative state you are more susceptible to suggestion and persuasion so be careful. Meditation should be about finding your own truth, not that of another. Really there is little to no need for any interaction with another person, save for your guide to announce breaks in meditation and recommencement. This period extends beyond the formal ending of your meditation and during break times. Allow your rational mind to reassert its more dominant control before engaging in social interaction.

In closing I want to say that I strongly believe that many people would benefit from sitting quietly for 5-10 minutes a day and engaging in an elementary form of meditation. If nothing else, this will help alleviate stress and promote contact with your intuition. But if your intention is to commune with the infinite then you need to be a lot more serious about your practice than this; but therein lies the danger. Pursuing spiritual enlightenment can be a trying experience and I urge you to find an experience guide to help you on your journey. Finally, I do not at all recommend meditation for anyone who has experienced psychological trauma of any form. If you have psychological issues seek professional, expert help.

Vincent Cooper has spent much of his teenage life and all his adult life studying martial arts and the attendant philosophies. In recent years he has taught and coached his philosophy of Holistic Happiness. For more information please send email to:
info@personaldevelopmentforum.com.

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