tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post8929339793736771991..comments2024-02-10T02:58:07.102-05:00Comments on Celestial Reflections: James Arthur Ray Sweat Lodge Trial: Day 14LaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-86470445836166365152011-03-23T08:49:44.704-04:002011-03-23T08:49:44.704-04:00@ Susan, I'm glad you're enjoying it. I...@ Susan, I'm glad you're enjoying it. I'm enjoying writing it. It's just a fascinating trial. I can't take my eyes off of it. And, let's face it. It's up to us bloggers to document this thing. The news paper coverage has been really thin.LaVaughnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-28932456737129263972011-03-23T08:26:57.876-04:002011-03-23T08:26:57.876-04:00Hi Dream Cup,
I, for one, have never thought of th...Hi Dream Cup,<br />I, for one, have never thought of this as a Sedona story except that it unfortunately took place there. And I do think he was capitalizing on the caché. And, let's face it, he's not the only who has. There are some wonderful people there, including some truly great healers. My former teacher is one of them. I've never been in Sedona proper, although I did stay with a friend in, I think it's Cornville, once. It's a beautiful area. <br /><br />As to whether or not he was deliberately manipulating people with mind control techniques, this is a question I've gone round and round on. But I have to say, especially after what came out in Gennari's redirect yesterday, that it it's deliberate and with some degree of knowledge of technique. I mean, he could just be a mind control savant, but he's hitting an awful lot of the known wickets for someone who doesn't know what techniques work. And he even lays them out and says, I want to keep you off balance. Really says that. Wow.<br /><br />That said, I'm of the belief that abusing power is way too easy and it's something any teacher/leader has to actively counteract. It's not enough to just not intentionally manipulate people. You have to actively keep handing them back their power. People love to hand their power over to authority figures. This is something I haven't written about yet in this context. I'll probably get to it. But you really have to be conscious of it and facilitate independence. It's a human foible that we all want someone to simplify our lives, tell us what to do, and keep us feeling safe.<br /><br />On the vegetarian diet, there are people who thrive on a vegetarian diet. My husband is one of them and he's an extremely physically active Marine. I would have felt like Laurie Gennari. I don't eat red meat but if I go too long without animal protein, I'm on the friggin' ceiling. Those who can function on a vegetarian diet probably fared better that week. I probably would have been confessing to the Kennedy assassination by day three.LaVaughnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-12608978529385785552011-03-21T22:16:28.073-04:002011-03-21T22:16:28.073-04:00LaVaughn - thank you for taking the time to think ...LaVaughn - thank you for taking the time to think about ahd share your perceptions and research about the James Ray trial. I've been following this story since I heard that a couple people died in a sweat lodge ceremony outside of town. I live in Sedona and have for many years.<br /><br />Arizona has had a LOT of bad press lately and this incident shone not only on Arizona but on the new age scene around Sedona. The James Ray story is not really a Sedona story -- he just capitalized on the mystical image that Sedona seems to have and chose to host his deadly event in the region. <br /><br />And that seems to be what he's done with everything else. As far as I can tell, James Ray really only has training in corporate motivational speaking. He must be very good at it. He knows how to work the audience and move on the stage. How did he think to leap from motivational speaking to leading spiritual seekers through bastardized versions of other culture's traditional practices? It's clear that he has no proper training or certifications to be conducting the activities that were part of his Spiritual Warrior event -- and probably in his other workshops. It just amazes me that he had the idiotic gall to think that he could and should be doing this. The formula is all so superficial: 'good looks' (definitely not my type), polished presentation, and promises of 'secret' methods for acheiving success. Listen to him for 2 minutes and it should be clear that he's simply a salesman trying desparately to believe his own BS.<br /><br />I have a family member who excels in sales. I've seen him in action -- he is very good. I watched him develop over the years and I was shocked to see how he was able to believe his own BS - to the point that he'd become quite angry if you suggested anything hinting at it being otherwise. Charisma, sales drive, and a lust for the big bucks -- that's the 'winning' formula in the US. Throw in a little spiritual mumbo jumbo to make people believe that greed is good, and you've got a monster.<br /><br />Here's something I puzzle over. It seems pretty obvious that many of Ray's tactics are classic mind control devices. The vegetarian diet. Food/sleep deprivation. Keeping the seminar room cold. Controling when participants can go to the bathroom. And so on. I'm sure he used many other such tactics to sell his 'back of the room' stuff to attendess at his informational seminars. Do you suppose he learned these tactics specifically? In other words - did he set out to learn how to apply mass mind control tactics to serve his own interest? If so, how far did he take it?<br /><br />I've often puzzled over cult leaders and how they all seem to apply the same tactics. Does it just work out that way or do they actually study the techniques and work at applying them? Maybe it's just a matter of the controller and the controllees needing one another in a game of energetic dynamics in the school of hard lessons.<br /><br />At any rate, it's clear that James Ray has no respect for an individual's free will -- only to the point that they freely fall into his web. From then on, he's in control.<br /><br />Keep up the good work. Looking forward to this week's continuation of the trial.Michelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13177206309896318980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-43176571741145822022011-03-21T19:30:47.085-04:002011-03-21T19:30:47.085-04:00Hello again. Your is the best writing on james ra...Hello again. Your is the best writing on james ray I've found. I'm backing up to the beginning. Thanks.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12457773898070578933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-15685678548735304532011-03-20T19:21:02.195-04:002011-03-20T19:21:02.195-04:00@flightseeker, Thanks for the feedback. Glad you&#...@flightseeker, Thanks for the feedback. Glad you're finding it useful.LaVaughnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-21577122267257428142011-03-20T16:16:35.315-04:002011-03-20T16:16:35.315-04:00Hi,
Love the blog about "Death Ray". P...Hi,<br /><br />Love the blog about "Death Ray". Please keep it up. I've only read the last two posts but am going to read all asap. Please keep it up.<br /><br />Richardflightseekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13280788344715252086noreply@blogger.com