Sweat Lodge Survivor: Guru Pushed Too Hard

(CBS/ AP)  A woman who took part in an Arizona sweat lodge ceremony tells The Associated Press that the spiritual guru who led the event pushed participants too far in what was supposed to be a life-expanding experience that culminated with people vomiting and passing out on the floor.

Texas resident Beverley Bunn is the first participant in the tragic incident to speak out publicly about the events that led up to the deaths. The 43-year-old told the AP in a series of interviews this week that by the time the sweat lodge ceremony began, the participants had undergone days of physically and mentally strenuous events that included fasting. In one game, guru James Arthur Ray even played God.

Within an hour of entering the sweat lodge on the evening of Oct. 8, people began vomiting, gasping for air and collapsing. Yet Bunn says Ray continually urged everyone to stay inside. The ceremony was broken up into 15-minute "rounds," with the entrance flap to the lodge opened briefly and more heated rocks brought inside between sessions.

"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.

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The account marks a significant revelation in the investigation because it portrays Ray as driving participants to stay in the lodge despite signs all around him that the situation had gone horribly awry. Until now, few details had surfaced about Ray's actions inside in the sweat lodge.

Investigators are considering bringing charges against Ray in a case that has cast a harsh spotlight on him and his self-help empire as he led dozens of people into the sweat lodge during a five-day retreat that cost more than $9,000 per person. He has hired his own investigative team to try to determine what went wrong.

Ray led the group in chants and prayers during the ceremony, Bunn said. People were not physically forced to stay inside but chided by Ray if they wanted to leave as he told them they were stronger than their bodies and weakness could be overcome.

Bunn lasted the entire two hours, but nearly two dozen others suffered serious injuries that sent them to the hospital.

Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, N.Y., and James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee, died upon arrival at a hospital. Liz Neuman, 49, of Prior Lake, Minn., lingered in a coma for more than a week before dying.

Sheriff's investigators in Arizona's Yavapai County are treating the deaths as homicides but have yet to determine the cause.

Investigators are looking into the construction of the sweat lodge, the fact that people had fallen ill at previous sweat ceremonies led by Ray and questionable medical care on site as they try to determine whether criminal negligence contributed to the deaths and illnesses.

Authorities have said a nurse hired by Ray was directing rescue efforts including CPR when emergency crews arrived. Ray is the primary focus of the probe but others also are being investigated, Sheriff Steve Waugh has said.

"I too want to know what happened that caused this horrible tragedy," Ray wrote on his Web site Tuesday.

He vowed to continue with his work.

"I have taken heat for that decision, but if I choose to lock myself in my home, I am sure I would be criticized for hiding and not practicing what I preach," he wrote.

[savarese12]

This tragedy was totally avoidable and incredibly irresponsible by Ray. I have been involved in native american sweat lodge ceremonies for 30 years and what follows are the BASIC do and dont's of running a sweat.
1) NEVER use any non-breathable tarps (plastic/polyethylene) to cover a lodge as it does not allow the lodge to "breathe'...oxygen can come in as well as the heat does not dissapate as quickly. CO2 can build up rapidly especially if you have a lot of people in the lodge
2) Open the door and let fresh cool oxygen rich air in if you sense people are too uncomfortable...ask them if they are all right.
3) It is ok for people to leave the lodge in between rounds to get water, cool off, skip a round or just not continue. After te first 2 rounds I commingly take a break and everyone exits the lodge, hydrates, lays down for 10 or 15 minutes. There should never be any pressure to stay in a lodge. It is the responsibility of the lodge leader to coninually assess the comfort level and safety of the participants...especially if it is a large group of people that has not spent a lot of previous times together in a lodge.
4) Most sweat ceremonies do no more than 4 rounds as this represents the four directions....Ray did 8 rounds.

I have run lodges for many people and have been in many other peoples lodges over the past 30 years. When this story hit the news and it showed the helicopter view of the lodge with the plastic tarps on it, I was not surprised that people died. When I also learned that he was selling his spirituality for $9000 for five days I beleive the stage was set for a catstrophe because obviously these people were placing a tremendous amount of trust and repect in this person who in my view is completely negligent in placing people in a death trap non-breathable lodge and encouraging them to "suffer up" to purge out the toxins. A horrible tragedy and I pray he is held accountable. Over the recent years I hve noticed many new people are setting up sweat lodges for good intentions....however, it can be potentially life threatening if you have not been trained correctly. These ceremonies can be very healing and have helped thousands of people create a healthier more balanced life for themselves. Hopefully this incident will encourage lodge leaders to be safer and listen. If any new folks want to go to a sweat....if you see any plastic on the lodge go back to your car and warn others!

[quapawsix]

One thing is for sure his cash cow is through.

[quapawsix]

Why would anyone pay $9,000.00 to $10,000 to sit in a sweat lodge?

[stuart-johns2]

So let me understand this. They knew the guy was pushing too hard. They knew others were getting sick. They knew people were passing out on the floor and so they stayed in there and died because some freakin' left over hippie from the 60's who did too much acid as a kid and suufers brain damage told them too????

[bigmo47]

A few things are painfully obvious.

1. This is a horrible tragedy
2. This guy is clearly a con man
3. "A sucker is born every minute"
4. This guy is not criminally responsible for their deaths
A. They were Adults
B. He didn't lock them in
C. They knew about the sweatlodge when they enrolled
D. He did not drug them
E. He is not a physician
F. Chiding someone is not criminal

The only hope for prosecution would be for to his lack of adequate medical services. That is still a stretch.

If I tell someone to jump off a cliff and they do it, I should not be prosecuted because I'm so convincing that they try it.

[stuart-johns2]

Apparently you don't understand the law too well. The guy can be held criminally responsible for their deaths in the same way a bartender or a private hostess in her home can be for allowing people to endanger themselves.

And I think this qualifies as beyond "chiding". Geeeesh Where on earth do you people come from?

[bigmo47]

stuart-johns,
I will just explain a few things without insults or smart remarks directed at you.

Bartenders can be held responsible for overserving customers alcohol. The crime is called serving a drink to an intoxicated person (misdemeanor)That is only because they work in an establishment that has a liqour license and they are required by law to serve resposibly. They are not charged with murder, homicide, etc...Now the difference would be if they served a minor and that minor is killed or took the life of someone else, then they may be held criminally responsible.

As far as from a persons home. Remember we are talking about criminal responsibility not civil or moral. If an adult over 21 is at your home (I assume you are talking about drinking and driving) and they leave intoxicated and kill themselves or someone else, the homeowner cannot be held criminally liable. You can not detain an adult person at your home because they have been drinking (its called kidnap...ask Shawn Merriman). Yet again, if there are minors and you serve them you can be charged with anything from contributing to the delinquency of a minor to negligent homicide / manslaughter.

So like I said, the only way he can be charged would be due to lack of lack of onsite medical care. Get it. Adults are supposed to be responsible for their own actions (unless they are mentally handicapped and I doubt that is the case because the participants paid $9000 to attend this crap).

Oh and I got the "chided" from this story...

I agree that this guy is a scumbag, but when are adults going to take responsibility for their own stupidity? I know they trusted this guy, but honestly why would anyone who really cared about people's well being, charge 2.7 million to assist them. I feel sorry for the families of the victims, but the victims should have saved some of that 9 grand and just bought a clue.

[Skruffy1]

I hope he's made a lot of money with his "get rich" programs... because he's going to need many millions to pay the piper when his victims' families get his butt in court.

[Skruffy1]

Holy smokes (no puns intended)... if this James Ray is the guy on the James Ray International website, it's perfectly clear he's all about getting rich. What the home page of his website seems to be about is in NO WAY compatible with spirituality, which is what I always thought the sweatlodge thing was about. With one look at the website I wanted to vomit. Did the people who died in his sweatlodge actually look at his website???

[bill0bob]

There is nothing spiritual about killing people. To call this shyster a "spiritual guru" is an insult to the very notion of spirituality.

"Within an hour of entering the sweat lodge on the evening of Oct. 8, people began vomiting, gasping for air and collapsing."

And then James Ray continued torturing these people for ANOTHER hour! Seems to me like they've got a real good case for negligent homicide, or even murder.

[bill0bob]

There is nothing spiritual about killing people. To call this shyster a "spiritual guru" is an insult to the very notion of spirituality.

"Within an hour of entering the sweat lodge on the evening of Oct. 8, people began vomiting, gasping for air and collapsing."

And then James Ray continued torturing these people for ANOTHER hour! Seems to me like they've got a real good case for negligent homicide.

[John_Merritt]

Now that is what I call religious persecution. Persecuting people through religion and pushing them to the brink of death IS NOT the way to find God. For this man to play God is another thing. I could see if this was role playing, but it sounds as though this make created an extremely dangerous situation.

For James Ray to state to leave the woman alone until the next round, wreaks of 'pre-meditation'. If Arizona has the death penalty, this might be a good charge for this maniac. The God I know expects us to humble ourselves before Him, not to bring ourselves so near death that the experience is a nightmare insead.