Yes it was the new age "The Secret" authors "retreat" the real Native Americans are not happy with so called "new age guru"
Ray’s Spiritual Warrior programs charges people almost $10,000 apiece.
Never read the seceret or researched this guy but I think its fair to say he is a NEW AGE RIP OFF ARTIST. $10grand for 5 days give your greed a break pal this guy is not much different than Benny Hinn,Pat Robertson ect..........

http://buffalopost.net/?p=3683
Arvol Looking Horse talks of Sweat Lodge Deaths “It appears that once again greed interfered with common sense,”

http://wildhunt.org/blog...e-death-controversy.html
(GREEDY?) New age Capitalist thats the real secret

http://www.cnn.com/2009/...a.sweat.lodge/index.html
Sweat lodge deaths investigated as homicides

I did not want to hijack other thread so here a separate one. All this new age stuff always seems to a $ value attached to it a quite steep one I may ad. In my opinion one can not buy or accelerate spiritual growth by purchasing anything.(MHRB and such excluded of course but still better to grow your own plants) Its a long slow road with many ups and downs and stagnant periods that can last for years.


PEACE
MV

Ya this is rediculous..this whole "new age" BS...I think there is something novel going on in our times but the whole new age movement is full of money grabing scam artists..and of course there is no shortange of desperate people with that impatient "now" mentaility with the money to pay...

Why the hell do white people feel the need to play indian for one thing? It's everywhere these days...god we have our own european magical and shamanic/animistic tradtions, people need to stop trying to package and sell native american culture..

I like they're plants but lets face it I am not native american..I feel more aligned with the witches, volvas,alchemists, anandamenors(sp?) and saami folk etc from the place of MY ancestors..I would rather grow the plants myself so I dont disrupt they're supply and incorperate them into my own traditions..

All cultures had sweat logdes/huts whatever you want to call them..not just native american folk..but that doesn't mean any dumbass can just make some plastic room and basically steam cook people and not expect any negative outcome..these were/are handed down traditions that people were taught HOW TO DO..they had protocalls..these people nowadays are just stupid or something.

It's the same with all these "shamanism classes" put on by michael harner and such..a "shaman class"..WTF??

I know a lady who has a certificate on her wall saying she is a certified witch!..it's rediculous..these people have no idea how it was origionally done..people pay all this money for "wicca training" and crap claiming it's some ancient practice as well..it's not!..wicca is a new thing..no history over 100 years..

I have personally had native people tell me white people cannot be shamans as well..I laugh because these people don't know where the word "shaman" even comes from...

This is what happens when we lose our culture to superfical consumeristic bullshit..we are programmed consumers..we dont know any better and see other cultures and spirituality in general as just another thing to pay for and consume..expecting SOMEONE ELSE to provide it all for us.

I do not have the time to read your articles right now. But I would like to say that nothing is sacred. What I mean by that is that there is always someone who will exploit anything for money. Maybe these men do have good intentions, but they could also be exploiting culture and tradition purely for profit. When becoming involved in an organization that could have a profound impact on a person's spirituality and their outlook of life and the afterlife; one must take a deep and long look at the intent of this organization. It is sad to see that even that anything will be eploited for money.

People tend to think that spirituality is something special and that's what these new age "gurus" exploit.

If I ever get enlightened, I surely will be among the best computer programmers in the world. I will write perfect programs to solve people's problems and there won't be a word in it about spirituality or higher powers or God or whatever. Those who have the eyes will see anyway. If it's really there, then the form it takes doesn't count. An enlightened society is not a world where everybody is a priest. Even a pizza delivery boy can be enlightened.

^ nice points!

Guru Played God, Retreat Survivor Says
http://news.aol.com/arti...ey-bunn/720209?icid=main|hp-laptop|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Fsweat-lodge-survivor-beverley-bunn%2F720209

Looks like this fellow wont be running to many more of these. Thats a good thing.

cellux wrote
"People tend to think that spirituality is something special and that's what these new age "gurus" exploit.

If I ever get enlightened, I surely will be among the best computer programmers in the world. I will write perfect programs to solve people's problems and there won't be a word in it about spirituality or higher powers or God or whatever. Those who have the eyes will see anyway. If it's really there, then the form it takes doesn't count. An enlightened society is not a world where everybody is a priest. Even a pizza delivery boy can be enlightened."

Indeed everyone has the same spiritual potential and it does not require any special tricks or procedures in my opinion. If you practice kindness and compassion all the answers are already inside you, one needs no external influence or teaching just quite your thoughts and look within.

Yes truly enlightened people have no need to push there beliefs on others or to convert them to there belief system, the Dali Lama is a excellent example of this.

As the old words of wisdom proclaim.
"Those who do know do not speak.
and those who speak do not know."