Oprah and the Sweat Lodge Tragedy

[Bobbieo]

Two people died in a distorted New Age version of a Native sweat lodge in Sedona, AZ. Nineteen more were badly injured. They each paid over $9000 for a bastardized version of a ceremony which by tradition must never be charged for. Natives don't believe in "pay to pray," but apparently the New Age movement does.

It is far more of a consumerist phenomena than a genuine spiritual movement. Many lost, misguided, and genuinely sincere seekers get caught up in the idea of paying cash for shortcuts to salvation, and Oprah Winfrey seems to be among them.

Winfrey promoted New Age leader James Arthur Ray on her program a number of times. It was Ray who jammed over sixty people into a "sweatbox." Traditionally perhaps a dozen people are in a sweat lodge.

http://nativeunity.blogspot.com

[hlthe2b]

1. I had a friend that was into this 20 years ago...

As one who holds great esteem for the TRUE Native American practitoners/traditionalists, it seemed obscene to me... Sadly, this con has many willing "victims."

[Mabus]

4. I know what you mean

Quite a few charlatans have been making money running alleged sweat lodges for a long time. It sickens me. I'm an American Indian woman who has only participated in ceremonies run by tribal elders who knew what they were doing, were doing it for the right reasons and in the correct manner. I'm nearing fifty and I can probably count the number of sweats I have done on my fingers. They aren't to be entered into lightly and certainly not as paid event.

[Chulanowa]

2. Disgusting, but probably no legal culpability

Unless the people orchestrating the "ceremony" could be proven to have forced the people to enter the box and stay there.

otherwise it's no different from a snake handling congregation when a few of the parishoners get bitten. You did something stupid under your own free will, sucks for you, here's your bill for the antivenin.

[armyowalgreens]

6. I'm sure criminal negligence could be proven.

These people put their trust in the Doctor. He is responsible for consequences like this.

[jwirr]

3. For most of us familiar with real Native American sweat lodges we

took one look at this and knew immediately that it was not right. Don't charge, don't stuff the lodge too full and let the experience speak for itself.

[DURHAM D]

7. Amen. nt

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. Spirituality has nothing to do with anything.

If you spend too much time in a sweatlodge, sauna, or whatever you want to call it, you'll get heat stroke and die.