Demons in our Midst

James Arthur Ray is an empty soulless man who appears to enjoy causing others to suffer.

Yeah ... I've read the statistics showing that 90 percent of those abused go on to become abusers. Which most likely means ::: somewhere down the road ::: some well meaning individual will go on record to state they believe James Arthur Ray was abused.

Millions of people have survived abuse of one type or another. Not all abused people end up hurting others. The 10 percent that DON'T hurt others made a choice to grow beyond their past.

Which gets me to my next point ::: it really doesn't matter if :::

::: James Arthur Ray was or wasn't abused.
~ not all of those abused become abusers ~

::: is a sociopath, narcissist, malignant sociopath.
~ not all sociopaths end up charged with manslaughter ~

::: suffers from any of a dozen different personality disorders.
~ people with personality disorders can lead normal lives ~

::: is eventually diagnosed as being mentally ill.
~ most mental illness is treatable ~

When all is said is done ::: we ::: all of us ::: have free will to choose the way we live our lives.

James Arthur Ray made a conscious decision to:
cause pain
bully
steal
lie
maim
K I L L

The Truth is Out There

::: it's just sad 4 people had to die before people learned who James Arthur Ray really was.

My Journey to the Truth

I've been trying to figure out what makes James Arthur Ray tick for years. I met him briefly in 2007 at the end of a free seminar he had given at the Anaheim Marriott. One moment I was happy, the next (after meeting James) I was in a wild panic and frantically suicidal. After JAR hurled insults at me and literally screamed me down in front of a room full of people.

Here's the kicker ::: I'm not that easy to insult ::: trust me. I was also NOT suicidal and had NEVER done an emotional 180 like that in my life. The fact that mere words, from a man I had never met and I didn't know ::: could put me that close to the edge ::: filled me with horror.

Weeks later, when my depression finally lifted ::: I began reading everything I could on Sociopathic, Narcissistic and psychopathic behavior (that's a LOT of books). And I searched the web for everything I could on who James Arthur Ray really was, and what made him tick.

One of the first places I located was the Rick A. Ross Institute. (A great resource)

I eventually became active in one of their Cult Education Forums. In particular "James Arthur Ray - 2 die at Arizona retreat's sweat lodge"

I advise anyone who has not already read the Rick Ross forum on James Arthur Ray to click the link above. It points to the first page, which shows how Rick Ross exposed JAR while Oprah and others were building him up.

The second place I located was The Salty Droid. I can't say enough good things about this site. [insert voice of voice of Nell Fenwick -of Rocky and Bullwinkle fame- saying "My Hero"]

Operated by a real live lawyer ::: who fearlessly chases down perpetrators of evil like James Arthur Ray, Frank Kern, Sean McAlister, James Malinchak, etc., etc., etc., then exposes the truth to all via "Salty", his friendly droid robot and numerous videos.

The wonderful people operating these sites have done much to help me (and countless others) understand how and why people like James Arthur Ray are able to maneuver and hurt people.

While I'm sure he'll keep on selling, twittering inane BS, and attempting to lead people ::: for all ostensive purposes, James Arthur Ray's career as a guide, teacher and healer is over. The only question remaining is if a jury will find him guilty of manslaughter X3. If not, well, I don't want to go down that road. Karma is Karma, and James Arthur Ray has earned a shit pile.

Sadly, the next James Arthur Ray is already out there ::: waiting to take his place. Hopefully, when that person shows up, we'll know the signs. Here's to no more deaths, no more pain, and no more abuse.

Links on abuse, sociopaths, and other good stuff ...

What is Spiritual Abuse?

John M. Knapp, LMSW
CHSCA

• a group or leader manipulates and exploits members to achieve the group's ends by appealing to unquestioned goods larger than themselves, such as God, the Buddha, the Bible, the Vedas, the Koran, the Constitution, the American way, salvation, enlightenment, spiritual growth, psychological health, going clear, success, or any other external, unchallengeable principle, and
  
• a member experiences involuntary suffering due to high-intensity demands on time, energy, money, and/or emotional resources to fulfill the dictates of the leader or group.

All Definitions listed below were copied from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

God complex

A god complex is a non-clinical term generally used to describe an individual who consistently believes he or she can accomplish more than is humanly possible or that their opinion is automatically above those with whom he or she may disagree.[1] The individual may believe he or she is above the rules of society and should be given special consideration or privileges. The term "god complex" does not appear in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).[2]

Narcissist Personality Disorder

Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a personality disorder.[3]

The narcissist is described as being excessively preoccupied with issues of personal adequacy, power, prestige and vanity. [4] Narcissistic personality disorder is closely linked to self-centeredness.

Diagnosis
DSM-IV-TR 301.81

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition, DSM IV-TR, a widely used manual for diagnosing mental disorders, defines narcissistic personality disorder (in Axis II Cluster B) as: [3]

A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

1. Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
2. Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3. Believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
4. Requires excessive admiration
5. Has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
6. Is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
7. Lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
8. Is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her
9. Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
10. Often mild to moderate paranoia, that others are out to do him in.
11. Predominant "name dropper" boasting or suggestion association with people or affiliations of importance.

Millon's subtypes

Theodore Millon identified five subtypes of narcissist. Any individual narcissist may exhibit none or one of the following:

• Unprincipled narcissist - including antisocial features. A charlatan - is a fraudulent, exploitative, deceptive and unscrupulous individual.
• Amorous narcissist - including histrionic features. The Don Juan or Casanova of our times - is erotic, exhibitionist.
• Compensatory narcissist - including negativistic (passive-aggressive), avoidant features.
• Elitist narcissist - variant of pure pattern. Corresponds to Wilhelm Reich's "phallic narcissistic" personality type.
• Fanatic narcissist - including paranoid features. An individual whose self-esteem was severely arrested during childhood, who usually displays major paranoid tendencies, and who holds on to an illusion of omnipotence. These people are fighting delusions of insignificance and lost value, and trying to re-establish their self-esteem through grandiose fantasies and self-reinforcement. When unable to gain recognition or support from others, they take on the role of a heroic or worshipped person with a grandiose mission.

Pointers

Thomas suggests the following pointers may indicate the presence of someone with narcissistic personality disorder.

• They expect others to do the day-to-day chores as they feel too important to waste their time on common things.
• They very rarely talk about their inner life - for example their memories and dreams.
• There tends to be a higher level of stress with people who work with or interact with a narcissist, which in turn increases absenteeism and staff turnover.
• They feel that rules at work don't apply to them.
• Their sense of self-importance and lack of empathy means that they will often interrupt the conversation of others.
• They get impatient and restless when the topic of conversation is about someone else, and not about them.
• They constantly use "I", "me" and "my" when they talk.
• If you share the workload with them, expect to do the lion's share yourself.
• They lack empathy and this colors everything they do.
• They love to delegate work, and then interfere by micromanaging it. If it goes well they take the credit (plagiarism); if it goes badly, they blame the person they delegated it to.
• Blame others for their actions and misfortunes.
• During a conversation, no matter what topic is being discussed, they usually end up talking about themselves.
• They will always cheat whenever they think they will get away with it.
• Virtually all their ideas or ways of behaving in a given situation are taken from others.

Hare's Checklist and other mental disorders

Psychopathy, as measured on the PCL-R, is negatively correlated with all DSM-IV Axis I disorders exceptsubstance abuse disorders. Psychopathy is most strongly correlated with DSM-IV antisocial personality disorder.

Factor1: Personality "Aggressive narcissism"

• Glibness / superficial charm
• Grandiose sense of self-worth
• Pathological lying
• Cunning / manipulative
• Lack of remorse or guilt
• Shallow affect (genuine emotion is short-lived and egocentric)
• Callous / lack of empathy
• Failure to accept responsibility for own actions

Factor2: Case history "Socially deviant lifestyle"

• Need for stimulation / proneness to boredom
• Parasitic lifestyle
• Poor behavioral control
• Lack of realistic long-term goals
• Impulsivity
• Irresponsibility
• Juvenile delinquency
• Early behavior problems
• Revocation of conditional release

Traits not correlated with either factor

• Promiscuous sexual behavior
• Many short-term marital relationships
• Criminal versatility
• Aquired behavioural sociopathy / sociological conditioning (a newly identified trait i.e. a person relying on sociological strategies and tricks to deceive)

Links

1. McLemee.com - 'The Shrink with a God Complex' Ronald Hayman Newsday, (April 22, 2001)

2. News-Service.Stanford.edu - 'Did Caligula have a God complex? Stanford, Oxford archaeologists find evidence that depraved tyrant annexed sacred temple', John Sanford (September 10, 2003)

3. Narcissistic personality disorder - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth edition Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) American Psychiatric Association (2000)

4. Millon, Theodore (1996). Disorders of Personality: DSM-IV-TM and Beyond. New York: John Wiley and Sons. p. 393. ISBN 0-471-01186-X.