Life and Death in el Valle de los Ángeles

On April 22, Ms Do ::: one of James Arthur Ray's army of defense attorneys attempted to take apart Michael Hamilton. It was painful to watch and agonizing to hear.

Michael Hamilton seems like a genuine, well meaning and sincere man. Michael Hamilton and Angel Valley had a seven year history with James Arthur Ray. James Ray used to speak about Angel Valley and the Hamiltons in glowing terms. Michael Hamilton ::: went out of his way to supply James Arthur Ray ::: excuse me ::: James Ray International ::: with everything he/they requested. (big mistake ::: but who knew)

Fast forward October 2009 ::: dozens of people were injured during a sweat lodge (heat endurance event) held on the last day of JRI's Spiritual Warrior event. Three people died as a result of the extreme heat in the sweat lodge. Eventually James Arthur Ray was charged with three counts of Manslaughter. (Thank you God)

As if three people dying because of James Arthur Ray's neglect isn't bad enough ::: he is now in the process of blaming those deaths on EVERYTHING and ANYTHING else BUT HIS ACTIONS. So much for personal accountability or living an honorable life!

I get the fact that James Arthur Ray is scared and overwhelmed. (I don't really care, but I get it.) He fucked up (don't usually use that term, but I believe it's appropriate here) in a phenomenally and incomprehensibly bad way. He should be scared.

James Arthur Ray permanently messed up the lives of a whole lot of people, AND THOSE ARE JUST THE PEOPLE WHO SURVIVED! While killing three people in the process ... and messing up the lives of ALL the victim's friends and their families.

It takes an especially talented (translation: deviant) person to facilitate the staggering amount of pathos, chaos, pain, suffering and death, James Arthur Ray managed to pull off during Spiritual Warrior 2009. I won't even mention the other person who died or the dozens of people who suffered shattered bones and other fun wounds at some of his other events.

Now a reasonable person ::: you know the type ::: someone with a conscience , let alone a sense of right and wrong ::: would have done everything in their power to make things right. Actually ANYONE with half a brain would have stopped the sweat lodge THE INSTANT they heard people were in physical distress.

MEMO to James Arthur Ray: vomiting, passing out, having convulsions, and DYING is NOT normal healthy behavior under ANY circumstance.

Actually a reasonable person wouldn't even have thought of exposing ANYONE to the level of heat and humidity James Arthur Ray did for over two hours!!! A reasonable person wouldn't have forced people to NOT DRINK or EAT for 36 hours BEFORE the sweat lodge ::: while sitting exposed ALONE in the high desert.

All of which sort'a kind'a makes one realize that James Arthur Ray never was ::: or ever will be ::: a reasonable and honorable person. (DUH)

Now James Arthur Ray (our new age wunder kind) is blithely tossing everyone who ever helped him or worked with him during Spiritual Warrior under the proverbial bus. INCLUDING THOSE WHO HELPED KEEP PEOPLE ALIVE!

If this is how James Arthur Ray treats his friends and business partners ::: heaven help his enemies.

Michael and Amayra Hamilton had a dream :::

In April of 2002 Michael and Amayra Hamilton discovered "Deer Pass Ranch". This ranch is located in a isolated and picturesque valley close to Sedona, surrounded by mountains. Michael says that he and his wife Amayra "just felt it, knew it: This was going to be their new place, the temple in nature that they had been dreaming of."

"They felt it was Archangel Michael, who had been their inspiration for their work at "Michael's Vision" [1] since 1997, who now invited them to embark on this adventure, a project bigger than either of them had ever undertaken. It could not possibly be done in the traditional way. Divine assistance was required." [2]

The Hamiltons eventually purchased "Deer Pass Ranch" and renamed it "Angel Valley." That was before they met an Angel of Death name James Arthur Ray who talked them into building a ginormous sweat lodge on their property. Michael Hamilton had a bad feeling about building one that big ::: suffice it to say ::: he should have followed his instincts.

That said it wasn't the size of the sweat lodge which killed or maimed ::: it was the insane heat and duration of the sweat ::: along other contributing factors like dehydration, fatigue and other nasty stuff foisted on the participants by James Arthur Ray. Oh and an other minor detail ::: when people started getting ill and dying ::: James Arthur Ray did NOTHING.

Now the Hamiltons are struggling to keep Angel Valley afloat. It seems as if everything James Arthur Ray touches turns to you-know-what. Michael's wife Amayra testifies next. My heart goes out to her and the rest of the witnesses yet to testify.

1. Angel Valley Website
2. Michael's Vision - Angel Valley's Website