Arizona Attorneys Claim No Crime At Sweat Lodge
by Attorneys.org Editor
The Arizona attorneys acting on behalf of James Arthur Ray, a renowned self-help guru, submit that the three deaths of participants in a culminating event that took place in a sweat lodge were accidents. The ceremony was intended to symbolize being inside the mother’s womb and was held inside a lodge that created intense temperatures.
Nobody was forced
The Arizona attorneys representing Ray claimed that participation was voluntary and there was no attempt at coercion or brainwashing the participants to join the sweat lodge ceremony. Additionally, no one was physically kept from leaving the lodge during the ceremony.

Each round lasted around ten to fifteen minutes and Ray encouraged the participants to stay within that timeframe so they can remove restraints in life and break free of those. They were free to leave anytime they wanted and the tent flaps could easily be raised to facilitate this.

In fact, some participants left as they were unable to withstand the temperatures. One person even decided not to participate since he believed the whole ceremony was dangerous. Other people stayed inside for the duration of the ceremony and were unharmed.

Waivers were signed, precautions followed
The people participating in the retreat organized by Ray were made to sign a waiver, acknowledging that among the risks present in the ceremony were injury and possibly death. According to the Arizona attorneys who crafted the waiver, the participants knew what they were going into with full knowledge of the activities involved. See our full list of Arizona Attorneys

Since the last injury in 2005, which led to a man being hospitalized, safety precautions have been undertaken to ensure that such events do not happen again. The ceremony is now held in daylight although the inside of the sweat lodge is still pitch black, the number of rounds has been decreased and the staff is now trained for CPR.

Criticisms of the sweat lodge
The Lakota Nation recently filed a complaint criticizing the construction of the sweat lodge, claiming that their culture was desecrated and bastardized. Moreover, the procedure with which the ceremony was held was deemed inappropriate. Numerous concerns sprang up that pertained to the ceremony.

For example, the Lakota Nation claimed that the sweat lodge was built with non-breathable materials – something that is very unusual and which shows a lack of experience by builders. This alone may have caused the deaths and illnesses that accompanied the participants of Ray’s ceremony.

Another criticism lobbed against Ray was that the ceremony itself was too long and that the number of people that attended the ceremony was too high. Therefore, charges of negligence and carelessness are being thrown because of this.

The Arizona attorneys representing Ray further mentioned that it was up to the owners of the retreat house, Angel Valley Retreat Center, to make sure of the safety of the sweat lodge.