PHOENIX – James Arthur Ray, a self-help guru, has passed away at the age of 67. Ray’s once thriving business crumbled following a tragic incident during a sweat lodge ceremony in Arizona that resulted in the deaths of three individuals.
Ray’s family made the announcement of his unexpected passing, stating that he died late the previous week. The exact cause of his death has not been disclosed. Ray had been actively involved in hosting a podcast with his wife and dispensing advice through social media.
Reflecting on Ray’s life, his brother, Jon Ray, expressed that James was dedicated to improving the lives of others. Jon Ray reflected, “I’m happy to say that he accomplished that thousands of times over.”
Stephanie Wheatley, a spokesperson for Clark County in Nevada where was Ray residing, said it had received a death report of a man matching Ray’s name and age.
Ray’s earlier business in which he taught people about spiritual and financial help was boosted by appearances in the 2006 Rhonda Byrne documentary “The Secret,” which he promoted on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and “Larry King Live.”
The sweat lodge deaths occurred after dozens of people traveled to a scenic retreat just outside Sedona in October 2009 for Ray’s five-day “Spiritual Warrior” event. The sweat lodge was the culminating event, touted as “hellacious hot” and a chance for participants to have powerful breakthroughs.
Two people — 38-year-old Kirby Brown of Westtown, New York, and 40-year-old James Shore of Milwaukee — died inside the sweat lodge and 18 others were injured. Another person, Liz Neuman, 49, of Prior Lake, Minnesota, fell into a coma and died after more than a week in the hospital.
At trial, prosecutors said Ray ratcheted up the heat to dangerous levels, ignored pleas for help, and watched as overcome participants were dragged out of the sweat lodge.
A jury acquitted Ray of more serious manslaughter charges and convicted him of three counts of negligent homicide, for which he served concurrent sentences for the deaths. He was released in July 2013.
Ray had acknowledged that he was responsible for the deaths but offered no excuses for his lack of action as the chaos unfolded at the sweat lodge.
After leaving prison, Ray remained active in the self-help industry. He frequently posted videos on social media of himself and his wife, Bersabeh Ray, offering advice. The couple also hosted a podcast, Modern Alchemy, and maintained a website where Ray offered one-on-one video sessions up to 90 minutes for $2,500.
In the wake of Brown’s death, her family established Seek Safely, an organization offering support for those who may be vulnerable to exploitation by the self-help industry. In a statement on the organization’s website, Brown’s sister, Jean, offered condolences and said Ray was just one of many operators “in a multi-billion dollar per year industry built on the exploitation of those who would improve their lives and find fulfillment.”
“We can only, at this juncture, remind seekers that no ‘guru,’ or program, or mindset is larger than life or without fault. That a journey of self-improvement is noble and vulnerable. That we must always remain in charge of that process of growth and change, rooted in our values, our worth, and our right to seek free from harm,” she wrote.
___
Gabriel Sandoval is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
