In 2,000-Year-Old Scrolls, Internet-Era Crime, Jim Dwyer writes:  Early one morning in March, the law banged on the door of an apartment on Thompson Street in Greenwich Village. Investigators had a warrant to arrest Raphael Haim Golb and seize his computer. He was caught red-handed.  Mr. Golb is, or was, a guerrilla fighter in a cyberbrawl over the Dead Sea Scrolls, a war about the origins of 2,000-year-old documents that has consumed the energy of academics around the globe.  He was being arrested for fighting dirty.  Mr. Golb is 49 years old and had 50 e-mail aliases. He used pseudonyms to post on blogs. Under the name of a professor he was trying to undermine, prosecutors charged, Mr. Golb wrote a quasi confession to plagiarism and circulated it among students and officials at New York University. His purpose, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said, was “to influence and affect debate on the Dead Sea Scrolls, and in order to harass Dead Sea Scrolls scholars who disagree with his viewpoint.” Continue reading →

The past few days I’ve been really catching up on my sleep.  I guess my body knows what it needs.  Once again, last night at 7:00pm I felt myself getting sleepy.  So instead of just dozing off in my big puffy chair as i usually do, I got up and went into bed.  I figured I’d be back up before 11:00pm to do some work, but I didn’t get up until 2:30am. I woke up for a few moments every hour or so, but just took note that it felt good to be snuggled in my bed and if felt good to be so sleepy.  Years ago I turned my clock in the bedroom so I have to get up to see it. Since I drink so much water, I am usually up every few hours anyway, but even in the pitch of night I can somehow always guess within a few minutes what time it is.  Turning the clock away was the best thing I ever did for my sleeping room. Continue reading →

In Eight Signs The Recession Is Over, Peter Cohan writes: “I recently delivered a Webinar, Economic Outlook: U.S. and Key  Industries, and got asked a very interesting question — How will we know the recession is over?  With Thursday’s report that productivity grew 9.5 percent while the number of people added to the unemployment rolls hit 512,000 in the last week, the signals are not exactly clear.  But my answer to the question is that people can follow eight indicators to know whether we’re out of a recession. My best guess is that these indicators will not all flash a green light suddenly or at the same time. But if you follow these indicators over the next few months and monitor changes in them closely, you may get some meaningful signs of whether the recession is over. Continue reading →

I read at Gray Hair Cure Available in 10 Years that acccording to L’Oreal, we could all be kissing our gray hairs adieu in a mere 10 years.  The beauty company is working on a breakthrough treatment geared towards ending gray hair for good. They expect it to consist of an oral element backed by a hair care range, and be available within 10 years, reported the Daily Mail. Hair gets its hue from melanocytes, pigment cells that give color to both the skin and the hair.  “When hair goes gray, there is a progressive disappearance of the melanocytes from the hair. While there are still melanocytes in the hair, there is still hope that it could be re-pigmented,” Patricia Pineau, L’Oreal Research Communications Director told the paper.  “Hair is an enigma,” she added. “It’s a fiber, a material with physical properties. It is also a living organ that grows, grays and falls out. How can we fight this? Do we need a physical approach or a biological approach?”  An oral program supplemented with a hair care program would do both, she said, targeting graying from both the inside and out. Continue reading →

Earlier this week, I came across the movie Mindwalk on Showtime. I thought it was funny how this came out in 1991 when so few were ready for the topic of quantum field theory. Yet a scant 13 years later in 2004, What The Bleep Do We Know?! was made and the public embraced it.  (Also see June 2021 Horizons featuring Betsy Chasse, co-creator of What The Bleep.)
Filmed entirely at Mont Saint Michel, France, Mindwalk serves as an introduction to systems theory and systems thinking, with insights into modern physical theories such as quantum mechanics and particle physics.  Below is a synopsis of this excellent and thought provoking film. Continue reading →

Yesterday I’d spent the morning getting my quarterly tax documents ready for my accountant.  While I was making photocopies on my all in one printer – you know how fast those are – I’d pop in to Facebook and update my status, telling my buddies what I was doing.  “I’m almost through the quarterly paperwork for my tax chick. Dang, I send the IRS a bunch of $$. I guess that’s a good thing though. Like it keeps me outa jail and stuff.”  I know if I’m paying taxes, that means I’m making money. I know taxes are a good thing.  I figure it’s like their tip for letting me eat. A friend wrote that it was more like the advanced version of the playground bully shaking the other kids down for lunch money. I laughed “Yes, we pay and they let us live.”  I got the usual comments about how the IRS and the government are doing all sorts of shady stuff, but I’m glad to pay taxes in a country that lets me live in freedom.  Continue reading →

I just re-read a favorite book by Peter McWilliams entitled Life 102: What to Do When Your Guru Sues You. The introduction is entitled What does a rampaging guru have to do with you? McWilliams got taken by John-Roger, a self proclaimed guru known for abusing his power. It’s a fun and enlightening read, as are all of McWilliams’ books. Life 102 is not simply an expose’ of misrepresentation, scandal and fraud relative to one man, one incident.  The book goes into the intricacies of the programming aspect of indoctrination in organizations that purport to be self help but are instead cash cows.  The book is particularly relevant in light of the James Arthur Ray incident. I literally stayed up overnight reading it, although I did skip over the dialogue of John-Roger’s harrassing phone calls and hateful notes to naysayers, and skipped over the legal findings of specific criminal acts.  Essentially, the story began when John-Roger, a self proclaimed all knowing ascended guru, told Peter McWilliams that he could see in his aura that McWilliams had AIDS and tuberculosis and that he was going to die in 9 months.  BUT, if McWilliams put Roger’s name as co-author on some books and shared profits with him, Roger would heal his illness for him.  McWilliams was under his spell from 1978 until 1994, at which time he was medically treated for depression.  As his depression lifted, he began to see what others had been telling him about John-Roger, and he began to break ties.  Roger retaliated, as he always did, and it is all documented in the book. Continue reading →

There’s still confusion over the 2 versions of The Secret DVD. I wrote in my Horizons Magazine blog post Why Does “The Secret” No Longer Contain The Secret? The Abraham-Hicks Back Story that the original version that contains Abraham-Hicks is the one with clear information on law of attraction, the least rhetoric and hyperbole.  With new attention on James Ray and his connection to The Secret, I see a lot of comments and discussion online by people who have only seen the extended, revised version of the DVD, and not the original one with Esther Hicks.  They still haven’t learned “The Secret” because the revised (they call it the EXTENDED version) DVD removed Abraham-Hicks, who were the only ones who actually explained law of attraction so it could be easily understood.  The same with Rhonda Byrne’s book The Secret, which came later.  The revised version is like being fed a beef soup minus the beef.  It might be good, but you can’t call it beef soup if you leave out the cow.

Hear Esther Hicks on Oprah here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E1hZMZWJNY explaining in her own words  Continue reading →

The other day I noticed water on the floor in the garage, and I followed it to my water pump motor and expansion tank. The tank was replaced 9 years ago but the motor was the original Red Jacket Quick Set Jet installed in 1984 when Uncle Jimmy built the house for me. I immediately did what any rational person facing that situation would do, and took photos of it to post on Facebook.  My Facebook peeps always have helpful comments that help me save time.  I got several referrals and several suggestions on what might be causing it.  I got enough information that I could begin my Google search for information.  The first thing I wanted to know was, what do the parts DO and how do they interact?  Because when I know that, I will be able to understand what the service dudes tell me when they come out to give me estimates. Continue reading →

This page has evolved into the page for updated links on this matter – see the links list below for a chronological timeline. I am keeping track of this story since I get so many emails and Facebook messages asking about it.  I’m not personally out to get anyone, but I believe people who do this type of work need to be responsible and accountable.  This matter going public has drawn out past participants who were afraid to speak up on their own.  As someone who has done dozens of vision quests and sweat lodges since the 70’s, a main interest in them for me is the psychological changes they bring about in everyone involved.  A bonding together for a common purpose.  An awakening to a deeper understanding of the world around you.  That is why I am following this story.  It is interesting watching it unfold, and interesting to see reactions to it.  Oh, we are in interesting times. Beverly Bunn, Sweat Lodge Survivor, Speaks Out, Reveals Details Of Tragic Incident excerpt: When participants exhibited weakness, Ray urged them to push past it and chided those who wanted to leave. “I can’t get her to move. I can’t get her to wake up,” Bunn recalls hearing from two sides of the 415-square-foot sweat lodge. Ray’s response: “Leave her alone, she’ll be dealt with in the next round.”

$9,695 New Age sweat lodge session kills 2, injures 19 This is a very long extensive post but has some interestesting tidbits about the James Arthur Ray sweat lodge incident, James Ray’s past time line, The Secret, Ray’s Practical Mysticism pitch, what secret spiritual warrior tradition did James Ray study in Peru and the Amazon?  The page also contains a link to an interview with Shawna Bowen who was on the scene. Shawna Bowen website here.

UPDATED LINKS AS THEY CAME IN: (Note, when The Examiner was sold, they dropped the articles)
10-21-09, an Inside Account
10-22-09: James Ray urged sweat lodge participants to stop prescription medications
10-22-09: Mind altering breathing techniques used by James Ray at Sedona retreat
10-23-09 update interview with survivors Sidney Spencer and others
10-23-09 James Ray Spiritual Warrior Participant Guide, Welcome letter
10-24-09 Interview with Dr. Stanislav Grof: James Ray not certified
10-26-09 Did James Ray use coercive persuasion
10-28-09 Sweat Lodge Victim’s Family: Guru James Arthur Ray Lied to Us
10-27-09  Story unfolds of James Ray, who hosted fatal sweat lodge
10-30-09 James Ray Spiritual Warrior worksheet: Shocking questions
10-31-09 First lawsuits filed in Arizona sweat lodge tragedy
10-31-09 James Ray has no degree/licensure to do psychological trauma work
10-31-09 James Ray jewelry thief, refusing to return items handed over
11-4-09  James Ray lists his Beverly Hills home for sale
11-9-09 Lawsuit filed By survivor Sidney Spencer
11-13-09  Lakota Nation files lawsuit against parties in sweat lodge incident
11-16-09 Who Built the James Ray Sweat Lodge? Photo of it partially completed
11-24-09 Interview with Lorena Bathey; James Ray Escalating Patterns of Abuse
11-27-09 What next for James Ray cult survivors?
12-8-09 ABC Video, former James Ray employee tells of his actions after ceremony
12-9-09 Former Employee: Ray Did Not Help People Dying in Sweat Lodge
12-10-09 The Nightline Interview with James Ray Staff
12-11-09  Breaking news: Fifth death associated with James Ray
12-15-09 James Ray Facing Criminal Charges, Authorities Say
12-15-09 Complete transcript of the “Anderson Cooper 360″ segment
12-16-09 James Ray drugged participants and forced snake handling
12-29-09 Ray Ignored Broken Bones, More, Leading Up To 3 Deaths, Say Court Docs
12-30-09 New police info released – police reports revealed
12-31-09 James Ray drugs and disease
12-31-09 Particpant Interviews from PrescottNews.com
1-14-10  Detailed look at newly released police reports: part 1 
1-24-10 Q & A with James Arthur Ray by Michael Joseph Gross
2-3-10 Motivational speaker CHARGED WITH MANSLAUGHTER in sweat lodge deaths
2-4-10 More Damning Eyewitness Information About Fatal James Ray Sweat Lodge
2-9-10 Employees Rat Out Self-Help Guru, Get Immunity (a lot of links at this website)
2-10-10 Religious Practices on Trial in Arizona: The Problem With “Experts”
2-11-10 Interview with James Ray Intl Director of Operations
2-16-10 Interview with Josh Fredrickson: part 1
3-11-10 Interview with Angel Valley Nurse
3-24-10 Police interview with Owner of Angel Valley

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Older posts:

Link to video segment of James Ray on Larry King Live
James Ray sweat lodge survivors continue to speak out
Related Post: How did James Arthur Ray attract this?
2 die at James Arthur Ray’s Sedona Spiritual Warrior Retreat
Questions About Sweat Lodge. Creating New Neurological Pathways
Update from NPR on this matter
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6/22/11:  James Ray Found guilty of negligent homicide

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