Bill Cosby once said, “A word to the wise ain’t necessary. It’s the stupid ones who need the advice.”

We are all aware of the Darwin Awards which honor those who improve the species by accidentally removing themselves from it. So in light of the recent events in Sedona, Arizona, that led to the deaths of two people and the hospitalization of a host of others who, along with about 58 others, crammed themselves into a 415 square foot, make-shift ‘sweat lodge.’

Now for the unfamiliar a sweat lodge, sweat house or medicine lodge is a ceremonial sauna which some Native American tribes consider to be an important part of ceremonial rituals. That’s all well and good but this wasn’t a ceremony or a ritual. Oh yeah, nor was it performed by a Native American tribe.

These were Spiritual Warriors lead by the well-known shaman James Arthur Ray. Actually he’s not a shaman. He is, however the author of ‘Harmonic Wealth,’ a best-selling, self-help book and describes himself as a “personal success strategist and visionary.” WOW! Damn shame he can’t add paramedic or EMT to his title. These folks were all part of a (God help me ‘cause I gotta say it), New Age, touchy-feely, no doubt HR and PC approved group awareness training, spiritual retreat, bogus, bullshit, thousands of dollars per head, following some goofy assed jack off who thinks he knows a better way (which he does, by the way. He knows the best and fastest way into your wallet) kind of thing. Of course, it’s only appropriate that it’s being held in Sedona which just so happens to be the land of astrology, vortexes, UFO’s, Kirlian photography and whatever other nonsense these loonytoons wish to gather together for.

Since this tragedy I have read daily reports in the news about the retreat, the people involved and Mr. Ray. I cannot help myself but as I read these articles, my thoughts tend bring up names like Koresh, Applewhite, Jones, Manson and other enigmatic characters who through their charisma and the promise of a better way, lead their followers to destruction. Now please don’t get me wrong. I don’t want you to think for a moment that I am lumping all motivational speakers in the same category as the criminally psychotic. If the truth be told, I don’t think Mr. Ray is guilty of having committed any crime whatsoever. But there is a strong similarity in how people like Mr. Ray get people to pay upwards of 9K to spend a week in the desert only to cap it off by crawling into a home-made sweat box and how others have grown their followings.

Look, we all have issues and problems. It’s been this way since the beginning of time and will continue as such until the end. As humans we all have our frailties, faults and foibles. For the most part, we are able to seek out our own solutions whether  spiritual, personal, physical, mental and I can go on and on. Bottom line, kids, there is not one soul out there, especially one’s writing books, appearing on TV and charging damn near ten grand that can tell you the answers. And unless Mr. Ray held a gun on these people or drugged them somehow forcing them to stay inside and ignore the signs their bodies had to have been telling them until they had died, then I can see nothing criminal. After all, these were willing participants who were reportedly in excellent physical condition. Like HST says, “Buy the ticket, take the ride.”

Naivete could have been an issue but I find that hard to believe with people in their late thirties and early forties. Nope, you have a group of people who for whatever their own personal reason chose to follow the words of this man only to crawl into that cramped, crowded and hot sauna and remained there until they perished. The unfortunate and sad truth for those left behind is that these people were willing participants in their own demise (a statement that I shall gladly retract if proven otherwise). The only crime here is stupidity and desperation neither of which could be fixed even if you lined up all of the self-help gurus end to end. I’m sorry folks, it is what it is. After the retreat, after the ‘spiritual cleansing’ these two are still dead.

I do feel so very sorry for their loss for I am sure they were truly wonderful people. I also know that there will be years of litigation and people calling for the head of Mr. Ray. I know that my nominating them for the Darwin Award may appear to be crass and in poor taste and I am sorry for the loss of these lives. I extend my deepest and most heartfelt condolences to their families and friends. But if this is not an example of Darwinism at it’s ultimate best, then what is?

WMK