The Sedona Sweat Lodge Incident - Demystifying Mysticism

The recent tragedy at the James Arthur Ray sweat lodge that took place at Angel Valley Retreat in Sedona, in which three people died and others fell seriously ill, spawned a lot of speculation by the news about what happened and why.

What interested us was the fact that it seemed that the general public understood so little about the spiritual beliefs that are firmly rooted in mysticism and metaphysics. Even one CNN reporter stated frankly that she had "never heard of a sweat lodge" before this incident.

The New York Times reported about "the comments of a self-described 'channeler' who visited Angel Valley after the retreat. Claiming to have communicated with the dead, the channeler said they had left their bodies in the sweat lodge and chosen not to come back because 'they were having so much fun.'" [For Some Seeking Rebirth, Sweat Lodge Was End; By JOHN DOUGHERTY; Published: October 21, 2009 ]

This comment, to some, would seem to be very callous and insensitive, but for those of us who understand that planet earth is a school, and that nothing is random or without a greater spiritual purpose or reason, that seemingly insensitive comment was not too far-fetched. And, it certainly doesn't get Mr. Ray off the hook to accept responsibility for his part in the sweat lodge tragedy.

Join us in a fascinating discussion about spiritual beliefs as we educate the community at large about the common misconceptions about mysticism. Do you agree with the comments that the channeler made about the Angel Valley Retreat incident? Do you see it differently? We would love to hear your comments and answer your questions. Also, tune in to hear what Dr. Peebles had to say at the October 17 Open Session (through Summy B) when someone asked a question about the incident.