DEATH BY GURU: THE JAMES ARTHUR RAY SWEAT LODGE INCIDENT
The focus of the evening will be on what I loosely refer to as the ‘guru phenomenon’. As the topic indicates, we’ll take a look at the James Arthur Ray sweat lodge incident, in which 3 people died, and I’ll be showing some video footage related to the case (note, not the actual incident itself). In addition, I’ll show a selection of intriguing video clips that illustrate the phenomenon in a variety of different guises. I anticipate that responses to these clips will vary considerably - some may find them amazing or simply amusing, while others might be shocked or even disgusted.
The intention of the discussion will not be to judge and point fingers at those who have gone too far, however, but rather to examine both sides of the coin, as objectively as we can. A guru is only a guru if he has willing followers. So what defines a guru and why do so many people relinquish their personal power to them? And where does the responsibility lie when things go wrong?
It should be an interesting evening. If you want to know more about when and where, see today's Holistic Lifestyle Centre blogpost: http://holisticlifestylecentre.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/next-week-at-befinity-when-good-gurus-go-bad/
