Case anlst

1. What other symptoms of groupthink (if any) do you see in this case?

2. Is groupthink a greater danger for spiritual groups than other types of groups? Why or why not?

3. What other ethical danger signs do you see in the sweat lodge tragedy?

4. What steps could retreat participants have taken to protect themselves and others?

5. Was Ray’s sentence too harsh or too light?

6. What do you learn from this case that you can apply as a group member?

7. Would you say that having a biblical worldview is compatible with a groupthink mindset? Why or why not?

Present your analysis and evaluation in an 800–1,200-word paper prepared following current APA guidelines for professional papers. Be sure to support your conclusions with the text, Scripture, and at least 1 scholarly journal article. Include proper current APA citations and a reference list.

Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.



Case Study 8.2: Groupthink in the Sweat Lodge

In October 2009, a group of spiritual seekers paid from $9,000 to $10,000 each to attend a five-day Spiritual Warrior Retreat near Sedona, Arizona, led by self-help expert and New Age guru James Arthur Ray. Ray is the author of the best-selling book Harmonic Wealth: The Secret of Attracting the Life You Want and is featured in the video The Secret. His company, James Ray International, took in over $9 million in 2008.

The Spiritual Warrior Retreat, which participants were told “will push you beyond your perceived limits,” included seminars, spiritual cleansing exercises, and other activities.1 The week culminated in a 36-hour vision quest without food or water in the desert, followed by a meal and a closing sweat lodge ceremony. The ceremony was designed as an intense “rebirthing” experience to help participants make significant life changes. Held in a 415-square-foot enclosure built of blankets and plastic sheeting surrounding a fire pit, the lodge could comfortably handle 20 to 25 people but was packed with 55 seekers that day. Heated rocks were placed in the fire pit every round and doused with water. Sandalwood (believed to be toxic when burned) was added to produce incense. Participants sat in darkness, while Ray, standing near the tent door, exhorted them to continue despite their extreme discomfort. He told the group, “Play full on, you have to go through this barrier,”2 and “You will have to get to a point where you surrender and it’s O.K. to die.”

The sweat lodge soon became what one reporter called “a human cooking pot,” searing the lungs of retreat-goers and baking their internal organs. Not only was the sweat lodge overcrowded, but also the plastic sheeting didn’t let the steam escape, further increasing the temperature in the enclosure. Three people died, and 19 more received emergency medical treatment for dehydration, burns, breathing problems, organ failure, and elevated body temperature. Those who were in the lodge report that Ray ignored signs that something was terribly amiss. When people started vomiting, he declared that vomiting “was good for you, that you are purging what your body doesn’t want, what it doesn’t need.” When told that a woman had fainted just after he closed the enclosure door between rounds of the ceremony, Ray continued on, noting, “We will deal with that after the next round.”

Police and other observers wonder why participants didn’t leave the tent even when they literally began to cook to death. (It should be noted that some might have been overcome before they could save themselves.) Escalation of commitment might be partially to blame. Retreat-goers spent thousands of dollars and invested several days in the event and wanted to continue to the end, hoping for a final spiritual breakthrough. However, groupthink appears to be a more significant contributing factor. The retreat experience put a good deal of pressure on participants to conform. They were isolated, under the direction of a powerful authority figure, and subjected to significant physical stress even before entering the sweat lodge. Thus, it is not surprising that followers displayed symptoms of groupthink. Ray allegedly pressured possible dissenters. He discouraged members from leaving the tent by his presence at the door and by telling those tempted to exit, “You can do better than this.”7 Individuals apparently engaged in self-censorship, keeping their doubts about the safety of the lodge to themselves. One client, for example, was troubled about a game played earlier in the week in which Ray (dressed in white robes) played God and ordered some participants to commit mock suicide. However, she didn’t leave then because she didn’t want to ruin the experience for others. There was also the illusion of unanimity. Some members of the group may have concluded that if the rest of the participants thought conditions in the lodge were tolerable, then it must be safe to stay. The darkness may have hidden the fact that others were in serious trouble.

Ray claimed that what happened in the lodge was a tragic accident, not a crime, and that he didn’t know anyone was in distress. He and his attorneys and supporters argued that the participants were warned of the dangers of the experience (they signed waivers indicating that death could result). A nurse was on duty outside the lodge, and drinks were available. People were free to leave the lodge when they wished.

Ray was acquitted of manslaughter charges (which could have led to a sentence of 30 years) in 2011. He was convicted of three counts of negligent homicide instead, spent two years in prison, and was released in 2013. Since his release, Ray has mounted a comeback, declaring that self-help is “exactly where I should be, and absolutely must be.” He currently coaches entrepreneurs and has plans for a book and an online platform. Ray successfully petitioned a judge to restore his right to vote and to hold public office, though the judge refused to set aside his three convictions.

Members of the victims’ families feel that the New Age guru should have gotten a much longer sentence and are angry that he is filing motions to get his rights back “while the rest of us [victims’ families] are all still living with the pain.”9 They don’t think Ray has taken full responsibility for the tragedy and is motivated to return to the self-help business by money, not to help others.

Discussion Probes

1. What other symptoms of groupthink (if any) do you see in this case?

2. Is groupthink a greater danger for spiritual groups than other types of groups? Why or why not?

3. What other ethical danger signs do you see in the sweat lodge tragedy?

4. What steps could retreat participants have taken to protect themselves and others?

5. Was Ray’s sentence too harsh or too light? Should his rights be restored and convictions set aside?

6. What do you learn from this case that you can apply as a group member? As a spiritual seeker?

Johnson, Craig E.. Organizational Ethics (pp. 254-255). SAGE Publications. Kindle Edition.