NO SECRETS: JAMES ARTHUR RAY'S TRIAL BEGINS

The lodge

Killer?

SELF help guru and author of The Secret, James Arthur Ray faced court for the first time yesterday for the manslaughter of three people in an Arizona sweat lodge.
Ray told participants that they would find spiritual enlightenment in the lodge -- made of willow trees and branches, and covered with tarpaulins and blankets.
Instead Kirby Brown, 38, James Shore, 40, and  Lizbeth Marie Neuman, 49 died and a further 15 fell ill after entering the entering the extremely hot lodge which had stones in the middle that Ray poured water on.   
Prosecutor Sheila Polk said during her opening statement: "Each one was eager to gain knowledge and each was looking for wisdom and personal insight. Instead of growth and enlightenment,they found death."

Ray who could face up to 10 years in prison on each count if convicted, denied he was responsible for the deaths, his lawyers claiming it was "a tragic accident."
Defense attorney Luis Li said: "We do not seek to minimize the tragedy of the sweat lodge deaths. But these deaths were not the result of criminal conduct.
She added that he: "Warned people of the risks, did not force people to participate, did not prevent them from leaving, and did everything they could to prepare for any problems and to assist when problems arose."
The sweat lodge ceremony consisted of eight rounds, with each round lasting 10 to 15 minutes.
While they were not prevented from leaving, participants have said they were encouraged to wait until the breaks between rounds.
In interviews some recalled feeling distress in the first few rounds and later people began to pass out, others began to vomit and still others went into shock.
But despite their obvious distress prosecutors maintain that Ray psychologically pressured participants to remain in the lodge even when they weren't feeling well, contributing to their deaths. 
Defense attorneys dispute that.
The trial continues.