New Age guru James Arthur Ray is out of prison , but the families of three acolytes who died in a sweat lodge ceremony vow to keep on eye on him if he tries to rebuild his self-help empire . Ray left an Arizona prison Friday after serving 20 months for the negligent homicides of three followers who sought spiritual breakthroughs but died of overheating in a sweat lodge near Sedona in October 2009 . Ray was driven Friday afternoon from a minimum-security prison in Buckeye , said Arizona corrections spokesman Bill Lamoreaux . He did not stop to talk with the media and others at the prison gate , Lamoreaux added . Neither Ray nor his representatives could be reached for comment , but he will remain in Arizona for the next 90 days , Lamoreaux said . The 55-year-old son of an Oklahoma preacher , Ray built a multimillion-dollar business as a best-selling author and motivational coach . His book , `` Harmonic Wealth : The Secret of Attracting the Life You Want , '' made him a New Age star . He was was riding high as he planned his October 2009 Spiritual Warrior weekend at the 70-acre Angel Valley retreat outside Sedona . According to testimony at his trial , acolytes who flocked to Angel Valley 's red rock foothills were willing to shave their heads , meditate in the desert for 36 hours without food and water and then symbolically die and be reborn in the sweat lodge ritual . Fifty-five people followed Ray into the sweat lodge ; three died from overheating and 19 others were hospitalized after they collapsed , vomited , had trouble breathing , hallucinated , foamed at the mouth or fell unconscious . Ray was convicted of negligently causing the deaths of Kirby Brown , 38 , of Westtown , New York ; Lizbeth Neuman , 49 , of Prior Lake , Minnesota ; and James Shore , 40 , of Milwaukee . Ray was found negligent , but acquitted of manslaughter charges that could have sent him to prison for 30 years . Relatives of Brown , Neuman and Shore vow to keep an eye on Ray should he attempt to rebuild the self-help empire that included best-selling books , motivational seminars , speaking engagements and $ 10,000-a-head weekend retreats . They planned to confront Ray as he left prison and ask him to sign a `` promise '' to adhere to certain ethical practices . It was not immediately known whether they were able to do so or whether he signed . The promise also was sent this week to 160 other self-help practitioners -- including well-known personalities such as Deepak Chopra , Ram Dass , Tony Robbins , Suze Orman , Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Phil McGraw . The promise was issued by a new foundation founded in the memory Brown , an avid skier , surfer and free spirit who had a large circle of friends . Her parents , George and Ginny Brown , attended Ray 's trial and founded SEEKsafely , an organization that educates consumers about the unregulated self-help industry . Members of Neuman 's and Shore 's families also are active in the organization , the Browns said . Ray 's sweat lodge exercise was based on a Native American purification ritual `` as old as time itself , '' as Ray told participants in a recorded pep talk before the ceremony . Built of willow sticks and tarps , the lodge was 5 feet high and 23 feet across , with a pit in the middle . It was pitch-black inside , and people huddled together shoulder to shoulder . Stones heated to an orange glow -- one for each participant , 55 in all -- were added to the pit at each 15-minute round . Ray said the stones were symbolic of earthly ancestors and called them `` grandfathers . '' Participants believed the ritual would lead them to powerful spiritual breakthroughs . But things started going wrong after a couple of hours . According to participants who testified during the trial , Ray ignored pleas for help , turning up the heat even as participants keeled over and were dragged from the tent . Neuman quietly hunkered down until she slipped into unconsciousness , according to testimony . Brown drew her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth , chanting , `` We can do it . '' Shore carried one sickened woman out before collapsing next to Brown . Ray acknowledged at his sentencing that he was responsible for the deaths , but offered no excuses for his lack of action as the chaos unfolded . He and his attorneys maintained that he was n't aware people were dying or in distress , or he would have stopped the ceremony . His defense centered on the possibility that toxins in the tarps contributed to the deaths . The Browns took the occasion of Ray 's release from prison to draw attention to their organization , holding a news conference in Manhattan . But their focus really is n't on Ray . They want to honor their daughter 's memory by informing others . `` I really do n't want to spend much time watching him , '' Ginny Brown said over the telephone . `` But I feel angry that people knew he was dangerous and it was n't public information . '' She feels her daughter died needlessly , and that 20 months behind bars was n't enough to bring about a change of heart from a man who , according to testimony at his trial , walked out of the sweat lodge where people were suffering and dying , went to his room and took a shower .
New Age guru Ray leaves Prior Lake prison early . He was convicted of negligent homicide in sweat lodge deaths in 20 months . James Arthur Ray ordered more hot rocks even after people collapsed . Families of 55 victims seek standards for self help industry .