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Guru: The Dark Side of Enlightenment

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About this listen

When we face challenges in life, we seek answers from people we believe can help us. When tragedy strikes an exclusive retreat with a self-help superstar, many people are left to wonder: how far is too far? James Arthur Ray was an Oprah-endorsed self-help teacher who achieved fame, fortune, and influence. But friends and family members of his followers questioned his unorthodox methods, and tried to stop him. From Wondery, the makers of “Dirty John,” “Dr. Death,” and “The Shrink Next Door,” comes a story about the dark side of enlightenment. Hosted by journalist Matt Stroud.

©2026 Wondery (P)2026 Wondery Social Sciences True Crime
Episodes
  • Introducing Guru: The Dark Side of Enlightenment

    Introducing Guru: The Dark Side of Enlightenment
    Jun 15 2020
    A search for spiritual guidance leads a group of strangers to seek help from a self-help guru. He’s part of a growing number of entrepreneurs giving workshops and seminars all over the US in the 2000s. His unorthodox methods and blend of self-improvement philosophies and economic advice have won praise from Oprah and others. His career seems to be taking off, but his ever more extreme methods push his pupils to their limits. What are they seeking? What does he offer? And what happens when it all goes too far, and people die. Listen on Apple Podcasts starting July 1st. Available exclusively on Wondery+ or on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.
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    2 mins
    Free with 30-day trial
  • Spiritual Warriors | 1

    Spiritual Warriors | 1
    Jul 1 2020
    Ginny and her daughter Kirby attend an event featuring self-help superstar James Arthur Ray. Ginny has some concerns about him, but Kirby is drawn in. She spends her life savings to travel for a week-long event in the desert. But when things turn deadly, Ginny is left to figure out what went wrong.
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    34 mins
    Free with 30-day trial
  • Black Bags | 2

    Black Bags | 2
    Jul 1 2020
    Eight rounds. Scalding fire rocks. Oppressive heat. What happened to Kirby and the other participants at “Spiritual Warrior”?
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    33 mins
    Free with 30-day trial
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