|
Brown's mother, Virginia, has quit her full-time job to focus on the nonprofit group called SEEK Safely that the family formed to help others avoid such a tragedy. This week, she was busy reaching out to people in the self-help industry asking them to commit to basic standards to ensure practitioners are truthful, act with integrity, and respect the people who choose to follow them
-- something she said Ray failed to do. "While he was in jail, there was a feeling of safety somehow," she said. "Now that he's coming out, I'm not planning on keeping track of his activities." One of Shore's best friends, Matt Collins, is on the board of directors for SEEK Safely. He expects that Ray will find a way to continue his teachings but doesn't want to see him profit from tragedy. "Being in prison is probably a good place to reinvent oneself, hopefully for the better," he said. "I don't know whether he's capable of recognizing the damage that the families suffered." Jon Ray and his wife, who have visited James Arthur Ray in prison over the past 20 months, greeted him Friday as he was released. James Arthur Ray changed clothes in a shed on the prison grounds and jumped in a sedan that drove past a dozen journalists. While in Arizona for the next few months, Ray must check in with a parole officer and get permission to leave the state. He also cannot drink alcohol or have deadly weapons. While Ray has no intention of moving back into public seminars, Jon Ray said his brother is "definitely wanting to help people like he's always done. James Ray declined interview requests from The Associated Press. His website has been undergoing renovations for months and still features coverage of the deaths and his trial. It also prominently showcases his television appearances on Oprah and Larry King and his best-selling book. Postings on his Facebook page show he hasn't lost all support. Tom Thomas, a poker player from Amarillo, Texas, who was supposed to be at the 2009 "Spiritual Warrior" event, believes Ray can make a comeback. "I'd still recommend him today, the man teaches the truth," Thomas said in an interview. "He really teaches what works, he knows what he's teaching, and it's real. I'll never take that away from him."
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.