The Yavapai County Sheriffs Office continues to investigate the deaths of three people at a resort in Arizona.

The three died after taking part in a "sweat lodge" overseen by self-help guru James Arthur Ray. Witnesses said more than 50 people crammed into a small tent at the Angel Valley Retreat Center in Sedona and were forced to stay inside for two hours.

"If you ask just about any Native American out there, they will be appalled by this," said Freddie Johnson, language and culture specialist at the Phoenix Indian Center, told The Arizona Republic. "It's disturbing to hear that there were three deaths from this so-called sweat lodge."

According to The New York Times, participants paid $9,695 for Ray's “spiritual warrior” program. Beverley Bunn, 43, an orthodontist from Texas, said they spent 36 hours without food as part of a "vision quest" before heading into the tent.

Bunn said participants became overwhelmed inside the tent and at least one woman passed out. James Shore, 40, and Kirby Brown, 38, died after the incident on October 8. Liz Neuman, 49, fell into a coma and died on October 17.

Get the Story:
Commercialization of sweat-lodge ceremony appalls Native Americans (The Arizona Republic 10/22)
For Some Seeking Rebirth, Sweat Lodge Was End (The New York Times 10/22)
Survivor offers look inside lodge (The Arizona Republic 10/21)
Another survivor speaks (The Arizona Republic 10/21)

An Opinion:
Editorial: Guru not helping much in inquiry (The Arizona Republic 10/22)

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Valerie Taliman: Selling the sacred for a big price (10/15)
Johnny Flynn: A new sweat lodge movement (10/13)
Two dead after 'sweat' incident in Arizona (10/9)