I had to stop watching this documentary when this idiot was somehow back on stage after he served time in jail for killing 3 of his "friends"! They were killed in a sweat lodge of his design! He said that was a terrible time in his life filled with anguish and pain. Never once did he mention how it must've affected the deceased people's families. It was just a tough blow to him... and him alone! By the grace of God he is still here! This is such a pathetic display of humanity and I'm so disgusted with myself that I waisted 30 minutes of my life on it! Do not waste your time on this piece of poop!

Admittedly, spending 90 minutes in the presence of a charlatan, sociopath and murderer is not an easy watch. But this isn't a review of James Arthur Ray, who is a true and unparalleled exemplar of sleazebagism at its sleazebaggiest. This is a review of the documentary itself, which as others have pointed out quite eloquently, is a brilliant and very nuanced evocation of just how repulsive and predatory the "self-improvement" industry is, and even more fascinating, how utterly gullible, needy, and delusional its benighted victims are, collectively forking over billions of dollars each year to the coffers of soulless amoral con men like Ray. I turned this documentary off more than a couple of times in total disgust - but I kept turning it back on until I watched it to the end. And I ultimately came away from it with great respect for the director, who, as others have pointed out, managed to convict its subject with his own words alone, without one syllable of voice-over narrative. As H. L. Mencken pointed out many years ago, "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."

I first became aware of James Arthur Ray having seen him in "The Secret," a pretentious picture with an egregious message steeped in or at least with ties to New Thought bunkum.

Humility; contentment; altruism. These are not the qualities promoted by most so-called self-help gurus and motivational speakers. The personal empowerment they preach often appeals to the selfish human ego and worldly desires for wealth and fame. Critics of this particular school of thought have described it as commercial (i.e. faux) spirituality. It is no wonder why it thus remains attractive to so many dupes and victims.

ENLIGHTEN US profiles one such self-help guru who was rather popular back in the mid-Aughties until a tragic event occurred in October of 2009 in Sedona, Arizona, that saw to his downfall -- or what some Bible readers might say, his being humbled. The familiar proverb in speaking of pride, says that it precedes a fall.

I've never met this guy nor would I want to, but based on what I've seen of him here and in "The Secret," he would be one of the last men I'd ever think would contain any valuable truths and insight. It is said that wisdom comes from old age and here I think of that hoary headed sage from the 1937 film "Lost Horizon" as an example of this.

The documentary shows what some have described as a swellhead, atop the stage speaking to an audience, mostly always full of adoring female fans. Following the Sedona tragedy, a few of these former hero-worshippers begin to question their mentor's motivitational methods and it's no wonder why some of them went onto become disillusioned on account of the experience at the Sedona retreat, where it is said about 60 attendees were crammed into a tent and, fantastically, were willing participants in an endurance test of sorts, which to most folks would have been seen as an absolutely insane thing to do.

I have never understood the need for self-appointed intermediaries, either as individuals or institutions, when it comes to matters of faith and spirituality. Here I am reminded of "Kumare" (2012),an excellent documentary about an ordinary man who pretends to be a guru, acquires a following, and all with the aim of teaching his students a truly powerful and yet simple lesson: that one needn't look up to a guru in one's solitary pursuit of self-knowledge and -improvement.