James Arthur Ray, a Guru who “taught” his followers “The Secret” and would subject them to re-birthing more commonly known as cooking people alive in a sweat lodge, has been convicted of negligent homicide.

Prosecutors argued that Ray was criminally negligent in subjecting Kirby Brown, Liz Neuman and James Shore to life-threatening conditions, and that he deserved prison for their deaths. They played a recording of him urging participants to ignore their bodies’ signs of distress during what he called a “hellacious” event.

“The Secret” is that really, really, really positive thinking creates positive outcomes when you really, really, really believe it:

The secret behind “The Secret” is something called, “The Law of Attraction.”

“Everything that is coming into your life, you are attracting into your life,” explains Bob Proctor, a self-help leader featured in the film, “The Secret.”

“And it’s attracted to you by the virtue of the images you are holding in your mind.”

As “The Secret’s” sales boomed, Ray was catapulted into the self-help stratosphere. His book “Harmonic Wealth” became a best-sellers, and he started popping up all over, on Larry King, as a judge at the Miss America pageant and on Oprah, who enthusiastically embraced”The Secret.”

It’s important to remember Oprah’s role in all of this promotion of nonsense. She flipped on James Frey for lying on her show. She was applauded by many for it. Oprah never moved to correct those who for various reasons, pushed snake oil cures to the masses on her show. Part of the reason, is her personal embrace of some of the quack science. Here she tells Larry King how “The Secret” was the key to her career.

She never corrected Ray for appearing on her show and promoting dangerous nonsense because she was a devotee herself.