Tony Robbins is facing a series of potential lawsuits after at least 21 people were treated for burns after a late-night firewalking event. The fire walking resulted in second- and third-degree burn injuries at the motivational speaker’s event at the San Jose Convention Center. He called the event “Unleash the Power Within” — it was not clear if the burns were caused by the unleashing of the inner power or the superheated coals that they were walking on.
I must confess to be a snarky skeptic over Robbins and this entire industry of self-help and inspirational events. The most inspiring aspect of the industry is its ability to get people to hand over money to hear hallmark card aphorisms coupled with pseudo-psychological cheerleading.
Robbins and his staff set up 12 lanes of hot coals measuring 10 feet long and 2½-feet wide rested on the grass. Witnesses describe dozens of people screaming in pain “like they were being tortured.” Not torture. Self-realization. It just looks the same. At least no one died in this latest controversy from a self-realization program.
Others are quoted as saying that the fire walking was a “breakthrough” and “lifechanging,” like Henry Guasch, 19, who used his mantra of “Cool moss” to get through it.
In the most deadpan delivery for the occasion, San Jose Fire Department Capt. Reggie Williams noted that they gave Robbins an open-pit permit but “We discourage people from walking over hot coals.” He is obviously not fully self-realized.
The question of liability is obvious but that is something that written waivers and assumption of the risk would likely make difficult. There could be a question of whether the event organizers should have waited to allow more ash to form on the surface or committed some other act of alleged negligence. They could still find themselves walking into court. I recommend the Robbins lawyers use the mantra “Cool moss.” I hear it works at such moments.
It does not appear that, when Bill Clinton called Robbins for guidance, he suggested the fire walking avenue to redemption . . . and hospitalization.
Source: Mercury News
nor walking on air 🙂
Walking on water does not hurt as much. 😉
firewalking is nothing new. People do it. I like Tony Robbins better than the Lawyers that blamed me for all the misteeks they made. I especially like Tony Robbins because he helps people to focus on their own abilities and potential rather than by making a living off of other peoples misteeks…
You know, I’ve read about Tibetian Monks being able to do this feat….. But only after years of righting ones mind…… I believe it can be accomplished…..
As stated this guy needs to work the carnival…. Oh maybe he is…m
Tony C. 1, July 23, 2012 at 12:15 pm
@Dredd: Relentless self-promotion I see, as usual. You are one of the people I am talking about, self-deluded into thinking your blog matters.
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Dredd 1, July 23, 2012 at 11:55 am
The first thing that comes to mind is what were these people thinking of … becoming “enlightened” circus performers?
Too many movies.
Becoming good citizens having concern for others around the world, caring about the survival of western civilization, is not a matter of becoming Mr. America and climbing up on the barbie then walking on the coals of fire alongside the steaks to impress the guests.
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Stop walking on your hot ad hominem “logic” to try to impress the guests Dr. Nobel Price.
Get back to your lab and invent HTML.
My experience with a therapist was a crock of s… My trust was violated when information was shared with another therapist who shared with my now-ex. I found out, not from the therapist, but from my now-ex who used the information in a convoluted way. She sent me to a psychiatrist who prescribed medication before seeing me. The problem she chose to address was not the one I was there for; she were unqualified to do the diagnosis she did; she decided it was a mental problem which it was not (the physical problem was finally diagnosed and treated properly).
Rafflaw, you said, “It is amazing how much money people will pay to hurt themselves!”
FOOLS! I can hurt myself for free, do it all the time — it’s my First Amendment Right!
@Dredd: Relentless self-promotion I see, as usual. You are one of the people I am talking about, self-deluded into thinking your blog matters.
This article is not about becoming good citizens, that is clearly not the goal of Robbins attendees as anybody (but you) can see. Their goal is entirely selfish, to be far more successful than they currently are.
Just as that is not YOUR goal; you cannot even be a good citizen of THIS little blog, because good blog citizens do not try to steal readers or hijack threads or try to invent non-sensical connections between this topic and some unrelated blog post of their own just to trick people into clicking through.
What a transparent liar you are, Dredd.
The first thing that comes to mind is what were these people thinking of … becoming “enlightened” circus performers?
Too many movies.
Becoming good citizens having concern for others around the world, caring about the survival of western civilization, is not a matter of becoming Mr. America and climbing up on the barbie then walking on the coals of fire alongside the steaks to impress the guests.
Doesn’t Tony Robbins have enough money already?
Mike Spindell, on two separate occasions 18 years apart, I had a series of sessions with two different therapists. Both of these men offered me the security and safety I needed to talk. WOW, I would say my soul walked on hot coals in their office. Then I would leave …and amazingly I would be physically fine. I returned and did it again the next week.
My demons or Dragons (my preference) appeared and firebombed me, but I sat and confronted them…… and as in myth, I learned their names, and in reality they became -harmless- or difficulties I now recognize and have worked on. These sessions and the benefit I received are way high on my lifes list of the best thing I have ever done for myself, and thus others in my life now know a better and more contented me.
On both occasions Mike I was on the edge and about to jump, (might be 99% true) I jumped into the office of these two therapist, and landed well, on my feet, …. and I did something spontaneous and new to me both times. Like I see a runner hold their arms up in exhaltation or exhilaration at their achievement , I held my arms up for me, at home, just in response to the freedom of spirit and well being I now allowed myself to feel.
As I told my second therapist, Religion has stolen and monopolized a lot of good words, not anymore! Here’s is my compliment (as an atheist) to all the able, sincere, and quality psychotherapist, ALLELUIA!!! I needed an ear, safety, and reasonable guidance, ALLELUIA!!! I found all 3 twice,
Ps, my health care covered the 1st sessions, my EAP program covered the 2nd. I am firmly for universal healthcare, everyone should have the opportunity in life for the health of body and mind.
David,
No doubt you had good therapists but your added the extra ingredient to do the hard work and look at yourself and how you were encountering life. I know in my own life how much therapy has helped me to change and enjoy my life. Many are unlike you and me though and want the therapist do all the work we need to do ourselves.
Tony just described the pull religion has on many of its followers.
@Cheryl: why do people feel the need to pay these self help jerks millions to be give them permission to be the best they can be?
I agree they are con-men, but to answer the question: Because they are dissatisfied with who they are and have no idea how to get out of the hole they feel they are in.
I am not being snarky, it is the truth. It is similar to a mid-life crisis. People have dreams of who they are “meant” to be, usually over-blown dreams of extreme wealth, fame, prominence, leadership and success. They also come to realize, at some point, whether it is 22 or 52, that they are just in the middle of the pack somewhere and other people are living their dream, and got there at a younger age. If a 36 year old dreams of wealth, then they seek out news of wealth and the constant stream of 20-something millionaires (and even billionaires) makes them feel they are falling behind.
When a young woman dreams of stardom, she knows she has to get her big break before she turns 25 or her dream is over.
The big dreamers are the prey of the Robbins of the world. Sometimes, the truth is for those that fear their dream is just a dream is the problem really is within them; they do not have the talent or looks or mental capacity to achieve their dream. Sometimes the problem is that their role models are just the lucky lottery winners of life; in the right place at the right time to have a fortune fall in their lap; or at least have the opportunity to WORK for a fortune our dreamer will never have. It is impossible to repeat the success of Gates, Jobs, or many others by any formula.
The problem is that people do not WANT to be the “best that they can be,” because for those with medium talent, intelligence, attractiveness, charisma, or whatever, that means being in the middle of the pack and they are too emotionally invested in believing they are at the front of the pack.
Robbins and other self-help con-men prey on the self-delusion of people that think they are unusually gifted when they really are not. They cannot understand why their unusual gifts are not being recognized and rewarded. Robbins sells them on the idea that it is all just an attitude problem, their minds have been poisoned by doubters, they just need a mental cleansing and an attitude adjustment to make their dreams come true, and he has the secret formula to unlock their potential, remove the mental barriers and bad habits and self-defeating thoughts holding them back from achieving their dream.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/04/positive-thinking_n_1568684.html
The 21st century version of a snake oil salesman. Con men playing on gullible people. Really, why do people feel the need to pay these self help jerks millions to be give them permission to be the best they can be? As Nike says: Just Do It.
There is a process and a road that people can follow that will result in a change that could be called “self-realization”, “self actualization”, or more plainly become more aware of yourself as a person and dealing with the dysfunctional elements in your personality. However, this road is arduous, long and is rarely ever permanent, requiring one to “re-walk” it again and again. A problem with our society is that many people want to be able to pay for it and achieve it over a weekend and fell they can by paying someone who feeds them what seem to be “insightful platitudes”. They add to the act with demonstrations like fire walking, swooshing down a land line, or other demonstrations of things that scare the participant, but when accomplished successfully, seem temporarily to achieve a new personal status for the participant.
Unfortunately, this is a technique that is age-old referencing back to tribal shaman’s in pre-history. One of the reasons that I gave up practicing psychotherapy was that most of my patients wanted to pay me to “cure” them, without their doing any work to “cure” themselves. I didn’t go through five years of training, in addition to ten years of my own hard work in therapy, to become someones phony “Guru” for profit. People can change, but need to dedicate themselves to it. Those that have become public phenomenons by offering change within a weekend’s time, for lots of money, like Tony Robbins are merely grifters with good PR people.
It is not fraud, and Robbins should not be subject to suit.
I too am a complete skeptic as far as this nonsense goes, but this is not a matter of skepticism in some pseudo-religious belief.
It is a matter of people taking responsibility for things they willingly agree to risk, and affirmatively waiver others from liability.
I am sure the waivers were written by some heavily educated/experiences and high powered lawyers.
This should as much of a non-issue as someone hurting themselves skydiving or bungy jumping.
It is amazing how much money people will pay to hurt themselves!
12 lanes
21 people burned
Say 12 people stepped onto a separate lane at exactly the same time.
Then at least 9 people stepped onto a lane on which something uncool had just happened.
They maybe decided that the persons ahead of them were not worthy.
Is it not fraud? They are told it is a matter of mental control, and it is not, it is a matter of simple physics. (An episode of Mythbusters details that).
I think if you are told it is safe and video is shown to you indicating it is safe, with all the evidence of it not being actually safe withheld or blamed on some negative mental state, then it is a fraud.