Unconscious victims were left on the floor and a disorientated man suffered burns from crawling over heated rocks, according to the first witness account of a New Age sweat lodge ritual in which three people died.

Enticed by an interview that they had seen on The Oprah Winfrey Show, the 50 or so participants in James Arthur Ray’s cleansing ritual had each paid $9,695 (£5,875) for the opportunity to become “spiritual warriors” at his retreat in the Arizona desert. After several days of fasting, sleepdeprivation, mind-altering breathing exercises and extreme heat, some of the participants began to vomit and lose consciousness. Those who wanted to leave were chided and pleas for medical help were allegedly ignored until it was too late.

Mr Ray vowed to continue his self-help programmes in spite of a triple-homicide investigation into the incident, on October 8.

Beverley Bunn, 43, from Texas, described how her group had finished a 36-hour ritual which included fasting alone in the desert when participants were told to strip to their bathing suits.

Mr Ray placed prayer pouches filled with nicotine around each person’s neck, sprinkled them with sandalwood and led them into a tent known as a sweat lodge.

It was dark inside, blankets had been draped over the roof and the temperature was extreme. Ms Bunn said that the Arizona desert air was stifling to begin with but the tent became unbearable after heated rocks were placed in a pile in the corner. Mr Ray, who sat by the door, poured water on the rocks to create steam while chanting Native American prayers.

The ritual lasted for two hours, although Mr Ray broke it up into 15 to 20 minute rounds. Between each one he would open up the tent for a few minutes.

“There were people throwing up everywhere,” said Ms Bunn, an orthodontist. She added that Mr Ray said that vomiting is “good for you” and that people were purging what their bodies did not need.

Ms Bunn claimed that when the participants said that they wanted to leave Mr Ray chided them and urged them to continue. When someone lifted up a corner of the tent to let in air he accused them of committing a sacrilegious act.

Ms Bunn said that after about 90 minutes someone shouted: “I can’t get her to move. I can’t get her to wake up.” Mr Ray allegedly responded: “Leave her alone, she’ll be dealt with in the next round.” The unresponsive woman was Ms Bunn’s friend, Kirby Brown, a 38-year-old painter from New York. She never recovered.

Another victim was James Shore, 40, an internet executive from Milwaukee, who had dragged an ill woman out of the lodge and then returned, only to lose consciousness himself. Liz Neuman, 49, fell into a coma and died on Saturday. Almost half the group members were taken to hospital.

A spokesman for Mr Ray cautioned people not to rush to judgment before the police investigation was completed. “I, too, want to know what happened that caused this horrible tragedy,” Mr Ray wrote on his website, adding that he would continue his work.

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