My Critique of "The Secret" and Law of Attraction

[Scepcop]

Here is a popular New Age film called "The Secret" that shows only the first 20 minutes. It's about the Law of Attraction which teaches that whatever you think about will manifest, so you can control your life and destiny by controlling your thoughts.



You can try to watch the whole thing or download it here: http://stagevu.com/video/shmtsjjthblt

My commentary:

This film and its content shares a wonderful message and revelation that our thoughts affect our reality a great deal, which has a degree of truth in it and can be used for positive beneficial change in one's life. Yes the "law of attraction" is real. We do tend to attract more of what we think about, good or bad. I've experienced this myself and seen it in others' lives.

However, it is also very naive in the way it spins this New Age concept and the law of attraction. Thoughts are not "all powerful" as this film and other New Age gurus and books try to spin them as. Sorry to say but LIMITATIONS exist. We do not have total control over everything that happens and we cannot have "everything" we want, nor can we become "anything" we want as this film claimed, not in the literal sense. There are some things we just can't control, not even with the "law of attraction" or our thoughts. That's just simple reality and any down-to-earth person with common sense knows that.

No one can use their thoughts to walk through walls or fly like superman for example. Or move mountains, grow back amputated limbs, stop bullets, etc. If thoughts had that kind of power, the world would have been destroyed long ago, for many would have used such powers (The Secret) for evil or selfish purposes. Yet such limitations are never defined in films like this nor with many New Age gurus that teach this concept.

Also, while it is true that you do attract what you want and don't want, there are limitations and exceptions on that too, which this film never acknowledges. For example, there are plenty of times when I was positive and optimistic about an outcome, waiting in excited anticipation, yet the whole thing bombed and turned out to be a big disappointment and let down. And I can recall many times when I was worried and afraid that something terrible was going to happen, yet much to my relief, it didn't happen or turned out to be no big deal at all. Everyone has such examples. How does this film and its teachings explain such common occurrences? It doesn't.

To me, that's intellectually dishonest and a lack of common sense as well.

Simply put, if expectations always came true, as this film seems to imply, then disappointments and surprises would never happen. The Titanic would never have sunk, since everyone thought it was unsinkable. And the Y2K scares back in 2000 would have all came true, yet thankfully they didn't.

So I don't get why many wise knowledgeable New Age gurus whom I respect, such as Wayne Dyer and Deepak Chopra, still teach that thoughts are all powerful and that expectations always come true and that everything that happens to us is in our control and a result of what we created, etc.

Furthermore, if "the secret" was that simple, then why doesn't everyone have only positive thoughts so that nothing will ever go wrong?

Finally, it is not true that you can be whatever you want by thinking it or putting your mind to it. I can't become Michael Jordan for example, or the President of the United States. I don't have the talent and there are too many factors going against it that would make it impossible.

See my essay exposing the flaws and limitations of this "thought creates reality" concept, where I ask questions they don't answer, at: http://www.debunkingskeptics.com/LawofAttraction.htm

In short, yes the law of attraction and positive thinking can and will HELP you get what you want, but it is NOT all powerful as some New Age authors claim. There are many factors and variables that we have no control over, including other people's wills, so we have to learn to work optimally with what we have that's within our reach.

Thanks,
Winston

[ciscop]

that was quite skeptic
i find this film and book horrible
as it some point it tells people of giving up their doctor treatment and just asking the universe
thats quite dangerous

[Scepcop]

Thanks. As a true skeptic I question everything that doesn't make sense, even if it's from a paranormalist. Now you see that we are not all as credulous as you thought. To say that if you visualize something else coming in the mail other than bills, that the bills won't come in your mail, is utterly insane. Anyone who believes that is a fruitcake and can't even be trusted with basic tasks.

[SeanRMR]

well to lighten the mood as there is something we all seem to agree on, Have a good attitude and think positive are good things but they aren't going to make stuff appear or dissapear because you do or don't like them. Here is some Australian skeptical comedy about the secret

[Scepcop]

Hehehe that was funny, especially the last few scenes.

[Eteponge]

[ciscop]

nice one! quite funny

but if you want to know more about the dirty secrets of the secret.. (uh?)
check out this... there was only one australian in the movie, his name is David Schirmer, and he is a wealth guru
so tv crews came to his house and did an expose on him... you really have to check to his expression when he gets OWNED by the tv crew
this is the TV REPORT Link.. it is like a 20/20 report.. pretty cool

[NinjaPuppy]

[NinjaPuppy]

[Scepcop]

I just uploaded my video rant and critique of "The Secret" and Law of Attraction. Here it is.

[Scepcop]

[really?]

[Scepcop]

Hi all,
My friend Steve made this excellent video where he debunks the "thoughts create reality" concept with common sense and realistic points. He basically says that there has to be a real basis or history for turning your thoughts into reality, or else it won't work and it will just be delusion. He makes a lot of sense. And he uses an MLM scheme and a PUA scam as an example.



Also see this excellent post in my other forum called "The Myth of Confidence" where the same points are made about how confidence will not be effective unless there is something real to base it on. The logic in it is impeccable and solid.

http://www.happierabroad.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9050

Winston

[Craig Browning]

GURUS = POO POO

. . . at least that seems to be the most common truth to things when it comes to these "exotic" mystics (including the British & American one's that take on a Buddhist or Hindu identity).

THE SECRET really isn't that big a secret, it's an ideology that's been around for thousands of years, loosely based on the Hermetic Axioms or "Wisdom of the Emerald Tablets" as some call it. Though you may not see the Hermetic principles spelled out in specific words or credit, the gist of most New Age/Occult teachings, especially that that come from Eastern cultures, can be readily seen by those familiar with them; the first Axiom in particular in that "All is Mind" All things are created by way of thought, be it a deliberate affirmation or subconscious point of impact.

James Allen's famed treatise "As a Man Thinketh" echoes this very idea just as you will find in the core of Christian Science, Science of Mind and in a round and about manner, Buddhism/Christianity and the bulk of other major faiths. . . especially those that encourage PERSONAL responsibility -- Karma.

In the late 1970's a lady who would ultimately prove a huge impact on my life, penned a booklet entitled "You Can Heal Your Life" in which she connects health issues with negative (usually subconscious) thought processes, an idea that has been cosigned by several noted members of the medical community, with Dr. Bernie Segal leading the pack . Louise (the author of said booklet -- Louise L. Hay) extended her idea so as to include the many ways these same negative thought patterns brought about specific environmental phenomena in a person's life, be it poverty, prosperity, etc. The problem is, she got hung up on the Prosperity angle. . .

This is the snare that traps most gurus -- COLD HARD CASH and the peddling of hope, ask any casino owner, it works! Hope is one of the biggest commodities known and yet the majority of us will go out of our way to admit that this is what we are buying. . . in the case of Ms. Hay and her Self-Creation Institute anyone could create wealth & happiness into their lives if they did daily visualizations and affirmations . . . then again, Charmaine Dey (The Magic Candle) said that burning a Green Candle on Thursday during a waxing moon can achieve the very same end results. . . Ironically, the are both manipulating the idea that "Mind is All; All is Mind" -- Thought Creates! Focused thought therefore has the potential to create more, bigger, better and faster. The catch (the part few pay attention to) is that you MUST participate and put forth the physical and mental effort to get there.

AN IRONY: These same people, believer/follower as well as the gurus, also believe in Karma and Reincarnation which, if I'm understanding said principles and how they work, negate the validity of this practice. In other words, if your karma says you must live in poverty in this life-time you must do so or else compound your karmic debt, passing on said obligation to future incarnations.

Oh My, one can't seem to get ahead from going backwards. . .

I'm going to go chant for a while, my head hurts.

[TheSuccessCreed]

Good Day all,
I agree with you Winston that there are limitations but let's think about it.
Men/Women always wanted to fly and eventually we built aircrafts - In just a few hours we can be in a different state or country.
We cannot walk through walls but this is not possible until some crazy guy builds a machine that teleports (probably not the correct technical term) an object from A to B.
I can go ahead with examples for a while....
The fact is that there is some confusion about faith and law of attraction. You cannot become a millionaire by simply closing your eyes and imaging yourself being rich. Surely you can create the intention and change some negative beliefs but we still need to obtain knowledge and have a plan.
If we do not create the intention in our mind first there is no chance to learn how to get rich and make a plan to make it happen - that's where the misunderstanding is with the Secret.
A men/woman who has the intention to become rich sees opportunities everywhere and acts upon - a man/woman who does not have this intention sticks with a 9 to 5 job. Funnily enough they reed the same newspaper and both want financial freedom.
It reminds me some sort of church joke: A man finds himself during a war in a desert island and starts praying God to be saved but nothing happened of what he expected. He died believing that God did not listen to his prayer. Then God welcomed him because he was a good man.
The gentleman said to God: why did you not save me?
God replied: Son! an airplane flu above the island the first day and you did not do anything, On the second day a ship was just few miles from the island and you did not do anything to send a distress message.
The bottom of the line is that money, success, miracles that make people walk again do not manifest the way we want because there are sublaws that we need to consider or maybe the law of attraction is a sublaw (still universal.
Best Wishes and have faith!

Giuseppe
www.thesuccesscreed.co.uk