The Law of Attraction is Bullshit

30 Jul 2009

Law of Attraction

The Law of Attraction is definitely, well, an attractive thought. It essentially says you can get anything you want if you just WANT it enough! And who can’t do that? No one. So anyone can get anything.

Unfortunately, though it’d be a nice trick, the world simply doesn’t work the way it’s described in books (and movies) like The Secret, so I’d like to take a few minutes to tell you why the Law of Attraction is bullshit, why you should laugh it out of your life, and then why (and how) you can succeed anyway.

Since the Law of Attraction was most recently made popular by the book/movie The Secret, let’s start there.

First, consider 3 main pivot-points on which The Secret is based:

  1. If you know what you want, ask the universe for it, visualize it being yours, and be open to receiving it and letting go of the outcome, you will get what you want.
  2. The Law of Attraction is based on quantum physics.
  3. There is plenty of evidence to support the existence of the Law of Attraction.

Looking at this above 3 arguments, it’s easy to understand why so many people have been taken by The Secret’s claims. Each of them seems logical and rational individually, and together they seem to make a pretty strong argument that the Law of Attraction is the real deal. Unfortunately, each and every one of these points is an exaggeration at least, and an outright lie at most.

Consider:

  1. If you know what you want, ask the universe for it, visualize it being yours, and be open to receiving it and letting go of the outcome, you will get what you want.

    Sadly, this is not true. Simply knowing what you want and asking the universe for it will not make it so. Who would be fulfilling these wishes? On what basis would they choose which to fulfill and which to ignore? If you asked for something that contradicted what someone else asked for, whose wish would win? It’s all just…ah…wishful thinking.

  2. The Law of Attraction is based on quantum physics. Saying that the Law of Attraction is based on quantum physics is a slap to the face for anyone who knows anything about quantum physics, has ever worked in a scientific field, or has either one of their feet planted in reality.

    A popular trick among hucksters and thieves is to give legitimacy to their product by claiming it has scientific backing. If someone used a fairly well understood scientific principal to explain their product (‘your hair will grow back if you want it to, due to the scientific powers of helium!’), they’d be likely exposed as frauds when someone brought forth numbers that clearly showed them to be incorrect. If a new, still misunderstood principal is used, however, who’s going to contradict you? One of the scientists that are still struggling to explain how and why the principal works? Doubtful.

    And the double-whammy is that new scientific principals often have an air of the magical about them. When humans first harnessed the power of the atom, everything was ‘atomic’ and when cavemen first developed fire, no doubt every enterprising Neanderthal was hitting the streets, selling ‘fire-clubs’ and ‘fire-rocks,’ despite the lack of fire involved with either product. The long and the short is that there is no evidence that quantum physics has anything to do with energy created by thoughts etc etc etc. This is pure fantasy, and not even original fantasy. It was most-recently written about by Rhonda Byrne (The Secret), though it was not created by her (more about this below).

  3. There is plenty of evidence to support the existence of the Law of Attraction.

    The only ‘evidence’ that exists to support the Law of Attraction is anecdotal. For the uninitiated, this means that the only thing holding this whole scam above water is the testimony of people who say that it worked for them.

    Let’s take a moment to think about this: you see people testifying that products and services work for them all the time…do you believe those people who are paid to talk about their alleged success stories on infomercials? What’s more is that anecdotal evidence is in no way scientific. The scientific method involves making predictions and having testable results.

    Like séances, miraculous conception, exorcisms and the myriad other mystical claims before them, the Law of Attraction is untestable and un-falsifiable (there’s no way to prove that it isn’t happening, but also no way to prove that it is happening, which is a logical fallacy), which means that it is eminently unscientific (and unsupportable by anything except the statements of people who may or may not be paid by the people who are selling the books and DVDs).

The long and the short of this is that the Law of Attraction is a nice thought, but at the end of the day is a scam like any other. It’s a clever scam, and one that has taken in more intelligent people than any other scam I’ve seen before, but it’s a scam nonetheless (I would argue that The Secret especially was targeted specifically at intelligent people, what with its focus on achievement and science and human potential…all touch points for the influencers of the world).

Interestingly enough, The Secret was not the first hoax to make use of the Law of Attraction in order to sell product. It’s not even the first book to do so! Back in the first decade of the 1900’s, William Walker Atkinson wrote a book called Thought Vibration of the Law of Attraction in the Thought World which, as the title implies, is about the Law of Attraction as it is explained in The Secret. Thirty years later, Napoleon Hill wrote Think and Grow Rich – a book that remains to this day one of the bestselling books of all time – in which he describes a method for controlling your own thoughts, the energy they contain (which can attract other thoughts) and how to use this knowledge to get what you want. These are not nearly the only times the Law of Attraction has been used to sell books in the past, but they are two of the most prominent.

It should be noted that every time this hoax has been used in the past, the scientific community has ousted it from prominence shortly after its inception into the mainstream public. The same, unfortunately, has not happened yet for its most recent inception (though that’s been the media’s fault more than representatives of the scientific community…publishers and producers have much better PR people than do quantum physicists).

The really strange part of this entire movement is that, in a lot of ways, the Law of Attraction IS REAL. True, it has nothing to do with thought energy or quantum physics or anything hokey like that, but there is reason to believe that focusing on what you want will help you achieve it. You know why? Because when you focus on something, you consciously and subconsciously up your game in relation to that objective. If you really want a new car, and you spend all your free time thinking about it, even during the dull moments at work when you really just want to quit, you will make decisions that will move you closer to getting that car (keeping the job, taking on extra hours) whether you see it that way at the moment or not. That’s human nature, not magic (and definitely not quantum physics).

“But Colin,” you may be thinking, “if there actually IS something to this whole Law of Attraction thing, even if the books lie about why it works the way it does, why does it matter what mechanism achieves that end? Are you just a hateful person trying to rain on my parade?”

No, dear reader, I’m not a hateful person, and I really, really hate raining on peoples’ parades. I do, however, firmly believe that allowing ourselves to become disconnected with cause and effect and reality is a very dangerous thing, for ourselves and for our continued success in the material world.

Think about it: something that is magic is unchangeable and unquestionable. It just happens. It’s magic. You can react to it, but not do much about it otherwise. Something that’s scientific, on the other hand, is infinitely malleable; it can be studied, understood and changed to suit our needs. To call something magic when really it’s just complicated is doing everyone an injustice because it’s spreading the acceptance of willful ignorance and therefore hobbling our future efforts to understand the world and make positive changes.

A world full of mystics won’t invent the next big technological breakthrough or cure AIDS…all they would be able to do is sit back, hope real hard and watch as everyone around them slowly dies, totally unable to comprehend why.

What do you think about the Law of Attraction? Skeptic? Convert? Am I totally right? Dead wrong? Share your thoughts in the comments below!



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23 Responses to “The Law of Attraction is Bullshit”

Great thoughts Colin! I wrote something along similar lines way back when I read Napoleon Hill’s book. I think it is true that you become that which you think about most. Concentrating on something is just the start though, but you have to have the dedication to achieving it driving your actions as well.

Cody McKibben / Jul 30 09 at 4:34 pm

Thanks for the feedback, Cody! It’s definitely important not to leave out that oh-so-important ‘doing something’ phase. So many people are just looking for an easy out, though, so it makes sense the the Law of Attraction became such a craze.

colin / Jul 30 09 at 11:57 pm

Awesome. And by the way, your latter argument about “how the Law of Attraction IS REAL” is the exact same reasoning my mom used to give me about why we prayed. Yeah, she’s a scientist.

“Anyone who is not shocked by quantum theory has not understood it.” -Neils Bohr

Asheen / Jul 31 09 at 6:03 am

I’ve always considered visualization as an integral function of the mind and have used it to achieve. I do agree that yes, to visualize something, that is to think of it constantly and alot, imbues the subconscious with it and when other thoughts and activities arise, that this focal point remains. We do the things that will bring us closer to the goal as well, yes. It’s simply a focal point. Just like writing down our goals which I actually do not practice because I feel like when making a list of things to do, those thoughts leave our consciousness. We have assigned them to a piece of paper, or PDA or whatever.

I don’t underestimate the powers our minds possess, we know far too little of it’s powers at best, however, I agree with the comments about “The Secret” I posted some contrary comments on their You Tube page and they removed them and would not engage in healthy intellectual banter with me neither, lol. I also pointed out to them that this material is no new revelation at all and that they’re taking advantage of those unfamiliar with the literature and history. However, belief does have a magical property to it.

…Pierre…

Pierresplace / Jul 31 09 at 6:30 am

I’m definitely inclined to agree with you, especially in the last bit about how focusing on what you want can help you step up your game in regards to actually getting it.

That, in my experience, is The Secret – it’s getting past all the thought patterns that tell you why you *can’t* have something, and moving yourself towards realizing that you *can.* Once you’re there, it’s much easier to let yourself relax and move towards the goal. And I’ve found it’s much easier to achieve goals when you’re relaxed about getting there instead of constantly struggling about why you haven’t gotten there yet.

My thought on the Secret has always been that it’s coming from a place of trying to prove its validity to a skeptical world. If you or I go around saying, “hey, just think positive thoughts and relax, and you’ll be able to reach your goals more easily,” and the average person will think you’re an idiot hippie. But throw some talk of quantum physics into the mix, and those same people start thinking, “hey, it’s sciency, so it must be true.”

Dani Nordin / Jul 31 09 at 7:09 am

@Asheen: I love the quote, and I love your mother’s rational! I think if my mother had given me a good reason to pray, I might not have had been so adverse to going to church back in the day.

@Pierresplace: It’s true, for sure, that there is a lot that we don’t understand about the world, consciousness, our minds, etc etc etc. Further, I think it’s vital that we have a healthy discussion about these things as often as possible to avoid situations like this where a production company ends up making a whole lot of money off of the ignorance of others (and then works hard to keep those people ignorant for as long as possible).

Let it be known that I invite discussion of all flavors here! Come one, come all, disagree with me and engage in a healthy Socratic exchange!

@Dani Nordin: Very good point. Many people will not react positively (or sometimes at all) to the most logical argument in the world, but those same people will bend over backward in order to act on the newest voodoo product of the month.

This is where we run into an ethical dilemma. If we know of a positive solution we’d like for everyone to have the power to reach, is it ethically sound to trick them, lie to them and otherwise cajole them to that solution, if in getting there we actually scramble their overall beliefs?

I would argue that no, in this case the ends do not justify the means, but I can definitely see the argument for the opposing viewpoint, and it’s not a resolution that I’m dogmatic about, either. I can think of a dozen other cases wherein I would directly contradict myself on this matter.

Who else has an opinion about this? I’m curious to find out what other ideas are floating around the blogosphere.

colin / Jul 31 09 at 11:07 am

I certainly enjoyed your post, however, I disagree. I firmly believe there is a process to “Manifesting Goals” that has been broadly referred to as “The Law of Attraction”. The critical component that was missed in “The Secret” was ACTION toward realization of your goal. This is the critical, and often overlooked, component to realizing / manifesting goals in many texts. Napoleon Hill in both “Think and Grow Rich” and “Law of Success” referred to a whole process from Setting a Goal (Having a Definite Purpose)through Concentrated Effort to realizing your goal(although he, too used current “fad” science (i.e. Ether)).

I believe “The Law of Attraction” was summarized in Matthew 7:7 (and Luke 11:9), as follows:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door shall be opened. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened”.

“The Secret” suggests that asking (visualization) is the only component. I suggest that “Seeking” and “Knocking” comprise the component of action, as suggested by Napoleon Hill, and are the second and third components of a three part formula for success.

Every great accomplishment in my life has been due to planning (Visualization / setting my “Goal”), then planning the actions to fulfill that objective (realization / manifesting). This would be equivalent (I would argue) to Napoleon Hill’s “Concentrated Effort”.

I think the “Law of Attraction” is an appropriate term to apply to the process in its entirety, however, the emphasis has certainly been on visualizing, rather than adding the component of action.

By way of summary, an example:

If I want a vegetable garden, I would certainly plan its layout (Visualize it).

Then I would go out and prepare the ground, plant the seed, weed and water it through the summer (the Action component), all the while visualizing the fall harvest. This encapsulates “The Law of Attraction”, Visualization … followed by action for its realization.

And now, having stated it as above, I suspect we might be in agreement and my position of opposition at the start of this long post was one of semantics?

Once again, good post you are certainly getting some good responses.

Regards

Rick

Rick Walker / Jul 31 09 at 7:24 pm

@Rick Walker: I think you might be right that our opposition is one of semantics, but an opposition is an opposition, and you do make a very valid argument about how a big part of the Law of Attraction in its earlier form involves the very action that I criticize the modern version of it for not including.

I do, of course, agree that action is the vital step that most people are missing, and that misleading others into thinking that simply planning and praying will be enough to make their wildest dreams come true.

Great summary of the point, though! I think you did a better job of explaining it cleanly and concisely than I did.

colin / Aug 01 09 at 12:22 am

I never saw or read “The Secret”, but I’ve read about and successfully implemented the Law of Attraction in my life enough to know that it’s not “bullshit”. Perhaps The Secret’s definition or portrayal of it is bullshit, but the law, as successfully used by many people, has proven itself over and over.

Your post seems to be coming from the position that the Law of Attraction says nothing of action and is nothing more than wishful thinking and visual stimulation (as the drawing at the top suggests). Those who have successfully implemented it will tell you that the Law of Attraction is not about you attracting things towards yourself (again, as illustrated in the drawing above) but rather about modifying your life so that the things you desire are being attracted to YOU (i.e., the pineapple in the drawing above should have arrows pointing to the human figure, not vice versa).

If you want to get rich, you need to change yourself and your life so that people want to give YOU money (instead of looking for ways to get money from other people). If you want to be successful, you need to change your life so that others want to see YOU succeed. Being receptive, making decisions, taking action, and following through are things that we should be doing regardless of where are in life.

I’m a firm believer that positive and negative energies push the universe in different directions. Writing is one method of pushing energies around and the Internet amplifies the power of writing (as it is easily accessible to a much greater audience). I enjoy your writings and your blog (I’m in the process of transitioning to a similar lifestyle), but I must say that the title of this post should have been “The Secret is Bullshit” or “Flaws in the Modern Law of Attraction”. The Law of Attraction is not bullshit.

Raam Dev / Aug 01 09 at 7:02 am

@Raam Dev: First and foremost, thank you very much for the really thoughtful post. I had to check out your blog after reading it and love your idea to go cold turkey with your beverages, drinking nothing but water and tea (I may have to do that myself!).

Okay, so on to the meat of the matter. I should note that the illustrations for these posts were created by me for a project over a year ago called Circadian 3 for which I created a short writing, a drawing and a photograph every day for a year. I decided that until I left the country I would use this stockpile of images to illustrate my articles, and most of the time they don’t match up just perfectly with the articles (since I basically write the article and then browse through my library, looking for something that isn’t totally inappropriate for the topic at hand. So yeah, they really aren’t meant to be technical drawings, or even very accurate…just entertaining :)

That being said, I still can’t help but be skeptical of any believe that involves unmeasurable ‘energies.’ This may just be a semantic distinction, but in my mind it’s one thing to say ‘make yourself a more likely target for the positive actions of others’ and ‘adjust your energy to be more positive and attract the energy of others.’

And therein lies the issue. On one hand we have solid advice that would be at home in any purely rigid and materialistic business book anywhere in the world, and on the other hand we have advice that is at the very least spiritual (in some sense of the word) and at most borderline cultish (’do what I say and the energies of the world will do your bidding!’).

As for your last point, it’s true that the post may have more accurately been called ‘The Secret is Bullshit’ or ‘Flaws in the Modern Law of Attraction,’ but I still don’t think that my main points are lacking; I am discussing the Law of Attraction as a whole (even if the modern application of it IS the more deserving target of the two), and I don’t think there is a any support for the ideas that the ‘Law’ presupposes (there are plenty of real world, non-energy-based explanations for the results that people have experienced).

Plus, coming from a marketing perspective, if you’re looking for a good discussion, you have to take the most extreme part of your argument and use it in the title (which in blogging serves as the ‘hook’ to get people interested). Making use of key words that will tell people what’s being discussed, I also chose to use a bit of profanity (something that I don’t usually go for), since I knew this topic would be divisive and wanted to get an active discussion (which requires some conflict) going from the start.

I certainly never intent to offend anyone with my articles (or my titles), but I do think there are many different opinions out there, with many very strong arguments backing them up, and I’m doing everything I can to draw them out when I can so that both myself and my readership can be exposed to them and benefit from them.

Again, thank you VERY much for your response, Raam, and I look forward to more thoughts and comments from you in the future!

colin / Aug 01 09 at 8:07 am

That’s one of the best explanations of “The Secret” I ever read. I just submitted it to StumbleUpon.

It does strike me as deceptive to tell someone that if they simply think about something, it’ll come true. I’ve seen people try this and fail miserably because they were too damn lazy to actually take action.

However, if people try what is said in “The Secret” in combination with intelligent action, I think they can make some real tangible results for themselves.

Even though when someone starts talking about the “Law of Attraction”, I feel like I’m listening to an infomercial, there is wisdom in what they’re saying.

Fantastic post.

Tim | Inspiration Central / Aug 02 09 at 7:35 am

I’m always a fan of the right tool for the job.

When it comes to The Law of Attraction, I think it’s a spectrum and a slider scale. I think the part that works is the visualization (start with end in mind), the RAS (reticular activating system), taking massive action, and a few other bits and pieces. We all know like-attracts like and we know you get what you focus on so that helps. There are some interesting points to add about mirror cells and the biology of your network in action (some crazy, provable stuff.) To boil it down, people start to help me throughout the network because my network knows what I want.

For a short while I wanted to put The Law of Attraction to a public test, so I asked the universe for a billion bucks and started my billion dollar blog to log my results.

At the end of the day, I’m a fan of getting up to bat, hanging with super skilled people, and using proven patterns and practices for results. That said, it’s almost tempting to share my story of how I won $57,000 on a 5 cent slot machine, in a Jimmeny Cricket sort of way, but I’m worried it might encourage people down the wrong path :)

There’s an interesting book by Edward de Bono where he looks at the lives of 50 successful folks and he evaluates the role that luck among other things plays. I have a book nugget on “luck and success” on my blog to give you a taste, but you can’t go wrong with de Bono … he teaches thinking like somebody would teach algebra.

I do like one of my friend’s approach to The Law of Attraction. He doesn’t bank on it, but he doesn’t preclude himself from it.

J.D. Meier / Aug 02 09 at 10:08 pm

@Tim: Thanks for the kind words! Much appreciated!

I agree that all the tenets of The Secret are not incorrect, and in fact it’s really just that whole ‘visualize it and it will happen due to forces beyond our control’ deal that I have a major issue with. There’s nothing wrong with visualizing and acting, though, and in fact I personally spend a lot of my down-time visualizing scenarios and outcomes of different actions. I don’t know that it helps, but it certainly couldn’t hurt!

@J.D. Meier: I LOVE the idea of your billion dollar blog. Is it still up?

I like to approach any kind of luck, whether you want to actually call it that or call it faith, with the same attitude you describe. I reason that if I ‘make my own luck,’ as it were, then I’ll be much more likely to get the results that I want than if I leave it purely up to chance. I feel that most of what people refer to is luck is simply good preparation, though the impact of sheer, stupid coincidence should not be underestimated…though the consequences of a coincidence should be prepared for!

colin / Aug 06 09 at 5:27 pm

@Tim: Thanks for your insights. I like your angle.

Colin? I can see your viewpoint, you communicated it clearly, but I’m inclined to say that you might want to rethink a few things. Your paragraph on magic for one:

Think about it: something that is magic is unchangeable and unquestionable. It just happens. It’s magic. You can react to it, but not do much about it otherwise. Something that’s scientific, on the other hand, is infinitely malleable; it can be studied, understood and changed to suit our needs. To call something magic when really it’s just complicated is doing everyone an injustice because it’s spreading the acceptance of willful ignorance and therefore hobbling our future efforts to understand the world and make positive changes.”

Magic is malleable, changeable, and questionable. However, LAWs are not. Science is the study of how things work and scientists don’t assert anything is definite until they have put it through the rigors or scientific testing – until then it is only a theory based on sound hypothesis, which all scientists know is capable of being malleable, changeable, and questionable.

And it is only because of science that we have the multitude of technological advances that we now enjoy, and certainly not because of “willful ignorance.” If we are “hobbled” in any way it is because of people’s blind hope for “magic” or the miraculous to carry us through.

But it is scientists with vision that continually question, study, and push through the status quo who have made the impossible possible.

And furthermore, the LOA is not BS anymore than the Law of Gravity is BS. Gravity is a LAW it always works, always has, and always will – whether you want it to or not, whether you agree with it or not, or whether you understand it or not. The Law of Gravity is not the Theory of Gravity, but a law. Likewise the Law of Attraction is a law – it is not a theory, and in the same way it always works, always has, and always will – whether you want it to or not, whether you agree with it or not, or whether you understand it or not.

Just because you don’t understand the LOA completely doesn’t make it BS. It only means that perhaps there is more for you to learn in order to use the law to bring about better and more beneficial results – if you aren’t enjoying those results now it’s not because the law is defunct, or BS but that you aren’t obeying the law as it dictates. For example, the Law of Gravity dictates, “What goes up must come down.” Obey that and you will always get the same results – always. Likewise, obey what the LOA dictates and you will always get the same results – always.

I hope what I have written doesn’t upset you. I’m not trying to be disagreeable, but rather give you some things to think about on this subject.

Thanks again for your thought provoking post. Keep up the good work.

Michael Claridge / Aug 10 09 at 9:47 am

@Michael Claridge: Thanks for the read and heartfelt comment, Michael! Great to get some constructive debate going!

I want to start by saying that a big part of what you seen to be arguing is based on semantics, specifically regarding the designation of ‘law.’

Though calling it the ‘Law of Gravity’ makes it sound like the ultimate, be-all authority that cannot be questioned (it’s a law, after all!), that couldn’t be further from the truth. What makes science different from faith or simply wanting something to be true is that it is testable and changeable…if new discoveries come to light, then the ‘law’ changes. That’s just how it works (it may take time to update the textbooks, but that’s an issue of logistics, not scientific approval).

That being said, the Law of Attraction (as it is called by the people who market it, not scientists, by the way) is not scientifically-based. It is not testable, and therefore not scientific. Saying there is a Law of Unicorns doesn’t prove or disprove the existence of unicorns…there actually has to be scientific proof (and someone saying that they saw a unicorn is not testable or conclusive, nor is someone saying that the Law of Attraction worked for them, and for the same reasons).

I do wholeheartedly agree that the scientists who have the cajones to question the status quo have repeatedly moved technology and scientific progress to the next step! It must be noted, though, that every idea that resides outside of the status quo is not good. Most, in fact, are based on wild speculation, personal bias or sheer misunderstanding. Sometimes, too, the person who presents the idea simply wants it to be true enough that they’ve convinced themselves that it is true. It’s easy to find ‘evidence’ when you’ve got an idea you’re hoping to support (and just as easy to overlook an overwhelming amount of evidence against what you want to believe).

I also agree that I have a whole lot more to learn, and though I disagree with you based on what I know now, it is possible that at some point in the future evidence will present itself that will completely change my mind. It’s happened before, and I have no reason to think it couldn’t happen again.

With that, I want to again thank you for presenting your argument – in an elegant and polite fashion, I might add – and I sincerely hope you continue to participate on the site!

(I checked out your blog, by the way, and I really like the idea of creators. I’ll have to dive deeper into it in the near future).

colin / Aug 10 09 at 4:16 pm

The problem with the LoA is that people get way too serious about it. Stop trying to deconstruct it piece by piece and just GIVE IT A TRY. I watched “The Secret” right after I left the US for my own travels a few years ago. I was finding myself unfulfilled with what I was doing, even though I thought that I’d be incredibly happy just traveling. So I thought more about what I really wanted, took joy in the small things that I was already doing, let go of what made me unhappy (my job) and let things fall into place. And they did, in a big way. No magic required, just an openness to life. Being that this is the first time you’ve traveled abroad, I have to recommend that such openness is an attitude that you embrace wholeheartedly, because the coolest adventures come from not knowing what the hell is going on, but just going along with it anyway; relinquishing control. The Law of Attraction, to me, just steers us in the right direction if we’re open to life. And it has never let me down. I wish you luck.

Eve / Oct 09 09 at 2:14 pm

Got here from the Stepcase Lifehack website. Fully agree with all your points. I do agree that if you focus on a goal and visualize its outcome, the rest of you is suddenly attuned to making it come true, such as your example of wanting a new car. What I don’t understand is when some people elevate it to some mystical, the-universe-made-it-happen BS.

I know some people who claimed the Secret has worked for them, but so far their examples are of events that had a high probability of occurring, anyway. For example, I don’t see how you can claim “The Secret” helped you get tickets to a tennis match where there already tons of tickets floating around anyway.

As with point #3 — I recall a grad school professor telling me that some things can’t be proven, the most you can do is prove that its inverse is false. For example, you can’t prove that the LOA is true just by providing all sorts of anecdotes that it works. But take its inverse (”The LOA does NOT work”) and if you can find even a single instance of this, then it means the LOA does not work. And I’ve heard of a lot of people telling stories about how the LOA has not worked for them — me included.

Mela / Oct 09 09 at 6:26 pm

You know what’s weird? You’re not going to believe this.

Right after watching The Secret, I got into it and one of the stories that caught my attention was the “unexpected money” in the mail, remember that one? Well I was like, “yeah, right”. I’m a cynic by nature but I couldn’t get that out of my head. Then around 1-2 weeks later, I got not 1, but 2 unexpected checks. One of them was from somebody I didn’t know ($300). I knew the check was coming maybe 4 days prior but I didn’t know WHO it was going to come from or how much (long story). Then all of a sudden, about a week after that, I got a check for $20 from either my bank or my electric company (I forgot now it’s been a while). They said that I overpaid them for something! The point is that I wasn’t expecting those checks! The first one I was sort of expecting but I didn’t know who it was from or how much!

I thought the whole thing was a little freaky. I do believe you have to be open to life like @Eve said. That and being clear on your goals helps a lot, lot, LOT. AND obsessing over unexpected checks! ;)

Tutti / Oct 17 09 at 3:14 am

It’s great to read this! As a business owner I was caught up in high level coaching for two years and was surrounded by people singing the praises of the ‘law of attraction’. I sincerely want my business to succeed, so this sounded like great strategy, think it, visualise it and it will come!

However, as the daughter of a scientist, my rational side kept questioning it; why would people suffer atrocities of war and natural disasters? Did their thoughts create it? It seemed too simplistic and ‘moral’ to me. Then you can extend it to, do animals also qualify under this law of attraction? If so, then wouldn’t my dog be very fat as his thoughts would cause him to be presented with endless array of food?

I can laugh it off now and see the truth, but once a series of very serious challenges hit me last year, I got so sick of these law of attraction people telling me ‘be careful of what you are attracting’. It seemed like utter rubbish to me and very egotistical and just crazy to think I had any power to affect these things!

Whilst I believe in being positive where possible, I’m glad that there are sites like this that allow critical thinking and question these simplistic popular pseudo-science theories.

These days I’m aiming to be me, imperfect and occasionally mediocre, yet occasionally inspired, in short- human!

Morgan / Oct 30 09 at 11:51 pm

I agree completely! I read the lost symbol and got caught up in keeping myself down to earth because it can be inspiring, but the fact of the matter is, YOU GET WHAT YOU WANT BECAUSE YOU GO FOR IT. when i read the first paragraph i thought, there is some poor girl in a third world country who wants a better life, and maybe shell spend her entire life not giving up hope, if she feels happy then that is great, but the fact of the matter is, she would have to walk somewhere, take a taxi somewhere, get to a stable country and then find her way to a better life…

anyway you put the words down perfectly!

Scottie / Nov 08 09 at 9:54 pm

The problem with facing the world of cause and effect, even though that’s what the Law of Attraction is but on a level beyond our physical bodies, is that we connect with the acquisition of the materials we wish to get, instead of the positive notion that we are creative beings and can create our surrounding, life and happiness. When I first tried out the LOA, and it has led me down an incredible spiritual path, it put me in a mindset of feeling fully content with life and what I have, not even needing the said manifestations down the road. I think the LOA may be too complicated a tool given the complicated brains we were given, but the power to connect with our true selves and feel absolute fulfillment regardless of material/social acquisitions, is less of a hokey concept and takes some consideration of whether we are just flesh and blood, or actually connected to something greater.

Brandon James / Feb 03 10 at 8:55 pm

Thanks, Colin- I couldn’t agree more! A friend and I have often discussed that the one [and most important] step not included in The Secret is that of ACTION.

Mark Powers / Feb 10 10 at 5:14 am

@ poster

I agree with all of what you write, but heck… Neanderthal had street markets and currency on which they were selling torches of fire ? xDD

just kidding. i got your point

Spyros / Feb 19 10 at 3:18 pm

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