I understand skeptism- I am a skeptic myself. I am also open minded too...
So in order to get any benefit from both these aspects, I have learned to balance both views, one, to prevent being scammed, and protect myself from disappointment, being exploited... to avoid wasting time getting involved in something that leads to beng disallusioned or worse even....
The other, to take advantage of something that offers promise if it is real and genuine... if O.B.Es are real, for example, to know there is an afterlife, something beyond this life... if manifesting is real to use these abilities to enrich and better life..... after all if there IS a possibility at all there is something else beyond this existence, I would like to know! You would have to be a fool to not want to know....
So I get what A.L.G is saying...
But if I can understand the desire to believe, I can definetly understand skepticism... I've been there, explored the thoughts, feelings, concepts.... that's why I understand views from maxdof and stephen... and also why I am comfortable with skepticism while at the same time exploring the concept of I.M and other things...
Personally, I prefer to experiment with I.M without using concepts from L.O.A ..I am an experimenter, willing to investigate something and if it works, I note it, remember it's my personal experience, but at least I can say I "know" from personal experience it works, and not just believe it does....
Be back with some more comments..discuss, discuss amongst yourselves...