the lie of attraction

[Rockchick26]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

For example, one of the rules that you have constructed for your reality is that "all old things, like furnaces and cars, wil eventually break down".

But how is this not true? Find me ANY car or furnace that is a hundred years old and still in working condition.

but your current reality cannot accommodate an event like, say, a little green man from outer space suddenly appearing and giving you $1,000. Therefore such an event won't happen.

lol I don't think anyone's current reality can accommodate that! Especially since aliens don't use American money (if any at all)

What you consider to be impossible, will just about never happen.

But the law of gravity trumps the law of attraction,therefore,jumping off the Empire State Building would result in death,that will NEVER be possible (without some sort of parachute or other contraption) So how can you say 'oh just tell yourself it's possible then it will be!' That only works with so many things.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by Rockchick26

But how is this not true?

See, you have missed the point completely! Of course it is true. Whatever you believe strongly enough has to be true in your reality.

lol I don't think anyone's current reality can accommodate that! Especially since aliens don't use American money (if any at all)

I actually don't personally know anyone whose current reality can accommodate that. In other words, I don't know anyone who actually believes that a little green man from outer space will appear and give them money. Therefore no such event ever occurs in my reality.

However, can your current reality accommodate, say, angels? Ghosts? Spirits? Demons? Not merely as myths, legends or movies, but as actual entities who will interact with you?

Strange as such things may sound, Steve Pavlina's wife, Erin, has such encounters as often as she pleases (if her own accounts are to be believed). Simply read her blog - all she has to do is pop out of her body for a while and go travelling on the astral plane. Or just meditate etc.

Now logically speaking, from the perspective of your reality, you really only have about 3 possible conclusions:

(1) Erin Pavlina is a huge liar;
(2) Erin Pavlina is mentally deranged;
(3) Angels, ghosts, spirits and demons do exist.

What do you choose?

If you choose (1), it follows you must conclude that Steve Pavlina either (a) has also been seriously duped by his own wife, or (b) is aware of, and endorses, her dishonest behaviour.

If you choose (2), you should immediately ask Steve why he has not sent his wife to a mental institution yet.

If you choose (3), then it logically follows that reality is waaaaay off from what our five senses suggest that it is. And if reality is that way off, is it really that ... surprising .... that your thoughts might actually create your reality? At the very least, you must accept that "conventional reality" is actually a heavily mistaken concept.

But wait. Before we proceed any further, Rockchick26, I would like you to tell me what you think. In your opinion, which of the following is true:

(1) Erin Pavlina is a huge liar;
(2) Erin Pavlina is mentally deranged;
(3) Angels, ghosts, spirits and demons do exist.

Tell me ......

[moonrambler]

Originally Posted by Rockchick26

But how is this not true? Find me ANY car or furnace that is a hundred years old and still in working condition.

In another 30 years or so, there will probably be plenty of hundred-year-old cars in working condition, as currently there are plenty of 50- and 60-year-old cars in working condition.

lol I don't think anyone's current reality can accommodate that! Especially since aliens don't use American money (if any at all)

Yet in the movie Independence Day, the scientists from planet Earth uploaded a software virus to the alien's spaceship computer, and most movie viewers seemed to have no problem believing that the aliens were using Windows software!

[moonrambler]

So far, I'm finding the concept of IM fascinating, and enjoying reading people's successes with it. Also enjoying reading people's questioning, and working on the question of why sometimes it doesn't work.

There are some obvious flaws in the concept of LoA however, and I was thinking about another one last night -- the specification for detachment.

Plenty of times I've been completely attached to an outcome and things worked out the way I wanted. I've been strung out about an outcome, stressed, afraid, anxious, and wanting something really, really bad, and from everything I read about LoA, that is supposed to drive the desired object/event/person away, but it simply isn't true.

We keep being told that we're not manifesting something because we're too attached to the outcome, but that discounts all those experiences I've had where I was not detached whatsoever.

There also are plenty of times I thought "wouldn't it be cool" if something happened (detachment) and it didn't happen. And vice versa.

[Rockchick26]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

See, you have missed the point completely! Of course it is true. Whatever you believe strongly enough has to be true in your reality.



I actually don't personally know anyone whose current reality can accommodate that. In other words, I don't know anyone who actually believes that a little green man from outer space will appear and give them money. Therefore no such event ever occurs in my reality.

However, can your current reality accommodate, say, angels? Ghosts? Spirits? Demons? Not merely as myths, legends or movies, but as actual entities who will interact with you?

Strange as such things may sound, Steve Pavlina's wife, Erin, has such encounters as often as she pleases (if her own accounts are to be believed). Simply read her blog - all she has to do is pop out of her body for a while and go travelling on the astral plane. Or just meditate etc.

Now logically speaking, from the perspective of your reality, you really only have about 3 possible conclusions:

(1) Erin Pavlina is a huge liar;
(2) Erin Pavlina is mentally deranged;
(3) Angels, ghosts, spirits and demons do exist.

What do you choose?

If you choose (1), it follows you must conclude that Steve Pavlina either (a) has also been seriously duped by his own wife, or (b) is aware of, and endorses, her dishonest behaviour.

If you choose (2), you should immediately ask Steve why he has not sent his wife to a mental institution yet.

If you choose (3), then it logically follows that reality is waaaaay off from what our five senses suggest that it is. And if reality is that way off, is it really that ... surprising .... that your thoughts might actually create your reality? At the very least, you must accept that "conventional reality" is actually a heavily mistaken concept.

But wait. Before we proceed any further, Rockchick26, I would like you to tell me what you think. In your opinion, which of the following is true:

(1) Erin Pavlina is a huge liar;
(2) Erin Pavlina is mentally deranged;
(3) Angels, ghosts, spirits and demons do exist.

Tell me ......

I choose 3,because i believe they exist too! But those things are much more likely to exist than a furnace or a car miraculously lasting 100 years when none of them ever have. But people HAVE seen angels,ghosts,spirits and demons.

[Rockchick26]

Originally Posted by moonrambler

In another 30 years or so, there will probably be plenty of hundred-year-old cars in working condition, as currently there are plenty of 50- and 60-year-old cars in working condition.

Well THEN that would be that reality but its not the reality NOW. Little green men might be our reality in the future too,you never know!

[quoteYet in the movie Independence Day, the scientists from planet Earth uploaded a software virus to the alien's spaceship computer, and most movie viewers seemed to have no problem believing that the aliens were using Windows software![/QUOTE]

But they still knew it was a movie,it wasnt real LOL

[Joely]

Originally Posted by Rockchick26

But how is this not true? Find me ANY car or furnace that is a hundred years old and still in working condition.

You ask, and the universe provides:

100 year old car goes for its first MOT.

I've seen a lot of these sorts of beauties on the roads. Isn't it gorgeous? We have whole organisations over here in the UK dedicated to preserving and keeping running the very first cars that ever took to the streets. Don't you have them over there?

They even go to Alaska! - this Buick is 100 years old this year. (Can you tell I have a bit of a thing for old cars?)

Oh, by the way ALG, I just wanted to say that I always really enjoy your posts. Very informative and excellently argued

Just to expound on my point a bit, this is a prime example of how we're living in different realities and how that affects our behaviour. You, Rockchick, live in a world where there are no 100-year-old cars. That's your reality, so you don't even question it. When I read the post, however, I thought "Are there 100 year old cars?" while you thought "There are no 100 year old cars." I expect even if you were driving on the road and there was a 100 year old car on there you'd never see it because the mind only recognises what it believes already to be true. Since I was open to the possibility of ancient cars, I just Googled to see whether or not it was possible for them to be knocking about the place. It doesn't say anything negative about you - it just illustrates what you believe and I believe about the world are two different things, so we react to situations differently, and when we encounter something like this, our beliefs shape what we do in response to the information.

I believe the quote goes something along the lines of "if I didn't believe it, I'd never have seen it."

It's interesting, actually, because this raises a point about why we believe the things we do. My childhood was spent going to historical museums, spotting old vehicles on the road, going to the big old mills that are kept open as showpieces (Google Styal Mill for a really lovely example of a working textile mill), so I'm open to the possibility of furnaces that last over 100 years, to cars that go for MOTs or cross Alaska at 100 years old. I've even seen one of the very first steam engines. Hogwarts Express chuffs down the railway past the former mill where I now live every other weekend or so. Since I've been exposed to these things very early on, I believe them to be not only possible, but present in my reality. I'm sure there are things in your reality I've never been exposed to, so I might not believe they exist, whereas you do. Our beliefs about what's possible totally shape our reality, and affect what we do or think at any time.

In fact, because you hold on so tightly to this belief about old cars and furnaces, you might not even see or read this post But I still loved writing it.

[Lil Chris]

WOW,
This thread has been so mind opening and such a great discussion... I just wanted to thank everybody for their input, arguments and opinions. This has been really great...

Thanks

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by Rockchick26

I choose 3,because i believe they exist too!

You choose 3. Therefore you believe in the existence of ghosts, spirits, angels, demons etc. If you believe in the most common notions of what they are like, you also believe that:

1. they possess consciousness (eg they think, plan, have intentions)

2. they don't have physical bodies (ie no skeleton, flesh, skin).

3. they are able to influence, alter and do many things in our physical reality (refer to your average ghost movie).

Since they do not have physical bodies, but possess consciousness, and yet can affect physical reality ...... why are you so quick to say that thoughts alone cannot affect reality? And that the Law of Attraction is false?

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by moonrambler

There are some obvious flaws in the concept of LoA however, and I was thinking about another one last night -- the specification for detachment.

Plenty of times I've been completely attached to an outcome and things worked out the way I wanted. I've been strung out about an outcome, stressed, afraid, anxious, and wanting something really, really bad, and from everything I read about LoA, that is supposed to drive the desired object/event/person away, but it simply isn't true.

We keep being told that we're not manifesting something because we're too attached to the outcome, but that discounts all those experiences I've had where I was not detached whatsoever.

There also are plenty of times I thought "wouldn't it be cool" if something happened (detachment) and it didn't happen. And vice versa.

But here IMO you simply don't fully understand the attachment / detachment outcome. It is not as simple and automatic as "I am attached, therefore it won't happen" or "I am detached, therefore it will."

The simplest, clearest explanation of the attachment/detachment concept I have found, is ironically not in any LOA book, but in a book about magick. The terminology is different, but the idea is the same.

Magick says that we create "thought forms" with our intentions. Once created, a thought form goes out, like an invisible living thing, into the universe, to fulfill the intentions that created it. A thought-form may be strong or weak; well-constructed or confused; positive or negative, depending on how good a job you did, in creating it.

An important aspect of magick is properly releasing your thought form into the universe, so that it can go out there and do whatever is necessary, to fulfill your intention. It is something like the "detachment" concept of LOA/IM. For example, once you detach from your thought form, it goes out into the universe and starts organising the synchronicities that will bring to you what you want.

What if you remain attached to your intention / thought-form? Well, basically whenever you start thinking about your intention / thought-form, you're calling it back. From wherever it is in the universe, it will have to come back to you. Therefore you're interrupting and interfering with its work (remember, it's out there in the universe trying to fulfill your intention).

Is it therefore bad to be attached to your intention/thought-form? No, not necessarily. In fact, for certain kinds of intentions (for example, those which are not "one-off" but which you want to sustain for an extended period of time - like a thought form about "good health"), you do want to call the thought-form back periodically, so that you will further strengthen and empower it with additional thoughts (eg more thoughts about 'good health').

HOWEVER, the problem is when you have:

(i) successfully created a good thought-form (with strong desire; clear intention; deep conviction etc);

(ii) released it into the universe (so that the thought-form is now orchestrating events in the universe to help fulfil your intention)

AND THEN

(iii) later you start worrying about it, being anxious, being fearful that it won't work etc.

What has (iii) done? First you call the thought-form back, interfering with its work in the universe. Next, you start damaging the thought-form, weakening it, stripping it of its power. And that's because you're now thinking negative thoughts about why your intention won't happen; why you should be worried; etc etc.

Now ....... to answer your direct questions, Moonrambler, does detachment necessarily mean that your intention will come true? NO! Because in the first place, your thought-form may not have been well-formed.

For example, you didn't visualise clearly; there wasn't much desire in it; you were unsure and ambiguous of exactly what you wanted; you were distracted etc etc. So the thought-form was, in the first place, not well-constructed. In magical terms, you were a lousy wizard and you didn't do a good spell.

SO .... even when you have "detached", and the thought-form has been released into the universe, it doesn't necessarily manage to deliver the visible positive results that you were hoping for.

What about attachment? Does it necessarily mean that your attachment won't come true? NO! Firstly because your attachment may not be negative; if you keep thinking about your desires and you keep staying positive, you are in fact supplying more energy to your thought-form and making it powerful.

Secondly, if your thought-form was very well-constructed in the first place, it may possess enough energy to fulfill your original intention even though you had subsequently weakened your thought-form through anxious or fearful thoughts.

For example, suppose you had spent one whole year studying diligently for your exams and your intention is to do well. All this while, you're actually shaping a thought-form that says "Good Exam Results!". In the last week before your exams, you get very stressed and anxious and nervous. And yes, this zaps your thought form's energy. But don't forget, your thought-form has already built up a lot of energy, through your one entire year of diligent studying (which is an expression of your intention to do well). THEREFORE the fact that you're stressed, anxious, nervous etc during the last week doesn't necessarily mean that your intention won't be fulfilled.

A final tip from "Instant Magick" by Chris Penczak (I've mentioned this book before):

"A key factor in successful spell casting is learning to let go of your thoughtform, thereby letting go of your intention. If you don't let it go, it can't go out into the universe to create your desired intention. You call it back by thinking about it, worrying about it or getting upset about it. You drain its energy, taking back its power bit by bit, until it has none to fulfill your intention ............. If you could keep a completely upbeat attitude, and send it more energy, as many people try to do through repeated actions, then you could potentially empower the thoughtform. But for most of us, particularly beginners, our repeated thoughts come with doubts and fears. It's best to learn to let it go completely and not concern yourself with how a spell will manifest. Just be confident that it will because you crafted it properly."

[Rockchick26]

Originally Posted by Joely

You ask, and the universe provides:

100 year old car goes for its first MOT.

I've seen a lot of these sorts of beauties on the roads. Isn't it gorgeous? We have whole organisations over here in the UK dedicated to preserving and keeping running the very first cars that ever took to the streets. Don't you have them over there?

They even go to Alaska! - this Buick is 100 years old this year. (Can you tell I have a bit of a thing for old cars?)

Oh, by the way ALG, I just wanted to say that I always really enjoy your posts. Very informative and excellently argued

Just to expound on my point a bit, this is a prime example of how we're living in different realities and how that affects our behaviour. You, Rockchick, live in a world where there are no 100-year-old cars. That's your reality, so you don't even question it. When I read the post, however, I thought "Are there 100 year old cars?" while you thought "There are no 100 year old cars." I expect even if you were driving on the road and there was a 100 year old car on there you'd never see it because the mind only recognises what it believes already to be true. Since I was open to the possibility of ancient cars, I just Googled to see whether or not it was possible for them to be knocking about the place. It doesn't say anything negative about you - it just illustrates what you believe and I believe about the world are two different things, so we react to situations differently, and when we encounter something like this, our beliefs shape what we do in response to the information.

I believe the quote goes something along the lines of "if I didn't believe it, I'd never have seen it."

It's interesting, actually, because this raises a point about why we believe the things we do. My childhood was spent going to historical museums, spotting old vehicles on the road, going to the big old mills that are kept open as showpieces (Google Styal Mill for a really lovely example of a working textile mill), so I'm open to the possibility of furnaces that last over 100 years, to cars that go for MOTs or cross Alaska at 100 years old. I've even seen one of the very first steam engines. Hogwarts Express chuffs down the railway past the former mill where I now live every other weekend or so. Since I've been exposed to these things very early on, I believe them to be not only possible, but present in my reality. I'm sure there are things in your reality I've never been exposed to, so I might not believe they exist, whereas you do. Our beliefs about what's possible totally shape our reality, and affect what we do or think at any time.

In fact, because you hold on so tightly to this belief about old cars and furnaces, you might not even see or read this post But I still loved writing it.

I stand corrected! Now,your next assignment is to find a 100 year old furnace that is still working LOL

Maybe those were easy examples. How about something more like a dog that can talk? Is that in anyone's reality?

[Rockchick26]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

You choose 3. Therefore you believe in the existence of ghosts, spirits, angels, demons etc. If you believe in the most common notions of what they are like, you also believe that:

1. they possess consciousness (eg they think, plan, have intentions)

2. they don't have physical bodies (ie no skeleton, flesh, skin).

3. they are able to influence, alter and do many things in our physical reality (refer to your average ghost movie).

Since they do not have physical bodies, but possess consciousness, and yet can affect physical reality ...... why are you so quick to say that thoughts alone cannot affect reality? And that the Law of Attraction is false?

I didnt say thoughts cant affect reality...and i also didnt say the law of attraction was false...i just dont like how the Secret represented it. I am just skeptical about it because the things i've tried to do didnt work. I am not saying they dont work...but in some instances you have to be realistic,not everything is possible with LoA.

[Rockchick26]

ALG...your last post seemed kinda contradictory to me. How can it be ok sometimes to think about your intention again,when other times you arent supposed to think about it? This is exactly what is bugging me about this...there are no rules! Rules apply here but not there. And also,how can you NOT think about the things you want?

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by Rockchick26

ALG...your last post seemed kinda contradictory to me. How can it be ok sometimes to think about your intention again,when other times you arent supposed to think about it?

Is this really so difficult to understand?

For best results:

1. Think about what you want. Focus. Concentrate. Be clear. Frame positively. Release.

2. EITHER: (a) think no further about it (detach), OR (b) continue to think positively about it.

In other words, AVOID, as far as possible, thinking about it in a way that involves doubt, fear, anxiety etc)

Point 2 is a tip, a piece of advice. Refer to earlier post about conscious creation being a skill.It's like your sports coach saying "Stretch and warm up before you race." Many professional runners and swimmers would regard this tip as so important as to be a "rule", something they'd always do. But obviously, even if they did not follow it, they can still run/swim at a pace that leaves most amateurs far behind.

[Arboretor]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

Is this really so difficult to understand?

For best results:

1. Think about what you want. Focus. Concentrate. Be clear. Frame positively. Release.

2. EITHER: (a) think no further about it (detach), OR (b) continue to think positively about it.

In other words, AVOID, as far as possible, thinking about it in a way that involves doubt, fear, anxiety etc)

Point 2 is a tip, a piece of advice. Refer to earlier post about conscious creation being a skill.It's like your sports coach saying "Stretch and warm up before you race." Many professional runners and swimmers would regard this tip as so important as to be a "rule", something they'd always do. But obviously, even if they did not follow it, they can still run/swim at a pace that leaves most amateurs far behind.

Good advice, but I think you are still not explaning why some wishes come true DESPITE being full of doubts and fear about it.

[Marierama]

Take heart everyone, the Law of Attraction is a universal law that works whether we believe it or not.

Our understanding of it may be flawed, but that does not invalidate the law itself.

The blog and pdf referred to is a very clever marketing ploy to stir up interest and create controversy. Somewhat crude, yes, but if it makes us re-evaluate and clarify our understanding of the law of Attraction, then it has achieved a profitable outcome for us, even if that was not the outcome of the marketer.

Has anyone here heard Jack Zufelt speak? He talks in a similar vein, but when you sift through the rhetoric, what he teaches is not that the Law of Attraction does not work, or that affirmations do not work or that visualizations and goal setting do not work, but that these tools need the impetus of focused energy and absolute 100% core desire and what-ever-it-takes action to align with the Law of Attraction and reach your goal.

The Law of Attraction is not a lie, but sometimes our understanding of using it correctly is seriously flawed.

Cheers,

Marie

[dave marshall]

Hi,

the reason that some events occur despite seeming doubts and fears is because of the focus that a person places on certain certumstances, on the relevence to them.

Each person is unique so it is impossible to know exactly without knowing thier unique beleif system but just as a person who beleives the intelect is the most powerful tool they have, will focus their attention into their intelect and ignore other aspects of themselves, it does not mean that the odd emotional or psychic experience will not cone their way sometimes. A person who beleives that they will triumph over adversity will do just that in whatever way is relelvant for them.

For me it comes down to what does a person want to experience in their life. someone who wants to prove that even though they do not beleive in themselves they can still acheive AB or C will focus their attention and energy into just that and it will come about with enough focus.

The important thing for me is that I know I create my experience and I choose to focus my attention on aspects of myself and events that are pleasurable. In doing so i can create a great experience even if I have some doubts about myself on other areas. I work on those areas of doubt and in doing so create an even better experience in light of my own unique wants and desires.

dave

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by Rockchick26

And also,how can you NOT think about the things you want?

Simply consider the tremendous number of positive things in your life which you've taken for granted .....

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by Rockchick26

...but in some instances you have to be realistic,not everything is possible with LoA.

You may devise hypothetical scenarios (eg a man walking on water while simultaneously making meteors flash across the sky) for which I cannot offer you examples of actual occurrences.

Nonetheless, in practice, I do not think that any one of us is remotely close to approaching the limits of what is possible with LOA.

[Arboretor]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

You may devise hypothetical scenarios (eg a man walking on water while simultaneously making meteors flash across the sky) for which I cannot offer you examples of actual occurrences.

There is a well known account about a man walking on water . Meteors flashing would only be an added fancy element.

[moonrambler]

Can I just say I see a fascinating psychological example here in regard to the cars:

Rockchick says: It does not happen
moonrambler says: It will happen, but not yet
Joely says: Look! Here it is!

[moonrambler]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

Now ....... to answer your direct questions, Moonrambler, does detachment necessarily mean that your intention will come true? NO! Because in the first place, your thought-form may not have been well-formed.

For example, you didn't visualise clearly; there wasn't much desire in it; you were unsure and ambiguous of exactly what you wanted; you were distracted etc etc. So the thought-form was, in the first place, not well-constructed. In magical terms, you were a lousy wizard and you didn't do a good spell.

SO .... even when you have "detached", and the thought-form has been released into the universe, it doesn't necessarily manage to deliver the visible positive results that you were hoping for.

What about attachment? Does it necessarily mean that your attachment won't come true? NO! Firstly because your attachment may not be negative; if you keep thinking about your desires and you keep staying positive, you are in fact supplying more energy to your thought-form and making it powerful.

Secondly, if your thought-form was very well-constructed in the first place, it may possess enough energy to fulfill your original intention even though you had subsequently weakened your thought-form through anxious or fearful thoughts.

Thanks, ALG, that actually clears things up very well.

I like doing morning affirmations and although on the one hand it sounds like that will call the intention back, it also is intended to give the intention more powerful positive energy, while also reinforcing and more firmly establishing my belief in the intention's occurrence.

Your example about being stressed over an exam makes sense. If a person goes through an entire semester being anxious and fearful about doing poorly in a course, he/she has more likelihood of doing poorly on the exam, than somebody who has only been stressing over the exam for the past week or so.

This also has an obvious pragmatic side, that direct action can be made less effective when a person is all fearful and stressed and anxious and doubtful, especially if that's their typical state of being in regard to a certain situation.

I can tell you're really liking that book about magick.

[moonrambler]

Originally Posted by Arboretor

Good advice, but I think you are still not explaning why some wishes come true DESPITE being full of doubts and fear about it.

If you read his post #130 you'll see he explains exactly why. If you disagree with those conclusions, I think you need to come up with a specific example of when an intention from start to finish was riddled with doubt and fear rather than positive energy, and still came true, so we can consider what happened there.

[Joely]

Originally Posted by moonrambler

If you read his post #130 you'll see he explains exactly why. If you disagree with those conclusions, I think you need to come up with a specific example of when an intention from start to finish was riddled with doubt and fear rather than positive energy, and still came true, so we can consider what happened there.

This is actually quite interesting, because it relates to something I've been struggling with for some time. I've always loved writing, doing writing, creating worlds, but I grew up being told I could never get a publishing deal, no matter how good I was. It was like the law of gravity. By the time I was 18 and off to university, I gave up to pursue a career as an academic. I really worked hard to get rid of my love of writing, and went to the opposite extreme of becoming severely depressed if anybody told me my work was good.

Yet for some reason, it refused to leave me. It's almost as though as much as I tried to run away and hide from it, it was still jumping into my life and things kept coming along that would push me back into writing. I'd have thought anybody as riddled with self-doubt and the total conviction I could never be published would have completely blocked everything. Instead, people have arrived in my life with an absolute conviction in what I've been doing and have taken over the process of getting me published, circumventing my own negative beliefs and doubt. I've seen a lot of people say you really can't get anywhere with this much negativity towards it, and yet I've had so much help thrown my way I've been consistently amazed by the assistance I've had.

I have no real explanation for this, but I just thought I'd throw it out there.

[Bradshaw]

So glad this thread was created. The knowledge here is gold.

[moonrambler]

Originally Posted by Joely

This is actually quite interesting, because it relates to something I've been struggling with for some time. I've always loved writing, doing writing, creating worlds, but I grew up being told I could never get a publishing deal, no matter how good I was. It was like the law of gravity. By the time I was 18 and off to university, I gave up to pursue a career as an academic. I really worked hard to get rid of my love of writing, and went to the opposite extreme of becoming severely depressed if anybody told me my work was good.

Yet for some reason, it refused to leave me. It's almost as though as much as I tried to run away and hide from it, it was still jumping into my life and things kept coming along that would push me back into writing. I'd have thought anybody as riddled with self-doubt and the total conviction I could never be published would have completely blocked everything. Instead, people have arrived in my life with an absolute conviction in what I've been doing and have taken over the process of getting me published, circumventing my own negative beliefs and doubt. I've seen a lot of people say you really can't get anywhere with this much negativity towards it, and yet I've had so much help thrown my way I've been consistently amazed by the assistance I've had.

I have no real explanation for this, but I just thought I'd throw it out there.

This is so cool. I was going to immediately answer that maybe it has to do with this, fundamentally: your statement "I've always loved writing, doing writing." I was going to say, "It's part of who you are. No matter how much other people have tried to convince you that you can't be successful with it, no matter how much you tried to run from it, you can't get away from it, because it is part of the essence of your being."

Then I thought, well, maybe I should think a little further and not just immediately answer. I'm kicking back and taking a break from work, so I clicked on your website link, which I haven't looked at in a month or two. And there it is, right there, you already said it just a couple days ago!

I’ve never had any doubt about writing and it has been a key feature of my life, as has the business of inventing worlds about which to write. I think this is why I can never answer the question ‘Why do you write?’ because I’ve never considered not writing as a possibility, although I never until recently considered that I could seriously make a career out of it. It’s something very essential, more than just work, something that I consider precious and thrilling and an essential part of who I am.

[Joely]

Originally Posted by moonrambler

This is so cool. I was going to immediately answer that maybe it has to do with this, fundamentally: your statement "I've always loved writing, doing writing." I was going to say, "It's part of who you are. No matter how much other people have tried to convince you that you can't be successful with it, no matter how much you tried to run from it, you can't get away from it, because it is part of the essence of your being."

Then I thought, well, maybe I should think a little further and not just immediately answer. I'm kicking back and taking a break from work, so I clicked on your website link, which I haven't looked at in a month or two. And there it is, right there, you already said it just a couple days ago!

I’ve never had any doubt about writing and it has been a key feature of my life, as has the business of inventing worlds about which to write. I think this is why I can never answer the question ‘Why do you write?’ because I’ve never considered not writing as a possibility, although I never until recently considered that I could seriously make a career out of it. It’s something very essential, more than just work, something that I consider precious and thrilling and an essential part of who I am.

Thank you! Aside from feeling a little embarrassed, perhaps it does explain why some things manifest in people's lives even though they're riddled with doubt and uncertainty. Something deep down inside of us still drives our connection to the universe and it will do everything it can to make what we truly need to have in our lives arrive. Although sometimes I think the universe gets a wee bit p*ssed off at all the hedging I do!

Thank you again, I feel much better knowing that...

[Health Addict]

I think the main problem with people not believing in the Law of Attraction is that a large majority of people believe that they are sharing the same reality as each other. The fact is that YOUR entire reality is created by YOUR unconscious mind, and if you don't believe me then visit your local drug dealer and buy some LSD, and see how much YOUR reality will change once you take it. Since the LCD effects the functioning of the brain/mind and thus the thoughts you have, your ENTIRE reality changes, aswell as what you attract at that time with the Law Of Attraction.

Alot of people don't believe in the Law Of Attraction because they say to themselves "How can someone born in the third world who is starving and dying of disease have attracted that to themselves?". The fact is that none of this is really happening since YOUR entire reality is created by YOUR unconscious thoughts. What's the difference between a reality created by LSD and the reality when not taking any drugs? Nothing at all, they are both created by the exact same source, the unconscious mind, so they are both as real as each other.

Your unconsious mind is simply creating experiences in YOUR REALITY that support the beliefs that YOU currently have. And when you doubt the Law Of Attraction exists, all that is happening is that YOUR unconsious mind is manifesting events in YOUR reality that will help you disbelieve that the LOA exists, such as people dying and starving in the third world, etc?

[Rockchick26]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

2. EITHER: (a) think no further about it (detach), OR (b) continue to think positively about it.

This was the only part i was confused about because some people say to detach and some say the more you think about it,the better. I don't like not having a clear cut answer that for sure works in every situation.

[Rockchick26]

Originally Posted by Health Addict

I think the main problem with people not believing in the Law of Attraction is that a large majority of people believe that they are sharing the same reality as each other. The fact is that YOUR entire reality is created by YOUR unconscious mind, and if you don't believe me then visit your local drug dealer and buy some LSD, and see how much YOUR reality will change once you take it. Since the LCD effects the functioning of the brain/mind and thus the thoughts you have, your ENTIRE reality changes, aswell as what you attract at that time with the Law Of Attraction.

Alot of people don't believe in the Law Of Attraction because they say to themselves "How can someone born in the third world who is starving and dying of disease have attracted that to themselves?". The fact is that none of this is really happening since YOUR entire reality is created by YOUR unconscious thoughts. What's the difference between a reality created by LSD and the reality when not taking any drugs? Nothing at all, they are both created by the exact same source, the unconscious mind, so they are both as real as each other.

Your unconsious mind is simply creating experiences in YOUR REALITY that support the beliefs that YOU currently have. And when you doubt the Law Of Attraction exists, all that is happening is that YOUR unconsious mind is manifesting events in YOUR reality that will help you disbelieve that the LOA exists, such as people dying and starving in the third world, etc?

I get what youre saying...but i still beleive we do share the same reality,we're just not in the same place as everyone else. Obviously,you will say that in your reality,there is no poverty and disease. But if you went to Africa,suddenly your reality will show that DOES exist. I'm saying that your reality is mostlydependent on where you put yourself. Somebody that lives with you and works with you and knows all the same people you do will probably have the same reality. So thats why i dont like when people say "but thats not MY reality" just cuz they live so far from it,they think it doesnt exist. That is just ridiculous to me. Of course it exists,we SEE it on tv,we SEE it when we visit there,we KNOW there is poverty and disease in third world countries. Just because you dont live near it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.