What happened to the "Law of Attraction"?

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by Parthon

The discussion in question is, why don't more regular people believe in LoA, and why hasn't The Secret stolen it's way into the homes and minds of everyone on the planet.

I think it has found its way into more homes and minds than is easily apparent by casual observation. Why? Because many people who know the LOA concept are not going to talk about it openly.

Like myself. I am happy to talk a lot about the LOA, on an online forum where I'm known just as 'Acting Like Godot'. But in the offline world, I would talk explicitly about it, only to selected people (eg my wife; my two kids; my parents; one colleague; two particular friends; one of my brothers).

Why? Because if I talk about it to other people, they might think I'm superstitious, stupid or mad.

For that same reason, there are probably lots of people in the world who do know the LOA, but keep it a secret. It's "The Secret".

-----------------

One of the sure signs that people are still interested in the LOA is your typical modern bookstore.

I visit a couple of major bookstores in my city. They are basically big, non-specialised, commercially-driven bookstores catering to mainstream audiences, and basically they will try to stock any kind of books that sells well.

And I see that they continue to stock quite a decent range of LOA-related books. The space they allocate to LOA-related books is roughly comparable with the space they allocate for, say the "Local Fiction" or the "Sports and Exercise" sections.

This gives you some rough gauge ....

Eg the number of people interested enough in the LOA to buy a book on it is roughly the same as the number of people interested enough in "Sports and Exercise" to buy a book on it.

[Dharma]

Originally Posted by Ace22

Yes but If I introduced you to air-travel when you were still using a horse and buggy, you wouldn't say, "Oh, that thing with wings, that was just an introduction".

Imagine if you were talking to someone who teleports from place to place. What would they think of your airplane idea? Uh huh... an introduction.

Originally Posted by Ace22

The point I'm trying to make, or the question I'm trying to get answered is; if the LoA was the "SECRET" why isn't LoA a house hold word? Why didn't it catch on like these pesky little keyboard thingies and phones that show movies?

Creating and being responsible for your reality is not an easy task in a world that chooses victimization and denies it's own creatorship. It's uncomfortable and sometimes painful... who wants to do that? Keyboard thingies and new phones are much more fun and distracting.

[newmark]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

I think it has found its way into more homes and minds than is easily apparent by casual observation. Why? Because many people who know the LOA concept are not going to talk about it openly.

Why? Because if I talk about it to other people, they might think I'm superstitious, stupid or mad.

I agree. I think it is being read about and thought about, but in many parts of the world it's just not worth the bother of being thought stupid and superstitious. Not because of embarrassment, but because of practical reasons at work and elsewhere.
I've used LOA successfully in my relationships and have gained quite large sums of money which I really can't attribute to anything else; yet I seldom talk about this to others. Just look at the long discussions/arguments ALG has had on this forum. Who wants to deal with that every day?

[thebestlife]

I think the LOA becomming so popular with THE SECRET was expected.It seemed like all of the sudden there was a quick fix for unwanted life. The problem was there was holes, information missing and alot of people didnt have any grounds (in metaphysics) established to make the connection with "the reality " of our world and therefore couldnt process the idea properly.

So when you dont get results you just move on to what you ve been doing so far. even if you dont like the results of the old ways at least you are use it ,so its not so disappointing and for some people even noticable.

It will take a little time but it will become a common knowledge in time. Its a whole new perspective on life and not so easy to digest for some people.

[Cantando]

Originally Posted by thebestlife

It will take a little time but it will become a common knowledge in time. Its a whole new perspective on life and not so easy to digest for some people.

God/Source/Spirit 'invented' (!) the Law of Attraction to attract all souls back to him. During that process, we can attract nice things to ourselves, as samplers or tasters. But, don't get too fixated on the tasters, otherwise, you may get stomach ache and miss the main course!

Sadly, there is also a Law of Repulsion invented by our egoistic, human nature which resists that process.

[Gene]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

I think it has found its way into more homes and minds than is easily apparent by casual observation. Why? Because many people who know the LOA concept are not going to talk about it openly.

Like myself. I am happy to talk a lot about the LOA, on an online forum where I'm known just as 'Acting Like Godot'. But in the offline world, I would talk explicitly about it, only to selected people (eg my wife; my two kids; my parents; one colleague; two particular friends; one of my brothers).

I speak of it but do not call it the law of attraction. I use phrases such as "what you believe you can achieve", and "Whether you believe you can or believe you can't you are correct" with the latter attributed to Henry Ford. I have a multitude of other things which I say that are congruent with LOA without ever mentioning the phrase LOA to people.

James Allen said in his book As a Man Thinketh "Nothing grows from corn except corn." For me that is a statement about the LOA. I need to meet people where they are at and for some of these people I hope to meet I start out slowly and am still truthful and sincere.

[Ace22]

Originally Posted by TheColonel

Actually, Jesus taught LOA. It's throughout the bible. Here's a concise version:

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

And before Jesus, there were countless others.

You're absolutely correct. When Christ spoke of "having the faith the size of a mustard seed". I believe he was talking about intention manifestation. He said "You could move this mountain into the sea". Now that's an Intention.

[beatnix]

Originally Posted by shasah

So, aside from "The Secret", what are the best LoA books to read to get a better grasp of the concepts?

Apart from the Abraham-Hicks books I can recommend Frederick Dodson's "Parallel Universes of Self".

[SmartAlx]

Originally Posted by Ace22

You're absolutely correct. When Christ spoke of "having the faith the size of a mustard seed". I believe he was talking about intention manifestation. He said "You could move this mountain into the sea". Now that's an Intention.

Why am I not surprised that someone on this forum would take scripture out of context.

Let me quote the entire section so you can understand that it's not the Law of Attraction that Jesus is teaching, but connection with God the Father.

Matthew 17:14-21 (ISV)
Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon
(Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:37-42)
14As they approached the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, knelt down in front of him, 15and said, “Sir, have mercy on my son, because he is an epileptic and suffers terribly. Often he falls into fire and often into water. 16I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn't heal him.” 17Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and perverted generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me!” 18Then Jesus rebuked the demon and it came out of him, and the boy was healed that very hour.
19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why couldn't we drive it out?”
20He told them, “Because of your lack of faith. I tell you with certainty, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you. 21But this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.”

Prayer and fasting, which is humbling, asking God to move the mountain, not you.

Jesus says the same thing in Mark 9:29

He told them, “This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting.”

And here is the (REAL) verse when Jesus talks about moving the mountain into the sea.

Mark 11:20 (ISV)
The Lesson from the Dried Up Fig Tree
(Matthew 21:20-22)
20While they were walking along early the next morning, they saw the fig tree dried up to its roots. 21Remembering what Jesus had said, Peter pointed out to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has dried up!”
22Jesus said to his disciples, “Have faith in God! 23I tell you with certainty, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ if he doesn't doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24That is why I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.

Again. What's the lesson? Faith. But faith that YOU can make anything happen? NO! Faith that GOD can make anything happen. The lesson is faith IN GOD.

Jesus most definitely did NOT teach anything related to the Law of Attraction.

[Acting Like Godot]

Sometimes it really surprises me ..... that I actually know the Bible better than many Christians who consider themselves staunch.

What happened here was that the disciples were asking Jesus why they could not drive out this particular demon. Jesus then proceeded to make some general comments about the importance of faith (how it moves mountains etc).

Then Jesus went on to address directly the question of why the disciples could not drive the demon out of that man. Here's his specific tip on how to drive out this kind of demon:

"But this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting."

That comment, you see, was not related to moving mountains.

[SmartAlx]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

That comment, you see, was not related to moving mountains.

Oh sorry. I thought that when Jesus said "nothing will be impossible for you" that would include, well, everything, including moving mountains and casting out demons.

[Ace22]

But isn't God, or (excuse me) Source Energy or the Universe or what ever secular term you want to use for political correctness, responsible for making the universe respond to your vibrational signals? That was Wallace Wattles belief. Of course it's not ME doing it. It's the greater power making it happen. As for fasting, perhaps that increases your vibrational frequency.
And what's the differense between prayer and meditation used for manifestation?

I could probably misquote Jesus again, but didn't He also say "Pray with the faith that it has already happened"? Or was that Bob Proctor? It wouldn't surprise me. I think Bob was a young squirt 2009 years ago.

[SmartAlx]

But you are the key to making it happen. And the key to something is most usually the most important part. How many storylines are there about getting "the key?" In Christian theology, you aren't the key. The Holy Spirit is.

And meditation is not the same thing as prayer. Prayer is personal (between you and God) and humble. Meditation is meant to change you so you are more likely to get what you ask for, reinforcing the idea that you are a very important part of the manifestation.

Prayer's purpose isn't to get us something. Its purpose is to maintain our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

And no, God doesn't make anything respond to your vibrational signals. He doesn't believe in that vibration new age hokey pokey. You'll never find the term 'vibration' in the Bible, not unless it's been mistranslated to INCLUDE new age ideas.

[Parthon]

Originally Posted by SmartAlx

I tell you with certainty, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.

Just curiously, where's the asking God part. Even if your faith in God, you are still directly asking the mountain to move. Jesus didn't say "Pray to God and ask him to move the mountain.", he said "If you have faith you can make things happen."

Having faith that God will cause whatever you wish is the grain of belief, but the actual intention is firmly between you and the intended. God may be in the faith, but the intention is direct.

Lastly: If you believe God is the universe, and contains in itself all of us and everything around us, then you have faith in the universe to cause things to happen. He's not some daddy figure up in the clouds that must be worshipped/feared, but the driving and animating force that binds and runs the universe.

So SmartAlx, have you moved any mountains recently?

[Ace22]

Oh this is getting good. You see I've always felt that the Bible was written on a "need to know" basis. And much of the "HOW" miracles are done, or for that matter, HOW the Universe was made, falls into that, Don't need to know category. It doesn't mean it doesn't exist, in fact I think we are touching on it when we look at LoA principles such as belief, focus, etc.

The teachings of Christ when speaking of being able to do miracles or cast out demons is very very indicative of the teachings of LoA. And yes I agree that Christ was empowering the 12 to do miracles in His absence. The Holy Spirit gave special gifts, but Christ was getting deep when he spoke of having the faith the size of a mustard seed.

What about the verse in Matthew where Jesus says "you are the branch and I am the vine. Without me you can do nothing"? It's a symbiotic relationship. The vibrational match is the How of the physiology of attraction. (on a quantum level)

I'm glad to see some people can notice an "Intersect" (if I may) between the teachings of Jesus and what some call "new thought" teachings. Notice I said "intersect" not a complete match.

Personally, I feel there's nothing new about it. It's always been here. Wallace Wattles and Napoleon Hill were just the first to write about it in the 20th century.

[SmartAlx]

Originally Posted by Parthon

Just curiously, where's the asking God part. Even if your faith in God, you are still directly asking the mountain to move. Jesus didn't say "Pray to God and ask him to move the mountain.", he said "If you have faith you can make things happen."

It's not written in Luke 9:37-42 either, in the incident about the demon possessed child, but Matthew and Mark wrote of the same exact incident, about the demon, and they included it. Maybe Jesus didn't say it here. Or maybe He did and Mark neglected to include it.

Having faith that God will cause whatever you wish is the grain of belief, but the actual intention is firmly between you and the intended. God may be in the faith, but the intention is direct.

Precisely my point. The belief is that you have more power and God is less important. The whole notion is blasphemous. This is why I can not understand any Christian who uses the LoA (on purpose.)

Lastly: If you believe God is the universe,

I don't. Is this a view that you think Christians have?

and contains in itself all of us and everything around us, then you have faith in the universe to cause things to happen. He's not some daddy figure up in the clouds that must be worshipped/feared, but the driving and animating force that binds and runs the universe.

Christians don't believe this. We think that God created the universe. If there are other universes then God created those too.

So SmartAlx, have you moved any mountains recently?

Of course not. Neither did Jesus and he could have.

[Ace22]

Somebody moved Krakatau in 1913

[SmartAlx]

LOL. And God said, "Now where did I put that Volcano? Hey Karen have you seen the Krakatau Volcano?"

"You left it on the stove too long and it blew up! Remember? The noise was so loud it woke up Jesus."

[joelr]

Originally Posted by SmartAlx

Jesus most definitely did NOT teach anything related to the Law of Attraction.

He did in the Thomas gospel. Which scientifically speaking
(non-bias historians is as close as we can come to scientific) is what much of Christianity was like before Constantine and his Bishops put together the modern version and had all contradictory text outlawed and burned.

I'm surprised that you came here insisting over and over that a metaphysical principle people believed be proven and justified by science but now use ancient stories to back up your own metaphysics?