The Secret ridiculed on Real Time with Bill Maher

[Rocket Surgery]

Anybody see last Friday's show?

Bill Maher, host of Real Time on HBO, and former host of Politically Incorrect on ABC, panned The Secret as a "load of crap" that tries to convince people that they can get rich simply by "visualizing it."

Deepak Chopra was a guest on the panel, and he even referred to the notion as "ridiculous," which surprised me since he is a respected spokesperson for metaphysical theory.

I think that the negative feedback that is on the rise about LoA and The Secret is a direct result of how the so-called "teachers" of The Secret have been packaging the concept.

Many of these "teachers" are of the Tony Robbins mold of self-help gurus, who, IMHO, place way too much emphasis on acquisition of wealth, career success, and "finding true love." While I find nothing particularly wrong with these pursuits, certainly they have little to do with SPIRITUAL GROWTH, IMPROVED RELATIONSHIPS, and overcoming ILLUSIONS OF SEPARATION, which, to me, should be the primary focus and course of study of each and every human life.

I understand that, as a marketing tool, appealing to an individual's material desires will probably be much more successful in selling a product than pitching to the masses how "buying this DVD will save you hundreds of lifetimes stuck in karmic purgatory..." but at the same time, this emphasis opens the concept of LoA up to more skeptical criticism than it deserves from all the Amazing Randi's of the world.

How do you see The Secret? As another scam akin to the "Lazy Man's Way to Riches," or as a clever packaging to attract the masses into a first exposure to metaphysical theory?

~ RS

[Adam]

I try not to judge products themselves... Rather, I look at the people who apply them, and see what changes it has made.

In the vast majority of cases, I see people who pre-judge, rather than looking at the actual content. This goes for both sides of the spectrum, from those who are entirely against The Secret to those who swear by its every word.

It's a product, which means that it is meant to be sold. I can't fault it there, because it is serving its purpose. It is an introduction to the creativity of consciousness, and in that respect, as long as it is getting publicity, either good or bad, it can not fail. It isn't perfect, but since it is serving its purposes, it isn't a bad thing either.

About the content of The Secret, I remain skeptical... It could work, but it may not... there are simply too many variables in life to tell. I think the idea of polarizing your decisions does the exact same thing with results that are far easier to measure... but I can't tell if conscious creationism causes polarization, or if polarization causes conscious creationism.

I'm going to take the scientific approach and say that it may, or it may not... I don't have enough data yet.

[Mr. Punch]

Yes, easy now. I gave it some thought earlier today. There is going to be - there already is - a huge reaction to the flimsiness of the concept as presented in the movie and the hype and the millions of people flooding the bookstores right now. And so what? Everyone in here knows that PD is HARD WORK! One of Pavlinas major achievement and what gives him the integrity in the rather shallow PD field is to constantly remind of us just that! And so all the people on "The Secret" bandwagon will have disappeared in a few months because so few are willing to devote themselves to the massive discipline applying the LoA entails.

[Dani]

Originally Posted by Mr. Punch

Yes, easy now. I gave it some thought earlier today. There is going to be - there already is - a huge reaction to the flimsiness of the concept as presented in the movie and the hype and the millions of people flooding the bookstores right now. And so what? Everyone in here knows that PD is HARD WORK! One of Pavlinas major achievement and what gives him the integrity in the rather shallow PD field is to constantly remind of us just that! And so all the people on "The Secret" bandwagon will have disappeared in a few months because so few are willing to devote themselves to the massive discipline applying the LoA entails.

I highly doubt 'all' of the people on the bandwagon will fall off. I know of quite a few, myself included, who went the next step after seeing the secret.

The secret didn't introduce me to LoA, but it did remind me of how important it is. For that I am grateful. I know others too who have recieved such good benefits that they will continue with it.

It is a bit of a shame however that there are so many PD elitists who seem to think that anyone who likes The Secret is just a fad PD er and isn't worth letting into the club.

I have been into PD for 15 years and I still got something small out of the movie. (though I hated the cheesy intro and always skip it )

[yeslist]

Hi All
I was one of (I believe) the more fortunate ones who got to see the earlier Abraham influenced version of "The secret" I too had heard of and used the LoA to some degree in my past experience but was not fully aware of the concept.
I would like to thank the makers and contributors of that movie for their collective enlightening contribution to my experience. I have discovered, there is always contrast when we start to reason and the irony of reason is that reason is only our personal perspective. That is why there is so much confusion and conjecture around this topic.
Thanks for the opportunity to contribute.
Simon

[Margaret]

I purchased the CD although I had been exposed to this way of thinking many times in the past. The suggestion that so many people have known "the secret" and have strived to keep it from the masses was very misleading. So many have tried to bring this knowledge to ordinary people, if not as a way of making money but as a road to happiness or contentment. I have a problem with the money aspect, however I applaud anything that will cause people to think more positively and view life as something to look forward to. The "play it forward" theory. There are many books that one can read, if one is not a reader the CD "The Secret" may just be one way to get the message to them, that what one thinks and how one acts can have a direct impact on the way life treats them.

[Elenny]

The Secret has been criticized a million times on this forum for focusing on materialistic wealth, but the reality is, if they had taken another focus, it probably would not have even made it to DVD status.


The Secret simply opened the door for many people. If they actually go inside and start researching everything behind the LoA, they will come out better human beings in all aspects of life, not just financially.

However, the ones that only focus on easy and quick money are the ones that end up being disappointed.

[Dietrie]

For me the Secret really opened up the door to true personal development. In the past I struggled with a lot of things and wanted to make a better life for myself, but didn't know how and I always thought that I'd have to get the answers from someone else.
I already had some really great and inspired ideas about life and making the most of it, but I just couldn't seem to apply that to myself and my own life.

The Secret for me, came at a time when many things in my family's life were up in the air. It's true that when my partner and I sat down to watch the movie, it changed us. It changed our lives.

The reaction for me, was like a new-found love; it was exciting, fresh, overwhelming, said all the right words ( ) it was emotional, it was full of awesome 'ups', and some downs. Things began to change with us immediately. Although there has been struggles, doubts, and tough days... for the most part we've taken a step towards the better that we were never able to before.

Now... I feel like it showed me the way to make the most of my life if I so choose it. I feel like the whole experience has grown into a deeper kind of love; one of deeper understanding, growth, spirituality, patience, self-wealth and love, and faith in life and in self. It was truly the stepping stone for me that really aligned all those good things in my life and made it become clear to me finally. I feel like I was asking for the way and the Secret came and showed it to me. Hype or not, I am truly greatful for everything it has done for me. Because I am so, deeply and truly happy now. And it took watching the Secret to know, to really believe, that I really did have it in me.

[Vicariously Yours]

Thanks, Dietrie...well said. I first heard about The Secret on a completely unrelated forum, and tried unsuccessfully to download it or to locate the DVD. Then I discovered this forum which went into considerable detail about LoA and IM. So by the time I finally saw The Secret, I knew quite a lot about the various philosophies on which it is based. I, too, was put off by the cheesy intro (and have concluded that the majority of nay-sayers seem to base their opinions on the intro, rather than the meat of the subject that follows). But I also noticed that there was considerable meat for those who had the ears to hear it. Strip away the cheesy packaging, and the message is the same quality inspirational instruction it has been for (I guess) centuries. And I am grateful for that instruction. It has changed my life.

I like Bill Maher. Too bad he seems to have missed the real message in The Secret. Too bad he has to trash it in public.

But then, the folks who believe the trash probably aren't the ones who would have succeeded with LoA anyway, given that it truly does require diligent work.

[Dharma]

I said this in another thread -- The Secret is just to get the idea of creating your own reality into the mass consciousness.

Another point, not everyone on Earth is here to ACTIVELY evolve their consciousness. A very small, small population will be doing that, consciously, and everyone else is here for the ride. So if people say it's crap, don't worry. Not everyone is supposed to accept it. Its purpose is to bring the idea of creatorship to the mass consciousness. That's enough right now.

Originally Posted by Rocket Surgery

Deepak Chopra was a guest on the panel, and he even referred to the notion as "ridiculous," which surprised me since he is a respected spokesperson for metaphysical theory.

Chopra is probably respected more than any of those in the Secret movie. Why would he say such a thing? Think he might know something they don't?

[dorothy hanna]

I didn't think the intro was cheeesy at all. It was very profound, and the movie was profound all the way through. I know it spoke of material things, but I thought it well balanced also speaking of The Secret to you, The secret to the world etc...Very inspiring.

Guess I am one of the very few with the eyes to see, and ears to hear.
I've been conciously working within the Law, for about 3 months, and my life is getting better every day, in everyway.

THANK YOU UNIVERSE!!!