The Universe? Not really....

[jerome]

First off, I would like to make clear that I'm a firm believer in the LOA. I have used it many times, and it has helped me to reach a lot of my goals way more easily than if I hadn't used it. No one has to convince me that it works, I have seen it myself.

What kind of puts me off is the way the "teachers" from the Secret describe the way it works. They tell you that your thoughts emanate into the universe and shape reality to your desires. Your thoughts become things. To back this idea up they talk about some mysterious quantum physics plap-doodle and how reality is shaped by our consciousnesses. Sorry, I don't buy it.

The way the LOA works, is it reprograms your subconscious mind to help you achieve your goals. What you're doing is turning your worst enemy into your best friend!

The subconscious mind constitutes almost 80% of our mind and it controls us in an immense way. It contains all of our memories from the day we were born (even before) and it is much smarter than the part we refer to as conscious. All our fears, addictions, and limitations reside in this part of the brain. To reprogram it to our advantage means that we now have a "guardian angel" that is always there to help us and make sure we reach what we truly desire.

Let's look at a few of these statements (substitute Universe with Subconscious mind!):

1. Ask the Universe and it will deliver what you want.
-By believing that what you want will manifest, your subconscious mind snaps to attention and convinces itself that this wish is something concrete that can be achieved. From now on, it starts to work towards your goal.

2. Visualize what it feels to already have it.
- When you visualize, your subconscious mind gets a detailed picture of what you want to achieve. The subconscious mind is very literal in its thinking, if you don't give it enough info, it'll make wrong assumptions on what you want and ultimately bring you something that isn't exactly what you asked for.
That's why they tell you to visualize with as much detail as possible, so your subconscious won't make any strange assumptions and it'll know what you really want.

3. Trust that the universe will bring it to you, don't ask how.
- Your subconscious mind works in ways that you cannot even imagine. You have no idea how it'll decide to steer you towards your goal. It is the greater intelligence and it knows best. Just trust it, and it'll guide you there.

4. Some action is required, but it'll feel good and natural.
- Of course it is silly! How do you expect to reach your goals without work?
But, since you are doing something that your subconscious mind knows is right for you, it'll feel very good and almost automatic. The little "nudges" is actually the subconscious mind guiding you through intuition.

5. Make sure you feel good.
- Well, if you keep injecting positive thoughts and feelings into your subconscious mind it'll "reconfigure" itself to make sure you get more of those positive emotions. You will feel naturally drawn towards positive people and positive situations. It's like it gets a craving for happiness!

6. Your thoughts can determine your health.
- That's no surprise. The subconscious mind controls all of your body functions. If it is fed painful and negative thoughts this will reflect on your hormone production and your body's ability to heal itself.

I truly don't understand why the "experts" have to make it so much more complicated than it is. All this talk of people creating their own reality simply discredits and ridicules a wonderful law that could help a lot of people live happier lives. Why do they do it?

If you want to know more about these concepts, check out these free chapters from a book called "The genie within".
Here's the link: THE GENIE WITHIN: Your Subconscious Mind - How It Works and How To Use It
Especially take a look at lesson #3.

[Max Power]

Originally Posted by jerome

I truly don't understand why the "experts" have to make it so much more complicated than it is. All this talk of people creating their own reality simply discredits and ridicules a wonderful law that could help a lot of people live happier lives. Why do they do it?

The answer is really simple, it's called money.

Who's going to pay $29.95 for a three words to describe how reality works. People want it complex, it makes failure more acceptable and 'the more I pay, the more value I get' another misconception.

I have to disagree with you about how a wonderful law makes stuff happen and people don't create their own reality.

The LoA is an overly complex label and system to describe how consciousness works, which is simplicity itself. Therein lies the problem, surely something so powerful must be enormously complex, but it's incredibly simple, but yet again the human mind wants it hard and challenging.

Choose it, know it, get out of the way, manifestation

Who's going to pay for that? No one, it's simple and true, but people can't accept how simple creative power is and then they're amazed they don't get what they want.

Max

[Shamou]

hello and welcome aboard jerome...

Great post...

Very glad that you decided to join... and hope that you like it here...

Would you mind giving us a little background on how you got your expertise on LoA... what seminars you took or what book influenced you...??? just being curious...

I'll be looking forward to reading your posts and hopefully share, learn and grow with you...

My very best regards...

.

[Lychee]

Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz

[jerome]

Originally Posted by Shamou

hello and welcome aboard jerome...

Great post...

Very glad that you decided to join... and hope that you like it here...

Would you mind giving us a little background on how you got your expertise on LoA... what seminars you took or what book influenced you...??? just being curious...

I'll be looking forward to reading your posts and hopefully share, learn and grow with you...

My very best regards...

.

Thank you for the kind words Shamou

I don't absolutely consider myself as an "expert" on the LOA. I'm just an avid reader of books on personal development and psychology. That's how I have come to notice that a lot of the principles that concern the LOA come from the field of hypnotherapy and psychology.

I hope to contribute meaningfully to this forum.

Best regards to you too....

[MrBig]

Originally Posted by jerome

I truly don't understand why the "experts" have to make it so much more complicated than it is. All this talk of people creating their own reality simply discredits and ridicules a wonderful law that could help a lot of people live happier lives. Why do they do it?

But we do create our own reality, it is just that there are many levels to what can be defined as a reality. If I have a business idea but never follow up on it and end up working for somebody else doing the job that I hate, I created my own reality.

If I follow up on that idea and create a thriving business, I not only created a different reality for myself, but also for other people by creating more jobs and giving people more opportunities.

If I get angry and depressed because of the things other people say or do, I create my own “hell” – my own reality.

If other people start taking 100% responsibility for their own experiences (good, bad, fabulous and or terrible) and stop blaming other people, events or circumstances for their “reality” – they will create a completely new reality, quite literally. Don’t you think?

What kind of puts me off is the way the "teachers" from the Secret describe the way it works. They tell you that your thoughts emanate into the universe and shape reality to your desires. Your thoughts become things.

The “experts” from the secret are trying to make a point that “magic” happens when one starts to think and act in a certain way.

I hear what you are saying, though. It is easy to see why to some “your thoughts emanate into the universe and shape reality to your desires” sounds preposterous.

But the fact is, “Rich gets richer and poor gets poorer.” Why? Because both are locked in a certain way of thinking and acting on their thoughts.

The common complain about The Secret is that it does not emphasize the fact that people need to take action. It is a valid point.

But I see a little differently. People take action all the time, The Secret gives people tools which help turn their actions into powerful ones. It teaches how to shape the reality by knowing what you want and acting on it without fear and with faith that “luck” favors those who act in a certain way.

I was blown away when I saw The Center Court With Coach K on the Discovery channel. He knew the “secret” and has a record to prove it. Most of what he said in that program seemed as if it was “lifted” from The Secret, but I bet he has not even heard about The Secret we are discussing her.

[jerome]

I agree 100% with your view on how we create our reality MrBig.

I believe that if any change must occur in our lives, it has to begin from us.
With the right mindset and with a lot of work I think miracles can happen. Now, while you are working towards your goal, you may get get some "freebies" along the way in the form of new ideas or opportunities, but these little bonuses shouldn't change our battle plan.

It seems that people want to use the LOA in order to have their way to success already paved in front of them. And that's what the "teachers" from the Secret would like you to believe: buy our dvd and everything you want will fall from the sky directly in your lap. Of course, to get some "good manifesting" you have to go to some of their $1000 seminars or buy a dozen of their books, But, you see, they are doing it for our good...

And yes, a lot of people are locked in their own way of thinking, so even if an opportunity arises they don't take it. Their mind is their worst enemy.

I haven't seen The Center Court. Is it a movie that just came out?

[MrBig]

Originally Posted by jerome

I haven't seen The Center Court. Is it a movie that just came out?

It is not a movie; it was like a documentary on the Discovery channel in which Coack K have explained how he has lead Duke’s men’s basketball team to winning an incredible number of times, in situations that seemed impossible.

In that program, they said that many sport “experts” called the coach lucky and explained away his wins as luck. Most of what Coach K said in that program sounded very “The Secret”-like. He is clearly one of those people that was born with knowing “the secret.”

With the right mindset and with a lot of work I think miracles can happen.

What does “lots of hard work” mean? Why does it have to be hard? Are you working hard when you are watching a movie that you like or reading such a great book that you can’t put it down?

When one acts from inspiration, it is not hard work, it is fun! You actually want to do the “work” because you are having fun doing it.

Now, while you are working towards your goal, you may get get some "freebies" along the way in the form of new ideas or opportunities, but these little bonuses shouldn't change our battle plan.

What battle plans are you talking about? Did Bill Gates have battle plans and thought that it would be hard to create one the most successful corporations in the world and become one of the richest people in the world in the process?

No. He had no idea what he was doing. So why and how did he do it? He simply had fun doing it. He was just being himself, acting on his inspiration to do something simply because that is what he wanted to do.

Have you read Accidental Empires or watched Triumph of the Nerds? None of the top companies of Silicon Valley were created with “battle plans” or by people that thought it was hard to do what they did.

They did what they did because they wanted to do it and had fun doing it.

It seems that people want to use the LOA in order to have their way to success already paved in front of them.

What is wrong with that? Don’t we all use tools that make our life easier? What’s wrong with using a remote control to change the channels and adjust the volume?

The faster and the more people become successful, the better for all of us. “Luck” favors those who act in a certain way. Did Bill Gates use the LoA to have success paved in front of him? He sure did. How? He knew what he wanted and he acted on it. That is what The Secret teaches.

Any person who has become successful uses "the secret," there are no exceptions. It just that to some people it comes naturally and others need to learn it.

[unwiser]

I understand what your saying. I to dont buy their explanation. But I dont try to figure out how it works but I know it does.

I think it is more than just reprogramming your mind. Because I have had opportunities or situations come to me that I attracted without making a deliberate effort towards those opportunities or situations. It has happened to often for me to consider it a coinky dink.

Originally Posted by jerome

The way the LOA works, is it reprograms your subconscious mind to help you achieve your goals. What you're doing is turning your worst enemy into your best friend!

[jerome]

Originally Posted by MrBig

What battle plans are you talking about? Did Bill Gates have battle plans and thought that it would be hard to create one the most successful corporations in the world and become one of the richest people in the world in the process?

No. He had no idea what he was doing. So why and how did he do it? He simply had fun doing it. He was just being himself, acting on his inspiration to do something simply because that is what he wanted to do.

Have you read Accidental Empires or watched Triumph of the Nerds? None of the top companies of Silicon Valley were created with “battle plans” or by people that thought it was hard to do what they did.

They did what they did because they wanted to do it and had fun doing it.

Yes, but history only talks about the winners, not the losers.

No mention is given to the thousands of individuals who worked just as much and were just as inspired as Bill gates, but ultimately landed with their face in the dirt.

There are some programmers who started out with Bill and now are applying for welfare. Why did this happen? Because you don't always get back from life what you put in. Sometimes you are a victim of things beyond your control.

Are you so sure that Bill didn't have any idea what he was doing?

It would be nice if all the things in life you have to do were fun and stimulating, but this is not always the case. That is what differentiates a kid from an adult, an adult knows that in life there isn't only fun but there are also duties. If your baby is crying to be changed, you don't go somewhere and meditate until you are "moved by inspiration", you just go and change him! And please don't tell me that's a pleasant thing to do. But in the end everything you do for your children is worth it.

That's one of the dangers from "The Secret". Some people will just "trust the universe" and ultimately stray from their responsibilities. I have heard of some people quitting their job to "pursue their bliss" thinking that the LOA would take care of them, but ultimately filing for bankruptcy and losing their home.

Don't get me wrong, I think that when you follow your intuition great things can happen, but don't forget that it doesn't always work and in that case you have to be able to land on your feet.

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by jerome

That's one of the dangers from "The Secret". Some people will just "trust the universe" and ultimately stray from their responsibilities. I have heard of some people quitting their job to "pursue their bliss" thinking that the LOA would take care of them, but ultimately filing for bankruptcy and losing their home.

Bravo jerome...

That really needed to be said... and you said it beautifully...

Way too many people rely exclusively on LoA and believe that the reason that they did not get what they wanted was because they did not have the technique exactly correct...

LoA does work... but it is not a "end all and do all, sure fire way to get all that you want..." But it can be a good excuse or pretext for anyone who is too lazy or too scared to get off his butt and do something about his life...

.

[Yukio]

Originally Posted by jerome

First off, I would like to make clear that I'm a firm believer in the LOA. I have used it many times, and it has helped me to reach a lot of my goals way more easily than if I hadn't used it. No one has to convince me that it works, I have seen it myself.

...
Your thoughts become things. To back this idea up they talk about some mysterious quantum physics plap-doodle and how reality is shaped by our consciousnesses. Sorry, I don't buy it.


The way the LOA works, is it reprograms your subconscious mind to help you achieve your goals. What you're doing is turning your worst enemy into your best friend!

...
To reprogram it to our advantage means that we now have a "guardian angel" that is always there to help us and make sure we reach what we truly desire.

Let's look at a few of these statements (substitute Universe with Subconscious mind!):

Substitute Universe with Cosmos.
Substitute Subconscious mind with MicroCosmos.
Add Collective Subconscious (mind) ...

Can you see? This does not 'sound like anything new' ...

[MrBig]

Originally Posted by jerome

Yes, but history only talks about the winners, not the losers.

Yes, but the winners focus on winning, not losing, that is why they are winners. Losers on the other hand, always find excuses outside of themselves, which justify or explain away why they failed.

Winners use failure as an opportunity to grow and learn from it, not as an excuse to quit.

If you don’t know how to drive a car, you learn how to do it. You don’t say something like, “Oh, man thousands of people are being killed on the roads every year, so I’m not going to learn how to drive a car.”

There would not be any winners at all if people would focus on losing.

No mention is given to the thousands of individuals who worked just as much and were just as inspired as Bill gates, but ultimately landed with their face in the dirt.

Who cares? When you drive your car, do you focus on the fact that other drivers are being killed all over the world as you drive your car?

There were people who failed before Bill Gates. He could have said, “Oh, man I’m not going to do what I want to do, because millions of people failed pursuing what they wanted to do.”

Are you so sure that Bill didn't have any idea what he was doing?

I’m pretty sure Bill Gates does not claim to be Silvia Browne. He did what he wanted to do in spite of the fact that many around him thought he was crazy.

There are some programmers who started out with Bill and now are applying for welfare.

There will be always people who fail. So what?

Larry Ellison could have said, “I’m not going to do what I want to do, because other database companies failed. Oh, and there is this guy, Bill Gates, he will bankrupt me with his database product. After all, his company, Microsoft, has more cash than god, how can I possibly succeed with my silly Oracle idea?

So, I’ll just go and work as a QA engineer at some startup. Wait, what if I fail at that? I have heard some people could not pass the interview. Wow, so maybe I should settle for even less. How about a support engineer? But wait, those guys are getting fired as well and all jobs are being outsourced to India.

That's one of the dangers from "The Secret". Some people will just "trust the universe" and ultimately stray from their responsibilities.

People have been straying from their responsibilities long before The Secret came out. The Secret does not teach how to stray from responsibilities, just the opposite, it says that one is 100 % responsible for everything that happens in his or her life.

I have heard of some people quitting their job to "pursue their bliss" thinking that the LOA would take care of them, but ultimately filing for bankruptcy and losing their home.

Not to be redundant, but again, who cares? It does not matter what other people are doing. What do you want to do?

There are people who take second mortgage on a house to day-trade on the stock market. Many lose everything and file for bankruptcy. There are people who drink 5 bottles of wine every day and die from alcoholism. There are people who drive drunk and kill other people. There are people who abuse food and die from obesity.

Whose fault is that? Should we close stock market, stop selling wine, ban cars, and close McDonalds? Anything can be abused, twisted and interpreted from the negative.

It does not matter what other people do with The Secret, what can you do with it? Losers lose because they come from the mindset of failure, finger pointing, and excuses, winners win because the failure is not an option. It is as simple as that.

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by MrBig

Winners use failure as an opportunity to grow and learn from it, not as an excuse to quit.

Granted... but what you have not addressed (nor has Infinitethoutghts or Max Power) is this part of jerome's opening post in this thread...

"What kind of puts me off is the way the "teachers" from the Secret describe the way it works. They tell you that your thoughts emanate into the universe and shape reality to your desires. Your thoughts become things. To back this idea up they talk about some mysterious quantum physics plap-doodle and how reality is shaped by our consciousnesses. Sorry, I don't buy it."

I don't buy it either... even if I am a strong believer and benefactor of LoA...

LoA without MASSIVE ACTION is dead...

.

[MrBig]

Originally Posted by Shamou

Granted... but what you have not addressed (nor has Infinitethoutghts or Max Power) is this part of jerome's opening post in this thread...

I don't buy it either... even if I am a strong believer and benefactor of LoA...

I’m agnostic about quantum/string theory, etc claims of how the LoA works. Rupert Sheldrake’s and other research seem to suggest that The Secret’s presenters may be on to something, but I don’t attach myself to a particular theory.

LoA without MASSIVE ACTION is dead...

I don’t think anyone actually believes that no action is required. If some people do believe in that, they misunderstand the LoA. However, statements like “LoA without MASSIVE ACTION is dead” are ambiguous.

Friend of mine was working on his online business for two years. He was spending in excess of 10 hours a day doing everything a webmaster should do to increase the number of visitors to his website. Sometimes, he would not even take one day off to go for a walk or spend more time with his family.

I can definitely say that he was putting massive amount of action into his business. Guess what? He was making little money from his website and told me he was thinking about quitting. I offered help and told him that I would look into the coding he did for the site.

Guess what? It took me 10 minutes to find a number of mistakes that he has made. It took me another 15 minutes to fix them. Guess what happened next? The number of visitors to his website has skyrocketed to thousands of visitors a day and it is still growing. Now he earns enough money to support his family and he is expanding his business.

I have seen many people who took massive action, but they did not get what they wanted; they burned out.

I know for a fact that I have taken far less action than my online competitors and I have gotten much better results. Do you know why? Am I smarter than they are? Do I know some “secrets” that they do not know? No, they know just as much as I do if not more, and some of them are more educated than I’m.

At the conventions and other gatherings, I consistently hear something like, “Man, I don’t know how you are doing it, but this sh*t is so freaking hard.” Hard? I never actually thought it was hard and I never thought about competing with them. I just do my thing and I love what I do.

They often complain that other people in the industry get away with things that got them in trouble, etc. In essence, they always have an excuse, which in their minds explains why they failed to get what they wanted. They think it is hard, they think they need tricks to get what they want, and they think they need to take massive action.

I don’t think about any of that stuff, I don’t even understand half of the things they are talking about. I just do my thing.

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by MrBig

However, statements like “LoA without MASSIVE ACTION is dead” are ambiguous.

I agree with you that “massive action” is not the only requirement for success…

Your must also believe that you are worthy of success and that it is possible for you… without that you will simply sabotage yourself…

I have found that one of the worst time, emotionally, for most people who have “made it” is when they started to have “real” money… contrary to popular beliefs… it can be disquieting… you are entering the land of responsibility and power… an unfamiliar land that some people find uneasy to be in or find to be too much to bear…

And as you undertake those “massive actions” you must also evaluate what’s working and what’s not… and adjust you strategy accordingly…

And, above all, you must become the kind of person who can do the things that have to be done in order to have the things that is your definition of success…

.

[MrBig]

Originally Posted by Shamou

Your must also believe that you are worthy of success and that it is possible for you… without that you will simply sabotage yourself…

If people can only get one thing from The Secret or from other LoA related materials, this is what they should get into their heads. The above words are pure gold.

Many people don’t take action because they don’t believe they can do what they want to do. In reality, most can do anything they want and a lot more.

[Yukio]

Does anyone know if there is someone good with Inner Focus !?
If someone is good enough with Chi/Ki , it would be easy to verify this affirmation ...

What's about the seventh layer of the "Aura"?

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by jerome

I truly don't understand why the "experts" have to make it so much more complicated than it is. All this talk of people creating their own reality simply discredits and ridicules a wonderful law that could help a lot of people live happier lives. Why do they do it?

You see, Jerome, it's because the Law of Attraction can be understood at different levels. None of the levels is wrong, you see? It's just whatever level you're at. At different levels, different answers make sense to different people.

You don't have to believe anything that doesn't make sense to you. I would suggest that you just keep an open mind. Tell yourself, "_____ doesn't make sense to me; I don't believe in it now; I won't accept it now, but who knows, maybe in the future, my mind may change."

The blank "__________" is different for everyone. Do recognise that your six responses to the six Secret statements are already not acceptable and not not believable for some people. For example, you believe in, and say:

"By believing that what you want will manifest, your subconscious mind snaps to attention and convinces itself that this wish is something concrete that can be achieved. From now on, it starts to work towards your goal."

Someone else might respond: "This is all garbage? What is the subconscious mind? Prove that it exists. Show it to me in a laboratory. You say that it snaps to attention? Why? How? Where can I see it snapping to attention? You say that it convinces itself? What else can it do to itself? Entertain itself, feed itself, commit suicide, take a holiday to France? Prove it. Show me. Where is my subconscious mind? Tell me what it is convinced about right now, and while you're at it, tell me its opinions about the Wimbledon finals."

And so on. That person has his blank "___________" too. His blanks are just different from yours.

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

You see, Jerome, it's because the Law of Attraction can be understood at different levels.

What you seem to be saying here is that you understand LoA at a higher level then jerome does...

So, would that mean that you could manifest more and get better results then he could...???

.

[MrBig]

Maybe he was just trying to say, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.”

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by MrBig

Maybe he was just trying to say, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.”

That's a fine maxim... however... that is not what my question is all about...

.

[Uplift]

Originally Posted by Shamou

Bravo jerome...

That really needed to be said... and you said it beautifully...

Way too many people rely exclusively on LoA and believe that the reason that they did not get what they wanted was because they did not have the technique exactly correct...

LoA does work... but it is not a "end all and do all, sure fire way to get all that you want..." But it can be a good excuse or pretext for anyone who is too lazy or too scared to get off his butt and do something about his life...

.

I agree Shamou, but effort is much more than just physical action. And some people do make critical, basic mistakes in the details necessary for success in the creating field.

I have sat in farmers houses, some of the most honest, trustworthy, hardest working, wise, toughest people I have ever seen. People (husbands and wives) that fought in two wars. People that work like dogs from well before sun up, to well after it. And I have seen their anguish and tears, as I have cared for sufferers of dementia and aizheimers and seen their partners and families gutted, full of anger and devastation, when they are broke, and the realisation hits that despite a lifetime of slogging their guts out, they are being hammered by cost cutting government policies and societal values that view them as obsolete and a burden. I've looked into their eyes and seen their struggle and desperation as they die, and I wish with all my being that I could turn back the clock and show them things like 'The Secret' and the mountain of information available on LoA, manifesting, creating, and 'personal development'.

[jerome]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

The blank "__________" is different for everyone. Do recognise that your six responses to the six Secret statements are already not acceptable and not not believable for some people. For example, you believe in, and say:

"By believing that what you want will manifest, your subconscious mind snaps to attention and convinces itself that this wish is something concrete that can be achieved. From now on, it starts to work towards your goal."

Someone else might respond: "This is all garbage? What is the subconscious mind? Prove that it exists. Show it to me in a laboratory. You say that it snaps to attention? Why? How? Where can I see it snapping to attention? You say that it convinces itself? What else can it do to itself? Entertain itself, feed itself, commit suicide, take a holiday to France? Prove it. Show me. Where is my subconscious mind? Tell me what it is convinced about right now, and while you're at it, tell me its opinions about the Wimbledon finals."

And so on. That person has his blank "___________" too. His blanks are just different from yours.

You are absolutely right Acting Like Godot, I don't have any way to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that my view of how the mind works is correct. I will never claim to be the sole keeper of the truth, to do so would be arrogant and stupid.

But let me ask you a question...

Suppose that your best friend is diagnosed with a form of cancer. Would you:

a) Tell him to go to the best medical clinic he can afford to go to. Get visited by the most qualified and experienced onchologist he can find. If needed follow a cycle of chemotherapy and take the required prescription drugs. After the cancer is defeated, return for routine exams to see that the tumor isn't reforming.

or

b) Tell him to go to a psychic healer that will teach him to align his chakra. Then teach him to focus his inner energy with the aid of crystals. Then perhaps make him watch a lot of funny movies to make sure that he keeps a positive inner balance of joy so the body will absorb the tumor (where have I seen that before?). And for good measure, channel the healing spirits of his ancestors.

I truly hope for your friend that you answered a.....

I know full well that anything we take for granted could one day be proven wrong. A new theory could come out tomorrow that says that everything we know is wrong.

But a certain point you have to take a stand with your beliefs, which ultimately are just educated guesses based on the evidence at hand.

Psychology is a science thousands of years old based on facts and research.
I didn't make up the existence of the subconscious mind, hundreds of the best minds on the planet are studying it to discover its mysteries. Hypnotherapists help thousands of people by tapping into it in order to help them get rid of fears and compulsive behavior. If needed, people with chronic disorders are given medicines in order to help them live normal lives. Thousands of people are now living happier lives because they sought the help of a psychotherapist in times of desperation.

On the other hand we have the "teachers" from The Secret: a metaphysician(what?), some philosophers, a visionary(?!?), and a chubby Australian guy that gets magical checks in the mail (who is sending them?
Why are they sending them?). The movie seems to have helped mainly the teacher's bank accounts. None of the movie's claims on the way the "universe" works can be proven, the authors "feel" that this is how reality works. A really cheesy premise is built around the idea that the LOA has been kept secret to humanity. Does this seem a little too much to stomach?

You are free to believe anything you wish Acting Like Godot.
Personally I've drawn my own conclusions.

[MrBig]

Originally Posted by jerome

None of the movie's claims on the way the "universe" works can be proven, the authors "feel" that this is how reality works.

When one follows a certain system of thought and behavior and it works, that is all the proof most people need. However, while it is true that some of the claims in The Secret about how the “universe” works may seem a little out there, it does not make them necessarily wrong.

Yes, we don’t understand everything, but research seems to indicate that our thoughts, consciousness, focused attention, however you want to call it – can influence the world around us.

GCP
September 11 2001: Exploratory and Contextual Analyses

Rupert Sheldrake

A really cheesy premise is built around the idea that the LOA has been kept secret to humanity.

That is one way of looking at it. I look at it as brilliant marketing. It is true, however, that the scientists who are currently involved in this type of research want to keep the data under raps. They have stated so publicly. They don’t hide it, but it is not being advertised either.

Why? Because the data seems to show that, our attention to a certain subject has an influence on it. The mechanism of this action is not fully understood at the moment, but it is being studied, so a lot of attention may screw up the results of the ongoing experiments.

[MrBig]

Originally Posted by jerome

I truly hope for your friend that you answered a.....

Me too...but...how would you want your friend to process the information that would come with his or her experiance of the big C?

Would you want your friend to focus on mostly bleak medical prognosis that often come with C? Or would you want your friend to beat the odds and become a winner?

The Secret teaches how to become a winner in any situation. It also teaches how to turn any negative experiance around and use it to your advantage by focusing your attention on the positive (on what you want).

What is wrong with that?

[jerome]

Originally Posted by MrBig

Would you want your friend to focus on mostly bleak medical prognosis that often come with C? Or would you want your friend to beat the odds and become a winner?

The Secret teaches how to become a winner in any situation. It also teaches how to turn any negative experiance around and use it to your advantage by focusing your attention on the positive (on what you want).

What is wrong with that?

I would like my friend to stay alive!

In cases like this the best chance for recovery is offered by conventional medicine.

Yes, it's important to keep your friend on the positive side of things, but first follow your medical treatment. Every year thousands of people defeat cancer thanks to a wonderful science called medicine.

Now, while you are following your treatments there's nothing wrong with trying out some alternative medicine. I have heard of wonderful things being done with acupuncture to relieve the pain and nausea that comes from chemiotherapy. But stay with what has been proven to work, not with some new agey flap-doodle.

The danger in these cases is that the patient may find the treatment so traumatic that they turn to psychic healers for a less painful solution. The healer, bent on taking your money, will tell you to quit traditional treatment and follow his "procedures", since all ailments come from an imbalance in your flow of energy....or crap like that.

I don't want to say that all of these psychics are crooks, some are probably well meaning individuals, but on the other hand some of these individuals pray on the weakness and desperation of sick people.

I know, since this is exactly what happened to one of my relatives. This is nothing short of attempted murder.

I truly hope that none of the medical claims contained in the Secret push anyone to quit their treatments, or the "teachers" will have to respond to more than bad movie making.

[MrBig]

Originally Posted by jerome

The healer, bent on taking your money, will tell you to quit traditional treatment and follow his "procedures", since all ailments come from an imbalance in your flow of energy....or crap like that.

I don't want to say that all of these psychics are crooks, some are probably well meaning individuals, but on the other hand some of these individuals pray on the weakness and desperation of sick people.

Right – but it has nothing to do with The Secret. There’s nothing in The Secret that says you should go to some healer. The Secret does not say or even suggests going to psychics or alternative healers.

I truly hope that none of the medical claims contained in the Secret push anyone to quit their treatments, or the "teachers" will have to respond to more than bad movie making.

There are no medical claims in The Secret that suggest one should quit a medical treatment. Just the oposite, the "teachers" say that you should use the visualization and intention techniques to enhance your current medical treatment.

[Max Power]

Originally Posted by jerome

Suppose that your best friend is diagnosed with a form of cancer.

If that happened, I'd have to ask myself why it was happening. There is a lesson and reason in everything and then I would choose what I was going to do to save my friend.

Human bodies are everywhere, consciousness is one thing.

Max