Law of Attraction Article doesn't make sense

[Excellent Lodestar]

Originally Posted by bluedragon

Circumstances that are considered negative, such as loosing objects, loosing friends or being humiliated or insulted are totally different from suffering.
If something horrible would happen to someone, but that person would chose to live only in the present, and think only about what is happening in the present, he would not suffer anymore. If he accepted what happened, how on earth could he be suffering? It is not a delusion to accept that what happened, happened. It is delusional to constantly be in denial about what happened, which is the source of suffering about past events. While thinking about future pain is yet another source of suffering. It is not being delusional to believe that "it is not certain that you will suffer in the future".
And if you believe that it is not certain that you will suffer, then how can you suffer from fear or worrying or insecurity, when right now, in this second, you are there in front of your computer reading this? Do you call reading this sentence suffering? (I hope not ) Well, this is all that exists right now.

best post in this thread.
Beautiful, man.
When we attach to concepts and hold on..."good" or "bad",welcome to hell LOL
The fear AND hope that the "future" holds are obliterated in the now.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by James81

But even within my own reality, I realize that pain exists, even if someone else wouldn't define pain in the same way that I do. And that's the point I'm trying to make.

But there's a key point that you're missing. This is it - your definitions are not fixed. They never were.

For example, today you may look at a situation in your life and feel angry about it. Tomorrow you might well think, "Gee, I was really silly to be angry about such a little thing."

Or today you may feel very worried about a certain matter. But later in the afternoon, after sitting down to discuss the matter with a friend, you feel that actually you can handle it, it's no big deal.

In both examples above, you don't have to be a "personal development" enthusiast. You may never have heard of the term "reframing". The change in how you thought about the situations simply happened on its own.

The question is whether you want to let those kinds of changes happen arbitrarily (which also means that you might end up thinking in extremely negative ways when there are other plausible, and much more positive ways, to think about the same situation).

If you don't want to let those changes happen arbitrarily, then you watch your own thoughts and choose them. It doesn't mean that you pretend to yourself that something didn't happen. It does mean that you recognise that to the same situation, several different & realistic reactions could be possible; and they are possible for you. So not being a stupid person, you would choose the one that works best for yourself.

[Jon Alan]

I think the reason why it is confusing is because of the way it was portrayed in the movie. The secret has been around for thousands of years and it is not the law of attraction. Even Napoleon hill did not come out and say what it really was. Galileo said one of the truest things about the secret ever spoken. He said that you can't teach someone the secret you can only show them how to find it within themselves. Thoughts are passive and alone can do nothing if not acted upon. It is our actions which attract results into our life. People think about doing things all of the time that they don't do and nothing happens. I can't wait till this whole secret movie thing fizzles out and people start focusing on success principles which give people hope instead of a lot of confusion.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by Jon Alan

Thoughts are passive and alone can do nothing if not acted upon. It is our actions which attract results into our life. People think about doing things all of the time that they don't do and nothing happens.

I disagree, of course.

I do understand your point very well, so there is no need to further explain it to me. In numerical terms, for most of my lifetime I saw my reality the way you currently see yours.

Now, however, I understand that my thoughts create my entire reality. My reality does include the actions that I take - in other words, all my actions do spring from my thoughts - but certainly my thoughts create much, much more than my own physical actions.

In case anyone is wondering whether this post of mine contradicts my earlier post, the answer is ... no, not at all.

There is a clear difference between visualising for something, and deceiving yourself that it's there. So for instance when I visualise for more money, I know very well that it's not here yet. However, I know that simply by visualising it, it will come soon (and not necessarily because I take any physical action to get it). So I visualise. And it comes. Yup, just like that.

Now if you look at my earlier post, you see that what I'm discussing is how to look at different situations. So for instance, a situation may already have "come", (eg something is happening right in front of you, in your home or your office, or it is an ongoing situation eg it started last week, is still here now and is likely to be here for the next 3 months).

In that context, I was discussing how to recognise that there are different ways to look at the situation. There could be, say, three different ways that are equally plausible and realistic to you. In that case, you choose the way which seems to you to lead to the most happiness, or the least suffering. That's the logical thing to do.

And that too is actually a reality-creation process in itself. More on that later, perhaps.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by Jon Alan

Even Napoleon hill did not come out and say what it really was ..... Thoughts are passive and alone can do nothing if not acted upon. It is our actions which attract results into our life.

People who think that Napoleon Hill belonged to the "only action works" school of thought really have not read Napoleon Hill carefully.

Try rereading the chapter in his TAGR book entitled "The Sixth Sense".

[Cantando]

Originally Posted by Dharma

Actually... ACTUALLY... if you take your joy and compress it way way down, it turns into...... pain.

Not kidding.

Hi Dharma and all. I haven't been around for a while so I thought I would dip my little oar in.

That is quite a cryptic statement. My interpretation is that joy, as a feeling/emotion can be taken and compressed down into a lower feeling/emotion.

According to some new agey thinking, all emotions are vibrations and can be identified on an emotional tone scale with the lighter emotions like love and joy near the top, and the more dense ones like grief and pain, near the bottom. This vibrational scale is a major topic in Hicks' book, Ask and it is Given (although it goes back further than that).

Joy and pain are on different vibrational levels, but if someone wishes to be believe they are the same, then I suppose it's their choice.

Failure, also, has it's own vibrational level. Many times during the day, we may experience any number of these emotions, progressing up and down the scale, as our moods change. Through Vipassana meditation, I have learned that when a feeling arises, it is best to just observe it, learn from it, perhaps, then let it go, whether it is positive or negative. After a while, one can remain in calm and equaniminity for longer periods, without any effort.

If we try to hold on to a particular feeling, even if it is a positive one like joy, then ultimately we are going to have problems. If we cannot remain still for a while, but continually 'jump ship' from one perspective to another at the least sign of discomfort, then we will not learn and grow from the experiencing of different emotions. We will be like a spoilt child in Disneyland, who finishes one ride and immediately wants to go on another to experience a greater kick.

The trick is - not to get hung up on, or chase after, one particular feeling. The nice thing is, the more I meditate and live life like one long meditation session, the more joyful I feel, but I don't go into meditation thinking, 'I must have joy'.

Let it come naturally.

[Acting Like Godot]

What you learned from your meditation, as all meditators eventually do, is that when everything falls away ... love and joy are the natural states.

You could also learn that from having an NDE, but that could be risky. :P

[Cantando]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

What you learned from your meditation, as all meditators eventually do, is that when everything falls away ... love and joy are the natural states.

Hi ALG. Love and joy may very well be natural states, on the spiritual level, and may or may not 'bubble up' to the surface of our physical level where we experience them as feelings/emotions.

This explains how a person can simultaneously experience physical pain/suffering and a deep spiritual joy. But, still, the hankering after joy or pleasure on the physical level may well be an impediment to the growth of the deeper spiritual joy.

Many who embark on the road to spirituality, at first may experience a deep dream or vision, which they cannot quite remember, but leaves its 'after effects' on the physical senses as joy, pleasure or even a sexual feeling. They then make the mistake of thinking that this external feeling is the spiritual one, and when it subsides, they feel disappointed and obsessively try to recapture it. This is a common pitfall and quickly takes one from the spiritual path back to the world of lust and desire.

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

You could also learn that from having an NDE, but that could be risky. :P

I had an NDE once during an operation and it was very painful.

[Acting Like Godot]

No, that was just an ADE.

Almost-Died Experience.

[Cantando]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

No, that was just an ADE.

Almost-Died Experience.

Or even an After Death Experience! I was certainly out cold for a while!

[Dharma]

Originally Posted by Cantando

That is quite a cryptic statement. My interpretation is that joy, as a feeling/emotion can be taken and compressed down into a lower feeling/emotion.

Another way to say it is denied joy is experienced as pain.

Viewing it from the emotional body POV is why I said it was compressed. Joy is crazy expansive and the experience of pain is a contraction in the emotional body.

[Jasper]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

Would you really like to know the answer?

The short answer is as follows. The LOA does have limits. The limits are the extent to which you can focus, control and direct your thought.

One element in that process is desire. (Gee, you might have read that somewhere). Why? Because when you desire X, it's easier to keep thinking about it. In contrast, it's relatively more difficult to focus and build your thought around something that does not interest you.

Hope you are still following me so far.

I do maintain a current record of intentions. I've maintained such a list for years. These are my intentions, my goals, my objectives. These are of interest to me. They relate to matters such as my family; my career; my health; my finances; my spiritual life; my hobbies and so on. The list changes over time, of course - because I fulfill old intentions; I have new intentions, and so on.

Let me tell you three things that are not on that list:

(1) proving the LOA to Breakaway
(2) meeting the President of the United States
(3) meeting Michael Johnson.

One of the things you'll quickly learn about the LOA (I mean, if you are seriously practising it) is that our thought is very precious; and most of us waste a lot of it.

For example, we waste our thought, when we think about things that are trivial or unimportant. We waste our thought, when we focus on things that do not contribute to our wellbeing. We waste our thought, every time we allow ourselves to be distracted from what we have decided is valuable or worthwhile to ourselves.

To think about how to prove the LOA to Breakaway by getting the US President to take a photo with me .... is an incredible waste of thought.

The same effort is better spent, say, how to do my work very well ... .... or visualising a successful launch for my book in June .... or thinking about having a successful completion of my recent home purchase ... or visualise myself being a better, more loving father to my children .... or simply using a positive affirmation on myself.

I hope you're still following.

So I will offer you one little bit of advice. Even if you do not believe at all in the "mystical" or "paranormal" aspects of the LOA, try to understand that your thinking is highly inefficient. For your own benefit, do a little experiment and for one day, or one week, or one month, keep monitoring your own thoughts. Whenever you grow conscious of your own thoughts, simply ask yourself:

"Is this a useful thought? Is this a constructive thought? Is this thought beneficial to me?"

And if it is, then continue to play with it, explore it, develop it, let it expand and grow. But if it is not a useful, constructive or beneficial, then stop immediately.

Just by doing that alone, and consistently, you will find a big increase in the quality of your existence.

Looking at point 1 of your list, it strikes me that you do seem to put a lot of effort in 'proving' the LOA.
So you DO put a lot of your precious thought in it, and also a lot of time, reading and replying to all of these posts...

So why not do this all by simple manifestation? Why use a computer for this?

[erswatijbp]

Hi Dear!

I don't completely agree that law of attraction articles do not make any contribution to people but infact it motivate people for many incorporeal things which they never thought of in their life.

One of the articles I came across in Earn Money With Maven Writers was really good. Anyways its totally dependent upon the person whether to get feel the beauty of attraction or not.

Thanks!

[talullah]

As someone else said...you can NOT tell me that a woman who is gang raped in Congo secretly manifested that in her thinking or a child that is abused by her drunken parent...Come on. That's pretty cold.

Now, I will say that as adults we do take part in some of the circumstances of our lives but others are out of our control.

[James81]

Originally Posted by talullah

As someone else said...you can NOT tell me that a woman who is gang raped in Congo secretly manifested that in her thinking or a child that is abused by her drunken parent...Come on. That's pretty cold.

Now, I will say that as adults we do take part in some of the circumstances of our lives but others are out of our control.

That's where the LOA as it now stands comes unhinged IMO.

You are right, rape, abuse, etc. are not manifestations. The idea of "manifesting" something just be thinking it is pure bunk without action.

The "secret" behind the law of attraction is that your thoughts become actions.

Anybody who has been into personal development has likely seen the following quote:

Watch your thoughts they become words. Watch your words they become actions. Watch your actions they become habits. Watch your habits they become character. Watch your character it becomes your destiny.

That quote is the REAL law of attraction. Your beliefs and thoughts are roots of habits, character, and destiny. That's all there is to it.

[cylon]

LOA attraction is about your thoughts attracting things to you.

[James81]

Originally Posted by cylon

LOA attraction is about your thoughts attracting things to you.

Yeah, I know. That's what I am calling "bunk" and redefining it with how LOA works in the real world.

[cylon]

Right. And water is dry like sand.

At least you say you're redefining it for your own needs. A lot of people come here and claim LOA was never about thought and that everyone else is misinterpreting it.

But, no... LOA is about thought. Not action.

Life goes on.

[talullah]

Originally Posted by James81

That quote is the REAL law of attraction. Your beliefs and thoughts are roots of habits, character, and destiny. That's all there is to it.

I can appreciate that way of seeing it very much.

[Piercetheveil]

My current framework is understanding that all truths, reality, are AT LEAST interpreted and processed within my mind/body. I also know that I change often and I have not encountered permanence. So, it makes sense to me to be pretty loose with viewpoints and to evaluate my perceptions and "laws" when things cease to line up as truth in my life.

Angela put it quite simply in her post about reality and not holding on stubbornly to "truth."

Now, as far as manifesting and the like...

The argument as to what actually happens is a waste of energy for me. I try to view all situations and see how my thoughts could play a part in them.

9-11--I can see how my viewing you as seperate from me and my opinion being so righteous could erupt or even play a part in what happened that day. That gives me the ability to have compassion and exercise more compassion.

My former wife who came into massive wealth-I produce an easy flowing and abundance attitude now days. I get to be extremely happy for her (verses jealous and wishing ill) as the more people come into abundance mentallity the more that will.

The three kids that were killed by their mother in my town-I know anger. I know hate. I have acted on such emotions. I can see how I must practice counter emotions or unravel such emotions or I will experience the same.

The stronger I vibrate certain thoughts and emotions the closer the outcome of those emotions and thoughts get to me. The less frequently and lower I vibe those emotions and thoughts the greater distance the outcomes are.

That is my experience thus far.

[metaphysics101]

I haven't had the chance to read many of the replies to this post, but I do know that the law of attraction is valid and it 100% real, as I've been using it myself both intentionally and not intentionally. The problem is, it's still very mis-understood and we just need to face the facts that nobody can say with certainty that they know exactly how it works, and how it relates to horrible things that also happen in the world...I have a theory on that, but it's just a theory and I'll save that for another post....

I can probably fill a book on the number of examples of how it's worked in my life, but many of those examples would bore people, as I'm not much of a materialist....

[metaphysics101]

Originally Posted by talullah

As someone else said...you can NOT tell me that a woman who is gang raped in Congo secretly manifested that in her thinking or a child that is abused by her drunken parent...Come on. That's pretty cold.

Now, I will say that as adults we do take part in some of the circumstances of our lives but others are out of our control.

Well, there are 2 theoretical schools of thought on this.

#1 would be that someone can perhaps attract a horrible event like that into their life without conscious means of doing so. Perhaps on a very deep subconscious level that has nothing to do with the crime itself, but has more to do with the thoughts or FEARS that the particular person has

#2 for those that do believe in reincarnation, it may be that the particular person attracted that type of situation into their life through either karma or fear based thoughts from a previous life. (this might be more likely)...

I do agree with you though that I don't think anyone would consciously desire to be murdered or raped etc, and it would be very cold-hearted and absurd for someone to ever think or tell someone that....

There's still so much that we don't know about the Law of Attraction. While there are parts of it that are known through experience, there are parts of it that are still a mystery.

[Betrade]

Originally Posted by Breakaway

To summarize the article, it started off by talking about criticism of the theory, such as what would happen if 2 people are competing for the same job and they both manefest getting it; or what if a child is molested? Would the child be responsible?

The rest of the article then talks about subjective reality. It essentially says that everything exists as part of your own consciousness. To quote the article: "The only intentions are yours. You’re the only thinker in this universe."

First of all, you are obviously not the only thinker in this world, because even if you were never born, there would still be a universe, jobs, marriages, child molestation in the world. You cannot possibly manifest it if you weren't alive. Things like murder and rape existed for thousands of years before you were ever born.

Here's another quote from the article: "If a child is abused, does that mean the child intended it in some way? No. It means YOU intended it. You intend child abuse to manifest simply by thinking about it. "

No, I'm pretty sure it existed before I was alive. It would exist even if I never thought about it.

Reality is objective. People are getting killed regardless of whether or not you are thinking about it.

I rarely think about starving children in 3rd world countries, yet it probably kills millions every year. Because reality is not subjective at all. What happens happens regardless of how much you think about it.

Here is another quote from the article: "If you stop thinking about something entirely, does that mean it disappears? Yes, technically it does."

No it doesn't. I didn't sit here and invent hundreds of languages and cultures in my head. I didn't manifest chemistry, math, water, the internet, bacteria, laws of gravity that existed before I ever had thoughts about them.

I completely agree.

I posted on another thread about subjective reality and had some of the very same thoughts as you do on the subject.

I also pointed out that basic cause and effect does exist and that most of us realize that when we're very young children.

It's here:

What is the Point of Thinking of Reality as a Dream?

[Betrade]

Originally Posted by drama07

LOA is proven. You attracted everything you perceive this moment.

It's not proven. It SEEMS to happen sometimes but it's certainly not an undeniable "law" and that can be proven.


Similarly charged particles in this universe do NOT attract. In fact, they do the exact opposite and repel one another, so the idea that "like attracts like" is certainly not always the case by any stretch. If you don't believe me, take two magnets and try and make the South poles of them stick together or attract one another. In fact, they push away from one another. It's only when you line up the exact opposites that they'll attract one another.



If like truly attracted like, electricity/electromagnetism wouldn't even work.

I openly confess/admit that at one time I bought into the belief in LOA but I've since wised up, because I can easily see that it's not true. Even though it seems to happen sometimes it doesn't happen each and every time, so it's not an immutable law of any kind.

[Betrade]

If these "laws" are carried out subconsciously, then first off, what's the point?? If this is truly some great law that we can all put to use, then why is it called a "secret" and why does it happen on a level that we're not even aware of?? That would be the absolute worst way for such a law to be implemented. OTOH, if it were able to be done consciously as a true, provable and repeatable law, not only would that make far more sense, life would be a journey where every person got exactly what they truly wanted and there would be no such thing as a disappointment; because who would consciously will themselves disappointing outcomes??


It seems like it's just a big waste if it's done subconsciously. Then again, if it can be done consciously then why doesn't it work each and every time and why do people "intend" for certain outcomes with all of their might yet end up getting the exact opposite or nothing at all in so many cases??

I know that bad LOA results get blamed on "fear", "disbelief", etc., but that just seems like an easy way to explain away the real answers without having to admit that it's just not true. Life is way more complicated than just willing something to be and have it happen. Deep down we all know that, and if we didn't, we would all have exactly the lives we desired simply be believing that we will and attracting all of the right stuff into our lives.

How many people "believe" that they'll win the lottery, meet Mr. or Mrs. 'right", get that promotion, etc., yet get the exact opposite instead?? This happens everyday to people all over the world. If this "law" were true, the world would be a far different place and people in general would have long ago figured it out and mastered the practical application of it. Obviously, this is not the case and just a quick look at the state of the world is evidence of that.

[Betrade]

Originally Posted by James81

That's where the LOA as it now stands comes unhinged IMO.

You are right, rape, abuse, etc. are not manifestations. The idea of "manifesting" something just be thinking it is pure bunk without action.

The "secret" behind the law of attraction is that your thoughts become actions.

Anybody who has been into personal development has likely seen the following quote:



That quote is the REAL law of attraction. Your beliefs and thoughts are roots of habits, character, and destiny. That's all there is to it.

I agree. I think that simple cause and effect has been twisted into some sort of "magical" thing called LOA, when in fact, cause and effect are widely know, constantly observed and easily proven. It's not rocket science nor is it anything magical or mystical.

OTOH, belief does matter and if the belief helps people get what they want, that's well and good, but I can't buy into the idea regarding rape, murder, child abuse and other things that are the result of individuals making free choices and knowingly committing acts that harm others. Again, that's not rocket science either; it's obvious.

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Betrade

It's not proven. It SEEMS to happen sometimes but it's certainly not an undeniable "law" and that can be proven.

you have to look deeper into what's being said. there is a complete field of you that only a very small part of is your thoughts. the rest is conditioned stuff that you left on autopilot. the complete field of you is what is generating your reality. to be intentional requires discipline and the ability to not use the autopilot (conditioned mind), and to allow open ended results.

Similarly charged particles in this universe do NOT attract. In fact, they do the exact opposite and repel one another, so the idea that "like attracts like" is certainly not always the case by any stretch. If you don't believe me, take two magnets and try and make the South poles of them stick together or attract one another. In fact, they push away from one another. It's only when you line up the exact opposites that they'll attract one another.

you must look at this deeper too. when the magnets do attract they are in alignment with their fields. so if you care to make LOA be seen on this physical level, that's it. When their fields are pointing in the same direction, there is attraction. Because if you line 2 magnets like:
->SN-> - ->SN->
you can see the magnetic fields are lining up.

If like truly attracted like, electricity/electromagnetism wouldn't even work.

what attracts is that which aligns their fields.

I openly confess/admit that at one time I bought into the belief in LOA but I've since wised up, because I can easily see that it's not true. Even though it seems to happen sometimes it doesn't happen each and every time, so it's not an immutable law of any kind.

the part that fails is not that you didn't get a result - it's the part that did some wishing in a partial way and you assumed that wish was complete to produce a result. you are always getting exactly what you are about. but intentionally changing what you are about is another thing.

I would say using the LOA is not actually where it's at. That there is a way to tune in to what is already yours and ask for that, and that is what you get. but going into fear and lack and then wishing for something, is not an intention in the field - that is a partial asking subject to the rest of your system (much of which is unconscious). imo.

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Betrade

I agree. I think that simple cause and effect has been twisted into some sort of "magical" thing called LOA, when in fact, cause and effect are widely know, constantly observed and easily proven. It's not rocket science nor is it anything magical or mystical.

OTOH, belief does matter and if the belief helps people get what they want, that's well and good, but I can't buy into the idea regarding rape, murder, child abuse and other things that are the result of individuals making free choices and knowingly committing acts that harm others. Again, that's not rocket science either; it's obvious.

why do bad things happen to good people? that is the question.

often good people are subjected to bad environments, which make their complete system have part of that bad environment in them. they make it unconscious and even though they maybe a do gooder and positive, their field has been infected and they haven't rooted it out. perhaps.

[Betrade]

Originally Posted by wolfgang

you have to look deeper into what's being said. there is a complete field of you that only a very small part of is your thoughts. the rest is conditioned stuff that you left on autopilot. the complete field of you is what is generating your reality. to be intentional requires discipline and the ability to not use the autopilot (conditioned mind), and to allow open ended results.

you must look at this deeper too. when the magnets do attract they are in alignment with their fields. so if you care to make LOA be seen on this physical level, that's it. When their fields are pointing in the same direction, there is attraction. Because if you line 2 magnets like:
->SN-> - ->SN->
you can see the magnetic fields are lining up.


what attracts is that which aligns their fields.

the part that fails is not that you didn't get a result - it's the part that did some wishing in a partial way and you assumed that wish was complete to produce a result. you are always getting exactly what you are about. but intentionally changing what you are about is another thing.

I would say using the LOA is not actually where it's at. That there is a way to tune in to what is already yours and ask for that, and that is what you get. but going into fear and lack and then wishing for something, is not an intention in the field - that is a partial asking subject to the rest of your system (much of which is unconscious). imo.

I didn't say that it never worked. My point is that I can just as easily create a cause and pretty much know beforehand what the eventual effect will be. Anyone can and we all do whether we realize it or not. Sound famil.iar by any chance??

I also HAVE looked deeper into the things you mentioned and this is precisely why I no longer believe in LOA as it's commonly defined and never will.

As I pointed out earlier, your assertion that my "belief" was partial is basically the standard, completely predictable response by believers (which I knew was coming, from someone; not necessarily you; hence your response is evidence that my cause was created by ME and now I'm observing the effect; exactly as I expected to; like clockwork; but I mean no offense whatsoever, I'm merely pointing out that this is exactly the response that I expected to receive sooner or later). Your response almost identical to what some Christians would say to explain unanswered prayer; a lack of faith/belief.

How many people have prayed for physical healing and died anyway and then had people claim that they just didn't have enough faith to be healed?? I would bet there are many, and the sad part is; everyone dies no matter how sincerely they believe and they usually die through no fault of their own and not as a result of disbelief or a lack of faith. I personally believe that it's actually cruel to even suggest such a thing under circumstances like that; but it happens.

The fact that a lack of belief can effect outcomes is probably true to some extent, but not for the reasons you may believe. that lack of belief can effect the cause; thus resulting in a different effect, which looks like LOA but it's not.

I no longer believe that LOA is actually a "law" like the laws of gravity or the laws of strong and weak nuclear forces, thermodynamics, physics, etc. The "law" of attraction can be just as easily explained as simple cause and effect and has little or nothing to do with belief. Every cause has an effect no matter who believes or disbelieves.

If I were to 100% completely and truly stop believing in the law of gravity and jumped off of the top of a 100 story building, regardless of how much I absolutely believed that the law of gravity either doesn't exist, doesn't apply to me as it does the rest of creation or doesn't follow the same rules as it did before I stopped believing, I would still fall DOWN and not UP, regardless of what I believed or how strong, intense or completely sincere or my belief/faith was.

You can say that because I assume that the law of gravity wouldn't change as a result of my belief; it won't, but if that were true, someone would have had the proper belief by now and would have been able to circumvent the law of gravity by now and been able to repeat it at will; thus proving once and for all that LOA was an immutable law. But, we're still waiting.

The only documented levitation that I'm aware of has been by saints; (usually Catholic saints, as defined by the Church) and they weren't attempting to break the law of gravity. It happened spontaneously through a state of spiritual ecstasy; which I have personally experienced twice in my life (not levitation; but spiritual ecstasy). Some Buddhists have claimed to be able to levitate as well but most have been debunked as illusionists. The same goes for Yogis. The Indian rope "trick" is just that; a trick.

I actually saw a group of Buddhists on TV a few years ago sitting in the lotus position and claiming to levitate through meditation. They did nothing of the kind, despite their belief, conviction and insistence that they absolutely did. They merely hopped across the room, bouncing themselves up from the floor through the power of their leg muscles and then claimed that this was true levitation. Not a single one truly levitated (or remained afloat for even a second) despite their BELIEF that they had. Each and every time within a second, their butts were right back on Terra Firma where they started. This was after days of meditation during a huge pilgrimage and retreat. It was actually kinda' sad because they truly believed that they had mastered levitation; even after watching the video after the fact and despite their altered states of consciousness.

I have yet to see a single example of actual levitation before or since. That's not to say it hasn't happened at some point but I'm surely not aware of any documented and repeatable cases and I would be very suspect about anyone claiming to have this ability without actual proof.

I truly wish that the LOA was indeed an immutable law as it's commonly described. Like I said earlier; I actually used to believe it was. Then I realized that despite certain results that seemed to indicate that there was definitely something to this, I realized that what had actually happened was simple cause and effect; which we all experience every moment of every day. It's true that thoughts can be a cause to some degree because thoughts do have power, but I'm not the least bit convinced that LOA as commonly described is a real law.

That's actually a good thing. Just knowing and understanding cause and effect is good, can be put to good use and can benefit anyone who is aware of it. That's not so bad. It's not as magical as some mystical law that can deliver our heart's desire if we just believe, but it's a good method of ultimately getting much of what we want in a far more realistic and systematic way. It's just up to us to be aware, to implement the causes we want and calculate what the effects will be.

We can do this with a relatively high degree of accuracy, so why go on claiming it's some sort of magical law when we can easily see that cause and effect (heretofore called CAE) is real, does work and can be put to use to our benefit any time we choose to implement it?? It's a good thing to know and still can even seem "magical", but we don't have to worry about our belief level. We can take that part out of the equation and free our minds for other things instead of wasting all of that energy on "belief" or "faith". CAE is a much more rational approach and will still produce the same results.

So, instead of LOA, I will now use the term CAE as a more accurate substitute AND expect and receive the same results. I don't believe that this is a bad thing at all. It's just more realistic IMO.

I also have to wonder about all of those folks who have spent their money on "The Secret" (which is no secret), all of the books out there on LOA, etc. If this is such a big secret then why is everyone talking about it?? You'd have to be living on a desert island to not be aware of this at this point. It's nothing new at all and this belief has been around for ages; literally.

I truly believe that many people like to think that they're in on something that most people don't know about (I mean, who wouldn't like that??). That's human nature and when you're privy to knowledge, (or at least; think that you are) that most people aren't, it can give a feeling of higher awareness, superiority, etc.

It can be as simple as good ol' fashioned fun and make a person feel better overall, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's true. The numerous mystery religions throughout the ages operated on that very premise and many of them cashed in on that part of human nature; literally.

[secondevolution]

I could be missing the point here, and this is only my attempt at an interpretation, but let's say that the universe is chaotic. If you leave it unchecked, the universe will simply throw circumstances at you, for better or worse, without any external control on your part. The Law of Attraction therefore allows you to channel exactly what you want out of life, without leaving it to the chaos of the universe.