The Secret is Partial

As a Life Coach, Philosopher, and Integral devotee, this movie totally pissed me off.

Now don't get me wrong, there were parts of it I liked. I am a huge fan of positive reframing, and I use it all the time with myself and my clients to stay positive, to “focus on what you want, not what you don't want.” There's no way that you'll get what you want if you focus all your energy and attention on what you don't want. I totally agree with that. But this movie went way beyond the proper domain of positive reframing (or “the law of attraction”) and quickly trailed off into superstitious, anti-intellectual, pseudoscientific, capitalist bullshit.

The purpose of “abundance thinking” is not to accurately represent the world but to inspire and frame our attitudes, to determine what things mean for us. This movie falls into the common new-age/postmodern trap of taking this partial truth too far, overemphasizing framing and subjective experience to the point of denying the existence of an objective reality.

Specifically this movie denies the very real competitive capitalist socio-economic environment; it denies the very real limits of oil, gas, coal, and other natural resources; it denies and de-emphasizes the importance of political change and activism. Sure Oprah made it out of the ghetto and became a billionaire–but she is the exception that proves the rule! Only by changing things at the socio-economic and political levels can we change the probabilities of having more “Oprahs.” It was not merely her positive thinking that did it–pure statistical luck also played a hugely significant role.

For instance, it might be true that “anyone” can become “rich” in the United States, but certainly not everyone…unless you reframe “rich” as feeling abundant. My sister has facilitated several work camps to help poor kids in Tijuana. The orphans in Tijuana feel rich compared to the kids who live on the nearby hill, a hill that is nothing more than an old garbage dump covered by a thin layer of dirt. Certainly everyone reading this could feel grateful in an instant just by thinking about how much they have compared to those kids in Tijuana.

But if instead “rich” means something objective, like “making $100k/year” or “having $1m in liquid assets,” then there are real, objective limits to how many people can have this kind of abundance. And anyone who claims that “everyone” could be abundant in this way is just plain wrong.

Similarly to how conservatives frame the economic debate by referring to “Tax Relief” (which implies that taxes are an affliction that needs relieving, versus taxes are membership dues to an exclusive club, or taxes pay for important stuff we couldn't do by ourselves), referring to “the “law” of attraction” gives the important subjective guideline a false air of objective truth. I don't believe this framing was intentionally deceptive, but it certainly is misleading.

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I guess there's no way to edti….I hit the button by accident.

 anyway….Hi Duff.

Sorry the Secret didn't resonate with you the way it does some. I'm sure you've found material you have a better attraction to.  Your post seems to say that the Secret just wasn't your cup of tea.

Have a great day
Muse

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I might agree to a certain point that wealth is not what its all about, but when you take into account that most of our fears have to do with money, if we have enough of it for the bills, if we'll have enough to have kids, or if we'll have enough to retire. Whatever it is, a large portion of the world has decided that money makes it go 'round. Working within that paramiter, then money is the key to happiness, for a lot of people atleast. Its hard to work on personal growth and bliss when your electricity is about to be cut off, and your house is going to be forclosed on. How many homeless people have you seen doing yoga or discussing enlightenment withother homeless people? I can't say as I've seen that. So yeah, maybe there was an emphasis on money, but can you blame anyone for that? I can't.

I personally think that for whatever reason, it didnt touch you the way its touched some other people, myself included, and thats alright, but I think your conclusions are a bit harsh, as well as negative towards an idea that maybe you didnt vibrate with. Please keep in mind that before you critcize an ideal you don't agree with, you might be the one looking at it in a partial manner. Just a thought.

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It's a question of to what extent. Certainly money is important–I totally agree with that. But how much money? And how do you amass your wealth?

My criticism is not directed towards the homeless or even the middle class. It was more directed towards people like Joe Vitale, who uses manipulative, hypnotic marketing techniques to amass huge amounts of wealth and then makes the claim in The Secret than “anyone” can become rich like himself, denying the real limits of the economy and the market.

Sure “anyone” can become wealthy, but not everyone–at least not in a capitalist economy that has a tendency to move towards increasing gaps between rich and poor! Wealth is a good thing–but wealth in the hands of the few is a terrible, destructive, dangerous thing.

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See, the point you're missing is that the amount doesnt matter. In the movie, he talks about wanting 100,000 but that was just a goal. A place he could set in his mind and visualise. When people have enough of what they need, they don't want to have more money then they can use, thats why there is always going to be more then enough for everyone.  People like Bill Gates cant really even give their money away fast enough, whether or not they have more then they need. He would literally have to spend every waking moment giving rolls of hundreds away to every person he passed on the street for years on end and he'd still have more then he'd be able to give away. And not everyone wants money, so even if the people who do were given a million dollars, there would still be more then enough. Thats how much money is in the world, how much wealth.

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Weetzie has a great point here. Perhaps it all comes down to a massive re-distribution of wealth. The ultra-rich will be inclined to pass on their wealth to those who truly need it. The universe will take care of the details.

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Andrew Cohen, in March-May WIE, page 45:

Andrew speaks about  ” … our refusal to transcend our almost pathological engagement with our narcissistic inclinations.” it is a dialogue with Ken Wilber and they are speaking to 'Spiritual Seekers” …

Sometimes I think the wise sages were right in saying that to teach anything is going to point someone in the wrong direction…

… it seems to me that some of these books (“get anything you want, now” “Spontaneous fullfilment of whatever…” , movies, etc… play on all that and … well they don't help us one bit to take us from the world of ego, materialism, consumerism, etc… to being to see things as they really are… they only put up another veil. 

Although I did read my friends copy of: Deepak Chopra's “Spontaneouos Fulfillment of Desire… ” and the sage he quotes mostely in it was a new one for me… and I really rate the book as first class.

I hate the title… so misleading… looks like a marketing phrase / ploy… I would not have given it that title at all… it is a serious book.

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Andrew speaks about  ” … our refusal to transcend our almost pathological engagement with our narcissistic inclinations.” >>

I don’t think the Law of Attraction is everything, but it’s probably the best place to start. We do perceive reality through our individual thoughts, emotions and desires and to acknowledge this is not narcissism. Narcissism is when you get carried away and expect everyone else in the world to devote themselves to your desires. Most teachers of the Law of Attraction, such as Abraham, point out that you cannot manipulate others’ realities. When they say all you have to do is “feel good,” it may sound simplistic, but when you really can do it, you feel benevolent towards others, not selfish (in the negative sense). I’m afraid that sometimes spiritual teachers who warn us against narcissism, while themselves presiding over hierarchical organizations, are really displeased that people aren’t working to fulfill their (the gurus’) desires. With the Law of Attraction, the Universe is your guru.

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It's all about the good that wealth can do isn't it? I was at a talk by Marc Benioff, yesterday… he coauthored Compassionate Capitalism, a best-practices guide for corporate philanthropy. The model sounds good to me… we can be sure better models will be sprouting up… oh… & he mentioned that Google is adoping his 111 model… interesting… 

“The company that makes ‘doing good’ a core piece of its management philosophy empowers its employees, engages its customers, and strengthens its community,” said Robert K. Goodwin, president and CEO, Points of Light Foundation. “In ten years, I expect that integrated philanthropy will be the norm rather than the exception.”

Compassionate Capitalism proposes that business and community needs are actually closely aligned, and encourages companies to make serving the community a central focus. The notion of philanthropy as separate from a corporation’s regular operations is finished. The new model says that philanthropy must be woven into every thread of corporate existence so that it becomes a part of the cultural fabric of the corporation itself.

“Every year, corporate philanthropic foundations pour $30 billion into their endeavors in the U.S. alone,” said Benioff. “Many of these efforts occur in isolation with little or no relationship to the communities in which they operate, the people they employ, or their corporate missions. Compassionate Capitalism calls for a new model – one that closely aligns business and community goals and focuses on serving the communities in which a business operates.”

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Awesome…

makes me feel much better

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I really must agree Alex. Because of the great power money has been given, it then in turn wields a great power of its own. The power to do terrible things, or wonderous things. The power to make us feel bad, or really good.

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Even though my heart says to just stay with “makes me feel better,” my head is tempted to move and think.

Duff said: “…a capitalist economy that has a tendency to move towards increasing gaps between rich and poor! Wealth is a good thing-but wealth in the hands of the few is a terrible, destructive, dangerous thing.” It sure is! Wealth in the hands of the few and a comparative poverty in the hands of the many, is a hard reality in the 3-D physicality of our bodies! It happens every single day! In 3-D.

But I wonder if the reality of our bodies is the only reality? Valid, yes. But, perhaps not the only one. My soul says physicality is not the only reality, while my mind cannot see anything BUT! (And perhaps the nature of the mind is to relate or interface only with physicality?)

And perhaps movies like WTB point to the possibility that 3-D is not the only reality? Perhaps its popularity is in harmony with what many, many people already sense in their very own soul?

Weetzie said: “Because of the great power money has been given…” Who gave money that power? If we say “We didn't” (whether true or not), our inherent power slips out of our hands and is gone into others hands. A truly terrible, destructive and dangerous thing. If we say “We didgave money its great power,” (whether true or not), then our INherent power stays contained within us, it does not go to other people or other things.

Perhaps if we can own this “great power” within, we will be able to authentically feel our own natural emPOWERment?

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I agree to an extent, as I feel that while what we say has power of its own, but if it were the strongest force, that would mean we would not be able to say anything. Its like the idea of the buffer of time for your thoughts in The Secret. I personally believe that if there is some sort of oversoul or a guiding force in the stream of energy that moves through us and everything, it must understand that we as humans need the freedom to be able to talk and think and not be overwhelmed too greatly by the consequences of either of those things. On a grand scale that is.. like the elephant popping up next to the guy when he thinks about it, lol.

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Ouch! That would hurt!

Thanks Weetzie. That's a compassionate way to look at it.

Re: The Secret is Partial - rest is taking back money power

Hello wholeogram man, you are an inspiration to all and especially to those who struggle with depression or physical incapicity of some sort. Yes we give money the power to control our lives. There is a great awakening waiting to happen, once people starts looking into this question. I am serious about changing the money paradigm.

Here are my thoughts posted in radical shift pod in changing paradigm

Enjoy dreaming new dreams.

Re: The Secret is Partial

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The previous statement refers to Wholeogram Man, of July 14-06
Pleased to be here among you all, fellow Gaia'ns.

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Our relationship to money is the same as our relationship to faith. What we really seek is stability, safety and security, a sense of peace and serenity with ourselves, with others and with the rest of nature. We are seemingly forever looking for balance or homeostasis. Ultimately, the criteria we use to determine what is enough faith is the same we use to determine what is enough money - our overall sense of fear. It is fear that makes us search for anything and everything to alleviate it. I believe this accounts for the wide diversity in lifestyles. For some, faith is enough. For others, money is enough. More truthfully, we are all a mixture of solutions to ridding ourselves of fear to reach that state of balance. I for one have always had far less a relationship with money than I have with the need for ever-additional experience, knowledge, understanding and self-expression. Those are the things that alleviate my fears - not money, not traditional religious faith or miscellaneous psychological tricks that seem to only offer the temporary relief of a candy treat. Those things are where I personally find balance. It is different for each of us but, having said that in no way implies ALL paths to balance are equally valid. Some paths are outright irrational and illogical and are a disservice to those traveling them.

“Wealth”, just as “balance”, is defined as variously as there are individual forms of life on the planet. As well it should be.

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Find this most interesting.
Being a devils advocate may i enquire as the the nature of “faith” as a comodity, it's strength and impact in keeping with their cudos and artistry relative to faith as a phenomenal instrument to be weilded.

i may be misguided but feel those successfull in this sphere of activity have, to some degree abandoned their competitive ego centric drive

Perhaps our inter personal interfacing ,metaphysicly, at a non physical level, requires our using the facility of the collective consciousness, which, as a gate keeper, might not permit that which would not further the scenario we are driving our selves to.

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Perhaps those who are successful at manifesting that which they desire in life haven't so much abandoned their competitive egocentric drive but they simply have mastered balancing that competitive egocentric drive with their inner spiritual self.

When I first started becoming aware of this way of being I felt that ego was unnecessary and even not desired at all.  But I've learned through my growth that the ego is essential to us human beings and that the problem with ego is when we allow it to dictate all that we think/do/say and are.  I suppose I think of the ego self as what sets us apart from the rest of the collective consciousness so in order to integrate ourselves into that collective consciousness and still retain our uniqueness we must allow our ego self to exist and perhaps even to thrive.  But if we are to allow our ego selves to exist or thrive we also must balance that with the more spiritual inner self.

As for being competitive I also used to think that competition was a bad thing that only separated us but if we compete in a healthy way that comes not only from our ego but also from our inner spiritual self I don't see where there is any harm in doing so.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

I have been on the  search for  answers for ages, happily it has just ended. I have read Ask and it is given, the power of intentions and I have watched the Secret like 10 tems. But Finally I have found what I am looking for, I had the opportunity to Read Feel it Real, The Magical Power of Emotions, by Denise coates. and now I am truly complete.

 Its the best book I have read in a long time. This Book really gives you the tools to understanding the laws of the universe and mamifesting your desires. It is the Key I have been missing! Check it out on the Authors website http://www.denisecoates.com/  you can pre-order it there!

Thanks,

Macha

Re: The Secret is PraCtIcAl... ;-)

Also coming from an 'integral' & ‘practical' place (ken wilber, andrew cohen etc..) … and from a meditation practice of going beyond the mind  to 'see things as they are' (& not avoid bad feelings or crave good feelings etc….–but .. simply allowing equanimity )

– I felt  the first part of the film seemed very 'materialistic' & too worldly for the spiritual minded.. lol… and based too much in playing with 'mind'' when the real source of awakening  is ‘beyond the mind'. 

as the film progressed, the second half resonated deeply. It allowed for a practical application for what it means for us to be ‘the source' itself. Consciousness itself…manifested as the human mind-body organism.

There IS a reason for the make-up of our mind-body organism.  Humans are meant to be active beings and there is a purpose (function) for the mind -  and this film allows us to use the mind for what it was intended. Most people go through life not knowing their own power or how to tap into it.

The secret reminded me that the mind is not something merely to be ignored or transcended, (a sometimes side-effect from meditaiton practice, goals of awakening etc..)but to be used for what it was intended.   We tap into an infinite source with our thoughts.  - universal intelligence.  We become what we think about. 

Re: material goals in the film:

 the following statement within the film (from Joe Vitale) …. offered perspective.  

'when everybody starts to live from their hearts, and go for what they want, they don't all go for the same things. we don't all want a bmw etc.. ”

———————————————

As  I let the messages of ‘The Secret'  into my framework of consciousness evolution ,  I realized that understanding the laws of attraction and participating in life out of this awareness — is empowering, limits a victim mentality and allows us to live at our potential & believe in our power to do so. [whatever that means for each person]. 

It speaks primarily of understanding our nature as the very essence of the energy vibrations of the universe itself and how to manifest what is in alignment with our purpose.  Ultimately we affect the entire universe with out thoughts and vibrations (since we are the universe). 

Powerful to experience life out of this awareness that we are co-creators of the universe no? & to then be given a practical way to do so.  

—————————

'It's Up to You

‘When you awaken and suddenly recognize your own place in the evolutionary process, you realize something BIG: that it's all up to you. Consciousness is not going to evolve by itself. If the evolutionary potential inherent in consciousness is going to be activated, you have to be responsible for it. Why? Because it is only through the human vehicle that the creative principle, the God impulse that initiated this whole process, has the capacity to know itself''

~Andrew Cohen

Source article.

Re: The Secret is PraCtIcAl... ;-)

I just saw the Secret this morning so I am still digesting a lot of the movie however, I think I will offer my two cents. From an Integral perspective the over ridding flaw to the movie's theory seems to be that it collapses everything into a 1st person perspective excluding all others. That said as a first person tool in and of itself the application of the Law of Attraction is not a bad practice and together with other practices can be reinterpreted with Wilber's Post metaphysics and become a useful part of an ILP. My complaint about the movie revolves around the fact that the movie showed many scenes referring to the emerald tablet of Hermes and to Hermeticism in general yet its relation to the idea of the Secret was never explained. I study occultism in general and have been studying Hermeticism specifically for some time now looking at individuals such as Bruno and later transcendentalist that he helped inspire to build an Integral System of Occultism that is not stuck in the New Age reductionism that seems to be so prevalent in the field of Occultism now at days. The Secret unfortunately perpetuated that, yet I would not dismiss it wholly because of it.

Namaste

Re: The Secret is PraCtIcAl... ;-)

What if we are in training pants and are unable to even imagine what the universe can give to us?  The main point of The Secret is that we all want what makes us happy!  The universe is prepared to give us more than we even can imagine that we want.  Money is just a form of energy and it is happiness that we need to focus on.  I found the secret to be a final essay on what I have been trying to figure out for about the last 5 years.  I loved it!!!!!

Jay

Re: The Secret is PraCtIcAl... ;-)

So did I Jay.  :)

I loved The Secret, and I am very excited that it was filmed and is being made available to those that are attracted to it.

Just fantastic what is available to us in these days isn't it? 

:)

Di

Re: The Secret is Partial

There are so many different viewpoints, opinions and ideas out there ……. and i've come to realise that it is as it should be.
 

EarthEnergy said

Andrew speaks about  ” … our refusal to transcend our almost pathological engagement with our narcissistic inclinations.” it is a dialogue with Ken Wilber and they are speaking to 'Spiritual Seekers” …

have a look at this site: another perspective
http://www.aboutadidam.org/cgi-bin/displayemailedpagelist.cgi

love apple

Re: The Secret is Partial

Duff has some really valid objections.

I for one can’t help but imagine a little girl in Beirut looking up at the sky and trying to wish or will the bombs away. Some call that magical thinking. It’s easy to espouse a belief in The Secret in a safe, wealthy capitalist fortress of a country, but what about the rest of the world? And can I effect peace in the middle east by visualizing it, or does this only work for individual aspirations? How about we try THAT as a collective 30-day experiment??!!!

It’s such a lovely idea, that life can be Christmas all the time and you can have everything you ever wanted, but I’ve already spent half my life trying to learn how not to attach to an outcome! And there really are cases, sometimes, where what you want isn’t the best thing for everyone involved. Maybe someone else needs that exact same house more than you do.

You could probably dismiss me as a defeatist…I’ve never exactly been a roaring success, at least in not any outward, visible sense of the word…but having just seen “The Secret” this weekend I wanted to see what was being said here about it.

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Incidentally, the bombs have gone away haven't they…?

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I watched the Secret when it first came out last spring. I “tested” the Universe that same afternoon. I didn't feel like sitting in traffic, so I “saw” that all the traffic lights were green on my home. Guess what? If they weren't already green as I approached, they changed within  2 to 3 seconds. It doesn't take a million dollars to make me happy…..and I don't want a BMW.

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I believe the movie did what it was intended to do, and that is to motivate people that change is possible. No one movie, speaker, or teacher is going to resonate with everyone but I feel like that is why we have so many movies and teachers.

Wealth means different things to different people. How that wealth manifest in your life is going to also be different.

I do believe that if one person is capable of achieving something, then it is possible by anyone, but not everyone wants to achieve the same goals and status in life.

I personally enjoyed the movie.


-A

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I personally love the movie and what the heck is wrong with capitalism anyway? It's the strongest most intelligent economic system in the world. Socialism and Communism don't work, can't work and have never worked long term. Just look around at countries with socialist economies – their governments are bankrupt and their standard of living is in the toilet. Capitalism thrives and produces the incredible wealth it does, because its engine is the fundamental human desire to achieve more and greater things, to strive, to set goals, to make a difference in the world. Free enterprise rocks!

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Ah, the invisible hand of Adam Smith. The pursuit of individual interests will precipitate the collective good.  No, exploitation never happens.  There are no sweatshops, no multinational corporations plundering precious natural resources.  Sorry, but I can see what that hand is doing under the table. 

Lenin was right about one thing: he said that state use of the military to defend capitalist interests abroad was an inevitable consequence of monopoly capitalism. I for one am having a hard time finding the “collective good ” in decimated infrastructures and dead civilians. Yeah, hip hip hooray for free enterprise.

But I fear we've gone way off the subject. 

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It works and it is the truth. It's not about the money; it's about being happy spiritually and financially. If you criticize the movie then the movie proves its point, your negativity towards it will create like energy and it will not work. It's as simple as that. There is absolutely nothing wrong with criticizing it, but it is what it is and you're not going to change this law by disagreeing with it. The spiritual leaders of the past and present have stated this and will continue to state this.

We create our reality! Spiritual leaders have been saying this and science is proving it.

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I might add the people who the movie does not talk about but are being talked about in this post; the rich leaders of companies and what have you, that are full of greed and on a huge power trip are truly not happy.  They are just good at making money and are greedy and will continue to live the life of greed (unless they don't). And they will die with nothing but a full wallet. You can be rich or poor and be negative.

There is a difference between making money and being in control (co-creator) of your reality. We are talking about two different things; don't be confused with money making power trips and positive thinking.

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The secret is whole, it is the understanding that may be partial.

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This is a really deep and interesting blog. It all goes back to Physics and the realm of Quantuum Mechanics. If YOU (as in anyone) think the Secret is “partial” then it is. You create the reality of either abundance or lack and limitation. Anything ideas that encourage ” well you gotta be “realistic” means you are choosing to partake in the current societal conciousness that may have limitation embedded in the mind set. One thing they have found as a common thread in people who have a. acheived extraordinary things or b. been supposedly “lucky” is that they all BELIEVED IN THE INFINITE POTENTIALITY OF THINGS. The idea that ANY IS POSSIBLE. With that said, rewiring the mind to open up and see new possibilities is the step. Then the rest follows…it is a sure thing….suspend disbelief and try it…there is no HALF believing in abundance…

Majestic

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You got it!

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Majestic, you are so right on here.  There can be no middle ground. Obviously, a film like this is best served to the initiate in spiritual thinking, of course it's trained toward helping these same people get a basic understanding of spiritual manifesting.  And yes, it is true that many groups proport the religion of manifesting. But the end result for all of us is a deeper inner understanding of the peace, bliss and happiness which is the logical end result of any form of concentration.  In the quantum realm we begin to bring about changes in our lives that may bring more abundance, but abundance is no good without appreciation and this must be the end result of the journey. If we are soul energy evolving then this is a cool way for us beginners to integrate the teaching. But in the end we must see it as already being done, and the exact result that we expect is the half-assed result we will get.

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What I like about the Secret is the 'in your face' method as appose to the slow and heavy study of religion.

It essentially sums up the great spiritual and religious writings and saying of the past 5000 years or more, in about 1 hour and ½.

But that will not stop me from studying and practicing religion. Reading is my hobby. 


G

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Dear Ones,

I have been immersing myself in tapes by Eckert Tolle (and I probably spelled that wrong, sorry but I'm too lazy too look it up at the moment) and then watched “The Secret” and have been struggling with integrating the two.  But today I decided to just have fun with “The Secret” and see what happened.  WOW!  On the way home from the airport to pick up my son I told him that I was going to have a Pink Hummer, one of those smaller more new ones.  He laughed at me and said, “What, are you planning on winning the lottery?”  I laughed right  back at  him and said I didn't know but still, I was going to have a Pink Hummer.  Just then, on the other side of the highway, a big VERY pink truck with a VERY pink trailer passed us.  We both just cracked up laughing.  He asked me how weird was that and I said not weird at all, it was the law of attraction.  He said I was losing it so I told him to go ahead and give it a shot.  He said “I want a 2006 black Duramax with chromed out wheels”.  I said, “Okay, it's yours.  Believe it.”  We were pulling in to the little town that we live outside of and he said “Well, we know for sure there won't be a 2006 black Durmax with chromed out wheels in Wendall Idaho.”  I agreed to the probably not but also pointed out that that fact wouldn't  mean anything and we pulled up to the stoplight that was supposed to be turning green for me (actually after wishing it green it went from red to green but back to red before we got there - maybe I have to be more specific about my intentions?) and there sat a black 2006 Duramax.  His jaw dropped.  It even had chromed out wheels!  I just laughed and laughed and if nothing else ever came of it I'll still smile when I think about it.  Except now I think I really am going to get a Pink Hummer!  And maybe money with which to give and give and give until it's all gone and I have to start all over again.  And those are just the dumb things I want - think about the things that really matter that I'm going to get and this whole new world is going to be out there for all us because I intend to throw it all back to the world! 

Namaste,  Ayla

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Excellent Ayla, Oh how the world will change once the Secret hits everyone and it will happen because its not a secret anymore.


G

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Ayla, this is a game I play nearly every day with my 11 yr old son. I used to ask to see a Jaguar everyday just for the fun of it, and they always showed up for me. (If you listen to any Abraham cd's, there is a part where an audience member talks about *Jaguars stalking him*). You are right, that the little day to day things can help you remember to train your thoughts - traffic lights and parking spaces are a great place to start.

:-)
E

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Agree with you there Gavin.

What I and other friends like about The Secret is that it is not religious and yet does not contradict the teachings of most religions (except for the few extreme fundamentalists)

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Duff,

Before I start to understand your criticism of the concepts in The Secret, I must confess that I am biased in favour of it's teachings about 95%+. That would allow me about 5% room to play the Devil's Advocate even though I may sound like I am defending the film (probably because I am)

Abundance thinking vs. Real World limits?
The abundance thinking is something I subscribe to 100%. If you say “abundance thinking” is inaccurate because it ignores “real life” limitations such as natural resources, then that is the very scarcity or lack mentality that is creating false limitations.

As economist Paul Zane Pilzer wrote in his book, Unlimited Wealth, “As we approach the final years of the 20th Century, we are coming to an astonishing - and heartening - realization. The Club of Rome scientists and the other environmental pessimists of the 1970s were wrong. The world's supply of physical resources is not decreasing. On the contrary, our effective supply of resources is increasing.”

This increase has been due in a large part to technology, which not only affects the supply (discovery of previously unknown oil reserves) but the demand (how useful it is to society).

Take oil for example. Consider that based on conventional economic wisdom, we were supposed to have serious fuel shortages looming ahead back in the 70's. The replacement of the carburettor with a more cost-effective fuel injection system, practically doubling the average fuel efficiency of cars in less than a decade. The effective result increased gasoline supplies by over a third (since your car needs less fuel to get to the same place).

The struggle for prosperity is not a zero-sum game as regarded by outdated traditional economists and conventional historians.

Whichever edge of the sword you wish to focus on becomes your experience.

“Rich” is definitely not something objective USD$100,000 / year income. Whilst that may be considered “rich” for someone, Bill Gates or Donald Trump may regard that as being somewhat broke! Whilst surviving on USD$30,000 / year may seem broke for someone, you could live like a king in certain countries.

The subject of a specific amount of money was only covered in one of the chapters of The Secret. The dollar amounts mentioned are definitely taylored for a Western audience, and they do go on to say that “…not everyone wants the same thing… not everybody wants a BMW”. Like you say, the orphans in Tijuana feel rich compared to the kids who lived on a nearby hill.

Grushenka in a later post mentions that she couldn't help thinking of “a little girl in Beirut looking up and wishing or willing the bombs away”. I think people who truly desired a more peaceful life and didn't focus only on what they didn't want have most likely left war-torn areas and moved to live somewhere else. (Yes, I'm hypothesising that based on the Law of Attraction as explained in The Secret, that people are where they're at because of their predominant thoughts and feelings - which includes fear of bombs).

Incidentally, the bombs have gone away haven't they?

Re: The Secret is Partial

I really appreciate it when there is a voice of skepticism popping up here, especially when it's sourced from intelligence and benevolence – the wacky naysayers are just fun reading and don't really enter into, well, anything.
I'm probably a little less reactionary about The Secret, but there is something about it that jangles my warning signals. I'm not sure that we can't all have it all, at least not if having it all includes not being stupid at the same time, which would be very nice. I don't need a million bucks or a gas hog flash car or a house big enough for a small city on prime ocean view real estate that really should belong to all of us…and I have definitely experienced that flow where I know I'm just fine and so everything comes to me and the universe is on my side like some kind of cosmic vending machine shooting out goodies and never asking for a single quarter from me.
But one of my warning beeps comes from the awareness that a gigantic amount of goodness in my life has come from experiences that I either didn't think to ask for or actually thought I didn't want at all. I'm not sure that my choosing everything I attract would be the be all and end all, and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't learn as much as I do when I have to step up and do something I never even considered before.
Anyway, thanks Duff. Nice input.

Re: The Secret is Partial

I'm coming in here late to this discussion but I wanted to put my two cents in as a Reiki Master and energetic intuitive.

A lot of Law of Attraction teachings rub me the wrong way too. For a number of reasons:

1. There is way too much focus on personal money and riches.
Personally, I don't need more than what I have. I have a two bedroom apartment for myself. With two bathrooms! One more than I need! That feels like a castle. The idea that I would need to manifest a mansion for myself is just absurd. It's honestly not that important to me.

It is especially not that important to me when I know that other people in the world are going to sleep in a hut this evening.

I would rather put my vast powers of manifestation onto helping others than to help myself get a mansion.

2. The Law of Attraction denies the existence of conflicting intentions from others.
We don't live in a vaccuum. I can put positive energy into thought of having that specific man over there, but if he is intending something else, guess what? I am not going to get what I want.

We are all co-creating. No-one is creating in a vaccuum.

3. The Law of Attraction denies outside energies.
I am a Reiki Master and an energetic intuitive. Guess what? Sometimes if something doesn't work out for you, that's because other people maybe had negative intentions or negative energies interfering with yours.

You absolutely DO NOT manifest every bad thing that happens to you. I and many energy healers I know and trust work very hard at psychic protection for this very reason.

And no, do not tell me the bad energies of others exist only because I believe in them. They exist independently whether I believe in them or not.

4. The Law of Attraction denies Grace.
There have been oodles of times in my life where I have been in a bad mood, in a negative space, and even downright depressed. Yet, somehow, the hand of God came in and lifted me up without my asking for it or intending it to be so.

So it is absolutely not true that if you think negatively you will only get crap in your life. Goodness gracious, I am living proof that this is false.

5. The Law of Attraction is misnamed.
Yes, we can create things with our intention. Intention is very powerful. But we are not “magnets” so much as co-creators. I would prefer the Law to be called the Theory of Intention or Theory of Co-Creation and not be so simplistically black of white on everything.

I believe that there is a lot of good stuff taught under the name of Law of Attraction, but as a meme it is incomplete and also based in a very American materialistic mindset. It's as if we were all children trying to claim our new toys.

We need to grow up and beyond this notion that material wealth is the ultimate goal. I am not suggesting that being poor is better - but there is a middle ground.

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Amen! Thanks for putting my thoughts into words… I haven't really got into this Secret stuff and haven't known why until now.

Namaste,

Nicole

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Ozma,

Whilst I am not trying to contradict the validity of your observations, I will try to explain it from what I've learned so far as you always understand something better when you try to explain it to others.

With regards to money and riches, obviously, they couldn't make the film specific to every single person and their individual needs and desires. Money is a major issue in society though, because it affects you whether you like it or not. So the subject of money is bound to crop up in any discussion of people's desires.

They did stress however, that not everyone desires the same thing. They did say that not everyone wants a BMW etc. No one ever implied that you needed to get a mansion! It's just a more dramatic example of The Law of Attraction in action since few people own a mansion. If they tried to explain how someone used The Law of Attraction to get an average home, that wouldn't be an outstanding example.

As for your 2nd point, I don't think The Law of Attraction was intended to manipulate or attract a specific person like a love potion, but rather, the feelings and experiences in your life. Therefore, if you continue to put your energy into having that “specific type” of man over there rather than that specific individual over there, you would eventually come across someone who completes that experience / feelings you are visualising and feeling.

Point #3, bad energies of others do indeed exist but the point of the Law of Attraction is that you are not likely to invite those into your experience as easily as you attract those that have compatible energies (I'm not sure if I'm using “energy” in exactly the same context as you but I think I'm close). I'm sure you agree that like-minded people tend to associate together whether they are positively or negatively inclined.

A mild example in my own experience if I may: I have friends who smoke cigarettes. They are well aware that I am not a smoker without even having specifically asked me. That does not mean that I've never seen or smelt their smoke but they certainly avoid doing it in my car or house or directly in front of my face. Yet they don't hesitate to smoke with other smokers or share cigarettes with them. One such friend finds it hard to give up smoking and allows the environment of other smokers encourage him to light up another one, yet these people don't have the same effect on me.

Ok, I am still studying this Law of Attraction or “The Secret” so I haven't got a clear explanation for your other observations. And I'm also trying to explore your point of view as well.

When I get the opportunity, I intend to ask similar questions to those who fully practice and live “The Secret”.

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“Point #3, bad energies of others do indeed exist but the point of the Law of Attraction is that you are not likely to invite those into your experience as easily as you attract those that have compatible energies (I'm not sure if I'm using “energy” in exactly the same context as you but I think I'm close). I'm sure you agree that like-minded people tend to associate together whether they are positively or negatively inclined.”

Certainly, you will pick and choose those friends that most resonate with you. However, anyone who is truly psychic and intuitive knows that unfortunately, there is true evil that exists. It not only exists in the hearts and minds of men, but also in spirit form.

Lightworkers are targets of the dark. So you can actually “attract” negativity to you simply by being a light to the world.

That is why Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.

Therefore, it is not true that you bring to you negative energy by being negative. People of the light have to be very vigilant because the dark will try to take you out if it can.

I don't mean to sound doom and gloom here, but that's just the reality of it. It is why we energy healers practice psychic protection.

Now, the stronger your energy is, the harder it is for someone to attack you. But that still doesn't mean you are invincible.

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Good points. The darkness hates the light and is always trying to bring it down.

Be well,

Nicole

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Very well said Stephanie. Thanks for sharing this. You brought up some very important points. We are all co-creating & no one is creating in a vacuum. & yes., not all the negative energy & thoughts originate from us. & yes yes yes, the Universe is gracious & benevolent. We might not always receive what we want but we alway receive what we need. We need a certain level of awareness to recognise, respect and appreciate this divine perfection that is inherent in the Universe.

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I was chatting with my friend about this all last night. She is a big fan of the Secret but also doesn't buy into every aspect of it. She sent me a link to this article:

When You Attract Negative People, Be Thankful
http://ezinearticles.com/?When-You-Attract-Negative-People,-Be-Thankful&id=3184

A brief summary: The author, an abundance coach, has a run-in with a “negative” woman in a bathroom who is complaining about her life. This article is the height of irony.

The coach unknowingly expresses in the article her severe irritation that this woman was complaining around her, and finally, out of impatience (from my read), tell the poor woman (a total stranger):

“I've listened to your story and would like to share with you – you are attracting exactly what you don't want because that is exactly what you want. Everything that has occurred has been what you have asked for. If you want to change what you are attracting, start by seeing and making new choices. This and only this will change what occurs in your life.”

And then the coach complains in her article that the woman didn't “hear” her message.

Now really, what average person is going to respond positively to a mini-lecture like that?

The rest of the article is an analysis of how the coach attracted such a negative person to her in the first place, and she decides, finally, that it must be all the “negative” e-zines she reads.

I'm not kidding!

I have to say I was just shocked and appalled by this “coach's” attitude. If a stranger was talking to me about pain in her life, I wouldn't just out of the blue lecture her on the Law of Attraction (basically BLAMING her for her misfortune) without really listening to her “story.”

All that woman needed was someone to hear her and validate her. Not come at her with some arrogance as that coach did.

Furthermore, the idea that the coach attracted this “negative” woman to her because of reading e-zines is ridiculous. The NEGATIVE WOMAN in this scenario is NOT the woman who was complaining in the bathroom! It is the coach herself!

She's the one who judged the other woman and made that woman's communication into an ordeal when it did not need to be. Personally, I don't get all riled up about other people talking negatively - it does not affect me negatively - why should it?

But this is a prime example of how the Law of Attraction can be abused. People want to use it to abdicate their responsibility for how they treat other human beings, and I just don't buy that. They also think that somehow by insulating themselves from all so-called negative influences in the world, then they will only experience positive all the time….there's something really Stepford Wife-ish about that, if you ask me.

Oh PS, sorry if I am “negative” here but that article just irritated me. But then again, I own my negative emotions…often they are telling me that something's not quite right in Dodge. :-)

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Stephanie -

I just realized from your post what it is that puts me off most about The Secret. The whole idea of “manifesting” as a focus seems backwards to me, and the instant gratification aspect leaves out the most important part of the process for me. I come from an entirely different perspective, but I hadn't really given this much thought - just watched the movie and thought it seemed off somehow and put it in the category of things I don't think about much.

There's nothing at all wrong with having things go well and having a good life, who doesn't want that? How I have come to understand building that is that the intentions, actions and beliefs about my actions which I put into motion today plant the seeds for the experiences that will come to me later, sometimes much later, because seeds take time to grow. And that effort to be consistently kind, to be honest, to be genuinely helpful changes who I am as I struggle with it. And it does take some struggle, because like that woman in your article, it's all too easy for me to believe I'm more enlightened than I am and to mask my own impatience and self-indulgence in glib words, or to allow the idea of who I think I am to blind me to the reality. What matters, though, isn't that I get everything I want, what matters is how consistently and deeply I can plant those truly good seeds in my own life, and by doing that, how much of that good stuff can get spread to the world around me.

I really appreciate your posts, Stephanie!

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Rapunzel,

oh you have let down your fine hair!

you speak  my truths as you speak your own, you are keeping in check image of self vs reality of self in relation to the world, thank you for really getting that and articulating it so well…you have shared the gift with just those words! thank you!

Mary

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First. let me begin by saying that comparing the Law of Attraction and “re-framing” is like comparing apples and oranges. They are NOT the same thing. And no natter “how hard” you try to MAKE them the same thing, it's an exercise in futility.

Re-framing is merely changing your “perception” of something. The Law of Attraction is the mechanism whereby the 'perception” is brought to manifestation as a reality in the physical world.

Granted, the Secret did NOT go into the depths possible in explaining the Law of Attraction that it could have, but there PROBABLY isn't enough celluloid on the planet to contain all of it.

But then again, it can be explained in words “SO SIMPLE” that only a few are needed:

“We BECOME that which we think about”.

The law “itself” isn't that complicated. The complication arises when a man has to figure out how to apply is successfully. If there is a way to make THAT part complicated, human beings will discover it every time.

Now, if you TRULY understood re-framing, you'd understand that as you begin “re-framing” your perceptions of the world around you, you would no longer “perceive” the world's systems and so forth as was your “original” perception.

The “economy” would not be a factor, the educational level of a man would not be a factor,
the geographical location would not be a factor, and all of the other “excuses” man has invented over the years would NO LONGER BE A FACTOR.

But this ONLY applies if the man truly believes ( his core beliefs ) that the things he's re-framing FOR are possible for HIM to achieve.

And thought the man MAY NOT want to hear it, the Law of Attraction has ALREADY manifested his “core beliefs” as evidenced by the outward condition of his life at that moment. He is ”what he believes he is ”.

We have evolved into a society where it's more expedient to place the blame on everything, and everyone else for OUR condition, thereby eliminating the need to take “personal responsibility” for our actions and beliefs.

As for wealth, well, that's something perceived differently by everyone. We as westerners have been conditioned to belive wealth is based on amassing large amounts of money, but you have to remember one thing. The REST of the world doesn't hold to OUR perceptions as we do. In many cultures, owning a couple of goats is considered “wealthy” .

A few years ago, I read a report some college students published, and they managed to do the calculations of how much materials it would take to build EVERY living person on the planet a home the size and quality of the Taj Mahal, and furnish it like Buckingham Palace,
and by THIER calculations, it would have only required 1/10th of 1% of the natural resources of the United States alone.

The ONLY scarcity of material things in THIS world lies between men's ears, and is NOT based on what's readily available to all.

The media tells us there is NOT enough, and suddenly, there is not enough ( The same amount of the resource STILL exists.). It's ONLY in the minds of men that there is a lack of whatever the resource is.

But the people say; “This expert has decreed that it is so!”, yet the “expert” is wrong. He has formulated HIS opinion on faulty evidence and conjecture without bothering to verify the facts for himself (as is human nature). 

THEY say it, WE believe it, and it becomes SO, but so ONLY in perception, not in fact.

“Objective reality”?  I SUPPOSE that would depend on HOW you've re-framed your PERCEPTION of what real to you?

While money may not be the most important thing if this world, it's ”reasonably” close to OXYGEN in our western society.

Man has the “potential” within himself to live any lifestyle he desires, and as soon as he stops making excuses for his laziness, he'll take action and achieve the lifestyle. But he WILL have to “attract” the things necessary to him to do it.

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I know that I am late on this post but I think Duff you need to take it easy. The Law of attraction has been around for a long time. The same practice has been used in Think and Grow Rich, The Science of Getting Rich and many more books way before the secret.

Now it is easy for us to criticize but why not compliment do you feel any better by getting pissed off why not look at all the good it has done there are plenty of people who has embraced this book and now they are digging deeper for answers.

Instead of them paying a Life Coach the internet and the world is now becoming the life coach of the people reading the secret.

I appreciate that you have voiced your opinion but lets Count our Blessing if more people believe the Secret then more people are in a postive state of mind.

Would you tell one of the people that you are coaching about their Life when they look toward you to show them how not to let something as little as a book bother you.


To the world be thankful for this book and movie.

Change your thinking and Change the world.

All is well

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Dear Divine…your words are indeed divine.  Good on ya…positive indeed!

The Secret and any of a million other schools of thought are all the same, they are like life and life is what you make it.  What does it matter what anyone 'believes' as long as they live a contented blissful life full of positive possibilities?

Blessings,
Cheryl

The Secret is More a Hype in the West than the East

I saw the movie Secret much before it even got its acclaim. Did it affect me enough to go and tell people “This is Fabulous, you got to see it!!!”
No, it did not.
My contribution to this Pod is here:-
” Just as the Power of Attraction or the Law of attraction is at play all along in our destiny making or breaking, there are two more Powers or laws simultaneously and interconnected–working as well. Law of Repulsion–which is the Natural opposite of the Attraction aspect– and the secong is “Natural or Cosmic Flow” This one–the latter– is at play at almost every moment even when we are not 'Consciously thinking”
Even while we sleep, Dream, Fantasize, Hallucinate or 'Pray an Outside God” there is a Cosmic or Natural Flow going on, which we are either partially or completely oblivious of. Once a person gets a feel of this and is in ABSOLUTE Sync with this, then the 'Personal Will of any individual or a group of Individuals” becomes completely encompassed by the Cosmic Will.
Just as Scientists are not able to discern completely what “Global Warming is?” many people can't see this “Cosmic Flow” without their Spirits being in alignment with the Spirit of the universe or the cosmos.
I have talked with Nanotechnologists, Genetic Engineering specialists who have told me quite frankly ” All the clones made by the scientific community thus far–namey Dolly's , Polly's and molly's– were all FAILURES in the sense that each of them came out with some “Birth defects” Why were they not able to 'Exactly replicate a human or an animal being?”
Because “The Scientific community has yet to recognize the existence of something called Spirit” So, for them to replicate that, they would first have to get what is a Spirit.
Same way–all these “Hypers about What the Bleep and Secret” must realize, the Spirit is “Completely impervious to Results or Outcomes”
Every Positive or Negative is based on our attachment to RESULTS. If we are not attached to outcomes, then there is no need for Worry, nor for Attraction or repulsion.
There certainly is a higher dimension of reality called 'The unified Realm of consciousness–where we feel Oneness with all that is”
How do we get there? not by Attraction or repulsion. Love can take you there.
Nobody talks about LOVE like before…maybe in the late sixties and before. The more we are going away from Love, the more deluded we shall get.
This was the highest quality in someone like Jesus Christ, who was an epitome of Love and he lived by example, neither was he Attracted to anything or by anything nor repulsed.
I am not even born a Catholic nor do I believe in the Bible and such, but I feel Jesus's main message is far more than all this Secret Hype—“Love each other equally and just Love unconditionally”
Much love n Light
Jagan Ramamoorthy
http://fiddlemaestro.com
(Some Great music in there)

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Denying the existence of an objective reality is not really a fair criticism. It's like accusing a Hindu Brahmin of denying the objective truth of Christ's salvation. Objective reality isn't a given. It's an assumption.

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Denying the existence of an objective reality is not really a fair criticism. It's like accusing a Hindu Brahmin of denying the objective truth of Christ's salvation. Objective reality isn't a given. It's an assumption.

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I agree Sam.  Reality is relative, yet there are constants within it because this is what we agree to experience together (conciously or otherwise).  What comes up for me is the concept of reality as a shared dream.  Exactly as it is in a dream, the universe is in constant flux; expanding, contracting, flowing, breathing, spinning, sinking, flying…  all according to where our thoughts go.  In dreams it's much more instantaneous.

For me, the ultimate take away message from The Secret is this:  Whatever it is that we focus our attention on, expands, increases, and becomes more prominent in our own particular experience of reality, or life. 

So, my humble advice is to LIVE, LOVE, Be in Peace, and send that out to everyone you meet.

Namste~
Beren

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Wonderfully awesome Beren!

Simple and easy.  Why we humans today have to complicate things so I don't understand.

Live in the now.  Love fully and unconditionally.  Be the change.

What else is there?

Blessings,
Cheryl

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Interesting response that you had to this Duff. I am also a life coach and have many of my clients using the tools from the secret to create a life that they love living.

I guess you just have to decide how much we really are creating our reality. I for one believe what quantum physics claims, that the outside is not really out there, but it is what we are creating from in here. As a result, we can create anything that we pay attention to.

I have found for myself  that get what I believe and focus on. When I change my limiting beliefs, I create a completely different experience for myself regardless of what is going on 'out there'.  I see this happening with those close to me and those I work with. Repeatedly, and consistently.

Whether the tools in this movie/book worked for you or not, I hope you create a reality that feels good to you!

Namaste,
Machete Girl

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The Objective reality is always an Empirical Evidence sought by the Ego consciousness of any Spirit, “Outside the realms of Self” Where as Einstein has said “Reality is itself an Illusion… just because it recurs often, we assume it to be Real”
Jagan

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I thought that Stuart Davis summed it up quite nicely…The Secret: The Spirituality of Narcissism

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Generally, I think The Secret is a good film, because it does foster postive thinking and gratitude.  But, I'm not sure if I totally agree with the main premise – that if you think positively, you'll manifest all the wonderful things you don't have right here and right now.  In that way, the film falls apart for me because wanting what you don't have simply creates attachments and postpones one's happiness to some future date. 

If you let go of attachments and simply have gratitude for each and every moment, then nothing is ever missing and one's happiness is never postponed.   Reality is already the best thing that could ever be manifested.  Everything is perfect for what it is right here and right now.  You find the perfect parking space because the parking space you find is already perfect.  That's the true secret - for me, at least. 

In some ways, The Secret tiptoes towards this notion when it talks about gratitude and positive thinking  but it's heavy focus on getting all that bling bling obscures that vital point.  Having gratitude and thinking postivie thoughts will get you a lot closer to happiness than manifesting the big house on a vision board.

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Dear Geo,

As always perception is everything and I must say what I got from the film The Secret in regard to gratitude is that they went out of their way to stress that gratitude was a HUGE factor in manifesting the things we want in our lives (along with the knowledge that we deserve it).  I didn't see at all any inference to looking to tomorrow for the things you want.  In fact my perception was that they continually focused on living in the moment and living as if it was already yours no differently than the words of Jesus Christ to pray as if it is already yours.

My perception as well of the film did not include any focus on bling or wealth or any of that but from what I saw looked separately at the different aspects of 'abundance' which in my mind includes relationships, health, wealth and emotional well-being.

As the Secret shares with us…what we see all around us is what we subconsciously expect to see.  If we are expecting there to be lack…we will see lack.  If we are expecting to see being taken advantage of there will be situations where people try to take advantage of us.  Do you see what I'm saying?  Like attracts like.

I have no doubt that if you showed the film to ten different people you are going to get ten uniquely different perspectives of what the film was about or focused on or suggested based on each persons unique perspective and expectations.  As I read what other people saw and understood from the film I continue to be amazed at our uniqueness and how we each create our own reality based on our perceptions and expectations in life, which if you think about it is exactly what the Secret is trying to share with us.  No one is right and no one is wrong but each of us is going to proceed as we choose based on what we have perceived and most especially what we feel is possible.

Blessings,
Cheryl

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Do you see what I'm saying?  Like attracts like.

Yes, I do understand the Law of Attraction.  I've read several of the Abraham/Hicks books as well as many others. 

Being more specific, the film spends a lot of time on stories about people manifesting material wealth - the guy wanting the car, the kid and the bike, the mansion on the vision board,  Jack Canfield's hundred thousand dollar bills, and so on.   Material wealth is fine, but the film goes astray when it suggests that manifesting these material things will make you happy.  

Again, it's not to say I didn't enjoy the film and find a lot of it very valuable, but this aspect of it bothered me a lot.  Any good Buddhist will tell you that attachment to material things is a path to suffering.  By promoting these sorts of attachments, the film promotes a path to suffering.

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Geo,

I concur. Well put…

peace

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Not just Buddhists, I would hope. Jesus Christ warned repeatedly against the effects material wealth would have on our thoughts. This concern is repeated thoughout the New Testament, the holy book of Christianity.  (You would not guess it from visiting a Christian country, I admit, but it really is true.)

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Dear Geo,

When I asked you if you could see what I was saying and commented that like attracts like I was referring to the possibility that since you appear to have a clear idea/belief within yourself that having material wealth means one is attached to their material possessions which can be problematic perhaps you were only seeing in the film those things that went against your own beliefs.

Again I am continuing to be amazed that so many people have observed so many different things in the film as the main focus of the film.  Because I am aware that we each create our own unique reality however I suppose I shouldn't be amazed at all.  I believe there is an old parable that speaks to how everyone has a different perspective that has something to do with different animals observing an elephant and giving their perception of what an elephant was based on their point of view.  The opinions I have seen offered of this film is no different than the parable.  Our own unique perspective based on who we are and how we think is going to dictate what we see in and what we get out of the film. 

Where you saw that the film was suggesting that manifesting material things will make us happy I saw the suggestion that we are all equally as deserving of abundance OF ALL KINDS and that if we choose to consciously focus on those things that we feel will enhance our lives and therefore increase our bliss then we can have them.  The point that I saw the film was making about material things is not that having those will make us happy but that when we make the decision to be happy FIRST and to live with gratitude for what we already have (the many blessings we all have in our lives that sometimes we take for granted like friendship, love, etc.) we will then attract abundance to us.  When I say abundance it is not just cars and homes and things but it covers the entire spectrum of everything that we beings need, want and deserve to have in our lives.

However all that said…your perspective is yours and mine is mine and we can still have the courtesy to respect the others opinion which I do and I know you respect mine as well.  I'm not saying you shouldn't feel the way that you do at all…just sharing what my perception was.  You will proceed with your life as you see fit and I will do the same.  There is no right and no wrong way to go about any of it and how each of us beings decide to proceed in life is something that we will see the benefits or consequences of for certain.

Blessings,
Cheryl

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The point that I saw the film was making about material things is not that having those will make us happy but that when we make the decision to be happy FIRST and to live with gratitude for what we already have (the many blessings we all have in our lives that sometimes we take for granted like friendship, love, etc.) we will then attract abundance to us.  When I say abundance it is not just cars and homes and things but it covers the entire spectrum of everything that we beings need, want and deserve to have in our lives.

I absolutely agree with that, but it seems to me (as an individual and as a filmmaker) that this subtlety gets lost in the presentation of the film. 

Again, I have absolutely no quarrel with the Law of Attraction, but I do take issue with how this film chooses to present some of the concepts associated with the law.   Hopefully, the film will guide people towards other materials (such as Abraham/Hicks) that explain the Law of Attraction more fully.

Re: The Secret is Partial

I understand perfectly what you are saying Geo and will agree on the premise that perhaps the filmmakers didn't make a film for those people who are open to the Law of Attraction but made a film targeting those who are clueless as to the power of our own thoughts/feelings/intentions and wanted to 'sell' these folks on the idea of it by approaching it from a bit more of a materialistic perspective.  Perhaps they felt it would be a topic that might catch people's attention and allow people to consider a new way of being without getting too far into the spiritual aspect of it since I don't know how many people I've tried to introduce to the film who want absolutely nothing to do with anything that speaks to the spiritual side of things.  Even though the idea is NOT to be attached to the outcome of our intentions I have a feeling perhaps one might have to begin there to get someone on board who is always attached to the outcome of their wishes and teach them to have the wish, ask for what they want, believe they deserve what they want and then to let it go.  I'm just grasping at straws here trying to view things from a different perspective.

Still I think because I was already learning about LOA and was pretty much on board before I ever saw the film I viewed the film differently than some others did and I still see it as a film that addresses abundance as a complete package and doesn't focus just on the material.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

Hey Duff,

You actually cover a very large ground of information in your post.  I imagine that comes from your integral or holistic approach.  It is obvious that you have looked at it from many aspects within yourself.  I appreciate your ability to be rounded in your thinking.

I am a Life Coach as yourself and take a whole approach to my coaching - balance and interconnection of all aspects in a person's life.  I'm only guessing here, but I bet as a coach you have experienced clients watching the movie and coming back to you with what you feel is  magical thinking - I know I have.  The concern is that people will crash and burn.  I actually see the positive in the movie and see the negative you point out also.   I have been talking with my daughter's friends (college age) and they definitely seem confused about how to actually use this law to their benefit.  They don't understand why it isn't working according to the movie or their perception of it.  They wonder if they are supposed to believe they are being treated fairly, when they clearly are not.  There is much to be learned for many but, wow, they are actually wondering?

I also have to say  that I have had more and more people looking to take responsibility for their lives and recognizing the power of their thoughts and choices that is not attached to magical thinking.  I have seen people go from feeling a victim of their lives as opposed to creating their lives.  This is pretty powerful and I have seen people make their desired changes.  I will also say that I am talking more about experiencing life authentically and learning to be true to themselves.  They have told me the movie helped them to think in a new way.  Even if The Secret is presented in a materialistic manner, with the genie in the bottle, I have seen it turn the tide of people's lives.  I submit articles to an on-line magazine - I recently had someone call me to thank me for the article.  The person told me that The Secret changed his life.  It was the first time he had ever heard anything like it.  As Jill said in another post, it  (LOA) has always been the same but packaged in different ways.  He had been using drugs since he was a child and stopped immediately (several months ago) and opened up his own business.  His thinking from the conversation did not seem magical.  He had a thirst in his spirit and was filled with light.  I will not soon forget his personal expression of joy.  How can you beat that?

The positive for me, seems to outweigh the negative.  I have wrestled with the presentation of the film in some ways and have taken it within to sort myself out about it because ultimately that is our number one responsibilty…..always the self..who am I being…doing, feeling….The greater we know ourselves the greater we can serve one another.  The Secret has brought me to look more closely at my own thoughts about the LOA and how it has been at work in my own life. 

Oprah is the exception of the rule and so why is that?  Oprah believed in herself, even when she was quite small, even in the midsts of some really hard life experiences.  It was not luck or magical thinking - she believed and went after it.  What happens if we look at her as an example instead of an exception.  I grew up in some pretty harsh conditions and I believed I would rise above and I did.  I wasn't looking to be a millionnaire but it truly was my belief that I had the power to change my life.  Many of us are only able to stand on the shoulders of our parents, at best, so to speak and that is because that is as far as we can see.  I have always looked ahead of me an said, “I don't care what the odds are - this is what I choose”.  Now if I can find someone in front of me that is in the shoes I envision, then all the better.  If only one other person in the world has done it, then why can't I?  Oprah should be looked at as an example, not an exception and I believe that has been her mission and hope that she would inspire others.  Kudos to Oprah for her financial success. That is not what I see as her greatest success and example, which is not to downplay that she may represent to another.

Her greatest success in my mind, is that she no longer worries if she will have something to eat, she no longer worries that she will be sexually abused, she no longer worries that you don't like her skin, or that she is a woman.  Her consciousness has raised far beyond that at this point and now she no longer worries that someone has a problem with her wealth or that she chooses to support her own race or that she is not as thin as most celebrities, or that ………Oprah no longer worries about just being Oprah.  I heard her once say, “No one does Oprah better than me because I've got it down.”

You are most likely correct that we cannot all be millionnaire's but do we all want to be? Success is measurable to the person.  If the children in Tijuana feel wealthy, that is wealth to them.  Your sister was instrumental in helping them raise their wealth consciousness based on her belief that they deserved more.  SHE IS THEIR OPRAH!  Do you see what I mean?  I do not know her name or I would use it in place of Oprah's.  Your sister does represent wealth and is showing by example.

Your thoughts on the taxation is interesting and I get where you are standing in your expression of it.  Based on your beliefs about it, your more positive view would be more appropriate.  Mine is completely different based on my belief that taxation on our personal income is unconstitutional and defined by our constitution as illegal.  So, for me “Tax Relief” is a sham to begin with.  Taxes on our income only pays for the interest that the Federal Reserve (not a department of our government but owned by private shareholders) places on our government.  “Tax Relief” only spurs me to say, “I claim my money as my own to utilize and give as I choose”, and that is greater than whining about it too.   That puts us really in the place of standing in what truth is to us, does it not?


Debby

Re: The Secret is Partial

Hi Debby,

I certainly agree with your perspective and have a similar one myself.  Personally I feel the MOST IMPORTANT thing in order to begin to use The Secret to one's advantage is to realize and accept that we have always been living by the Law of Attraction our entire existence as a being.  I think that first step establishes 'what has been/what is' and from there a person who truly is interested in creating the life that they want for themselves can utilize the Law of Attraction consciously.  Although I am a huge proponent of not looking to the past we can take a look at how we've been using it by default prior and then figure out more easily how to use it with purpose now.  Personally I think it's a bit difficult to grasp and especially to believe in the Law of Attraction unless you have established in your mind that your life experience so far has been a result of your thoughts, feelings, expectations and subconscious desires. 

For me as I watched the film the very first time I had an epiphany wherein I couldn't help but to smile to myself because it became clear in my mind and heart that everything that had ever happened to me in my life was a direct result of my subconscious beliefs about myself and what I deserved or what I feared or at the very least what I had co-created with another to bring about the end result.  Once I accepted this wholly and without any judgement of myself or anyone else was when I knew that the Law of Attraction existed for certain and that I was capable of manifesting an even more wonderful life for myself by living with purpose instead of by default.

We can call this way of being magical thinking if we wish to, it's only a label after all, but I liken it much more to logical spiritual thinking.  Once we can establish that the impossible is possible and that we are only limited by ourselves in what we can do or create or manifest perhaps the idea that it's magic will dissipate.  For myself synchronicities used to feel like magic or luck but today I realize that they are only my subconscious 'order to the Universe' being filled and I choose not to perceive that as magic in any way but only the way things are and should be.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

Duff,

I appreciate your post. You know the problem is people are made to feel bad that they are unhappy and taught all they need to get that happy feeling is this or that. When someone becomes more spiritual the ego shape-shifts and comes back even more dangerously. It comes back in forms like the Secret. Get more stuff using your Secret knowledge so you can be more happy.

Well, you know what? Being happy is overrated. Great things are seldom created by happy people. It is through our pain and suffering that we actually learn and progress. It is the stress against us that forces our evolution.

2500 years ago a prince in India had everything he could ever want. He was very happy. Then he left the palace and saw an old man, a sick man and a dead man. His happiness with his life evaporated and his quest for the end of suffering began. We got Buddhism out of his unhappiness.

The most ironic part to this, is all the people who are successful at attracting this or that, will only have to part with it when they pass from this world. The things they attract will become anchors in suffering. That super new job could lead to a heart attack of stress. The new car, well it can be crashed. The abundance of money leads to fear of loosing it.

The Secret is really about desire and getting your desires fulfilled. But, desires are never quenched, and one will drink them in forever and never have enough.

Getting what you want isn’t a blessing, it is a curse, because chances are what you want isn’t good for you in the long run.

peace

Re: The Secret is Partial

Amen to that, Mystical Sun. If all got what they thought they wanted, reality as we know it would break down into sheer madness. Cars from all directions would get green light at the same time. Everyone would be rich but you would be unable to buy anything, since the former shop workers were now rich and did not need to work…

The truth is that most of people's wants revolve around other people, and for everyone to get what they wanted, each would have to get their own pocket universe populated with soulless clones of the people they have wants about.  Sounds like hell to me. An eternity alone with my own desires? Thanks, but no thanks.

If people have watched “The Secret” and come away with the idea that only their own wants and wishes are important, I guess it really is a horrible film.  For them.

Re: The Secret is Partial

Is this post just about the movie or the law of attraction in general? What the LOA represents in a broader concept is contendedness, graciousness and trust that the universe will provide. What it also says mainly is that your life is your creation which really is'nt a secret at all.
Maybe everbodies great desires are very different as to level of importance, for some it is relationships, others it is travel, for some it is building…..etc. Also as far as getting all the greenlights and such I feel like that is also an issue of trust in that if you are at a light you are ok, maybe you avoid an accident maybe you get to hear your favorite song or see somthing beautiful that you've never seen before. I dont believe that the LOA is about everbody  being rich and on time I think its a broader concept

Re: The Secret is Partial

Wisely stated Golden and a great point.

I believe the reason why they named the film 'The Secret' is because to so many today the fact that we create our own lives based on how we think/feel about ourselves and the Universe around us is really a secret.  I personally know several people who poo-poo the very idea that they have had anything whatsoever to do with how their lives have turned out and spend a great deal of time placing blame on everyone from their parents to the childhood classmates to their kids or employers or even the government.  To them being the creator of one's life or being a co-creator along with everyone else in making the life the world lives today is a true secret and in some cases a secret they DON'T want to know even when exposed to the information. 

I also agree with you Golden that LOA isn't about everybody being wealthy or getting a good parking spot…it is ALL about putting all of the pieces together for us to be a complete and totally blissful being so that we can bless others with our existence.  People don't seem to consider that everything that we are, everything that we do or say affects the ONE.  It ALL ripples outward into the Universe and whether or not we believe we are 'an island' that doesn't have any affect on the world or other people it is a fact that everything that we are and do and say and even think does affect the whole eventually.  The effect we have depends totally on how we feel as a being.  Just look at the people who have contributed to society in great or even negative ways that we have all heard of like Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, Hitler, Saddam Hussien, Stalin…  They are ALL people just like us and their beliefs, thoughts, words and actions affected a LOT of people.  Look at them and how they affected the world and then ask yourself how they most likely felt about themselves and how they viewed life and others because how we view ourselves is the well spring from which everything we are and think and do and say flows. 

There is of course no right or wrong way to acheive this level of being so no one can say what should work for another person.  However, there are ways of being that evolve us and ways of being the devolve us as beings…the choice is ours and ours alone.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

As always perception is everything and everyone has their own unique perception but I wanted to reply to the comment that if people have watched the Secret and come away with the idea that their own wants and wishes are important then the film is horrible.

If anyone has ever flown on a commercial airline they will remember the part of the flight where the flight attendant provides instructions on how to use the oxygen masks should there be an emergency and they drop down.  A part of the attendants instructions is that if you are with someone who requires your assistance it is imperative that you place your oxygen mask upon yourself BEFORE attending to the other person.  This is so you can ensure that you are in a condition to see to the other person's needs instead of passed out or incapacitated.  Saving your own life first could save theirs. 

This is also a lesson for our lives in general.  How are we to see to the needs of others or even consider the needs of others as important if we do not feel that our own needs are important?  Our needs are important and it is our responsibility as a being to make sure that they are met.  By making sure our own needs are met first we are better equipped to offer assistance to others and to understand that their needs are important too.  It's no different than love.  If we do not know how to love ourselves we cannot learn how to love others in a way that will enhance their lives.

Trust me on this one.  Having been two people in my life I was once one of those who ignored my own needs on all levels and only considered the needs of others always putting everyone else's needs and feelings first.  Eventually I got to the point that I was so depressed I could no longer even see to the needs of my children.  I most certainly did not value myself as a person and lived a life that reflected that perception of myself.  The key to my recovery was in learning that I too deserved to be taken care of and that sitting around waiting for someone else to come along to take care of my needs was a long fruitless and depressing exercise in futility.  Considering one's own needs as important is not selfish…it is smart because we cannot truly learn to value others until we value ourselves.

We are all co-creators and YES not everyone all the time should have everything that they want because as you say life would be chaos.  However, when we are all viewing our own needs as important then we are helping ourselves become secure, confident and happy beings.  If everyone did this the world would be in better shape because secure, confident happy people who value themselves and their own needs aren't worried about what others are doing and whether or not others are getting what they feel is theirs.  Secure, confident and happy people who value themselves and their own needs also as a rule don't indulge in the little prejudices in life that separates us from others out of fear and ignorance.

It is ALL how one chooses to perceive it and my perception of viewing our own needs as important is that it is a key step to finding to connecting to the ONE and finding one's own place in the Universe.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

The LOA cuts both ways. Be careful what you wish for as you might just get it. Everything you attract comes with karmic consequences. The more things you attract for yourself the more karma you create and the longer you are going to be trapped in maya/samsara.

The only thing worth using the power of LOA is for helping others and the world. Using it for ones own gain, will work, and work very effectively, but comes with karmic debt.

The movie uses Einstein as an example. Yes, he was an amazing individual. However, remember what Einstein said later in his life: “If I had my life to live over again, I’d be a plumber.”

peace

Re: The Secret is Partial

Dear Mystical Sun,

You stated:  Be careful what you wish for as you might just get it.

That my friend is the WHOLE POINT of what the film is trying to get across to everyone.  However, most of us 'wish' for things subconscously  based on the perceptions and thoughts that we have. 

I used to be very much into karma which in my mind fits into LOA like a hand in a glove.  Karma teaches us that if we do 'good' things then good things will come back to us. Concurrently if we do 'bad' thngs then bad things will come back to us.  LOA is the exact same thing except that it takes it much deeper into the human subconscious where everything that we are, think, do or say is created.  If we feel and think positive things then good things will come to us…if we feel and think negative things then megative things will come back to us. 

If you believe that LOA goes against karma then perhaps you don't have a clear understanding of LOA or at least you haven't chosen a positive perception of LOA.

Yes there are schools of thought that say we should all live as paupers and do only good things for other people in order to achieve whatever level of existence it is we are supposed to be evolving to.  However, when we expand upon that simple belief we find that we can have it all…we can live like kings and still do good for others.  We are all beings of light and why shouldn't we have it all?  Why shouldn't we be everything we can be and more?

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

Mystical Sun,

“The only thing worth using the power of LOA is for helping others and the world. Using it for ones own gain, will work, and work very effectively, but comes with karmic debt.”

How do you personally measure the level of what “gain” is in your life?  How do you measure in what ways it is okay for you to give to others?  Where is the cut off point to when basic needs are considered “karmic debt”? 

This concept is very confusing for me to understand because the things we consider in our country to be quite basic for our survival, like running water would be a grand luxury somewhere else. 

When you consider your belief about this, how does it flow within your day to day life?  Do you feel the standard is the same for each person or an individual thing according to their beliefs?

Debby

Re: The Secret is Partial

Hi Debbie,

There are no hard and fast rules and I am not passing judgement. Personally for me all I want is a healthy world to live in and that is the one that we have all been denied.

peace

Re: The Secret is Partial

And herein lies the rub Mystical Sun.

As long as you view the world as being a place that is unhealthy this will be your reality AND will appear to you to be the reality of the world.

It's funny…if someone locked themselves in a room and their only outside connection to the world was the news media and newspapers that person would most certainly want to remain in that room forever because the world that they perceive as being 'reality' would be filled with war, hate, hunger, inequality, disease, threat, fear, tyranny, dishonesty and paranioa.  BUT that is NOT the reality of our world if we choose not to view it that way.  I see a LOT of kindness, charity, generosity, love, peace, understanding, tolerance and all of the things that make life worth living.

How does that quote go?  I forget who said it but it goes something like this:  “When we change the way we look at things the more the things we look at change.”

It's not simply a concept that quote nor just an idea but is a part of the Law of Attraction and applies to every living being that exists.  I can say that with the utmost confidence because I know it applies to me and I have changed so much by changing how I choose to view it.

Where our attention goes…energy flows!  Personally I choose to focus my energy on the beauty, wonder, awe and goodness in our world.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

Debbie,

Everything in this life is impermanent. In America we are blessed with material wealth the likes of which the world has never seen. But, when surveyed we also have some of the highest rates of depression and mental illness. Upon getting a thing, that thing comes with fear of loosing that thing. IE: The new job or love interest, attracted through the LOA, comes with the fear of loosing it. It boils down to desire and attachment. The less attached one can be to their own self the easier it will be to be actually happy. It is through attachment to our self that personal desire is born. Personal desire leads to suffering in the end. Because that which is desired cannot be held forever and separation anxiety begins. Nothing attracted via the LOA can be held forever. What is attracted will leave one day, unless one becomes immortal, but I haven’t met any immortals so far. Even the Earth one day will be consumed by the Sun.

The karmic debt is what happens when you experience the side effects of what you have just attracted into your life. Unintended consequences.

Does that make sense?

namaste

Re: The Secret is Partial

Dear Mystical Sun,

Had you chosen a different perspective of LOA you would see that knowing that we can acheive whatever we want to acheive and have whatever we want to have BECAUSE we exist in an infinite and abundant Universe REMOVES all fear of losing anything.  If we know without a doubt that we can manifest for ourselves whatever is it that we want/need such as someone to love, or a new car, or good health, or a big house, or  peace for our world or whatever then we can have no fear of losing it because if it goes away we can simply manifest it again or manifest something bigger and better.  All of the negative things that people are trying to point out in relation to LOA come directly from the emotional state…all of them such as fear, attachment, disappointment are ALL emotion based concepts.  When we choose to live a life dictated and directed by our emotions is when we have these issues as well as a negative outcome.  However when we choose to live a life dictated by purposeful and conscious thoughts/expectations/desires and choose to use our emotions as a guide to tell us whether or not we are heading in the right direction is when we are at our best as beings and is when all the positive things begin to happen for us.

You are absolutely correct that life is impermanent but only this physical life on this planet that we are each living right now.  That physical existence is impermanent yes but the energy that we are, our consciousness, is everlasting.  It has always been and will always be long after our sun nova's and the earth is again turned into stardust.  Yet even with the explosion of our sun and the destruction of our solar system a new solar system will be born.  The energy expelled by a sun going nova will provide the key component to the creation of a new solar system or perhaps even many new solar systems depending on the conditions at the time.

The concept that we must form attachment to things or results in order to acheive them or gain them as well as personal desire leading to suffering or that there will be separation anxiety comes directly from existing in one's mind/psyche in a place of lack as opposed to abundance.

How we choose to percieve how everything works is what our reality is going to be.  When we choose to shift that perception then our reality is shifted.  Again LOA in action.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

Absolutely Debby.

It all boils down to this, which LOA establishes, we get in life exactly what we believe deep down inside that we deserve to have.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

Mystical Sun,

My questions are asked with a sense of curiosity  and I hope that you see that.  I do not think that we all need to think alike and feel it is quite advantageous to be open to the thoughts and ideas of others. 

 Do I understand correctly, that you feel the movie, The Secret is taking people further away from that which is Truth and Divine by focusing on things that feel very insignificant to you….taking us further away from the probability for peace and the soul of life?  I can see where “The Secret” would be seen as a magic pill.  What would your idea of a healthier world look like?  I don't know what maya/samara represents….do you mind explaining?

I have seen in my own life the work of the LOA.  I didn't call it that but have been doing it consciously since I was 11 yrs. old.  It was not about material things but my inner being.  Anything material in my world was an expression of my inner spiritual being.  As Golden said, there are many people that do not choose to create the green light.  They may choose something different at the red light as he suggested.  Someone may enjoy viewing beautiful gardens at stop lights. I never think about whether I am getting a green or red light but I do have a tendency to make calls to my family members that live several thousands of miles from me to give a quick hello if it is red.  I am realizing that I am happy if it is yellow or red - each has a positive if i choose to see it.    

Debby

Re: The Secret is Partial

Dear Debby,

Once again I see we are traveling alongside one another in this amazing journey.  You are SO right…it is NOT about material things.  Material things are simply an outward expression of our inner being.  LOA in a nutshell if you will.

We truly all do get exactly what we subconsciously feel that we deserve.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

Dear Cheryl,

“We truly all do get exactly what we subconsciously feel that we deserve.” Does that mean the AIDs orphans in Africa are getting what they deserve? How about the famine in and genocide in Darfur do the people there subconsciously feel they deserve that? What about locally, did the people in NOLA deserve Katrina followed by no help? How about the town in Kansas, was that just the fault of their negative thinking about things? The list is endless, are you really saying all these events and people suffering deserve it?

Please explain this to me, I don’t understand how so many people in the world deserve suffering. “Material things are simply an outward expression of our inner being”, I guess that makes Paris Hilton someone to admire, she has manifested everything in her life? She never wears the same clothes twice, because she deserves that and the people in the sweet shop who make her clothes deserve those working conditions?

I think we owe it to the world, to stop worry about making our lives perfect and instead worry about raising them up to an acceptable standard of living. When no child goes to bed hungry, when medicine is there for those who need it, when war is a thing of the past and when people can walk the streets of their towns without fear of attack then it will make sense for people to manifest yet another new car or bigger house. Until then ignoring the human suffering in the world by just thinking positive is neglecting our duties to our fellow humans, and for that we don’t deserve anything. Because we are all interconnected and when someone suffers no matter how far away from our site, we are suffering.

peace

Re: The Secret is Partial

It sounds terrible doesn’t it? Uncaring and all of that. But I still believe that this is the way of the Universe. I have no explanation as to why it is but I simply believe that it is. The only idea I can throw out there is that no one knows what another beings path is supposed to be or what their life experiences need to be in order for them to evolve as a being.

In these discussions of a better world or a utopian-like existence that we are all supposedly working toward I think we tend to forget about balance. Balance should be maintained in all things and when balance is off then things can go awry. I think the environment has shown us that this is true.

Who is to say what existence or experience another being is going to have?

If I had it all figured out I can assure you I’d share it with you but even then…in an infinite Universe what one person figures out is from their perspective and will be different than what another person figures out.

One thing that I do know and have learned for myself is that if I allow myself to be swept away by the ‘reality’ of the world and all of it’s suffering people’s I would be emotionally crippled by it and would be unable to do what I need to do to make sure that I am a fully functioning human being that would be in a position to help another human being. Focusing only on the suffering will bring more of the same. If that weren’t so then all of the people who have spent so much time, and in an emotional state as well, focusing on what is wrong in the world…focusing on all of the suffering…would have eliminated the suffering by now simply by their caring. In otherwords…awareness of what can be done to remedy a situation has always and will always do infinitely more than focusing on what is wrong with a situation and then being upset that no one is doing anything or enough.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

Mystical Sun,

I started my post awhile ago, left it, finished it and did not realize you had posted again.

Yes,  do understand your explanation and what you are saying.  it is true that this country has an extremely high rate of depression even as it has the greatest wealth.  I agree that people place too much attachment on possessions and actually see them as extensions of themselves or worse yet, a definition of who they are.  It is one of the great dis-connects between the material world and the spiritual world. 

I do also think that we can know who we are separate from all material things, have material things things, keep them in their proper place within us……..and not be attached to them.  In other words,  if we experience them but do not feel they are a part of who we are or depend on them for happiness, we do not fear the loss of it as they do not define our value or true truth.

Debby

Re: The Secret is Partial

Debbie,

My apologies I was tossing around terms from Eastern Philosophy assuming everyone here knew them. Maya/Samsara are worlds that describe very loosely translated here the cosmic illusion. It would take several long essays to explain and I am not that great of a writer. I come from an eastern perspective on everything and that colors my posts.

peace

Re: The Secret is Partial

Geo,

I like what you are saying here and tend to agree with it.  The emphasis on the material stood out to me as well and my first thought on it was that people would create things that were not what their deep inner true being wanted because of distorted beliefs about the money/happiness connection that our society holds.

Something I find interesting to explore is the fact that many people feel The Secret did speak about what we create in a balanced way.  I have wondered if it stands out to those of us that may have or have had strong feelings about money that need to be or have been looked at.  

 I feel that I am personally balanced in that area of my life but it was an evolution for me.  I had the realization how much energy material things required to maintain and sustain.   I decided that it was taking away from my inner happiness and created a life based on voluntary simplicity so I had more time to do what did make me happy.  It was tremendously freeing and allowed me to release my attachment to material possessions and the specific emotions tied to particular things. I still live simply but can enjoy and take pleasure in any material thing I may choose to invite into my world without attachment. 

 I feel it is more about the  “why” underneath what we desire to create than the “what” we create.   A person existing in poverty may actually have a greater attachment emotionally to money and the idea of it than someone with plenty of money.  Attachment is in the mind not the possession.

I purchased the Hicks most recent book and one of the things I found very significant was the suggestion to ask for what you want, decide to create it, feel it, own it and then let go of your attachment to it.

Debby

Re: The Secret is Partial

Mystical Sun,

Thanks for the explanation.  So what you are saying is that the more material things we create in our lives the more it attaches us to the illusion of the material world, thus taking us longer to reach our true actualization apart from the body?


Itlandm,

It sounds like you are saying the same - that material things will create thoughts that are not to our benefit as well as the actual thoughts that brought the material thing into existance?


Am I understanding?

Debby

Re: The Secret is Partial

Debbie,

You could put it that way. It is hard not to be attached to something that one worked hard to attain. Let me give you a personal example. I am in the music world. Now, it would sure be nice for my song to be #1. Why not use the LOA to make it #1? I deserve the boundless graciousness of the world. Right? Okay, lets imagine I pull that off, and yep, I get the #1 song in the country. There is one problem, I can’t have the #1 song forever, no one can. So, even though I got what I wanted, I am going to loose what I got. I better be prepared for the loss or I am going to be bummed. This is a silly example, but I hope it makes the point. What you attracted you become attached to. You can’t hold on to everything. Things will still leave your life. We must be ready for that.

peace

Re: The Secret is Partial

Hi all,
My reply to this controversy about the Secret being something “Phenomenal” is already Itirated in my first post to this Pod
Here I am posting something very different–on why I feel, all this is too much HYPE and cannot Accomplish “happiness” even on a mundane plane such as the 'Physical” consistently for all individuals.
Here is my further contribution.:-

Observer, Observation and Observed–Being-ness
Posted on Oct 21st, 2006 by peace_seeking_spirit
“The Observer that observes any kind of change within or outside of itself, is both –Changing and Unchanging– Ironically, the changing part Observes the Unchanging or Stillness outside and the unchanging part observes the change outside”
So, what could Transcend both of these? i.e. Change and Unchanging states?” - Definitely “Beingness”

Being is the Supreme Reality, which is undifferentiated and unknown till we start with the “Will to know” journey. Till this moment in time and space, we do not have any other perception than one of “Beingness”. Once the act of manifestation starts due to the Desire to expand, that which is Existence-Consciousness takes shape, form and first it contracts its potential space inward and then releases all its immense energy outward, away from its center called the Source or Core by many mystics and spiritualists. Once this happens, Existence-Consciousness has Observed a new phenomenon in its Reality known as Energy consciousness. This is equal to Awareness. Once existence consciousness and energy consciousness are co-dwelling in a common reality, then all they can do is cause three factors to co-create or destroy viz Rhythm, Inertia and Mobility.

With these three factors, Existence consciousness and energy Consciousness create another reality common to each other, known as Bliss COnsciousness. This Bliss is the one we Observe as an Empirical Evidence known as “Created cosmos”

Once this act of manifestation is complete, the act of Reabsorption into its innate nature i.e Undifferentiated Beingness, starts on a journey yet again intense and highly complex for mundane minds to understand. This is often termed as “Churning of the Ocean” in many Mythologies and Legends worldover.

After the act of Reabsorption, there is a Reality, which Buddhist Monks often describe as “Nothingness” or a Great Void. The Poornata ( completion ) was termed as Shoonyata (Void- Nothingness).

This chain of events within the causation of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss is a mere Illusion for the mundane Minds to even fathom at any given level.
Randomness is what causes these factors to work together or what we see as Order is nothing but the convergence and divergence of everything that which is Within each being and it Expands unto the cosmos and multiverses and / or Diverges into Billions of possibilities, beyond human cognition.

Much love n light, Hope you all enjoy this post.
Jagan Ramamoorthy
Los Angeles.

Re: The Secret is Partial

Well I must say, when I first posted for some reason all I saw was Duff's original post AND I assumed it was recently posted!  Where are you anyway, Duff?

I have read all of the original posts from this thread and have really been fascinated by it. 

This all comes down to the primary language of Divinity being paradoxical.  There is destiny in freedom, darkness in light, completion in nothingness, we are full when we are empty, etc.

We are all touching pieces of the divine and there is wisdom to be found in each post. 

We can actually take each polarity and see the truth of both if we are open to it. 

One thing I think we all agree on is that Abundance and true wealth cannot come but through the spirit.  I think we have all agreed that the LOA is real, so pay attention to how it is at work in our lives.

I am finding the Abraham/Hicks books far more balanced than the movie, The Secret.  I do think it is a bit strange that their latest work is called the secret behind The Secret - yes, I know the whole story about how they were the premise of the original film but still feels kind of disgruntled…..haha, after all they must have invited it in.  I cannot ignore the fact that The Secret has moved people in positive ways but I do hope it won't leave people disenchanted.  We are co-mingling with many people in the LOA -if two people are going after the same job, only one will get it.  We are far more powerful than we realize but we are many beings of power sharing the universe.

Thoughts are powerful. When we shift our perception about something, we see ourselves looking at the world with new eyes.  We can choose to see the world from a positive light and yet we must cautious to not close our eyes to the needs of our fellow man.  Being positive is not the same as turning a blind eye.  Mystical Sun, brings up some good points about catastrophic world events that kill many in natural disasters or victims of war in their homeland.  How does this play into LOA ? - I don't necessarily buy the answers I have heard to explain this one.

I think the LOA and many other spiritual truths are multi-dimentional because there are many planes of existence happening simultaneously.  I hope I am not opening up a can of worms on this last comment.

Debby

Re: The Secret is Partial

This is a good thread! I agree with many of the posters here I find these discussions difficult in nature because many of us have pretty fixed belief systems. We know what we know and we will find a way to retrofit it into everything, which I guess is my point. Our lives our history our planet are all subject to our perception of it . Everything that we have experienced up to this point is really all we have to work with. To some karma is real, to others angels are real, if the LOA does not feel right for someone then the practice and utilization of it is not good.

In fact it would be detremental for anyone to try to adhere to something that does not help them feel good, for some blaming others works for others the need to instill a bleak future works. I know because I have existed at varying levels of these perceptions, but I sought out change. If someone is not seeking out change, just merely trying to retrofit the beliefs into everything then there is no true discussion or new knowing to be had. We are all exactly where we are our current level of understanding is where it is and we will learn when we seek out lessons or we see the lessons seeking us out.  Most importantly is if where we are is fine if our quality of life is where we want it then we are all fine, we will seek one another out if and when we wish to see change.

Re: The Secret is Partial

I couldn't agree more Golden.  There is no Universal belief, right or wrong or way of being…it is all according to our own unique perceptions.  Still the most amazing thing to me is that even though we are all unique and our own entity we are all still a part of the ONE.

Amazing when you think about it.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

It really is I guess it sort of looks like the different functioning organs of the body along with all of the specialized cells and tissues. We all do what we do and make the whole thing work. We are still one maybe this is the needed discourse.

Re: The Secret is Partial

Hi Debby,

I am in complete agreement with you on all fronts.  The Universe is at the same time the most simple place that exists as well as the most complicated place that exists.  I suppose we could liken it to the elephant that looks like many completely different things according to which perspective one is looking from.

I think that there are basic 'knowledges' that we all live by.  That is not to say that all people share the same knowledges but that there are things that we each know that we know and then live our life by.  Will we all ever be on the same page?  I doubt it.  But if enough of us begin to gravitate to and then choose to live by a similar philosophy there will be a shift in reality and the world will change.  To me this is what Zaadz, What the Bleep do We Know?, The Secret, One and a myriad of books is for…to help us see the shift that is possible…or at the very least to see the possibilities rather than only limits or lack.

In closing I'd just like to say that ours is not to debate which is the right way, the right philosophy, and then choose one but ours is to each explore on our own and live by that which we find that evolves us best into the being that we all seek to be…a being of light that exists in abundance in all things that creates joy within rather than seeking it without, etc…

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

Positive outlook without a realistic framework is of temporary benefit at best and quite likely dangerous. It is meaningful to adopt a positive frame of mind when the facts and context warrant such views, however, when the facts and context do NOT warrant a positive frame of mind, adopting a positive outlook anyways delays genuine awareness and the genuine ability to cope. In other words, one may believe one is adopting a mindful positive point of view but, without the requisite awareness of what is real and true and why it is so, one's “mindful” outlook isn't mindful at all.

Like everything else, the positive frame of mind must be warranted, otherwise you are willfully taking a sedative against the truth. Such is also true of the unwarranted negative frame of mind which is what “The Secret” and other such pop philosophy is attempting to minimize. If it works for you, be certain it works for good reason, not simply a convenient one.

Unjustifiable cheer is no better than unjustifiable cynicism.

Re: The Secret is Partial

I find your comments very interesting Naumadd.  Mostly because of your reference to needing to have a realistic framework in order to justify thinking positively.  Reality and those things deemed as realistic are only reality and realistic for ourselves and for those who choose to subscribe to the same reality that we do. 

The only example I can think of at the moment that may provide evidence to you that reality is truly relative is the old question as to whether the glass is half empty or half full.  The metophorical glass has the exact same amount of water in it in all cases yet some will view it as half empty and some will view it as half full.  That is because the two groups choose a different reality based on who they are and how they view life and the world in general.

If you have decided for yourself that you shouldn't have a positive outlook unless you feel it is justified based on a realistic framework then that will be how you deal with life's little ups and downs until you should choose to view things differently.  While being 'old paradigm' it seems that there are still many who subscribe to this way of being and if that is their conscious chosen path then by all means it is perfect for them.  As always there is no right or wrong when it comes to issues such as this only differing opinions/realities.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

Naumadd I like your line of thought and questioning it is good debate material. I agree with you that people should begin by being honest about how they truely feel emotionally, I do believe that the concious evaluation of your life is a necessary component to vital change. But what I do encourage is that upon this examination of the self ( with someone well versed in this type of thing) that you do get to the best feeling place you can be. This does not always spell out rainbows, many times its anger or grief or whatever that comes up, but the important thing is to move out of the place you were originally in. This is not positive in the sense of joy or happiness but it is the pathway to that general disposition. I dont think that someone needs to be totally positive all the time but the exploration of positivity is a very fruitful and worthy persuit.

Law of Attraction is the law it is how we line ourselves up, through various processes and practices that we create exactly what it is that we want and more importantly comfortable with.

Re: The Secret is Partial

Once again Golden I heartily agree.  I believe what you have described is simply the process of evolution which everything that exists is going through continuously.  Of course us humans with our ability to reason and to question married with our tendency to allow our emotions and/or fear to rule us do get a bit bound up in the process and some of us either devolve or remain stagnant in one place afraid of change.  This of course is not a judgement of anyone because I am learning that each person's path is their own to travel and that I do not have a right to say whether or not they are evolving at the speed they might be able to.  I was simply commenting on what I have observed throughout my own evolutionary journey.

I have thought that we created forums such as this to explore our evolution as a specie together but my thoughts on that have changed considering how many people join the forum not to learn for themselves or to share what they have learned but to help keep the rest of us 'new agers' from making a huge mistake by thinking and living positively.  Of course I don't take their concern nor their urgings to be careful and not to get caught up in something that isn't 'real' personal and will remain on the path I am on now which because I am creating my own life can shift and change and take another direction at any time.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

Hi Cheryl.
So what you're saying is that people who join and post because they're interested, but not not full-on this-is-the-answer-to-all-my-questions supportive are knocking you for your “new age” beliefs? Really?
I thought the idea was to have discussion, not to preach to the choir. Am I way off base with that?

Re: The Secret is Partial

Not exactly…

I was simply stating that it has been my observation that some people's original conscious or subconscious intention appears to be to disprove whatever it may be that the others are here to discuss.  I do understand however that perhaps this is how the Universe is operating in their case so that they can have the benefit of discussions regarding things that may be of benefit to them.

I do not judge anyone for whatever motives they may have.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

I appear to be more in harmony with Cheryl and Golden on the subject of the forums.  But what I know is that those to make unenlightened comments which is only denying their own power and affirming their desire to remain a victim, have had something injected into their consciousness that one day they may choose to hear.  A person said something to me that 10 years later I heard only because then I was ready to hear it. So all have a place in the forums .  Some giving.  Some receiving.  All ,  in the moment,  sharing all that they have to give.  I bless them for their courage to enter a new reality concept even if it is only to knock it. It is an opportunity to open up their mind to receive greater thought and how wonderful it is that we can participate in their journey. Please check out some other sites that I post in and perhaps you will join ther too. Soulcast and Hellium.  Joy To All.

Re: The Secret is Partial

I think “spiritual” children will love it.
spiritual adolescents will hate it and
spiritual adults will understand it.

Ciao for Niao

Re: The Secret is Partial

I was just reading some of the older posts and saw some that were speaking of The Secret as more of a get rich quick kinda  thing.  I just wanted to share my thoughts about this since it was never part of my reality.  When I began SOM in the 70's it was so uplifting to think that I could create anything by my own thought processes.  As time progressed I realized that the power here was in the knowledge that “I and the Father are One”.  MY identity changed because I recognized that within me was a creative consciousness that allowed me free access to an awakening of the power and worth of Self.  I began to realize more about the godfire that was within myself and within  all people,  all life. It was not about money or power over another that enchanted me.  It was the personal experience of knowing how deeply loved that I was/am  and how worthy I am to receive this gift. What a love to empower each of it's creations with the same power and allow them to grow into greater and greater power as they learn to acknowledge self and it's worth. It brought to me a greater understanding of not only love but love for all of my brothers and sisters who just like me had used the power to bring pain to them themselves.

Re: The Secret is Partial

I so totally embrace your perspective! Yes this is what I’ve been trying to articulate.

Abundance is such a wide range of possibilities and to understand that we ourselves deserve abundance in all things is a powerful piece of knowledge!

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

My own question about LOA is this: so many of the best experiences I've had are ones I wouldn't have asked for, didn't want, thought were a disaster when they came to me. If I got everything I asked for, I'd be living a much smaller life. And it seems to me that getting what I want means that what I know now is the standard and the magnet – but I want to know more, I want to know the answers to the questions I don't even know to ask, I want the experiences I don't even know about yet. I don't see how getting what I ask for serves me. It seems like that would just keep me right where I am, and where I am is lovely, but it's only a moment, just this moment. I do see the power of LOA but it seems like a double-edged sword to me, and the more effectively I can employ it, the more unexpected opportunities I will miss. But that's just me. Maybe I'm just one of those “devolved” folks…

Re: The Secret is Partial

Have you considered your subconscious needs/desires as having influenced the events/situations that you have attracted into your experience?  We humans are often unaware of those subconscious thoughts that are just as effective at creating as our conscious ones.  Then of course there is also karmic type of things…things that we NEED to learn in order to evolve further.

As for myself I know that most of the traumatic experiences I've had in my lifetime have been the result of a spiritual need I wasn't even aware I had to learn from that experience.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

Dear Darren,

I think the most common misconception or if you will 'hurdle' for people learning about the Law of Attraction (LOA) as presented in the film the Secret is that blame, fault and guilt are to be associated with those things of a negative nature that we 'attract' into our experience either as a consequence of our conscious/subconscious decisions or as a life lesson that we 'need' to learn in order to evolve.  It is extremely easy for people who have more often than not existed their entire lives in a 'world' where blame has to always be placed, repentence always to be served and where there is a general attitude in society that 'someone must pay' for everything that happens.  We see it all around us in our government where committees are formed and billions of dollars are spent to ascertain who is responsible for just about EVERYTHING that occurs either naturally, due to a decision someone made, an oversight of someone or someone just not doing anything.  However unfortunatly rarely do I see where as much time is spent on putting procedures and policies into place to avoid that happening in the future.  There are also times, like Hurricane Katrina, where things just happen and there is really no one to be blamed or held responsible for the event.  I continue to try to be as generous as possible when others 'mess up' or make the wrong decisions that affect others detrimentally that we did then what we knew to do and when we knew better we did better.  If it is so of others then it is also so for me so this blame game when it comes to LOA is a non-issue for me personally.

When something like this has been driven into our being over a lifetime (most religions are especially good at guilt, blame, shame and repentance) one most certainly can understand how when presented with the concept of LOA and how we are the creators of our lives there are those who will recoil at the very thought of it immediately expressing that 'its not my fault'.  In the beginning of my exposure to the concept of LOA also felt angry that anyone would even remotely suggest that all of those negative experiences in my life were my 'fault' or even that I had anything to do with them happening.  However as soon as I removed the feeling that it was necessary for me to feel guilt for all of these things I understood how I could assume responsibility on many levels and have done so happily.  Why have I done so happily?  Because when I look back honestly on those traumatic situations in my life where I felt absolutely powerless and of course blameless I can see that it is those situations that have been the most instrumental in my evolution as a being not only in a spiritual sense but on many levels.  

I don't see it as 'deserving' whatever has happened to me but more as a matter of 'needing' the lesson in order to progress to a place where I stopped repeating the same behaviors/thoughts/attitudes/expectations.

So in closing I'd simply like to say, in my opinion of course, that when we remove the need for blame or guilt or shame or repentance from this equation of LOA that is when we can look unemotionally at the situations which we have attracted into our experiences throughout our lives.

Blessings,
Cheryl 

Re: The Secret is Partial

Dear Darren,

While I appreciate your attempt to help me see the 'truth' I accept the path you have chosen and respect it without judgement as the path you choose and as the path that will evolve you as a being so that one day you may realize yourself as a part of the ONE.  As for myself the path I choose is not one that follows manmade religious concepts but is one that travels deeper and deeper into my own being which of course brings me closer and closer to All the Is as well as closer and closer to you, to God, to the Universe, to whatever term you might choose to use to describe that which you believe is the omnipotent force/energy that is the creator of all that exists.

If God truly is All Things to All Men then my friend we are both traveling the 'right' path are we not?

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

I think Darren that we are saying the same thing but in different ways.

I do truly believe that the Bible is a wonderful source of direction when taken with an open mind and never suggested anything different.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

  The reference made by Darren that the Bible is “mystical”  inpired me to post.  I  have a new book just out on the 16th titled Jesus or Jehovah. What I found that caused me to create the book is that I had a lifetime of hearing what the preachers taught about Jesus so set out to see for myself why the Bible is so contradictory.  What I discovered is that if read,  as it is written,  all makes perfectly good sense. The Old Testament is about Jehovah and he is not shy about saying what he wants or about getting it.  The New testament from Acts to Revelations is clear.  It is only the first 4 books of the new Testament that creates the confusion. Here I found the words of Jehovah coming out of the mouth of Jesus.  Here two characters,  two stories,  two ways of being are interwoven together to make them appear as one. This created the confusion desired to keep the people busy trying to find out what Jesus taught instead of learning to live as he lived. It produced the saying that one can prove anything by quoting the Bible because it appers so contradictory.  This is probably why Jesus gave so many teachings about not mixing the old with the new because he knew it would have to happen.  My book Jesus or Jehovah allows the reader to separate the two and clarify the teachings of Jesus that until now have remained a mystery.  Amazon.com is carrying it. It is a wonderful teaching and I hope everyone will read it. 

Re: The Secret is Partial

Hi Cheryl.I agree with you.LOA is now being instumental in changing my whole life.I've lived my whole life with clinical depression and I felt like I deserved all that negativity(no self esteem). But no longer!!! I'm trying to utilize LOA to change all that.I hope this makes sense.I am still absorbing all these posts.Peace and love.Dave.

Re: The Secret is Partial

Good on ya Dave!  How wonderful is it to feel in control of your life? 

I too was depressed many years ago long before I'd ever heard of any of these concepts we have been discussing here.  Something within me showed me that my depression stemmed mostly if not totally from the feeling that everyone and everything else was controlling me and that I had not control over anything…not even my own emotions.  Something set me on the path those some twenty years ago to where I am now and the realizations I have made along the way have been instrumental in changing me so that I could change my life.

No matter what it is that helps us change it is good.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

Hi guys,
I am actually reading the book 'The secret' and have not seen the movie yet.
Actually, I do believe that what we have to do is to focus on things that we want, but I do not think that 'the Secret' is the answer for everything.

To be honest, now I am focussing on the things I want, and I really hope it comes true :)

What if all of us, focus on a peacefull world, with no hunger, no sickness, chances for everybody… wouldn't that be great?
Unfortunately, the Universe won't grant us that wish, don't you think? As everything should be balanced: black & white, good & evil, happiness & pain,…

Re: The Secret is Partial

Rain.. you can't just hope that things will come true.  That's not the way the universe works.  You have to be certain that they will because it's the law.  Jesus said that if we had the faith of a mustard seed that we could tell a mountain to go from where it is and into the sea.  He was talking about the LOA.  He understood it better than anyone else had prior, and than most have since. 

Dave.. it will work to use the LOA to heal depression.  We get more of what we focus on.. so if you focus on happiness you get happiness.. if  you focus on depression.. you get more depression.  I know.. I had clinical depression and PTSD for quite a long time.  I didn't consciously use the LOA to change myself, but did it unconsciously.  I was determined to change, so by putting that conscious intent out into the universe I was “led” to books and teachers that taught me about the mind/ego and suppressed emotion that Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now) calls the pain-body.  Those were what was causing my depression, and by shifting my conscoiusness and watching my thinking and allowing myself to heal old pain, they, and it, was eventually healed.  Life for me is now mostly wonderful.. with an occasional day of whatever.. but if and when anything comes up I just allow it and it passes and I'm back to wonderful again.
John

Re: The Secret is Partial

Hi John,
To your post I say YES, YES AND YES!!!!

Oh yes hope is not the same as knowledge.  It is not hope that fuels our ability to create…it is the knowledge that it is ours.

As for depression I love what you say to Dave.  Dave I sincerely hope that Johns words inspire you because I have done it, John has done it and there must be many others who have left depression behind for ever in exchange for living in the now with joy (if you want a great teacher to help you with learning to live in the now with joy watch the Dog Whisperer on National Geographic Channel…even if you don't have a dog!  This would be a good week to see him as he is on every night all week long.). 

It is understood that depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain.  I feel that this medical information is a part of the reason why so many people are simply managing their depression with drugs…because they think it is a medical issue that they have no control over.  Anti-depressants are a useful tool but are not a cure.  If those who simply accept that it's a chemical imbalance that they are powerless to change were to research the internal workings of the brain as an organ they would find that this chemical imbalance typically is created by ourselves.  I know very little but I know enough to know that it has to do with our hypothalamus, endorphins, peptides and receptors.  In other words what we choose to think about triggers the release of specific chemicals that are created in the hypothalamus.  The chemical that is released is made specifically for that emotion/thought that we are indulging in at the moment.  Those chemicals (peptides) go out into the brain searching for receptors…when they hook up is when we get the emotional/physical response to what we are feeling.  If we choose to feel 'down' then the peptides released are ones who will facilitate our getting a 'high' from those feelings (even if we hate feeling that way we still get a 'high' from it and this is why we become 'addicted' to misery and such things in our lives).  Funny thing is that when we have put enough of a specific peptide (chemical) out there those picky little receptors begin to refuse to accept any other peptide except for that kind.  So you see the more you feel badly…the more you are going to feel badly and it simply becomes a downward spiral.    So yes we do have a chemical imbalance in our brains when we are depressed but it is one we have created and it is well within our control to change by what we decide to focus on and think about and feel.  The awesome news is that it is NEVER too late to change ourselves and therefore change the chemical being released in our brains. 

Sorry for the rudimentary explanation but I'm just going on what little I know.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

Hi Cheryl,
I finally came to understand the process of addiction and depression when I saw the movie “What the Bleep Do We Know?”.  Suddenly that brought it all together for me.  I grew up in a war zone at home, so I got wired up in my body/mind with all sorts of neural pathways and chemicals that were a long ways from endorphins and serotonin.. and as you said.. when our body is hooked on whatever it gets hooked on it needs to create more to sustain itself. 

It's a fascinating process.. and one that's pretty far off topic here.. but I wanted to say that I received a wonderful email from a very sweet lady who encouraged me to help, so I've started a new pod on healing addiction and depression.  I haven't posted to it yet, but I would welcome your input once i get it up and running.
John

Re: The Secret is Partial

Hi Guys, once again.
RAin, I am trying to write as a continuation to what you just wrote: But, I must tell you all upfront that I am not here to either Endorse what one DVD/ Book has to say about “Life changing episodes” nor Dis-endorse its power over Millions of Believers.
I am only trying to add my two cents here.

What I understand from this movie and how people have interpreted it, I find it very odd that where people only “See, talk about or apply” the Law of Attraction as the central most theme of their lives, they fail to understand there is a NATURAL opposite called the Law of Repulsion and another above these two called “Universal/ or Cosmic Flow” as well at play.

It is almost like denial of the presence of Dark, and only talking about Light, when we can easily embrce the two and understand that “One cannot exist without the presence of the other”
I will elaborate on this more later, after my Violin lessons.
Namaste.
Jagan Ramamoorthy

Re: The Secret is Partial

Hi Again,
as I was explaining to you
About the application of “Power of or Law of attraction”
we have to discern very well, what “Groups or elements of energies that have fuelled the very existence of something we are seeing from a distance and WANT it to come into our realities very fast”
if we fail to understand the number of fallacies are hidden behind what we see, then we will SURELY, bring it into manifestation as well. When we first focus on something as distant from us –say like a distant Twister” it all appears very GOOD, very adaptable, when it twirls around and comes closer and closer, we then Suddenly realise that we are attracting many elements of the same “Being” which would run away from once we come to know of its Power to hit us from close range. By the time we realize this, it would have already hit us.
For example, take Bill Gates and his wealth–Sixty Billion dollars worth. How many of you think, that allof his wealth is accumulated by only FAIR play? How many innocents would have been trampled by him or a Donald Trump on the way to acquisition ofwealth of such magnitude? There is a LOT of cruelty involved in such wealth acquisition, so would I want part of such cruelty to Flow in with the money he might offer me, if I–happen to be the next Software geek, who can actually breach any security systems built by Microsoft professionals?
NO Thanks— I would always watch how I earn my wealth, whether it is “Good health being wealth” or a Comfortable money system, with not much deficit on the negative side of things, being wealth.
Same way, if I attract to myself a lot of “Pleasure” Would I not attract a lot of pain as well? because that is the natural “Flip side of pleasure”
It is very easy to say 'We attract our illnesses to ourselves” Say that to a young kid who was just born a Spastic? or an Autistic kid or one with Cerebral palsy as a Congenital condition?”
What rubbish. We are indeed governed by Karmic forces till we are attached to the “Physical realms” how many Wealthy people have escaped the laws of Karma?
Gautama Buddha has rightly put forth this in his teachings “All sufferings take root from Attachment–mainly attachment to the material/ physical dimension”
The law of Karma is also not the Supreme most, yet it is very easy to follow “cause and Effect” some say.
I suggest, Karma has Six elements:
a) PAst karma, which we have already incurred.
b) Current karma which we have Continuous incurrance
c) Future Karma which we “Might” incur.
d) Karma as Action/ Deed which has a definite conclusion in a flowing reality.
e) Akarma or inaction in such a flow
f) Vikarma –Opposite action to a flow which would seem Natural/ Social or civilized.
 then above these six would be the Sanchita or a Sum total of all Actions done in all tenses and all Cycles.

How many can escape these laws by just using the Law of Attraction?
Sounds very easy, but try it, this is where “Failures come from” and then a later stage of Dejection.
I am not pessimistic about this kind of teachings, I like Esther Hicks, I like Abraham hicks, I love Gary Zukav, I love Caroline Myss as well. But, is there any ONE view that can ever hold all truths for the entire Universe?
Much Love,
Namaste

Jagan Ramamoorthy
PS: Even in the Treatise “Soundarya Lahari” Aachaarya Shankara has suggested to us, “The 64 forms of Tantra are Mystical art forms of healing powers and their methods to use and acquire the four “Purushaarthaas” or the votaries to human pleasure/ happiness, yet not all of these Mystical powers can ever provide us with LIBERATION for the Spirit”
JR

Re: The Secret is Partial

The best book that I have ever read that addresses Karma is “A Beginners Guide To Creating Reality”  by Ramtha.  I just began reading it but already have covered a lot of material about Karma that has added to my knowledge.  Joy To All

Re: The Secret is Partial

Hi John,

It was 'What the Bleep Do We Know?' that also helped me see things in a way that really went a long way helping me understand why I had done so many things the way I had done them.  I had already started thinking along the same lines that 'What the Bleep?' shares and when I saw the film my very first reaction was to exclaim, “Then I'm not crazy!!!!”  The addiction stuff immediately made sense to me and I could look back on my life and see many things I attracted to my experience through the simple process of needing my 'trauma' fix…  Then the film 'The Secret' came and helped put a few other things into perspective and provided me some new tools to use to help me create the life I so much deserve to have.

I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to participate in your pod when it's ready.  Sometimes all we need to understand our own power is to be exposed to others who have realized their own power who have been in the same or similar experiences that we have created for ourselves.  I remember I used to be one of those who was exposed to the information but felt that it couldn't apply to me because I was different and/or had suffered more than the other person but I've learned over the years that if one person can do a thing, then so can another…

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

Hi Cheryl,
I know what you mean about feeling like you were different.  When I was in high school I read “Stranger in a Strange Land” and felt like it was written about me.. like someone had dropped me on this planet and forgot to tell me why they had dropped me into hell and left me here.

That sense or feeling though comes from a disassociation with our core nature or true inner being.  When we grow up in homes where there's a lot of trauma our minds create identities.. little energetic holograms.. based on our belief about ourselves.  It's the equavilent of having a dark sullen moon orbiting a home planet, and you're actually the planet but you think you're the moon.

That's where the beauty of the LOA comes in as far as I'm concerned.  I can re-create John in any way that I want to.   If I want to play guitar better.. I envision myself doing that and the universe begins to bring it about (I've actually done this and it works incredibly well).  In the same way, if I want to be free of an addiction or be more social or successful or whatever.. I visualize that happening and let the universe take care of the details and it will. 

I read a story a few years ago that I believe is a stunning example of this:  A famous Russian pianist was locked up in the old Soviet Union as a dissedent for nine or ten years.  Right after he was released he was invited to the US to play for the sitting President (who if I recall correctly was Nixon).  After an absolutely flawless performance someone asked how he managed to play like a virtuoso when he hadn't played a piano in all those years.  His reply?  I played every single day.. I would imagine myself at the piano and play every piece that I knew.

I had an amazing encounter the other day along these lines.  I'd been asking God why my life was going like it has been recently because pretty much nothing that I'd been intending was coming about.  So I'm driving down the road and suddenly had a powerful intuitive hit to pull into this burrito place and have dinner.  So I walk in the door and as I'm standing there getting ready to order I nearly get hit by a guy in a wheelchair.. who looked very much to me like he didn't need to be in that chair.  Then the guy in behind the counter looked at me and started telling me about how amazing this guy was who had almost crashed his chair into my leg.  “Oh?”  I replied.. “Yeah man.. he was in a bad accident less than two months ago and was totally paralyzed with a crushed C3 and now he can walk and has full use of every part of his body again!  He's got the most amazing attitude.. you wouldn't believe it.. he always believes everything is going to work out and it does!!”

Actually I did believe it.. and I also knew exactly what God was telling me.  I hadn't been holding that energetic reality for John.  I'd been allowing myself to go into a little victim waa-waa off and on, so I was getting back exactly what I'd been putting out.  But here was another Morris Goodman “miracle man” that God sent right to me so I could get the message I needed.  Ask and ye shall receive.  The moral of this story.. the LOA is always active whether we like it or not and it always bringing back to us exactly what we put out whether we like it or not.  So in that light it becomes rather important to pay attention.
John

Re: The Secret is Partial

John,  I too would like to be in this new pod of yours.  Patricia

Re: The Secret is Partial

Focusing on what you want is the only way to get what you want.  Focusing does not mean just wishing, hoping and praying…it also means acting, thinking, and moving towards whatever you want.  Ultimately, that's what the LOA are teaching.  Sure you can use this “attitude” adjustment to hope for riches or material things…and you can use your new found positive outlook to help with depression, but the core change is you.  You have changed the way you perceive the world…..you have changed yourself.  If you look at life with a more positive attitude, you will naturally be more content because you are not trying to blame someone or something for all the bad stuff that happens to you.  It is what it is and you move on…..easier said than done, but if you do all you can to be positive, the negative will not seem so imposing.  It will still be there, but it's your decision as to what you are going to focus on…+  or -   .  Its always up to you…
peace..
T
 

Re: The Secret is Partial

Everything in life is either partial or everything in life is whole.

I personally believe everything is whole. 

Therefore to me The Secret is whole.

Re: The Secret is Partial

There can never be One secret which is Complete in the entire Universe or Cosmos. There are many Billions of Secrets, since they are all Known to someone or the other, they are no more secrets either.
“A Secret between two is like God's secret” How do they keep it a Secret always? till one takes it to the grave…..no wait!!!!, till both of them take it to their graves. When a secret is shared with a Third (Especially with a message:- Don't share this with anyone else) It very quickly becomes EVERYBODY's SECRET.
Peace, love n Light
Jagan Ramamoorthy
Los angeles

Re: The Secret is Partial

It's my honest opinion that the film the Secret is both partial and whole.  I say this because what the Secret is depends absolutely positively on our perception of it and on what we choose to make it.  In fact I believe this is one thing the Secret shares with us quite clearly….that our lives are exactly what we perceive them to be…what we put into them and what we get out of them.

If everything, including the Secret, is whole to you then that is your reality and for you in all situations and under all conditions everything will be whole.  If the Secret is only partial to you then that is your reality and for you all situations and under all conditions the Secret will  be partial.  It, as well as life, is only whole if we perceive it to be and is only partial if we perceive it to be.

I have found that no one person can dictate what 'reality' is going to be for another…not unless the other person agrees.

In closing I suppose my opinion is that the Secret and all the other enlightening information out there today is exactly what we percieve it to be.  If we choose to allow the possibility of what the Secret and other sources of information about evolving ourselves to a higher life into our lives then we will realize what we find for ourselves in the information…if we choose to reject part or all of the Secret and other sources of information then we are eliminating those possibilities from our existence and will continue to live our lives by default never really feeling like we have control over anything in our lives.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Re: The Secret is Partial

Hello everyone, saw the Secret for the first time in parts months ago, and wasn't really of the frame of mind to take it in.  Then I saw it again recently, and I found it to be an interesting, kind of a food for thought concept. 

I didn't think it would solve the problems of the universe, and some things I thought it left out.  I think as another poster pointed out, there are billions of secrets, and probably, this is a good primer to be introduced into that reality. 

However, I think there is a danger in only accepting one reality, which can result in disconnection from all that is.  In taking in the whole, taking what truly resonates to self, in other words, not just saying, “I love it” when it isn't my truth.  (Truth for me comes from many different teachers, and also a good teacher will direct you to ultimately think for yourself.)

That would be saying there was only one truth to be had, and there being so many religions that satisfy different people's needs, and so many different types of people, there cannot be just one movie that answers everything.  So thanks to the Secret for introducing a concept to the masses, but it's important to say that it may only be a launch pad for the greater adventure and paradoxes that present in life. 

The world is full of rich resources that might resonate to people at different times, and many, many teachers. 

Blessings, Moni - Nature Hermit