The Secret Movie

You’ve seen the commercials for The Secret movie. It is polished to a Da Vinci Code paranoid sheen positing that there’s a big secret suppressed throughout history that the smart and powerful have used to get ahead and you are ignorant of this secret that has helped everybody but you and you are doomed to be broke and miserable unless you plunk down your dollars to view the movie.

I was a bit disappointed.

Nothing gets me more juiced than a good conspiracy theory: JFK, Roswell… I like my secret societies bathed in madness and anarchy. I was hoping for some blend of Masonics and aliens and the Cigarette-Smoking Man and somehow the homosexual agenda (it’s always the gays or the Jews these days isn’t it?) fit in a nice tight Pandora’s box gift-wrapped in angst and sealed with a poisoned kiss.

I was disappointed.

There were no Nazis. What’s a conspiracy theory without a well-placed connection to fascism? The Secret is slick. It is slick like that annoying What the Bleep movie that supposedly had real scientists debating quantum theory (Dr. Emoto – you think that is for real?) and spirituality being the same thing until the end when you realize JZ Knight is from that Ramtha cult and you think to yourself – whatever happened to SETH and all those crazies (I’m allowed to rip on them, my dad and I got up the morning of the Harmonic Convergence to watch the sun rise – few suspect my hippy past!).

The Secret comes to us via some commercial producers and you can tell – the rhythms of the piece are quiet amazing. The editing, the pacing, the punctuality and dynamics of the movie are stunning. If I ever do any kind of product like this, I want this kind of production value. The video delivery is equally stunning. Usually the videos you see being distributed for pay these days are a bit more – ahem – naughty than The Secret but whoever did the video distribution for this movie did a great job. It is literally watching movie quality work – in complete mastered stereo right on your desktop. VERY impressive. Very vivid video (wink).

The Secret is the law of abundance. Or the priniples of attraction or whatever we’re calling it this week. The old adage of “Think of stuff – get stuff.” Rapid-fire testimonials from our cadre of experts include things like a gay man attracting abuse by homophobes and a guy who suddenly gets checks for money in the mail (with absolutely no context to how this happened). I don’t deny the amazing power of the human body and the human mind and the human spirit/soul/whatevah. I find the whole movie a bit unnerving.

I think what irks me is all ‘the trappings’ put around this abundance stuff – the idea that meditating on the results you want focuses your attention on achieving results and forwarding action and momentum – none of this is new or secret or strange. But it is wrapped around this core of ‘THINK THIS – GET STUFF’. I almost feel like the suffix should be ‘and then you work your ass off.’ That always gets left out of the picture – yes you do work you love – you attract the things you need and then… You Work Your Ass Off. And yeah the narcissism seems to infect the whole topic – and materialism – all of these wealth and millionaire books and programs…

Self-help falls into the trap of challenging you to improve yourself first and then falls short of asking you to go improve the community/world around you. Become the change you want to see in the world – but you don’t stop with yourself. It is like those prayer without good deeds or worrying without action. There’s a little smart-assed comment about how people holding anti-war demonstrations are in effect, attracting war. Then why do we call them peace protests?

Plus I think people that become enchanted with this thinking get deluded about their reality being just a collection of perceptions and that the social/economic/political context around them isn’t an entire dynamic operating in this world of ‘wealth’ and ‘attraction.’ Sometimes I think these frameworks are what we cling to in the face that random shit happens in the world and there’s little explanation or cause or it – usually we are told we have to ‘have faith’. I know that the EST/Landmark folks will just tell me that this is my Racket and I’m simply not evolved enough but screw it.

Summation: Clever re-marketing of Nothing New wrapped in a chocolatey-warm fuzzy shell.

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223 responses to “The Secret Movie”

  1. Graham English's Integral Conversations Avatar

    What Does an Integral Law of Attraction Look Like?…

    The Law of Attraction states that you are a living magnet. You attract whatever is dominant in your thoughts and feelings. Pretty simple stuff. But it’s a reductionist principle.

  2. Steve Farber Avatar

    I haven’t watched the movie, but I drew exactly the same conclusions as yours by watching the trailer. The Secret couldn’t really be a “secret” at all. Many of the experts they cite are very popular motivational speakers. Nothing wrong with that, but if they’re speakers, then they’ve been speaking, right? About what? Everything except the “secret”? Don’t think so…
    The secret is in the packaging.
    Which, by the way, really is remarkable.

  3. Kirsten Harrell, Psy.D. Avatar

    Andy, I love your blog. and truly love your book – it helped me start my own blog! Thank you!
    I’d like to add my 2 cents in appreciation of the movie… The producers know that wrapping something in a “chocolatey-warm fuzzy shell” will get people’s attention. They did use clever marketing and slick production and packaging – and I say hoorah for them! I for one would like to see more content (of all sorts) delivered via the internet like that. Very good marketing, production, and great use of technology!
    As for the content… I think most people can appreciate the power of positive thinking. We know that thoughts affect our emotions, mood, and actions. So if the movie helps people pay closer attention to what they think about and choose their thoughts more wisely, then I think it was a success!

  4. Jordan Avatar

    Positive thinking isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I think you can be a pessimist and a cynic and still make a bunch of money.
    This whole “Secret” thing felt like a sham from the first time I saw the trailer, and I drew my own conclusions on what it’s about. Now I see it’s the same nonsense that Napolean Hill and the rest of those fools made millions of dollars bilking other people out of their money for. “Think and grow rich!” The only secret is the cop-out: “If you don’t grow rich, then you didn’t follow the plan!” Bah.

  5. Kristie Tamsevicius Avatar

    Sorry guys, I’m a big fan of the Secret. Passion, enthusiasm, and drive have always been the secrets to be accomplishing the really big things in my life. I have always seen the things I wanted as real before they are real in my life. Rosy colored vision has always come naturally to me. I think the Secret teaches us how to get clarity around what we want, how to wrap our passion around it, and make it happen.
    Now granted – I have seen people go way to the extreme with this stuff. I know Joe Vitale gets a little “wiggy’ at his events. I heard he will take a seed in his hand and claim that if he really wanted to bad enough he could make that sprout into a flower. So stuff like that is overboard.
    And I am there with you Andy how you say they forget the part about “Work Your Ass Off!”. Yeah, they conveniently forget that part. But when you are feeling “high” about what you want in life, it doesn’t really feel like work. And then you seem to attract all the things you need to make that very thing happen.
    But give me an idea I am passionate about, a vision of that in my head, and I’ll create something phenominal. The Secret has always worked for me.

  6. Theresa Frasch Avatar

    Andy – I couldn’t agree with you more. My friend sent me the link and I couldn’t even bring myself to watch it because I knew it would be the same old stuff in a fancy package. I used to be a self-help junkie but after being disappointed more than once I am now looking the other way.
    I found a great book and blog you might like on the subject – SHAM How the Self-Help Movement Made America Helpless by Steve Salerno and his blog at http://shambook.blogspot.com/.
    Enjoy!

  7. Jodee Bock Avatar

    Well, I’ll have to second Kristie’s ideas – I, too, am a big fan of The Secret. Call it coincidence, call it luck, call it whatever you want – “the secret” has been working in my life. Do more of what feels good and produces positive results and do less of what feels bad and produces negative results. No, it’s not rocket science, but it’s working in my life and my business. One of the things I’ve been working on in my life is the disparity I’ve heard in some of the comments here (and which I’ve felt in my life, too) is the relationship between money and stuff and being happy. I understand for myself that if I’m working for the money, I’ll never have enough money because I look at things through a scarcity mentality. But if determine that I’m working to gain a different relationship with money (for example, I want to earn enough money so I don’t have to worry about money), then I’m concentrating on a different goal. The irony for me in my experience is that when I stop worrying about money, the money is there.
    Call me crazy, call me “woo-woo,” call me whatever you will … I’ll choose being happy, successful, prosperous and fulfilled over the mindset I used to have.
    Maybe it’s not a big secret, but if it can provide opportunities for us to create bigger small talk, it can’t be all bad!

  8. Nancy Avatar
    Nancy

    I saw the secret and agree with the basic message that thoughts influence actions and wow….we can take that to such higher levels. But, to me the movie pacakaging detracted from how wonderful the message could be. It continuously emphasized excess wealth as the “carrot” for one. And, I had that feeling you get when a cheezy used car salesman is trying to say all the right things in any and every way to sell that car. Not sure why…but the movie had that tone. Too bad. Still a good message underneath the packaging and checks suddenly showing up just because you wished it to be so.

  9. Eric G. Schneider, D. Min. Avatar

    Took the words right out of my mouth in a far more eloquent way than I would have put it!

  10. Monica Ricci Avatar

    I love love love The Secret, as does my husband and several of our good friends. Plain and simple it’s The Law of Attraction laid out step by step for you in a way that makes it easy to understand and simple to use.
    In fact, I blogged about it in June right after I watched it. I’m happy to say that we have both (my hubby and I) been applying the principles in a focused manner with great results so far!
    I say if you like it, great – use it. If you don’t like it, great — don’t use it. But I intend to continue to use it every day to make my life better. And by the way, Andy, you’re absolutely right about working your butt off, but I was doing that anyway. The difference is now my success comes to ME rather than me exhausting myself chasing IT! ๐Ÿ™‚
    ~Monica

  11. Julia Stege Avatar

    Hi Andy et all,
    Well, here’s my rant against your rant against the law of attraction. In my view, it’s like ranting against gravity. The law of attraction is a universal law. It works every time, whether you like it or not. We get what we think about. If we think we have to work hard to get what we want, we will have to work hard. If we’re focused on what’s wrong with our lives, we’ll get more of that. And if we put our focus more on what we desire than the lack of it, we are closer to realizing our dreams.
    I personally have used the law of attraction in business and train others how to use it to attract perfect customers. It is very effective. I decided this year that I wanted to work less and earn more money and this has manifested through my focus on attraction. I have attracted so many new clients that I have to hire help to get all the work done. And I just sit on the phone or email handing out instructions.
    The bottom line is you are using the law of attraction right now. There is no option to not use it. The question is, will you focus more on what you desire than the lack of it? Or will you focus on what’s showing up and believe it is all you can ever get from life. It’s up to you. But telling people that the Secret is bunk is definitely not helping your subscribers. And since you believe you have to work your ass off to acheive your dreams, you will!
    My 2 cents. At least your rant got me to finally write to a blog. I believe it’s my first comment!
    ~julia

  12. Chuck Dillon Avatar

    Andy great marketing create controversy. So here some more. It seems that most of the comments were from those that did not watch the movie, right judge a book by the cover and remain ignorant. As for the comments about Napoleon Hill I bet he’s broke too, Napoleon Hill interviewed 500 of the riches people at the time. I wonder who do you listen to someone whose is broke or someone who has done what you want to do.
    Andy I had respect for your teaching until I read your comments on The Secret.
    Some get and some don’t the negative press about the movie The Secret tells me you just don’t get it

  13. Rick Gomez Avatar

    Im sorry but I loved it. Now before you start pre labeling me for life, I enjoy pulling or extracting all the good info out of any learning material.
    I enjoy thinking for myself to such a level that I can confidently read a book or buy a course and decipher the goodness from the bad and take the good.
    Yes, The Secret is a glorified abundance dvd but do you know how many people have used the secret to extract money from the misled masses. Once you can fully understand that the secret is a tool to see though deception one is able to focus on what’s important in our lives.
    I remember taking a course on abundance years ago and they would always keep the “secret” just out in front of you so that you would buy the next abundance course and eventually you would learn that they were the only ones becoming abundant. But they would always dangle that carrot out in front of you to extract more cash.
    So the secret was and is great because it teaches one to focus on what it is that you want in life and to stop focusing on what you do not want and more importantly to decipher the good from the bad, honesty from dishonesty.

  14. David Pedersen Avatar

    I watched the secret on recommendation of our neighbors. I completely agree that ‘the law of attraction’ will work…but “and thenรขโ‚ฌยฆ You Work Your Ass Off.” has to be included. You can’t just sit in your parents basement, do nothing, want everything, and expect to ‘win’. You actually have to buy a lottery ticket to win the lottery, the state won’t deliver a winning lottery ticket to you because you will it to happen. There is nothing wrong with watching this video, and if it inspires you to accomplish great things – that’s awesome. Just remember, the people in that interview worked hard to become successful.

  15. Erika Bardot Avatar

    Hiya Andy,
    I havenรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt seen the movie, but your review hit on a few philosophies that make me wanna holler when it comes to psuedo-spiritual-quantum-psychology-whatever. While it indeed seems largely based on fundamental dynamics echoed throughout the ages of various religions, and while quite effective and beautiful, these truths get distorted. They get used to essentially let everyone off the hook for any responsibility for their part in the balance of good and evil. (Now that’s good marketing…relief from the eternal struggle of the human condition.) Nobody has to feel obligated to work for anything outside of themselves because whatever crap they allow in the world (poverty, war, violence, corporate greed) can be chalked up to a result of somebody else weakly thinking bad thoughts and attracting bad things to themselves. Yeah. Say that about the Holocaust. Rwanda. Child abuse. Extreme examples, yes. But these things happen from the human weakness of ignoring the horrible acts of other human beings, which happens on a smaller scale everyday in our own individual lives. The shadow-side of self-help is that for all the positive energy it puts out, it also works to justify that human weakness and make it something acceptable. That is so not OK with me. For example, the oft-mentioned idea that cancer is a result of not adequately purifying oneรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs thoughts and emotions is a cruel and obnoxious blaming of the victims. We can at once insulate ourselves from the fear of getting cancer ourselves, and relieve ourselves of any guilt we might feel about how we might contribute to a toxic society that causes cancer and other illnesses. We can continue blithely buying products produced from carcinogenic manufacturing processes. And we donรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt have to push ourselves to cultivate true compassion, empathy, and or step up to improve the general health of our infinite interconnectedness.
    Keep in mind, Iรขโ‚ฌโ„ขm a holistic lifestyle coach and massage therapist, and I do believe in the laws of attraction, power of thoughts, abundance-vs-scarcity, etc. But it isnรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt a convenient miracle, it is a conscious way of using your thoughts to produce intention-based action. Intention, as in doing-it-on-purpose. Action, as in Work-Your_A** off to create what you want. And it is always better if what you want doesnรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt screw someone else over.
    Cheers,
    Erika

  16. Terri Zwierzynski Avatar

    Jordan wrote:
    “I think you can be a pessimist and a cynic and still make a bunch of money.”
    Sure, but will you be happy? You see, it’s not about the money — it’a about what we think money can get us — for most, we want happiness.
    As to the comments about “working your a__ off”, well of course you can’t expect to meditate in a corner all day and have what you want come rolling in. They way I have been taught the Law of Attraction, is that you spend *some* moments of your day in positive thinking (and it’s other aka’s), and that the clarity you get by slowing your mind down helps you make better choices of how to now take inspired action. Sort of like working smarter, not harder, except replace “smarter” with “more positively” or something.
    Disclaimer: I haven’t watched the movie, so my comments are about the concept. I’m also not rich (yet!) but I sure am feeling happier!

  17. Nancy Tierney Avatar

    I didn’t love it. I didn’t hate it, but I appreciated what, I think, the producers were trying to do with this movie.
    It’s a marketing piece more than anything. And like all marketing pieces, it really talked up the benefits in a language “consumers” can understand and feel motivated by. More money. Perfect romantic partners. Vibrant Health.
    It’s the markety-stuff of this movie that urked me, not the message so much.
    See, I’m a long time lover and student of the Law of Attraction. Lately, it’s the only thing that makes sense to me. And as a lover of the Law of Attraction, it does make me itch and twitch when teachers and gurus promote it as a way to get rich quick. And that it’s all as easy as “think money…get money.”
    When you really walk this path, it’s not easy. Like any spiritual path, it involves work. Personal work. Deep, dark and demanding personal work. But, the rewards are great.
    Thanks, Andy, for your critical, cynical eye. You scrape the sparkle and glitter off these flashy pieces, and I appreciate it. Just don’t be too quick to judge a Law by its marketing messengers.

  18. Taru Fisher Avatar

    Andy, Andy, Andy — the Secret is just a motivational movie, slickly and beautifully done that simply tells us to focus on what we want rather than on what we don’t want. I loved it for that message and watch it frequently to remind myself to be grateful for what I have manifested in my life. And it has taken effort to do so, but I don’t consider it “hard work”, I consider it a gift to be able to do it whan so many others are not able to do so. Anyone who has learned NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) can attest to the fact that creating a powerful vision around a well-formed outcome is a sure way to attract that into one’s life. As a practicing certified NLP Coach, Master Practitioner, and WealthyMind Trainer, I have seen amazing things happen with clients when they change their limiting beliefs around abundance and what is possible for themselves.
    Abundance isn’t just about money, it includes abundant and rewarding relationships with family and friends, abundant health and radiance, and money in quantities so one can actually make a difference in this world. Did you know that only $45 will help a woman in Africa start her own business?
    I am living a life today that just four years ago I considered impossible. But this miracle is one I created for myself. By making new choices, I have made a new life. I hope by sharing my story, others will realize they can do this too.
    Right before I turned 60, I felt deeply depressed about my life. Actually, I felt I had no life and realized I had to change my health or die. I had developed Rheumatoid Arthritis at age 36. I had watched it progress from some intermittent right hand pain to full-blown Rheumatoid Arthritis, eventually claiming my right hand, left hand, neck, jaw, elbows, wrists, knees, ankles and toes. It seemed as if there was virtually no place in my body that wasnรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt on fire with a toothache-like pain that was unremitting. With itsรขโ‚ฌโ„ข accompanying constant feeling of weakness, depression, and loss of life energy, I began to over identify this illness as who I was. For more than twenty-three years I existed in a living hell, with no real hope of ever emerging again. I tried every known, and many unknown, remedies! All failed me, creating an ever-deepening cycle of despair and hopelessness.
    In 1999, I was somehow managing to hold down a full time job at Stanford University as a Research Administrator, but the disease had progressed to the point where I was unable to walk even half a block, and I was in bed by 6:00PM each evening. On Motherรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs Day the year I was 59, I was so sick I had to cancel a visit to my beloved youngest son in Albany, a mere 50-minute drive. I touched a depth of sadness I had never reached before, and had thoughts that death was a preferred alternative to the life I was living.
    Then, one day it struck me; I either had to change my life or end it. Lucky for me I decided to change it. What followed was a very interesting journey of self-discovery and change. Part of that journey has been the success of our business. My husband and I started a fitness business 18 months ago that now is bringing in six figures.
    Realizing my story could help others, I began attending coach training classes at The Coaches Training Institute, re-discovered a passion for NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) I had 30 years previously and subsequently completed certifications in NLP Coaching, Practitioner, and Master Practitioner. How did I do that, I changed my mind. I changed the way I think about the world and my place in it. Others can do it too. I have no doubt.
    I know many of you think this is for other people. Itรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs not for me you say to yourself. You listen to the self-talk that says I canรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt ever do that. She can do that, but I donรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt have what it takes. Guess what. Thatรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs just a thought; a thought that you created, which means that you can create a different thought. And when you create a different thought, one thatรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs positive, empowering, and moves you forward, youรขโ‚ฌโ„ขll see what happens.
    Look around you; look at your life right now. Donรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt like what you see? Well you created it all and you can create something different. And, like I said, if you donรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt like what you see, you can create something different.
    You can retell the story of your life. Because life is a story, itรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs a story youรขโ‚ฌโ„ขre making up every single day. So why not make it a good story? Many of youรขโ‚ฌโ„ขve known how to make it a less than perfect story, but you havenรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt done it consciously. Now you can make it conscious. The actual methods used to create a negative story are the very same methods one can use to create a positive story; one in which you are the hero instead of the villain. Youรขโ‚ฌโ„ขll discover how really powerful you are. Not powerful in the way of harming other people or lording it over someone else, but powerful in the way you are able to create your own life and what you want in it. Powerful in a way that makes a difference in the world and powerful in the way that will make every day you get up a new beginning.

  19. Andy Wibbels Avatar

    Thank you everybody for your input – great stuff so far!!

  20. Jannette Robert Murray Avatar

    Aha! Now you’re talking about the stuff I live and teach. We eagerly awaited The Secret, after delays in the original schedule.
    Not only were the pre-launch ‘trailers’ very well done, they used the anticipation marketing that’s all the rage now, and it worked!
    My husband and I have long been students of Abraham, and many others of those included in this first movie. There were supposed to be perhaps seven weekly TV sequels, also, but now since it never came off as a worldwide TV event, who knows what will occur with those.
    As far as helping to raise the consciousness of the World, and the understanding of all toward achieving their dreams, through working with the Laws of the Universe, we were hopeful this would do it. However, having to pay for the viewing either on the Internet or via purchase of the DVD has put a bit of a damper on that, I suspect.
    Be that as it may, these are Universal principles which as fast as we all learn them, and stay out of cynicism and negativity, the faster we will all begin to realize the positive results.
    For those who have expressed in the negative, they likely continue to reap negative in their lives. As those who have shared their positive results attest, the Laws work for them.
    And no, it’s not as easy for some as for others. If we have a lot of negative programming (as I did), we have a lot more to work through to be as positive most of the time as we would like. I’ve been one example of that.
    Even though I teach it, there are times when my clients can go faster at it than I!!
    However, when you have two or more focusing on the same goal, it becomes much more powerful. My husband and I manifested each other, the house we wanted and the RV we wanted, all in the last two years.
    And now we’re manifesting the additional training to get our remaining blocks cleared away, as well.
    For those who believe it’s possible to learn new tricks, check out what we’re doing next:
    In 2-1/2 weeks we take the Psych-K Basic class at Boise.
    This will blow you away –
    for more info see http://www.Psych-K.com. There are likely classes near you.
    We ordered the book and the DVd, and it’s awesome. You can clear those blocks that are frustrating you in two to five minutes (if your own subconscious/Superconscious doesn’t feel you need to learn the lessons by living through and growing through them).
    Talk to me after mid-August about my own results!
    Jannette

  21. Clyde Pearce Avatar
    Clyde Pearce

    Well, Now. If hadn’t seen The Secret several months ago, I am sure that I would still be working in government at a dead end job. Instead, I am inspired now to live life on my own terms, focusing on my desires and being in service to others. Because of The Secret, and some teachings from some other popular spiritualists, I am now living my life intentionally. The Law of Atraction is magic…it isn’t immediate, but it is the Truth. The Secret is awesome.
    Clyde

  22. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Right you are Andy. It is nothing new, this concept of attraction. What is new is that it is becoming a mainstream concept. Heck, I for one am tickled beyond compare when I hear that either some independent or Hollywood filmaker decided that they could make some money with something as ethereal as a Universal Law! What will they think of next?
    I do want to say however, “quitcher bitchin’”. Why would you take the time to complain about a movie that has the potential to bring some positive input to the masses? (That is if the masses have the opportunity to see it) Seems to me that it would help society so much more if we put our energy towards what could improve it, rather than the murder and mayhem they have been calling entertainment. Sure the marketing was over the top. As you are well aware, that is the marketing strategy de jour. Movie maker makes movie, movie maker wants as many people to see movie as possible. Voila! Marketing that is not quite truthful. Nothing new here.
    So in my world here is what I would love to see. Much more emphasis on what it takes to prosper and thrive, and more disinterest in the crap that the film and entertainment industry shells out now. I think The Secret most definitely is a step in the right direction, misleading marketing and all.

  23. Regina Cunningham Avatar

    Ha! Forgot to add my name to my reply.

  24. Carol Solomon Avatar

    Just the fact that it’s called “The Secret” makes me not want to watch it. It is nothing new and seems like it’s mostly hype to me!

  25. Kammie K. Avatar

    A-Dub,
    You rock my world. I wouldnรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt be as far along my blogging/marketing journey without you. The stuff you preach, in your blog and book – works. Thanks for your wisdom.
    But dearest, sweet, blogging evangelist – I feel you might have been a bit tough on The Secret. I KNOW you รขโ‚ฌล“hang outรขโ‚ฌ? with many attraction coaches. You play in a virtual sand-box with Andrea J. Lee, Michael Port, Susanne Falter Barnes and the like. I imagine you generally apply similar principles for your business and your life.
    While many of us are already familiar with the concepts, MANY are not. Lots of people still play victims. I agree with your statement, รขโ‚ฌล“you do work you love – you attract the things you need and thenรขโ‚ฌยฆ You Work Your a__ Offรขโ‚ฌ?. Yes, it requires a LOT of work. Yet MANY are NOT doing work they love. They are stuck.
    I agree with the annoying focus on materialism and getting รขโ‚ฌล“stuffรขโ‚ฌ?. But if it takes a person test driving a hot car to FEEL they can get the car, the relationship and the life that will follow, to get รขโ‚ฌล“unstuckรขโ‚ฌ? – then so be it.
    Once they see the principles work, they may shift from รขโ‚ฌล“get stuffรขโ‚ฌ? to รขโ‚ฌล“get a lifeรขโ‚ฌ? to รขโ‚ฌล“get a gripรขโ‚ฌ? to รขโ‚ฌล“get conscious about the worldรขโ‚ฌ?. Perhaps theyรขโ‚ฌโ„ขll become better husbands, wives, sisters, co-workers, community members, citizens of planet earth. The ripple effect of attraction is a thing of sheer beauty. I witness it everyday with my clients and readers. Thanks for this dialogue.
    Peace and all that chocolatey-warm fuzzy stuff,
    Kammie K.

  26. Jannette Robert Murray Avatar

    Re: Background and Changes to The Secret
    Hello, again!
    Thank you, Regina Cunningham for your post. It almost appears as though I had written it!
    I think it is important to share for both the detractors and the fans of The Secret some background you may not know, and changes we were advised of by David Gordon, who, as a labor of love, publishes online the quotes of Abraham, as given through Esther Hicks, on Yahoo’s group, AbeQuotes.
    The background, as we know it:
    The Secret begins by telling the true story of Rhondy Byrne, the Executive Producer of The Secret, and how she came to the material, the extensive research she did; and I personally feel it is a strong testament to the Power of the Law of Atrraction that she put it all together and managed to produce The Secret.
    The movie and trailers make a big deal about why this information was kept secret by those early titans in America, who preferred to keep their wealth and how to attain it all to themselves!
    Originally The Secret was to have been broadcast worldwide, simultaneously, and the daunting task of pulling television networks together in such a major agreement almost came together, but not quite, thus the present form, or that which many of you have seen.
    As I wrote earlier, there were many others, who are already recorded, set to participate in the follow-up sequels, some of whom are familiar to me. If these will ever be shown is an unknown to me at this time.
    The movie features many speakers who are well-known and who teach these principles on a regular basis. Among them, and we were delighted to see, the most often shown (about two-fifths of the time), is Esther Hicks, the (originally) reluctant channel of the Group who call themselves Abraham (a group of spiritual beings, sometimes numbering around 100, who communicate these most helpful messages).
    The change we have been advised of by David Gordon, via the AbeQuotes mailing list was this:
    “From: “David W. Gordon”
    Sender: AbeQuotes@yahoogroups.com
    Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2006 22:30:57
    Subject: [AbeQuotes] Public statement by Jerry and Esther about The Secret
    From an extremely reliable source:
    Esther has also been deleted from the list of teachers on The Secret teachers.
    “Regarding the documentary, “The Secret”: Although Jerry & Esther
    appreciate many aspects of the finished film, it ended up being quite different from what they had originally contracted to participate in. So when the producer recently insisted on further significant changes in their agreement regarding marketing, distribution, and
    theatrical rights, Jerry & Esther opted instead to be cut out of the film altogether. Thus, the current limited DVD edition of The Secret is the only version in which Abraham will appear – so get a copy while you still can!”
    David”
    End of quote
    Now, I have no more current information, and we are saddened that Jerry and Esther Hicks made this decision, because Abraham’s input is so important in our lives, and the lives of those many followers of Abraham around the world.
    The Hicks only recently decided to go more public (July 2004 was when my husband first heard them announce it) with Abraham’s message, feeling I believe the world was more ready for it.
    Paul has been a student of theirs for about 20 years; I have for about ten years; and we have watched the growth of the Hicks, themselves, as they practiced the teachings of Abraham. We have both grown spiritually through their input and such as that of Neale Donald Walsch, author of the Conversations With God books, and many others.
    I suggest if the readers of this blog want to see the original version of The Secret, which includes Esther Hicks/Abraham, it possibly might still be seen free on Yahoo. Or see if you can still purchase the original DVD from the web site at http://www.thesecret.tv.
    The message of The Secret is not only about monetary wealth. It includes all forms of prosperity: good health, relationships, and all manner of good.
    And truly the message is that what you focus on, you increase.
    When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.
    Resistance to spiritual growth is not much different from resistance to psychological growth – we all have it, and do what we do when we are ready.
    Peace!
    Jannette Robert Murray
    http://www.inspiredcounseling.com

  27. Jannette Robert Murray Avatar

    Correction to my post: The Executive Producer of The Secret’s name is Rhonda Byrne. I misspelled it, and didn’t catch on one read-through. Sorry!
    Jannette

  28. Paul Bixler Avatar

    Hi everyone. Paul Bixler here. I am Jannette’s husband.
    I have been following the teachings of Abraham since the late 80’s and before that I was a follower of Seth who was channeled by the late Jane Roberts.
    I have personally worked many miracles in my life by using the law of attraction. Back in the days of Seth, I used the principles to get us out of debt and spend 3 wonderul years in Germany. My wife at the time did not believe in these laws. She was a devout Catholic and kept telling me all this stuff was just coincidence. She died in 2003 and even though I loved her dearly, I was relieved that she no longer was casting her negativity towards me.
    At first I did not want to remary, but after my wife had been gone a year, I missed having a companion around to talk things over and all the other things a wife can bring you.
    I went on the Abraham cruise to Alaska in 2004 and decided to start “praying” for a woman who loved Abraham as I do.
    In August of 04, I met my wife through the Abraham singles group over the Internet. We seemed to hit it off and we met for the first time in Kansas City in Sept of 04 and attended an Abraham workshop there. She lived in the State of Washington and I lived in New Jersey. She came to visit me in early October and we moved out to Washington at the end of that month
    . It is just so wonderful to be able to talk to someone about Abraham and they know what you are talking about.
    Together we manifested our new home and our RV, so there is no doubt in my mind that the “Secret” works.
    The movie brought all these facts of how you create your reality in a very simplified form. The persons involved each had a chance to express there views and I concurred wholehartedly with them. The law of attraction works wheather you believe in it or not. It is just that you can make your life so much easier if you believe in it and use it to your benefit.
    As to working our –ss off, that is up to you. I have found quite often things come with no physical effort.

  29. Pat Graham-Block Avatar

    I loved THE SECRET Movie!
    Law of attraction is at work all the time and it just boils down to whether we are doing it “on purpose” or by default.
    If you go to The Official Forum for THE SECRET:
    http://thesecret.powerfulintentions.com/forum/thesecret
    …you will see stories from LOTS of people that have had many miracles happen for themselves, including money, new jobs, getting raises, illnesses being cleared up, their businesses growing effortlessly, etc., and without struggle!!!
    Don’t get me wrong! You can become successful through hard work…
    …and you can be wildly successful by allowing The Universe/God/Source (or whatever you believe in)…to participate also!!!
    Very exciting stuff happening!!! ๐Ÿ™‚
    Pat
    http://pat.powerfulintentions.com

  30. JT Chandler Avatar

    Hey Andy… are you happy, in love and RICH? I can site many examples (good and bad) in my life how the law of attraction, intending and allowing delivered exactly as promised. Mostly I do NOT work my ass off and the universe (GOD) the cosmos or whatever one calls it, has delivered exactly what I wanted. I did NOT work my ass off to get a divorce 20 years ago but I sure as hell thought about it on more than one occasion. I did NOT work my ass off to attract customers from all over the world (before IT) within a very short period of 2 years, I simply held it in my head and allowed the results to unfold. Working your ass off is fine if that’s what you enjoy, personally I do rather well NOT working my ass off and my finances, personal life and state of mind are all great. I say try it, study it a little and apply it on a ongoing basis and I promise it will work for you too. In fact, it was working for me before I even understood it or knew what to call it (guess I’m lucky that way). Do the math… how many books and programs are there on the benefits of negative thinking? None I am aware of, I’m sure there maybe a few crackpots but in the scheme of things “none” will suffice. Why is this? Because negative thinking and negative self talk is natural for a majority of population. Now isn’t it ironic that this majority is broke (in debt)unhappy, lacking love, working their asses off etc. Now lets look at the minority (10-20%) of the population that enjoys the benefits of financial security, better relationships and more moments of satisfaction (happiness). I promise you from first hand experience in my life and lives of many friends in this minority, life is not perfect and even the top ten attracts crap. But on the whole there is no featuring of negative thinking, negative self talk or belittling of family, friends and strangers. We all have the choice to think and act in a manner that will place us in either group. Personally I choose the top ten why wouldn’t you? Dream big, dream often, write your goals down and let it happen when things start to unfold. It really is that easy. If you’re working your ass off and your unhappy as hell and hating it all… then your advice is not what anyone needs.

  31. Tom Gray Avatar

    I held in my head that I wanted a piece of cheesecake and before you could say Universal Truth I was standing in front of my fridge eating a piece of cheesecake from my party the other night. Wow! Then I held in my head that I didn’t want to gain 2 lbs. from eating the cheesecake and WOW! I only gained 1 lb. Very cool! This stuff works.

  32. Mike Avatar

    Andy- Nice marketing on your own part. Attacking something as popular as The Secret is sure drawing traffic to your blog.
    As to The Secret, I’m sorry, but I respectfully disagree with your comments. The law of attraction is something that has been recognized by many greats throughout history. We very much live in a cause and effect world, and those that are not aware of it, or refuse to recognize it, are ultimately the big losers.
    Religions of every sort have been trying to tell us through the ages that this approach to life will improve your life. Others try to convince us to get in the ditch with them, but I, for one, prefer to live in a positive, uplifting and expectant way. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he! Absolute truth. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Another truth. Then ask yourself, why are so many living in fear? Because they doubt the power of the mind to create, and it does create. So think of all that you don’t want, and by gosh, you’ll get it, whether you like it or not!
    the Secret did a wonderful job of putting something together that could possible reach the masses, and maybe, just maybe, get some to think differently. If that’s bad, then give me more of it. First we have to get people to think, then we have to get them to think the right way.

  33. Amy Biddle Avatar

    I’ve seen both sides of this argument – and because of the way the law of attraction works, both sides are right!
    Those who say, “That stuff doesn’t work for me. I asked for money and I didn’t get it.” Sure – they got exactly what they programmed for if you listen to their TONE rather than their words.
    Those who say, “I create my day, and every day I get beautiful outcomes, birds singing and technicolor rainbows!” – they get what they program for, too.
    Remember basic NLP – it ain’t the words that count! “The Secret”/The Law of Attraction is based on thinking and feeling. Words come afterward.
    And yer darn tootin’ you get what you think about all day long!
    So – “The Secret” the movie sure drew folks in with a very obvious scarcity marketing ploy, with months of buildup plastered pre-launch-style on hundreds of web sites. Bully for them. It worked, didn’t it?
    In fact, I watched the free version (when that was still live) about 5 times and found it to be very uplifting. And I write about this stuff on my site all the time!
    Input equals output people. True fact. So put something good in your brain bucket!

  34. Brenda Zeller Avatar

    Yes indeed – both sides are absolutely right!!
    If you believe you have to work your a** off to be successful, then of course you will have to work your a** off to be successful!
    If you believe you can be successful without working your a** off, then that’s true too.
    I worked my a** off in a j-o-b for 14 years. I was quite successful – and I was unhappy and I was sick from all the stress. I made a lot of money which I promptly spent on medical bills and buying other things to make me happy. I have no desire to work my a** off ever again. I have built my business twice since leaving the corporate world 8 years ago. (Twice because I moved during the past 8 years and had to pretty much re-invent my work a second time :>))
    Both times, I never advertised, marketed, networked, etc. except for having a web site. All my clients come to me by referral. In my mind, I am very successful – although in your mind I might not even be a blip on the “success radar” – and that’s ok — we all measure success in different ways.
    I may not be a millionaire or even a half millionaire or even a quarter millionaire – not even close – that’s not my goal. My goal is to be happy doing the work I love. That’s pretty simple and not something I have to work my a** off to achieve. When you do the work you love, you may work hard, but it sure doesn’t feel like I’m missing any part of my butt at the end of the day.
    If buying and watching “The Secret” works for you then that is great! I personally like it very much and recommend it to my clients who don’t understand the Law of Attraction – they all like it very much and if it’s helped them to re-think their thoughts even a tiny bit, it’s worth it.
    If you think it’s just a slick piece of marketing, then you are right as well. If you complain and kvetch about The Secret without even watching it, then you are doing yourself and everyone who takes your word as the gospel truth a great disservice. If you watch it and still feel it’s a waste of time, that’s ok, too. Whatever you believe in your mind to be true, is true! That’s the beauty of the Law of Attraction. We can argue this until the cows come home – the Law of Attraction is very simple and it works all the time, every minute of the day, whether you believe in it or not.
    I hear a lot of lip service as to why the Law of Attraction is a lot of hooey – and I wonder if that comes from people who want to totally control every aspect of their life. They work their a**es off to be successful – pushing and prodding their way through life commanding HOW all this shakes out. I guess they might be afraid if they slow down and stop working so hard, success will pass them by. And if that’s what they believe, then, yep, success will pass them by!
    Do you think that may be why people feel like they’re working their a**es off? Too many folks are in such a gosh darn hurry to “be successful” they lose the experience of the journey and end up a tired and muddy heap on the carpet of life – but hey, I guess they can say they are a successful tired and muddy heap, eh?
    But are these “successes” really happy? Do they have the good health and mental acuity to actually enjoy the success they’ve worked their a**es off for? Or are they sitting buttless, tired and burnt out somewhere wondering “hmmm, is that all there is?”
    As with all the self help information out there, approach it with a beginner mind, use what works for you and discard what doesn’t.
    I for one want to enjoy my life with my a** firmly in place so I work with the Law of Attraction daily and it always comes through for me without me having to compromise my butt :>))

  35. David Houk Avatar
    David Houk

    The mistake being made about the Law of Attraction is stating it as “you get what you think about”. This is not accurate – as a young man was quoted as saying “then I’d be a girl”
    To be more accurate would be to say “you get what you think in your heart” or you get what you truly believe. The Hicks & Lynn Grabhorn talk about how you “feel” added to what you think- kind of a multiplier of your thoughts or adding weight & depth to them.
    You can think about riches all day or self-talk “I’m rich, I’m rich” but if the bills come and you feel sick about how are you going to pay them or Why do these keep coming – you are not really thinking/believing/feeling rich.
    This is why many people say they-tried- attracting & it didn’t come to pass.It is more subtle and deeper than surface thoughts & talk!Perhaps this is why it is “THE SECRET”, even as many have talked about it here they think they get it when they really don’t.

  36. Jannette Robert Murray Avatar

    Some may think it too big a dream, however, I feel sure it was the dream of Rhonda Byrne, as it was ours, that the worldwide simulcast of The Secret could have a tremendous impact on our world, raising the consciousness of all who were told by others to be sure to see it (viral marketing at its best). When you discover something big, don’t
    you want to share it with everyone you know? And why not?
    Just imagine a world in which literally everyone learned that they could be, do and have anything they desired and focused on รขโ‚ฌโ€ and actually applied it! What would that world be like?
    Imagine a world in which there were no more crime, no more wars, and none such as Osama Bin Laden and his ilk resenting what Americans represent to them, out of their own jealousy, and the erroneous teachings of their Madrasas . . . if they were taught positive values instead.
    Just imagine . . . and as you imagine, you are raising your own
    vibrations with all of your positive imagining, all of your appreciation, all of your joy at what you are creating in your own life, thereby allowing in even more of your own Good . . . more of what you are imagining.
    Just imagine . . .
    Do you know about the Power of Numbers? It’s the same power as is working in such as Prayer Circles, and the power that builds planets . . .
    This excerpt from “Beyond Hypnosis”, pg. 54, by (I believe) Lee Pulos, speaks to the power of numbers:
    “The power of combined energies seems to increase by an order of magnitude:
    2 people = X to the 2nd power, or the power of 4
    3 people = X to the 4th power, or the power of 81
    4 people = X to the 8th power, or the power of 65,536
    Each additional person seems to cause the power factor to double over the previous power factor.”
    Can you imagine if each one of us reading this blog were to focus on the same thing, perhaps the worldwide simulcast of The Secret, and its principles being known and practiced by all, how we could have a powerful effect on that coming about . . .
    Paul and I found each other by focusing on finding a partner who held these same beliefs, and coupled that with our own individual preferences for a partner. He and I focused together on the house we wanted, and got it. We focused together on getting our big RV, and we got it.
    Focus only upon what you want, never what you do not want . . . find it’s positive opposite to focus upon instead. Believe in it, and you will create it รขโ‚ฌโ€ sooner or later, depending upon the strength of your belief, and the contradictory energy you put out the rest of the time.
    Get a prayer partner who believes with you, who will help you to focus on your goals.
    Our small Abraham Group which meets alternate Sundays does this
    for each other.
    Paul and I are learning to get rid of the blocks to our good which might still be standing in the way of free flow รขโ‚ฌโ€ by speaking the language of the subconscious and altering its contrary beliefs (see my earlier post on this blog).
    Jannette
    http://www.inspiredcounseling.com

  37. Barbara Langham Avatar

    Bin Laden saw 9/11 as extremely positive and a cause for rejoicing. One person’s positive can well be another person’s negative.

  38. Scott Avatar
    Scott

    I didn’t read all of the comments to this topic, but the handful I did read, (as well as your blog,) failed to mention that the purveyors of this pseudo-religious attraction mechanism theory claim to have channeled a big group of “non-material” beings who call themselves “Abraham”. Mrs. Hicks begins speaking in the collective “We”, with an odd inflection to her hypnotic cadence, and “reveals” deep spiritual truths that only the goup known as “Abraham” can know. That’s when they try to sell you books, cds, and tapes so that you may gain access to this “wisdom”. (Most of it is common sense, you may have leared it in kindergarten,)
    And then a movie.
    Boy, those spirits named Abraham have got it all laid out, haven’t they? They speak through Mrs. Hicks of recordings which are to be listened to in order.
    It’s really just a couple of CA crackpots hawking yet another BS scam to separate you from your money in the name of spiritual enlightenment. What assholes. The power of their intention is to get filthy rich selling books and junk. Mind you, there is some nice advice in there, but you can open any motel bedside table and glean the same material from a Bible. Or a Koran. Or The Book of The Dead.
    Jerry and Esther, STFU already.

  39. Scott Avatar
    Scott

    And one more thing:
    Since light has dark as it’s counterpart, and night has day, and plus has minus, it is not healthy to deny yourself the lows of life as well as the highs. These must be experienced, for growth and faith.
    One can not keep a pendulum to one side forever, and the further you push, the further it will return. You may even go mad trying ot maintain suposed “positivity” indefinately.
    So I call Bullshit on the “Abraham” phenomenon.
    I could pretend to channel ghosts like John Edwards, (biggest douche in the universe,) and use som biblical name to give it an air of ethereal wisdom, too, only I choose to actually use my conscience.

  40. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Thanks Andy,
    Your review is spot on. The Law of Attraction works, but these hucksters pervert it by making it into nothing but a get rich quick scheme (Joe Vitale even goes on about the Universe being a neverending catalog of goodies..ho hum).
    Oh well. As long as people think the sole purpose of life is to get rich, Vitale and his ilk will get richer and fatter (btw how come he doesn’t have a lithe trim body and has very little hair…couldn’t manifest that? :-))

  41. Craig Burke Avatar
    Craig Burke

    The movie was great. I am glad they took the money and effort to make it available for me to see.
    More power to them and a life of abundance. Really cool.

  42. Josie Ptoto Avatar
    Josie Ptoto

    Hello all!
    Well, I must say that there is contrast to everything! I am happy to know there are people out there that think the movie is a bunch of crap! Otherwise, how would anyone know it is another useful tool that assist people, using another angle, to get what they really want in life. It’s not really a secret. Everyone knows this. It’s inside all of us. I gues that’s why we couldn’t talk when we’re babies. That’s why when we’re all grown up, and someone comes up with a great angle, packaging, and visual, it seems like a secret revealed or not. The other side of the secret is that it’s okay not to believe that you can attract, and what you put out is what you get back, and so on, and so on! But, just for the heck of it, some of you should just try it. Who knows….you might like it. And, if not, then what the heck! You didn’t lose anything you didn’t ask for anyway!
    Everything is neurtral. You color your life anyway to want to!
    Happy painting,
    Josie

  43. Annonymous Avatar

    I think the secret movie was too much mumbo jumbo. It was too New Age for me. I think people should believe more in the Lord Jesus Christ and what he can do for them than what the universe can do for them. Most of the stuff that these people were talking about can be found in the bible. It’s not the universe that gives it to you, it’s God. These people have not discovered anything new and if you study the bible, these things would not be a secret. Isn’t it like the devil to use the bible and turn it around to get glory and credit himself. Read the Bible and you will truly learn the secrets.

  44. Andy Wibbels Avatar

    Or the Tao de Ching. Or pretty much any religious text from any ancient civilization.

  45. Ettsem Avatar

    Quote: “… a guy who suddenly gets checks for money in the mail (with absolutely no context to how this happened).”
    I’ve noticed that people who believe in “The Law of Attraction” often leave context out of the stories they tell. This month alone I was forced to corner two ACIM (A Course in Miracles) believers who told me that they mysteriously “got checks in the mail”.
    When I pushed for details, it turns out they were OWED that money. I objected that this was in no way miraculous or even unusual, but they didn’t see my point. “Oh, but I wasn’t expecting to get that check until next month!” or words to that effect.
    I’m going to propose a Law of Attraction you can actually see happening in the real world. Here it is:
    Wishful thinking leads to more wishful thinking.
    I think that sounds right.

  46. Ettsem Avatar

    Sorry for the second post, but as I scanned back on the other comments I couldn’t help but notice something…
    Whenever I search for comments about The Law of Attraction, I keep coming across rave reviews from “Life Coaches”.
    I am not impressed by life coaches, or by people who think they need them. I am even less impressed by somebody who claims they could have anything รขโ‚ฌโ€ anything at all รขโ‚ฌโ€ and makes a living helping depressed yuppies.
    So when I see a life coach telling me “Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it”, I’m wondering to myself, “That life was the best you could attract?”

  47. Dan Locke Avatar
    Dan Locke

    A tempest in a tea cup!
    Andy’s remarks about the film reminded me a “Far Side” cartoon some years back:
    Two characters are standing all by themselves next to a punchbowl in a huge, otherwise empty hall. They are the only people in the whole hall.
    Above them is a banner draped across the ceiling that reads, “PWDNLDWW CONVENTION”.
    A balloon from one of the characters says, “I thought that the accents were very unauthentic…” and from the other character, “Yes, and could you believe how ridiculous the Indians’ costumes looked?!?!!”
    The caption to the cartoon read, “1st Annual Convention of the People Who Did Not Like Dances With Wolves”
    If you don’t “get” the joke, you didn’t see the movie…
    I am waiting for Andy to write his synopsis of this thread once it is all wrapped up. Here’s my “preview of the coming attraction” when he finally spills the beans on what he was up to when he started all this:
    People (some of them, anyway) love controversy.
    And when there isn’t enough it, there are some that will create it, when none exists.
    Andy can do this when he wants to. I don’t think that he ordinarily wants to, but he is able to, and he is showing off his ability.
    “The Secret” was a nice enough movie. Fact of the matter probably is, that Andy adores the flick and is making this little fuss about it is to attract more people to seeing it.
    Also, you don’t really imagine that Andy works his “ass off” do you? I doubt that he does. I guess “working hard” is relative. And perhaps Andy feels that he is. But I don’t think you or I would think so, if we were looking on. I think we might make some heartfelt complimentary remarks about his insight and ingenuity, but I don’t think that we would feel that he is “working hard”. (If he were, wouldn’t that be a disappointment! All this time, I thought he was successful!)
    I imagine that most of Andy’s money is coming pretty easily to him — in spite of any hard work that he might actually do — and I have no complaints, only praise.
    I’ll bet Andy works smart, and not hard at all.
    Like a lot of successful people he confuses the meanings of the words “working smart” with the words “working hard”.
    The successful person considers he is “working hard” while he is on the phone or at his computer, or sitting talking with an associate. I think it’s fine for a successful person to think that he is “working hard” when he’s actually having fun!
    But don’t YOU fall for it. If YOU are sincerely “working hard” for a living — well, that’s fine. Just realize that Andy’s definition of the words, his concept of what that means may be a lot different than your own.
    I confess — I only occasionally read his newsletters, but as I recall he has promoted that he has been making really good money and that it hasn’t been that hard for him. Don’t burst my bubble, Andy! I’ve been looking up to you!
    I wouldn’t be surprised to find Andy to be one of “The Secret Teachers” when they put out the next production.
    Here is another club for you members of people who did not like The Secret, or Dances With Wolves: http://www.alanabel.com/sina.php
    Excuse me — I have to go. Pretty important stuff that I have to do. I am going to write a nice whiney letter to “Sesame Street”.
    (I just think that it is disgraceful the way that they are making fun of animals with those costumes that they wear! Don’t they know animals have feelings, too! )
    And there are a few other things that I need to dream up in order to find a reason to get upset about something.
    Perhaps Andy and I could co-venture a “Are Your Tits In The Wringer?” blog.
    Dan
    PS (I liked Dances With Wolves, the PTA, Dear Abbey and Sesame Street. I hope that this does not upset Andy and that he keeps me on his list…)
    DL

  48. Andy Wibbels Avatar

    Sesame Street! Now THERE is something I can watch and get real life lessons from.
    I wish my tits could fit in a ringer – it’d mean these chest workouts are effective. ๐Ÿ˜›
    I giggle when it is proposed that I don’t work hard. Yeah, I like what I’m doing. But yeah, right now I’m working 14 hours days.
    I thought a long time before I posted that post – I wrote it and rewrote it over several weeks so it is a truly thoughtful post. Cheers!

  49. Ettsem Avatar

    Well, *I* thought it was a good post.

  50. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Boring

  51. Andy Wibbels Avatar

    And yet you left a comment.

  52. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Law of attraction works regardless if you like it or not. I know it works, and you do need to action to make it happen. If you do not apply the secret, you might end up with results you did not expect and believe me, they can be anything but not pleasant. And no one said in the movie not to put action. People in the movie are where they are due to the fact that they use that knowlage. Where are you all “antis” in the relation to them?

  53. EJ Avatar

    I haven’t seen the movie but I plan to. I have seen a SIGNIFICANT change in my life since I’ve taken on the principles in books like The Message of the Master. The fact that you are so cynical about it is why it won’t work for you. You may have riches but with that kind of attitude you won’t have wealth. The richness that comes from within.
    Faith without works is dead. Of course you have to work hard, but if you’re working towards something that you’re passionate about and is for the greater good, it doesn’t feel like work at all.
    I respect your perspective but I find it quite negative, close-minded, and really a whole lot of nothing. You told me nothing about the movie, but I think I learned a whole lot about you.
    Basically, I find your blog to be cleverly-worded nonsense. I think you were more focused on putting neat little put-down phrases together than you were on saying something that would be of value to anyone or that would even make any sense.
    EJ
    Suggested Reading: Rich Dad, Poor Dad

  54. Doug Avatar
    Doug

    Bottom Line: There is alot of good stuff in the movie, but it goes too far. Like so many “gurus,” they are extremists.
    Today, a thunderstorm moved over my house. I wasn’t even thinking about rain, but it happened. Am I responsible for this thunderstorm? According to Joe Vitale, I am.
    Like with so many “Gurus” (Oprah, Dr. Phil, Dr. Wayne Dyer, etc., etc.), they have some good stuff, but they contradict themselves. They loose themselves in the ego they supposedly do not have. It’s a paradox. They are supposedly “enlightened,” yet they need the masses to validate them. Not that I believe for a minute that any of them are anymore enlightened than you or I.
    It’s a good movie, worth watching…but, use your common sense. You can try to manifest the sun rising in the West all you want….but, I doubt you will be very successful…and it certainly won’t be your fault if it doesn’t happen.

  55. Jim Avatar

    Basic strategy in video production is: simple idea = high production values and complicated idea = keep production values simple. As you say, this was a well-done product with a straightforward idea.
    The fact that the Law of Attraction is simple and has been preached throughout history doesn’t mean it isn’t valid. But explanations never produce what they explain, anymore than reading leadership books produces leaders…Hence, the “and work your ass off”.
    The Secret also explains affirmations (when they work), prayer (when it works), positive thinking (when it works) and “you reap what you sew” (when you do)….so we have another way of talking about taking responsibility (a la your EST/Landmark friends) and being clear about what you want. Have a vision (a la Harvard Business school), then stay the course and trust the process (a la Pope John and legions of the faithful).
    It’s up to you what context you choose for your actions.

  56. anna g Avatar
    anna g

    I started to see The Secret and fell asleep. It looked like another infomerical, with people I have never seen or heard of in my life. I think their “Secret” is having people buy the movie, join the “Secret” society on line, which you have to pay for, so their secret is that they are the one’s making the money!!! But without helping mankind, I believe you will attract the negative and bad things will happen to you. You can’t have it ALL and not share it with no one.

  57. Scott S Avatar
    Scott S

    Keep The Secret…i want nothing to do with it, the manipulators who promote it or the idiots who believe in it. Were it a method to solve the legitimate issues & ills of the world and create scores of happy people rather then a means to make only yourself happy (via possission & riches for the lions share of those who believe – great message btw) I might consider adusting the way I think. Since it is not, however, I choose to let those of you who are simple minded enough to invest time into a notion such as The Secret do just that while the rest of us try to flesh out ways to make the world, not just ourselves, happy.

  58. Lindsay Avatar
    Lindsay

    I find it interesting how many people automatically assume that every single person who sees The Secret will only use the information to acquire material things, simply because that is the main theme the film focused on. Yes, I am a robot. Yes, I will do exactly as the film tells me. Must…. have… more…. STUFF…. Funny, before watching the film I actually cared about world issues, poverty, war, the environment, politics – quite passionately, in fact. And yes, I actually DID something about it. And now that I have seen The Secret, and I know that all I have to do is think about money to get it… well, I somehow stopped caring about anyone or anything else and just sit on my couch all day dreaming about expensive cars and jewelry. Wow, you’re all onto me.
    Pessimists will do absolutely anything to remain pessimists. I have a very hard time believing anyone who made the comments to which I am referring is doing much of anything at all to better our world.
    Lindsay

  59. perianwyr Avatar
    perianwyr

    This is way spiffier than The Secret, if only because you get to jack off at the same time.

  60. Gayle Avatar
    Gayle

    Wow… reading all these comments and opinions is just like watching the secret itself. Thank you for making it more obvious with all of your replies.

  61. betlamed Avatar
    betlamed

    Well, you’re spot on as to self-help being too focused on materialism and selfishness. And of course, all that quantum mechanics and pseudoscientists telling you pseudoscience (a “metaphysiscian”, for CRYING out loud!!) is a huge ball of crap.
    AND.
    The core message of this movie is, be thankful for whatever you want to achieve.
    And that is one hell of a great attitude to have. It really does help me a lot, and it absolutely makes me less selfish in the end, because I can let go of my anger. So I really don’t care how I get this message across to myself. I need a reminder sometimes. So I say: Let that stuff be cheesy marketing fluff, or whatever – I want my thankful cookies, and I want them NOW! ๐Ÿ™‚
    bl

  62. Anonymous Avatar

    The real secret is that The Secret film is free for everyone around the world to see @
    http://www.thescienceofgettingrich.biz

  63. bill perry Avatar

    I’ve been interested in the Law of Attraction since I first heard about it. I honestly can’t even remember when or where I first heard about it. It is as if I’ve been thinking about it so long, that it’s just assimilated into long-term memory.
    For me, the whole thing is best summed up in a conversation I had with a guy at work several years back.
    We were talking about positive thinking and the Law of Attraction.
    The only part of the exchange that I actually remember is when he said to me, “I tried that positive thinking stuff once, but just knew it wouldn’t work”
    sheesh.

  64. Marc P. Avatar
    Marc P.

    Thank you for this plug!
    Yesterday,I’ve seen this propaganda movie about a calvinistic view of the world. The mix of buddhist teachings, esoteric meta hints and a hided calling for materialism is very pour and should be controverted. I hope not that so much people get convinced by this crap. If you are a searcher than look for books of fair-minded people like: Thich na tang; Tenzin Palmo; Herman Hesse or the Dalai Lama !!!

  65. Marc P. Avatar
    Marc P.

    Thank you for this blog!
    Yesterday,I’ve seen this propaganda movie about a calvinistic view of the world. The mix of buddhist teachings, esoteric meta hints and a hided calling for materialism is very pour and should be controverted. I hope not that so much people get convinced by this crap. If you are a searcher than look for books of fair-minded people like: Thich na tang; Tenzin Palmo; Herman Hesse or the Dalai Lama !!!

  66. Djonam Avatar
    Djonam

    hi i was desperatly looking on the web to find a critic about this movie
    and i m glad i found this blog
    first of all have you been looking at the website of all those people the so called secret teachers
    so awfull you just feel like they all want to send you some weird stuff
    remind of those channel on tv where theres only adds for whitening your teeth or tools for your house or musculation gadget
    seriously i think this movie is only talkin to buisness men or having already a lot of money
    then there s this introduction at the beginning where you see all this “historical image” what are they trying to make us believe
    you can t pretend fooling the people with some fake history
    i found all the movie generalising about everything it s really easy to say all the great men knew the secret and then show pictures of einstein what a rip off
    and the titles under the name of the actors \
    philosopher metaphysician
    tell me at which moment in the movie they talk about philosophy or philosophers
    then they try to pretend to universaLIty showing images of chines and indian people
    ok ok where are the araBS the amerindians the africans
    it s just so generalising about everything
    and i think the worst of it in this movie
    is that it s true that the human is very powerfull
    we are capable of everything creating the most amazing building like the sagrada familia or inventing the most amazing stories and at the same time killing massive number of people and fuckin with the climate
    those people in this movie are really trying to kill each aspect of spirituality
    the only thing you see you could get is object bike car
    etc etc i know where living in a materialistic world
    but you don t make a movie talkin about peace of mind accomplishment \
    and you show me a white poor boy from a wealthy family getting a super bike that s nonsense thats AWFULL
    there are things happening in this world \
    politicians takin decision that rule the world after world
    a progress or a regression through hystory
    different mythology that crosses each other to build the story of the world
    i won t enter in details but what i regret is that there is no details in this movie
    and the aim of this movie is to kill every pixel of soul that is in the mind of everyone
    cause after seeing the movie the only thing you re thinking is money and material possesion
    seriously look at the website of those people there all marketing adviser not philosopher ‘
    and if thery think they re learning me something they are all wrong
    sorry i m a bit angry after such revelation

  67. Djonam Avatar
    Djonam

    i defnitly agree with you

  68. Rob Lord Avatar
    Rob Lord

    Taru, what a wonderful attitide, and I can attest to the fact it works. At 48, I had 3 heart attacks, quintuple bypass, and a stroke that left me no peripheral vision on the left side. I lost my job of driving as the government took my licence away. However, my optometrist and I wrote 9, 45 page, type written letters to the government about how absured the law was, especially when my eyes were 20/20 and I could pass every drivers test 100% to no avail.
    Persistence paid, ….the government changed the law after 3 and a half years of letters and developed a visual waiver program, for drivers in this province. I got my licence back, and so did thousands of others, but it wouldn’t have happened, unless the good thoughts and positive thinking, everyday guided my way and spurred me on to win. And I did, unconditionally. Whether it’s a “Secret”, or just the power of positive thinking…….it DOES work.

  69. Kevin Avatar
    Kevin

    Did anyone else notice the old hippy baby boomer new ager kinda theme here? Talk about a new twist on an old idea. I am surprised they didn’t have Tom Cruise and the Dianetics crew on hear. Ever since the baby boomers left the planet in the 60’s and 70’s they have been trying to come back down with some sort of magical enlightenment for all us dummies down here. The basic idea here is that the universe is energy, all things are energy, God is energy, therefore we are God. WOOO HOOO. I knew it!! And the powerful intention stuff, anybody remember that the road to hell is paved with good intentions? “Captain, we are out of dilythium crystals!” “Scotty… just… imagine them and they… will… appear. Otherwise, we’re gonna end up with a shit load of anti-matter!”

  70. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Andy, both you are right, and they right… huh what, why!?
    THEY: You use the law of attraction, and you get it.
    You: But you must “work your ass off”. (translation you actually do some actions on the outside, rather than just in your head).
    WHEN you use the law of attraction, you DO actually end up doing the SAME actions on the outside. EXCEPT it feels like you just found yourself doing them.
    Basically it’s the same thing, it’s just that the mental perspective is different. If you concentrate on the attraction part, you end up doing the outside actions.
    If you concentrate on “working your ass off”… guess what?! You do the SAME outside actions. ๐Ÿ™‚
    Only difference is, in case 1 you feel good and positive and happy and the results feel “like magic”, while in the second case you feel overworked, stressed and resentfull.
    P.S.
    There’s 2 people stating “you can’t just sit home and just will it all day long, like a new agey spiritualist and hope it comes about”… You missed that part where they say “you need to work your ass off” as weel. Why did you miss it (re-view the movie).. Because you attracted that in. You watched the movie with the wish to see a scam, so you saw one.

  71. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    I loved the movie. Take it as it is and all will be well.

  72. Xenu Avatar
    Xenu

    This is all BS. Different strokes for different folks right… let’s all agree to disagree. Im glad I just watched this crap for free so I can go spend my $4.95 on a beer and a lottery ticket. Keep daydreaming hippy dreamers. You all are what is wrong with our country today. You all only care about yourselves. Godless pagans. This bullshit is a pyramid scheme. http://www.thescienceofgettingrich.biz (scroll down and read the text on the right and visit drewpictures.net). This wack shit is for mentally retarded faggots who want to make money skull-fucking their brainless peers.

  73. Tom Cannon Avatar
    Tom Cannon

    I think this movie misses the mark. yes, there is a principle that we create what we think about, and when this is presented as a schmaltzy polished-up production, it is bound to get some people exicted and wanting to get more in their lives. It is the power of intention. But what were the intentions of the producers? Me thinks to sell movies, make money, and create a sense of immortality through popularizing a notion that is anything but secret. The notion that “The Secret” is revealed for the first time is a bunch of crap. This kind of marketing is shallow and manipulative, and one might say that’s an oxymoron.
    So if we’re really going to make this a better place to be, we should be focusing on virtue and principles of living. OK, we’re really not hurting anybody by espousing this stuff, but let’s call it what it is, and not claim it’s some big secret that the immortally famous have applied in their lives to achieve fame, glory and riches. I’ll bet you most of the people cited in the movie would think the notion a bunch of crap. And we must be careful about how we define “great”. Alexander seems to have the corner on the moniker, but he earned his greatness by senseless killing so he could feed his big ego. The world, I think, will be a better place if we focus on compassion and generosity rather than greed and abundance. A redutionist approach to justify one’s own motives (creating wealth and fame) gets us nowhere, but I guess my colored glasses point me to a view that make us better neighbors and seek to reduce conflict in the world. Isn’t that a little better than getting more stuff? Who knows, I just don’t think this crap makes us better people, which the movie sure seems to imply.

  74. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    You just said it. You’re simply not evolved enough.

  75. Sydney Avatar

    The thing about cults is, you’d really like them to be a bit more intelligent and fun than this one. This one is just so, SO stupid. It’s beyond words.
    I accidently got a webpage there two years ago thinking it was some networking blogsite and then promptly forgot about it — the site, and the page. I noticed (to my great mortification) that my actual name (which I’d never given them any permission to make public by the way, I used only a username on all my blogs then) was on a blank page on their site published in the search engines. Yes. Lovely. Nice to be associated with your BIZARRO hippy dippy cult when that potential employer does a google search on me.
    So I started looking into their belief system. And thought. Really? People PAY for this shit? People pay for someone else to tell them that every piece of bad or good luck they ever have is NOT the result of hard work, or even simply the luck of the draw, but something they manifested out of their own mind?
    Hell, if you wanted that much guilt, why not join the Catholic church while you’re at it and dispense with A. Hicks and his supposed posthumous mouthpiece altogether.
    Right, he has a talking head. Now that IS weird. How do you slip THAT one past any normal sane adult. We’d like you to join our little umm, group. Send us money for books and tapes and umm… We have some belated advice for you, from Abraham.
    Well yes, we know he’s dead. But, we do HEAR from him. Yes, we’re certain its him. He talks to us through Sara Hicks.
    She’ll be channeling him today in the green room and afterwards, we’ll have some tapes on sale… Nice.

  76. Candace Lee Avatar
    Candace Lee

    You know, I respect everyone’s opinion, but I think the movie, even having not watched it, is a great breath of fresh air for all those cynics out there who can’t get out of the cycle of thinking negatively. Sure we have all been through a rough time once in a while, but what if those rough times are a result of how we think and feel about ourselves and our lives. And what if our lives have taken a downward spiral out of control? I really wouldn’t go so far as to say it was made only to make a few people rich. There are actually people out there who give a damn about other people, and what is the hurt in distributing something that can potentially have an impact on many people’s lives? Sure, you can get rich being a cynic and bitter, but do you know if those people are happy? Are they really happy or do they substitute happiness with riches? We can’t make assumptions. I would definitely spend 30.00$ on this movie–it’s worth a shot–hey we have all spent 100 times that amount of money on idiotic things such as cigarettes, alcohol, and gambling. What’s the harm in trying it out?

  77. bill perry Avatar

    I’ve got just a few things to say (again) about The Secret. I believe in the Law of Attraction, because I’ve witnessed it working in my life. I’m not about to try and “convert” anyone. That’s not my way.
    As far as the “critics” and “detractors” who make mention of the people from the movie who have websites and make money from it, so what? It’s not different than Andy monetizing his expertise in blogging, or Steve Pavlina monetizing his expertise in Personal Development.
    Each person has something to offer the world, and if each person can find a way to earn an income from their personal strengths and expertise, nobody should stand in their as long as no harm comes to their customers/clients.
    Once again, I’m not in the business of trying to “convince” people of the Law of Attraction. You either believe in it or you don’t, and my beliefs do not require anyone else to believe in it.
    Bill

  78. Jack Avatar
    Jack

    Andy, I feel you Man. But, the law of attraction does bring whatever you are thinking/feeling. Work you ass off? If you see yourself doing it, you will. I do not work my ass off anymore. I choose to make my life easy, and I am more well off financially than when I was busting my ass. You see what you are, not what you want. Be it. Sure there is a time factor, but who cares, if what I choose comes, it comes!

  79. Rod Avatar

    Dear Andy (can I call you Andy?)
    I find you got the same feeling from the movie I did, but by the other hand you’re worried about the “unhappy” examples shown along it. I’d say the same. What, now I can get money without doing nothing? All I have to do is to pretend I already have it and it’s done? Of course that’s a bit lame, after all, we know that’s not how things really work… there’s way more than that. I know people that makes money everyday, and I’m talking about tons of it, without doning anything… but they do have a very good and reasonable explanation to it, such as investments ro anything like that. Anyway, I still think that the idea behind the movie, “the law of attraction” is just a secret and it is more than 50% of a success formula for sure. After all, what does it mean without the work. You have to put your hand onto something to get it done. You can’t just sit there and pray!
    Well, I just wanted you to read this in case you don’t agree with the movie “idea”, just in case you think they’re wrong… and therefore try to show me I’m wrong. I mean… I want to come hell or high water!
    Cheerio!

  80. Angelo Avatar

    Hi Andy,
    I think you need to see the movie again as the message is clear that you do need to take action, what they are trying to convey in the film is that it should be inspired action, in other words by activating the law of attraction with something positive that you want and believe you can have, you will tap into an inifinte source and ideas or situations will arise as a hint of what to do, but you need to act on it…
    I agree that many people may get the wring idea and think that they should just think of what they want and sit back and wait for it to appear which is not the way it works.

  81. freud 2007 Avatar
    freud 2007

    I think determining what you want out of life is based on the choices we make either good or bad. having a positive attitude during a negative situation can greatly affect the outcome. if you are unhappy with your life you must find out what causes your un happiness and then work towards becoming happy. i have many friends who are multimillionaires and they still have problems drinking, gambling, etc. But they choose to do what makes them happy. don’t take personally what other people say. release the load of bricks or the chip on you shoulder and make life the best you can while you are still alive.

  82. joe Avatar

    Basically, it does slightly insult one’s
    intelligence to play along with a repackaged con job.
    If you’re young and haven’t seen the many forms presented in the past,
    then go back and be aware.
    You don’t glorify a new painter
    who has rehashed the master painters
    and stay ignorant.

  83. L Smith Avatar
    L Smith

    “The Secret” is more than just a movie, more than just a book. Out here in Scottsdale and Phoenix, AZ, it’s begun to take on the life of a growing cult. Just recently, we’ve ‘lost’ my step-sister into this cult. She’s quit her job, lives off of a stock portfolio that her mother put together for her (none of her own money is in it), and now spends all her time involved volunteering with a pseudo-church that gives lectures, talks, and classes about the “Secret” while the organizers of these events clean up! She dreams about having her own line of clothing (never having done anything with textiles in her life) that will make her rich and successful. And to get to her goal, she meditates upon it with the support of her new friends.
    Yeah, they forgot to say something about actually walking through the doors of opportunity. They do say “Then Act!”. But they don’t actually say what that action entails.
    This is a potentially damaging bit of fantasy play for those who would play the role of next generation Scientologist high priest.

  84. Jennifer Andrews Avatar
    Jennifer Andrews

    The secret is in the marketing. Simply masterful! Most the people in the film paid a good deal of money (I think it was $US10,000 from memory) to be in the film. Bill Harris sent an offer a while back to his mailing list (as did others in the project), the requirement was you had to pay to be in the movie and have a marketable product to sell. (And boy are those products selling!! and being back-ended to people on each of their email, mail and marketing lists). Each author has a stable of more secrets to sell for $47, $97 and even $197 of more (as long as it ends in $7!). The response has been phenomenal as even Esther Hicks who withdrew from the second version made a substantial amount of money in terms of royalties.
    Amazing marketing! Well done!
    BTW Great Blog!

  85. John Smith Avatar
    John Smith

    It is no secret. But it does seem to get a lot of people going….

  86. Cheryl Miller Avatar

    Andy you nailed it. I couldn’t quite put my finger on all that bugged me about The Secret, but you have.
    I have a few clients that I thought might get something out of it but as I was in the process of sending the link to The Secret website, I just couldn’t follow through. There’s some bad mojo about that site – hyped, dark, phony, and all the rest that you’ve mentioned.
    This may become the movie we love to hate. Cheryl

  87. Barbra Sundquist Avatar

    Great analysis Andy. Looking around at the coaching and self-help field, I sense a growing trend towards healthy scepticism of so-called “secrets”.
    And it’s about time. I’m so bored with the naive positivism and fuzzy logic of the proponents of law of attraction type ideas. And I’m mystified when these ideas are promoted by otherwise intelligent people.
    I prefer to appreciate positive thinking for all it offers, while at the same time engaging my brains in some good old-fashioned critical thinking.
    According to Jennifer’s comment above, participants paid a hefty fee to be in the movie. So, let’s see, a production that contains people who paid to be in it to market their product…what is it that we call that again? Oh yeah, infomercial.
    Apparently the people who paid to watch the Secret paid to watch a feature length informercial.
    As Jennifer wrote: “The secret is in the marketing. Simply masterful!”

  88. Paul A. Bixler Avatar
    Paul A. Bixler

    I have known Jerry & Esther Hicks for many years. Through the principles that Abraham teaches I have manifested many wonderful things in my life. When someone says that they are full of ….., then they do not know what they are talking about.
    These principles have been around since the beginning of time, but we as humans are beginning to discover them in ever increasing numbers. This can only lead to the betterment of mankind.
    When I was young, I was impressed with the Roman Catholic Church and when I married my first wife, I joined. But, as time went on there were many questions I had and their standard reply was that it was a matter of faith. They were right, but it did not answer the question of what happens when I believe one thing with all my soul and someone else believes just the opposite. Now I know the answer, they are both right and will make it so in their reality. That is what quantum physics teaches us.
    My background has been in science and physics, and I think that some people are like the rest of the world was when we all thought it was flat. They refuse to believe, even though they can see evidence of it.
    Learning to manifest can be so much fun, because if you think something into reality, you are proving the reality of these laws. That goes for what you want as well as what you don’t want.
    I can only suggest that you look into some training for this material. You can email me at pabixlersr@comcast.net and I can give some information on some excellent courses to learn all this stuff.

  89. Joanie Avatar
    Joanie

    I am so sorry that you completely missed the point. Of course you have to work hard to attain your goals. most people work hard to fulfill other people’s goals and dreams…If I have dreams than I’d prefer to work hard to fulfill them before i work hard to fulfill other people’s dreams. What the Secret is and yes, it is a known fact- that the realizing of your dreams always has to begin with your thoughts. The next step is to put your thoughts into action, rather than to remain in a wishy world of your imagination. and everything is possbile- rather it’s money you want or success on your area of expertise, happiness, whatever….I beleive most people are afarid what they are capable of and fear prevents them from making a commitment to themselves0 tot he attainment of their goals. There are plenty of real life stories of great individuals in all walks of life- be it religious, sports, literary, art, etc…..

  90. Laurel LaFone Avatar

    thx for the review – i have to admit that i am on the secret bandwagon…i think the people that thought it was about “positive thinking” or that there was this huge secret that would be revealed, sort of missed the point…i think the way that they marketed it, they were trying to lure the “non-believers”, not the people like alot of the posters, that already believe & therefore the movie shows up at our doorstep (literally, lol)…and now w/the huge wave of publicity from the marketing, that’s exactly what they will accomplish – taking it to the avg joe that doesn’t think much about life other than what they are eating for dinner (okay, i admit i may have those moments! lol) the main point that i got was the “attitude of gratitude” theory & the fact that we do bring into our lives what we want in them – consciously or unconsciously…no it’s not rocket science, but i think the way that they presented it would definitely have to trigger some type of brain smoke – i was also a big fan of “What the Bleep” – so there you go, lol. i think the whole point to these movies & theory’s are that we as human’s have the power to be & do whatever we want & it really is spirtual empowerment…it’s just being presented in another form other than the preacher & the pulpit…we are the ones that set the limitations and allow others or situations determine who we are & what we’ll be – how sad is that?! and the fact is, we haven’t truly tapped into but maybe 10% (just like the amount of brain we use) of our source…& yes, i believe this is evolution of man…definitely excites me & worth the $30, lol!!!

  91. Laurel LaFone Avatar

    i changed the name of my blog – get to know me thru the link w/this comment ๐Ÿ™‚

  92. Sydney Avatar

    In response to:
    “Paul A. Bixler :
    I have known Jerry & Esther Hicks for many years. Through the principles that Abraham teaches I have manifested many wonderful things in my life. When someone says that they are full of …, then they do not know what they are talking about.”
    ——————————————
    You’re kidding, right? You’re using that pair as role models? Those two couldn’t even “manifest” themselves a good marriage the first time around. Instead, they fooled around and grabbed each other’s partners.
    Jerry is an ex-Amway huckster who “felt the spirit” err… make that, the $$$, when he heard heard another evangelist type lady channeling and prophesying on tape at a bookstore.
    People were buying her tapes like hotcakes. He was impressed.
    From that, a new idea was born, and pretty soon he and Esther were taking the Abe Hicks show out on the road.
    Jerry realized that they didn’t really need Abe in person, when they already had Esther. Apparently, she does a great Abe impression. Its all just a little bit Wizard of Oz’ish. “Don’t look at the man behind the curtain…”

  93. Sydney Avatar

    In response to Mike who said:
    “Andy- Nice marketing on your own part. Attacking something as popular as The Secret is sure drawing traffic to your blog.”
    First, I think you’re being a bit melodramatic to say that Andy ATTACKED The Secret. He merely said he was disappointed in the film. Now me? I’m attacking it. Its just another piece of hippy dippy, suck all of your money away and give you nothing in return, cult rubbish.
    Secondly, you’re thinking that THIS topic would draw a lot of traffic to his site? Seriously? Most people have to go look it up to even see what it is. Your little cult has apparently “mani-fested” a much larger audience in your tiny little heads than actually exists.
    People just enjoy reading Andy’s blog. And it has nothing to do with “The SECRET.”
    And then Mike says:
    “The law of attraction is something that has been recognized by many greats throughout history.”
    Really? Umm… Like who for instance? Could you name a couple of those greats? I mean, are we talking like George Washington, Confucious, The Virgin Mary?
    “We very much live in a cause and effect world, and those that are not aware of it, or refuse to recognize it, are ultimately the big losers.”
    Or maybe they just haven’t taken physics.
    “Religions of every sort have been trying to tell us through the ages that this approach to life will improve your life.”
    Wait. What?
    “Others try to convince us to get in the ditch with them, but I, for one, prefer to live in a positive, uplifting and expectant way.”
    Well, I expect that if there’s a tornado coming, I’m probably going to go ahead and get into the ditch with them. You don’t really want to be above ground at a time like that.
    “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he! Absolute truth. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Another truth.”
    You know, I do believe that’s in the Bible. Just saying…
    “Then ask yourself, why are so many living in fear?”
    Are they?
    “Because they doubt the power of the mind to create, and it does create. So think of all that you don’t want, and by gosh, you’ll get it, whether you like it or not!”
    Ok. Someone please help me with this one. We’re afraid because we think we can’t create and then we – screw it, I’m not even going to try to decipher the rest of that one.
    “the Secret did a wonderful job of putting something together that could possible reach the masses, and maybe, just maybe, get some to think differently.”
    Trust me, some of the “masses” already do think differently. VERY differently.
    “If that’s bad, then give me more of it.”
    Buddy, I think you may have already overdosed.
    “First we have to get people to think, then we have to get them to think the right way.”
    I’m afraid to ask…

  94. Paul A. Bixler Avatar
    Paul A. Bixler

    In reading the various responses to Andy’s original comment, I find it very interesting. All of us live different lives and experience different things. We look at life from the perspective that is filtered by our beliefs and experiences.
    Sydney said the Jerry & Esther are “fakes,” and if I didn’t know better I might agree. However, if when they say something is, I find that invariably, it is.
    i.e. One of the workshops I attended with them in Terrytown, NY a couple of years ago, One of the attendees said that he was focusing on getting a new car. He had the make, model, color, etc. all picked out. He was doing his visualizations at night before he went to sleep. The next morning, there was the car in front of him in traffic, exactly as he had visualized it. But the crowning achievement was the license plate. It said “Thanks Bob.” The gentleman’s name was Bob. Now he did not as yet own the car, but talk about results. This is the kind of things that happen all the time when you start to use these teachings. Again, I say, the only limitation we all have is that we put on ourselves by our beliefs. There are many places to learn this stuff on the internet. If anyone is interested, email me and I will give you at least three outstanding sites where you can learn this stuff. Again, my email address is pabixlersr@comcast.net

  95. Joan Schramm Avatar

    Andy —
    Loved your rant about “The Secret”. A friend sent it to me a while ago (I’d never heard of it — what cave have I been living in?), and the same day I got an e-mail from my mother wanting to know if I’d seen it yet.
    I finally got around to watching it last night. I found some of it very inspiring, but was very turned off by the whole “da Vinci Code secret passed down through centuries” schtick. I can look past that and see the inner core, but I think it won’t speak to a lot of people because of the tone. And, of course, it will appeal to a great many people just because of the tone, so I guess it’s a wash. I guess it will appeal to the people it’s supposed to appeal to. ๐Ÿ™‚
    I do agree with your sentiment that any discussion of attraction should end with “and then go and work your ass off”. I don’t think just hard work makes one successful. If it did, there would be a lot more successful people in the world. Nor do I believe that simply visualizing yourself as successful will make it so. There needs to be some action with the thought.
    There was a West Wing episode where the President was weighing whether to pardon a criminal from a death sentence or not. He wrestled with it the whole show and got advice from a number of people. At the end, he didn’t send the pardon. He did call in his spiritual advisor to talk about his decision. He told the priest that he had wrestled with the decision and still wasn’t sure if he had done the right thing. The priest asked if he had prayed. The Pres said yes, but he got no answer. The priest then told the story of a man who hears on the radio that a huge flood is coming. His neighbors come by to take him with them to higher ground. He says no, I’ve prayed and God will protect me. The flood comes. A man in a boat comes by, and offers to take him away. The man says no, I’ve prayed and God will protect me. The flood gets higher and the man is on his roof. A helicopter comes by and tries to lower a rope to save him. The man says no, I’ve prayed and God will protect me. The man dies. He meets God in heaven and says, How could you let this happen? I’ve lived a good life; I honored You; I prayed and I counted on You, and You let me die.” God says, “Look, I sent a news bulletin, a rowboat and a helicopter. What more did you want?” The priest says to the Pres, “God sent you a Quaker, a Rabbi and a Catholic priest. What more did you want?”
    Or, to put it more simply, a man prays every day to win the lottery and become rich. Years go by and nothing happens. Finally one day, as he’s praying, God appears to him and says, “I’ve heard your prayers. But you gotta work with me. Buy a lottery ticket.”
    So, attraction isn’t enough. You gotta buy a ticket.
    Final thought — I tried to explain it to my husband on the way to work this morning. He listened, then asked if he, following the laws of attraction, could manifest Halle Berry as his girlfriend. I kind of think, when questions like that come up, that’s where the whole idea breaks down. Theoretically, if he followed the process, he could be cuddling Halle Berry. I’d have to say, not real likely.

  96. Sydney Avatar

    In response to Paul Bixler
    You have got to be kidding me. THAT is what you use as an anecdote for how the law of attraction works? That if you think really positive thoughts you might actually get to “see” the object of your desire somewhere out there in traffic? It doesn’t take a statistician to tell you that the odds are good that you would come across said car. Especially if you were looking for it.
    Let me let you in on a little secret (no pun intended) that you would know if you’d ever been a pregnant woman. Which, I’m guessing you haven’t been unless your parents were into really androgynous names. When you become pregnant with your first child, you suddenly NOTICE all of these other pregnant women around you.
    Now, its not that the number of pregnant women has increased just because you yourself are pregnant. Its just that you now have a special affinity for them and you notice them more.
    Its the same with this gentleman and his car. He has been visualizing a particular vehicle and its going to stick out like a sore thumb every time he sees it. No secret mysteries there.

  97. Joe Avatar
    Joe

    Listen, Laws of attraction, positive thinking….all great. However, to go as far as to say that this type of reductionist thinking can, in fact, be the solution to life’s problems is extremely arrogant and naive. Regardless of what one does before starting a job/task/assignment/etc. or what kind of thinking process one takes to get themselves mentally prepared for the day, month or year, the hard work behind this theory that no one wants to talk about is enevitable. No matter how hard you focus your positive attention on your work or goals, things just dont come easy because you think they will. Things that come easy do because of ones individual talents or skills, which were the result of hard work in the first place. So although it might seem like your thoughts are making it easier on yourself, but the fact is that each day humans are alive we get smarter, faster, stronger; we evolve and thus things naturally become easier for us, we adapt. Not because we felt like one day waking up and saying, ‘hey, today for the rest of my life everything is gonna be easier for me because thats what i feel and think.” Great. And to stress this matter further, we are inable to control other people, whether that be in business, love, life, school. So in that respect, wouldn’t it make sense to assume that no matter how much we want or think positively that something will happen, the hard truth of life is that (because we cannot control our physical environment) this type of thinking is wishfull at best, something that doesn’t bode well for ones mind, especially since historically this type of thinking ends in disappointment. To assume you have this kind of control over life is so ignorant and arrogant to the point of stupidity. Moreover, to think that one can change every negative aspect over to a positive one and eliminate negativity from their lives completely is dellusional. Positive and negative exist as a pair not as individual entites. You need to have one, or you wont have the other, understand? Things don’t happen because there is a will or are supposed to, they happen because they can happen, because the possibility is there for it to come true, and no thinking is going to speed up that process or make those moments come true because you thought of them.

  98. Paul A. Bixler Avatar
    Paul A. Bixler

    In response to Sydney.
    I think you are missing the whole point. I know in my own personal experience that I get what I focus on. If I want a new car and I focus on getting it, invariably it will show up somewhere in my daily life as it did for the gentleman at the workshop. This lets you know that your desires are being heard. Sometimes your manifestation occurs almost immediately, but mostly there is a time delay. I do not know if the gentleman from the workshop ever received his car, but I know if he kept focusing on it he did. Why, because that is the way our reality works.
    Modern day physics has found this statement to be true and some of the eastern religions have taught this for centuries.
    I personally have had very good results with my manifesting whatever I desire. However, the way it comes to me is quite different than what I thought it would be.
    In my recent past, I have manifested a beautiful wife, a wonderful new home, an RV and many other minor things.
    The title of one of the books on manifestation is called “It Works.” It was called that because when the manuscript was sent for review by a friend of the author, the manuscript was returned with those two words on it.
    Now, just because a person learns how to manifest, doesn’t mean they will get everything they desire immediately. You may have blocks in your subconcious which prevents your desires from coming true.
    One of the best ways of proving to yourself is to go to Bob Doyle’s web site. He has classes you can take in manifestation and on his site there is a book that contains 35 pages of testimonies of people that have used these principles and had success with them. I might suggest that you go to his website and have a look, there is a lot to read, but it is facinating reading.
    His URL is:http://www.wealthbeyondreason.com
    Let me know what you think of it.
    The whole point is, if you think this is all balony it is, if you think that it works it does. That is the clue. If I am right, you or anyone else can change their life for the better by applying these laws.
    Yes, you must work, but work becomes a joy when you love what you are doing.

  99. kim parker Avatar

    I like the movie The Secret, these are the reasons why i disagree with andy’s written down thoughts.
    The movie The Secret does say that a select few have known this secret but no one in the movies says that you are doomed to be broke if you don’t buy their movie. They say that if you focus on THIS then you get THIS. If you focus on an elephant you’ll get an elephant not a tiger.
    The movie is not meant to be conspiracy theory, though I quite enjoy those theories myself. Of course Andy was disappointed with the movie, the idea of only a few have known the secret is mentioned as a point to start a conversation. The movie doesn’t revolve around it. If you love conspiracies that much it just points out what you focus on.
    No one disagrees that The Secret is slick. Nowadays the masses won’t give anyone credit unless it is fast paced, provocatively dramatic (similar to your Andy’s post) and pretty to look at.
    I had heard a lot of what was said in The Secret before seeing the movie. Some I learned in the movie What the Bleep do We Know. Some before that. I am sure the law of attraction has been referred to in many different ways and with different words. The difference in The Secret is how to practically apply it. And hey, maybe some people already knew that too but I guarantee that there are way more people than that who haven’t heard any of this. I am sure as well that each speaker spent hours talking in front of the cameras expounding on their experiences. So, a lot of what was put into the actual movie was most likely taken out of context. But I think that was part of the point. It doesn’t matter if you made your money in investments, or as a feng shui consultant, or writing a book. The point is they all achieved what they wanted by focusing on it and they all had their own way of doing it.
    Did anyone in the movie say that hard work isn’t required to get what you want? No. They said by focusing on the thing you want you will attract the way to get to it. That way may be full long hours of work but you’ll still get there. Did they say that when the girl in the movie attracted a man to her, that it was going to be easy street ? No they didn’t. First she attracted the man, then comes the relationship, probably including some hard work. The hard work isn’t the point. The focus is, just that alone is a lot of work and takes consistency and discipline. To just get people to pay attention to what they focus on is an achievement in of itself. I know, I teach Pilates to many a distracted person.
    I don’t know the last time to you went to a self improvement seminar, Andy, but boy do they harp on creating value for the global community, for other people. You must fall in love with your client.
    As far as the supposed ‘smart-assed’ comment towards anti-war is concerned, did you even pay attention at that point? The more passion you feel about something the faster you bring it about. This is another point to the movie, it doesn’t matter if you view your feeling as good or bad, if you’re upset and worked into a frenzy (even for a good cause) all the time, you will attract more of those situations that create that SAME feeling. It gives more energy to those situations.
    What is wrong with being enchanted by the idea that one’s reality is a collection of one’s perceptions?
    If a person can affect their immediate world around them by how s/he perceives it, especially in a positive way, then that person knows s/he can affect รขโ‚ฌล“the entire dynamic operating in this world of ‘wealth and attraction’รขโ‚ฌ?. The more people affect their personal world the more impact on the global world.
    Andy is good at writing provocative posts.

  100. cometier Avatar
    cometier

    I can’t agree more about this “film”. All the reenactment-type footage and glitzy computer graphics reminded me of all those bunk pseudo-intellectual Discover and History channel production. This could have been boiled down to “be positive you’ll enjoy life more”.

  101. cometier Avatar
    cometier

    Also lets use a real life example, Bush I’m sure thought he would have positive experience with the war in Iraq. But we know otherwise… ๐Ÿ™‚

  102. Ron Avatar

    No matter what you personally thought about the “repackaging” of old information, I think you missed the point they were making. With abundance, we have the freedom and finances to bless and help others. I have studies and followed some of these ‘experts’ and in so, have changed my life (one filled with emotional and physical abuse, divorce and bankruptcy) both in income and abundance and now tithe and give to charities more than I used to make in one year. It is in no way simply about the material wealth and ‘things’ and in fact, that is but a small benefit down the list of benefits and blessings that come from faith, love and abundance.

  103. Dave Avatar
    Dave

    Visualizing success will never make a dumbass with ill-conceived ideas successful.

  104. Richard Avatar
    Richard

    Dave:
    It is the language itself, which is being overlooked.
    Try it!
    Is there a “Nobel Prize for Economics”?
    The answer is ‘no’. Yet are there persons who are ‘believers’ that there is a ‘Nobel Prize for Economics’ you know?
    http://whyfiles.org/shorties/160number_lang/
    Language is part of visualizing etc.
    The ‘value’ of for instance money, is based on ‘language’ and how it is used.

  105. Sydney Avatar

    Yeah. What Dave said. Good Job Dave.

  106. Sydney Avatar

    In response to Paul Bixler,
    From Paul:
    “I think you are missing the whole point.”
    I’m not certain I saw a point, but anyway.
    “I know in my own personal experience that I get what I focus on. If I want a new car and I focus on getting it, invariably it will show up somewhere in my daily life as it did for the gentleman at the workshop. This lets you know that your desires are being heard.”
    No, THAT let’s you know that you’re now noticing this particular car because it happens to be the kind of car you want. If you want a red mercedes, you aren’t going to notice or keep track of all the white ford pintos that pass by. Ok, that analogy doesn’t count because the chance of a pinto that still runs in 2007 is nil – but you get my point. Let’s say that Ford still made the pinto. And let’s take a big leap out there on the faith train and say that Ford made a car that pinto a car that you didn’t have to F.IX O.R R.EPAIR D.AILY
    You wouldn’t be noticing it. Just like you wouldn’t be noticing how many aubergine nissan stanzas passed by. Why? Because you aren’t interested in those. Let me talk to you about ACTUAL science for a moment. The brain has an R.A.S. Reticular Activating System
    It kind of tells us what to pay attention to and what to screen out at any given time. Its the entire reason men can watch football and honestly not hear their wives asking them a question from the doorway of the kitchen. But take that same guy, in his living room watching t.v. and let a car backfire loudly outside, and his RAS will immediately rule that priority #1 and you’d better believe that he will startle to attention quickly process in his head whether that was a gunshot or a car noise.
    The effectiveness with which the RAS works varies among people, and its theorized that this has much to do with ADD and ADHD. When you fall in love with a car, or an idea, or meet someone you’re interested in, that information is given much more prominence in your RAS. When visual information cues your brain with an association to those things, you notice them immediately. Nothing secret or magic about it. And… in this case, its biology. And evolution. Not physics.
    Now. People like the Hicks, and your buddies that you’d like me to visit at that other website? They like to take the money of people who don’t know any better and they use the very things that happen naturally in your body as anecdotal evidence of the “success” of their method. They are not the first, and trust me, there will be many more after them, to scam people out of their money in this manner. Using this same concept.
    I can’t stop you from spending your money. But I can and will strongly debunk and bs theories, based on junk pseudo-science, that cannot be empirically tested and reproduced in any type of measurable study. If “It Works” then “It” should be able to be studied and shown to work. It would not be difficult to design an experiment doing this. A before and after. There are certain things that could be measured. And it would give the Hicks credibility. But you know, I don’t think that’s going to happen any time soon.
    Paul says:
    “In my recent past, I have manifested a beautiful wife, a wonderful new home, an RV and many other minor things.”
    You know Paul, many of us do these same things. Marry, buy a house, etc. We call it: living. Not manisfestation. Now, some people aren’t successful in life because they sabotage themselves or they don’t think they can be. For such people, its possible that believing in some like manisfestation gets them off the hook for being responsible for their own success. They are subconsciously tell themselves they are using a prop, so they allow themselves to succeed without the sabotage. Or it could be that just having these people tell them that this process of manisfestation works gives them the confidence to believe in themselves. Either of those two things can be vital in making changes in your life that will allow you to become successful.
    The drawback to this is that I have seen places online where several people who practice this Hicks manisfestion hooey BLAME themselves because things go wrong. There is a woman who has a blog who blames herself for her several thousand dollar roof repair. Its just because she isn’t thinking positively enough, she thinks. It’s a load of crap. Her roof was leaking because it was old and needed to be redone. Period. She was beating herself up over nothing that she could control. Even though the Hicks would like her to believe that this is not the case. It is wrong for people to prey upon the hopes, dreams, despair and weaknesses of others. It is wrong, and it makes me angry.
    Paul says:
    “The whole point is, if you think this is all balony it is, if you think that it works it does.”
    No Paul. Baloney is baloney. Ham is ham. And BS is BS. One thing does not become the other just because you think about it. If you come into a room and find that someone you love has been murdered and they are lying on the floor, can you think that they are whole and alive and sitting with you out in the living room and have it be true? No. You cannot. Certainly you may feel that you feel their presence from time to time after their death. But that’s really not the same thing is it?
    Paul says:
    “That is the clue. If I am right, you or anyone else can change their life for the better by applying these laws.”
    I must be dense. I missed the clue. Unfortunately, you are not right. But there is a bright spot. Anyone can change their life for the better by applying THEMSELVES.
    Paul says:
    “Yes, you must work, but work becomes a joy when you love what you are doing.”
    Yes Paul. That’s what we’ve been trying to explain to you all along. You must work. And apply yourself. There is no religion or secret that allows you to get off the hook and “manifest” all of your dreams come true. And con artists should not be preying on others, taking money from them and promising that their is.

  107. Sydney Avatar

    Uggh! Sorry about all the typos. Didn’t proof it.

  108. Paul A. Bixler Avatar
    Paul A. Bixler

    To Sydney;
    Our comments have once again proven to me that you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make em drink.
    You can tell me all you want that what the Hick’s have to say is so much hogwash, and if I was just beginning this stuff, I might believe you.
    However, I have used this stuff for years and found the two words that count the most:”IT WORKS.” When all else is said and done, the proof of the pudding is in the eating and I have not found one thing in my life that does not prove what Abraham says is true.
    You sound to me like The Amazing Randi. I read an article where he was saying that “Cloud Busting” is just so much hogwash. Had I not done this I would say well over 100 times in my life successfully, then I might agree with him, but again the proof of the pudding is in the eating and I have proven to myself (and others) that this stuff works. Again, the scientists are now agreeing that this stuff works, and just like the church condemned Galileo for saying the earth is not the center of the Universe, eventually most people will realize the truth of what Abraham and others are teaching.
    My fervent wish is that I had known this stuff when I was in my early 20’s. I would have had a different life. I am not complaining, for most of my life has been wonderful.
    You and I could go on forever, neither one of us will ever convince the other because we are looking at life from different perspectives. I generally love my life and what I have done with it. And I am so happy that I found Seth and Abraham and all the rest of these people who have been so instrumental in helping me understand what life is all about.
    As Abraham says, it is not necessary one other person understands this stuff, it is only important that you understand it and put it to use. That is not a perfect quote, but you get the idea. I should not obsess over the fact that you don’t understand this stuff, it is only necessary for me to understand it and use it to my advantage. This I have done with the greatest of success and will continue to do so for the rest of this particular incarnation. I expect my next incarnation will bring me into a family that understands these teachings and I will be brought up using the teachings to my great advantage.
    I wish you only the best and that you may have a happy life

  109. Alan Avatar
    Alan

    I think you overlooked the fact that they didn’t say a pile of money would fall on your head… you still have to take action to achieve what you want…
    They are saying that if you place your attention on what you want and not what you don’t want… and then take actions that will move you towards what you want – The law of Attraction will bring to you what you need to achieve the end goal… you sound as if you totally missed the message.
    Your focused on packaging… if the movie wasn’t professionally done, you would probably make that the problem… I sincerely think you should go back and see it again, or go watch the guys on Oprah… they were very clear about the action that is needed.
    Good luck ๐Ÿ™‚

  110. Sydney Avatar

    Oook… I’m going to try this ONE more time. And only one. Unless someone says something so compellingly idiotic that it would be a sin not to take the shot.
    To Paul:
    Paul – I’ve noticed that the entire Hicks cult follows a particular template when responding to criticism. You guys are like an army of automotons. No WONDER you all hang out together. You’d bore the hell out of anyone with whom you had to make normal conversation. But basically, it’s the following scenario EVERY time. A critic will offer an argument with several points. Umm, typically, that’s how debating is done. And then one of you space cadets will shoot a gushing response back that goes something along the lines of: “It’s too bad that you won’t try it. It works, it really works! It has worked in my life SO much. Let me tell you all of the neato mosquito things that have happened in my life! Neato thing #1, Neato thing #2, Neato thing #3, Ad nauseum. Peace, Moonbeams, Spirit, Blessings, & Special love from Seth!
    That’s always the gist of it, no matter which one of you does it. Now along the way, you just might say SOMETHING a LITTLE different (although still fairly feeble) to which someone can respond. I always give big points for effort when that occurs by the way, but you better not let the Hicks see you doing it. They’ll know you didn’t get your daily quotient of rainbows.
    To Alan:
    Who said:
    “They are saying that if you place your attention on what you want and not what you don’t wantรขโ‚ฌยฆ and then take actions that will move you towards what you want – The law of Attraction will bring to you what you need to achieve the end goalรขโ‚ฌยฆ you sound as if you totally missed the message.”
    Ummm, actually Alan, I believe, although I’ll admit that the bile rising in my throat has prevented me from listening to them at length, that they are saying that you control your own environment and what befalls you in your life. Geez. Glad they weren’t around during the Holocaust. That would’ve been a kind of heavy message for the people in the concentration camps to hear. Don’t let it get you down though. Remember. Moonbeams.
    And how absurd would it be to place your attention on something you DIDN’T want? That would be about as dumb as finding your car keys in the morning and then looking for them again. Gee, they ARE smart! Any business person will tell you that success comes from setting goals and planning strategies. No magic there either. Nothing new there either.
    What IS sad, is that there are so many people who need a sense of belonging so badly that they turn to con artists like the Hicks in order to find it. I suppose that says a lot about the state of society today and the loss of normal support systems.
    But its annoying to see so many people just blindly going to work for these folks for free and not even realizing it.

  111. Alan Avatar
    Alan

    I must say that you are so set on your view point that you can’t even see past what’s in front of you…
    Have you ever heard of Viktor E. Frankl – He wrote a book called Mans Search For Meaning… he isa Holocaust survivor and spoke about how even though the environment was the worst imagineable that his captors couldn’t control how he thought… and he stated that those who focused on life coming to an end died and those who focused on being free with their families and such managed to survive… now this doesn’t take away the fact that they were not mentally and physically hurt… the point is you get what you think and feel about. Your Holocaust comments are completely full of holes.
    You say that we’re seeking to be a part of something… I ask you, what’s wrong with that?
    Your comments about business, setting goals and all that… why is that we all have the same resources in terms of goal setting and planning – but some still can’t make it happen… and others flourish… what is the difference – take everything being equal… why do some seem to never get what they want.
    You speak as though you have it all figured out… I believe if you did then you’re direction would be to help.
    My last comment here is this; if you think it’s total BS… why not really prove it to yourself… why not do what they say for 6 months… really – give it your honest effort – have some integrity – and then if you don’t see a change in the ultimate direction you want to go then you are right…
    I truly wish you the best….

  112. Alan Avatar
    Alan

    Right on Paul… it’s sad and comical all in one when folks dismiss something they haven’t even “seriously” looked into.
    It’s as simple as, “I don’t eat (whatever) because it’s gross”… then asked, “did you ever try it” – “No way, it’s gross” – I wish they would get out of their own way… I hope that this conversation get’s some people who are such skeptics to actually take a closer look…
    Including you ANDY – to say the guy that spoke about getting checks in the mail… he wasn’t saying – “I think checks in the mail” and they magically appear… He’s a securities broker… he takes action… but what he thinks and feels is in the direction of wanting the checks… not focusing on having more bills then checks… like the millions of people in the world… no one is saying that action is not necessary… in fact if you have access… go back to the Oprah show and they clearly state the necessity for action.
    Again Paul… I’m excited to hear about your results using the LOA.

  113. Jody Dzuranin Avatar

    Andy,
    I have been blogging over a year now and I have you to thank for getting me started. I “met” you through the Coaching Insider (I think) and listened to your podcast, which led me to Typepad. When I googled the Secret, I was excited to see you had an entry. Then I was bummed to see you scoffed at both The Secret and What the Bleep. I guess you are pretty hip on the technology side, but none to hip on energy and attraction. Are you unhappy with what you have been ordering from the “Universal Cafe”? Oh well, I just wanted to say thanks for the guidance on blogging and I’ll leave you to the Kindergarten of Law of Attraction. I apologize if that sounds judgemental, it’s more of a commentary that each of us are at different points on our path. I am not saying my life is perfect, but I do fully own that I am creating both the good and bad things happening in my life with my intentions/beliefs/actions.

  114. nikki Avatar
    nikki

    i think the point of “The Secret” is to wake up the minds of those who would decide to watch “The Secret” because of its well-marketed, da vinci code-like trailer, those who believe that there might be one simple answer or solution to their problems but who have not considered that that single solution might be their own self.
    I think movies like this and What the Bleep, etc, are geared towards inspiring intellectual activity, thought and open mindedness in the brains of the people who wouldn’t ordinarily be thinking for themselves, ie, the sheep. To make something geared towards the sheep, they’re going to have to use slick production and seductive marketing in order to draw those sheep in who otherwise would ignore the film due to its erudite content and metaphysical message.

  115. Andy Wibbels Avatar

    “I apologize if that sounds judgemental, it’s more of a commentary that each of us are at different points on our path.”
    Well it doesn’t sound judgmental – it is judgmental – which is fine. No need to apologize. That’s the point of all these comments – that are really showing me such great depth of detail – thank you to everybody that keeps chiming in!
    “go back to the Oprah show and they clearly state the necessity for action.”
    Yup. I Tivo’ed it and watched it twice. I thought they really focused on action a lot more on action in the Oprah episode than in the actual movie.
    I still think it is bit dishonest to start quoting quantum mechanic physics as if there is a scientific basis for the law of attraction – and then when it doesn’t work out the way you want then you are told that you simply didn’t have it truly in your heart (sort of like how you don’t find out that the woman in What the Bleep is JZ Knight of Ramtha fame). You can’t combine faith and science like that. We have science so we don’t have to have faith. This is the same trip that takes us into the craziness of intelligent design.
    Clap hard enough and Tinkerbell comes back to life – and global warming will stop.
    I am not saying attraction doesn’t work or isn’t out there – I think that to try and codify it is a bit irresponsible – especially marrying it with so much materialism.
    “when folks dismiss something they haven’t even “seriously” looked into.”
    I was reading Shakti Gawain back in the 80s in middle school – and everything in The Secret movie is directly from that work as far as I can tell. I have seriously looked into attraction and considered it’s impact on my life – which is great. I’m a huge fan of Thomas Leonards 28 Principals of Attraction as well.
    “the point is you get what you think and feel about.”
    Did the Iraqi children attract the invasion?
    Wouldn’t the Project for the New American Century be one of the most influential affirmations in recent history?
    Did Oprah attract her childhood sexual abuse?
    Is that just their reality not yours because we all get to choose the reality around us regardless of the socio-economic-historical context of our lives?
    Like the woman on Oprah that was divorced and working three jobs plus an ‘internet home business’ that looked like it was really selling Juicy Couture bags on eBay. Do we hear about the forces outside of her that may have affected her financial situation. Yes, personal accountability is important. But yes, there are trends affecting all of us that you simply can’t ignore because it doesn’t feel warm and fuzzy.
    Do we always have to transform everyone into victims that then become survivors that then graduate into being heroes?
    Are there no accidents or are there simply reframes to see painful events in context of how they can be mined or lessons, learnings and life? You can’t have it both ways. Either “There are no accidents” or “Sh_t happens.”
    So much of this reminds me of the new ‘Gospel of Prosperity’ where US churches are taking Christian doctrine and stripping out the concepts of sin and flogging the idea that ‘Jesus Wants You to Be Rich’ which reduces thousands of years of spirituality to “BE GOOD. GET COOKIE.” Again, spiritual ideas are filtered through a consumerist lens to align our self-worth with our net worth.
    LA Times article on The Secret: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-oe-klein13feb13,1,2250365.story?coll=la-news-a_section&ctrack=1&cset=true
    “Here was my favorite bit: “Food is not responsible for putting on weight. It is your thought that food is responsible for putting on weight that actually has food put on weight.” It’s a position that seems to have a lot in common with President Bush’s ideas about global warming. Carbon emissions warm the Earth only if you worry that they will.”
    Daily Telegraph on The Secret: http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21220555-5001031,00.html
    “In other words it should be called The Scam. And it’s such a good one that it’s making all those other life coaches that have gone before Rhonda such as Anthony Robbins and the author of The Celestine Prophecy green with envy. Pop psychology. The modern art of making money. Where you pay a group of clean-cut Americans with big white smiles and impressive titles and letters after their names to tell you what you already know.”
    Here’s a blog post indicating that the Hicks folks are distancing themselves from The Secret movie due to its focus to much on materialism: http://integrationcoach.wordpress.com/2006/08/01/the-secret-hype/
    “Although Jerry & Esther appreciate many aspects of the finished film, it ended up being quite different from what they had originally contracted to participate in. So when the producer recently insisted on further significant changes in their agreement regarding marketing, distribution, and theatrical rights, Jerry & Esther opted instead to be cut out of the film altogether.”
    Keep the comments coming everybody – and feel free to share this post with others – just send them this link: http://andywibbels.com/post/1158

  116. dyan olsen Avatar
    dyan olsen

    Hi Andy
    I am one of those sappy hippies that I am sure your comments are targeted towards. The material interests in the film did bother me but they set up from the start what I could expect from the film which is a watered down made for the mainstream public version of whatever they were selling full of the testimonials of millionaires. But aren’t you used to having to weed through the shit to get to the flowers. I like what they are selling…I liked what the bleep. I am a zillion years older than you but I am damn curious. I am willing to go down that road largely because it knits together a lot of the spiritual practices I have been involved with in the past and something much more socially inclusive, science. It is uncomfortable to mention science and spirituality in the same breath but eventually it needs to be done. I urge you to have a little patience with the fragile brainfree of my generation. We fought a hard fight and we thought the rest of our lives would more or less be cruising. But instead we have a war we don’t want, materialism run amuck, and drug addiction that we introduced. I imagine you think that we should play golf or go to Florida or something instead of injecting ourselves into politics or social issues.
    So maybe this can fix something. Maybe if we applied this technique minus the materialism we might have some luck. It may be a chance to rethink at the very least the direction of our lives.
    Dyan

  117. Andy Wibbels Avatar

    “I imagine you think that we should play golf or go to Florida or something instead of injecting ourselves into politics or social issues.”
    That’s the last thing I’d want from you (and my parent’s generation). Stop! Don’t go to Florida! ๐Ÿ˜‰
    Getting involved in the world around you is a lot more useful than staying home and wishing it weren’t so bad. I think the law of attraction can be used to justify complacency, i.e. thoughts/prayers without deeds is a waste of time. Good intentions are nice and fuzzy but if there is no follow-through it’s just karmic masturbation.
    Plus, I would grant that drug addiction, materialism and pointless wars are not the domain, purview or blame of any certain generation.

  118. buddha35 Avatar
    buddha35

    The “positive thinking” approach to changing one’s life and the world around us sounds very attractive to most people. After all, what could be easier and less demading of us. The problem with this concept, and the reason it doesn’t work for the vast
    majority of us, is that it completely ignores the deeply ingrained, unconscious “Organizing Principles” that were programmed into our psyches during our earliest years. (I actually believe it goes back even farther, but I will leave that for another rant).
    For decades (I’m now 57) I have been continually frustrated by my inability to get my freaking plane(s) off the ground.
    Great, creative, fun, beneficial, and often lucrative ideas have been flowing incessantly into my brain all my life. Much like a hangar-full of really cool experimental aircraft, I build them, tune them, polish them and then roll them out onto the tarmac for a test flight. And almost without exception, as I rev up the engine for take-off, “something” screws up. Mission failed. Back to the hangar.
    Does this sound familiar to anyone? Well, here’s the SECRET that I have discovered. Pay attention, now, because the next time this SECRET is revealed you may have to pay me and Andy a lot of money to watch our movie or have the SECRET emailed to you in 17 installments! (;
    Over the past couple of years, the frustration and discouragement I have experienced has become so intense and frequent that I have begun to slip into episodes of depression that have rendered me incapable of fulfilling some of my family and work responsibilities. Faced with serious health and financial consequences, I consulted with my family doctor who recommended an
    anti-depressant medication (NOT the SECRET I am about to share) combined with talk therapy with a qualified professional counselor.
    What I am finally beginning to figure out, with the invaluable help of a very skilled therapist, is that my unconscious “Organizing Principles” and, more importantly, the virile and tenacious FEELINGS that are attached to those ancient beliefs, are far more powerful than any plan or affirmation that the thinking side of my brain can conjure up in the here and now. For me, these debilitating mistaken beliefs about Life and how to organize it were “burned in” by a fearful and domineering mother and a very narrow-minded and exclusive fundamentalist religious community.
    To make a long story short, the messages that I absorbed, and totally believed at the time because of the weight of the authority behind them (i.e. God and Mother), left me terrified of the consequences of exploration, experimentation, “too much” knowledge, and fraternizing with “the enemy”. I learned that my family and I were “in the Truth” and to be “out of the Truth” would lead to a fate worse than death. I learned that I would surely get hurt or even killed if I climbed too high or roamed too far away from home. Novelty and risk were verboten.
    Now, you might think that all one needs to do, once these “Organizing Principles” have been excavated, is simply change one’s mind, develop and adopt a new set of “Operating Principles”. Unfortunately, however, the ancient beliefs were nearly all booby-trapped with explosive emotions, set to detonate whenever any attempt was made to disobey them. And the real kicker is that, until very recently, I didn’t even know about the “Organizing Principles – I just experienced the paralyzing explosions of the booby-trap bombs whenever I would try doing something “outside the box.”
    For those whose earliest teachers were enlightened and supportive, you are to be congratulated. No sarcasm intended here. You are probably well on your way to a fullfilling and successful life, contributing generously to the advancement of our global society. For the rest of us, however, there is some hard work to do. As one writer wrote, “This is warriors work.” I don’t believe there is any other way to make the journey.
    For those about to rock, I salute you!

  119. Paul A. Bixler Avatar
    Paul A. Bixler

    For Budda35
    I agree with you completely. For most people, what is taught in “The Secret” will work. However, we all have deeply ingrained beliefs which stop us from achieving our goals. Some of these are just so deep that you can’t seem to shake them.
    My wife & I found a system that allows you to find out what your beliefs are and how to get rid of them in about 5 minutes time.
    This system is relatively new and was created by Ron Williams and Bruce Lipton. It is called PHSYCH-K. It is a system that uses muscle testing to find out what your beliefs are and then allow you to change them.
    For further information go to their web site: http://www.psych-k.com.
    My wife & I took the basic course and were most impressed.
    If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me at pabixlersr@comcast.net
    Have a great day.

  120. Sydney Avatar

    In response to Dyan, who wrote:
    “I urge you to have a little patience with the fragile brainfree of my generation. We fought a hard fight and we thought the rest of our lives would more or less be cruising.
    ” Oh really? Would you care to expound upon what that “hard fight” involved and why you think it is your God-given right to “Cruise” for the rest of your lives? Living up on the Haight Ash, dropping acid, going to love-ins and raising your own children with little or no structure can HARDLY be called a “hard fight.” So you went to a few anti-nuclear rallies and some Vietnam protests. Gee whiz. I doubt that most of you even vote.
    Then or now. Many of the children who came of age in the sixties generation took the easy way out then and GUESS WHAT, they are STILL trying to DO IT! While I worked full-time to put myself through college, the sixties flower children were just hanging out together. (And they talk about Gen-X’rs.)
    Why the bloody hell do you think this Jerry & Esther Hicks “channeling” nonsense, indigo and crystal children, law of attraction, manifesting with your mind, crap attracts in particular aging hippies, AND the new hippies who WEREN’T around to see what a farce, what a hedonistic exercise in self-indulgence it was the FIRST TIME around.
    Is your child oppopsitional? Does she have behavior problems? ADD possibly? Oh no! She’s an “indigo” child. God forbid you should intervene either medically or with a behavioral modification program to address the real problems which are that either your child has a diagnosible problem OR you are a bad parent and need to get on the ball.
    Has your child been born with CP, or some other debilitating disease? Hey, he\’s just a crystal child! A very fragile being who heals himself and others every day and does not need medical intervention. Also, he really doesn’t need good nutrition. Nope. Just raw fruits and veggies. That IS the diet so many of you live on and to which you subject your growing children, correct?
    You got one thing right though. Brainfree. Any huckster with a mental magic pill could sell it to you guys if he said the words, “channeling,” and “Crystal,” together in the same sentence enough times in the promo with enough psycadelic sunsets exploding in the background.
    I don’t even know why Andy and I even bother debunking this fraud. We ought to just change our names to something vaguely Indian sounding, dress up like Swami’s and start selling our own dvd’s. Let me just tell you now. Our new religion is going to have a lot of SEX. (stop me when I’m no longer speaking for you Andy)
    In response to Buddha35: Self-fulfilling prophecy is a very real thing that happens to many of us, on different scales. Sometimes very massive, and sometimes only in very minor ways in one or two areas of our lives. Of course, the supposed “Laws of Attraction,” use what is actually the by-product of early life experience and spins it for their own purposes, turning it into something very different than what it actually is.
    As children grow, they adjust to whatever environment they’re in. Whether horribly rigid and oppressive, or way too unstructured and thus negligent in terms of supervision and boundaries (just as damaging by the way. You frequently see much substance abuse and sexual abuse in the children of hippies and the like due to this lack of structure and supervision, and well, due to the fact that their parents were frequently HIGH.)
    But as adults, we don’t turn off those ideas about how other people are. We assume that they are the same and that we must relate to them in the same manner and that the environment is the same and that we must relate to it the same as we did when we were children.
    Frequently it does take a good psychiatrist or therapist to help point out ways in which we relate that are not really valid or that most people wouldn’t see as reasonable, that we probaby used to cope when we were younger. A lot of times, we are never even aware that we have these ideas that are not healthy and that deviate so far from the norm, until they are pointed out to us.
    Once we become aware though, as you say, its only the first step. Then we actually have to CHANGE our behavior in terms of how we respond in the same situations. That part is REALLY hard. It\’s work. But its good work. Its progressing. Which is what I personally feel we are supposed to do in life. Always progress. Always work. Even the hard work, especially the hard work. Probably the more uncomfortable it is, the more we need to do it. It sounds like you’re on the right track with this buddha.
    This bogus, “Law of Attraction,” also uses another perfectly normal phenomonon and then twists it as well. We have something in life that is sometimes jokingly referred to as “karma.” In business, we might say something like, “I’m not going to steal his customer, it’s bad karma, or bad juju.”
    What we mean by that is that we feel that if we were to steal another saleperson’s customer then the same thing might happen to us. Well it might. And there is nothing mysterious about it. If you are honest and ethical in your dealings with others, they are MORE likely to be honest and ethical in their dealings with you because they respect you more. But you are going to get screwed sometimes in business too, just probably not as often as the sleazebag who always goes around and steals customers from people in his own company.
    Or here’s a personal example. I leave things behind. (No, this is not a metaphor, although the same might also apply.) All the time. Keys, passports, billfolds full of money, and cell phones. All the time, people run after me from stores and beverage counters in airports with my items in tow. Miss, Miss, you left this. And I smile and thank them and tell them what a complete ditz I am. (I AM very absent-minded).
    Now, I would never steal anyone else’s belongings. Ever. I would pretty much go to the ends of the earth to track down the owner of an item because I know that’s what I would want. Plus, you never know if this person really might not have the funds to replace that item. Is this why people always return things to me? I don’t think so. My house has been buglarized twice, presumably by people who do not know me. I think its more likely that people usually return my things because I am uncommonly nice and I tip very well when I’m travelling. I’m very nice both to anyone who waits on me and to anyone I happen to be with in line.
    People would USUALLY rather steal from someone with whom they have never made any type of positive personal connection. But that is not always true. I’ve had one cell phone stolen. But that’s not many out of the numerous times I have left things behind.
    The Law of Attraction would tell you that this is “attracting” the honesty and ethics of others to you by focusing on it. Nope. This is getting cut a break by a larger percentage of the population for being a decent person yourself. And certainly, it is not going to be foolproof. Because we all know that it rains on the just and the unjust alike. Just ask anyone who lives in Portland.
    Sometimes bad shit happens to good people and there just IS NO REASON. Shit happens. Nobody’s fault. Nobody “attracted” it. You don’t miscarry a child because you don’t want it badly enough. Some things, for whatever reason, are just not meant to be, and there is no making any sense of them. There is noone to blame, and no amount of pseudo-science will ever change that.
    Just ask anyone who suffered in Auschwitz. And is someone going to tell me that 6 million Jews and now millions in Darfur “attracted” genocide? Huh. I guess this film came out a little late for WWII, but since all of you sunlight and moonbeam “Secret” followers are so full of peace, light and I would hope – philanthropy? And since you do have such a strong belief in reincarnation, I think that a bevy of you (especially the ones who have attracted all of that extreme wealth) should be popping on over to the Sudan with supplies for Feed the World, along with as many dvd players and copies of the Secret as you can get your hands on. I mean… You DO want to save the world, right? And what about Jerry and Esther Hicks?
    SURELY THEY want to save the world?
    Why aren’t they over there RIGHT NOW!
    You know what the sickest thing about the Secret and the Law of Attraction is? At its very heart, it appeals to a lot of selfish people who want everything for free. Just like they always have. Next time you think about buying the next bogus self-indulgent dvd about your own “personal power” lower your head in shame and write a check to Doctors Without Borders, or Feed the World. 18,000 children die of starvation every day. And that’s no secret.

  121. Paul A. Bixler Avatar
    Paul A. Bixler

    In reply to Sydney,
    Can you HONESTLY say that you have tried what is taught by the movie “The Secret?” I know that you haven’t or you would not be so sure of yourself.
    The only way I know that it works is because I have tried it and it always works. It has to because that is the way we humans were designed.
    We still don’t have it perfect, but we are on the way.
    You are entitled to your opinion, but don’t try to force it on everyone else, because all you do is make it worse for yourself.
    I love Jerry & Esther and thank my higher self everyday for bringing them into my life.
    I am not saying that everything is perfect in my life, for I am still learning like the rest of us. However, where things are bad, or have been bad, I realize that I am still learning and try to look to see what lesson my higher self is trying to teach this old guy.
    As for the people who were part of the holocaust, Abraham has addressed that and said that each and everyone of them were given a sign, but chose to stay back for one reason or another. First, you don’t always realize what your higher self is saying to you. Your reason says that “this couldn’t possibly happen.” But it does. Also, lets remember that the Jews have taught as a race that they are the chosen of God and will always have to suffer for it. So, by the law of attraction, they do.
    I don’t wish to get on a long argument, because I realize you will never look at life the way I do and others who are learning “The Secret.”
    I wish you well in all of your endeavors,and hope that someday you will discover “The Secret”

  122. Sydney Avatar

    To the very mealy-mouthed Paul Bixler:
    who disingenuously said said to Budda35:
    “I agree with you completely.” “However.”
    The oxymoron goes on:
    “My wife & I found a system that allows you to find out what your beliefs are and how to get rid of them in about 5 minutes time.”
    (ever the industrious lad, aren’t you Paul – it must have been taxing for you to actually have to sit THROUGH the entire viewing OF “The Secret” in the first place – they do have some really great meds out now for add though – I’ve got this website I could show you…)
    “We still don’t have it perfect, but we are on the way.”
    I see. Would this be you and your other personalities? Or is this more of Heaven’s Gate type of deal? An assimilation into Borg like in Star Trek? Oh my God! You haven’t CASTRATED yourself or anything have you? Just kidding Paul.
    “You are entitled to your opinion, but don’t try to force it on everyone else,”
    Seriously, I’m forcing people? Wow. I’m getting really good at this mind-control stuff for someone who doesn’t even practice. And any information I give is free of charge. Your group on the other hand… They make people pay for some of those tapes and seminars and whathaveyou… I’m just sayin’
    And then you follow it up with:
    “because all you do is make it worse for yourself.”
    That sounds vaguely… ominous. What exactly did you mean by that, Paul?
    “I love Jerry & Esther and thank my higher self everyday for bringing them into my life.”
    Well, while you and your higher self are off engaging in mental masturbation with the Hicks, let me tell you what I think about what you just said about the Holocaust. That is the single grossest piece of filth I have seen in print in quite some time. You should be ashamed to have written it and the Hicks have gone WAY too far if they are espousing that type of bs now. WAY TOO FAR. Essentially, they have now become one with people who deny the Holocaust.
    All of you are nothing more than horribly selfish, grasping, aging baby boomers looking for an effortless way to make your lives easy. Well life is not easy Mr. Bixler. Its not SUPPOSED to be easy. You are supposed to grow a set and work through life’s struggles and enjoy the good things that do come. Its called character. And you have none.
    And there are many groups out there who are going to be pretty interested in what the Hicks are saying about the Holocaust. I had no idea. Disgusting.

  123. Sydney Avatar

    And just one more thing so that you do not have to use this on me even one more time. In response to your argument:
    “In reply to Sydney,
    Can you HONESTLY say that you have tried what is taught by the movie “The Secret?” I know that you haven’t or you would not be so sure of yourself.”
    Do you not GET that the reason I don’t “try” “The Secret,” isn’t JUST that its based on junk science? Sure, the fact that its a fraud by hucksters based on junk science is a definite downside, but that isnt even the main reason.
    The reason I am not interested is because I AM NOT LIKE YOU. It doesnt interest me because there is nothing there I need. It doesn’t hold anything of value for me. I don’t need a quick answer to solve all of my problems in life. I don’t WANT A QUICK ANSWER to everything in life. For me, the JOY in life is IN THE VERY LIVING. In not knowing how everything is going to turn out. In having to work hard. In being proud of the fruits of my own efforts. In having a work ethic.
    In setting goals and meeting them. In helping others in my daily life. I am not full of this yearning, grasping needy greed that wants and wants that I see in you and all of the other people that fall for these Hicks types and has to have everything solved for me in five minutes. In fact, I don’t need other people to solve my problems at all. I don’t turn to other people to talk to spirits to lead me. I don’t believe in that. I think it wars with nature itself to try to do quick fixes. Its like trying to build a house without a solid foundation. It will never last. There, that’s some real science for you. Engineering. The more solid your foundation and frame, the more sturdy your house. Do you want to rush through that process? I don’t. Its my house. I want the pleasure of the memories in years to come of the process of building that house. The process is AS important as the final result. Not thinking it up in five minutes. A person like you could apparently never understand that.
    And that is the last statement I am making to you.

  124. Paul A. Bixler Avatar
    Paul A. Bixler

    In reply to Sydney,
    Yes, this is positively the last time I shall write a reply to you. If anyone else cares to join in, we are not leaving any room for them. My wife said, “don’t bother to reply to him. He isn’t worth your time.”
    But, you did get me to think about why I believe in “Abraham” and Jerry & Esther Hicks. The answer is as follows:
    First, when I listen to Abraham, my inner self just jumps for joy because I it recognizes the source from which we all come.
    second, I have seen in person some verification of Abraham. In a workshop over at least 10 years ago, I sat in a room with another 25 people and witnessed the aura around Esther as she was speaking for Abraham. It was just a marvelous sight to behold.
    Third, When I was on the Alaskan cruise in 2004, we were watching the glaciers and we were all on deck of the ship. Someone noticed a pinnacle on one of the icebergs and said wouldn’t it be interesting if it broke off. Esther said
    “Give me 5 minutes.” (She was speaking for Abraham) A little over three minutes later, the pinnacle broke off from the glacier and went into the water. This was shown on their web site.
    Further more, The result of that cruise led me to my current wife and to many other wonderful things to mention here.
    The followers of Abraham are not looking for easy ways to get things. What we are interested in is finding out what makes life tick. Yes, you must work, but it should be work of joy because you love what you are doing.
    I too, shall not answer any more comments from Sydney as I want to leave room for others to tell their beliefs and experiences on Andy’s blog.
    Again, I say I only wish you the best and I know you will be happy in your philosophy as I am happy in mine.

  125. someone Avatar

    Okay. So here’s my comment to you guys. Andy – awesome job here of stirring the pot. You’ve really hit on some deep-rooted emotions and beliefs of your audience.
    And Andy, growing up my dad always taught us to NOT believe anything we read, heard or taught (yes, he was a real hippie who attended the original Woodstock), but to search out the truth for ourselves. Not bad advice coming from an old hippie. Actually, he’s a freakin’ genius who moved his 2 month old daughter (me at the time) from a single trailer (yes, I am originally white trailer trash –> andy, please add this to your voting list on your main page) and WORKED HIS FLIPPIN’ ASS OFF to provide a fantastic life for his kids.
    I remember my parents working second shift as janitors and they would take me with them to clean buildings as a kid. Today, they’ve made millions – sent us to private, pricey “independent thinking” schools (WHICH THEY WORKED THEIR ASSES OFF TO PAY TUITION FOR).
    My dad always taught me to work from some greater purpose – to go our there and see what you could do to add to and change this world. So, that’s what I have attempted to do. Don’t know how it’s worked, if it’s worked – don’t really care — I’m not in it for glory. I just do it because I feel driven to help others and feel good doing it.
    What really amazes me is how people can write about something they don’t even know about – haven’t even researched themselves (and no, andy, I’m not passive aggressingly referring to you – clearly you’ve developed your opinion through your own research – props to you man). But WHO ARE these people who like to go make assumptions without even exploring?
    Openmindedness? I think not, my friends. True openmindedness is the ability to study something and then develop your own opinions based on what you feel is right for you – the truth for you. Seriously people, let’s get educated on the basics of life.
    That’s one huge problem in the world today. All these ignorants running around (UNEDUCATED) thinking they know something about something and really they know nothing – at all. And they’re freakin’ drama queens – THEY ALWAYS ARE! Why is that? Guess it makes them feel important. I call them the walking dead.
    I mean seriously, GET REAL! If you want to be qualified to speak on a subject, at least know what you’re talking about. And I don’t mean – THINK YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT (based on my freaky stereotype you have because you read once this, or Joe Vitale this, or this or that crap).
    I mean really go in there and research what you’re forming some opinion on – JUST LIKE ANDY DID. Take your panties out of your butt. What else are you guys running around making stupid ass assumptions on and screaming it to the world? If that statement just pissed you off then you fall in to the NON-RESEARCHED category. If it didn’t piss you off, you’ve clearly done your homework and don’t give a crap what others think of you because you know the truth. It’s really simple stuff people.
    You know, we’re all just on this one path of life. The Secret was a blessing in my life (andy…here’s where I just dropped our non-educated folks who are angry at the world, read on…). I choose to look at the good in everything. It talks about gratitude – being grateful for what you do have. It talks about focusing on what you want and passionately going for it.
    Personally, I’ve failed in past businesses miserably. Most newbees do at some time or another. My dad was dropped off at an orphanage BY HIS OWN MOTHER (who told him to “have a nice life”), my mom grew up in foster homes, our home was destroyed in a flood when I was in highschool, which left us with nothing (nobody carries flood insurance in Kansas), I almost died of addiction, and I’ve been to more funerals then you’re average 26 year-old joe.
    BUT – I’ve also received national recognition for three non-profit ventures I did to better the world (how does a 20 year old kid do that?), I’m a 26 year old VP of sales of a multi-million dollar global company that truly helps people change their lives, and in my copious free time (haha) I work with violent criminals to help provide them with hope from addiction when no one else wants to get within 100 feet of them.
    Now, if I would have made some useless emotional, ignorant assumption (like people still do about all my black friends, all my Jewish friends, all my gay friends, all my hippie friends, all my white trash friends, and all my poor ass friends, and all my rich ass friends) about these addicts and alcoholics, I would have never been able to help these people. What an opportunity to be of service I would have missed.
    “Can’t we just all get along?” (you guys remember that famous quote, right?)
    Law of attraction works. Are there going to be mis-usings of it? Of course. There always is. Did my cousin attract the death of her 31-day old infant son? I don’t know. I hope not and I’m sure not going to try and convince her of that in that midst of her grief.
    I don’t know how all of it works, and I surely don’t need an explanation. I’m a positive proponent of the Secret. I think it provides a lot of hope to others. And it’s real message to me was this –
    Be Freakin’ Responsible for Your Own Life! You are responsible for your feelings, thoughts and actions. Now, that’s real freedom folks.
    What I CHOSE to get from that beautifully produced film was that I am ultimately responsible for my life. Jack Canfield teaches people (in his latest book) that we will experience external roadblocks. Life is not always going to be fun and games. But, really people – we make it hard. We could all end global proverty right here – right now if we really wanted to. But then – WAIT – Nooooooooo…we wouldn’t have anything to complain about…so sad…
    WE ARE ALL GOING TO HAVE TO GET OFF OUR FREAKIN’ ASSES AND WORK TO EDUCATE OURSELVES RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW if we want to see a change in this world. And if we’re not game for doing that…well, stop flippin’ complaining and whining about the world, and everything else for that matter.
    P.S. If you want to spread some positive energy go visit http://www.stjude.org (my fav) or get up off your self-centered arses and send a card to a dying kid at
    http://www.makeachildsmile.org
    Did these kids attract this? I don’t know. And I don’t want to think that either. That’s really none of my damn business. But what I do know is that I’m healthy, and my 2 1/2 year old daughter is healthy, and my hand is healthy enough to write out a card to send to a kid to brighten his or her life. I wonder how many of you will actually do that?
    It’s funny, my guess is very few people will read until the end of this rant. I never rant. But I do get really flippin’ passionate about things that are important. Thank you to all readers.
    And Andy…I’ll call you tomorrow – surprised I haven’t heard back from ya.

  126. Andy Wibbels Avatar

    Let’s bump it up a notch folks.
    Pedal to the medal.
    Take The Secret Movie 30 Day Challenge
    http://andywibbels.com/the-secret-movie-30-day-challenge/

  127. Someone named Monaica Avatar

    Yeah Baby! Let’s go. I’m a master of attraction. See you there folks and watch out sistas.

  128. Lana Avatar

    Hi Andy and all,
    In doing my part to promote critical thinking, I’ve been posting about The Secret and the Law of Attraction. C’mon over!
    http://www.you-unplugged.com/blog
    I linked to your 30-day challenge. Looking forward to the results, and the interpretations.
    Lana

  129. Sydney Avatar

    First, just a word to the wise, “Sydney” is the feminine spelling of the name, “Sidney.”
    That’s right. I’m a chick.
    To Someone:
    I can only expect that you might be referring to me, and not to Andy. Trust me, I have researched this topic. Ad nauseum. And I give to charity.
    Also, people whose beloved children and relatives experience spontaneous remissions are frequently wont to explain it with everything from the “law of attraction,” to the pentecostal, “power of prayer,” to “living a good life.”
    Any physician will tell you that a strong will and a fighting spirit gives you a leg up when you face a serious health matter. To turn that around on the ill and say that they attracted their illness, especially when those of whom you are speaking are infants and children, is madness. And it is reprehensible.
    To pretend to have Jewish friends and then back a movement that lays out an apology for Hitler is perhaps one of the more vile things I have ever seen.
    I am not close-minded. On the other hand, I do not suffer fools lightly. I do not suffer conmen at all. And of course, I read all arguments to the end. Yours are at least well thought out, unlike a few others who’ve posted. I think it may be possible that you don’t have all of the facts.

  130. Sydney Avatar

    “Did these kids attract this? I don’t know. And I don’t want to think that either. That’s really none of my damn business.”
    Yeah, don’t think about that one too much, it might be somewhat disturbing to have to come to terms with what your little group is really SAYING…
    you say this is none of your business, but you are defending a group of people who says the exact opposite.
    They are more than willing to point out the people that they think are and have attracted all of the pain and suffering in their lives.
    In fact, this group says that HIV sufferers would be just fine if they would heal their own HIV. Its not like they have to die from AIDS or anything (according to them). All they really have to do is buy some tapes… Join the program. Finance the ever broadening financial empire of Jerry and Esther Hicks. In other words, they would talk these people out of vital medication in lieu of listening to tapes.
    It is foul. It is disgusting. And Karma?
    In this case, I hope karma really is a bitch.

  131. Laura Young Avatar

    My dear, bless you. Right on right on right on.
    I do love a good rant and man was this one needed. I saved the money and didn’t see the movie because this is what I suspected I would find. Thank you for saving me the money and the aggravation and thanks for a delightfully delicious rant. I do love a cage rattler. Yes I do Yes I do.

  132. Denise Corcoran Avatar

    Hmmmm, where do I even start about The Secret?
    Because I am committed to my own personal growth, I am open to tools, principles, perspectives, etc. that will help me become a better human being and help me create a better life for myself and others.
    Given that, I did buy the DVD “The Secret” … AND the audio program. Because I heard endless praise about the movie (which is not really a movie more than a 2 hour “talk show”), I waited with great anticipation. The dramatic opening, the constant anchoring to words “THE secret,” etc., all added to the hype.
    For me personally, however, the movie was a major disappointment. Not only is nothing of “the secret” a secret or new, it trivialized what makes the difference between creating the life you want and not creating it. It is a superficial treatment of the subject and, in fact, there is some “claims” in the movie can be down right dangerous.
    That’s not to say the movie does not have value. It’s always a good reminder to become aware of our thoughts and feelings for they drive all of our experience of life. It is also a good reminder that our thoughts drive our behavior and our behavior drives our results. It is also a good reminder to stay focused on what you want, rather than what you don’t want. These are all powerful principles to live by.
    However, if it were that simple, I would not have any clients! The reason why it is not as simple as “The Secret” suggests is because it is our **unconscious** minds that drive 80% of our behaviors and results in life. Just thinking positive thoughts only works on our conscious minds which has a very small bearing on what we create. If you say affirmations every day for the next 20 years, you may make a dent in your unconscious blocks. However there are much quicker ways to make the same changes.
    Most of our thoughts are below our radar screen, so how can we change those thoughts (as the movie suggests) if we are not even aware of them? There are reasons why many people who apply the same principles outlined in the movie will still not see any noticeable differences in their lives.
    Some of those reasons are: negative unconscious beliefs (like “I’m not good enough,” “it’s not spiritual to be wealthy,” etc.) … conflicting values (eg,” I wany a successful career and loving relationship, but don’t believe I can have both unless I sacrifice one for the other”). You know if you suffer from the latter when you feel like your foot is on the gas pedal and brake at the same time.
    Another for not manifesting what you want even when applying the “secret” is called “secondary gains.” IE., there is a greater benefit to staying stuck then having what you desire. sounds crazy! However, our behaviors are seldom rational.
    True case: I worked with a client who spent thousands of $$$’s on the best systems, seminars, etc. to grow her business, yet she was not taking action (even though she knew she should). She came to me thinking it was procrastination. Within 15 minutes of our first call and a few provocative questions, it became clear to her the reason why she wasn’t going for the success she wanted was because if she became successful, she would have to face up to her failing marriage and make a decision. As long as she was “unsuccessful” in her biz and dependent on her hubbie financially, she did not have to make such a decision.
    That is a “secondary gain.” All the affirmations and positive thinking in the world would not have changed her outcomes or success until she faced up to the “REAL” reason what was stopping her.
    I wrote an article called “Are You Addicted to the Limitations in Your
    Business?” that addresses this very common issue of secondary gains. I also wrote an article “The Dark Side of Goal Achievement: Where’s the Tipping Point?” And as with anything in life, there is a dark side if the principles of The Secret are not utilized in a congruent manner in our lives.
    That is not to say this movie won’t help some. It will. And I applaud those who do benefit. It will also have the reverse effect on some – creating self doubt, a sense of failure, etc. – to those who apply the principles and don’t see any change.
    If people want to create changes in their life in a very real, transformative, empowering way, I strongly suggest you look at your values. Value are the unconscious motivators in our lives that drive all decisions, behaviors and actions.
    As Steven Covey reminds us, “it is one thing to move up the ladder and another thing to find out your ladder is against the wrong wall.”
    True happiness only comes when your ladder is against the right wall. Ie., living your life according to your most important values. When you do, you will have the greatest wealth of all.
    Wishing you a rich life on all levels,
    Denise Corcoran
    denise@empoweredbusiness.com

  133. Leonard Klaatu Avatar

    The secret?
    – develop some all style/no substance program
    – blog about it/email the world
    – sell it
    – get more people talking about it
    – sell more of it
    – keep that going as long as possible
    – when it peters out, repeat the process
    It also helps if you’re stupid enough to think you can do anything you put your mind to – regardless of your skills, talents or knowledge.
    I know kids attending college who want to be doctors, but can’t pass the first chemistry or biology course. Guess what? Something tells me they’ll never make it as a physician no matter how positively they think about it. For them, the law of attraction is bound to bring disappointment. Ignorance and foolishness will almost always attract failure and disappointment.

  134. Andy Wibbels Avatar

    “blog it/sell it”
    What part of ‘free 30 day program’ is confusing? I am receiving no income from running this program.

  135. Sydney Avatar

    to: Leonard Klaatu
    It would be helpful if you’d read all of the posts before responding. Or hell, just read the FIRST post carefully. Andy Wibbels is not a proponent of “The Secret.” He is debunking it.
    Hence his offer of a 30 day experiment so that exactly what you are saying can be shown empirically.
    Now, it will be INTERESTING to see if any of those cultish little followers of the conmen who sell this program will really take part. They aren’t known to enjoy putting their fraudulent/bogus science to the test.

  136. Lana Avatar

    Hi Denise,
    Interesting post. Your take on The Secret and its teachings is virtually the same as mine.
    One of my biggest concerns is the negative fallout that is bound to come.
    Lana

  137. Paul Bixler Avatar

    It will be interesting to see the results of this little experiment. I know I have set my goals to start the first of March and expect that most, if not all will be reached. Jannette Murray (my wife) has posted some guidelines for those that do not feel that they have enough experience along this line.
    As I indicated in some of my previous correspondence, we may have subconscious blocks to getting what we desire.
    These blocks must be overcome before we can be successful. The information on her web page can be helpful.
    If you are going to take part in this experiment, set some easy goals and some hard ones, but be constantly positive in your thoughts about the outcome or dismiss the thought completely from your mind and it will manifest.
    Years ago, when I was in the Knights of
    Columbus, our group started a 50-50 club. I was studying some magic stuff at the time and I used it to manifest my winning the 50-50. I immediately forgot that I had done so. Well, I won the first two 50-50’s and sold all the winning tickets for the next 10 drawings. This stuff works, you just have to get your mind around it and overcome all the negative programing that you have received.
    People seem to be under the impression that you don’t have to work when you use this information. Action is still part of the equation. But it is inspired action and will seem like fun when you are doing it. The more fun it is, the more you are inspired.
    As Abraham says, this stuff should be fun. If you make work out of it, it will not work.
    Nuff said.

  138. Lyn Avatar

    Wow, this generated a lot of discussion… Thanks for posting some skepticism. I’m going to host a free teleconference on the Law of Attraction next Monday at 10 PM CST and have details at my blog, Thought Renewal. If you think it will be helpful, please consider coming and spreading the word. Thanks, Lyn
    http://thoughtrenewal.blogspot.com/

  139. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    hi ,i personally enjoyed watching the secret.but wasnt anything new to me.Great start for beginners wanting to understand the laws of attractions…very good stuff for peeps that are new to this kind of thought…I also read the book Sham..by steve salerno……alot of negativity with no ideas to bring a postive light to self help…there where some obvious truths in it……….but for goodness sakes if you are going to write a book to knock everything..at least have some good answers to change what you knocked down……

  140. Drew Avatar

    Either you get it or you don’t. Science has proven that the collective consciousness is real, that cellular memory is real, and that DNA can be altered with your thoughts. If you don’t get the Secret working for you, then you don’t get it. It does not mean you never have to work at anything; it simply means what positive thought energy that you focus is allowed to flow, and it will create your reality. If science has proven these things that were known for a very long time and were considered quackery, given enough time, science will prove that the principles behind the Secret are also real. I see miracles in my and other people’s life constantly. It you are not experiencing miracles, you don’t understand the Secret. Once you live it, you get it. There are a bunch of things that can affect the results but if your conscious mind and subconscious mind are in perfect agreement – you create. One also has to remember that we are all connected and perhaps we may want for something that will not be good for us or for someone else. This can affect the result. I can keep going on here but I won’t. Bottom line, if the Secret is working for someone but not you, then don’t knock the person who has it working. Watch and emulate.

  141. Andy Wibbels Avatar

    “DNA can be altered with your thoughts”
    Can I get a citation for that please?

  142. Ed Buffey Avatar
    Ed Buffey

    Apparently, the bad science about the ability to alter DNA with thought goes back at least to 2004. Read the first paragraph of the posting entitled “Blood’s a Bad Science Magnet” on this website: http://www.badscience.net/?cat=43

  143. puncturevine Avatar

    This whole concept is frightening…That we can not only re-motivate ourselves through focused, positive thought, but the idea that we can mentally create a PHYSICAL / environmental change.
    That does require “faith”… but no more faith than the idea that
    God created the world….or that our complex existence happened by large numbers of random, mutually beneficial chemical reactions…The thing we need to face is this…..If our thoughts truly create, or modify, reality….. is their any proof of this actually happening…in molecular or quantum science…..and if this proof does exist, how would / should, that proof change the basis for our thoughts, opinions, and behavior….do we continue to live by the evolutionary credo of, not only “survival” of the fittest, but “justification” of the fittest, or do we, by contrast, have to accept the enormous, and overwhelming potential, of even the weakest, poorest, and most most evolutionarily “undeserving”. We need to realize that skepticism and fear are often the same thing.

  144. puncturevine Avatar

    This is going back into the conversation quite a ways, but the quote is
    “……Baloney is baloney. Ham is ham. And BS is BS. One thing does not become the other just because you think about it”
    Well, looking at the proof of quantum entanglement, one thing indeed DOES become the other, “just” because we think about it. Therefore Baloney is fried chicken, and Ham is in fact Pistachio Ice Cream…..depending entirely on how we think about it. If you won’t risk believing it, or anything else visionary, then you lock yourself into a very dark room. Life is not so invaluable.

  145. doyle Avatar
    doyle

    It’s all very convenient when inevitabley people are not getting everything they ” want ” that they are just not doing it right. There is still a hint of negativity in there somewhere preventing the magic from happening, right? It’s all setting people up to blame themselves for what happens when this unhealthy relationship with reality brings things unwanted and un-asked for. They’ll be searching themselves for how they ” manifested ” these events with their thoughts. To which they will be told that they are just not doing it right. Maybe they need to attend a seminar for a couple hundred bucks to work on it.

  146. eyesnheart Avatar
    eyesnheart

    good lord! I can’t believe what you said about the holocaust either!
    My mothers family all perished in the camps…before that, friends, neighbors and community members all worked together…and to say they *had signs*!!!!
    This is ludicious and painfulfully insulting to those of us who have lost loved ones.

  147. Andy Wibbels Avatar

    For folks subscribed to the comments to this post – here’s the info from tonight: http://andywibbels.com/post/1437

  148. Stephanie Brail Avatar

    All I have to say to you, Andy, is that The Secret people “attracted” your criticism of them with their own vibrations, so you are not to blame for what you wrote.
    ๐Ÿ˜‰

  149. Buscar A Dios Avatar
    Buscar A Dios

    This so-called, รขโ‚ฌล“The Secretรขโ‚ฌ? is nothing more than a cheesy infomercial is based upon false claims and junk science. For example, รขโ‚ฌล“The Secretรขโ‚ฌ? people claim that they are the first to bring these ideas to the world. This is a false claim as for many years there have been many books and people have written very similar ideas. รขโ‚ฌล“The Secretรขโ‚ฌ? people also claim that the ideas were suppressed for centuries. This is also another false claim and when Rhonda, the รขโ‚ฌล“The Secretรขโ‚ฌ? owner was asked about this, she had no comment. รขโ‚ฌล“The Secretรขโ‚ฌ? people use junk science and more false scientific claims to back up their product. To sell their product, they even invoke the name of Werner Von Braun as an expert scientist. However, this รขโ‚ฌล“scientistรขโ‚ฌ? who name they use in praise, was an officer in Hitlerรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs notorious SS. The men under Von Braunรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs command rounded up at gunpoint, about 30,000 children, women and men, some of whom where American P.O.W.รขโ‚ฌโ„ขs, and forced them into slave labor for Von Braunรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs rocket program. Almost all of the 30,000 people died from starvation, exposure, overwork, executions and torture by Von Braunรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs men. The Von Braun rockets were then fired into cities such as London and Antwerp as a terror weapon. But Werner Von Braun, the Nazi war criminal, is the man that is praised by รขโ‚ฌล“The Secretรขโ‚ฌ?. But this goes along with Rhondaรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs idea about the massacres in Rwanda as well. Basically, those people were thinking some bad thoughts that day when they were massacred. Similarly, perhaps she would say the same thing about the 30,000 civilians killed by the person รขโ‚ฌล“The Secretรขโ‚ฌ? praisesรขโ‚ฌโ€that is they just didnรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt have as good as thoughts as Von Braun who later used good thoughts to become wealthy and famous after the war. But after all, isnรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt that what the book and DVD from รขโ‚ฌล“The Secretรขโ‚ฌ? are about? Making as much money as possible, even at the expense and exploitation of others, if necessary?

  150. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Outside of having fun (and no problem with that), is there a reason for the 30 day challenge?
    My current understanding of how people view/create their world leads me to expect that results will vary widely even if every diligently follows whatever intructions there are.
    I’ll take skill set first. Some people do not see their own pictures so visualizing what they want is not likely to work very well.
    Beliefs – if there is a basic belief that they are not worthy, then they will not notice many things that could make their life better or will likely find a way to not do effectively that which they know will work. If they have been taught something like “love of money is the root of evil”, they may have made a vow of poverty – conciously or unconciously.
    So, if someone both has the skills and does not have preventing beliefs, is it likely to work across the board? NO way. Everyone has their very subjective world arranged differently. People may have visual, auditory, or kinesthetic as their preferred system. Then, what acts a driver submodality may differ. I.e., imagining a change in the temperature of an object one is imagining may (driver) or may not result in a change in other characteristics, such as texture. Other differences, like whether they place their goals on their future time line in their world, make a difference.
    The recent read that I currently find most impressive for how to create a life is “deliberate practice”. See the freakonomics website for details. Basically, start early enough and have the minimum requirements (my addition), then spend three plus hours per day for ten plus years in carefully directed practice and you will be very good at what your are doing. It may take more hours or longer to be world champion level. Pretty much forget everything else, like talent.

  151. Fran Avatar

    Abraham Hicks tells you how to go with the flow. Regular people get to ask questions from their everyday experiences in their quest to allow only good thoughts. The Secret is not a secret but the impressive video may be able to let people see what they cant hear. I hope so for anyone who is asking for the answers to life and how it can be directed by our mind. Ester Hicks and Jerry have my vote .

  152. doyle Avatar
    doyle

    I read one of the Hicks books and I just can’t get past the channeling BS.

  153. Trish Avatar

    This “Secret” crops up in one form or another every decade, and I’ll bet it’s been doing that for at least 100 years, since what’s-his-name wrote a little book on the topic of “think and grow rich,” no, not Napolean Hill–there was a guy before him.
    Anyway, this is not new. Nor are the people who make a bundle serving this stuff up to eager masses who want to amass wealth without doing much of anything. I know one of the guys spotlighted on The Secret, and as a human being, he’s not much to write home about integritywise. Definitely not someone I would ever use as a model or an inspiration.
    I worked as one of the few paid staff people for Werner Erhard back at the height of his est organization, and I gotta tell you that he delivered a much more accurate message than these Secret guys. He offered the “be-do-have” equation for success. That is “be” the person you want to be (which accounts for the “think” part), then “do” the things that that person does (which accounts for the “work your ass off” part, as well as acclimating one’s mind to a new way of viewing the world), then “have” the things (the pot o’ gold at the end of the long and winding road). Even though this is also a shorthand way of describing what can be a lifelong pursuit, it is a darn sight more complete than the message the Secretites deliver.
    And your 30-day thing is a great gimmick, but any Attraction fanatic will simply tell you that anyone who didn’t attract what they wanted in that timeframe has unrecognized thoughts that are in the way….so while, as Michael Port mentions, you’ve got a great marketing gig going on with this, you’re not going to convert any “think stuff, get stuff” drum beaters!!!

  154. Anne Avatar
    Anne

    hmmmm… interesting ๐Ÿ˜‰
    Having had some previous contact with LOA and having had some success in attracting certain situations into my life by really focusing on what I wanted, I have come to the conclusion that there is some element of truth in the message contained in The Secret.
    But, as the transcript of the call for the 30 day challenge illustrates brilliantly, it depends a lot about beliefs and internal dialogues (blocages).
    If deep down you don’t believe that you can have something, it doesn’t matter what you’re saying on the surface, or even what you do – you won’t get it.
    So yes, you do have to work your butt off, but not by running around and doing “things”. You have to work on yourself
    And no, there is nothing new in The Secret :
    If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes. รขโ‚ฌโ€œ Jesus Christ
    A conspiracy ? why bother when skepticism is enough ?
    Look at the skepticism Copernicus and Galileo encountered !
    Whether you’re skeptic or not I strongly suggest that you to go and have a look at the presentation on Consciousness given by Peter Russell:
    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7799171063626430789&hl=en
    I think that one needs to keep an open mind. This doesn’t mean that you swallow everything you’re told, just that you’re willing to entertain the thought that something is possible. Then tell the mind to shut up for a bit and go and seek the answer within yourself – because that’s where it is. The only thing you’ll find “outside” are clues.

  155. cj Avatar
    cj

    I would appreciate it if you could elaborate on this idea.

  156. Anne Avatar
    Anne

    cj, who do you mean by you and what idea would you like to see elaborated on ?
    There are a lot of mesages from a lot of people here ๐Ÿ˜‰

  157. Andy Wibbels Avatar

    “Look at the skepticism Copernicus and Galileo encountered!”
    So you are using examples from science and empirical data to support something completely based on faith?

  158. Jannette Robert Murray Avatar

    My apologies to all who’ve been waiting for the information I promised to post for you on how I teach my counseling clients to apply the Law of Attraction.
    I started to write it and got pulled off on a legislative problem of considerable immediacy in my state (Washington), which is still taking my time every day.
    Tuesday, Steven posted this AbeQuote on the Yahoo Group for those of us who are devotees of the teachings of Abraham through Esther Hicks, and work to live them in our lives.
    When I first joined Unity Church of Truth (Spokane’s Unity church) in 1975, one of the early things I learned about was Thoughtforms. This AbeQuote says better than I’ve ever seen it put, how thoughtforms happen (it’s worded well for those who understand physics, and quantum physics):
    Thought gives birth to LOA
    “As you percieve something you give birth to a thought, and this thought now thinks. NOW that it exists, now that it has been conjured, now that it has been focused, now it vibrates. Now, by Law of Attraction, other thoughts that are vibrationally same will come to it. So it begins its expansion immediately.” That is from the Abraham Workshop, Philadelphia PA, 10/15/98.
    With that knowledge (and reminders of it where we can read it daily), we have the help we need to remember to stay positive and focused in our thoughts on that which we wish to attract/allow into our lives. And to be ever vigilant to very swiftly change those thoughts that are on that which we do not desire.
    There’s a really good little way to alter the pattern of negative thoughts, by catching them when they happen (I had this posted opposite the toilet in my apartment bathroom, before my husband appeared in my life):
    The abbreviated version:
    INTERRUPT NEGATIVE THOUGHTS WITH:
    – PICTURE (Eyes Up)
    – SOUND (Down/Left)
    – FEELING (Down/Right)
    IN ANY ORDER…)
    This was shared several years ago on a tape from Jerry Stocking, and had been told to him by a former seminar attendee. The man used it a hundred times a day and raised his bowling score!
    I used it once in that apartment, and kicked the negative thoughts about lack of money in my life (a big achievement).
    Since my husband brought some of his own negativity about money into my life, I’ve done it a couple more times, but mostly I just repeat the reminder that I used with it that first time: “God is in charge; I always have enough!” and that is sufficient for me to stay positive and expectant of my good.
    I hope this helps. I’m considering teaching those who wish to learn how to apply the teachings of Abraham and similar sources in your own lives. Write me if interested.

  159. Anne Avatar
    Anne

    “So you are using examples from science and empirical data to support something completely based on faith?”
    If this was something completely based on faith I wouldn’t be here talking about it.
    As for empirical data :
    In the philosophical sense, yes.
    In the classical scientific sense thereรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs a problem. Because if you must have that to believe in something you would have to stop believing that you have consciousness. There is no scientific evidence that consciousness exists.
    As for Science, รขโ‚ฌล“The Secretรขโ‚ฌ? is very tame compared to what quantum physics has to tell us about our world and the effect we have on it.

  160. Jannette Robert Murray Avatar

    Just finished reading all the posts up to date, after posting mine above. It should be clarified that The Secret contains Esther Hicks speaking on behalf of Abraham’s teachings only in the first edition. They asked to be let out of the contract and removed from all future editions of The Secret when Rhonda Byrne began to say the terms of the contract were going to change. Whether this was because of the TV follow-on segments not coming off, or why, I do not know. Whether it had to do with income distribution, I do not know. We don’t have the details of those terms nor their change, but in their integrity, I have to respect the reasoning of Jerry and Esther when it no longer felt good to them or to Abraham.

    No, The Secret isn’t new information; it’s been around and taught since well before Jesus time. (People don’t seem to pay attention. Why don’t we?) There’s that ‘free will’ we’re given when we live on this planet (or any planet with gravity, I’m told). We’re given all this power, but not for the most part taught about it and how to use it (unless one grows up in New Thought or Abraham teachings), and so we don’t have the habit of using it.

    But, yes, we are responsible for our results in life; we cannot blame them on anyone or anything else. That fact comes as a shock to a lot of people; we created what we’ve got, either consciously or unconsciously, but we are the only one. I know some of you will argue but many times it’s the unconscious, or even the SuperConscious that is creating in our Lifestream. Our Soul knows when it wants to go. Once we accept that we have the power, and begin to use it consciously, we can make that habitual and begin to see the results we’d like to see in our lives. My clients are taught that they do, and how to use it — for every aspect of their lives. Abraham calls this the Science of Deliberate Creation. And it does need to be deliberate. We have to make it habitual.

    Some of your bloggers are already in this habit; others don’t believe it works, or is ‘right’, or whatever… but we are using this power all the time… we can’t not use it; so we might as well use it in a positive bent and know that we are doing it!! Make sense? We are gods, given the Powers of God (made in the Image of God / read that ‘imagination’.) It is up to us to learn how to make them work FOR us, not AGAINST us! As One very well-known Unity Minister/author puts it, we can step into the stream or out of it; and yet it is always flowing; and it is a stream of abundance. It is good energy. There is no stream of ‘bad energy’ Abraham says pretty much the same thing. We block our flow by our negative thoughts, beliefs, expectations. The thing Paul and some others said above this post is that our limiting/negative beliefs are what hold us back. If we do not believe something is possible for us, we block it in many ways.

    Andy, regarding the DNA being changed by our beliefs… I cannot say for sure, as we aren’t sure where our two remaining copies are, but this might have come from the writings or teachings of Dr. Bruce Lipton, cellular biologist. Go to http://www.psych-k.com and read not only the headline on the page, but scroll down and perhaps purchase the book, and the DVD. We have both, and this is what started us looking for the first workshop we could attend. It also started our teacher, Dhebi DeWitz-Jensen looking for the first workshop she could attend, when she began; she is now one of only 30 Certified Instructors at the Advanced level. PSYCH-K is phenomenal, and many healers, therapists, etc. are taking these Basic and Advanced courses, as it is the missing piece/peace truly. Dhebi is a truly good and skilled teacher. She teaches all over the Pacific Northwest. There are many other teachers (check out Larry Valmore, too) teaching PSYCH-K all over the world. If people can be open to those who are pushing the envelope in their fields, these two guys are doing that: Bruce Lipton and Rob M. Williams, MA are teaching together about beliefs and DNA; and about how by being able to get at the erroneous beliefs in our subconscious, and by talking the language of the subconscious, changing them (which Paul spoke of briefly, as happening in 3 to 5 minutes), through the ‘balances’ which Rob now uses, which he has trained others very thoroughly to teach, and which Paul and I took the Basic class last August, and are eagerly looking forward to taking the Advanced class this year… Rob Williams no longer teaches directly; he and Bruce Lipton are traveling around the world talking about these inter-related concepts. Again, no matter the teachings; we have to use them — that’s where the ‘work’ comes in! But well worth it!

    The book which I believe Rhonda’s daughter gave her was by Charles F. Haanel, entitled either "The Master Key System" (which I have on my computer) , published in 1912; or his Biography… or one of many other similar books he wrote. He lived 1866 – 1949. I believe it was Charles Haanel who was pictured in the many advertisements for The Secret (I could be wrong, but this is my information), which people have called ‘trailers’. (A trailer is really the info one puts about the author at the end of articles, etc.!) There may have been many times in history when this information was kept secret; if Chas. Haanel was the individual who was hired to teach the many who became rich during his lifetime, it was all of them who pledged to keep it secret, desiring to keep the wealth for themselves, and keep the how to of it from the masses. That doesn’t say there weren’t many other authors, many of them Unity Ministers, and similar, such as Ernest Holmes, Science of Mind, who were teaching the same principles. Unity was already 100 years old when I joined in 1975. Truth teachings go back thousands of years.

    The destruction of the library at Alexandria was to keep such teachings secret. Again over many ages, ‘the priests’ believed they needed to be the only ones with the knowledge/in power, and kept the information to themselves. Before and After Jesus, the Christ, priests wanted to keep all the power to themselves and be the only intercessors with God — they still do!

    Before the teachings were common knowledge, including during the time of the Old Testament, people communicated directly with God/Their Higher Selves, and no one thought a thing of it. For us to be doing so again, we are labeled nuts in many cases. But those who know/admit how they got an idea, are directly or indirectly always speaking of such communication. People pray, but they often don’t think God talks to them. Have you read Neale Donald Walsch’s CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD? And the several books which came after that? As God says to Neale, I talk to you all the time; you just don’t listen (paraphrased). Several people may get an idea at the same time, but how many of them act upon it?

    Have you ever noticed that several individuals at a time may attempt to apply for the same patent? They all received the idea at the same time, and acted on it. God was choosing a time when the world was ready for the new invention and gave it to people. I received my specific therapy process, after a lot of intense study in the area, but the actual process came to me in a ‘light bulb moment’ on awakening one morning. I was told we "had to do this, and this, and this, and we had to do it in this order’; we’ve been doing it ever since mid-1986 — and it works! Jerry and Esther Hicks kept what they were doing rather private, teaching only to those who were drawn to the information until in mid-2004 they announced they were going to be taking ir more public.

    One part of that was that Louise Hay had found their Abraham information and wanted to publish it; and asked them to get involved in seminars she brought together, which have included some of the same teachers who are in The Secret; many others who are not. Remember, there were originally to be at least seven (7) more, perhaps weekly television programs, with more people who are already filmed for The Secret (some of whom I know), which never came about, because the simultaneous international broadcasts never came about. Paul hears there is another DVD coming. Also realize, all those of you who criticize The Secret movie, that there is only so much time to say the main principles; and no time given to elaborating on what you teach, on teaching all the how to of these methods in depth. I was at first shocked when I learned that each of the individuals who was in The Secret paid Rhonda Byrne $10,000 to be involved. Rhonda’s background, for those of you who criticize the ‘slickness’ of the production, is that of a Producer. So, she knows how to do this, and she has the contacts — the people to do it right. I certainly would not fault her for that! Certainly they could write it off as advertising cost. It just seemed to me that Rhonda began to get money hungry and was rearranging things to have more for herself. I have no proof of that; just my impression.

    I still think The Secret and what all of the participants are teaching are the same thing; they’re already well-known facilitators, and do that teaching as their living. We didn’t know of them unless we were seeking such teachings. I facilitated a seminar back in the late 1970’s, for a little while. And that was during the era when they began to be called ‘feel-good seminars’. Because so many people would take seminars, feel good when they graduated, but not put them into practice; they weren’t changing much of anything. The enthusiasm doesn’t last. They go back to their old belief systems, and habits of behavior. I learned that some of the same teachings and methods of teaching work better on an on-going basis, incorporated into a counseling practice, because the client is expected to apply during the time between appointments, and comes back to report on their application, and results. This is a part of what I have incorporated into my counseling practice, from the seminar I taught, but it is an eclectic combination — the best of the best I’ve studied over 48 years! And it works! Certainly I share with those of my clients who are interested in spiritual growth, the principles I have learned and know work, which includes the teachings of Abraham. I’ve never had one (except the most recent distance client) who had ever heard of Abraham before, and I’ve never had a client who did not love the AbeQuotes and other excerpts I’ve shared with them. These bolster the tools I teach. I also encourage people to follow their own spiritual leanings, rather than the dictates of any church. For those of you who perceive the Abraham teachings as a cult… you are very wrong. Look up the definition of a cult, and you will find none of that with Abraham. In fact, I know of a lady who was a strong devotee of the teachings, who dropped out of her study group after she heard that Jerry and Esther (or Abraham) "didn’t want to have it turn into a ‘religion’!" I’ve studied a bit about cults, and there are none of the trappings or behavior among the followers of Abraham teachings, nor among members of New Thought churches, including Unity. None! Hope this helps clarify some of the things I’ve read in others’ blog posts here. Jannette http://www.inspiredcounseling.com

  161. Jannette Robert Murray Avatar

    In Response to Anne:
    More and more we see science now proving what the metaphysicians and spiritual people have been saying all along.
    My definition of faith includes what one believes/believes in.
    Check out what Bruce Lipton teaches.
    Jannette

  162. Andy Wibbels Avatar

    I think I see more what you’re getting at with Bruce Lipton.
    “His work over the last 40 years studying how cells process information led him to the conclusion that genes do not control our behavior. Instead, genes are turned on and off by influences outside the cell.”
    http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2005/11/14/findrelig.DTL

  163. Alison Randall Avatar

    What is this “Law of Attraction,” and how come it isn’t in the science books? I know what a magnet is, and you have to be pretty uneducated to think that “like attracts like.” Therefore, suckers, your “universal law” is a lie. Deal.

  164. Alison Randall Avatar

    …I can’t help but post this. This dumb belief is a big slap in the face to all the children out there suffering from terrible diseases and accidents. Go ahead–go to the children’s hospital and blame those children and their parents for attracting this. Whatever happens next, well, you attracted it. Disgusting.

  165. dpnash Avatar
    dpnash

    On Bill Maher’s show this past Friday (3/9/07) he mentioned “The Secret,” and read the quote about “it’s not eating food that makes you gain weight, it’s your thought that eating makes you fat” – and I do believe I heard guest Deepak Chopra say “that’s ridiculous.”
    When even the ultimate New Age guru, Deepak Chopra, calls an idea like this “ridiculous,” then you know it’s really worthless.

  166. Lana Avatar

    Hi. More food for thought:
    A critical review at:
    http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/07-03-07.html
    From the mouth of Fred Alan Wolf (physicist in The Secret)
    http://fredalanwolf.blogspot.com/2007/02/writing-self-help-book.html
    Excerpt:
    A quantum field consciousness-spirituality and growth book may sound wonderful but it is possibly misleading if you think that this field can give you anything you desire. First of all the quantum field is not really an energy field and secondly consciousness can not exert a force. Nor is consciousness energy. Consciousness and energy are not the same things at all. Thirdly if everyone could just tune into this hypothetical field and just by doing so create anything they wanted to create, the world would be in a worst mess than it is right now.

  167. jhette Avatar
    jhette

    I am waiting for an answer from the true believer regarding children (as young as months old) suffering through molestation, beating, murder, starvation, etc …. How exactly does a child deserve this? How exactly is one a better person by only focusing on themselves (via postive thinking or otherwise)? How exactly does one ignore world events in order to continue positive thinking? How exactly can you look at the suffering of ANY human being and feel positive????? One of you answer me!!!!!

  168. Mark Evers Avatar
    Mark Evers

    I just saw the movie and in five minutes i got a ferrari. Nice movie!

  169. amanda Avatar

    i saw the movie,it was great! it was so eye opening to see how powerful our minds really are!

  170. Richard Avatar

    I love you guys so much .THat ‘s the secret

  171. jhette Avatar
    jhette

    ok. so your answer is: %^* the children, there are on their own. nice, really nice. that’s so american.

  172. jhette Avatar
    jhette

    i word i meant was “they are” or they’re not there.

  173. jhette Avatar
    jhette

    god bless this self-centered generation of jerks.

  174. Someone Sweet Avatar
    Someone Sweet

    The movie is really a siked up version of the bible and the teachings of christianity. I am a christian and it hurts me to see “our” same mechanism for asking, believing, and receiving through Jesus Christ taken into vain. The movie is the mere image of the “Christ Couscious” that we see in the bible. Hopefully, people will wake up and see the truth is in Jesus. He is the only way. For Rhonda Byrne, she should be sued by the christians for using “our” concept, a little humor. The truth does come out in humor though.

  175. Kathy Avatar

    I definitely enjoyed reading your perspective on this and although I love watching “The Secret” and prefer to think positively and faithfully–I see your points clearly. I wonder too about the whole emphasis on materialism and not having more focus on being of service and helping create a world that truly enables more people to experience abundance, peace and joy. If we have this amazing power to create by the thoughts we think and the feelings and beliefs we hold–it seems like it would be more important to focus on world peace and abundance for all–than a BMW.
    My six year old son and I start most days off by lighting a candle and imagining everyone in the world with enough $, a home to live in, healthy food in their bellies, and a teddy bear. Now wouldn’t that be fun if all the world joined us and this actually happened? ๐Ÿ™‚
    I’ll do my part in case it works! ๐Ÿ™‚
    Kathy
    http://www.kathybowesonline.com

  176. The Skeptic's Skeptic Avatar
    The Skeptic’s Skeptic

    Watched the video. Threw it out like it was a chain letter. No wait–that’s exactly what it is, a chain letter. An overproduced, pseudoscientific scam of a chain letter.

  177. John Alexandrov Avatar

    The Secret Hoax Continues
    The teachers of รขโ‚ฌล“the secretรขโ‚ฌ? are persistent if nothing else. They are a public relations and marketing machine with the financial backing to get their message to the public in a big way. The question remains however, รขโ‚ฌล“What is their message?รขโ‚ฌ? In my recently released book, The Secret Seduction & The Jesus Syndrome รขโ‚ฌโ€œ The Hidden Agenda of the Creators of The Secret I revealed the hidden religious and victimization strategies of the creators of รขโ‚ฌล“the secret.รขโ‚ฌ? In this short article I will point out the new strategies the รขโ‚ฌล“teachers of the secretรขโ‚ฌ? are employing to solidify their sect.
    I want to reiterate my position on several subjects. From an entrepreneurรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs prospective I have to admire the creators and teachers of the secret. The marketing and public relations campaign is pure genius. They (the creators and teachers of the secret) have actually topped the รขโ‚ฌล“diet pillรขโ‚ฌ? industry in the ability to sell something that contains nothing while simultaneously getting people to believe it is รขโ‚ฌล“working for them.รขโ‚ฌ? I am sure the teachers of the secret are running programs right now in which they will รขโ‚ฌล“proveรขโ‚ฌ? their รขโ‚ฌล“law of attractionรขโ‚ฌ? works (and that if it isnรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt working for you, itรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs your fault or you just lack understanding).
    Letรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs get real. Hereรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs the new marketing strategy of the creators and teachers of the secret:
    John Asaraaf on Larry King Live (March 8, 2007) รขโ‚ฌโ€œ รขโ‚ฌล“รขโ‚ฌยฆevery time there is a phenomenal breakthrough about to happen in mankind, there are people who take advantage of it and people who want to run for the hills.รขโ‚ฌ?
    James Ray on Larry King Live (March 8, 2007) รขโ‚ฌโ€œ รขโ‚ฌล“รขโ‚ฌยฆany time a new idea comes to force, it goes through three phases. Itรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs first ridiculed. Then it itรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs violently opposed. And then itรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs finally accepted as self-evident, normally after the opposition dies.รขโ‚ฌ?
    Bob Proctor on Larry King Live (March 8, 2007) รขโ‚ฌโ€œ รขโ‚ฌล“Attraction is a law and you attract things into youรขโ‚ฌยฆ.I donรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt know why 9/11 happened but I do know this. That all down through history, things like that have happened. And we automatically believe death is a bad thing. Death is a transition. It is much the same as birth.รขโ‚ฌ?
    รขโ‚ฌล“Doctorรขโ‚ฌ? Michael Beckwith on Oprah (February 16, 2007) รขโ‚ฌโ€œ Yeah, Mediocrity always attacks excellence. So if youรขโ‚ฌโ„ขre going beyond yourself and other people are staying mediocre, they have an agreement with mediocrity, theyรขโ‚ฌโ„ขre going to attack you.รขโ‚ฌ?
    So here is the revised and up to date position of the teachers of the secret. The law of attraction works every time except for people that are killed in terrorist attacks (if they were รขโ‚ฌล“good peopleรขโ‚ฌ? then they just got in the way or really wanted to die and transition to the next phase of their livesรขโ‚ฌยฆif they were รขโ‚ฌล“bad peopleรขโ‚ฌ? they attracted the terrorist attack or the holocaust or at a minimum they agreed to participate in it). How convenient. A law of attraction that can be selectively applied according to the รขโ‚ฌล“philosophersรขโ‚ฌ? that are teaching it.
    And by the way, if you are opposed to the magic fairy dust approach to the creators and teachers of the secret, then you are also opposed to the most phenomenal รขโ‚ฌล“breakthroughรขโ‚ฌ? in the history of mankind. You are just a รขโ‚ฌล“mediocreรขโ‚ฌ? person attacking the รขโ‚ฌล“excellenceรขโ‚ฌ? the รขโ‚ฌล“magnificenceรขโ‚ฌ? of the creators and teachers of รขโ‚ฌล“the secret.รขโ‚ฌ? The รขโ‚ฌล“breakthroughรขโ‚ฌ? the creators and teachers of the secret just happened to learn about by reading and re-packaging a royalty free version of Wallace Wattles book The Science of Getting Rich (first published in 1910). I wonder what percentage of the income the creators of the secret are paying to Mr. Wattleรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs estate in the form of royalties? The secret isnรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt a new breakthrough. The concepts in the secret were pilfered from a book written in 1910 and have been re-packaged to appeal to people who want to believe itรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs something new (so the current teachers can รขโ‚ฌล“save them.รขโ‚ฌ?) Also, Napoleon Hill used the terms รขโ‚ฌล“The Secretรขโ‚ฌ? and รขโ‚ฌล“The Supreme Secretรขโ‚ฌ? in his book Think and Grow Rich as far back as the 1920รขโ‚ฌโ„ขs. I understand we all have hypocrisy in our lives, me included, but this really takes first prize. The bottom line (of the creators of the secret) is this; believe in us and send us your money or you are opposed to the elevation of mankind. And by the way, if the law of attraction isnรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt working for you (because the law of attraction works every time), then itรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs just an unexplained circumstance that you must have created or agreed to participate in. If you are sick or dying or broke then it canรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt be that รขโ‚ฌล“teachersรขโ‚ฌ? with our sophistication level and understanding (after all we are รขโ‚ฌล“philosophersรขโ‚ฌ?) have a lack of understanding. It must be your fault you รขโ‚ฌล“unenlightenedรขโ‚ฌ? person. Send us some money and weรขโ‚ฌโ„ขll save you. After all Bob Proctor, John Asaraaf and others are willing to enlighten you for anywhere between $2,000 and $25,000 (as well as other teachers of the secret) and pay out part of the fee to a pyramid of other people who support their รขโ‚ฌล“philosophy.รขโ‚ฌ?
    The teachers of the secret continue:
    Joe Vitale on Larry King Live รขโ‚ฌโ€œ (March 8, 2007) รขโ‚ฌโ€œ In response to a question about a recent illness he had รขโ‚ฌล“attracted.รขโ‚ฌ? First of all, I had an appendectomy. And I did indeed attract it. I would have denied it the day it happened because going to the emergency room, never been in the hospital, never been in the emergency room, no fun whatsoever. I attracted it. Why did I attract it? I needed a vacation. I was working hardรขโ‚ฌยฆand I wasnรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt booking my own vacation. I remember telling people if I donรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt book a vacation, something bad is going to happen. (John Alexandrovรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs comments – I laughed for 5 minutes straight when I read this one รขโ‚ฌโ€œ Joe Vitale รขโ‚ฌโ€œ one of the most enlightened people on the face of the earthรขโ‚ฌยฆa philosopher and teacher of the secret รขโ‚ฌโ€œ needed to attract appendicitis in order to take a vacation???). It probably would have been unenlightened to call his travel agent and book the vacation ahead of time. Yes, I guess there is a new age of understanding being ushered in by the teachers of the secret. I just canรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt figure out what it is. Maybe we should all get sick or work ourselves to exhaustion and then attract illnesses before we take vacations. That will certainly improve the world and prove the law of attraction at the same time.
    Joe Vitale on Larry King Live รขโ‚ฌโ€œ (March 8, 2007) รขโ‚ฌโ€œ In response to a caller who asked รขโ‚ฌล“Where does God come into the whole รขโ‚ฌล“secret.รขโ‚ฌ? Joe responds: God is the secret and everything about it. This is a law from God. There are three great laws in the world. Law of gravity, the law of everybody loving Italian food and the law of attraction. These are all from God. (John Alexandrovรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs comments รขโ‚ฌโ€œ should I even respond to this? Okay, I canรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt resist). Which God does the law of attraction come from? Iรขโ‚ฌโ„ขve never had a clergy, theologian or a biblical scholar (or a scholar of any religious order) refer to a law of attraction. Oh, I get it nowรขโ‚ฌยฆthe law of attraction comes from รขโ‚ฌล“the secret Godรขโ‚ฌ?รขโ‚ฌยฆthe God that allows you to participate in holocausts and plagues and famines because itรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs in your best interest or because you really wanted to รขโ‚ฌล“transitionรขโ‚ฌ? to another life. I guess Hitler was just an agent of the secret God that helped people transition to a better life somewhere. Thanks Joe (Vitale) and Bob (Proctor). Itรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs all clear to me now.
    Lisa Nichols on Larry King Live รขโ‚ฌโ€œ (March 8, 2007) รขโ‚ฌโ€œ (Johnรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs comments รขโ‚ฌโ€œ Who is Lisa Nichols anyway?) Lisa Nichols states รขโ‚ฌล“Iรขโ‚ฌโ„ขve talked to many people who have had a situation with a health challenge and were actually grateful for it because it taught them something (it taught them) that weรขโ‚ฌโ„ขre not all meant to be fit and healthy with two arms and legs you know รขโ‚ฌโ€œ thatรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs just not how the Universe worksรขโ‚ฌยฆ (John Alexandrovรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs comments รขโ‚ฌโ€œ Are you kidding me? I guess รขโ‚ฌล“the secret Godรขโ‚ฌ? is so wonderful and so kind that รขโ‚ฌล“the secret Godรขโ‚ฌ? creates horrible circumstances so you can learn from them and be grateful your child has one arm or one leg. Thank you รขโ‚ฌล“the secret God,รขโ‚ฌ? for all the wonderful blessings and for giving me those lessons. If there is a law of attraction that also means since from time to time I may focus my รขโ‚ฌล“attention on the factรขโ‚ฌ? that my child has one arm or one leg, my next child will also have one arm or leg as well. After all, thatรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs what I am รขโ‚ฌล“attracting.รขโ‚ฌ?
    James Ray on Oprah (February 16, 2007) รขโ‚ฌโ€œ รขโ‚ฌล“Just consider that Jesus The Christ said, the kingdom of heaven is withinรขโ‚ฌยฆand so is it possible to consider that the รขโ‚ฌล“Kingdom of Hellรขโ‚ฌ? is within (us) as well?รขโ‚ฌ? My, my, myรขโ‚ฌยฆthe Kingdom of Hell. Okay James, if there is a heaven and a รขโ‚ฌล“kingdomรขโ‚ฌ? of hell, I guess that means all of us who donรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt understand or know how to apply รขโ‚ฌล“the secret law of attractionรขโ‚ฌ? are going to be punished and exiled to รขโ‚ฌล“The Kingdom of Hell.รขโ‚ฌ? Have any of you ever heard a reference to a รขโ‚ฌล“Kingdomรขโ‚ฌ? of hellรขโ‚ฌยฆever? I guess I better tidy up on my mysticism.
    A caller on Larry King Live calls in and asks John Assaraf, รขโ‚ฌล“He (John Assaraf) keeps talking about the brain. I would like to know if he (John) is a neuroscientist or has done any research that heรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs published in peer reviewed journals that supports his claims? He (John) keeps talking about that he (John) does research. John Assaraf responds:
    รขโ‚ฌล“Actually thatรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs a great question. Iรขโ‚ฌโ„ขve had so many experiences with the law of attraction and our clients had so many experiences. I was รขโ‚ฌล“retiredรขโ‚ฌ? for the last 6 years and I did my own research on books that were published, white papers that were published what was happening in my life, what was happening the lives of our clients and how we were able to achieve the success we were achieving. I studied other peopleรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs work. I read voraciously, I researched voraciously other peopleรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs works. And thereรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs more than enough evidence at a quantum physics level or physics level and neuroscience suggests this is true.รขโ‚ฌ? (John Alexandrovรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs comments – Really John (Assaraf). Which books? Which physicists and neuro-scientists? As a wise old woman once said on national televisionรขโ‚ฌยฆรขโ‚ฌ?Whereรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs The Beef?รขโ‚ฌ? There isnรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt any beef. There arenรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt any reports or books or peer reviewed articles on the law of attraction because they donรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt exist. I have to admit Assaraf does a great job of avoiding the question. Six years of voracious research and he canรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt even quote 1 article, book or white paper?
    John Assaraf states, รขโ‚ฌล“You know, this morning when I knew that I was going to be on the show, we had about 200 of our business owners on a call. And I asked them to send us an email about how the secret law of attraction worked in their lives. Within 10 minutes we had 57 emails from people telling us how the secret law of attraction worked in their lives.รขโ‚ฌ? (John Alexandrovรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs comments รขโ‚ฌโ€œ Well there it is. Solid evidence. 57 emails from people who have a vested interest in claiming the law of attraction works. That definitely is as least as credible as a peer reviewed article published by a neuro-scientist; after all it was 57 emails from รขโ‚ฌล“our business owners.รขโ‚ฌ?
    And finally (donรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt be too disappointedรขโ‚ฌยฆIรขโ‚ฌโ„ขll be writing many more articles in the future).
    Joe Vitale on Larry King Live (March 8, 2007) รขโ‚ฌโ€œ Joe Vitale states, รขโ‚ฌล“Well you know, there is one critic that said the movie (referring the DVD the secret) was missing the รขโ‚ฌล“ideaรขโ‚ฌ? that it (the secret) doesnรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt talk about action. I told him I agree with you, the movie does not talk very much about taking action in order to get results. But the movie is telling you one secret of the Universe. Its not telling you all the secrets of the Universe. Thatรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs why we are going to have a sequel to this thingรขโ‚ฌยฆ.There are other secrets including the law of right action.รขโ‚ฌ?
    So there you have it. The law of attraction is NOT the only secret. As a matter of fact, its not a secret at all. Itรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs not a law. It never has been and never will be. So the teachers of the secret are now creating a new secret, a new mythology, a new hoax called รขโ‚ฌล“the law of right action.รขโ‚ฌ? Arenรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt we all lucky that the รขโ‚ฌล“philosophers and teachersรขโ‚ฌ? of the secret are the only ones who know all the secrets of the Universe. And they are willing to share them with us for the enlightenment of humanity. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I guess Iรขโ‚ฌโ„ขm just destined for the รขโ‚ฌล“kingdom of hell.รขโ‚ฌ?
    John Alexandrov
    For more insights on the Secret Hoax go to http://www.thesecretseduction.com or http://www.themoneychi.com .

  178. Haters Hater Avatar
    Haters Hater

    Ha! It’s funny how people are now making ‘The Secret to The Secret’ book- now you can pay to read the hidden agenda of The Secret. Ah, what a vicious cycle.

  179. Rhen Avatar

    The Law Of Attraction works every time, whether you like to rip off on it’s popularity to make a blog post or not.
    Whether you like it or not, and most importantly whether you think they’re making a few bunch of millions selling those DVD’s and books or not.
    And whether or not you think it’s a great marketing ploy or not.
    Reality is multi-faceted and while you may think that is it the only unidimensional truth and focus all you’ve got on it, than it becomes just that. A twisted unidimensional reality which supports itself by the mind. Everything comes into context to support your belief systems.
    There is no one truth that can be put into words, the mere fact of conceptualizing it pigeon-holes it and creates an opposite.
    For example if I said that there is no god. That in itself presents the possibility that there is a god, which creates conflict in people choosing to believe that the concepts in their mind are real.
    If I believed what I saw, I would believe that the earth never moved and that it was floating and somehow it became dark and light over and over again.
    But we all know that it moves and rotates around the sun at incredible speeds.
    If I didn’t know any better, I might even fight aggressively against any opposition that said that it moved in space at incredible speeds, believing so firmly that the earth did not move.
    In fact I might even assemble and find like-minded people to discuss about how ridiculous an idea like that is.
    And because of my ignorance, I might even go as far as believing that what I’m seeing is the territory.
    The map is not the territory, and there are a lot of things we do not understand.
    The teachers themselves do not fully understand it themselves.
    But that’s why we’re here to learn.
    http://www.lawofabundantattraction.com

  180. Carol L. Skolnick Avatar

    The Secret: old wine in new bottles and not the greatest old wine either…
    However, it may be doing some folks some good. Especially when it stops working, or when they discover that getting all that stuff doesn’t make them any happier. Then it’s on to Real Life 101. Whatever it takes!

  181. jhette Avatar
    jhette

    Just because any of you believe a thing, good or bad, does not make it true nor happen. Two people can equally believe in opposite things, yet what will reality bring forth?
    DEATH is only certain thing this life has to offer. NO ONE GETS OUT ALIVE. NO SECRET THERE.

  182. jhette Avatar
    jhette

    Special Message for “Hater’s Hater” reply
    The mere fact that you refer to yourself as “Hater’s Hate,” is not only a double negative BUT is also exactly the opposite of what the Secret Movie was teaching.
    How odd you are to defend them without any understanding of what you are defending. Yes, they make money and may help some lost soul feel like they have control, even when they don’t, BUT child pornographer’s, thieves and liars also make money many feel really good about themselves and earn a great living — at what cost to human life?
    What about the children????

  183. Edith Avatar
    Edith

    Too much here to read, but there never seems to be anything about bringing a specific person into your life, who you want to help, and who you like very much.
    Just to be friends with, if it turned into anything else, that would be another matter, but for now, I just want to have a good chance of being able to talk to them without other persons being present, but even seeing them anywhere is a hit and miss affair and if I do, nothing happens, too much for me to go into here, but I feel there is a definite psychic connection somewhere but I just need to be able to have a good chance, not half hearted chances, I cannot deal with anything less than a definite chance.
    I believe in all this kind of thing, and then get frustrated and sad, and then angry, when nothing manifests.

  184. Edith again Avatar
    Edith again

    I have read all the posts here now, and just to elaborate a little, I have read “The Secret”, along with numerous other of these kind of books, and also occult, witchcraft, magick, {of all kinds} books, and they are all talking about the same principle.
    However, none of them seem to have very much to say about how to attract a specific person into your life. Rather, they seem to gloss over this, “The Secret” book certainly skimmed past the subject very quickly, not referring to attracting a specific person at all, but just in general. If this law works, it works, and it would mean,that anyone obsessed with a celebrity, say, would manifest that celebrity into their lives, after all, obsessed people obsess constantly about the object of their obsession, and thinking of something constantly WILL manifest it into your life, “The Secret” says so! – So how come, then, that in that case, it doesn’t work!!
    As already stated, I have been trying to bring into my life, someone whom I want to help, and like very much, but apart from the rare glimpse in the street, hardly ever now, there is nothing happening, the circumstances are never right, I cannot deal with something that is hugely difficult to achieve, I know I have to make some effort, but not when the circumstances are such that they are just never “right”, I visualise the “right” circumstances, and believe that those circumstances will come about, but that doesn’t seem to do anything, so I visualise the end result, a friendship that has already happened, these books tell us that this is all we need to do, the Universe will do the rest. Why then, has it still not materialised? I’ve even used the Chakra clearing book and cd by Doreen Virtue, but the talk of God and angels {are there such things? Not sure I even believe chakras exist] put me off and I could not go along with the meditation at all, after the third attempt, it just made me angry at the stupidity of it, and I have tried, I really have tried, I do believe in these principles, but cannot help but feel frustrated when nothing happens that I want to happen. I am very careful about how I think now, being very aware of negative thoughts and stopping them and thinking positive thoughts instead, but after a while it is almost like being at war with yourself, like you are lying to yourself and then you feel worn out with the effort of it all, and there should be no real effort, it tells us that, it should be easy, now there are books coming out about what to do when the principles DON’T work, so more money for the people selling these books.
    See here:
    http://www.janinedalton.com/blog/
    archives/2006/cosmic-ordering-barbel-and-noel-make-success-sound-simple/
    This is someone’s blog about the Barbel Mohr book, it may be of interest to some of the people who have posted here.
    In case anyone thinks it is “selfish” to believe in these principles, I do send money to many charities, when I can afford it, though none that involve animal experiments, and usually to environmental groups, so ethical as well, I do my bit for the planet and respect the Universe, I just wish it could manifest for me, and yes, I AM truly grateful for anything I have in my life, I take nothing for granted, so the principles should work for me, it is so frustrating, and I often get very depressed, but fight it by being aware of my thinking, still waiting for the right results though!

  185. Julian Avatar
    Julian

    The australian speaker in the program has been shown to be a fraud

  186. Elle Avatar
    Elle

    I saw the movie and felt inspired. There’s nothing wrong with positive thinking and visualizing what you want.
    I’ve spent most of my life in a negative state of mind. Like my parents I worried about things constantly. I noticed that when I focus on my problems, it just gets worse and worse. Then I get to a point where I’m just so tired that nothing happens. After watching The Secret, I thought let’s give it a try! What’s the worst that can happen? So far, I do notice little things happening which is fine with me. The hardest part I find is maintaining that positive mindset when you’re surrounded by negativity, but what I’ve experienced so far when I think positively is encouraging me to stay the course.

  187. Brian Avatar
    Brian

    I’m amazed at how important it is for some people to debunk pretty much whatever is catching the attention of others.
    Such people invariably find some trivial aspect of the presentation that they can debunk, and they just “go at it,” thus believing that they are fortifying their position, which is often simply an ability to see from a different perspective.
    All such movies and books have their shortcomings, I found “The Secret” to be, well, downright annoying in the manner which it kept alluding to the secret nature of the secret.. and how it was “kept” from “us”. Using this technique is sure to draw some people “in” but I found it not only distracting, but irrelevant. What’s more, I doubt they have anything substantial to prove that this information is being withheld, if they had any idea how this had come about, it would have helped the movie if they’d included it.
    But something does not have to be hidden or withheld to be a secret. The secret to my cake is that I use some vanilla. The secret to this, the secret to that… we all use the phrase.
    That’s what The Secret really is. Simply put, it remains a secret simply because most of us are so “programmed” to respond to life in “the negative” that we cannot comprehend how to get that turned around.
    This secret is in each of us, and we each have to learn how to unlock it; we have to find a way to remove the barriers to the using it. And that really is the secret..
    I found the movie to be, well, not that great. It treats a deep subject in a superficial manner. But that doesn’t mean that the author did not learn the secret, it just means she didn’t do a perfect job of packaging the concept. Those who are off-put by the mistakes and use that as an excuse to ignore what whe is really saying simply don’t want to hear it.
    For the rest of us, don’t be put off by her mistakes. It’s all in finding the ability to visualize in a positive manner, something that most of us don’t know how to do? (How many of you see disaster all around us, every day? Iraq? Homeless? Failed government?) How many KNOW that these are simply “states” that are simply waiting for enough of us to wake up and realize it does not have to be this way?

  188. Mr bimbim Avatar
    Mr bimbim

    If you achieved all these highly legitimate sounding qualifications 30 years prior, then why were you in such a living hell for so long?
    Looks like your ‘master practioner’ diploma in NLP was a tad premature!
    keep your synthesized sob stories in your own mind please. No-one wants to hear them, and lady, anyone who comes onto a blog bragging about six figure incomes like you are, is generally lying!
    People like to hear their new-age mumbo-jumbo from youthful people. Sad but true my dear..

  189. Bible Searches For New Testament Avatar

    keyword…

    I don’t agree with you in 100%, but you covered some good points regarding this topic…

  190. Anon Avatar
    Anon

    Andy, Andy… You had a vision for what you wanted to do with Blogwild. You no doubt spent countless hours imagining it and working it out in your mind (as well as on paper–another manifesting technique), before releasing it to the world. Then you worked your “ass off” as you put it to see your vision become a reality. Congratulations! You’ve just used the Law of Attraction.
    “You get what you concentrate on.”
    –Seth

  191. Andy Wibbels Avatar

    I didn’t focus on ‘feeling’ that the goal was already attained. I did the work and built the credibility and achieved the goal. That is the opposite of The Secret.

  192. Susanne Avatar
    Susanne

    Let just say “Never judge a book by its cover”.
    We are all here arguing who’s right, who’s wrong…RIGHT! This is not about what is to be or not to be, so be it. I know if I feel awful and miserable, I have accident such as spilling food, doing something stupid etc.. but If I wake up feeling great and say to myself, I am going to have a wonderful day…. I had the best day of my life in which I can create this if I want to. I am the mastermind of power of how I want to create my life, nobody does it. It like walking into a room full of people and you are in a bad mood, what reaction do you get from these people, you get people been smart to you by saying “what the matter with you, oh you are a pain or you are so miserable and they less likely want to be around you because they don’t someone who is cranky around them because you were feeling in a bad mood.
    If you were to be feeling good in yourself, how would people response to you?
    You see, it like attract like, that is base on what this movie is about. How you send out your message to others how you want it to response back to you, much like a boomerang through it out and its come back to you bouncing of a signal that you send out like a radiation that vibrates through universe outer into inner world to you.
    Correct me, in the bible, if you take a look in Matthew chapter 7 verse 6 – 8, it said ” keep on asking, you shall receive”, keep on seeking, you shall find, keep on knocking, it will be opened to you.”
    I am no religious or anything of a kind just a curious person who believes positive outlook does makes a different how you live your life everyday!

  193. Susanne Avatar
    Susanne

    hey guys did you say”hard work”? you have just used a very negative thought that you believe that to manifest anything you have to do in life. If you break through this cycle of thinking, Stop the negative thoughts of something you don’t want.. all you need to do is concentrate on what you DO WANT. Using feelings, positive attitude to your life, it will improve. No it won’t take overnight to get that take in affect because what you strongly already believe – and to change it you have to change in how you see in your life and how you live it.
    It is like getting a routine, if you decide you want to get fit, you have to change the way in you do things to fit in the time for your fitness work out, eating healthier and working towards a positive approach in your life and not to give up, simply withdraw all thoughts from negative to a positive. Your thoughts follow what becomes of your feelings that affects in your life everyday.
    In another word this is exactly what it was said about using the law of attraction, already you are attracting to negative things around you and and believing that what the movie was somewhat useless because we already understand of what we know now, but to have to change something, it just takes time to adjust to a newer ways of doing things in your life. THAT IS ALL.

  194. fitness workouts Avatar

    fitness workouts…

    When you’re surfing for body weight training material and material, be certain to tap into every one of the resources available….

  195. RC Avatar
    RC

    The rosicrucians send their regards, May your thoughts bring you many blessings.
    LLL
    —,–‘–@

  196. iWlliam Avatar

    iWlliam…

    I was thinking the same thing…

  197. Frank Avatar

    Out of interests!
    This became profound in my own research to! How i came across you on this day and made a comment! I have only ever lived with one understanding! And if that is to be voiced.. as the secrets… Then i thought it was something all understood! Naturally said simply as living particles of this universe! Cosmos, as some call it! This is higher education that a lot will pay for! university’s.. only my opinion.. Not educated! and dyslexic I just smile! I know how its now used to make interests and money.. i have no gain in this.. its the opposite! Lived it!
    Thanks.. for the seeing from others… will revisit on my own interests.
    I will read this page fully another day! and could comment again to my point! Thanks again.
    Frank.

  198. kain Avatar
    kain

    abraham is no jew nor christian, he lived long before the jesus or david nor moses … he is the who define monotheism but he is nor jew or christian !!!!

  199. Tesla Avatar
    Tesla

    The only thing those guys want is to sell their motivational bullshit videos. It’s too good to be true…Be positive and you’ll ‘attract’ money, success, etc…Come on! life doesn’t work like that. Success and happiness is all about work, luck, and love. Don’t be fooled or else the only successful guys will be those that sell motivational videos…and poor people pay again one more time for hope…

  200. Distance Learning Colleges Deck Plans Avatar

    Distance Learning Colleges Deck Plans…

    I didn’t agree with you first, but last paragraph makes sense for me…

  201. Rodrigo Avatar

    That`s right, the movie suck, i`ll watching rigth now.
    I`m thinking, people belive that?
    I`m a beliver of God and stuff, but I think, if you put “God” instead of “universe”, that`s wat god want for us, but this movie is fill whith supercialism, commercialism, consumism, that`s the thing god don`t want for us, even the universe.
    Feel good, or, act for good things, is not the universe, i`t`st what we want, so… what I care about the universe and twhots I`ll make. I`m very disturbed about this film, I`m concened if exist people who belive this shit, in other words I`ll prefered “if you di good thing you get good thing, if you do bad, you`ll get bad things” – KARMA – Earl form “my name is Earl”.
    It is the pagan profecy that all non belivers feel.
    So, I`m speeking in a forange language, I`ll apologies for that, my englis is not very well, but I think this movie is recluiting for a sect, who want to everione consume shit and be gratefull for that.
    I`m not very a chistian if I not telling this to you, when I tell to you this then I can go home.
    “love every one as you love yourself” this is the rule of universe and God, respect every thing, fight for your rigths, and figth for the rigts of the others, that is the way to live, I`m very short of words, I`m very short of thoughts, that`s the way for not expresse myself right, but if the movie show you the way, imagine what way you`ll way be if you belive in god, it`s more powerfull that universe, it`s creator of that.
    I`m not predicate, i`m repelling that awfull movie, wacth the movie will became you a zombie.
    Thank all, sorry my english and my falult to express myself.
    Bye Bye.
    GOD BLESS AMERICA.
    It`s better burn to fade away. KDC.

  202. becky Avatar

    I hear there is a new movie called The Compass that has teachers from The Secret and The Opus. I found it at http://www.thecompass.tv
    Does anyone know anything. I looks pretty cool. Cannot wait!

  203. robyn Avatar
    robyn

    I am sad for all of you that miss any message that is given just because of its delivery method,i see that you jump on a band wagon and cant hold one person thought of your own,each to their own when it comes to the experience of the life we have!it is people thinking too much that dont get to see through the eyes of a child the wonder of a blade of grass.I dont believe the secret gives you a secret but i would rather a world of people trying to be happy then sad.My own children I would much rather have watching the secret then war time re runs.learne from our mistakes and create a better future .Anything that does not help the community on a whole is not what someone with the right idea comes from.watch you can heal your life by loiuse hays be inspired to good ,and see what the secret was missing,i could say more but i wont at this time,as i have never posted anything in my life,you choose what is right for you no one else love rules robyn

  204. nessa Avatar
    nessa

    honestly, i didn’t like The Secret that much because it gives u confidence..so much that you forget the World and u think that by applying this everything would be *Perfect*.
    well let me say this there is no such thing as in perfection and the book is fine but does not apply in the real world i mean people honestly don’t think to much about this stupid idea about this law of attraction there is no such thing , i have a better advice that can help u more that a book with so many pages and ideas Live Your Life As If Everyday Is The Last. Don’t think too much go with the flow do your job perfectly be nice to everyone and am sure you’ll walk out a winner.
    So that’s pretty much everything i loved the book but again it’s too much and too Not Real.
    Keep it simple and don’t try to find a solution for everything because as you know ignorance is bliss so cherish it!.
    kisses.

  205. john spencer ellis Avatar

    Hi
    Yoga Master Erich Schiffmann is starring in a new movie called “The Compass”. It also has many cast members from “The Secret”. The new movie (and book) is called “The Compass”.
    The Compass will pick up where The Secret left off. Prepare to be thrilled. http://www.thecompass.tv
    Cast members include Erich Schiffmann, John Spencer Ellis, John Demartini, Bruce Lipton, Joe Vitale, John Assaraf, Marie Diamond, Brian Tracy, Les Brown,and so many more. The story is incredible.
    There is also a book which is sure to become a best seller.
    Check it out.
    http://www.thecompass.tv

  206. Pete Koerner Avatar

    If anything, The Secret is a marketing phenomenon — but not really a secret. “As a man thinketh, so it is done to him” is only a secret to people with absolutely no religious or spiritual training. But, oftentimes, people with no religious or spiritual training simply intuit this most innate human skill — think positively and focus on what you want…
    When the religious people start screaming about this being the work of the devil, etc, they are simply forgetting that all religions teach this concept in a variety of ways (what do you think prayer is if not thought?)… The religious keys — which work just as well as any — are simply these: Judge not, Fear not, Be of Good cheer, and As you think and believe, so will you experience…
    Arguments and criticism from the various religions only serve to highlight the difference between trying to be a “Good Christian,” and trying to live a “Christ-like” life of love, acceptance, and non-judgment.
    Anyone can create anything they choose; All things are indeed possible. We say, “Unfortunately, The Secret focuses on money, etc…” but The Secret didn’t make Western Society focus on money. The West has always focused on money; and, if you want to get them to read anything, it must either distract them from their suffering, or promise them riches — these seem to be the only motivations Westerners respond to.
    But, there is always a percentage of people who use their thoughts for good, and a much larger percentage who spend their mental energy in less productive, more self-serving, pursuits. Again, this isn’t the fault of The Secret; it is simply an observation that was capitalized on by those who marketed this material in this format.
    Having said that, for whatever reasons, The Secret did get a heck of a lot of people thinking about the kinds of thoughts they’ve been thinking; and that’s not really a bad thing. Action without thought often leads to mistakes and suffering. Look before you leap, and think before you act, are old axioms that highlight this point.
    As for me, I do my best to stay happy, healthy, and to help others where I can without “trespassing” in their experience; and, as a result, I find the things I think about unfold very rapidly — sometimes by my own efforts, and sometimes “miraculously.” But, even the “miracles” can be accounted for with a deeper understanding of the concepts that were only touched upon by The Secret. As St. Augustine said, “Miracles are simply nature that is not yet understood.”
    There is never a benefit — Mentally, Physically, Emotionally, Spiritually, or otherwise — to thinking negatively. And, we may have EVERYTHING to gain by thinking positively — health, happiness, and harmony in our life and relationships.
    Great article, great discussion, and great comments… none of which would be here if not for The Secret.

  207. Jose Avatar

    The secret is the biggest load of cuck ever. It doesn’t work. All about money making for the producers of the movie and the author of the book. Anybody clever enough will realize this.

  208. Sweet Ridez Avatar

    The secret is rubbish. Do not waste your money.

  209. Sweet Ridez Avatar

    The secret is rubbish. Do not waste your money. What is you want to date Paris Hilton that badly or marry her and 1000 other people want to do it. And you have all watched the Secret?

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