LOA is not a law - two examples

I have been involved in a discussion on a forum and learned that critics like me don’t provide examples when we try to debunk The Secret and the Law of Attraction.

That is news to me, but just to make this person happy I posted the following for his consideration:

Example 1:

Verbal Exposure Therapy in which patients are instructed to repeat their worst fears to themselves hundreds and hundreds of times in order to desensitize themselves to their fears. Does focusing on what they “don’t want” cause it to come true? No. It often causes them to get well which is what they *did* want.

Here’s a link about a recent news story that discussed this type of therapy:

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=2893713&page=1

Example 2:

Here are a couple of excerpts from page 17 of the book Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert, Harvard College Professor of Psychology:

“...thinking about the future can be so pleasurable that sometimes we’d rather think about it than get there.”

He continues a bit later…

“For instance, volunteers in one study were asked to imagine themselves requesting a date with a person on whom they had a major crush, and those who had had the most elaborate and delicious fantasies about approaching their heartthrob were *least* likely to do so over the next few months.”

Of course, these two examples do not prove The Secret does not work for some people some of the time. But they do provide evidence that The Secret is not the *universal law* it is being portrayed to be.

Some people just seem to be “wired” differently than others. And to tell these people to avoid thinking about what they don’t want and only focus on what they do want is ineffective at best and harmful at worst. See the book White Bears and Other Unwanted Thoughts: Suppression, Obsession, and the Psychology of Mental Control by Daniel M. Wegner for more details.

Posted on Monday, February 26, 2007 at 08:12 AM

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(6) Reader Comments about LOA is not a law - two examples

Citizen Deux says...

The “LoA” works pretty well, most of the time. However, the present gurus are missing about 50% of the equation. Having the positive thoughts will undoubtedly focus your mind, but taking action will yield the results!

This is much the same as the “melt away pounds overnight” or “Jesus cured my impetigo”. It’s a bucket of false promises and anecdotal, non-causal evidence.

*Sigh*

Barnum was right.

Posted on 02/26/2007 at 10:25 AM

Blair Warren says...

Hi Citizen Deux,

I agree with you. The message behind the LOA (I can’t bring myself to actually refer to it as a “law") does work pretty well. I wouldn’t say most of the time, but certainly it is nothing to scoff at.

But that doesn’t mean it is a foregone conclusion you will get what you want “or something better” as some gurus claim.

Plus, as you pointed out, it requires action to yield anything.

Though some gurus are now backtracking a bit and stressing the action part, it is a shame they didn’t do that in the movie or in their materials before all this backlash occurred.

Thanks for stopping by my site and taking the time to comment!

Posted on 02/26/2007 at 10:39 AM

Joe says...

Positive thinking doesn’t always work, but negative thinking seldom works.

When you’re feeling like a piece of dog crap, people can smell you a galaxy away and want nothing to do with you.
(The opposite of attraction, you actually become repulsive)

Similar concept: Whenever you have money, everyone wants to be your friend. Whenever the money disappears you discover who your true friends are.

Why? Well, some people are just greedy, AND, when you lose your money, most people have a negative energy shift, and they DO feel like dog crap, which repels people. (Been there, done that)

Combine the following 2 concepts, and they seem to work well for me (trust me, it took a long time to understand this).

1) Difference between successful people and everyone else: We all feel frustrated, worried, crappy, uncertain, blah, blah, blah at times. Despite all that, successful people keep moving DESPITE not feeling good. Everyone else stalls out.

2) If you’re feeling good, the obstacles, frustrations, worries, blah, blah, blah, FEEL more like speed bumps, instead of like mountains. A simple perceptual “shift” puts you more in alignment with receiving.

Linguistically, feel the difference between, “It’s impossible”, or “I can’t”, versus “Up until now, I haven’t found a way.”

One of my motto’s is “Rapid Results Publicity...Where The Impossible Take a little bit longer.”

Most people try one thing, it doesn’t work the first time, they get emotionally frustrated, and shut down.

You can quote me on this:

“There is a psychedelic, kaleidescopic, cornucopia of solutions to your problem. Have you tried more than one?”
Joe Nicassio

Have clear intention. Feel Good, Keep moving, Adjust along the way.

Posted on 02/26/2007 at 12:52 PM

Blair Warren says...

Hi Joe,

I agree with much of what you say but I know firsthand that negative thinking can work for some people. Me, for instance.

I am convinced we are all wired a bit differently, some *much* differently than others and thus, respond to positive and negative thinking differently.

Though I am finding ways to thrive and be very productive as a predominantly “negative” thinker, I would never think to suggest that it be the norm for others.

However, many proponents of positive thinking do just that - they claim that positive thinking is the key to success for everyone.

I am not saying this applies to you; I am just saying that some people tend to do this.

Three great books on the power of negative thinking are:

The Positive Power of Negative Thinking by Julie Norem

Breaking Murphy’s Law by Suzanne Segerstrom

And The Joy of Negative Thinking by Donald Smith.

Again, I am not suggesting anyone intentionally try to adopt a negative mindset, but if trying to force yourself to think positive doesn’t work, trying to capitalize on your current style of thinking just might.

Posted on 02/26/2007 at 01:09 PM

Blair Warren says...

Joe...I just remembered that my latest article is about this very subject.

Here’s the url in case you’re interested:

http://blairwarren.com/blog/article_item/think_like_i_do/

Posted on 02/26/2007 at 01:11 PM

Alfred A Delfino says...

C’mon people let’s face it, the guru’s (only in there own limited reality of course)from the secret had to hold back part of the equation. How else could they come out with “the secret 2” and the “super deluxe secret” and then the “final secret” and of course the follow ups “beyond the secret” and then on to “the collected secrets”. Of course it didn’t work for you the first time you need to send me more money for the updated version so I can show you how it works so well for me. And If that still doesn’t convince you, send me more money and I’ll send you even more material.

Posted on 02/26/2007 at 02:54 PM