What is The Secret Behind ‘The Secret’?
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Once the province of the Personal Development niche, manifesting and the ‘Law of Attraction’ are now being heavily promoted by mainstream internet marketers as a sort of ‘magic formula’ that can quite literally allow anyone to have whatever they want, with no physical effort. But is the idea of ‘manifesting’ really anything more than a cynical marketer’s dream?
Deliberate (or Conscious) ‘Manifesting' means bringing into your life specific objects, circumstances or outcomes using our natural powers to influence the world around us through our thoughts (often referred to as the 'Law of Attraction').
Many people have discovered for themselves that this ability is real, but this does not (at least for us ordinary mortals) mean that objects can be conjured from thin air by some kind of mysterious ‘quantum’ or ‘holographic’ process, just that we have some power to bring about ‘serendipitous’ events which conspire to bring what we want into our lives. This creative process appears to be limited to what we ourselves regard as possible (this can be changed of course), and it is also subject to the expectations of those around us, particularly others we live with. In other words, the 'reality' we create seems to be a group effort, with others influencing our own experience to a degree dependent on their closeness to us, and on their own beliefs.
Whatever powers we are using to make these things happen depend to a large extent on influencing the actions and decisions of other people, rather than directly influencing physical reality (although this, too, is definitely possible). These actions and decisions by others then have effects on our own lives which bring us (to one degree or another) what we are aiming for. This means that we must provide both the clear goals and the background of communication with others that will allow ‘serendipitous’ events to take place - in other words we must be fully engaged with life and the opportunities that may arise, for the 'law of attraction' to take effect.
Many people have discovered for themselves that this ability is real, but this does not (at least for us ordinary mortals) mean that objects can be conjured from thin air by some kind of mysterious ‘quantum’ or ‘holographic’ process, just that we have some power to bring about ‘serendipitous’ events which conspire to bring what we want into our lives. This creative process appears to be limited to what we ourselves regard as possible (this can be changed of course), and it is also subject to the expectations of those around us, particularly others we live with. In other words, the 'reality' we create seems to be a group effort, with others influencing our own experience to a degree dependent on their closeness to us, and on their own beliefs.
Whatever powers we are using to make these things happen depend to a large extent on influencing the actions and decisions of other people, rather than directly influencing physical reality (although this, too, is definitely possible). These actions and decisions by others then have effects on our own lives which bring us (to one degree or another) what we are aiming for. This means that we must provide both the clear goals and the background of communication with others that will allow ‘serendipitous’ events to take place - in other words we must be fully engaged with life and the opportunities that may arise, for the 'law of attraction' to take effect.
The ‘rational’ view
Our Western cultural tradition insists on 'logical' thought - that all outcomes are determined by causes, either deliberately bought about or resulting from random ('accidental') events. A cause gives rise to an effect, which in turn becomes the cause of further effects, and so on ad infinitum. People raised in this culture therefore unquestioningly assume that it is what we do, and the people and conditions that surround us (our 'circumstances') that will determine how our lives play out, and that this in turn directs the kinds of thought we have.
For example, very large numbers of people find that they tend to run out of money before they have run out of month - in other words they constantly spend a little more more than they make and so accumulate debt. They then spend a great deal of time worrying about the future, blaming others, lamenting their lack of options, and generally dwelling on this lack of money. When the money runs out again (probably sooner than last month because extra debt has to be paid for) they repeat the thought patterns once more, perhaps even more strongly.
Western logic says that this simply is how things are, and that our thoughts are irrelevant unless they lead to actions that will directly result in change. In this case such a thought might be making a decision to start a sideline business that will increase overall income, and then taking the appropriate new actions. Analysis - decision - action, with action being the only factor directly affecting outcomes. For many of us bought up in our logical 'scientific' world this seems to be the only reasonable way to go about things - we are simply unable to entertain or even comprehend any alternative. The scientific idea of a completely materialistic 'causal' universe is therefore generally accepted as enough to explain our reality, and any experience or information that does not seem to fit this simple model is simply ignored or rationalised away.
The ‘holistic’ view
However, not everyone accepts this reductionist view of reality. After all, our hard-won scientific knowledge does indeed confirm that the chair you are sitting on - your computer - your body, in fact everything you experience as physical reality is in fact just energy that has condensed into a relatively stable form. 99.9999% of any apparently solid object consists of vacuum permeated by various force fields. Yet your senses insist that your environment is ‘real’ - something that is patently not the case.
And beyond that is the world of quantum physics - the science of the unbelievably weird sub-atomic world where the same ‘object’ can be both an electromagnetic wave and a physical particle at the same time, where a particle can be in two places at once or flicker in and out of existence, or can instantaneously affect another particle light years away, and where the mere attention or intention of an observer, or even the presence or absence of a sensing device, can affect the outcome of an experiment.
The 'Law of Attraction' reflects a more complex ‘holistic’ view of reality. In this world view, the universe is not just the potentially understandable mechanism we have tried to reduce it to, but an infinitely more complex multi-layered environment.
Everything we experience and interpret as 'real' is in effect just a complex internal representation of a tiny part of objective reality - a simplified map or model that is limited by the workings of our brains and the way our senses feed information to it. When you think about it, it cannot be anything else. The brain, locked in the darkness of the skull, cannot experience external reality directly. From the embryonic stage, all input to the brain is in the form of electrical signals from the senses, so the brain must construct its internal ‘model’ of external reality by interpreting just these inputs.
And as such, this map or model is subject to changes of perception as our interpretation of the information available to us changes. And this in turn will give rise to automatic 'updates' of this internal representation which will result in 'non-causal' change (reality shifts).
In this paradigm there is still subjective causality, but this is modified by (or according to some, completely directed by) our predominant thought patterns. If this is the case, then our thoughts are a part of a 'feedback loop' that tends to lock us into particular patterns in our lives that in turn reflects our current inner model of reality. In the example above for instance, the constant dwelling on financial problems will bias us toward 'attracting' more of the circumstances that give rise to lack, limitation and fear, and away from those that could instead bring abundance, freedom and joy.
The central implication of this idea is therefore quite simple: if we wish to alter our individual circumstances, we must first alter our perceptions. Only by consistently thinking in a new way that no longer reflects (and so reinforces) our current reality, can we can bring about changes in our lives. Be - do - have. For example, in the previous example of 'poverty consciousness', if someone in this situation begins to deliberately think of themselves as wealthy, despite their 'actual' circumstances at that moment, then according to the Law of Attraction, then our circumstances will immediately begin to shift in order to bring themselves into 'alignment' (or congruity) with the new self-view and internal model.
How ‘manifestation’ works
When we envisage ourselves in a situation different from the one we are actually in, complete with emotions of gratitude for living in this new way now, we are not lying to ourselves. The purpose is to deliberately set up an incongruity that will be the force that brings about the changes we want. In effect we are using our perceived ‘reality’ of now as a marker on a spectrum of possibilities, and placing our desired outcome in a different place as a second marker. The ‘universe’ (or your subconscious mind) will then find a way to close this gap to remove the tension generated. Either you will stop ‘envisioning’ for one reason or another, or t changes will occur such that the situation or things you envision in your life become your everyday reality by some means.
Depending on us and our thoughts, the process can be slow and unpredictable (from our point of view), or quick and almost miraculous. ‘Almost’ because the outcome, no matter how fast and spectacular, is always just this side of truly miraculous - always capable of some ‘rational explanation’ no matter how stretched this may be. Why this is so is simply not known by anyone (regardless of what they may think they know) - that’s just how it is.
Too good to be true?
Now, these ideas may all seem more than a little 'woo woo' to you - the self-deceiving concoction of a few West Coast 'new age' fantasists with the leisure and hardship-free lives that allow them to dream up a loving universe that 'wants' them to have everything they desire. And there are also other problems with this idea in our 'logical' view of such things.
For a start it conflicts with our deeply instilled work ethic - the idea that we might be able to get the things we want simply by 'changing our minds' quite literally seems too good to be true. And even if it were all true, it may seem somehow ‘wrong’ to have and enjoy things we haven’t worked hard for.
And there is the faith element - as a part of the process we are asked to pretend to believe things about ourselves and our circumstances that patently are not ‘true’; to believe we are wealthy when we can't make our credit card payment, to believe we are in a loving relationship when we sit alone in a bachelor pad, to believe that we drive a BMW sports car when we know our 10-year-old rustbucket is parked outside. And if we do manage to 'believe' in these things and yet nothing appears to change, we are told that this is because we cancelled our new beliefs with negative thoughts - a seemingly inescapable 'Catch 22' logic trap.
So in many ways it is much easier to accept the 'logical' view of the world - a harsh competitive reality of lack and restricted resources in which we are completely subject to chance and uncertainty, and where our only chance of fulfilment lies in hard work and enterprise - if we are not dragged down by 'bad luck'.
But what if those apparently rational people who say the Law of Attraction is real, and works for them, are telling the simple truth? What if just for a moment we allow ourselves to entertain the possibility that there may be 'something in it'? Do you not owe yourself at least the chance to find out the facts for yourself before you resign yourself to the ‘daily grind’ and a future of limitation and lack for the rest of your life? The ‘investment’ of time and energy required is really quite modest -- and the stakes are VERY high.
If the Law of Attraction is hokum, you will have lost a little time and perhaps a little money exploring.
But if it is true.....
Peter Roe, www.MindWaves.co.uk
© 2008 Peter Roe, MindWaves. The MindWaves web site at http://www.mindwaves.co.uk is dedicated to bringing you a wealth of free information on personal change and the very latest product developments. Learn more about manifestation and the tools to make the law of attraction work for you at http://www.mindwaves.co.uk/mindtools.htm. You may reprint this article in your ezine or at your web site provided no changes are made to the text, and this resource box is included in full.
Manifesting - Woo Woo or What?
by Peter Roe, MindWaves
by Peter Roe, MindWaves
Read more about the subject of manifestation in our ‘Mind Tools’ section, HERE
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