The Law of Attraction & the Power of Energy

I am wondering about the law of attraction, based on the movie and book, The Secret, and also about the power of energy fields and energy in general.

What I am wondering is how close to the truth this theory resides? Some here may refute it, & others may believe in it.

So, is it true that we can attract all that we want in life based on the energy we put out into the universe? Is it true that if we put out negative energy, we will attract more negative things into our lives and vice versa?

I had the law of attraction work at least once and maybe twice in my life for me. It worked to my great benefit. The first time, I had a plan to move out west and live a life out west for a year or more. I had some ideas of where I wanted to go and what I wanted to be doing, & my desire was strong. Well, I ended up attracting all the right people and circumstances that made my travels smooth and easy. It all worked out for me, and I still marvel today at how everything magically fell into place, one piece and one location at a time.

Another time, I wanted to increase my salary by double the amount. After months of no luck, I figured out the specific skills I wanted to use. Again, my desire was very strong. So I sought jobs that matched exactly my skill set. Within a month's time of setting that goal, I found a role that matched my skill set to a T. It was double my salary. Well, I went into the interview process with the utmost confidence and with a strong desire to land that job. I was offered the position. I had been wanting to double my salary for months, but within one month of deciding which skills I wanted to use, I found the exact right job. It was like divine perfection and clockwork that it all fell into place.

Now I say this is the law of attraction at work, or perhaps it was just dumb luck, or perhaps it was divine. I really do not know exactly, but I feel like it was the law of attraction working in my favor.

So I wonder who else believes in this theory and has had it work either for or against them?

I wonder if this theory really is true??? That we have energy fields and that that energy is so powerful, it has the ability to attract "like" energies to us?

I wonder!!!

It may be partly true. The key here is that you must ACTIVELY work on your desire.
For example when you mention you got the right job, you also mentioned you did something to find it. You didn't just sit at home looking at your vision board with pictures of happy people. So in this case, the reason you got the job was that because you wanted it, you did something practical in order to succeed. They chose you because you seemed confident, it was your behaviour that persuaded them.

The danger with the theory of Secret is that it makes you believe you can get whatever you want. What is especially dangerous is the notion that some people deserve to be unhappy because they are weak or bad. And that if they just think positively, they can heal from cancer, meet their soulmate and live on Hawaii without having to work. We know this isn't true.
It also puts feelings of shame and guilt on people who struggle in life, because it puts all blame on their thought patterns.

The real truth is, that life contains both ups and downs. We can't always be happy, we need to learn from our mistakes and many bad things happen that we can't control.
This "attraction theory" is in principle exactly the same as belief in prayer. Only instead of praying to God you imagine nice pictures and believe in abstract "Energy".

Self-help guru convicted in sweat lodge deaths - US news - Crime & courts | NBC News

Here’s his real “secret”!

Thanks. Yes, I believe the Law of Attraction says you must take action in addition to your thoughts. There is nothing in the law of attraction that says you must be passive or simply think positive thoughts and good things will come to you. It's also actions taken in the direction of your desires that moves energy, according to LAO.

Also, I don't think the LAO proposes that people deserve to be unhappy because they are weak or bad. The LAO proposes that if you think and believe negative things, and if you act in negative ways, you will attract negative things. It's based on the theory of energetic fields, or that we "vibrate" at a certain level. Happy thoughts and feelings and feelings of gratitude (they propose) are the higher vibration energies that attract positive events, people and circumstances. Negative thoughts and negative feelings are lower vibration energies that will attract similar lower vibration energies. This is what the theory proposes.

It also proposes that it is the prolonged nature of certain thoughts and feeling that bring results. So if you focus for a long time on a desired positive outcome, the likelihood of it materializing is far higher.

Conversely, it's similar to saying that we fulfill our own prophesies. A self fulfilling prophesy in a negative direction -- what is that based on exactly? This seems to relate to and correspond with the LOA.

Just some additional thoughts based on what you wrote.

That's deplorable! But what does this have to do with the Law of Attraction, energy fields or attracting things to you on a spiritual plane/level? Seems he was a hoax promising wealth through sweat lodges and spiritual healing...

The author of The Secret was a horrid, negligent, money-grubbing charlatan. That blows the doors off his whole theory for me!

This man appeared in the "The Secret" documentary film, but is not the author. Rhonda Byrne is the author.

Oh, thank you for clarifying that.

Although, since he appeared in the film, what does that say about the legitimacy or integrity of the film in general? Hmmm. That charlatan aside, I still wonder about the legitimacy of the LOA overall.

And I just read he was released from prison and is practicing motivational self help once again! Is there no justice!

My goodness! NO KIDDING.

I think just like there are bad people in any religion, there are bad people associated with LOA because there are humans associated with it. It doesn’t mean that the specific religion, or in this case, LOA is inherently bad. It’s just...positive thinking, essentially. I’m not going to stop thinking positively about my goals, writing about them, working to achieve them, and maybe making a vision board or two just because some guy malignantly overstepped his boundaries.

I agree with you. I think there's something to be said about creating vision boards. They help you to work towards goals and dreams consistently and to not give up. I think they can be very powerful... seeing images of your dream keeps it alive and exciting.

I think that’s the thought behind Pinterest.

I don’t usually do vision boards anymore, but I used to quite a bit back when getting magazines in the mail was popular.

It’s good to be a goal-oriented person. I have never had dreams, plans, goals that I allowed myself to set for myself. When I met my husband, he asked me if I would like to “come along for the ride”... HIS ride, his life’s goals and dreams...and that’s what I did.

hehe. Yes indeed.

I have a whole vision journal in fact, when I followed LOA and truly believed it could help me. I would love to look back at it now.... of course, hugs sums of money were a part of my vision journal, lol. Did I ever get hugs amounts of money? NO.

As long as that road worked for you, that's what matters most. But if it didn't work out well, I think it's good to have your own goals and dreams too and in general.

When I was in my early 20s I had a whole binder for my ideal wedding. I even had written down in it the qualities I wanted in a partner. I was going to a charismatic church, and they used to talk about writing to your future partner, so I did that.

I'll be 40 in like, two weeks and I've never been married. Not even dating as of a couple of weeks ago.

Totally realize marriage isn't about the wedding, and that's not how you get married...but I was a young, silly girl.

I wanted to be an actresses since I was three and performed to my parents’ record albums. I acted through school and was accepted to a top university for theatre as major. Then I suddenly lost interest in it. I just didn’t take to the new drama department, even though I was already getting parts, even as a freshman. I got a boyfriend and just would rather be with him than working 16 hour days at the theatre. Also, my mother discouraged me going to New York to try to break in to show biz. I had no idea what I was doing as far as how to develop that career.

After that, I simply took whatever path was before me that looked like a good option, an easy path.

I was happy to marry a nice, successful guy and have children in the suburbs. But, the reality of my personal situation did not make me happy, my marriage made me miserable.

I still don’t have any goals and dreams.

What’s your dream? Maybe I’ll do that, lol.

We all do silly things when we're young! Lord knows I've done plenty myself, lol.