The very known movie “The Secret”, which stirred big waves across the world and in the US in particular, will have a sequel soon. Apparently, the movie will continue where “The Secret” left off and focus on an action plan. It is about half way shot already and is planned to be released in November this year. It will have a similar cast. Following is my review of the original “The Secret” movie and my thoughts about its concepts.
I’ve seen “The Secret” movie a long time ago, before it hit the US strong through Oprah’s show. I’ve watched it with several friends and I liked it. Although basically the idea (Law of Attraction) was not new to me as I’ve heard it through various sources, beginning with Brian Tracy’s motivational books through many current spiritual coaches, I still found the movie well produced and the visualizations of the process are effective, in my opinion.
Law of Attraction, as it is presented in the movie, is also called “manifestation” in modern literature and it promotes the idea that our life flows in the direction of our energized thoughts, i.e. one’s desires, reinforced through visualization and other manifestation techniques help create the reality which realizes (manifests) this original desire or goal. Creative visualization, Jose Silva’s Method and many similar techniques were developed years earlier than this movie to achieve the same goal.
The movie, though, also presents the Law of Attraction in its “negative form”, when our negative thoughts “attract” negative events in our life. Although I find it hard to attribute every negative or positive event to the Law of Attraction, I think that basically this works. Even if the mechanism of this work is not “paranormal” in any way, I believe that focusing your mind on your goals activates the brain so that it builds the plan and pays attention to the opportunities that come across the way and may help achieve the goals. It is possible that if one wouldn’t do these visualizations which focus the brain on the target, one wouldn’t have recognized the opportunity coming his way. It also makes one more optimistic and able, while being pessimistic (thinking about bad things that might happen) will not allow you to progress in the desired direction.
Of course, many people who stick to manifestation tell about amazing coincidences happening in their life after they actively engage in this process, like you can read in my story at Belief and money manifestation and I’m not sure if all of them can be attributed to simple focused awareness, as many of these things seem to be externally driven.
I didn’t like the commercial side of the movie, though. There’s no pitching of products inside the movie, except the publicity that the cast got, but after the appearances on Oprah, the amount of press releases of people and organizations trying to piggy back on its success was enormous. Starting with people who write books against the movie, through books, sites and audio programs trying to explain one how to use the Law of Attraction and finishing with the most prominent cast members of “The Secret” selling expensive programs and trying to lure people to market these programs for affiliate fee as a form of business. All this makes me feel a little uneasy.
Have you seen the movie? What do you think of all the rush around it? What do you think of the Law of Attraction or manifestation? Post in comments below.
*Self* Attunement For Reiki And Other Energy Healing Practices
I hope the follow-up DVD doesn't focus as much on attracting material things, because you are right, that just undermines the movie's credibility IMHO.
My experience has been the more I focus on understanding myself, and facing my past emotional traumas, then through my intention, I'm often brought experiences which help me heal. That to me is the beauty of the Law of Attraction. Not to be a magnet to "stuff," but to be a magnet to insights and a deeper understanding of human consciousness.
Come on you new age bone heads. Get your head out of your nether regions and grow up.
By the way, why do you impersonate different people (Douglas, Ray, Samantha?)
I'm glad you liked my post. Thank you.
And we all know what practice leads to.
If you practice complaining, coming up with excuses and blame, you get a different outcome than if you make focusing on a desire, and taking the necessary steps towards it your practice.
None of this is magic though. Magical maybe, but not magic.
The subject of this film is how to take your vision and turn into to a workable plan and then ultimately performance. the film is scheduled for a release date in 2008. here's the website www.TheOpusMovie.com I have to confess that I was quite inspired by my time in this filming session. Some very incredible insights by each of the speakers. I was very impressed especially with Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen who shared storied of how they overcame some significant obstacles in creating the Chicken Soup empire.
"I can’t tell you how many people see me in The Secret and tell me “I’m sitting in my living room visualizing my new life every day.” Let me let you in on another secret… you sit around and visualize and they’ll come take your furniture away! While this person may be able to think and feel their visualization in spades they’re not taking any action. It’s not going to happen."
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2007/02/james-ray-interview/
http://www.missingsecret.info/
Lot's more things on the web - just do a search on google with the names of the speakers.
But the movie DID say all you had to do was think...and it will manifest. Ack.
It'll take different action to get the results out of your mind and into real life.
The mind is a good place to start though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YZBsSBahWM
Mostly I think it is great that they are promoting positive thinking. Watching the news / current affairs and other shows, it is too easy to start thinking and talking negativity. However by doing this, you are sacrificing your happiness. Negative thinking can destroy your dreams and goals, so anything that helps promote positive thinking is good in my books.
And of course, in Zen, the idea is that it is the "attachments" to our thoughts that causes suffering.
So, I am torn. I do believe that thinking that you "can do" is a much better and healthier way to live than thinking "you can't." But I do think that The Secret and all the experts are guilty of false, advertising and really cheesy used-car salesman style marketing techniques, as well as misleading information and false statements. I don't think that should be ignored. Ever. By anyone.
I wrote a follow-up article on my blog after seeing a Youtube video on how to be a cult leader, and there were some similarities that troubled me. It's below if you are interested.
http://www.theunstitution.com/phooey/47/how-to-be-a-cult-leader/
Positive thinking and taking action can and will create results, but at the same time there are many thoughts and events that we have already recorded that keep playing within our subconscious mind that can actually sabotage the actions that we take and limit us from achieving the success that we desire out of life.
So if we can address root cause issues that have created what are now our subconscious belief systems, then we are then able to clear the old thought patterns of the subconscious and begin to create the positive thought patterns that will project us to the success in our life that we desire without the sabotage. That's freedom!
http://www.freedomwithpurpose.com/Events/opus_movie.htm
www.cyrescafe.net/blog/movies/douglas-vermeeren-creator-of-the-opus/
Does anyone know anything. I looks pretty cool. Cannot wait!