Why the Law of Attraction fails to be Universal

[Hervé]

To those who tried and were less than impressed by the results:

Why the Law of Attraction fails

Apr3, 2014 by Jon Rappoport

www.nomorefakenews.com


The law is stated in two ways.

First, positive thoughts attract positive results in life, and negative thoughts attract negative results. This is mainly a descriptive overview. It doesn’t apply to people who consciously do something to change their own thoughts. It’s a “philosophic” basis for understanding why people get what they get in life.

Therefore, one assumes, if a hundred thousand people are dying of thirst during a drought, they brought that on by thinking a whole lot of negative thoughts.

People who advocate the law of attraction tend to dislike such examples. They sometimes hedge their bets by asserting that external events (e.g., a drought) are quite real and they never claimed otherwise.

This produces a blurry line between events that “just happen” independent of what people are thinking, and events which are the result of negative or positive thoughts.

The second version of the law emphasizes that people, by changing the nature of their own thoughts, automatically affect what they get in life.

Certainly, this isn’t achieved by a person entering his own mind like a surgeon with a scalpel, pruning away the negative. The interior landscape is far too large, the flows of thought are too mercurial, and quite often, what seems like a successful surgery later turns out to be a dud: the old excised thoughts return.

A frontal attack on thought is like trying to wipe out air.

But there are meditations and repetitive affirmations. Many advocates of the law recommend them. Focus on thinking about what you truly want. Clarify such thoughts. Repeat them to yourself over and over. Affirm them. Or concentrate on an object of desire.

Doing this in a dispassionate way hardly calls up very much energy. It’s about as effective as trying to move forward in an active ocean while sitting in a paper boat and paddling with a soup spoon.

What, though, happens if you really believe you can get what you want by thinking positively about it over and over, or by focusing on it?

In that case, the driving engine is that belief.

And this is a whole other territory. Suppose you ardently believe that by visualizing a purple rose sitting on a boiled egg, you will become rich? Suppose you believe that a pink bulldog dropping down from the sky holding the string of a large balloon will give you a new house?

The purple rose and the boiled egg and pink bulldog aren’t the vital components. What’s vital is the underlying belief.

If someone tells you that you can change your thoughts from negative to positive, and that by doing this you’ll get what you want…and you believe this is true…then your practice of visualization or affirmations is less than it seems. It’s running on, and powered by, Belief.

Is belief enough? Will it carry the freight?

There is no blanket conclusion possible. It all depends on who is believing and how they are believing and with what power they are believing, and with what conviction, and with what passion, and with what “belief in their belief.”

I have seen, and you have, too, I’m sure, people who achieve remarkable things based on what they believe.

And it doesn’t matter whether they are engaged in “changing their thoughts from negative to positive.” The law of attraction itself is irrelevant.

Furthermore, people who hold very strong beliefs act on them. They don’t sit in a room and power up that belief-engine and wait for something to happen. They aren’t involved in some “snap-of-the-fingers” manifestation. They take massive and sustained action.

They live out their beliefs.

They create what wasn’t there before.

And in that act of creating, during a life lived, at some point along the line, they experience remarkable collisions of events—the fancy label is synchronicity. People and situations come to their aid.

You could call that magnetic attraction. You could call it magic. You could call it oobladee. It doesn’t matter.

In large numbers of people, the ordinary notion of the law of attraction helps to make them passive. They wait. They think. They re-think. They spin wheels.

Some of them begin to believe they have to banish the negative, and this process leads them into confusion and discomfort of a high order, because it doesn’t work. Thoughts, untold numbers of floating random thoughts, are the wrong target. They’re a dime a dozen, and there are billions of dozens. Who cares?

The idea of purifying one’s own thoughts is a dead-end alley in the long run.

It becomes a fetish.

And those who preach the “philosophy” are, sometimes, merely interested in controlling the flock. The more androidal members of the flock will, now and then, say, “Did you hear about Bob? He’s in the hospital. Too many negative thoughts.”

On a political level, this degenerates into “we suspect Jones just had an incorrect thought.”

Living a creative life through and by imagination is a whole other process. That’s the major leagues. That’s the expression of life-force in a voice that tears away the curtain of consensus reality.

Inventing what otherwise would never be there.

That kind of life quite naturally, without effort, shelves trillions of sputtering thoughts because they don’t matter. Negative? Positive? Makes no difference. It’s a puerile distinction.

In living a creative life, one’s past, one’s experiences, feelings, thoughts, memories—they’re all fuel for the fire. In that fire, a soul forges what he will invent, what new reality he will make.

He doesn’t diddle around with “positive and negative.”

Jon Rappoport

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This connects to another essay from Jon: The strange fear of symbols

...and also to what's omitted from both essays: the role of one's unconscious "beliefs" in manifesting one's reality or, manifesting the intention of the "hypnotist/implanter."

This may be best understood in terms of "flows/fluxes": when the conscious flow is not counteracted upon by an unconscious counter flow, reality happens as consciously intended.

However, when the unconscious flow is a bit lesser, equal or greater than the conscious flow, then the results are respectively either less, nil or contrary to what was anticipated.

The problem gets compounded when, to one's own unconscious, a "collective" unconscious or someone else's conscious "counter-intention" is/are added.

An example of the above can be derived from a "The Programming of a Planet" scenario where individuals' self defeating implants building up to a general "Status Quo" and monitored by the conscious intent of "ETs" for "humans" not to break free from a "scarcity paradigm."

[miqeel]

Thoughts are thoughts - they come and go and very few may have the skills necessery to control their flow. Belief however is different. It is an interesting synchronicity to me, that you posted this article just today. I have been researching placebo effect, and the influence ones beliefs have on their lives.

In fact, placebo effect, faith healing (all healing for that matter?) may be rooted, in my opinion in belief that the agent of healing (faith, medicine or whatever) will heal the ailment.

What does it mean to believe? I cant talk for anyone else than myself. In my opinion, belief, is knowing, that irrespectively of the path, I will reach what I want. I am unsure how it will happen. Hard to predcit when. But I know it will.

Thank you for the post Amzer Zo, great as always.
M

[markpierre]

It doesn't work through thought. It works through desire, and an appropriate understanding of desire. Most desire
is generated towards love and fulfillment and freedom from worry, though it might be mistaken for symbols we use to define it.
Not too demanding really, I think the Universe is happy to oblige. It's not going to be too concerned about selfish or demanding desires,
or other unsavory kinds, but usually comes through anyway. The effects are your responsibility. Careful what you wish for.
It's just the way things work. They usually give you less than what you were really desiring, but hey, we usually learn the hard way.
Having 'things' doesn't accomplish much, unless it's a cherry 66 Malibu 283, candy apple red with cream upholstery.
That would accomplish a real enjoyable ride. But I'm being a bit picky.

Holding thoughts of what you don't have is generally what fails the people who fail. Or they're too impatient. Be as general as you
can, and then forget about it completely. Request made, answer is in the works. How it happens or how long it takes is not your business.
You might not be aware of how complex organizing the order might be. You don't want any old red Chevy, you want THE red Chevy.
Or THE lover or THE occupation, or home with the right colored carpet, or that maybe even feels like home.
It might not be available just yet. Or you might have been so impatient that you've unknowingly cancelled the order.

Please don't take the Red Malibu literally. Ask for peace. Ask for health. Ask for joy. Notice what bits of those you have and be grateful,
instead of what bits you don't have and feel them missing. Missing them is a contradicting request.
God didn't poop us all into the pool and leave, taking a chance on who would sink and who would float.
It's in us, it is us, and it came here to see how high it could raise this silly place up to be like it. How much real enjoyment it can have.
The thought that we should enjoy ourselves and love our lives has become sinful. Overtly or covertly. Who's crazy idea was that?
Ask to be more loving. That you can start engaging with anytime you please.

[Journeyon]

from Jon Rappoport:
"Living a creative life through and by imagination is a whole other process. That’s the major leagues. That’s the expression of life-force in a voice that tears away the curtain of consensus reality.

Inventing what otherwise would never be there.

That kind of life quite naturally, without effort, shelves trillions of sputtering thoughts because they don’t matter. Negative? Positive? Makes no difference. It’s a puerile distinction.

In living a creative life, one’s past, one’s experiences, feelings, thoughts, memories—they’re all fuel for the fire. In that fire, a soul forges what he will invent, what new reality he will make.

He doesn’t diddle around with “positive and negative.”
..........................................................................

This is a very profound and important distinction. Getting to this place is a inner journey. When you become the observer you allow "what is" to be! No longer is there a need for emotional reacting to what is taking place around you. You don't have to search for peace in the world. You are peace in the world.

Thanks for sharing this great article.

In Peace,
Journeyon

[Feren]

In my opinion, one of the weaknesses of the so-called law of attraction is that it seems to ignore completely the existence of a extensive sphere of human life and 'spirituality': the subconscious. Nietzsche and others may help us understand the idea that MOST of our existence happens subconsciously. Not all desires are clear to us, and this is because we are not totally aware of them.
I do not quite vibrate with the idea of consciousness as the supreme value. It is important to understand that to gain consciousness or to expand our own awareness is not the same tan reducing everything to consciousness.
I remember that someone said or wrote that the most important dicisions in life are made on the basis of pure passion rather than reason, awareness or consciusness. I feel this to be true. This does not mean that one can not have a deep knowledge of one's own desires and passions, but these take place knowingly or not.
Language, reason, consciousness, consensus (please notice the relationship between this concepts) are the raw materials of the matrix, which, again, does not mean that they are negative per se.
It is not posible to build a theory of subjectivity, action and free will on the basis of consciousness. You need to go to the will itself, which is nothing but pure passion.
Sorry for my rusty English.
Cheers,
Feren

[Shezbeth]

Thank you for sharing this article. I am unfamiliar with Rappaport's work beyond what is featured at Infowars, and I appreciate the indication/contribution.

IMO, the law of attraction is a grossly simplified, watered down iteration of the 7 Laws of Manifestation, an easy reference of which is available here:
http://www.newthoughtgeneration.com/...manifestation/

[Delight]

Posted by Amzer Zo (here)

This may be best understood in terms of "flows/fluxes": when the conscious flow is not counteracted upon by an unconscious counter flow, reality happens as consciously intended.

However, when the unconscious flow is a bit lesser, equal or greater than the conscious flow, then the results are respectively either less, nil or contrary to what was anticipated.

The problem gets compounded when, to one's own unconscious, a "collective" unconscious or someone else's conscious "counter-intention" is/are added.

An example of the above can be derived from a "The Programming of a Planet" scenario where individuals' self defeating implants building up to a general "Status Quo" and monitored by the conscious intent of "ETs" for "humans" not to break free from a "scarcity paradigm."
[/LEFT]
[/CENTER]

I have been considering all of this information of reality creation (creative being the operative word) as a field phenomenon.
The field is us and whatever we desire to be creating.
It happens already just it is recreating and on limited beliefs based.

If flow is strong and coherent, intentions seem to be clearly reflected as expected.
But one needs being in the present fully connected and is simply our desire to engage.
Performance doubts and other doubts take attention away from the focus and we engage elsewhere.
Practice is the action step IMO that is not all/nothing and on and off but becomes as we continue to engage.

There are so many people taking about the same exact phenomenon but different words.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=fXIeFJCqsPs

and another different one by the same Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - Rules of Engagement

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=7e1xU0-h9Y8

[Rich]

Posted by Amzer Zo (here)
Furthermore, people who hold very strong beliefs act on them. They don’t sit in a room and power up that belief-engine and wait for something to happen. They aren’t involved in some “snap-of-the-fingers” manifestation. They take massive and sustained action.

With respect I think this person is talking about something he doesn't understand.
I've done this ''snap of the fingers'' manifestation countless of times.
If action needs to be taken then action will be taken - automatically...
because our action is a result of our consciousness.
By taking action you only move objects around by changing your believes you switch to another reality.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=xaIpIE203Js

[Deborah (ahamkara)]

In all fairness, I don't think the Universe is concerned with human labels of positive and negative. We do live in a vibrational universe, but desiring something and existing at a vibrational level compatible with that desire are different things….

[Fairy Friend]

I actually have to agree with Amzer Zo it seems the law of attraction and manifesting requires some getting up and movements to open the doors and find what you want to manifest. It requires movement in the universe of some shape or form.

[Rich]

I agree with Markpierre it's about being loving, when you love yourself you also give yourself everything.
Then the universe is reflecting that Love by giving you whatever you want.
The trick is to see that the universe/self/god (whatever you prefer to call it) is already giving you whatever you ask for.
But there is a lot going on subconsciously the subconscious believes (programs) are manifesting as well and may counter our conscious thoughts/desires.

[Fairy Friend]

I'm not sure if I'm agreeing or disagreeing with anybody specifically. I don't often communicate well. Aren't emotions desires thoughts are mixed up in that package that we call us? Do not separate these. Even the imagination is key because how do you know what you want to manifest unless you think about it first. I have definitely discovered that the more you interact with the universe the more rapidly things manifest. I manifest whatever I want. I don't understand, why wouldn't you want to just go out and see what the universe has waiting for you?

[Buck]

enjoying this conversation- I want to suggest that so many of these perspectives suggest a convergence or similarity - as if we are reporting back on a mysterious edifice that we are all witnessing in our own separate realties- each is revealing itself to us in a unique way that we can appreciate.

For myself, I have come to appreciate that conscious evolution is an experience somewhat like climbing a set of winding stairs cut into a mountain; each step brings a different, expanded view- in some ways a gradual expansion of information that is built on all the preceding views. A long climb of any significant elevation will require some form of commitment, and I think the analogy holds together here for spiritual pursuits as well as physical ones- the more ambitious the goal, the more resolve will be needed. But will is only useful if it serves, not as a means to an end. And in this, the most ambitious quests can only succeed when our passion is engaged; when we couple desire with intention.

And desire, as I currently perceive it, is very much a reciprocal event, whereas the object of your desire- be it Mt Everest or returning home, the answer to a riddle- (such as the location of a missing passenger jet, for example, or the creation of something that does not yet exist in physical form ( a song, a poem, a building, a community, a cure for the world's ills) it involves a force that operates very much like gravity (called attraction here). Our "imagination" is capable of literally manifesting form, and this "thought" form arrives the moment we "imagine" with sufficient, focused intention. The more we learn to invest in our "imagination", the more effective these thought forms become. And when we create a form with sufficient clarity, it manifests (instantaneously, btw- as in faster than the speed of light) with a kind of mass/density. And this mass has gravity, or a force very much like gravity, in that the connection to all other things is expressed through this connection, this force, - some things are pulled close, others pushed away. In this way, the thought form gathers unto itself the necessary components of it's manifest existence.

[Fairy Friend]

Yes, thanks for trying to clarify. Convergent perspectives. Law of attraction and manifesting to me are 2 different things. Law of attraction is a step towards manifesting along with imagination, visualizing, belief, etc. One definite thought has to be in your head “I can” otherwise manifesting falls short of your goal or desire. People have no idea how powerful they are or what wonders they can accomplish. I have done more in this lifetime than most people do in 10. If I can do it anyone can. I am no different than you.

Changing beliefs is like changing your mind. “I can't” to “I can”. It is important to also be responsible for ones actions. It's a free will zone make choices. It's OK to change your mind and stop limiting yourself. Really, I am a grandmother, an indigo, a force to be reckoned with, saving lives as we speak because of a prototype idea that has been used for decades now and still saves lives, went on to published “Journal of Stem Cell” 2006.

I want to encourage people. Wink wink, nudge nudge. You can too. I am no different, you people have no idea how powerful you are. Focused Intent. You have to 'know' it is true. You can't just go through the motions, the universe knows if you are lying. Trust your intuition or inner voice, it leads the way and gets easier and easier. Faster and faster. I keep tweaking my thoughts to more positive and positive.

Here's where perhaps my will and ego is a help and I may not agree with the majority here. My ego fills the universe. I'm surprised there is room for anyone else at times, my ego is so big. OK sometimes it does get crowded. I am that gal that went to cure cancer and figure out how it works. I am the gal that says “can't!! are you kidding me? Watch and learn.” Sometimes I have even said, “Don't get in my way, don't even stand in my wake.” I am willing to do the work. There are Doctors who thank me for saving their lives, I have met 12-15 Nobel Peace Prize winners, as many authors of books. A single parent with once $20.00 to my name, now a millionaire. Started research labs, companies, involved with patents, I have set scientific and legal precedent, stopped more than 3 droughts, really, I can fill this whole page with my accomplishments. Get my point? Anything. Any thing.

It kinda irritates me though when I hear, people say I can do that but I choose not to. Really? Why would you not chose to do that? And I mean those that throw it out constantly like a platitude or excuse all the time for everything. Not one specific thing, for example, I'm not interested in finding my twin flame. I am not interested in that, not manifesting it. I mean those that claim they can do all these things but don't and seem to be just talk. Just do it. Do something good, it will make you happy.

People have different desires. Some creative artists or writers. Some are pirate poets. You know who you are. Discover who you are and be it. That's what leads to happiness, manifesting follows. “What trips your trigger?” my grandfather would say. If your not into science than your just not. If you are, go for it.

I used to think that everyone's different desires would interfere with each other but we do desire different things and align with those that have similar thinking. I don't think we interfere as much with each others desires as I thought. What do you guys think?

I have been summoned for jury duty. Don't know what to manifest. Maybe I want to serve, maybe not. I don't know is an acceptable answer and we do need to think and meditate to focus and sometimes question what we want. The universe seems fine with maybes and Egos. It hasn't exploded or imploded yet despite my huge ego or changing of my mind or mistakes I made. Now I travel this planet earth.

[markpierre]

Posted by Fairy Friend (here)
I want to encourage people. Wink wink, nudge nudge. You can too. I am no different, you people have no idea how powerful you are. Focused Intent. You have to 'know' it is true. You can't just go through the motions, the universe knows if you are lying. Trust your intuition or inner voice, it leads the way and gets easier and easier. Faster and faster. I keep tweaking my thoughts to more positive and positive.

That's pretty dynamic, and a great example. There are other aspects of personality that don't need to be lumped in with the ego,
the way we tend to deride ego.
The ego is a defensive/protective aspect, that unfortunately tends to be a mind of it's own if it's threatened.
But personality is a composite of that, along with conditioning, along with conditions,
along with star charts and numbers and all those funny things. But which are all plotted specifically
to help us achieve what we came to achieve.
Sometimes overcoming their shadow aspects are the very thing we came to achieve.
There's another idea that I wish I'd mentioned in post 3, in that the 'Abraham' material emphasizes the term 'expectation'.
Define your desire, and expect it.
Expect it to work. Expect the train to arrive. Expect the world to flow before you. Expect yourself to be fully up to whatever challenges.
Expect your desires to appear in their time. That could be really easy for some minds, and an extreme challenge for others.
But we all have an expectation of something, be it failure or success. More of the unfulfilled old, or something brand new. Devastation or rebirth.
If 'expectation' is a sticking point, then it's the thing to work and develop.

Great post Fairy Friend. Great demonstration. Great inspiration. Your Godzillasize ego should be proud of you. Rightly so.

[greybeard]

Depends on how powerful your magnet is (spiritual vibration)--attractor field.
Much is explained in Power vs Force by the late Dr David Hawkins.

The more your "vibration" rises, the faster you can manifest---however as "personal" consciousness rises the desire to manifest decreases.
There is a feeling of being content regardless of the degree of material comfort.

There is also an inbuilt safety factor as our needs wants and desires can impact on the needs desires and wants of another if realised.
At a lower vibration one might desire a particular person as a trophy-sex object, ego enhancing device.
They might be repulsed by you.

It would not be good is you could pull anything into you life that you wanted without having some wisdom.

I seem to remember that it was worked out, that if all the wealth of the world was shared equally then within a short period of time 90% of the wealth would belong to 10% 0f the population. That might not be an exact % but I think the premise is correct,
Also the number of Lottery winners who ended up broke is alarming--destroyed their relationships too.

The standard advice is be careful what you wish for--you might just get it.

Chris

[The Truth Is In There]

to quote walter russell: "god creates with you but not for you."

affirmations, positive thoughts and desires will do no good if the person doesn't act accordingly.

nevertheless, like always attracts like. if you want people to be nice to you, be nice to them first. if you want something, give something first. quite simple, actually.

[Rich]

I think we don't really attract anything, we are being it because life is in our consciousness.
One of the things I've done to see this was ask myself when something happens, as Lester Levenson suggests: ''Wherein did I cause this?'' And look for the thought that created the situation

Thought with intention(desire) backed up by believe manifests, the less effort behind a thought the more powerful it is (let go and let god).

Posted by greybeard (here)

The more your "vibration" rises, the faster you can manifest---however as "personal" consciousness rises the desire to manifest decreases.
There is a feeling of being content regardless of the degree of material comfort.

True, but I don't think it can be separated basically it comes down to just being yourself, and this fulfillment of the desires will be reflected in the world ''seek first the kingdom of heaven all else will be added onto you.'' The reflection is there so we always manifest just by being.

First 4 minutes or so talk about 'law of attraction',

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ChSePJuVkeU

[Delight]

Posted by Fairy Friend (here)
People have different desires. Some creative artists or writers. Some are pirate poets. You know who you are. Discover who you are and be it. That's what leads to happiness, manifesting follows. “What trips your trigger?” my grandfather would say. If your not into science than your just not. If you are, go for it.

I used to think that everyone's different desires would interfere with each other but we do desire different things and align with those that have similar thinking. I don't think we interfere as much with each others desires as I thought. What do you guys think?

I have been summoned for jury duty. Don't know what to manifest. Maybe I want to serve, maybe not. I don't know is an acceptable answer and we do need to think and meditate to focus and sometimes question what we want. The universe seems fine with maybes and Egos. It hasn't exploded or imploded yet despite my huge ego or changing of my mind or mistakes I made. Now I travel this planet earth.

I REALLY appreciate your post. Thank you. I feel like clapping about your definiteness and certainty.
I am one of those "luke warm" people at the moment that LOA spits out (hehe).
Your post presents to me some very important truth
1. With passion, intention and confidence any possibility we can imagine can be focused and practiced into reality. I believe it really is "the sky is the limit" only held back by convention. It sounds like you have had definite intention to be a force for change and proved that not only will it be possible but you will also have good "times" participating. I think it is true that it is consciousness at the service of will.

Also if we agree to "gloom and doom and being thwarted by someone else" an agreement to be discouraged will prove itself.

2. It has been said in many places to ignore what is and imagine and intend what one loves. This is spelled out in many ways but I think it is lawful. Having clear goals and feeling it as real is a way of establishing what we value. But what if we can't imagine anything that seems important?

I lost my connection in a rather self defeating way. It makes no real sense but it is "in my face". It is resistance that I have read about. I just don't want to do cooperate in the world but the world is still in my reality. I guess you could say I bought into some beliefs that are stuck like glue. My passion about "airy fairy" ideas that have no ground needs a tether that I think I cut it loose accidentally. I am feeling it as the apathy people complain is rife. Is that a disease of "new age passivitis"?

I do not think I am alone and I seek that cure. Scolding me will not help. Threatening disaster is not useful. It is a deep sense of "nothing matters to me" about what I thought mattered in the past. This is a between place where I feel stuck. What do people like me who are just feeling no passion about anything need to kick start? My question is a serious investigation.

3. Magic has been called "changing consciousness at will" IMO we are magical beings in process.

[sheme]

Posted by ahamkara (here)
In all fairness, I don't think the Universe is concerned with human labels of positive and negative. We do live in a vibrational universe, but desiring something and existing at a vibrational level compatible with that desire are different things….

This is my understanding, thank you ahamkara for the simplicity I was seeking.