The Law of Attaction

[Richard]

by Steve Pavlina

The Law of Attraction simply says that you attract into your life whatever you think about.  Your dominant thoughts will find a way to manifest.  But the Law of Attraction gives rise to some tough questions that don’t seem to have good answers.  I would say, however, that these problems aren’t caused by the Law of Attraction itself but rather by the Law of Attraction as applied to objective reality.

Here are some of those problematic questions (all are generalizations of ones I received via email):

• What happens when people put out conflicting intentions, like two people intending to get the same promotion when only one position is available?
  
• Do children, babies, and/or animals put out intentions?
  
• If a child is abused, does that mean the child intended it in some way?
  
• If I intend for my relationship to improve, but my spouse doesn’t seem to care, what will happen?

These questions seem to weaken the plausibility of the Law of Attraction.  Sometimes people answer them by going pretty far out.  For example, it’s been said by LoAers that a young child experiences abuse because s/he intended it or earned it during a past life.  Well, sure… we can explain just about anything if we bring past lives into the equation, but IMO that’s a cop-out.  On the other hand, objective reality without the Law of Attraction doesn’t provide satisfactory answers either — supposedly some kids are just born unlucky.  That’s a cop-out too.

I’ve never been satisfied by others’ answers to these questions, and they’re pretty important questions if the Law of Attraction is to be believed.  Some books hint at the solution but never really nail it.  That nail, however, can be found in the concept of subjective reality.

Subjective reality is a belief system in which (1) there is only one consciousness, (2) you are that singular consciousness, and (3) everything and everyone in your reality is a projection of your thoughts.

You may not see it yet, but subjective reality neatly answers all these tricky Law of Attraction questions.  Let me ’splain….

In subjective reality there’s only one consciousness, and it’s yours.  Consequently, there’s only one source of intentions in your universe — YOU.  While you may observe lots of walking, talking bodies in your reality, they all exist inside your consciousness.  You know this is how your dreams work, but you haven’t yet realized your waking reality is just another type of dream.  It only seems solid because you believe (intend) it is.

Since none of the other characters you encounter are conscious in a way that’s separate from you, nobody else can have intentions.  The only intentions are yours.  You’re the only thinker in this universe.

It’s important to correctly define the YOU in subjective reality.  YOU are not your physical body.  This is not the egoic you at all.  I’m not suggesting you’re a conscious body walking around in a world full of unconscious automatons.  That would be a total misunderstanding of subjective reality.  The correct viewpoint is that you’re the single consciousness in which this entire reality takes place.

Imagine you’re having a dream.  In that dream what exactly are YOU?  Are YOU the physical dream character you identify with?  No, of course not — that’s just your dream avatar.  YOU are the dreamer.  The entire dream occurs within your consciousness.  All dream characters are projections of your dream thoughts, including your avatar.  In fact, if you learn lucid dreaming, you can even switch avatars in your dream by possessing another character.  In a lucid dream, you can do anything you believe you can.

Physical reality works the same way.  This is a denser universe than what you experience in your sleeping dreams, so changes occur a bit more gradually here.  But this reality still conforms to your thoughts just like a sleeping dream.  YOU are the dreamer in which all of this is taking place.

The idea that other people have intentions is an illusion because other people are just projections.  Of course, if you strongly believe other people have intentions, then that’s the dream you’ll create for yourself.  But ultimately it’s still an illusion.

Here’s how subjective reality answers these challenging Law of Attraction questions:

What happens when people put out conflicting intentions, like two people intending to get the same promotion when only one position is available?

Since you’re the only intender, this is entirely an internal conflict — within YOU.  You’re holding the thought (the intention) for both people to want the same position.  But you’re also thinking (intending) that only one can get it.  So you’re intending competition.  This whole situation is your creation.  You believe in competition, so that’s what you manifest.  Maybe you have some beliefs (thoughts and intentions) about who will get the promotion, in which case your expectations will manifest.  But you may have a higher order belief that life is random, unfair, uncertain, etc., so in that case you may manifest a surprise because that’s what you’re intending.

Being the only intender in your reality places a huge responsibility on your shoulders.  You can give up control of your reality by thinking (intending) randomness and uncertainty, but you can never give up responsibility.  You’re the sole creator in this universe.  If you think about war, poverty, disease, etc., that’s exactly what you’ll manifest.  If you think about peace, love, and joy, you’ll manifest that too.  Your reality is exactly what you think it is.  Whenever you think about anything, you summon its manifestation.

Do children, babies, and/or animals put out intentions?

No.  Your own body doesn’t even put out intentions — only your consciousness does.  You’re the only one who has intentions, so what takes precedence is what YOU intend for the children, babies, and animals in your reality.  Every thought is an intention, so however you think about the other beings in your reality is what you’ll eventually manifest for them.  Keep in mind that beliefs are hierarchical, so if you have a high order belief that reality is random and unpredictable and out of your control, then that intention will trump other intentions of which you’re less certain.  It’s your entire collection of thoughts that dictates how your reality manifests.

If a child is abused, does that mean the child intended it in some way?

No.  It means YOU intended it.  You intend child abuse to manifest simply by thinking about it.  The more you think about child abuse (or any other subject), the more you’ll see it expand in your reality.  Whatever you think about expands, and not just in the narrow space of your avatar but in all of physical reality.

If I intend for my relationship to improve, but my spouse doesn’t seem to care, what will happen?

This is another example of intending conflict.  You’re projecting one intention for your avatar and one for your spouse, so the actual unified intention is that of conflict.  Hence the result you experience, subject to the influence of your higher order beliefs, will be to experience conflict with your spouse.  If your thoughts are conflicted, your reality is conflicted.

This is why assuming responsibility for your thoughts is so important.  If you want to see peace in the world, then intend peace for EVERYTHING in your reality.  If you want to see abundance in the world, then intend it for EVERYONE.  If you want to enjoy loving relationships, then intend loving relationships for ALL.  If you intend these only for your own avatar but not for others, then you’re intending conflict, division, and separation; consequently, that’s what you’ll experience.

If you stop thinking about something entirely, does that mean it disappears?  Yes, technically it does.  But in practice it’s next to impossible to uncreate what you’ve already manifested.  You’ll continue creating the same problems just by noticing them.  But when you assume 100% responsibility for everything you’re experiencing in your reality right now — absolutely everything — then you assume the power to alter your reality by rechanneling your thoughts.

This entire reality is your creation.  Feel good about that.  Feel grateful for the richness of your world.  And then begin creating the reality you truly want by making decisions and holding intentions.  Think about what you desire, and withdraw your thoughts from what you don’t want.  The most natural, easiest way to do this is to pay attention to your emotions.  Thinking about your desires feels good, and thinking about what you don’t want makes you feel bad.  When you notice yourself feeling bad, you’ve caught yourself thinking about something you don’t want.  Turn your focus back towards what you do want, and your emotional state will improve rapidly.  As you do this repeatedly, you’ll begin to see your physical reality shift too, first in subtle ways and then in bigger leaps.

I too am just a manifestation of your consciousness.  I play the role you expect me to play.  If you expect me to be a helpful guide, I will be.  If you expect me to be profound and insightful, I will be.  If you expect me to be confused or deluded, I will be.  But of course there’s no distinct ME that is separate from YOU.  I’m just one of your many creations.  I am what you intend me to be.  But deep down you already knew that, didn’t you?

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/08...ttraction/

[Desertbird]

Wow, this is like an extention of black science

[Leftygrl]

Hi Richard,

If I'm understanding your post correctly, its as if we are all existing inside our own heads or consciousness, and we are creating the existence we are now in. Therefore our consciousness is the only one that exists. If this is true, then the idea of 'collective consciousness' is not true.

collective consciousness could also answer some of those tough questions you mentioned. For instance the child that is abused. The child is made up of dna and cells from their parents... these cells have memories. Often parents that abuse, were also abused. We inherit mind patterns and cellular memory from our parents... therefore those thoughts that create this reality are being passed down another generation. The child does have the mind patterns of being abused even if they aren't having consious thoughts of being abused. right?

2 people intending to get the same promotion. There are other people involved in a collective consciousness... like co-workers who 'think' one will get it over the other. The people hiring them also have thoughts... when you mix them all together, there will end up being a stronger pull for one over the other. And that one gets the job.

Our intentions and thoughts are stronger when we are creating for ourselves... it seems. When we intend to create for the outer world... its not so easy. For example, manifesting more money for myself vs creating world peace. Couldn't that be because there are a lot more intentions working at the world level than at the level of my personal finances?

I actually 'can' wrap my mind around what you're saying.... but I'm inclined to believe we are actually here manifesting together, rather than here alone manifesting everything. But you've given me food for thought.

Sheri

[Richard]

I didn’t write that article and to fully understand the law of attraction would require more than what’s explained in it. First, there is the mind of the individual, and then the collective consciousness. The collective consciousness has a big impact on the thoughts of the individuals mind and often can cause the individual to vibrate to the collective conscious frequency. IF the individual has a strong enough willpower to think differently and resist the vibration of the collective conscious, then there will be dissonance between the two, and the individual will either A) eventually weaken and vibrate to the same frequency as the collective, B) Go elsewhere to where there is a likeminded vibration in the collective conscious, or C) take ACTION to change, inspire, and vibrate their own frequency strong enough to cause others who come in contact with them to attune to their stronger vibration that is again still in dissonance with the collective unconscious, however if enough people change based on the strengthening of the individuals vibration attuning many and becoming stronger with each other individual who joins the new vibration. Eventually the collective consciousness will be changed to the newer vibe, or at least become a hybrid vibration that maintains a harmony.

This site has some good articles on the law of attraction.

http://www.experiencefestival.com/law_of_attraction

This site has some free online books that explain the law of attraction.

http://www.psitek.net/index2.html#free

[Wintershade]

The Law of Attraction is quite nicely explained on the "user" level in documentary "The Secret"... However, I couldn't help but connect it in many characteristics with solipsism, a philosophical idea where you are the only person that matters, and the world is nothing more than your perception of it. I find it quite far-fetched, but there are theories derived from it that I found to be OK.
For instance, in a quasi-philosophical conversation with a friend we drew a conclusion that there are billions and billions of different perceptions of one world (based on perceptions of each individual), rather than the existence of one objective reality - since we actually can't tell what is objective, and no-one can give any objective opinion.
Hence the Law of Attraction. This is your life, in your world, and since you have (more or less) control over yourself, you should also have control over the world around you.

[William]

The Law of Attraction is quite nicely explained on the "user" level in documentary "The Secret"... However, I couldn't help but connect it in many characteristics with solipsism, a philosophical idea where you are the only person that matters, and the world is nothing more than your perception of it. I find it quite far-fetched, but there are theories derived from it that I found to be OK.
For instance, in a quasi-philosophical conversation with a friend we drew a conclusion that there are billions and billions of different perceptions of one world (based on perceptions of each individual), rather than the existence of one objective reality - since we actually can't tell what is objective, and no-one can give any objective opinion.
Hence the Law of Attraction. This is your life, in your world, and since you have (more or less) control over yourself, you should also have control over the world around you.

  Nice point Wintershade......  Ive known some people that believe the world is only for them....And they have no problem walking all over anyone that gets in their way or if they want something, wether if they want your husband or wife it does not matter....  Also, the main underlying pohilosophy of "Aleister Crowley- Was Do as thou wilt".

The religious or mystical system which Crowley founded, into which most of his writings fall, he named Thelema. Thelema combines a radical form of philosophical libertarianism with a mystical initiatory system derived in part from the Golden Dawn.

Chief among the precepts of Thelema is the sovereignty of the individual will: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." Crowley's idea of will, however, is not simply the individuals desires or wishes, but also incorporates a sense of the person's destiny or greater purpose: what he termed "True Will."

[Wintershade]

As far as I understand it, apart from "True Will", Crowley wasn't a solipsist and his "Do as thou wilt" didn't only refer to an individual and his will only, but to all other individuals around him as well. Do as thou wilt, but all individuals around you should do, too, and you can't take their freedom (in any form) away.

As for people who have no problem walking all over anyone in their way - I wouldn't describe them as solipsists, but as just plain selfish.

Moreover, I hope nobody gets a wrong opinion - I am not a solipsist, but, as I said, The Secret may have pulled some ideas from it - and those ideas are completely ok.

[William]

 Yes, I was just discussing some of the ideas here.  But I have seen in real life how some have taken the selfish road to all of this.....  If we all took the selfish road where would we all be?  Here, ...... NOw....  ;)

 

[Wintershade]

Now that you've mentioned this, I have to say something more. This is also my only serious criticism to "The Secret". Almost all of its "episodes" tell us about someone's material achievement, whether it is money, a car, a house, or something like this (OK, there's this one man with a sick son, respect to them).

I believe the main purpose of a something apparently so powerful as the Law of Attraction should primarily be used to achieve not material, but spiritual riches. Personally, you can give me billions of dollars, dozens of cars, houses, women, and all that stuff. But if I don't have friends, if I don't feel anything for any of those women, if I don't have someone to share this wealth with, if I was a dumbass, a jackass, or an asshole, if I knew I couldn't progress spiritually in any way - I wouldn't be happy.

As a conclusion, I'd suggest trying to use the Law of Attraction, apart from what is described in "The Secret", in order to develop ourselves as individuals on our spiritual plan. For instance, we could think positive in an "I will tap into my genetics quickly and efficiently", or "I will contact my oversoul and collect tons of priceless information".

[Get Boldened]

You could manifest a smarter, more psychic, or more spritual you. As long as it could be conceptualized or visualized, the Law of Attraction works. If you want friends, then attract the right opportunities.

You said that the Secret does not talk about spiritual improvement and most of the content is based on material achievement. That is true. But in America, we also need to make a good living in order to have the time for sprituality. Some even need the proper nourishment to be healthy enough to focus. The minimum wage was barely cutting it and they just started raising the wage recently. Furthermore, we do not have months of vacations like Europeans do. The majority of Americans do not care about spirituality (this is from randomly meeting people in real life and across the nation on the internet). Because America is material-focused and much of life depends on material achievements and some well-meaning, physical token for pride (actual pride and indeniable achievements, with objects like cars, a house, girls, etc), it would be costy for the producer to allow a scene on spiritual improvement to be released.

To illustrate my point, I have a full 7 minute, well-made, scene that never made it out on the Secret DVD, but it was leaked on YouTube. The scene is just as important as spirtual achievement, but it would be too costy and most of the audience whom are Americans, are only interested in fast results and techniques for material gain. One commenter on the scene was dismayed that it was deleted because it perfectly described the Laws of Attraction with physics in the alloted 7 minutes. Here is a link to the scene:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=RYhNJv6lzGQ&m...ed&search=