The Law of Attraction, also known as “The Secret” is belief popularized by The Secret movie and book. “The Secret” states that the thoughts you think magically manifest themselves into physical reality. This type of philosophy has skyrocketed in popularity since the release of The Secret movie in 2006. Belief in the principles of magic continue to spread through a wide range of social circles. But what does this all mean to the practical minded dreamer?
This article is a summary of the history, logic, and mainstream ideas behind The Law of Attraction. I hope that you’ll join in and explore all possibilities with an open mind. Beyond the tangled web of wishful thinking, there’s actually quite a few exciting evidence based findings.
Origin & History
The Law of Attraction developed over time from no specific text or ideology. A large influence came from the ancient writing of Hermes Trismegistus, whose writings later inspired the philosophy of Hermetiscm. Hermetics is an ancient mysticism that was brought to the modern world alongside the development of the scientific method. Many of the founders of modern science, such as Issac Newton studied the hermetic teachings as a way to study and investigate the nature of reality. Later on, the Transcendental movement went spread ideas about the power of an individual and personal freedom. The Law of Attraction was influenced by the collective evolution and culmination of concepts from Hermetics, Transcendentalism, and a variety of religious texts.
Timeline
1838–1840
Phineas Quimby miraculously recovers from a life threatening illness and begins to explore the idea that the mind could physically alter the body in his writing and teachings.
1877
The first use of phrase The Law of Attraction is used by the Russian occultist Helena Blavatsky in her book “Isis Unveiled,” on esoteric mysteries of ancient theosophy.
1886-1887
Prentice Mulford is the first to write about The Law of Attraction as its used today, in his essay The Law of Success.
1937
Napoleon Hill publishes the best selling business and philanthropy book, Think and Grow Rich.
1984
Louise Hay publishes the New York times best selling You Can Heal Your Life, on the connection between emotional, spiritual, and physical health.
2006
The Secret film comes out documenting personal experiences of people who practice The Law of Attraction. The movie is such a success that it’s later turned into a book. Both of these continue to spread in modern culture and have gained at least the attention of anyone in the field of self help and personal development.
Affirmations
The Law of Attraction abides by the principle that our thoughts are responsible for creating things. Which in turn means that the words we say to ourselves are vitally important for both our internal and external well being. This concept is used in modern psychology in the form of affirmations.
Affirmations are used in psychology to modulate self talk, our internal narratives. Have you ever experienced a negative internal voice ? I’m sure that if you’re a self aware human being, you know what I’m talking about. Self deprecating thoughts can be lessoned through the practice of positive affirmations. The most effective affirmations are not necessarily the most positive ones, but are instead the ones that are the most personalized and specific. Research from the cognitive sciences explains that matching internal dialogue to your core values creates the strongest type of affirmation. Constructing a life’s mission statement is another way to think about affirmations. A mission statement is similar to an affirmation in the sense that you write yourself a deeply thought out message which you read to yourself on a regular basis. When done in accordance with the Law of Attraction, these statements should be written in “present tense, positive, personal and specific( wikipedia.org).” In summary, a properly designed affirmation can combat negative thoughts, increase positive thoughts and “minimize the anxiety, stress, and defensiveness associated with threats to our sense of self while keeping us open to the idea that there is room for improvement (psychologicalscience.org). ”
Affirmation Ideas & Tips
- Personalize your affirmations by constructing a tone and voice that represents the way you really speak
- Link your affirmations to core values
- Imagine the kind of dialogue you would want for your closest friend
- Write a list of the negative thoughts and then challenge yourself to write the reverse of these statements
Visualization
Visualization techniques are processes that help one virtually construct a mental image inside the mind. The brains network for visualizing action produces the same type of pattern as it does for performing the action. In many ways, the brain is unaware of the difference between what is happening internally versus what is happening externally. In this sense, strengthening desired networks of thought can be used to your benefit. In the field of psychology, visualization has been used as a tool to improve performance for athletes and astronauts. The power of visualization is so strong that it plays a role in producing measurable changes in muscle power and strength (Pubmed From mental power to muscle power).
A 3 minute explanation on how visualization activates the brain
In order to bring about the changes you want in life, you have to be able to imagine the ideal with clarity. Knowing what you want is the first step towards increasing the odds of acquiring it.
Using the imagination to visualize an ideal future can also incorporate sounds, scents and detailed visceral experiences for how the mind, body, and soul will feel in that future space.
A helpful visualization practice is the creation of a vision board. A vision board is simply a collage or group of images, text and drawings that inspire and remind you of the direction you want to move towards.
Reframing The Possible
One of the most important things I’ve discovered in doing this research is that in order to gain the benefits of positive thinking, you have to be able to separate things that are within your control from those that are beyond your control. A study by UCSF’s Dr. Margaret Chesney, revealed that its best to focus on manifesting change to what is within the realm of control. Attempting to alter the “impossible” was shown not just to be ineffective, but to actually worsen participants symptoms of suffering.
Reframing is a mental tool used in both cognitive science and coaching to alter outlooks and perspectives about a situation. Reframing can help turn desires that might be impossible into desires that are 100% possible. The idea is to get to the essence of a wish and discover a new way of wanting it within the realm of reality.
Learn More: Interview with Dr. Bernard Roth on reframing as tool to get to the root of any problem
The Logic of Positive Thinking
Repeatedly thinking in a specific way leads to actual changes in the way the brain functions. Over time, these changes can alter the way we think, perceive, and pay attention to the world. Changes in thinking ultimately go on to effect behavior and response to the environment. These secondary effects can alter the way others perceive and interact with us. These changes compound upon each other creating a complex feedback loop in either a positive or negative direction. Thoughts move us closer or farther away from the life we desire.
Perceptual Control Theory is a recent and potentially revolutionary theory in psychology that states, “An organism controls neither its own behavior, nor external environmental variables, but rather its own perceptions of those variables.” This principle supports the idea that changing the way you think is a primary way to change your life. Setting a focused intention changes what you pay attention to and the way you filter and process incoming information.
The human mind has a tendency to pay more attention to experiences that match preexisting thoughts and beliefs, The Confirmation Bias. The Law of Attraction allows people to use this neuro-evolutionary time saver to the benefit by believing in positive thoughts, one will notice and take note of more examples of positive thoughts. When cognitive feedback loops are thought of in terms of a complex systems approach, an initial small change to a thought pattern can have a large effect on secondary and tertiary thoughts, actions, and outcomes. This is the same principle as the butterfly effect and the work of Edward Lorenz, known for developing weather models. Like the weather, the human mind and resulting behavior patterns are made of dynamic interconnected systems that always in flux. At its root, every choice we make directs movement towards or away a desired outcome. In this sense, any tiny incremental influence one has over their life may go on to significantly influence future outcomes.
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