Well I think I am done with the law of attraction...

First, I am frustrated by the approaches to it. No one has a consistent thing to try. Some say keep saying mantras, some say let go, blah blah blah.

Second, though some positive things happened to me in September, 99% of them backtracked spectacularly in October. A lot of it by being kind and giving others trust -- which they (predictably) abused.

Every time I go to a message board to talk about it there is no one around, even reddit. Hardly anyone has anything to say.

I got the book "the magic" and I can't finish it. First I am just not grateful to the universe. I don't have much and every single thing I have I have worked and strived for. I have taken abuse, and did the stiff upper lip to get things that I have and, in fact, it always seemed like the universe was against me so no, I am not grateful.

Secondly the book is just this long grouping of exercises for me to do, leading me again to believing that many of the LOA gurus are just there to sell and give stupid busy work to people to make them think they are achieving things.

As I go down the never ending list of things I think in my head this can't be right because if it is a law, it shouldn't be this HARD. I should be able to call up want pretty easily. There are some ideas I will keep but most of it, no.

Hi Emily,

Here's what Psychology Today has to say about LOA:

The Truth About the Law of Attraction | Psychology Today

It seems that its main reason for popularity is that Oprah Winfrey publicized it.

I think the way LoA is presented is too simple and naive. It's just a modern version of prayer, but more selfish. There's really no connection of LoA and quantum physics or whatever they claim. I think it's good for you you recognize this.

I'm sorry for being so blunt. I've researched tons of stuff, both new and and religious and nothing of it makes any sense. It's extremely sad and frustrating... I'd LOVE to find something that is "true spirituality", but it seems it doesn't exist.

An excellent article, thank you!

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Originally Posted by seeker33 An excellent article, thank you!

I didn't really like it. I think it turned me back.

The thing is, I came to the LOA because I have noticed too much that suggests it in my life and when I read about history. But what is turning me off of it is that it seems that there are a lot of posers involved and until someone gets rid of them the science itself isn't going to evolve.

I would like someone to do a deep dive into the things that you can trace in history. For example, Henry VII was someone not likely to be the King of England but his mom always believed and got him to believe it, and it happened, and it was unlikely.

I would like someone to do a deep dive into studies on psychic phenomena and see if there is any evidence that our mind can influence the world and list those studies and their results. I happen to know there are such studies but most LOA authors are too lazy to do research.

I do believe that we have much great control over our lives then what current society wants to make us believe so that jives with me but I don't want to have to have a gratitude journal or rock to do so.

I feel like the thing I most learned out of it is one word: believe.

Even in my own life I think I have to give that the most credit. When I went to school I maybe didn't on a conscious level think I would make it, but in my gut not only did I believe, I think I knew that I just wouldn't allow myself not to make it and that belief made it so I did things that perhaps I wouldn't have done if I didn't have such a strong belief that it would happen.

Yes, i think the key idea in your message is : believe and act. Simply believing without actions is useless.

It would certainly be very interesting if someone did the research. And i certainly agree that 90% of new age is fake and commercial. That's what puts me off, too. It really sucks :-( there's currently no spirituality i believe in and it causes huge pain and frustration.

I haven’t read the LoA book. I did take a college course on Parapsychology with a world renown professor who did scientifically test and said all the psychic stuff is BS.

I recently heard a spiritual speaker talk about when things feel really hard, they are an important lesson that you must learn in order for you to grow. It’s not just what happens to you, but how you handle it.

Do you have goals that you are frustrated about having not reached? Try breaking them down into first baby steps.

Look for opportunities when they present themselves to you and act on them. (That’s been my strategy, as I have no goals though I probably should)

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Originally Posted by TishaBuv I haven’t read the LoA book. I did take a college course on Parapsychology with a world renown professor who did scientifically test and said all the psychic stuff is BS.

Now i am not one to look into "studies" because I generally don't believe in them but I think there is enough circumstantial evidence there there is a "fourth wall" that we are just not privy to right now... but there are hints of it going back thousands of years and even in popular culture. The first time I saw star wars I think I enjoyed it so much (I was 5) because I recognized that the "force" is something that we do have on this earth but not as exaggerated as in the movie. I just knew it in my bones based on 5 years of life and honestly, nothing has changed that for me.

But, right now the LOA is a mess with several different branches that all have their own thoughts on it but no one does any actual experiments. Perhaps they are not in a position to do so? Perhaps the LOA is being used by CIA or other things and they put an end to "amateurs" testing it.

I have seen studies that hint at it without knowing it. For instance there was a study a few years ago that came out and said they found that people's thoughts synch up with each other when they are in close proximity. That struck me as true base on voting maps, blue with blue, red with red... it could also be that peer pressure does it because I am a deep red in a blue area and so far I haven't changed. But I suppose if I went to the deep south I might find out I am a liberal so..

But people come up with things that I find silly. Like that we have a vibrational level and to get the highest vibration you need to be happy all the time. That right there is MAN made. Or that we have to walk around grateful all the time when you might not really have anything to be grateful for. Just seems like stupid busy work.

But, I do believe some of it is good thing. It is also like a cognitive behavior therapy. If you believe that you must be happier and work hard at being the way it could change *you* enough that better things will happen to you. So there is some value in it... from a cognitive behavior aspect.

Is anybody happy all the time? I’ll settle for mostly happy. That would be awesome. Ah, to just feel content with whatever we have would be blissful. Is that the real goal?

But, I do believe some people do see and seize opportunity and others don’t. Small things, some may not be aware of, may start the ball rolling toward big change in the direction the dream of going.

I’m not sure of your situation. Do you feel like the doors you want to open keep slamming? Might it be easier to see doors that are already open and find an alternate route to where you want to go?

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Originally Posted by TishaBuv I’m not sure of your situation. Do you feel like the doors you want to open keep slamming? Might it be easier to see doors that are already open and find an alternate route to where you want to go?

No I just feel like negative thinking does attract negative experiences and I want those to stop. I have noticed that I tend to end up with the same supermarket staff , staff that I don't like, all the time. And it really felt like I was attracting it. I could go at different times or days and still end up with them waiting on me. I do feel like the LOA might have worked there as I have managed to skirt them recently.

You may be right. Maybe try different employee shifts and see if you put out a positive vibe you get a positive attitude from them.

I may have brought bad treatment upon myself by new people by complaining about bad treatment by other people to them. It isn’t really logical as to why that was but it may be true simply like the LoA. Oh well, just move forward and try to improve myself and better relationships with others.

Have you tried mindfulness? Being aware of what is happening in this moment is much more interesting than getting caught up in my thoughts and emotions.

I had more to say about my ideas of finding contentment in life here: https://psychcentralforums.com/6661727-post4.html

There is no one size fits all. Everyone is free to find their own path. But saying there is no path or no true spirituality, but to me that cannot be because our basic nature is awareness. Finding a way to realize our full potential as individuals is something that we can start looking for within ourselves, not outside ourselves, although some people have some good ideas but they can only point to a path. We must walk it if we want to find where it leads.

please include the following tag in any reply concerning this post so I get an alert to see your post: @CANDC thank you!

I really don't know if the LOA is true or not. I lean towards not. But. There's no harm in being kind to others (usually, lol), being grateful, living your best life. Positive psych is backed by science. Not that science isn't ever wrong lol. But the LOA and positive psych have some things in common. And if its true, you'll be facing the right direction

So maybe I have to reassess in light of the dentist going back on their attempt to over charge me. That was one of the things that I had thought had failed spectacularly. When I was high on the LOA I decided I was going to "trust" my dentist. But if the universe, like the LOA says, is not trying to hurt me and instead is trying to help me.. well, that just happened.

I agree that I must change my attitude for regular reasons. However, something brilliant about the LOA is that typically it gives you a reason to do so. Rather than you just want to get more positive. In that, as they say, it won't work if you are negative. They say that being negative lowers your vibration and so you won't be able to manifest.

I don't know anything really, about the law of attraction and how one might activate it's powers, but isn't just constantly wishing and desiring something to happen or for something to come along, the same thing as utilizing the law of attraction? I'm pretty sure that in practical terms, it must be.

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Originally Posted by mote.of.soul I don't know anything really, about the law of attraction and how one might activate it's powers, but isn't just constantly wishing and desiring something to happen or for something to come along, the same thing as utilizing the law of attraction? I'm pretty sure that in practical terms, it must be.

Well of course the LOA pretty much hasn't figured it out either but apparently wishes doesn't do it.

Wishing is something you do with your conscious mind and the fact that you are wishing itself says you aren't sure it is going to happen. The LOA requires that you make your mind up that something is going to happen and you have a solid belief that it will. So that your subconscious takes that message to heart and works on it while your conscious mind lets go.

I personally feel it is like "pushing" the universe slightly with your will. I don't feel like you can create an entirely new world but if you want to say work on a project that your boss is giving out, I feel like if you use this you can "push" your boss to choose you.

I see. Thanks for clarifying that for me. Very interesting.

So, in a sense, one must expunge all doubt from the mind, becoming one with the forces of creation. There is a logic there, yes.

I wonder if a person can use the LOA for evil ends? Unholy ends? I should hope not. Perhaps higher beings, guardians, can intervene in such instances.

They address that a little by stating as a prerequisite to using the LOA you have to be on a similar vibration to the forces of creation and if you are not basically enlightened and have selfish and negative thinking you will not be on the vibration that allows you to manipulate the world. However, I don't happen to agree. I think there are many examples of negative force making something negative come true. Such as, when the Titanic came out it was sold as "unsinkable" and was going to have the wealthy on the maiden cruse. Well, I bet a lot of people thought to themselves... "I wish it would sink" and you know, it did. And turns out the way it hit the iceberg was the ONLY way to sink it. If it had hit it head on it wouldn't have sunk. So it makes you think that people can bring negative things about.

Whatever you call it and however it works, I really don’t know. But I do believe there is power in focusing your heart, mind and soul on a certain outcome in your life.

Google Teal Swan and the law of attraction. I found her to be a breath of fresh air.

Ok, I am soooo with you on being done with this. Someone recently told me, based on this whole insane theory, that if I keep thinking the worst, that it will manifest itself!!!!! What the heck is that?????? That just makes me FEARFUL of my own thoughts! That what, the worst WILL actually happen because it's my worst fear that keeps replaying itself in my own head? That made me SO angry at this person. I think it's a ridiculous new age theory that has no merit and is dangerous thinking. Oh and yeah, we can each manifest through our thoughts financial wealth for ourselves too, even if we're totally broke, poor and starving. BS.

I'm not longer sure about some of the teachings. I'm like you Have Hope, I think it's just crazy to believe that thinking about dreadful things will make them happen. Someone gave me a good example of how ridiculous this is. Most people have some sort of fear about flying, yet planes are safer than cars as far as travel goes. The planes manage to stay in the air despite all the fearful thoughts. Even when there's turbulence, it still flies.

I've done a lot of things to try to get Law of Attraction to work for me. It just doesn't. I do think it's important to focus on the positives. And visualization is good for achieving goals. I think there's some good stuff as it relates to 'common sense'. But all this stuff about "raise your vibration" or you'll end up having bad luck is just crap! I struggle enough with my moods. I don't want to live my life like I'm causing misery for myself. I'm trying and there are things beyond my control. No matter how hard I try to believe it's in my so-called Vortex to have good fortune, bad things keep happening.

Also, I notice only in the metaphysical books does LOA work. When I go to forums, I see tons of people struggling. I think the authors are just trying to sell their books. It's all BS.

There are things in our control and things outside of our control. The things outside of our control will continue to frustrate us if we mistake those things for being in our control.

I haven't read any entire books based on the Law of Attraction; however, in the fragment I read of one, (The Secret), the author advises an inconsistent approach. The advice is that our belief that we shall experience positive outcomes will cause those outcomes to occur.

The most extreme case is that I could wish away my mental illness. That is not possible and is a counterexample to the Law of Attraction.

A more nuanced case is that I could wish that a woman like me. Although I have wished that many a woman like me, my wishing that she like me has not caused her to like me.

Our thoughts don't always reflect reality.

I will say that I have seen manifestations of wonderful proportion happen in my life. Like this past year... I woke up one day and decided I wanted a new cat as a friend for my current cat. Within a few hours I had such a cat. It was synchronicity. It was like a miracle cause that same morning my mom called to say she found a cat walking along a busy highway. I gave her a pretty name. Little Miss J is my miracle cat. So this story makes me feel like LOA could be possible. Yet the times I needed money, a favorable outcome, a friend, assistance, weight loss, good health, good mood, freedom from suicidal thoughts, etc., none of that happened. And I did all kinds of voodoo magic to try to get it to work. It just makes me angry. I don't know who I'm angry at. Maybe God. Like WTF?

I do think the LOA has to be more than a wish. It has to be a deep down conviction. Those who practice the LOA by suggesting you can accidentally activate it are full of it. The biggest issue I have with it is that deep down conviction.

Recently I tried to win the lottery. I tried hard, I purchased tickets with good odds. But I knew in my heart I didn't believe. I didn't win. I also didn't act like I really believed it. Being conservative with the ticket buying.

I think the LOA stands most for the idea that if you do believe something... strongly in your heart.. go for it because the universe has your back. The nuns used to give me this concept when I was in school... they said, if you have done the studying for your test and you know the material... don't worry, god will clear the way for you to get a good grade. But just thinking that it helped me do the deed.

I do think you can "accidentally" bring negative things with the LOA if you are not careful. For instance I believe that the Titanic was the world secretly thinking "unsinkable huh" I hope it sinks... and, guess what, it did. And when you find out the truth, the ship hit the iceberg in the ONLY way that could have sunk the boat. I think this is something you can see happening in the 20th century due to communication. When the eyes of the world have the opportunity to get on a tragedy (as it is happening) it almost always resolves better than expected.

One reason I stop pursuing LOA is there are too many stupid people holding themselves out there as experts. Too many bad books. I think this is a new concept and unfortunately a ton of junk is being produced.