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"What the Bleep?" and "The Secret"

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DannyB11:
my apologies Psy, again my multiple personality disorder is flaring again. I am powerless over it you see. I want to clarify that in my previous post when I said i enjoy "giving back" that really means "creating new minions". I have a secret: each new person i convince that they are an addict like myself - I gain their soul as a slave in the afterlife.
Peace and Powerlessness
Danny

Ursus:
Here's a great little interview. The news anchor who interviewed these two ... later ended up also doing a fair amount of news coverage of the James 'Death' Ray sweat lodge debacle just two and a half years later:

CBSNewsOnline · March 01, 2007
Experts Debate Self-Help Phenom 'The Secret' (CBS News)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn4EXAETBhA

James Ray and John Norcross debate the merits and the demerits of 'The Secret'[/list]

I couldn't help but notice James Ray's continual reference to "case studies," perhaps more accurately described as testimonials. These appeared to be pretty much the basis for Ray's claims of "scientific studies."

John Norcross pointed out that case studies are not the same thing as clinical trials. There will always be cases of spontaneous remissions, etc. etc. Their co-occurrence does not prove causality. Sound familiar, anyone?  :D

Ursus:
There are actually six separate links to the same site within this older "blog" entry by James Arthur Ray ("CREATE HARMONIC WEALTH® IN ALL AREAS OF YOUR LIFE..."), which direct you to purchase the book, The Key: The Missing Secret for Attracting Anything You Want. That's high even for an obvious commercial!  

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Tuesday, October 23, 2007
The Key to the Law of Attraction

Many people often question the Law of Attraction...

"Come on, does the Law of Attraction work or not?"
"Why does it seem to work sometimes but not all the time?"
"Why is there at least one stubborn problem in my life that just won't go away, even when I throw all the self-help methods at it?"
Maybe you're even asking the same...

My friend (and fellow costar of The Secret), Joe Vitale has a brand new book that addresses all of these questions and more. It's called The Key: The Missing Secret for Attracting Anything You Want.

This phenomenal book explains what Joe regards as the fundamental error in virtually all self-help programs...

In short:


* Anything will work when you are in alignment with your goals.
* Nothing will work until you get in alignment with your goals.
"Alignment" means your conscious and unconscious mind want the same thing.

Most people are not in alignment with what they say they want, so they end up blaming their lack of results on everything from the movie they watched, the book they read, the therapist they saw, the self-help program they tried and so on.

But the real problem isn't out there... it's inside and requires inner "clearing" work.

How do you get in alignment so you can have, do, or be virtually anything? How do you get your conscious intent and your unconscious counter-intent to agree? How do you "get clear" once and for all?

The Key is the missing secret to knowing how to consciously co-create circumstance...the final piece to the puzzle.

Get the book, as well as a bunch of free gifts, from this link: http://www.unlock-the-secret.com/

If you know you can achieve more but can't seem to make it happen, The Key reveals the psychological and unconscious limitations that are holding you back. It reveals ten proven ways to remedy this situation, aligning your conscious and unconscious beliefs once and for all.

I highly recommend you get your hands on a copy right away.

By the way, The Key is also available on audio, read by the man himself, Joe Vitale. Look for it on iTunes, Audible.com, Amazon.com or BN.com.

Labels: book, vitale

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Comments:

George Thomas said ... (10/30/2007 7:02 PM):
GOD BLESS YOU, James Ray.

You'll forgive my overwhelming enthusiasm. This is evidence (in case any was needed) that TRUTH, LOVE and - dare I write it - Nah.. But some know what I was about to.

You have promoted the work of what 'back in the old days' would have been viewed as a "competitor".

But - with new understanding comes new behavior. I commend you as much as another human can - God Bless you, James Ray (and I know it is happening as I write).

Yes, I'm reading Dr. Joe's book. Yes, I was in Atlanta for the weekend (and I recommend that any and everyone make one of these events).

Sincerely (without wax) -
Love - to you, and the team,

George
http://www.iwantmiracles.com/[/list]

Ursus:
Another older blog entry by James Ray ... with some interesting comments. Do these people really believe that testimonials qualify as "facts" and "science?" I wonder what these folks are thinking now...

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Tuesday, February 27, 2007
James Ray on the Today show
In case you missed it, here's the link to James' interview on the Today show... Hear what the skeptics have to say about The Secret and how James responds.

Labels: interview, media, the secret, today show


Comments:

Lori said ... (2/27/2007 12:22 PM):
I just finished watching the segment on The Secret and the Law of Attraction and these were my comments to NBC.

I find it quite telling that the Today show chose to spend the 7 minutes the program allotted this topic, denigrating the Law of Attraction, focusing on it's so called harmful effects and reducing it to fluffy "positive thinking" or "simple desire", when it is so much more.

They spent more time in the previous hour regurgitating the Anna Nicole Smith story for the seven thousandth time (can you say OVERDONE?) and investigating the fascination with celebrity in our country. What about those harmful effects? Not even mentioned. Telling, very telling.

Yes, The Secret is new packaging. So what? "What the Bleep Do We Know" is a movie of the same concept with as many, if not more doctors, scientists, spiritual leaders etc., spouting the same facts and science, but because it did not reach the masses like the Rhonda Byrne movie, no one felt the need to gather a flurry of experts to dispute the validity. Oh wait, experts? A professor, a writer/editor of Newsweek and an uninformed psychiatrist, not exactly what I would call experts, but have it your way NBC, more power to you.

It's sad that a movie that has the possibility of giving people power over their lives and taking them OUT of victim mode is so scary to the mainstream media. What are they afraid of? Did any of them even watch The Secret? Most likely not, as evidenced by Dr. Gail Saltz misleading statement insinuating that the movie claims if you think hard enough about not having cancer then you don’t have to go out and get chemotherapy or radiation. Absolutely not even close to what the movies states and she and Matt could not have misconstrued the message of the movie more. Why she felt the need to cut off James to spew this nonsense is unimaginable. Dr. Saltz seems to want to keep people in victim mode by telling them that what happens to them is not related to the thoughts, beliefs and feelings they are sending out.

Thankfully I give the people more credit than Dr. Saltz does. I am confident that anyone who actually watches the movie will see through her total misunderstanding of these concepts. The real fact is whether one is thinking "have cancer" or "not have cancer" the fact that one is thinking "cancer" at all is the real issue. What you focus on expands. That is fact. Watch it occur in the negative as much as in the positive.

The movie never claims to heal cancer by positive thinking. "Secret Teacher" Bob Proctor clearly states "Let the doctors worry about the disease while you focus on health and well being." To mislead the public by stating that The Secret advises positive thinking as the cure of disease or the cure of any woe is downright despicable and misleading. And the fact that media outlets (Larry King and CNN are also guilty of this) insist upon describing the Law of Attraction as mere positive thinking is infuriating. Anyone with half a brain could watch the movie and understand this is far from the case.

Thank God for people like Oprah and Ellen who give The Secret the time and explanation that it deserves. The world is transforming and you can't stop the evolution of consciousness. But you can stop viewers from tuning into your show. This one just did. And I have a lot of friends and family. Shame on you NBC and the Today show.

Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't - either way you are RIGHT. THAT is the Law of Attraction.

Sincerely,
Lori Petro
Actor, Educator, Mom and Powerful Human happily attracting parking spots wherever I go.sasmbs said ... (2/27/2007 3:41 PM):
It seems the press continues their habit of picking out parts of a statement and representing it as the whole in order to shift the meaning of the message. In this case they have failed in their attempts to prevent TRUTH from reaching the public.

James congratulations on standing up for TRUTH and continuing to speak the facts.

As you have said "truth is timeless" and the truth will feel like the truth to those who are willing to listen.

I continue to appreciate your commitment and your courage.

Namaste.IrmaMitton said ... (2/27/2007 5:37 PM):
James, the fact that you could so calmly, gracefully, and eloquently speak up for your convictions in that hostile environment just shows how much you are a master of everything you teach. How sad that the other participants were so determined to discredit Rhonda's work and all the Universal Principles it contains. Thank you for taking the time again to spread the Secret. You are such a brilliant emissary of love and joy! Peace always.maryam said ... (2/27/2007 9:31 PM):
Interesting.of cours Dr. Gail what ever would say that ,think about it when people start understanding the Law of Attraction,there wouldn't be so many client for her.By the way Dr. Gail ,next time you appear on TV ,please get a book and study a little ,so you can at least argue like a adult .
James, I'm so thank full to have a teacher like you.Cod bless you and keep up amazing work.
Maryam from seattleAmy J + Energy = Bliss! said ... (2/28/2007 12:51 AM):
Thank you for posting this. I missed it!

Oh my! The Doc is quite the skeptic! More than that, she is radiates shutdowness and negativity. I noticed I didn't feel any joy radiating from her nor was her physical carriage one of joy.

James you did brilliantly with the little time they allowed you to say anything without being interupted.

The world will get what the world will get from this interview, the Newsweek coverage (boy did the Newsweek writer radiate grumpy negativity!)as well as The Secret. The world is waking up to the truth of WHO is really here!

All Love,
AmyGoodLifeDenver said ... (2/28/2007 7:50 AM):
I was wondering when the naysayers would appear. Here they are. It's okay. We've been co-existing for centuries and enlightening the planet anyway. Rock on, James.Christina said ... (2/28/2007 10:11 AM):
Thanks so much for posting the interview. I belong to the Abraham-Hicks Yahoo group, and folks were talking you and the interview today --- so I'm thankful to be able to view it for myself.

First off, I want to say one big 'way to go James'!!! That you stuck in there despite Rhonda not being there (for whatever reason). And that you are playing in the big leagues with this. The Today Show no less. Congrats on hitting some of your own personal goals (Oprah, Larry King, etc). Good on you! Very inspirational.

Secondly, I'm just glad that someone (James!) who has been preparing for this for quite some time, is now prepared enough to handle these kinds of hot seats. You did a great job ... I felt the interview ended on a 'to be continued kind of note'. It was starting to get into a juicy discussion, with interesting points on either side. Things that need to be hashed out so folks can really get what LOA is truly about.

Even though the angle was obviously a little skewed from the big biz / media bias, James did an admirable job in holding his own. And was respectful ... something I think is very important to demonstrate in all of this. It is ok to have different beliefs. To discuss these ideas with civility.

It is really a different paradigm that LOA is about. The doctor even saying 'people focusing on not getting cancer' ... nope, she doesn't get it. You won't get any where by focusing on what you don't want.

Ahhhhh, so great that these kinds of conversations and debates are going on. Obviously its difficult to fit anything into 30 second sound bites ... especially what is really being said with LOA.

Yes, The Secret has its flaws or weak points ... what doesn't. However its playing a wonderful role in creating debate and introducing people to some different ways of thinking ... outside of our current victim consciousness that seems to reign so supreme.

Again, congrats James. I look forward to seeing the next morphs and shifts that the LOA path takes ... and thank you for your public role in helping these things unfold.

In gratitude. Christina MerkleyShelly said ... (3/06/2007 7:55 AM):
The really funny thing about all the "neigh sayers and skeptics" is that even their so called negative input and focus actually brings more attention and energy to The Secret and expands the consciousness on the planet. That is the beauty of the LOA. Pretty darned cool if you ask me!

The only way the "skeptics" (aka Source's Co-Creators) can reverse this phenomenon is for them to embrace the principles and focus on the opposite..... which would mean they would have to endorse the message in the film. Win-win.

Supporters or skeptics....it's all good! Really.Sheila said ... (4/23/2008 1:02 PM):
How's your butt?

That seat was so hot it was smoking!

Here's my comment in a nutshell. Truth is in the eye of the beholder. Science or no science, real or not real, I choose to believe because my life has shown the results of removing limiting beliefs. I am finally becoming the example of possibility I always knew I could be but didn't know how.

That woman was sent in to play devil's advocate and that is such a good thing, because every time a person stands up for their beliefs it reinforces the passion behind them.

You eased elegantly through that one and I am grateful everyday for this fantastic journey!

Well Done.Monica said ... (4/28/2008 10:45 AM):
James, you are truly an amazing amazing being. Anyone else would have crumbled in that seat under so much negativity, pressure and impudence. You were the star of the interview even though some inconsiderate individuals kept cutting you off. I was blown away at how you rebutted with those psychology quotations - you were so much more informed than a "medical doctor." I am so grateful to have a guru that practices what he preaches. I am so grateful to have you as my teacher. I remember your words every day. Thank you for changing my life.Madalyn said ... (2/25/2009 11:06 AM):
This post has been removed by the author.[/list]

Ursus:
Gotta love Barbara Ehrenreich!  :D

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Religion Dispatches Magazine
ESSAY
October 11, 2009

Barbara Ehrenreich's Bright-Sided Explores the Dark Side of Positive Thinking
By Michelle Goldberg

· Have a nice day.

Bright-Sided: How The Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America
by Barbara Ehrenreich
Metropolitan Books (October 13, 2009)

Last month, the front page of the New York Times style section ran an inadvertently depressing story about a group of young life coaches sometimes referred to as the "spiritual cowgirls." These hip young women, who have lots of charisma but no professional qualifications, are setting themselves up as ersatz gurus to their questing peers. They charge hundreds of dollars for sessions that combine new age atmospherics with the kind of power-of-positive thinking nostrums that made a phenomenon out of The Secret.

"[N]ow there is a new role model for New York's former Carrie Bradshaws—young women who are vegetarian, well versed in self-help and New Age spirituality, and who are finding a way to make a living preaching to eager audiences, mostly female," reported the Times. One 31-year-old member of this eager audience is quoted praising her spiritual tutor Gabrielle Bernstein, a 29-year-old former nightclub publicist who lectures on using the "laws of attraction" to "manifest" one's desires. "A lot of women look up to her," the student says. "We need this guidance and we are searching for this guidance." Bernstein's audacity in marketing herself as a sage appears to be matched by the piteousness of her customers.

The Times story is evidence of the timeliness of Barbara Ehrenreich's bracing, acidulous new book, Bright-Sided: How The Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America. A broadside against exactly the sort of pabulum peddled by Bernstein, Bright-Sided reveals the historical roots and conservative uses of the positive thinking movement, showing how it encourages victim-blaming, political complacency, and a culture-wide flight from realism.

"The flip side of positivity is... a harsh insistence on personal responsibility: if your business fails or your job is eliminated, it must be because you didn't try hard enough, didn't believe firmly enough in the inevitability of your success," writes Ehrenreich. "As the economy has brought more layoffs and financial turbulence to the middle class, the promoters of positive thinking have increasingly emphasized this negative judgment: to be disappointed, resentful, or downcast is to be a 'victim' and a 'whiner.' "

It's satisfying, in a cranky contrarian way, to watch a writer as smart as Ehrenreich take aim at something as universally revered as dogged optimism. Yet while America's obsessive positivity might be risible, it initially seems like a stretch to describe it as dangerous. Nevertheless, Bright-Sided makes a surprisingly convincing case that positive thinking—which essentially teaches that one's thoughts, properly harnessed, can control physical events in the world—is often delusional and sometimes actively dangerous.

Pentecostals call their version of positive thinking ideology "naming and claiming." New age types call it the "law of attraction," and business consultants peddle it in the form of quasi-mystical motivational exercises and paeans to visionary leadership. All of them promote a similar type of magical thinking, whose roots Ehrenreich traces back to the "New Thought" movement of the 1860s. "New Thought," Ehrenreich explains, emerged as a reaction to harsh Calvinism: "In the New Thought vision, God was no longer hostile or indifferent; he was a ubiquitous, all-powerful Spirit or Mind, and since 'man' was really Spirit too, man was coterminous with God... The trick, for humans, was to access the boundless power of Spirit and thus exercise control over the physical world."

From there, Ehrenreich shows how positive thinking evolved into a creed of capitalist motivation, largely by way of Norman Vincent Peale. She writes of the truly terrifying extent to which positive thinking is enforced in corporate America, where it seems to constitute a form of self-enforced mind control. In 2007, she points out, an employee at a Utah-based company called Prosper Inc., which specializes in corporate motivation, was waterboarded as part of a business exercise—his colleagues were urged to fight for sales as hard as he'd fought for air.

Rather than offering a refuge from the acquisitive creed of positive thinking, much of the evangelical world has embraced it, though not as egregiously as pentecostals have in the prosperity gospel, which holds that God rewards positive thinking with material riches. In one of the book's most effective, maddening chapters, Ehrenreich travels to prosperity preacher Joel Osteen's sprawling stadium of a church. For Osteen and preachers like him, she writes "success comes mainly through 'reprogramming' your mind into positive mental images, based on what amounts to the law of attraction: 'You will produce what you're continually seeing in your mind,' Osteen promises."

In a society with as much desperation and instability as ours, such promises are cruelly tantalizing. Hence the tremendous success of prosperity preachers, life coaches, and quasi-metaphysical self-help authors like Rhonda Byrne, author of the aforementioned positive-thinking bestseller The Secret. Byrne once claimed that disasters like the 2006 tsunami can only happen to people who are "on the same frequency as the event," which appears to suggest that the victims brought catastrophe on themselves.

Positive thinking, then, employs sticks as well as carrots. "It ends up imposing a mental discipline as exacting as that of the Calvinism it replaced—the endless work of self-examination and self-control or, in the case of positive thinking, self-hypnosis," writes Ehrenreich.

Indeed, such magical thinking extends to our perception of sickness and health. Bright-Sided begins with a chapter on the relentlessly insipid, pink-beribboned culture surrounding breast cancer, which Ehrenreich was plunged into after being diagnosed with the disease. Based on a widespread but flawed belief that positive thinking can improve one's odds of survival, breast cancer patients are urged to eschew anger and find meaning and even uplift in the disease. "In the most extreme characterization, breast cancer is not a problem at all, not even an annoyance—it is a 'gift,' deserving of the most heartfelt gratitude," writes Ehrenreich.

Those who can't or won't adopt such a sunny attitude may be ostracized or browbeaten. "[T]he sugar-coating of cancer can exact a dreadful cost," she writes. "First, it requires the denial of understandable feelings of anger and fear, all of which must be buried under a cosmetic layer of cheer. This is a great convenience for health workers and even friends of the afflicted, who might prefer fake cheer to complaining, but it is not so easy on the afflicted."

At this point, it's easy to protest that there's a difference between superficial cheer and, say, a hard-won self-acceptance, or a sustaining hope for the future. The biggest flaw in Bright-Sided is that it fails to distinguish between different kinds of optimism, to differentiate positive thinking from the healthy cultivation of mindfulness or gratitude. Instead, Ehrenreich tends to write as if all work towards improving the self is a diversion from the real work of improving society. "The threats we face are real and can be vanquished only by shaking off self-absorption and taking action in the world," she writes.

That's true to some extent, but the division between internal and external change isn't entirely neat. Some variant of determined optimism, after all, is needed for social change. How else could Gandhi believe that he could get the British to leave India, or Martin Luther King convince himself and his followers in the possibility of winning racial equality? Barack Obama became president in part by imbuing millions of individuals with the wild hope that they could change the world. Isn't that also a kind of positive thinking?

Clearly, Ehrenreich is not counseling a widespread embrace of despair, but it still would have been useful to see her explain how galvanic, inspiring varieties of optimism vary from the willful self-delusion she decries. It's delicious to watch her demolish the smug pieties that rationalize so much American injustice, but even a committed pessimist can see that not all positivity is negative.

Michelle Goldberg
Michelle Goldberg, a contributing editor for Religion Dispatches, is the author of The Means of Reproduction: Sex, Power and the Future of the World (Penguin, 2009), and the New York Times bestseller Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism.


© Religion Dispatches 2010.

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