[Q] The Law Of Attraction?

[Rob Galaxy]

Does anyone have an explanation of The Law Of Attraction?

[CraigD]

Historically, the term “law of attraction” has been used to mean many things, including laws of gravity and electromagnetism. Since about the 18th and 19th centuries, as these physics concepts became better understood, the term has come to refer mostly to phenomena of many sorts resulting from underlying human psychological motivation and/or chance, and been used almost completely in a non-scientific context. Examples of phenomena attributed to a “law of attraction” include the 1859 Colorado gold rush, and many individual’s personal successes. In many cases, speakers and writers using the phrase attribute the phenomena not to psychological factors, but to supernatural ones.

 

Most recently, the term has been by a 2006 film and 2007 book titled “The Secret”, which proposes that if one wishes very hard and with great faith for something, one will get it. Similar ideas are promoted in the 2004 film “What the #$*! Do We Know!?”. I’ve not seen or read “The Secret”, but have seen “What the #$*!?”, and found it amusing and well-produced, but very scientifically inaccurate.

 

As most widely used now, I’d say “the law of attraction” is roughly synonymous with the moral principle of “wish and you shall receive”.

 

Since about 1970, when interpretations of quantum physics such as the Copenhagen interpretation and more pointedly the Many Worlds interpretation, scientific research failing to support various claims of ESP, and fictional depictions of this same research showing wild successes, became commonly taught and known, many people have suggested that strong wishful thinking causes one to “select world lines” or otherwise effect events other than via physical causes.

 

Although scientists and psychologists almost unanimously reject these ideas, IMHO a reasonable argument can be made, and is supported by a small body of empirical evidence, that the sort of faithful wishing promoted by them can, in moderation, be beneficial, because such thinking reduces stress, anxiety, and depression, psychological factors that can adversely affect ones ability to reach goals and have successes. On the other hand, excessive wishful thinking can be constitute magical thinking, which appears a cause of serious mental illness in some people.

 

In summary, I think people are best served by following the rational moral principle that one should strive to achieve ones goals through diligent effort, while maintaining a happy emotional state by taking frequent breaks from stressful activity to engage in happiness-promoting interpersonal interaction and recreational activity. Example of well-established, comprehensive philosophical and therapeutic approaches following this principle are REBTs.

[enorbet2]

Wow! CraigD. I'm impressed with your post and personal cool. Mention of "The Secret" and/or it's underlying "Law" tend to elicit either laughter or disgusted spitting on my part, depending on mood of the moment. In a similar manner to Astrology, at it's heart it seems to rely on the tendency of people to court overinflated self-importance to seduce easy acceptance. Such common, irrational bias is responsible for Earth-Centric cosmology, the idea that evolution is goal oriented, and various "Chosen People" scenarios and beliefs. It probably fuels the desire in many to believe in a parental deity that is looking out for you personally or good people in general.

 

By contrast, and as CraigD implies with the "rational" part of REBT, it doesn't necessarily follow that just because we are very small within the vast-beyond-comprehension scope of the Universe that we are entirely insignificant on all scales. If we view being born into the world as being tossed into some chaotic riptide of massive forces, we also must accept that many of these forces balance and the net effect then is not one of hopelessness or the "meaningless thermodynamic dance" described by Dr. Lilly in the most negative state of consciousness. Not only can we choose to be positive, we can see that a focused, unrelenting force instigated by us has good odds at succeeding since we are, or can be, goal oriented, and so few large forces are. The Universe (or alternatively The Planet, Society, etc) may care little if at all that we live or succeed, but it conversely cares little if we die or fail, equally. No one group is likely so focused on us to be "out to get us" individually.

 

It seems to me that the only value to setting up any level of "Attraction" is that it may make us more likely to spot opportunity and be prepared to act on it. We just can't leave out that last bit - act on it.... that is unless Axe products or Burger King sandwiches truly are magic as claimed in commercials.