To me, it seems pretty obvious that the law of attraction works… at least as defined by (a) visualizing something I want, and (b) it arriving some of the time, significantly more often than if I didn’t visualize. I may have misgivings of how it is sometimes used (to get more stuff our beliefs tell us will make us happy, or to blame the victim), and some of the reasons given for how it works, but that doesn’t change the fact that it (sometimes) works.
At the very least, it works for the reasons outlined in all the research on self-fulfilling prophesies… In my own experience, it seems to work for some of the following reasons:
- It clarifies my intentions at many levels. When I visualizing something, many levels of my being naturally align with it, including my views, emotions and behavior (at least to some extent, depending on how often and with how much details and felt-sense I visualize it).
- For this reason, I am more alert to opportunities when they arise, and I am ready to act on them. I look for these opportunities, and I am ready and prepared to act (much like a basketball player visualizing getting the ball through the hoop, and then being more likely to do so on the court).
- I also am more likely to place myself in situations where these opportunities are more likely to arise, and even to create them myself.
- In general, I am more optimistic about having what I visualize in my life, which allows, invites and enhances the effects listed above.
As with anything else we do to bring something about, it is an invitation. The guest may or may not come, if it arrives it does so on its own schedule, inherent in its arrival is its leaving, and the guest(s) that arrive may brings some surprises as well.
To me, it seems lame (to put it crudely, and with some shadow stuff included) to blanketly state that the law of attraction doesn’t work, is a scam, and so on. It is fine to say it doesn’t get people the lasting happiness they seek (because it doesn’t), and it is fine to say that the reasons given for why it works are bogus (which they often seem to be), but to say that the law of attraction itself doesn’t work is as bogus as anything they try to put down.
For one, it discounts a good deal of solid research on self-fulfilling prophecies. It also, maybe less importantly since it is anecdotal evidence, discounts the experiences of innumerable folks who find it a useful, practical and effective tool.
It is quite likely that the Law of Attraction works all of the time. Bring attention to our personal behavioral and thinking patterns and we can see how we have “attracted” this life we are living. Realizing this, we can attempt to direct what is attracted. I note that people who have pretty dismal lives have behavior and thought patterns that appear to have “attracted” and nurtured the these scenarios not unlike how the seemingly “lucky” people have attracted positive scenarios.
Yes, that seems to be true… When I said “some of the time” I was thinking more of very specific things, which may or may not materialize (at least not in the exact form visualized).
According to a guy by the name of William Bodri, “the Secret” is just one component of the equation — you also need merit to manifest change in destiny. http://www.meditationexpert.com/blog/?p=7 While he is somewhat heavy into marketing, he does give many interesting and clear ideas away. The book of Liao Fan he recommends is also a great read.
Yes, I am not surprised that is mentioned as well. But, I have never seen “merit” for myself, and haven’t seen much research on it, so that is why I didn’t mention it…
Also, if there is anything that we can call “merit”, it seems that it has to be here/now (where else could it be?), and probably embedded in the patterns of the individual at the different levels (physical, emotional, mental, etc.).
Say we habitually act from a smaller circle of care and compassion (leaving many out), then those patterns are reflected at all levels of our being, and they create specific consequences for ourselves and others. We act from the idea of a split between us and them, and reap those consequences in terms of conflict, acting in ways harmful to the larger whole we ourselves depend on, people mirroring our actions back to us, and so on.
And if we act from wider circle of care and concern, for instance including the Earth as a whole and future generations, then that will be reflected at all levels of our being, and that will be reflected back to us by the world. We act from more generosity, so receive that back.
To me, that is one way merit makes sense… actually, it is the only way right now, at least if I go to my own experience.
Just as a side note: I notice that terms in eastern spiritual traditions are sometimes taken as something abstract, mysterious and esoteric, while it can often easily be understood in more down-to-earth terms, in ways that connect with our own experience.