For a long time now, I’ve wanted to address this so-called “law of attraction” as it seems to repeatedly appear in different shapes and forms.

People don’t always talk about the law of attraction per se, but they might say things like, “It is important to think positive,” or, “We attract what we are,” or, “If you focus on something ‘negative’ you give it energy,” etc.

All of these statements build on the same, or a similar, principle as the law of attraction, and I am not saying that it is all untrue, but let’s just talk about the law of attraction for now.

A few years ago, “The Secret” came along. A friend introduced the concept to me, and I both read the book and watched the DVD. It all seemed exciting, so great, and so easy. Imagine that one need only visualize something and they would get it!

I realized almost immediately though that it couldn’t be quite that easy since I had been thinking about, visualizing, looking at pictures, etc., of my ex-boyfriend for years, without getting him back. And let’s face it, if it really was that easy, we’d have loads of millionaires dating Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie copies by now!

But then, of course, there where a lot of small rules, small things, that people were doing wrong that made all the difference between succeeding and failing at the law of attraction. For instance, one had to visualize in the present, not in the future, since if we visualized in the future it would also always be in the future. 

I never really did go full throttle with trying to attract my dreams through the “magic” law of attraction. There were a number of reasons for that, but mostly because I simply didn’t believe in it. Let me explain why.

First, I know not everyone believes in karma, but I do and the law of attraction does not take karma in to consideration at all. I would like to quote David Icke when he said, “I don’t care if you wallpaper your whole house with pictures of Ferraris, if it’s not part of your life path to have a Ferrari you won’t have one” and I fully, 100% agree with this.

Second, this law of attraction seem to be pushing people further into duality (by creating stronger wants and cravings for material objects and material success) rather than out of it; in my opinion, as well as the opinion of most, if not all Eastern philosophies and religions, everyone eventually has to let go of the dualities. As soon as we start to want for certain things we are encouraging the dualistic nature within ourselves and thereby increasing suffering.

In the realm of non-duality, married isn’t better than single, rich isn’t better than poor, famous isn’t better than unknown, and so on; hence, quite obviously for those with a non-dualistic mind frame, the law of attraction is of no use and of no interest.

Of course, few of us are completely non-dualistic at all times, but the more we are the less this law will appeal to us and I believe that by not engaging in trying to apply such “laws” we will encourage our evolution towards non-duality.

I suppose it would be a different story if it was only being used by people who were trying to attract a situation where they could be of most benefit to other beings (as the Buddhist saying goes, “All happiness in the world comes from trying to make other people happy”).

But to be honest, I think the people using it for this purpose are in a minority. Maybe I’m being too skeptical, but I think people mostly use it to try to gain money, partners, dream jobs, dream houses, etc. (If I am proved wrong here I will be very happy.)

Third, returning to the topic if and/or why the law of attraction does or doesn’t work: I have heard it said that the reason it does not work for some (or many?) people is that it is not enough for your conscious mind to believe that you shall have (or already have) whatever it is you are attempting to get/achieve, it is your unconscious mind that has to believe it. I don’t know if this is true, but I am open to the possibility that it is. It actually seems quite reasonable (karma is of course still unconsidered here, but apart form that).

However, this would put things in a different light! Whilst visualizing, focusing, believing, etc., with your conscious mind might not be that difficult, actually inflicting change on your unconscious mind most definitely is! The only way I know of is by good old-fashioned meditation and plenty of patience. Then, the unconscious mind can slowly, slowly start to transform.

But it will (at least hopefully) not transform in the way that it will give you a Ferrari or a Brad Pitt look-a-like—it will transform in the way that you will not want it. It will transform in a way that will allow you to see these things for the transient illusions that they really are, and it will give you the deep and profound insight that true lasting happiness cannot be found in such objects.

So, I believe that after spending lots of time and energy being caught up in a romantic affair with the beautiful illusion of the magical law of attraction, we will eventually return to the reality that there are no short cuts, no magic tricks, and no secret methods to achieve our goals or bypass our karma. If this law really worked, it would have been discovered a long time ago, not a few years ago.

I do believe that there is a, shall we say, “magic” tool. It has been around for a long time, and I have mentioned it many times already: it is called non-duality, and it is reached through genuine spiritual practice and meditation. It will take a long time and a lot of hard work, but I personally am completely convinced that it will work and that it will be worth it.

 

 

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Editorial Apprentice: Andrea Charpentier/Editor: Travis May

Photos: Pixoto/Charlene Marley