The Secret -- Law of Attraction

In my QUANTUM CINEMA column, I reviewed the film "The Secret". The book and the film are quite the talk of the town in the country since it was twice featured in Oprah's show.

In its trailer, it announced that “The Secret has passed through the ages known only to a few men,.. who… harnessed its Power.” This Secret was allegedly used to keep the rest of humanity ignorant and servile. On or after 1909, this Secret was released to the public by the few rich men who knew it. But in 1933, it was again banned. The visuals show a man in cardinal’s robe opening a parchment scroll. “Decades passed…Now, for the first time in history, the Secret is being released in a worldwide event.”

The Introductory part of the documentary follows the theme and visuals of the trailer. It is almost like The Da Vinci Code. The narrator / protagonist is in emotional turmoil. Then she re-discovers “the Secret” through a book. She then researches its history. We see an Egyptian copying the inscriptions on an emerald tablet onto a parchment. Then we see Roman soldiers running after the same man carrying a parchment much like the Dead Sea scrolls, and burying it. Then Medieval Knights (the Templars?) appear followed by a scene with a man in cardinal’s robes reading a scroll. The Secret was coveted. An alchemist is studying the scroll. The Secret was suppressed. Then, we see a present-day corporate board room with men in conference. Then somebody types the sentence: “the Secret will never be revealed to the public”.

The narrator says she couldn’t believe that the Secret was known to so many people including the great minds in history like Isaac Newton and Victor Hugo. Interestingly, Newton and Hugo also belong to another impressive list – those who belonged to the Priory of Sion who knew another kind of secret – the Holy Grail /Da Vinci Code kind.

The dramatic and sensational trailer and introduction of The Secret (2006) may induce people to watch it, but it may also turn people off. It smacks of crass commercialism.

RHONDA BYRNE

Rhonda Byrne, the Executive Producer of the documentary and author of the book of the same title, claims that a year before filming, her life was in shambles – she was burnt out from work, her father died unexpectedly and her relationships were in turmoil. Then, her daughter gave her a 100-year old book (most probably a reprint) that revealed to Rhonda “The Secret”, which turned her life around.

She then got a brilliant idea to make a film out of it so this “Secret” could be revealed to most of humankind. Leaving Australia, she then went to the US to interview scores of “teachers” of this “Secret”. The film was then followed by the best-selling book.

LAW OF ATTRACTION

This “Secret” that can give you the Midas Touch or bring you treasures like King Solomon’s Mines is called the “Law of Attraction.” This is one of the Universal Principles known to many writers, philosophers, astrologers, occultists, and great thinkers throughout the ages. Today’s New Age adherents are familiar with this principle. In its briefest form, this law means “like attracts like.”

If birds of the same feather flock together, then thoughts of the same frequency bond together. If you think rich, you get riches, if you think poor, you get poverty. The “teachers” of the film keep on repeating the essence of this Law: “You become what you think about most. You attract what you think about most.”

In the Bible, Jesus said: “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance. To him that hath little, even the little shall be taken away.” (Matthew 13:12) In other words, the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. In the same vein, the wise get wiser, the dumb get dumber.

Rich people naturally think of riches because they are surrounded by abundance while poor people think of poverty because they are always around poor people and wretched circumstances.

Children who are told they are unintelligent will tend to believe it and so get poor grades. They will then have less enthusiasm for anything intellectual. On the other hand, children who are praised as intelligent will tend to study more and attract intelligent friends and elders supportive of their intellectual pursuits.

Bob Proctor, one of the film’s resource persons says, “Why do you think that 1% of the population earn around 96% of all the money being earned?” He says, “It’s designed that way. They understand something. They understand “the Secret”.

NO SECRET

Contrary to the film’s assertion, the Law of Attraction was never a secret. People through the ages have discovered this principle and disseminated it in oral and in written form. This wisdom is found in the Vedas, in the Bible, in the Qur’an and in thousands of books and manuscripts throughout human history.

However, Bob Proctor, Rhonda Byrne and people like them understand but the multitudes don’t. As Jesus said, “…they look but do not see; they listen but do not hear or understand.” (Matthew 13:13) Even with Byrne’s documentary and book, many people would still not understand. Fortunately, this law, according to the film, “is always working whether you believe or understand it or not.”

QUANTUM PHYSICS

When Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr and Max Planck made their discoveries on Relativity and Quantum mechanics in the early part of the 20^th century, the world of Science was turned upside down. The Universe could not be explained in Newtonian terms anymore. Newtonian physics become invalid when it comes to the very big like galaxies and astronomical distances, and the very small like electrons and neutrinos. In fact, the latest theories in physics like Superstrings and the M-theory suggest that there may even be multiple universes.

Yet most of humanity simply cannot think beyond Newtonian physics. Everything is still centered on Mass or Matter; i.e., on materialism. Many people still believe only in things material; i.e., things physical. Yet Einstein proved that Energy is Mass (multiplied by a constant); i.e., all Matter is Energy. Energy is not physical.

THE SECRET MICROSCOPE

In their desire to sound scientific, some of the “teachers” exaggerate. James Arthur Ray, who was designated as a philosopher in the film, says, “You are not a finite body. Even under a microscope, you’re an energy field.”

Bob Proctor, author of the international best-seller You Were Born Rich says, “Your hand looks solid but it’s really not. If you put it under a proper microscope, you’d see a massive energy vibrating.”

I have not heard of a microscope that can enable humans to see bodies as vibrating energy or energy fields. As far as I know, no microscope has yet been built that could magnify atoms or subatomic particles like electrons or protons so that they could be seen by humans.

In fact, I have always been amazed how millions of people do not believe that spirits exist because they could not see them. Yet they believe atoms or electrons exist even if they have not seen them either. Millions of people claim to have seen spirits. Nobody has claimed to have seen by his eyes (using machines) atoms or sub-atomic particles.

Yes, we are energy but that can only be proven through mathematical equations. You can put your hand under a giant microscope, but all you can see are bacteria or cells or even molecular chains. You cannot see pure energy; or even atoms or spinning electrons.

MIND OVER MATTER

In the film, quantum physicist Dr. Fred Wolf says, “You can’t have a universe without Mind entering into it, and that the mind is actually shaping the very thing that is being perceived.”

Another physicist, Dr. John Hagelin says, “Quantum mechanics confirms it. Quantum cosmology confirms it. That the Universe essentially emerges from thought. Ultimately, we are the source of the Universe, and when we understand that power directly by experience, we can start to exercise our authority and begin to achieve more and more.”

In today’s physics, most of the Universe is mental construct. Positrons, neutrinos, quarks, black holes, worm holes etc. – from subatomic to cosmological entities -- are mere constructs which can be validated through mathematics. Nobody knows them in the physical sense. They can only be understood through the Mind.

THE BOOK AND THE FILM

The nuggets of wisdom contained in the book and the film are the same. The format of the film is similar to the documentary What the Bleep Do We Know(?), which was mostly about quantum physics. It consists mostly of talking heads, with some dramatizations. The words of the Secret’s “teachers” are reproduced verbatim in the book, with annotations by the author.

Although the Secret features mostly talking heads, it is not boring at all. The resource persons are great speakers. They are very enthusiastic about the subject. They are all speaking from experience.

In the book, one reads these people’s ideas. In the film, one sees these ideas being presented by real people talking about not just grandiose concepts but about their very own experiences. And most, if not all of them, were self-made people. They re-invented themselves by using “the Secret”.

The dramatizations had good production values and the illustrations used as backgrounds to the talking heads are quite interesting. I just find it funny that Aladdin is Chinese in the film. Don’t these Occidentals know that Orientals come in different shapes and sizes and yes, races?

GREAT PACKAGING

Rhonda Byrne knows the power of media packaging. Getting an idea from a 100-year old book, an idea which is contained in hundreds of books in libraries and bookstores, she packaged it as a “Secret” and made it into an inspirational documentary, a book and a website.

But the fact that the film, the book and the website are all smash hits simply means that the Western (and Westernized) world are now veering away from the purely physical world (The Body) and into a holistic world where the Mind and Spirit are given their proper due in the scheme of things.

Go watch the film. It may change your life.

Published in Mr. & Ms. magazine, Supermonthly of the Body, Mind & Spirit, Nov. 2007

Check out The Secret's website http://www.thesecret.tv

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Money Visualization

I subscribe to one e-zine which sends me articles on Mind Power stuff. In one article, it says Free Articles at icreatewisdom.com
I might re-post here some of the free articles. One such article is the following:


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Anticipate Wealth With Barry's Money Visualization

This is a money visualization tip from Barry Goss, who learned it from Margo Zaher, Manifesting Coach. You can use the power of visualization, and then take action. This money visualization is a little like part of my

Free Guided Meditation.

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"When was the last time you saw money falling from the sky? One great way to increase your ability to manifest large amounts of money is to use the power of money visualization.

First of all simply imagine that you are looking up at the big blue sky. It's a gorgeous day, with only a few small puffy clouds in the distance above. Then imagine small little pieces of paper are coming from those clouds.

They are $100 bills raining down!! They start increasing in
numbers now, thousands, millions and even billions of bills
are floating down! Notice the smell of these crisp new bills.

You are now in the midst of a major money visualization downpour! They are landing all over you, your house and the entire neighborhood and city!

How does it feel to have those softly float down and land all
over you? Do you feel abundant and free? If not, just notice
that. Let yourself feel the freedom of having GREAT abundance.

This is all in your imagination so just allow yourself to fully explore these super wealthy sensations. You are richer than you ever imagined. The Universe is providing you with more money that you have ever desired.

What are you going to do with this money? Think about it. If you could make your one personal heartfelt contribution to the planet with this abundance, what would you do?

Go ahead and take ONE action towards that today!! We dare you! To manifest your dream life, simply start living your dream as if it's already happening... Enjoy"

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Remember, the MOST important thing in the Visualization Process is Feelings. Without Feelings, the visualization would be all for naught. -- j. ashley

As Pluto Meets the Galactic Center

Pluto will be leaving the sign of Sagittarius in late January next year, thus ending an era that started in 1995. Bush's War on Terror and Huntington's Clash of Civilizations characterize this period in our history. At the end of this era, Pluto conjuncts with the Galactic Center. The effects of this era will be clearly seen in the next epoch which would most probably change the world as we know it now.

Below is an article I wrote for Mr. & Ms. Magazine, the Supermonthly of the Mind, Body & Spirit February 2007

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As Pluto Meets the Galactic Center

Does the Future Look Bright?

Astrologers say all earthlings are affected by the Sun, the Moon, the planets, the asteroids and the stars. Lately however, astrologers have included in their charts another Force that appears to be exerting influence on humans as well. This force is neither a planet nor an asteroid. It is way out in space – some 27,000 light years away, right at the center of Milky Way, our own galaxy.

While Earth and the other planets revolve around the Sun, the Sun and 100 billion other stars in our galaxy revolve around this Galactic Center (GC). In a way, this GC is the “Sun of our sun”. Scientists are still investigating the composition of the Galactic Center. So far, they infer from observations of the gamma ray, hard X-ray, infrared, sub-millimeter and radio wavelengths emitted by the GC that at the center of our galaxy is a super massive Black Hole the size of our sun but with a mass of almost 4 million suns!

Long before the discovery of the GC, some astrologers had already noticed some unexplained forces on the planetary bodies when these bodies pass certain positions in the latter part of Sagittarius. It appears that when the major planets are at particular angles with the GC, something significant happens. The Galactic Center is currently located in 26 degrees 55 minutes of Sagittarius.

SLOW-MOVING PLANETS

Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, because of their distance from the Sun, appear to move slowly through the zodiac signs. While the Moon stays in a Zodiac sign for about 2 and a half days, some of the more distant planets stay in one sign for as long as 30 years. Thus, they affect a generation of people. These planetary effects on the world are usually taken as the Zeitgeist or Spirit of the Times.

Astrologers are curious about the effects of these far-flung planets when they “aspect” or have angular relationships with the GC. Aspects are the angular relationships between the positions of the planetary objects in an astrological chart. These are measured in degrees. In 2007, the planet (or dwarf planet) Pluto makes an exact conjunction (0 degrees) with the GC.

SAGITTARIUS and PLUTO

For the last two millennia, the GC has been “residing” in the sign of Sagittarius. It will stay in this sign for 250 years more. Sagittarius is the sign of Wisdom, Truth, Religion, Spirituality, the “Other”, Foreignness, Travel, the Courts, and Magistrates.

From 1995 to 2008, Pluto sojourns in Sagittarius. Pluto represents Death, Destruction, Rebirth, Transformation, Sexuality, Nuclear Energy and Transcendental Healing. The meeting of Pluto and the Galactic Center in Sagittarius can only portend significant changes.

HISTORICAL PRECEDENTS

When Pluto was in Sagittarius in the years 26 to 42 A.D., the world witnessed some of history’s worst tyrant-destroyers and greatest spiritual reformers.

Tiberius succeeded Augustus as Roman Emperor in 14 AD. When Tiberius’s son died, Tiberius became despondent. In 27 AD, he left Rome to live in the island of Capri where he indulged his madness in sex and cruelty. He was succeeded ten years later by another sex-crazed emperor, Caligula.

Meanwhile, in the Middle East, the cousins John and Jesus exhorted the people to have Faith in God and not in Roman / pagan materialism. In 27 AD, John baptized Jesus and three years later, both were executed – one beheaded and the other crucified.

Around the time of the conjunction of Pluto and the GC, Saul, a Roman citizen from Tarsus (in what is now Turkey) converted to Christianity. He changed his name to Paul and became the greatest proselytizer of Christianity. Today, Paulinian Christianity is embraced by about a billion people.

The next time Pluto visited the Galactic Center, it was in 284/285 AD. Emperor Diocletian downgraded the power of the Roman Senate and divided the Roman Empire into East and West. He ruled the West and gave the East to his friend Maximianus.

Pluto came back to Sagittarius in 764-778. “By the Sword and by the Cross,” Charlemagne, King of the Franks, became master of Western Europe. Charlemagne eventually was crowned Emperor by Pope Leo III, which marked the union of the Roman Church and the Western European kingdoms. This made permanent the break between the Catholic Church in Constantinople and the Catholic Church in Rome.

PLUTO THE DESTROYER, REBUILDER AND HEALER

Every time Pluto visits Sagittarius, something is destroyed and something rebuilt. In 1010-24, foreigners again took over a country. This time, the Danes became the rulers of England.

But usually, Knowledge takes ascendancy. This was the time of the great Muslim thinker Ibn Sina (Avicenna), whose magnum opus The Book of Healing is considered the largest work of its kind ever written by one man. It covered Mathematics, Logic, Psychology, Natural Sciences, Astronomy and Music. His Canon of Medicine re-introduced the scientific works of ancient Greek and Roman philosophers-physicians to Medieval Europe, which eventually paved the way for Europe’s Renaissance.

In the next appearance of Pluto in Sagittarius (1256-70), Thomas Aquinas laid down his philosophy. Aquinas mentioned Avicenna in practically every other page of his works. The genius Roger Bacon also lived and wrote during this period.

THE RENAISSANCE

Pluto returned to Sagittarius during the height of the European Renaissance. This was the time of Michelangelo, arguably the world’s greatest artist; and, Mr. Renaissance himself, the genius Leonardo da Vinci.

In 1502, Balboa “discovered” the Pacific Ocean which paved the way for the European conquest of Asia. In the same year, the Persians regained control of their land from foreigners (Mongols). The Safavid dynasty flourished and Shi’ite Islam became the state religion of Persia.

This period also coincided with the Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire. With Pluto’s entry into Sagittarius, Beyazid II became a mystic. He was deposed by his son Selim I in 1512, after ruling for 31 years.

Henry VIII became King of England in 1509. He later broke away from the Roman Catholic Church by establishing the Church of England.

In 1505, Martin Luther renounced the world and became a monk. In 1512, he earned his doctorate and began teaching biblical literature in Wittenberg University. By 1517, Luther posted his 95 theses on the door of the Wittenberg church – an act that eventually led to the division of Western Christianity into Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.

Copernicus propounded his theory that the Earth and other planets revolved around the Sun but he refused to have his book published until his death. He was afraid of the backlash from the Church fathers who believed that the Earth was the center of the universe.

About the time of the conjunction of the GC and Pluto, Sharif Kabungsuwan, the first ruler of the Sultanate of Maguindanao, arrived in Mindanao.

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Pluto returned to Sagittarius in 1749-1762. This saw the birth of the Industrial Revolution (1750). In 1751, the French Encyclopédie was published. It was the work of the Western world’s great thinkers which included Voltaire, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Denis Diderot and Jean D’Alembert. Voltaire’s and Rousseau’s writings caused the downfall of the French clergy and monarchy.

In the Ottoman Empire, Islamic revivalism was on the rise. About the time of the GC – Pluto conjunction (1760/61), a palace coup d’état relegated the Sultan to a figurehead.

In 1760, George III became King of England. Later, he would lose the American colonies and later become mentally unbalanced.

In 1761 and 1762, Sultan Mu’izz ud din of Sulu signed two treaties with England’s Alexander Dalrymple.

Europeans fought the Seven Years’ War which was an extension of the French and Indian wars in America. France lost its possessions in America and the West Indies.

In 1762, as part of the Seven Years War, the British conquered Manila. The British freed the old Sulu Sultan Azim ud Din I who had been held hostage in Intramuros by the Spaniards for more than a dozen years.

From the historical precedents, we can see that when Pluto visits the sign of Sagittarius, we can be sure of certain things: Death, Destruction, Rebirth, Reformation, Knowledge, Fear of “the Other”, Lies, Truth, Foreign Invasion or Liberation from Foreigners, Power Play and Religion.

I. T. REVOLUTION

Now, with Pluto again in Sagittarius (1995-2008), the Information Technology Revolution is in full throttle. Advances in computer technology and the internet / World Wide Web come at a dizzying speed.

But Pluto the destroyer is also back. The world witnessed the 9/11 attack, Bush’s “War on Terror”, the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq, and the Israel-Lebanon war. Religion is again in the forefront.

In the Philippines, we had Erap’s “All-Out War” against the MILF, Arroyo’s fight against the Leftists and the Rightists, the Abu Sayyaf kidnappings, etc. At present, the Government-MILF peace talks have stalled and MNLF leader Nur Misuari is held captive by the Philippine government.

PLUTO AND THE GC

For the first time in history, astrologers can actually experience the effect of the exact conjunction of Pluto and the Galactic Center. This will occur on 29/30 Dec 2006. In 2007, Pluto will exactly conjunct GC in July 18 and Oct. 26.

In Feb/ Mar 2006, the GC and Pluto were in close conjunction. In the Philippines, President Arroyo proclaimed a state of emergency or PP 1017, which was vigorously opposed by many Filipinos, especially those in the media.

Some astrologers see the Super Black Hole in the Galactic Center as a Purging mechanism. Every time Pluto enters Sagittarius, madness and destruction comes in its wake. It is the periodic purging of the world.

PHOENIX RISING

Pluto in Sagittarius is the perfect time for Samuel Huntington’s Clash of (Religious) Civilizations. Hopefully, enlightened reformers will come to the fore to bring about a happier scenario. Like the Phoenix, which is also a symbol of Pluto, the world can rise from its ashes and transform itself into a harmonious global environment where bigotry and intolerance are minimized if not eliminated.

Sagittarius is Knowledge and Pluto is Power. When Pluto is in Sagittarius, Knowledge becomes Power. Truth overcomes Lies. The last days of 2006 and the year 2007 can only prove interesting. (END)

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At the exact conjunction of Pluto and GC on Midnight of 29/30 Dec 2006, US Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith was smuggled out of a Makati jail and brought to the custody of the US Embassy despite his conviction on charges of raping a Filipino woman. This exemplifies the arrogance of foreign / imperialistic power symbolized by Pluto. see Nicole: 'A Stab In the Back by Arroyo'

For the July 18 exact conjunction of Pluto and the GC, the Philippines' attention was on the Armed Forces attack on MILF which resulted in the beheading of some 10 Marines on July 10, 2007. The AFP wanted another "all-out war" against the MILF - Moros but nobody took the bait. The Galactic Center and Sagittarius want Truth not Lies and Media spin. See Philippine military warns of 'all-out war' against militants

For the Oct 26, 2007 exact conjunction, Joey de Venecia delivered a political bombshell - Pres. Arroyo's husband was promised US$ 70 million payoff for the Broadband Deal. See First Gentleman to get $70M from NBN deal--De Venecia III

Happy Halloween!!

Halloween, a Christian and Pagan Tradition