The phrase Law of Attraction, although
used widely by esoteric writers, has a variety of definitions.
Turn of the century references conceptualized the law of
attraction as relating to physical structure and to how matter
develops. A more modern consensus among New Thought thinkers
is that the Law of Attraction says people's thoughts (both
conscious and unconscious) dictate the reality of their lives,
whether or not they're aware of it. Essentially "if
you really want something and believe it's possible, you'll
probably get it" but that putting a lot of attention
and thought onto something you don't want means you'll probably
get that too.
Widespread popular interest for the law of attraction reached
its peak after the release of the The Secret (2006 film).
After the film's release, the book, Law of Attraction: The
Basics of the Teachings of Abraham, by Esther Hicks and Jerry
Hicks made the New York Times Best Sellers list, drawing
more attention and interest to this topic. In 2007, Oprah
Winfrey began a series of interviews during her talk show
on the law of attraction.
Since many of the claims of the law of attraction appear
impossible without violating established scientific principles
and our understanding of the universe, it has received criticism
from the scientific community. Physicist Ali Alousi,
for instance, criticized it as unmeasurable (and therefore
unscientific) as well as questioning the likelihood that
thoughts can affect anything outside the head. The associated
press is also quoted as saying that "some medical professionals
suggest it could even lead to a blame-the-victim mentality
and actually be dangerous to those suffering from serious
illness or mental disorders". |
