There is a recent book and DVD out that claims to give the "secret" to health, wealth, and happiness to anyone who practices the techniques covered. The book, titled "The Secret," is by Rhonda Byrne, an Australian television writer and producer. The companion DVD includes twenty four guest lecturers that tell us how this "secret" affected their lives and how we can have it change ours.

The "secret" is what the book calls the "law of attraction." I've heard about this so-called "law" in the late sixties and early seventies. It was connected with such philosophies as "free love" and the "new age" movement. This "law" simply states that anything you can conceive in your deepest thoughts will eventually become a reality. If you drown out the noise of the world around you, and concentrate on what really matters to you, everything you dream will come to pass.

During the late sixties, I was a young man in my twenties. What I really wanted was to find a dream girl whose characteristics I've fashioned deep in my mind. I imagined how beautiful she would be and how her sweet and loving ways would rival the angels in heaven. I even gave my beloved dream the name "Kathleen." Throughout the seventies, eighties, and nineties I waited for her coming. While I was waiting, I've had several relationships, but always with real women who lacked some of the major qualities of my "Kathleen." Now it's too late, I'm too old and too poor to handle "Kathleen" even if she did make an appearance.

I tried using this "law" in other respects, too. Like everyone else, I also wanted to be independently wealthy. I constantly dreamed about this. I didn't stop at just wishing for it. I actually worked to realize this dream by studying engineering, physics, and computer science. This got me assorted jobs, but not the fame and fortune I expected.

I know a lady, who claimed to be more spiritual than me. She would tell me that I was too much of a realist for the "law of attraction" to work for me. She instructed me to be more positive like her and I would get my every desire fulfilled. She too dreamed big wishing for love, wealth, and happiness. She had the walls of her room covered with positive sayings and a poster she made with the number 65,000, which was the salary she expected to earn by the end of the year. Here was someone who was perpetually upscale and really believed that she would get what she wished for. Fate tossed her a cruel blow. Not only were her wishes not granted, but she was forced to face tragedy after tragedy. Death in the family, her job moving to Mexico, the loss of her home, and a mountain of debt were some of the things she attracted instead of the wealth and happiness she wished for.

One interesting tale of mind over matter is told on "The Secret" DVD by the person who lived it. His name is Morris E. Goodman. In 1981 he was involved in a horrific plane crash that left him completely paralyzed. He could not even breathe on his own without a respirator. In his mind he set a goal to walk out of the hospital by Christmas. Eight months after his accident, he did just that, walked out of the hospital.

When Goodman was first hospitalized, his condition reminded me of Christopher Reeve. Reeve was the actor best known for his portrayal of Superman in the late seventies and eighties movie series. In 1995 he was thrown off a horse and was paralyzed from the neck down. He remained that way until his death in 2004, over nine years later.

At first, when he realized he would never walk, Reeve considered suicide. He later not only accepted his illness but used his fame to help further the cause of spinal cord injury victims. He too came to believe that one day he would walk again. This was an active individual, who always presented a positive appearance in spite of his horrible injury.

Why then, did the universe help Mr. Goodman and could do nothing for Christopher Reeve? Maybe it was just a matter of degree. I believe that a positive attitude did help Mr. Goodman heal because his wounds weren't completely hopeless. On the other hand, Christopher's injury was so severe that he could not be healed no matter how vividly he visualized his future recovery.

It seems that the "law of attraction" doesn't work for everybody. Using scientific terms the "secret" should not even be called the "law of attraction" but merely the "theory of attraction." For it to be a scientific law, it has to be proven to work for everyone not just for a select few.

There are twenty-four teachers found on "The Secret" DVD. They all claim to be very successful people. I do not question their success or the validity of much of what they said on the DVD. Sure, being positive is not only healthier for you, it helps you think clearer and formulate better ideas. Goal setting and visualization helps you accomplish tasks more efficiently. But do these qualities alone deliver success?

From the DVD we learn that there are at least 24 people that used the "theory of attraction" and got excellent results from it. What if there are thousands, or even millions, of people who have tried using the same principles with limited results? Unless experiments are run using a carefully selected control group, there is no way to attribute any scientific validity to the "theory of attraction."

The self-help market has more than doubled since the seventies. This is probably because most self-help books, tapes, or DVDs really don't work. People hope that one day they'll find the one elusive book or DVD that will change their lives. Could it be that "The Secret" is the one? Unfortunately, I believe, it's just another disappointment.

About the Author

George Lunt is someone who feels the world is getting too corporate. His writings relate the individual's struggle with big government and big corporations. His website is http://www.corporate-aliens.com.

This article is © George Lunt. All usage of this article must include a citation to the author and a link to corporate-aliens.com.