SNL's Parody of Oprah and The Secret

A few weeks ago Saturday Night Live parodied Oprah, Rhonda Byrne and The Secret.

I heard about the parody when it originally aired, but I never saw it until today (what can I say, I guess I'm a little behind the times).

If you haven't seen it yet, I recommend that you do. Not only is it hilarious, but is also highlights the absurdity and silliness of The Secret as well as Oprah's obsession with it.

There's a part where Oprah and Rhonda interview a citizen in Darfur. This part is especially satirical since Rhonda Byrne claims the citizens of Darfur are attracting the atrocities and genocide being perpetrated on them.

An article in the Washington Post put it this way:

"One recent weekend, [Saturday Night Live] featured a skit about a man in Darfur being interviewed by Winfrey and [Secret author Rhonda] Byrne. They scolded him when he lamented that his people were starving, saying it was all the result of his lousy attitude. That was played for laughs, but later that week I watched Bob Proctor, author of "You Were Born Rich" and one of the "gurus" Byrne quotes most often, being asked on "Nightline" whether the starving children of Darfur had "manifested" -- that is, visualized -- their own misery. In utter seriousness, he replied, "I think the country probably has."

Here's a link to the video:


SNL's Parody of The Secret


Yes, it's a parody, but it speaks volumes about The Secret's foolishness (and stupidity).

I was hoping to get JibJab to parody The Secret (hopefully they'll still do it), but I think SNL did a great job.

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"If drudgery is not found somewhere in a book or course, it isn't worth reading. Of all great works nine tenths must be drudgery." -- Russell Conwell

Calista McKnight
http://www.thesecretlie.com/

The Truth About Negative Thinking and Bad Moods

Abraham-Hicks and other law of attraction gurus state that you should avoid negative thoughts at all costs.

They say negative thinking and corresponding bad moods act as repelling forces. Your goal, they claim, is to 'feeeel good', or else you won't attract what you want.

While I certainly believe in feeling as upbeat and positive as possible, I also don't view negative thinking and bad moods as entirely harmful to one's success.

Besides my own periodic battles with melancholy (and paranoia), I know a few other ocassionally neurotic people who also happen to be extremely successful both personally and financially.

One person I know can't help but focus on the negative, especially when it comes to her work. Yet despite the constant complaining about her job and the people she works with, the girl just recently got promoted.

Additionally, her income is up nearly 300% in a little over a year (and we're talking six figures here, certainly not pocket change).

Grant it, she is a hard worker and a whiz in her field. But she's clearly not at all happy with the work she does. In fact, she admittedly hates it.

And it's not like she's irreplaceable either. From what I understand, there are quite a few people who would give up a limb to have her position.

This girl is a perfect example of attracting the opposite of what you focus on. She's also one of the reasons why I believe the 'feeeel good' philosophy of The Secret is overrated.

After perusing some of The Secret's reviews on Amazon.com, I discovered that other people experience success despite their negative thinking too. One customer writes:

"One last story about negative thinking, I wrote and performed in a play, at a small Toronto theatre. I financed it myself. I made the costumes and props and did most of the Publicity. We rehearsed and had some previews and then it was time for the night the critics came.

For two weeks I was convinced the critics would hate it. I was able to visualize their faces in the audience looking grim, bored and angry they had showed up. It was irrational but those thoughts obsessed me. That Opening night was also the night the heat didn't work and it was 12 degrees outside

The reviews came out the next week and it was a huge critical success. They all loved it! The play sold out for 8 months. So despite what the secret says, despite the law of attraction that works whether you believe it or not, I didn't attract bad reviews. I had worked very hard and despite my negativity and fear the play was a success."

Is it possible that Abraham-Hicks and The Secret have it wrong about negative thinking?

The answer appears to be ...yes.

New studies suggest that negative thinking and bad moods can actually be quite useful.

According to research conducted by Jing Zhouby, Associate Professor of Management at Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management, naturally occurring bad moods helps employees be more creative and productive:

"Bad moods and negative attitudes have gotten a bad rap at work. For years, negativity has been considered an unavoidable — and unfortunate — part of organizational life; something that should be minimized, criticized, even stamped out. But if you want creativity that leads to innovation in your workplace, those naturally occurring bad moods can play a fruitful role; in fact, they’re necessary to make things better."

Now be careful here. No one is saying that you should walk into work with a bad mood or put yourself in one for the sake of success. Instead, just realize that negative moods are normal, healthy and useful. Professor Jing explains:

"Negative moods should not be viewed as detrimental. They should be understood and treated as a necessary part of the creative process. I’m not advocating that managers go out and promote bad moods. But bad moods occur naturally, and when they do, managers should use these opportunities to encourage employees to identify potential problems and think of ways to improve things."

And...if you're a business owner, you should be thankful for negative and complaining people...

Why? Because negative and complaining people, a.k.a unsatisfied customers, can help you improve your business.

In fact, customer complaints are one of the best ways to improve service and products.

Since most people who complain are upset, they are more likely to speak their minds by telling you exactly what you’ve done wrong. By listening to customer complaints, business owners can make the necessary changes to succeed and stay ahead of the competition.

But the business environment isn't the only place where bad moods and negative attitudes are helpful...

Researchers at the University of New South Wales School of Psychology have found that individuals in a positive mood aren't as reliable as eyewitnesses who are negative.

Apparently, if you're happy while observing an event your memory is more likely to include irrelevant and unreliable information:

"People in a positive mood such as happiness were shown under experimental conditions to have relatively unreliable memories, and show poorer judgment and critical thinking skills.

By contrast, those who experienced a negative mood such as sadness were shown to provide more reliable eyewitnesses accounts and exercise superior thinking and communication skills."

Imagine that. According to the research, even our most negative moods and thoughts serve a purpose. One of those purposes is the ability to think critically on a much higher level.

In my opinion, The Secret and Abraham-Hicks' philosophy of 'feeeeeling good' is actually a suppression of critial thinking.

Keep in mind, The Secret promotes 'feeeeeling good' despite what your current feelings and reality are. This is very similar to what a cult espouses.

Now, I'm not saying The Secret is a cult. But it is very cult-like in that it suppresses critical thinking and actually promotes a concept of 'ignorance is power'.

Massimo Pigliucci Ph.D, professor of Ecology and Evolution at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and an advocate of science education said it best:

"The Secret is apparently a “theory” of channeling, the idea that by feeling something (positive or, more disturbingly, negatively) you somehow get the universe to “vibrate” in a way that will make your feelings determine physical reality. No need to worry about how this exactly (or even approximately) works: “Our job is not to worry about the 'how.' The 'how' will show up out of the commitment and belief in the 'what'.” Wow, Francis Bacon said that knowledge is power, thereby ushering in the era of modern science, but this is even better, here ignorance is power! Which perhaps explains why The Secret has been so prominently featured on Oprah Winfrey and the Larry King show."

Again...I'm not suggesting that it's better to be negative or in a bad mood. On the contrary. I feel a person should always strive to be as positive and upbeat as possible.

But what I am saying is that as human beings we have a wealth of feelings and attitudes at our disposal; some good, some bad. And they are all useful to some degree.

The idea of walking through life in a constant state of self-coerced happiness, even when reality suggests otherwise, smacks to me of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.

You'll recall that humanity in Aldous Huxley's dystopian novel is carefree, healthy and technologically advanced. War and poverty have been eliminated and everyone is in a constant state of bliss.

But the reason everyone is in a state of bliss is because of a powerful hallucinatory stimulant called soma. Citizens use soma as a means of escaping pain and bad memories.

The Secret, with its huge popularity and success, is clearly a form of soma in my mind.

I don't know about you, but I actually enjoy some of my less than happy moments. They make me realize where I've gone wrong as well as what I need to do in order to change and get better.

I like the way another Amazon customer put it:

"You have two sets of feelings: good feelings and bad feelings. And you know the difference between the two because one makes you feel good, and the other makes you feel bad." This seems to wipe out several dimensions of human emotional experience. What about ambivalence? ("I'm happy about the job offer in LA but, gosh, I'll really miss my family and friends in Boston.") Are we wiping out the concept of bittersweet? Isn't it a balance of a range of emotions that makes us human?"

On March 8, 2007, CNN's Lary King Live featured critics of The Secret. One of the critics (actually the only critic on the guest panel) was psychologist Dr. Robi Ludwig.

When asked by Larry King if she thought it was a good idea to eliminate negative thinking, Dr. Robi responded with perhaps the best analysis of all:

"I don't know. Because sometimes the negative is a really important teacher and we grow sometimes and learn way more from things that are painful than positive experiences. I think we need to find a way to have all of our emotional experiences and still figure out how to get what we want."

So, next time you find yourself thinking negatively or in a bad mood, just keep this in mind...

...even negative feelings and bad moods have their place in this world.


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"If drudgery is not found somewhere in a book or course, it isn't worth reading. Of all great works nine tenths must be drudgery." -- Russell Conwell

Calista McKnight
http://www.thesecretlie.com/

Sec-RE-tards, Secretrons, The Happy Neurotic & More

Here are a few interesting Secret-related blog posts, articles, product offerings, quotes and books for the week ending 4/8/07:

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Sec-RE-tards

Skeptico's recent blog post is a humorous, insightful and scathingly truthful summary about those who worship and blindly support The Secret:

You just might be a Secretard if…


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Secretrons

I've posted this following review by Connie L. Schmidt (aka Cosmic Connie) on my website. If you haven't read it yet, I urge you to do so now:


The Wrath of the Secretrons


It's the most in-depth review of The Secret I've read so far. Connie has a unique, humorous and witty perspective. It's obvious Connie knows more about the industry surrounding The Secret than your average reviewer.


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Is The Secret Slimy?

This just in from the Washington Post's 'Department of Snake Oil.' Freelance journalist Tim Watkin's gives us his interesting perspective about The Secret:

Self-Help's Slimy 'Secret'


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Why is The Secret so Successful?

The Secret is hugely successful for numerous reasons, but mainly for the following:

• It tells people what they want to hear, not what's real
• Oprah endorsed and championed it
• It's called "The Secret"
• It's eye candy
• It doesn't require higher than a 3rd grade education to read, comprehend and implement
  
• It doesn't require you to take any action (i.e., you don't have to work for what you want)
• It promotes the concept of a magic genie who's ready to grant your every wish.
• It claims to be scientific

If you think I'm wrong and you have $39 to piss away, then I highly recommend Joe Vitale's newest product:

Marketing The Secret: How ONE Marketing Strategy Turned an Independent Movie into a Sold-Out Blockbuster!


On the other hand, if you think I'm right, then congratulations. I just saved you $39.

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The Happy Neurotic

If you're one of those people (I certainly am) who believes your bad moods, fears, and anxieties can actually ignite and fuel your success, then I highly recommend a book I just recently blogged about:

"The Happy Neurotic: How Fear and Angst Can Lead to Happiness and Success."

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Secret Quote of the Week

This one comes from Scott Feschuk's Weekday Update blog:

"If you believe that you can become rich solely by sending out wealthy-type vibes into the Universe, I’ve got some bad news: you are an idiot. If you bought The Secret, I’ve got some worse news. Despite what the book claims, you are not “a magnet.” You are not “a human transmission tower.” You are “out 30 bucks.” And all the thinking in the world ain’t gonna bring it back."

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"If drudgery is not found somewhere in a book or course, it isn't worth reading. Of all great works nine tenths must be drudgery." -- Russell Conwell

Calista McKnight
http://www.thesecretlie.com/

The Secret Backlash: Bookstore Bans Rhonda Byrne's Bestseller

Not surprisingly, The Secret has attracted a torrent of authors seeking to hitch a ride on Rhonda Byrne's gravy train.

According to Publisher's Weekly several Da Vinci Code type rebuttals are already in the works:

"First up in May is Thomas Nelson's There Is More to "The Secret" by Ed Gungor. Gungor is pastor of a church in Tulsa, Okla., and the author of several books, including last year's Religiously Transmitted Diseases for Nelson's now-defunct Ignite imprint. According to Nelson, Gungor's new book, "is not written to attack recent publications but rather to correct their misguided advice while still speaking to the felt need that is causing millions to explore their pages." Nelson expects to do a six-figure first printing.

Next will come The Secret Revealed: Exposing the Truth About the "Law of Attraction" (Aug.) by Jim Garlow and Rick Marschall, from Hachette's FaithWords division. Garlow is the author (with Peter Jones) of Cracking Da Vinci's Code (Cook Communications/Victor Books), one of the most successful Da Vinci response books with nearly 335,000 copies sold. FaithWords promises that The Secret Revealed will discuss the Law of Attraction as typical of many false religions and movements throughout the centuries. FaithWords plans a 100,000 copy first printing."

In addition, several Secret clones are also grasping for their chance at fame and fortune.

And of course, each one claims to be the 'real' secret, the 'next' secret, or 'the secret behind' the secret.

With the exception of Abraham-Hicks' The Secret Behind the Secret, many of these Secret wannabes will be rejected by major publishers, as they should be. My guess is many will emerge anyway as self-published books, eBooks and law of attraction scams programs.

Several of these books are already on the web. Simply Google "The Secret" or search through some press releases and you'll see what I'm talking about.

In the words of a famous metaphysician, it appears the impersonators are ..."flying out of their dark hiding places" ....and in droves no less.

Speaking of Mr Vitale, he's kissed and is now ready to tell all in a new $39 ebook: Marketing The Secret: How ONE Marketing Strategy Turned an Independent Movie into a Sold-Out Blockbuster!

Interestingly, this new program of his is being sold on Nerissa Oden's website (Nerissa, aka The Video Queen is Joe's main squeeze).

Get this: one of the bonus items is a transcript of a private dinner conversation between Joe and Rhonda Byrne. During the conversation Rhonda tells Joe all of her secrets about The Secret (Hey, is this a guy you would confide in?)

Speaking of The Secret gang, while Secret searching on Google, I noticed that three of The Secret's stars, Bob Proctor, Bill Harris and Hale Dwoskin are battling it out for first place atop Google's paid advertisements (aka Adwords).

It's obvious they're engaged in a high cost, pay-per-click bidding war because on some days Bob's ad will appear first followed by Bill's and then Hale's.

Just yesterday, Hale's ad was first, followed by Bill's and then Bob's.

For a while, Jack Canfield was clobbering the pack with his ad, but it appears he's no longer advertising on Google (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

Jack is part of SGR The Science of Getting Program, so maybe that's where he's decided to throw some of his online advertising chips.

A few of The Secret's other stars are also buying keywords related to The Secret, but apparently the Universe isn't as abundant for them as they'd like it to be.

It appears these Secret second stringers have a daily Adwords budget which turns their ads off after the budgeted amount has been reached.

I find this all very amusing.

In the world of high stakes Secret peddling, I suppose it takes a little more than just brain waves and good vibrations to come out on top; it helps if you have deep pockets too.

But back to The Secret backlash...

A small book retailer in Georgia hates The Secret so much he's decided to ban the book from his stores:

Books For Less, with locations in Lawrenceville and Suwanee, is so opposed to “The Secret” that the store refuses to sell the book.

“This is the first one we’ve really felt strongly enough about to say, ‘This is just a rip-off,’” said Jack Mason, owner of Books For Less.

Mason said his store, which has “Christian underpinnings,” is usually pretty accommodating to books that go against its beliefs.

If a customer asks for such a book to be ordered, Books For Less will get it for them and put a warning on it saying the book conflicts with the teachings of the Bible. The warning also extends an invitation to the customer to discuss why the store disagrees with the book.

But Books For Less refuses to take those steps for “The Secret,” mostly because of the strong marketing campaign behind it, Mason said.

“This is one we just felt like we had to draw a line in the sand and say ‘this is too much,’” Mason said. “I guess if it hadn’t gone on the Oprah show and she hadn’t pushed it so much, we wouldn’t worry so much about it.”

I'm sure Mr. Mason could sell more copies of The Secret than anything else. Yet he refuses to. Good for him.

Click here to read the full story.

Please don't get me wrong. I'm not into censorship or banning books of any kind. I just love it when people stand up for what they believe in.

In case you're not convinced, even I own a copy The Secret.

And I'll admit; it's really one of the most visually appealing books I've ever seen.

No doubt its handsome appearance is one of the many reasons for its seductive lure.

Vernon Howard once said: "Beauty is only skin deep, but it's a valuable asset if you're poor or haven't any sense."

And that's exactly how I feel about Rhonda's Book, especially the 'haven't any sense' part.

Perhaps the most promising new Secret-related book of all is Vancouver-based teacher, comic and author David Granirer's "The Happy Neurotic: How Fear and Angst Can Lead to Happiness and Success."

According to the Edmonton Sun:

He's been [David Granirer] to all the workshops, he's read all the self-help books and he's been on antidepressants for about a decade.

"I finally realized people achieve a tremendous amount through their neuroses, their fears and their anxieties," he told Sun Media recently. "And rather than trying to make all that stuff go away, why not use it?"

One Amazon.com reviewer who uses the nickname PotLuckPrincess, writes:

I got a lot out of this book. It taught me that I can accept me for me and that I dont have to be perfect or in total control---I feel better when my life is under control but being happily neurotic is a hoot and has allowed me to be who I am and step out of the Box. Thank you to the author for showing me the possibilies behind neuroses.

Granirer teaches stand-up comedy to individuals with mental illness.

I don't know about you, but this is one book I can't wait to get my hands on.


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"If drudgery is not found somewhere in a book or course, it isn't worth reading. Of all great works nine tenths must be drudgery." -- Russell Conwell

Calista McKnight
http://www.thesecretlie.com/

Oprah Sinks Her Teeth Deeper Into The Secret

Rumor has it Oprah Winfrey and her company Harpo Productions are trying to secure new TV deals with Rhonda Byrne and a few of The Secret's top stars:

"Basically, Oprah is about to take over," a knowledgeable source tells Radar. "She and Rhonda Byrne are BFFs." Winfrey's Harpo Productions, the source says, is working to lock up Byrne and fellow Secreteers Michael Beckwith, James Ray, and Jack Canfield for regular appearances on Oprah's show and to develop new daytime TV shows and even a prime-time special out of the positive-thinking program. Accordingly, the source says, Byrne has been begging off media appearances in anticipation of becoming Harpo's in-house guru.

While this is all strictly rumor of course, oftentimes actions speak louder than words.

Just yesterday, a good friend of mine sent me an email saying that Esther Hicks (aka Abraham-Hicks) had just been featured on Oprah's XM Satellite Radio show.

After listening to the Oprah-meets-Abraham show's streaming audio*, it was very apparent to me that Oprah and Esther were extremely chummy, chummy.

Esther often cackled like a young college girl who'd just been told she'd been accepted into the Oprah chapter of Delta Zeta sorority.

Oprah and Esther discussed several topics including her (actually Abraham's) appearance on the original version of The Secret, now considered a New Age collectible fetching upwards of $60 per DVD on eBay and Amazon.com.

(It's amazing how many of these 'unopened,' 'sealed' copies of the original version still exist).

Unfortunately, Esther Hicks never really answered why she was no longer a part of The Secret franchise.

(I imagine Abraham has decided to banish all negative thoughts and vibrations).

Here are some of the topics discussed on the radio show:

• Esther Hicks thinks Rhonda Byrne is perhaps the greatest law of attraction student of all time. (I can only hope we'll get to see a Darth Vader versus Obi-Wan Kenobi like duel).
  

• Oprah asked Esther if people actually attract everything into their lives including cancer and other illnesses. Esther said yes, "everything comes into your life because of your vibrational output." But she insisted Oprah ask Abraham these "really tough questions" (not on this show Oprah said, but the next). (And what a great schtick, by the way! If Esther ends up being proven wrong, she can always plead insanity and blame Abraham and fellow demons.)
  

• Oprah told us her true intent; she wants Esther to come back with her husband Jerry and do multiple shows with Abraham the Magnificent.

• Get this: Esther explained how she thought the whole Jane Roberts' Seth material was really, really weird (talk about the pot calling the kettle black).
  

• Esther doesn't like the word channeling. She prefers to call it 'inspiration', just like the kind athletes and musicians get.
  

• Esther admits she's been trying to 'call in' (aka communicate via ESP with) Oprah for years. Oprah admits that she actually felt Abraham trying to contact her while she was reading The Secret book for the first time (my eyes rolled up into my head when I heard this).
  

• Next week's show will feature Abraham the Magnificent taking questions from Oprah (I can hardly wait!).

Just a few days ago, USA Today reported that Jerry and Esther Hicks had no worries whatsoever about being 'excised' from the current version of The Secret.

It's obvious to me now after listening to Oprah's XM radio show, that they've already had a direct connection with Oprah in the works for some time.

There's no question Oprah has latched on to The Secret. But more than that, she apparently wants to be a very big part of it.

A Salon.com article a month ago stated:

"Oprah Winfrey, who lends the whole enterprise more prestige, and, because of that prestige, more venality, than any previous self-help scam. Oprah hasn't just endorsed "The Secret"; she's championed it, put herself at the apex of its pyramid, and helped create a symbiotic economy of New Age quacks that almost puts OPEC to shame."

Even though all of this TV talk is mere conjecture at this point, if history is any indication (Dr. Phil?), it won't be long before we see an Oprah approved law of attraction prime-time TV show.

And who knows, maybe Abraham the Magnificent will soon become a household name.

If that happens -- be very, very afraid.

* Click here to listen to the complete Oprah meets Abraham XM Satellite Radio show.

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"If drudgery is not found somewhere in a book or course, it isn't worth reading. Of all great works nine tenths must be drudgery." -- Russell Conwell

Calista McKnight
http://www.thesecretlie.com/

Baloney Detection Kit: Testing The Secret

In 1995 Carl Sagan, American astronomer and astrobiologist wrote:

"Pseudoscience ripples with gullibility.

Superstition and pseudoscience keep getting in the way of understanding nature, providing easy answers, dodging skeptical scrutiny, casually pressing our awe buttons and cheapening the experience, making us routine and comfortable practitioners as well as victims of credulity.

Those who have something to sell, those who wish to influence public opinion, those in power, a skeptic might suggest, have a vested interest in discouraging skepticism”

In his book "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark", Carl Sagan presented a set of tools -- which could be used by anyone -- for testing arguments and detecting fraudulent claims which are purportedly based on science.

He called these tools the 'baloney detection kit'.

Carl Sagan used these principles to provide a skeptical analysis of several kinds of superstition and pseudoscience including belief in gods, witches, UFOs, ESP and faith healing.

Interestingly, Carl Sagan used his baloney principles to question the validity of J.Z Knight's channeling of Ramtha (J.Z Knight is the force behind the other quantum flapdoodle movie What the Bleep Do We Know!?).

Since those who promote and teach The Secret --a.k.a the law of attraction -- claim it's based on the scientific principles of quantum mechanics, I thought it would be the perfect candidate for baloney detection.

Michael Shermer, founding publisher of Skeptic magazine formulated several straightforward questions based on Carl Sagan's baloney detection principles.

Let's apply some of those questions to The Secret and see what happens, shall we?

But first, here are a few of the profound assertions you'll find in The Secret:

"When you think of the things you want, and you focus on them with all your intention, then the law of attraction will give you exactly what you want, every time." -- Lisa Nichols

"What most people don't understand is that a thought has a frequency. We can measure a thought." -- John Assaraf

"Basically put, the law of attraction says that like attracts like. But we're really talking at a level of thought." -- Bob Doyle

"This is really fun. It's like having the Universe as your catalog. You flip though it and say, "I'd like to have this experience and I'd like to have that product and I'd like to have a person like that. It is You placing your order with the Universe. It's really that easy." -- Joe Vitale

"The Universe will start to rearrange itself to make it happen for you." -- Joe Vitale

"Food is not responsible for putting on weight. It is your thought that food is responsible for putting on weight that actually has food put on weight." -- Rhonda Byrne

"If you turn it over to the Universe, you will be surprised and dazzled by what is delivered to you. This is where magic and miracles happen." -- Joe Vitale

Okay, ready?

Baloney Detection Question #1 - How reliable is the source of the claim?

Last week I referenced Matt Cale's Ruthless Review of The Secret. In that review, Matt said:

"First, no philosophy, even one so seemingly benign and “instructive,” could ever hope to pass the smell test when its primary advocates are people with titles such as “Visionary,” “Philosopher,” and “Metaphysician.” It’s a dead giveaway as to the efficacy of a belief system when its most fervent champions are those who secured their positions either from online universities, or had them “bestowed” upon their persons in moonlit ceremonies involving chanting, laying of hands, and at least one person beating a drum."

But let's be fair. There are two quantum physicists in The Secret, aren't there?

Here are some interesting facts about Dr. Fred Alan Wolf and Dr. John Hagelin (the two physicists in The Secret):

In a recent blog post Fred wrote:

"Spiritual techniques advocated by people who have never made a serious study of spiritual teaching or base their books on quantum physics principles without studying the subject at length and who really don't know enough to teach others techniques based upon these deeper "secrets" make me really wonder why such people write such books other than the obvious one to make some money."

"A quantum field consciousness-spirituality and growth book may sound wonderful but it is possibly misleading if you think that this field can give you anything you desire.. First of all the quantum field is not really an energy field and secondly consciousness can not exert a force. Nor is consciousness energy. Consciousness and energy are not the same things at all."

Hmmm ...does Dr. Wolf think The Secret is baloney?

Rest assured Dr Wolf's co-star, John Hagelin, does not entirely* believe The Secret is baloney.

In a March 25th, 2007 Des Moines Register article, reporter Mike Kilen writes*:

"A scientific basis exists for the ideas in "The Secret" but was simplified for the masses, counters John Hagelin, a professor of physics at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield who is featured in the DVD.

Hagelin said his research has shown that thoughts can affect the physical environment,but advanced training in mind techniques is needed. Advanced practitioners of Transcendental Meditation are currently involved in mass meditation in Fairfield to create world peace.

'The Secret' sells because people don't have to do anything," Hagelin said. "They just have to want a necklace and it will come to them. But so weak an influence is working at the time that they are better off getting a job and buying a necklace."

However Incidentally*, as a follower of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, many of Dr Hagelin's fellow physicists and researchers have accused him of distorting science to fit his own guru-like agenda.

So, while Dr Hagelin may not think The Secret is complete* baloney, his fellow physicists sure think it is may have reason to disagree*.

Baloney Detection Question #2 - Have the claims been verified by an independent source?

So far, the answer to this question is no. No one independent of the film has verified the claims made in The Secret.

There have been, however, several well qualified experts who've dismissed some of what The Secret claims, including one of The Secret's own teachers.

Last Friday night, March 23, ABC News Nightline interviewed Bob Proctor one of The Secret's co-stars.

Unlike CNN's reporting of The Secret, ABC was prepared with some tough and poignant questions.

Prior to the show, Nightline had asked one of the United States' top physicists, Professor Brian Green what his opinion was of The Secret.

Professor Green had apparently even watched The Secret. He referred to it as "scientific poppycock."

When asked what he thought of Professor Green's statement, Bob Proctor said he didn't even know who Professor Green was, among other things.

Here's why I think the whole connection between quantum physics and The Secret is a fraud...

Brian Green is one of the top physicists in the world.

He's researched and written several books discussing subjects such as non-local particle entanglement, special relativity, spacetime and cosmology, origins and unification, and including an exploration into reality and the imagination.

He's also one of the best known string theorists in the entire world.

Anyone who claims to be a student of quantum physics or who says they've read extensively about it, knows who Brian Green is.

Yet Bob Proctor doesn't know who he is?


(Visit this link for a complete .PDF transcript of the Bob Proctor Nightline episode).

Bill Harris, Director of Centerpointe Research Institute, creator of Holosync neuro audio products, also disputes some of the claims and methodology explained in The Secret.

(By the way, I respect Bill Harris. In my opinion, he's not only credible, but he's also the only Secret teacher who makes any sense).

In a recent article Bill explains:

"I know a lot of very successful people, including nearly every teacher who appears in The Secret, and believe me, none of them sit around waiting for a miracle to land on them.

Even the few of them who actually, and in my opinion mistakenly, teach that focusing on what you want is magic, when you watch what they're actually doing, they are taking action. How they can miss the fact that they are is beyond me, but a few of them—who shall remain nameless—do teach people to just "put it out to the universe" and that no action is necessary. They too, though, take action, but I guess they somehow fail to see the connection between the action they take and the results they get."

...I see the connection Bill. It's called the law of "extraction."

Baloney Detection Question #3 - Is the claimant employing the accepted rules of reason and tools of research, or have these been abandoned in favor of others that lead to the desired conclusion?

To my knowledge, not one person associated with The Secret has used any kinds of scientific methods to justify the validity of the law of attraction.

Instead, we only hear about cases of subjective experience.

For example, on CNN's Larry King Live, when asked what he thought about what the critics were saying about the law of attraction, John Assarf stated:

"Well, you know, it's not even worth reacting. You know, this morning when I knew that I was going to be on the show, we had about 200 of our business owners on -- on a call. And I asked them to send us an e-mail about how the secret of the law of attractions worked in their life.

Within 10 minutes, we had 57 people who e-mailed us saying here's what's happened in my life. In my business we have raised money. We've had more clients. We've had better health.

And so I've got to go to the results as opposed to what the critics are saying, because it's worked in my life and I know it works in people's lives."

Those who claim the law of attraction works because they’ve seen it work in their own life or the lives of others are simply mistaking coincidence for evidence or magic.

Bill Harris writes:

"Scientists have a name for this. It's called a coincidence. People who believe in magic turn coincidences into evidence, but that doesn't make it so, and you can easily prove this to yourself by thinking of lemonade the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that, and finding out what happens. What will happen is that no lemonade will manifest the next day, or the next, or the next, unless you get up out of your chair and take action to find some."

Baloney Detection Question #4 - Is the claimant providing an explanation for the observed phenomena or merely denying the existing explanation?

Michael Shermer explains:

"This is a classic debate strategy--criticize your opponent and never affirm what you believe to avoid criticism. It is next to impossible to get creationists to offer an explanation for life (other than ``God did it'')."

When criticism of The Secret hit critical mass Joe Vitale, a Secret teacher, referred to its critics as ...

"...flying out of their dark hiding places."

Joe even had a brief exchange with Skeptico in which he completely sidestepped the heart of the matter:

Skeptico: Joe, I don’t think you understand what a Law is and what it isn’t. I just posted a reply: The “Law” of Attraction (Not).

Joe Vitale: Ah, you might want to re-read my post. :) While people are arguing if LOA is a law or not, others are using the principle/law/insight/method (choose what makes you feel ok) to create lives of happiness and abundance. The choice is yours.

Skeptico goes on to say: "Note the avoidance of the issue. I point out the LOA is not a Law. Joe ignores this, and equivocates by saying many people are benefiting from it. Remember, his claim was that the LOA is a Law like gravity."

Critics of The Secret have been referred to as negative, naysayers, unenlightened, fanatics and more.

They've even been compared to the zealots who chastised and condemned Galileo, Copernicus and Newton.

Yet virtually no one involved with The Secret has actually answered any of the legitimate questions posed by the skeptics.

As I said earlier, Bill Harris appears to be the only voice of reason in the whole presumptuous lot.

Baloney Detection Question #5 - Do the claimant's personal beliefs and biases drive the conclusions, or vice versa?

As I wrote in a March 12, 2007 blog post:

When asked by a caller if he had done any research that was published in peer reviewed journals to support his claims that the law of attraction actually works, John Assaraf stated the following on Larry King Live:

"I was retired for the last six years and I did my own research on books that were published, reports published, white papers that were published to understand what was happening in my life, what was happening in the lives of our clients and how we were able to achieve the success we were achieving. I studied other people's works. I read voraciously, I research voraciously other people's works. And there is more than enough evidence, scientific evidence at a quantum physics level or physics level and neuroscience level to suggest this is true."

In other words, no --Assaraf could not point to a particular piece of evidence or research finding to back up his assertions. Instead, what he really said was that he basically read a whole bunch of documents and white papers and simply drew his own conclusions.

And this "fuzzy science" seems to be the prevailing consensus among teachers and supporters of the so called "law" of attraction.

Unfortunately such a consensus is meaningless in the realm of scientific research and John Assaraf's conclusions would have been tossed in the rejection bin by peer reviewers.

---

Although there are other questions and factors to consider when trying to detect scientific baloney, clearly The Secret fails even the most basic of Carl Sagan's detection criteria.

I think Dr. Fred Alan Wolf was absolutely right when he said that some people are mixing spirituality with science for the sole purpose of making money.

The law of attraction is obviously not a law. Not even close.

The Secret is hugely successful for many reasons, the most important of which is the fact that it tells people what they want to hear instead of what is real.

And in any industry, that's a recipe for success.

As one book publisher recently revealed in The Toronto Star newspaper:

"Burman sees The Secret's success as easily explained. "Basically, human beings are lazy. If you tell them you can get rich just by thinking about it, obviously, they're going to buy it." But he knows a cash cow when he sees one: Riding The Secret's success, he's projecting sales of at least 400,000 for each of Vitale's and Diamond's books. "It used to be, if we sold 20,000 copies of anything, we were lucky," he said."

Like Harry Potter, The Secret sells magic and fantasy.

...And that's no baloney.

* After I published this post, I became aware of the fact that Dr. John Hagelin does not entirely agree with The Secret either.

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"If drudgery is not found somewhere in a book or course, it isn't worth reading. Of all great works nine tenths must be drudgery." -- Russell Conwell

Calista McKnight
http://www.thesecretlie.com/

Unraveling The Secret

Here are two fascinating blog posts courtesy of Cosmic Connie regarding the latest happenings in the wild and whacky world of The Secret:

1) On Friday night, Bob Proctor, a Secret teacher was featured on ABC News Nightline. I didn't catch the show, but from what I read, Bob made a fool out of himself and The Secret.

Love that Bob!


2) There appears to be a rift in Secret Land. The Science of Getting Rich Seminar (SGR) featuring Bob Proctor, Jack Canfield and Rev. Michael Beckwith has now been put on hold. Rev. Michael Beckwith now appears to be M.I.A.

Jack and Bob: the show must go on


I am sure we will see even more Secret unraveling in the days and weeks ahead.


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"If drudgery is not found somewhere in a book or course, it isn't worth reading. Of all great works nine tenths must be drudgery." -- Russell Conwell

Calista McKnight
http://www.thesecretlie.com/

Watch Out for the Law of Attraction Jihadists

At the beginning of March, I warned Amazon.com customers about writing negative reviews of The Secret.

I said to be on the lookout for law of attraction jihadists because these fanatics will symbolically behead you if you write a less than stellar review of their holy Secret.

As I wrote in my post, writing a bad review of The Secret is like messing with these people's religion.

Since I wrote that post, jihadist activity surrounding The Secret on Amazon has intensified, even more than I originally could have imagined, as you'll soon see.

Two days ago an Amazon customer, Paulette Paglia, replied to my forum post and said:

"Your thoughts are spot on. Thank you for some insightful thought provoking stuff!

The 21st century New Agers have now shown themselves to be no different than the lunatic close-minded fundamentalists found in other religions & cults.

I experienced this a couple of years ago at an Abe/Hicks meet up group. I am happy to say that it only took me a handful of visits to realize that the Abraham people were mean, strange & not very bright. If anyone said anything which they felt was contradictory to what Abraham/Esther Hicks preached - they really let you have it. There was nothing compassionate, understanding or objective about the way they operated."

Judging from her reply and by some of her favorite books, Paulette is (like me, Cosmic Connie and so many other outspoken Secret critics) no stranger to the law of attraction.

...Been there, done that, as the saying goes.

It's interesting, but some of the The Secret's staunchest critics happen to be people who know the law of attraction inside and out. Apparently, they're not happy with the way it's been portrayed in The Secret either.

As one spiritual seeker put it:

"Friends, this is not a recipe for anything but a frontal lobotomy. This is not high spiritual truth passed down through the ages, it's narcissistic delusion, bordering on the psychotic, plugged into the akashic records by a tinfoil hat.

It is a complete abdication of depth in favor of a supremely superficial analysis of life.

It is a marvelous example of everything wrong with the new age movement and is so insulting of the true nature of suffering, so ignorant of the realities of privilege and oppression, so authoritative in it's endorsement magical thinking and judgment of those who are not doing it right as to set any nascent spiritual development and self-awareness back a good 5 to 10 years."

Lambasting rookies is one thing, but attempting to attack and discredit law of attraction veterans is just plain foolish.

Unfortunately, many of these Secret jihadists have chosen to ignore the obvious and will instead attack anyone who has a negative opinion about The Secret.

I find it all ironic, since these jihadists aren't really practicing anything even close to the law of attraction.

The law of attraction states simply that like attracts like. Or, as Abraham-Hicks puts it:

"You are the attractor of everything that comes into your experience."

Don't these law of attraction zealots understand that what they focus on expands?

Don't they grasp the fact that they have attracted the critics into their experience?

Hmmm... it seems to me, a) they don't inherently believe in the law of attraction, b) they're just interested in getting even, c) they're actually clueless about the law of attraction (and if this is true they have no business attacking reviewers in the first place), or d) all of the above.

Call me crazy, but I think the answer is d) all of the above.

And make no mistake. By replying to virtually every negative review of The Secret on Amazon, they are engaging in a form of jihad.

Jihad as you may know, literally means struggle in the way of God or "holy war."

One person in particular has made it his or her life's purpose to comment on anyone who posts a negative review of The Secret on Amazon.com

If you think I'm exaggerating, I'd like to call your attention to an Amazon customer who goes by the name of 'freereign.'

This person has made it his or her personal jihad to reply to anyone who leaves an anti-Secret review.

By my calculations, as of today, this person has left comments on nearly 150 negative reviews of The Secret (the DVD and book combined).

150 and counting!!!

I don't know about you, but I've never seen anything like it on Amazon or any other online marketplace.

Sure, there are other Secret jihadists trolling around Amazon waiting to strike, but they usually give up after a week or a few days.

'freereign' is different. This person is there day in and day out. It's obvious they're on a mission.

Don't believe me?

Go have a look for yourself. Be sure to read the comments section right under anyone who's posted a negative review of The Secret (3 stars or less).

In nearly all cases, you'll see a response by 'freereign.'

If not, don't worry. 'freereign' simply hasn't had the time to comment yet. Rest assured, he or she will.

At first, I thought it may have been Rhonda Byrne herself or someone she hired to help make anti-Secret reviewers look like schlocks.

But, after a little investigation and Google searching I've come to the conclusion that it's just one of several lone warriors who feels compelled to strike back at non-believers.

Consider this a WARNING...

If you're thinking about finally writing that negative review about The Secret on Amazon.com, watch out...

...'freereign' is waiting for you.

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"If drudgery is not found somewhere in a book or course, it isn't worth reading. Of all great works nine tenths must be drudgery." -- Russell Conwell

Calista McKnight
http://www.thesecretlie.com/


P.S. Yes, I know the picture at the top of this post is King Leonidas of Sparta from the movie 300. It has nothing to do with jihad or jihadists, but I used it anyway because I thought it just looked perfect for this post.

A Ruthless But Insightful Review of The Secret

This one comes from Matt Cale of Ruthless Reviews.

Although scathing and frank, I believe there's a lot of good insight and truth in Matt's review.

Matt points out many of the same concerns I had when I first watched The Secret.

...Especially this:

"First, no philosophy, even one so seemingly benign and “instructive,” could ever hope to pass the smell test when its primary advocates are people with titles such as “Visionary,” “Philosopher,” and “Metaphysician.” It’s a dead giveaway as to the efficacy of a belief system when its most fervent champions are those who secured their positions either from online universities, or had them “bestowed” upon their persons in moonlit ceremonies involving chanting, laying of hands, and at least one person beating a drum. Not a single reputable individual – you know, someone with an actual education or degree – speaks in this movie, other than the creepy feng shui consultants and “authors” (is this ever allowable for the strict self-publishing set?) who always seem on the verge of leaping from their chairs and attacking the camera."

Visit this link for the full review:

A Ruthless Review of The Secret by Matt Cale


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"If drudgery is not found somewhere in a book or course, it isn't worth reading. Of all great works nine tenths must be drudgery." -- Russell Conwell

Calista McKnight
http://www.thesecretlie.com/

Can the Law of Attraction Cure Baldness?

At the end of this past February, I joined the "debate" at The Secret Versus Science forums.

In case you aren't aware, that web site is a collaboration between Joe Vitale and Kevin Hogan.

(This is a picture of Joe and Kevin.)

The Secret Versus Science web site was promoted as a place to debate the efficacy and authenticity of The Secret.

So far, we've seen some excellent anti-Secret comments made by Kevin and others, but nothing yet from Joe.

NOTE: As I was writing this, I've learned that on Wednesday night, March 21st, Kevin Hogan will be conducting a FREE 90 minute live teleseminar about the lies behind the claims of The Secret. Kevin will be joined by guests Blair Warren, Dave Lakhani and Bob Beverley. To find out more about the teleseminar click here.

Many people have labeled The Secret Versus Science web site as nothing more than a publicity stunt. Kevin says it's Joe's idea and Joe's friend Craig Perrine says:

"I can also tell you that this 'dumbass stunt' of a forum, as you put it so boldly, was not Joe's creation as you suggest."

Someone is either fibbing, or maybe it IS just a promotional tactic. Perhaps someday somebody will actually claim responsibility for the site.

Ahh, the intrigue surrounding The Secret....

Anyway....when I first joined the forum I added the following statement to my signature section:

"If Joe Vitale is such a Master Manifestor, how come he's still bald?"

A few days later, I removed the statement and actually apologized for making it.

Yes, even us cruel, insensitive and merciless critics have feelings too (actually I think I was overly-sensitive that day due to a condition I call a Psychotic Mood Shift).

Even though the comment was removed, apparently I struck a sensitive chord with a few people. Craig Perrine, without making a direct reference to me, said:

"The 'enlightened' on this forum have substituted cheap shots like Joe's 'still being bald' for anything of real merit."

"I hope people who wade this far into the discussion will recognize that the side resorting to such sophomoric tactics probably isn't the one to take too seriously."

Then, as if by magic, I became a magnet. I began to attract others who were talking about baldness and The Secret.

On Blair Warren's Crooked Wisdom web site, one participant named Rex wrote:

"I would challenge Joe to fully grow his hair using only mind power. Considering the Universe is his catalog, and so many cases of miraculous cures being reported, this shouldn’t be such a far fetched project."

Over the weekend, I learned from Cosmic Connie that someone's husband had actually used the law of attraction to grow more hair!

And then came the biggest surprise...

I discovered that even the Master Manifestor himself -- Dr. Joe Vitale -- talked about being bald in a March 14th, 2007 blog post:

"Yesterday I heard that some of the attackers of The Secret are now personally attacking me.

One of their observations is that I'm bald, and so maybe the Law of Attraction doesn't really work.

I've never regarded being bald as a problem. If I did, I could attract all sorts of solutions to it, from toupees to plugs to hair transplants to whathaveyou. I'm simply not interested.

I'm surprised the persuasion experts are resorting to personal attacks, but maybe they're just jealous that they're not bald, too.

Bless their hairy little heads."

Wow, perhaps there is a shred of truth to all this law of attraction business!

It's good to see that Joe's got a sense of humor about the whole thing. And, in typical Joe "money-loves-speed" fashion -- I even noticed that he's put up a few Google AdSense ads about hair loss on his blog.

Ok, so maybe I'm not the one who attracted this whole bald thing, or maybe I am. Who knows. I don't care really.

But I will tell you this...

When I first made the bald comment on the The Secret Versus Science forums, I was dead serious.

Unfortunately, some people took my words at face value and got upset.

Was my statement a sophomoric tactic?

A cheap shot?

...Hardly.

I really want to know if The Secret's teachers believe they can re-grow hair using the law of attraction.

More specifically, I want to know what they think is and isn't possible when it comes to the law of attraction.

Because now, as I learn more about The Secret and the people who teach it, it appears the law of attraction doesn't apply in all circumstances. Apparently, some things are changeable and some things are not.

Grant it, hair loss is typically NOT a medical problem or a disease such as cancer, polio or AIDS. To most men and women who've experienced hair loss, it's simply a cosmetic thing.

Joe says he doesn't have a problem with being bald and neither do I. I actually find some bald men very attractive. And I'm certainly not the only woman who thinks some bald men are hot.


But regardless, the fact is there are millions of men and women who are traumatized by thinning hair and premature hair loss.

I have a younger brother who started losing his hair when he was 17 years old. I can tell you from experience that he was really bothered by it.

Let's keep in mind that it was Joe Vitale who said:

"This is really fun. It's like having the Universe as your catalog. You flip though it and say, 'I'd like to have this experience and I'd like to have that product and I'd like to have a person like that.' It is you placing your order with the Universe. It's really that easy."

As Rex from Blair Warren's web site correctly points out, 'many miracles are being reported'.

For example, Rhonda Byrne, in the Foreward to The Secret book writes:

"As the film swept the world, stories of miracles began to flood in: people wrote about healing from chronic pain, depression, and disease; walking for the first time after an accident; even recovering from a deathbed."

Dr John Hagelin, Quantum Physicist and teacher in The Secret states:

"Our body is really the product of our thoughts. We're beginning to understand in medical science the degree to which the nature of thoughts and emotions actually determines the physical substance and structure and function of our bodies."

Rhonda Byrne on page 131 of The Secret book again says:

"You can think your way to the perfect state of health, the perfect body, the perfect weight, and eternal youth. You can bring it into being, through your consistent thinking of perfection."

Michael Bernard Beckwith, another Secret teacher, on page 134 of The Secret book explains:

"I've seen kidneys regenerated. I've seen cancer dissolved. I've seen eyesight improve and come back."

And let's not also forget that supporters of the law of attraction claim it's based on the scientific principles of quantum mechanics. They claim the brain emits vibrations which in turn affects and changes the physical world around us.

So if these statements are true, and we can be, have, or do anything we want, no exceptions, why is it so impossible to re-grow hair?

Notice how Joe Vitale says that if he thought baldness was a problem, he'd "attract" things like toupees, plugs, transplants and "whathaveyou."

Apparently, Joe doesn't think it's possible to re-grow hair using the law of attraction either. Instead, he talks about solutions anyone would pursue.

Perhaps Joe should read the forum thread I found from Cosmic Connie.

I also find it ironic that one of Joe's favorite lines is "Expect miracles." Maybe he needs to clarify what he thinks a miracle is.

All of this leads me to an interesting question...

Can we or can't we take The Secret and it's teachers at face value?

With so much Secret back-pedaling and clarifications made over the last few weeks, the answer now appears to be ...it depends.

It depends on the personal beliefs, opinions and life experiences of whomever is teaching The Secret.

On the one hand, we're told the law of attraction is a scientific law like gravity which works for everything and anything, all the time, without exception.

And on the other hand, we seem to be at the mercy of mere mortals who get to decide what is and isn't possible.

So next time you hear about someone using the law of attraction to cure cancer, find a job, attract a car, or get up off of their deathbed, ask yourself why Joe Vitale doesn't think it's possible to re-grow hair using the steps highlighted in The Secret.

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"If drudgery is not found somewhere in a book or course, it isn't worth reading. Of all great works nine tenths must be drudgery." -- Russell Conwell

Calista McKnight
http://www.thesecretlie.com/