The Secret is Bullshit and What the Bleep is a fraud

The Secret

After hearing all the rave around The Secret, I popped in the DVD - but I could not finish it. I mean, literally, I could not take the same rehashed positive thinking shapes your reality but told in mystical hinting tones by guys with slick hair and perfect teeth...

Wouldn't the world be pretty if we could f*ck up in any arbitrary way, yet fix it with daily dose of mindseye pictures of ferrari's?

There exists documented cases of people who persistently devoted their lives to intense positive visualisation and achieved nothing after YEARS. Scientific studies done have also revealed that forced positive thinking is more likely to be psychologically harmful than beneficial for most people. Rather invest your time and efforts in something geniune like the Self Mastery methods and Business Techniques that I teach.

It seems that the Power of Positive thinking, despite being credited with being able to "manifest any reality of your desire", is unable to stop or reverse the aging process, has never once healed HIV, and has not produced a single superman flying in the sky. Clearly, there ARE limits to what positive thinking can achieve. Of course I think that mind power waves are stopped right at the skull.

If you are a big fan of the secret, I should just point out to you that at least two people involved with it are connected to serious crimes:

James Arthur Ray who caused the deaths of several people. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Arthur_Ray)
David Schirmer is under investigation for defrauding 1000s in a stock market investment swindle with gauranteed returns, and already successfully sued for "misleading and deceptive practices".

“The Secret” DVD and book has sold millions of copies… its great, its popular… yet…

I'm not the only one that couldn't watch the secret: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK_EnXWhvQc&feature=related (watch this and laugh your arse off)

On that note.... The Secret.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMJmbEqCR7k .... is bullsh*t.

and for one last laugh, with the comedian Vinny Verelli.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v5FTz7antY

http://www.thesecretantidote.com/default.asp?page=message

Use the power of Positive thinking to.... fail !

There are many different versions of the Positive Thinking is best for you...

Positive thinking is good for you because it boosts your self esteem, or your happiness or your motivation.... probably not too harmful for you! (Except that it promotes that you should condition yourself into self deception and not acknowledge negative events)

Positive thinking is good for you, because it leads you towards taking action... hmmm actually sounds pretty good to me!

Positive thinking is good for you, because it ATTRACTS positive things into your life. Whatever thoughts you condition your mind with, gets stuck in your sub-conscious, and that will manifest into your reality through the "Law of Attraction". Therefore you should AVOID NEGATIVE THINKING AT ALL COSTS. Now this belief is extremely hazardous to your life.

NOTE ALSO: Just calling something a law, doesn't automatically turn it into a scientific law.

What you can conceive, and believe you can achieve.............. or NOT!!!

Ask any person thats been in business for more than 5 years, whether he primarily credits either "positive thinking" or "The Law of Attraction" for his success. You will be enlightened.

It is funny that most of the positive thinking guru's that are "succesful" are all either successful because of selling so many "success" books, or from being in show biz. I was rather surprised to see Oprah Winfrey endorse "The Secret" on Larry King Live. But then again, remember her entire success is built in show biz - where your success is determined by one and only one thing "How well liked you and your ideas are", not how great your business acumen is. Yes she displayed some good business acumen, and a nose for "what will sell" (such as Dr Phill), but hey, lets not kid ourselves, this is a show bizz success story, not a business success story. Ask Steve Jobs, Bill Gates or Warren Buffet if they will endorse "The Law of Attraction".

Arnold Schwarzenegger, although not officially endorsing "The Law of Attraction", does write about "visualising the perfect future, and feeling as if having it", but remember, again, where did he make most of his success? First in Body Building (which is primarily a "sport" where you don't win by lifting the most weights or compete in any specific activity - other than Showing Off your muscles), then again in the MOVIES, which again is show biz, then he leveraged all of this to become the governor of colli-fornia. (Is polititics Show Biz? I'd rather not answer that.)

It seems positive thinking and visualisation, works best at manifesting success in the field of show biz. Why is this? Most likely because it creates an exaggerated sense of self believe, and self confidence, which can be a great asset in show biz.

In the world of business, I'll stick to this little quote by Donald Trump in his 80's book The Art of the Deal (This is the original Trump, from before he decided to turn his own business exploits also into showbiz with The Apprentice and a gazillion mainstream Trump-endorsed glossy cover success books )...

"It's been said that I believe in the power of positive thinking. In fact, I believe in the power of negative thinking. I happen to be very conservative in business. I always go into the deal anticipating the worst. If you plan for the worst - if you can live with the worst - the good will always take care of itself."

Failure to anticipate and plan for negative outcomes can really sink you in highly competitive fields like business, climbing the corporate ladder, or trying to make money outside of showbiz.

What does "Positive Thinking at all costs, banish all negative thoughts from your life" and "Ignore the future it will take care of itself, and focus on the present" have in common?

It is what most people WANT to hear.

"What the Bleep" and Dr Emoto's bullsh*t water crystals

To give you some flavour of what "What the Bleep" movie is like:

DR EMOTO'S WATER CRYSTALS

- In reference to: What the Bleep - Water Crystals

There exists only one publication of his work in a journal (The journal for alternative medicine), and it wasn't an academic article - it was a photo essay that isn't subjected to serious scientific scrutiny. It was only two pages long, with one page being nothing but photos.

By his own admission he takes up to 50 photos of each sample until he "finds" the pictures that he likes. (And done in an environment that is not proper lab conditions, with little control of external factors)

The real science that explains the shapes of water (ice) crystals, states that the shape is determined by temparature (determines flat vs hexagonal structure formation), and humidity (higher humidity produces more complex shapes, lower humidity produces simpler structures)

No one else has EVER been able to reproduce any of his results in anything close to resembling a scientific experiment.

The James Randi Educational Foundation offered Emoto $1 million if he could reproduce his results under scientific conditions - and he refused.

Dr Emoto makes a lot of money selling his books, and blessed water.

WHAT THE BLEEP!

David Albert is the physicist from Columbia University. He talks in little snippets about quantum mechanics in the film. Here's what he has to say about the movie:

"I was edited in such a way as to completely suppress my actual views about the matters the movie discusses. I am, indeed, profoundly unsympathetic to attempts at linking quantum mechanics with consciousness. Moreover, I explained all that, at great length, on camera, to the producers of the film ... Had I known that I would have been so radically misrepresented in the movie, I would certainly not have agreed to be filmed. "

See wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Albert

That lady that talks about men's erections, seems to be a bit of a crazy. She heads up a cult, and claims to channel the spirit of Ramtha who died 35,000 years ago fighting the people of Atlantis. Her fifth husband died of HIV AIDS when he followed her spiritual advise of using positive thinking methods, instead of medical science.

The rest are just as mad:
Two other on-screen experts are not identified as Ramtha associates: Dr. Joe Dispenza, chiropractor and mystic, listed as a student on the Ramtha Web site; and a man identified only as "Dr. Michael Ledwith."

Ledwith (at one time Monsignor Michael Ledwith) was once on track to be the next archbishop of Dublin, but the theologian stepped down as president of Maynooth College in 1994, after a complaint that he had sexually harassed a young seminarian. It was later revealed that Ledwith had allegedly paid a six-figure sum to a man who accused him of sexual abuse.

Dr John Hagelin (Phd), appears to have done a lot of his work at the Maharishi university, which is not a normal university. According to his own website (http://hagelin.org/) he is The Minister of Science and Technology of the Global Country of World Peace. Pleeeeeaaaze!

But wait there's more! According to wikipedia he is also:
- Executive Director of the International Center for Invincible Defense
- President of the US Peace Government
- Raja of Invincible America

All little bullshit titles and organisations.

The "Maharishi Effect" was an experiment in 1993 about the drop in violent crime in DC during a two month period of meditation. There were a number of problems with this experiment including that the murder rate actually rose. It was discovered later that ALL the members of the "independent scientific review board" were followers of the Maharishi, and the experiment has never been independently replicated.

James Randi Foundation debunks Uri Geller, John Edwards (Crossing Over) and other Paranormal Activies

Uri Geller world aclaimed psychic,mind reader, metal bender, clock stopper, states that you can effect reality with your mind. Scientist James Randi thoroughly debunked Uri Geller, and wrote a length book "The Truth about Uri Geller".

James Randi exposes Uri Geller as a fraud (YouTube video)
(in this video he also exposes faith healers such as TV Evangelist Peter Popoff)

Here is a must see talk, hosted on TED, about how all the famous people who claim to communicate with the dead are all frauds, and how he offered them $1m dollars to proof that they are not fake. No takers so far for his challenge.
James Randi's fiery takedown of psychic fraud

Michael Shermer on strange beliefs

Why do people see the Virgin Mary on a cheese sandwich or hear demonic lyrics in "Stairway to Heaven"? Using video and music, skeptic Michael Shermer shows how we convince ourselves to believe -- and overlook the facts.

TED Talk - Michael Shermer on strange beliefs

Debunking Deepak Chopra and "Quantum Healing"

Depak Chopra says Quantum healing is healing the bodymind from a quantum level. That means from a level which is not manifest at a sensory level. Our bodies ultimately are fields of information, intelligence and energy. Quantum healing involves a shift in the fields of energy information, so as to bring about a correction in an idea that has gone wrong.

The claim that the fields of modern physics have anything to do with the "field of consciousness" is false. The notion that what physicists call "the vacuum state" has anything to do with consciousness is nonsense. The claim that large numbers of people meditating helps reduce crime and war by creating a unified field of consciousness is foolishness of a high order. The presentation of the ideas of modern physics side by side, and apparently supportive of, the ideas of the Maharishi about pure consciousness can only be intended to deceive those who might not know any better.
- Dr Pagels. See http://www.skepdic.com/chopra.html

Deepak Chopra claims that "by consciously using our awareness, we can influence the way we age biologically. . . . You can tell your body not to age."
http://www.quackwatch.com/04ConsumerEducation/chopra.html

You can read how several scientific sounding statements made by Deepak Chopra is debunked here.

Scientist Richard Dawkins interviews Deepak Chopra and more or less gets him to admit that his teachings (despite many claims) have nothing to do with Quantum Physics.
Youtube Interview Richard Dawkins and Deepak Chopra

The power of positive thinking is misleading and can have dire consequences on your health, according to leading US author and researcher Barbara Ehrenreich.

Ehrenreich, whose book Smile or You Die: How Positive Thinking Fooled America and the World explores the positive thinking industry in the US, first became interested in the topic when diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000.

She says she was shocked by the "breast cancer culture": pink ribbons, and other pink merchandise, chatrooms that discourage anger about the condition and thinkers such as Deepak Chopra who encourage people to see the illness as a gift.

Ehrenreich described the pressure to be upbeat about a cancer diagnosis as the "tyranny of positive thinking", with many sufferers thinking that if they were upbeat about the diagnosis this would influence the behaviour of the disease at a cellular level.

The above is from http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/993506/power-of-positive-thinking-debunked