Have you ever heard the saying, “You are what you eat?” I’m sure we all have. Well, what about, “You are what you think?” This is the essential idea behind the law of attraction.
So, what exactly is the law of attraction?
The law of attraction (LoA) is one of the most prevalent ideas of the New Age spiritual movement. Although it has become more popular within the past couple of decades, the basic principles of the LoA have been around in lore for thousands of years. They have been included in the doctrine of religions such as Hinduism and Christianity.
The law of attraction is the theory that whatever one desires in life can come to fruition through the force of one’s thoughts. One is supposed to think about what it is specifically that they desire in life, be it a physical item, state of being or outcome, and those thoughts will attract the object of desire into real life. This is referred to as manifestation. Manifestation is claimed to work based on the spiritual property that, in our universe, like attracts like.
You see, it is claimed that thoughts are energy. It takes conscious, or subconscious, effort to exude them; most, if not all, thoughts have emotional charges to them. We cannot physically see them leave our heads, but it is said that they nonetheless permeate into our outside environment. Because like attracts like under the LoA, the energy you send out invites more of the same toward you in return. It is similar to the logic of the principle of karma—“what goes around comes back around.” By focusing on thoughts that evoke or are evoked by negative emotions, you are sending out a scent of unfavorable energy, only for more of it to come back and sniff you out.
Is the law of attraction real?
Science does not have all of the answers as to how the LoA physically works, but there have been studies that document its effectiveness. One notable study is the National Demonstration Project of 1993 in Washington D.C. This study involved participants trained in a meditation technique called Transcendental Meditation meditating over a period of two months while focusing on positivity and love. Analysis of crime records revealed that, after controlling for variables such as temperature, the crime rate in Washington D.C. had fallen about 23 percent. This suggests that by simply sending out positive energy, these meditators were able to attract positivity to themselves and their surroundings.
There are, of course, those that do not believe in the validity of the LoA, stating that it is a pseudoscience, a theory claimed to be scientific but not consistently evidenced. This is understandable because the principles of energy that the LoA encompasses are based on spiritual concepts. The metaphysical nature of these concepts does not allow for enough analysis to satisfy the scientific method.
As science is limited to our human, physical observation, it is not adept in analyzing concepts outside of our five senses. Therefore, the LoA may not be for those who primarily base their judgements and beliefs on science. However, I presume that there are as many academic dissenters of the LoA as there are adamant supporters.
How to use the Law of Attraction
There are some things to keep in mind before implementing the LoA into your own life. The first thing to keep in mind is that the Law of Attraction is a tool, not a miracle worker. You can’t use the technique the night before your midterm to “manifest” an A when you have not studied at all. For one thing, that is not enough time to see visible results! But this wishful thinking is also contrary to the purpose of the LoA. The LoA does not bring your desires into fruition purely through thought. The LoA intends for you to take an active, physical approach in manifesting opportunity! In summary, you won’t get an A on your midterm by simply hoping super hard for it; however, by implementing the encouraging mindset of success, you will likely gain more motivation to study or good study opportunities will come your way.
It is also important to focus on the little successes that you might start to see, thanks to your positive energy. For example, if you make friends who are also in your class, and they invite you to a study group, do it! Chances are this is the LoA bringing you this opportunity.
Using the law of attraction is pretty simple: focus your thoughts on what specifically you hope to attract. You can do this through meditative visualization, or going into a state of internal focus on images of your desire. You can also choose to get more creative and draw pictures. The idea is for you to expend energy towards what you want so that it can come back to you, like a boomerang, except with more force. It is good to direct focus toward your desires more than one time; for example, doing it every night before going to sleep will likely provide a stronger manifestation effect.
Once you start visualizing your desires, it is important that you not become disheartened if you do not get the effects that you expect! Opportunities present themselves in ways you cannot even begin to imagine. It is up to you to be attentive during everyday life in order to recognize these opportunities once they start popping up, no matter how small. Depending on what you want to manifest, it applies that Rome was not built in a day. You climb a staircase one step at a time–it is so with all else in life.
Why I believe in the LoA
Although I am not religious, I feel deeply connected to my spiritual side. My beliefs are based on what I feel is right in my soul. I put my trust in the intuitions and observations gathered from my own life experience.
This is not to say that I believe everything that I feel right off the bat. In fact, I am quite the skeptic. Skepticism used to cause me feelings of dissonance when I was younger due to my love for analysis and objective truth. However, using science as my only lense of truth denied me the feeling that there is more to life than our physical reality.
Besides my intuitive connection to the LoA, I have seen it working in my own life. It helps me generate positivity to cope with negative thoughts, especially during a period of depression. I am now able to see solutions to issues and pathways to my desires because of focusing my intent on what I wanted. It has not created any miracles, so to say, but for me, every step closer to my goal is a miracle in its own right. I have a feeling that the opportunities I attract are not by coincidence.
Most importantly, believing in the Law of Attraction gives me a sense of security. It allows me to feel like I have some level of control over what happens in my life.
In the end, using the LoA is a subjective experience, while some chalk it up to being a “self-fulfilling prophecy,” others have no faith in it at all.
If it works, then it works, regardless of what you call it! All that matters is if you are achieving your goals and increasing self-productivity and positive thinking. The LoA may not be scientifically proven, but science does not have all the answers when it comes to the universe and your soul.