pt. 3The Secret behind the SECRET

The Australian author of “The Secret,” Rhonda Byrne, writes in her book, “A year ago, my life had collapsed around me” (p. ix). Through searching for answers in a variety of books new and old, she began to trace what she believed was a common thread in them all. She dubbed it the “Great Secret—The Secret to Life” (p. ix).

Rhonda Byrne, in her book and DVD, The Secret, tells how a 100-year-old book entered her life and changed it forever. Rhonda’s daughter gave her a copy of The Science of Getting Rich, a book written in 1910 by Wallace D. Wattles. This inspired Byrne to create her bestselling DVD and, subse­quently, to write her book. She has said that it “gave me a glimpse of The Secret. It was like a flame inside of my heart. And with every day since, it's just become a raging fire of wanting to share all of this with the world” (Oprah program). She believes she discovered the success of “the greatest people in history” (p. ix book)

There are twenty-nine co-contributors quoted by the author of The Secret Rhonda Byrne. Some of 'the Secret' teachers are more recognized than others. Bob Proctor, David Schirmer, John Assaraf, Marie Diamond, John Demartini, Mike Dooley, Fred Alan Wolf, Bill Harris, James Ray, Marci Shimoff, Lisa Nichols, Morris Goodman, Neale Donald Walsch, John Gray, Denis Waitley, Loral Langemeier, Bob Doyle, Jack Canfield, Joe Vitale, Michael Beckwith, Hale Dwoskin, Ben Johnson, John Hagelin, and Lee Brower.

They all agree on the practices and concepts tied to the metaphysical worldview presented in the book and DVD.

One of the ways to enact the law of attraction is to visualize. Visualize Your Desired Income, or anything you want” “Visualize your goal” “ Visualizing your goal could be cutting pictures out of magazines, writing it down, or closing your eyes and pretending you're doing it. The example in The Secret was a fellow pretending to drive a sports car in his living room. The key is feeling the positive emotions and thinking the positive thoughts – those will bring you the desires of your heart.” http://www.themastersofthesecret.com 

Visualization is described as– Spend some time each day picturing exactly what you want in your mind's eye. In his book The Success Principles, Jack Canfield says, “The process of visualizing for success is really quite simple. All you have to do is close your eyes and see your goals as already complete. If one of your objectives is to own a nice house on the lake, then close your eyes and see yourself walking through the exact house you would like to own. Fill in all of the details... This goes for any goal you make – whether it's in the area of work, play, family, personal finances, relationships or philanthropy. Write down each of your goals and objectives, then review them, affirm them, and visualize them every day.”

Secret teacher- Dennis Waitley states: When you visualize then you materialize I think if you been there in the mind you’ll go there in the body” (audio).

“The Secret”- “Play the picture in your mind - focus on the end result VISUALIZE!!!” “Rehearse your future. VISUALIZE!!! See it, feel it! This is where action begins. Close your eyes and visualize having what you already want – and the feeling of having it already.” “Focus on being grateful for what you have already .. enjoy it!! Then release into the universe. The universe will manifest it.”

Let’s step back in time and see how this has all rolled out to our day. Wallace Wattles who wrote The Science of Getting Rich is advertised as the secret behind The Secret. Wallace Delois Wattles (1860-1911) was the author of numerous books, the best known of which is The Science of Getting Rich. He experienced failure after failure in his early life, after many years of study and experimentation it is said that he formulated a set of principles that, with scientific precision, create financial and spiritual wealth.

Wattles explained that “universal mind” underlies and permeates all creation. Through the process of visualization we can engage the law of attraction, impressing our thoughts upon “formless substance” to bring the desired object or circumstances into material form. “You must know what you want, and be definite. You can never get rich, or start the creative power into action, by sending out unformed longings and vague desires.”

“The more clear and definite you make your picture then, and the more you dwell upon it, bringing out all its delightful details, the stronger your desire will be, and the stronger your desire, the easier it will be to hold your mind fixed upon the picture of what you wan.” ( Wallace D. Wattles The Science of Getting Rich or Financial Success Through Creative Thought, p. 45)

As already pointed out, Visualization is an ancient occult technique where a mental picture is held firmly in the mind, as it is continually seen it will eventually manifest itself into the physical universe. So it goes from thought (the spiritual realm) to the physical. As Wattles taught: “We have not yet reached the stage of development, even supposing such a stage to be possible, in which man can create directly from Formless Substance without nature's processes or the work of human hands; man must not only think, but his personal action must supplement his thought.”

We read- The Science of Getting Rich Attracting Financial Success through Creative Thought is intended for the men and women whose most pressing need is for money; who wish to get rich first, and philosophize afterward.” In other words just do it and any questions you have will be answered later or not at all after you see it work.

Wallace D. Wattles was quite sure of himself when he stated:
“The men and women who practice my instructions will certainly get rich; and the riches they receive will be in exact proportion to the definiteness of their vision, the immovableness of their unchanging purpose, the steadiness of their faith, and the depth of their gratitude”.

As positive as Wattle’s was, Wattles lived most of his life in poverty? His book was published in 1910 and He died the next year in 1911 at the age of 51. Wattle’s never was able to reap what he sowed in his mind, for his life was cut short. The question that needs to be asked-did he attract this? Are these men and woman going to live forever, are they going to stay young as they get older- why not? They said anything you want- who wants to get old or sick. Wouldn't Wattles have wanted to live longer to see the success of that book and to write more about the incredible benefits of “the Secret,” even though it failed him? But he couldn't add one minute to his life by his mind power and neither can you. The Secret didn't work for Wattles and it won’t work for you. Why? Because there is no law of the universe like this. But there are spiritual powers that will make you think it works by a law.

But there are some who say they have an answer to how it works. A Teacher of the Secret, Bob Proctor states of Wattles in his video on the web “He tapped into thought, thought is in the ether, Wallace Wattles said he took the ether and turned it into ink. We are going to show you how to turn the ether into ink. Your going to take one of these and determine your own destiny” (http://thesgrprogram.com/special.php?a_id=14511)

How does he actually know he did this? What is ether? He certainly is not referring to what we use to give a patient to put them out for an operation. This ether is often ascribed to regions of space in the heavens. It is an element believed in ancient and medieval civilizations to fill all of space – some describe it as the space between the atoms. Scientific data or equations do not validate this concept, though it is thrown around by metaphysicians like a ball at a baseball game. Many look to Maxwell who theorized: electromagnetic Waves carry light. The ether was some kind of fluid substance that filled space. Regardless of the scientific debate, what is being claimed is that Wattles was communicating with the ether and writing it in his books. Consider the power this man supposedly exercised and that he is offering it to you- that you too can make use of this ether without ever knowing what it is and control the very fabric of the universe.

For more mind boggling explanations of this metaphysical experience – see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminiferous_aether

Rhonda Byrne in The Secret claims “It has been scientifically proven that affirmative thought is hundreds of times more powerful than a negative thought?

What study can be cited where scientists have measured this and actually proven that our thought affects the physical world? Those in metaphysics often make claims that are unsubstantiated and undocumented; you can call it “wishful thinking” on their part.

Fillmore called it the law of mind action. “Divine Mind creates by thought, through ideas” (Dynamics for Living, Charles Fillmore 1967 Unity book).

“Every thought that goes forth from the brain sends vibrations into the sur­rounding atmosphere and moves the realm of things to action. (ibid. p.75)

“All is Mind. The things that appear are expressions of Mind. (ibid. p.189)

“if we lack any­thing it is because we have not used our mind in making the right contact with the supermind” (ibid. p.187).

He also stated, “Science is at last proving what Religion has taught from the beginning-that God gave dominion, and that we have only to understand and use dominion to become the Masters of our Fate, the Captain of our Souls.” (ibid. p.61).

There are many “New Thought practitioners” that say the same things. William Walker Atkinson (1862-1932), was also important person of New Thought. He was an editor of several New Thought Journals. In 1900, he published “a series of lessons in personal magnetism, psychic influence, thought-force, concentration, will-power & practical Mental Science,” titled Thought-Force in Business and Everyday Life. In 1906 he published the book “Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World “which has many similarities to “The Secret.”

Chapter I THE LAW OF ATTRACTION IN THE THOUGHT WORLD.

Chapter XIII THE ATTRACTIVE POWER - DESIRE FORCE

‘In order to attain a thing it is necessary that the mind should fall in love with it”

This is the occult/metaphysical worldview- that there is a universal law that says “like attracts like. Using a “metaphysical” interpretation of the plain words in the Bible is misleading to the unlearned in the Scripture. The Secret- "The law [of "attraction"] responds to your thoughts, no matter what they may be....People who have drawn wealth into their lives...think thoughts of abundance and wealth...nothing else exists in their minds." "You've got to feel good about money to attract more to you....Start to say and feel...I am a money magnet. I love money.”

This is not a good thing to be taught. The Bible says "the love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Tim. 6:10).

On the Oprah show, Maureen has a question many people want answered: “[My family puts] our faith in God, and it seems that The Secret teaches you to put your faith in yourself. And so I was wondering, is God anywhere in this?”

Michael says The Secret involves the laws of the universe and they, in turn, describe the nature of how God works. “[Jesus] said, ‘Pray believing that ye have that ye may receive.’ That’s The Secret in a nutshell,” he says. “Pray believing and feeling and sensing that you already have it, and then you’re available to receive it.”

The appeal is that the Law of Attraction is available to all- anyone from any religion can use it. Yet the promoters of the secret want you to also believe that Jesus approves of their teaching, claiming it is found in the Bible. They end up using the Bible as a formula for getting whatever they want much like a witch would in casting a spell.

They quote Mark 11:24: “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (also Mt.21:22) .

But they neglected the previous verses v.20- especially v. 22 “So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.” It is not have faith in yourself, your mind power, your thoughts or faith in the universe. It is not believe and you will receive as the mind science teachers teach but believe in God, one must ask to receive, and he decides. The difference is dramatic. To them the universe is not a personal but an “it”, and they are not asking but using their mind to put in an order into the universe. The Bible teaches that God is personal and is all knowing and he is in control, not man.

Jesus had much to say that is the opposite of what they say in the Secret, especially on money. Jesus warned, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). They are offering the world to everyone on silver platter, but it will be for nothing unless they know God’s real secret (which we will cover at the end of these articles).

Michael says “The Secret isn’t about contradicting religion—it supports it. “It actually goes underneath the culture and explains to you the sacred laws that these wonderful teachers have brought to us,” he says. According to James, “The Secret is about supporting the great spiritual traditions in a more modern form. “It really is just putting Christianity, Judaism, all the great teachings into a current vernacular,” he says. (Oprah Show Feb. 16, 2007)

Not only does the universe obey someone from any religion but it does not matter how sinful or evil a person is. This brings the problem of a lack of ethics in ones life or thought as having no bearing on the outcome. If someone is thinking what is good, he attracts good; someone who is evil equally attracts evil. There is missing a standard for morality which then insinuates that man makes his own morality, but in the end it does not matter. Many people have different outlooks on what is good or evil- does the universe sort these out? No, because it is amoral and has no input for us. This proves that the universe is not God and is even less intelligent than man!

We are also told “…the Law of Attraction is not religion-based. In simplest terms, it's about believing in yourself and aligning your thoughts and beliefs with your greatest desires. However, the Law of Attraction is complementary to a wide range of religious beliefs.”

This is an appeal to man’s lowest nature of lust and calling it spirituality. Satan is the ultimate salesman, and he can use the ultimate lie- inflaming ones desires using the bait- “anything you want you can have.” The lure of attraction is repeatedly stated in the book: “The Secret” gives you anything you want: happiness, health, and wealth....You can have, do, or be anything you want....We can have whatever it is that we choose. This is Spiritual self reliance- who needs Jesus if you have the mind power to control or get anything you want from the universe.

Rhonda Byrne, the author of The Secret, is also greatly influenced by a couple named Jerry and Esther Hicks‘. In the Acknowledgements of The Secret, Byrne thanked Jerry and Esther Hicks and the teachings of Abraham.

Jerry Hicks had experimented with a number of things in pursuit of truth, one was a Ouiji board. In 1965, Jerry Hicks had been a devotee of the book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill, and he eventually began teaching the principles discussed in the book. He believes that the book helped him to become successful in business.

This is significant and we must pause and look at Napoleon Hill’s teachings to understand his connection to all this. Napoleon Hill said of his book- “This book contains the secret” (Napoleon Hill Think and Grow Rich p.9).

This law was taught to Napoleon Hill by demons who posed as Ascended Masters from a School of Wisdom on the astral plane (reference-Occult Invasion by Dave Hunt). These were disembodied masters who declared: “I come from the Great School of Masters. I am one of the Council of Thirty Three who serve the Great School and its initiates on the physical plane.”

Hill was informed that he had been “under the guidance of the Great School” for years and had been chosen by them to give the formula of success, the “Supreme Secret,” to the world: that “anything the human mind can believe, the human mind can achieve.”“ (Occult Invasion by Dave Hunt p.185)

Hill responded to it, “whoever you are-whatever you are come into me now”

Hill gave himself to this spirit and others influence. They taught Hill the power of visualization, and following their advice, Hill visualized nine famous men from the past sitting around a table as his “advisers.” These nine men were Emerson, Paine, Edison, Darwin, Lincoln, Burbank, Napoleon, Ford and Carnegie. “Every night... I held an imaginary council meeting with this group whom I called my “Invisible Counselors.”

“I now go to my imaginary counselors with every difficult problem which confronts me and my clients. The results are often astonishing . . . Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone, Success through a Positive Mental Attitude (Pocket Books, 1977), p. 44. Napoleon Hill, Grow Rich with Peace of Mind (Fawcett Crest, 1967), pp. 215-19, 159)

Hill had been led by his spirit guide[s] into occult techniques. Hill also drew on many other new thought concepts and techniques they introduced to him

He specifically mentions Andrew Carnagie in his preface and later in his book spoke on harnessing Kundalini energy, manifesting psychic powers such as telepathy, tapping into higher consciousness, and getting in touch with the great minds of past history.

Hill stated But if you follow the instructions outlined, your skepticism will soon be replaced by belief, and this, in turn, will soon become crystallized into ABSOLUTE FAITH. Then you will have arrived at the point where you may truly say, "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul!" (p.86 Think and Grow Rich )- word for word of Charles Fillmores book Dynamics for Living. Napoleon Hill died penniless and sick in a hospital. Yet he stated  You Are “The Master of Your Own Fate” BECAUSE . . . When Henley wrote the prophetic lines, "I am the Master of my Fate, I am the Captain of my Soul," he should have informed us that we are the Masters of our Fate, the Captains of our Souls, because we have the power to control our thoughts.

Napoleon Hill co-authored with W. Clement Stone Success through a Positive Mental Attitude, which was a guide for tapping into “the great univer­sal storehouse of Infinite Intelligence. The connection to Hill and Clement Stone is clear- the Secret (book) says: “Whatever the mind of man can conceive, it can achieve” (W. Clement Stone).

We find there is a common source to all these teachings of Hill, the other mind science teachers and the Hicks- spirit guides.

Ernest Holmes founded the Church of Religious Science upon the same “Supreme Se­cret” that was revealed to Napoleon Hill (and many others) through the “Masters of Wisdom,” teachings. Holmes stated “All men are spiritually evolving until . . . each will fully express his divinity . . . . ” (Ernest Holmes What Religious Science Teaches p.21).

Holmes explained this “Supreme Secret”:

The “ supreme, creative Power of the Universe, the source of all substance, the Life in all living things, is a cosmic Reality Principle which is present throughout the universe and in every one of us.

Science of MIND teaches that Man controls the course of his life ... by mental processes which function according to a Universal Law ... that we are all creating our own day-to-day experiences ... by the form and procession of our thoughts.' The Viewpiont of Science of mind concerning certain Traditional beliefs (Quoted in chpt.2 p.21, Seduction of Christianity by Dave Hunt).

Holmes in the end believed what nearly every occultist does-“Man, by thinking, can bring into his experience whatsoever he desires...( 'Ernest Holmes The Science of Mind (textbook) p.30 (Science of mind Sept.1983 p.47).

So we see a common source- both Byrne and the Hicks have a connection to the book of Napoleon Hill dictated by spirit guides. Byrne writes: “And on that spring day in 2004, when a small, old book called The Science of Getting Rich was put into her hands, and Rhonda's whole life suddenly pulled into spectacular focus, she knew exactly what her mission was to become. She was going to take this knowledge to the world. She was going to make a movie to carry joy to every corner of the Earth. And so the great journey that was The Secret began.”

Where does this all come from- the “law of manifestation.” This law was taught to Napoleon Hill by spirits who posed as Ascended Masters. And these spirits are found as the influence in nearly all the authors of the source for the Secret.

Hicks began doing further research on metaphysical topics in the 1980’s. He read Seth Speaks by Jane Roberts and became a fan (also channeled by a spirit) which states like many other books of its kind that “you create your own reality.” Esther became interested in the topics discussed in the Seth books. 1985, Esther and Jerry encountered another channeled entity named 'Theo'. Esther and Jerry were told to meditate, and that more information would be given to them at a later time. (http://www.money-health-relationships.com/jerry-and-esther-hicks.html)

They began meditating, and they claim that they eventually began communicating with Abraham. Since then, through the communication with Abraham, they have developed a metaphysical belief system

Jerry and Esther Hicks - their early communication with spirits

Abraham is a group of spirit guides that the Hicks look to for guidance. These same spirits have been manipulating mankind into lies from the beginning.

On April 5, 2007 Oprah interviewed Esther Hicks about her involvement with the original version of “The Secret” and the “non-physical entities Abraham-Hicks“ (who is channeled by Esther).

This is “spirit communication” that has been forbidden in the Bible by God (Deut 18:11; Lev. 20:6). Today it is called by other “channeling” which has been promoted consistently and openly on Oprah’s program.

We should conclude by examining some of the points on their website:

The Teachings of Abraham

“Words do not teach. True knowing comes from life experience. We offer these words, that they might stimulate your thinking. Truly, a teacher is a stimulator of thought.” – Abraham http://www.abraham-hicks.com/teachings.php (emphasis mine).

How do you offer words if they don’t teach? These peoples philosophy makes no sense.

What they are teaching is pantheism- everything is God. Bringing heaven to earth is not at all what Jesus said man can do, but this is what the New Age movement teaches.

We chose to be here? This is implying we existed before we are conceived and born; it certainly points to reincarnation.

They are teaching people that everyone is in control of their life unconsciously, and they need to become conscious of their latent powers that control the universe.

“In grace, you may choose to relax and allow your gentle transition back into your Non-physical state of pure, positive Energy. Your natural state is that of Foreverness. (Have fun with all of this. Lighten up! You can't get it wrong.)”

So everything we do is right, (even those who are evil) and of course God’s view of heaven and hell are missing from the equation. This means there is no consequences for what anyone does. This is the philosophy of living they are offering people!

On their website, they state:

“Abraham, a group of obviously evolved teachers, speak their broader Non-physical perspective through the physical body of Esther [Hicks]. Speaking to our level of comprehension, from their present moment to our now, through a series of loving, allowing, brilliant yet comprehensively simple, recordings in print, in video, and in sound - they guide us to a clear connection with our Inner Being--they guide us to self-upliftment from our total self” (provided by lighthouse trails research).

What is our inner being? We find what this all is from the book the Secret:

“The earth turns on its orbit for You. The oceans ebb and flow for You. The birds sing for You. The sun rises and it sets for You. The stars come out for You. Every beautiful thing you see, every wondrous thing you experience, is all there for You. Take a look around. None of it can exist, without You. No matter who you thought you were, now you know the Truth of Who You Really Are. You are the master of the Universe. You are the heir to the kingdom. You are the perfection of Life. And now you know The Secret” (p. 183) (emphasis mine).

This universe has this power and intelligence to give everyone what they want without a mind of its own, it has no will-YOU are the creator of your own universe. This is a teaching of a spirit not from God? One that says that YOU are God that it all revolves around YOU. Nothing exists without us. We are all One, everything is one with a universal Mind, and of course the ultimate flattery You are God manifested in human form.

And where did they learn this?

Byrne’s “Secret” is traced back to its source, it is Satan's lie in the Garden of Eden to Eve all over again, “You will be like God” (Gen. 3:5). Once again Satan whispers and is using women who are ill equipped to SPREAD HIS LIES. This is no secret, it was told to the first woman you will be like God. The Bible says No lie is of the truth; The spirit that spoke to Eve lied, he is now called the Father of lies and Jesus said there is no truth in him.

This is the essence of the Secret that they are spreading throughout the world, it is really anti God, anti truth and let the people be warned of entertaining spirits and teachings that lead away from God and not to him as the Bible explains.

Pt.4 There is a secret God wants you to know

 

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