Cover Image: June 2007 Scientific American Magazine See Inside

The (Other) Secret

The inverse square law trumps the law of attraction















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Oprah, please, withdraw your support of this risible twaddle--as you did when you discovered that James Frey's memoir was a million little lies--and tell your vast following that prosperity comes from a good dollop of hard work and creative thinking, the way you did it.




Correction: The original version of this article used the phrase "nuclear fission" where "nuclear fusion" was intended.



This article was originally published with the title The (Other) Secret.



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  1. 1. Jeanne Lesniak 07:10 PM 12/8/07

    It is clear that the Law of Attraction is a universal law - like attracts like. Putting that into everyday practice takes much thought and concerted effort. People sometimes have core beliefs that prevent them from attracting what they desire, simply because their conscious, subconscious, and unconscious thoughts put up blocks to moving forward. That being said, the Law of Attraction does work when one uses it in a manner of being in the highest good of the universe, and when one is ready to receive what one desires.

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  2. 2. scorpio 02:34 AM 1/18/08

    I cannot believe that scientists still embrace "atheistic" evolution as grounds for scientific fact. I am not religious in any way, but I am what one would call an "Intelligent Design" evolutionist. Atheism is as much pseudoscience as the psychic realm. But, throughout my life I have observed that my thoughts do shape the way life unfolds before me. I am convinced, especially when I envision an empty parking space before I go shopping. I don't know how it works, but it's a real neat trick and it works 90% of the time for me. I just wish scientists would keep open minds about certain things and actually study some claims rather than flat-out denying them. That's why people don't trust them.

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  3. 3. Black Belt III 01:25 PM 8/12/08

    The ridiculous "Law of Attraction," like the goofy "Intelligent Design" and "feng shui" and other New Age mystic rot, is nonsense masquerading as science. When people are unable to wade through the pseudoscience crap out there and cling to such foolishness, it's no wonder that our government can lie to us with impunity; we don't have the ability to comprehend B.S. when it's shoveled out and served in a big heaping pile in front of us, apparently.

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  4. 4. thecontrarian 05:51 PM 12/22/08

    I am surrounded at my job by this "Secret" mentality. I have always been something of a contrarian, but at each weekly sales meeting we get another dose of "you are what you think." Go team go! I totally agree with Black Belt III -- whatever happened to critical thinking skills? Americans area easily soothed by this twaddle -- we want to believe nothing really bad can happen to us, not now, not here. Unfortunately, history repeats itself, as he so cogently points out!

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  5. 5. tsharples 03:25 PM 4/29/09

    If there is any validity to the "Law of Attraction" it is this: Other people tend to be attracted to individuals who project an accomplished, positive can-do attitude (and repulsed by "downers" and negative thinking), and are therefore likely to give more of themselves to the former, than to the latter.

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  6. 6. Satchmo Bevins 07:36 PM 7/4/09

    Can all the "Secret" people now be considered "1st graders" and moved to smaller, shallower and, most importantly, completely different gene pool BEFORE they pee in the water?

    kthxby



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  7. 7. Paxmax in reply to scorpio 04:23 AM 7/5/09

    scorpio: "atheistic" evolution

    There is nothing atheistic about evolution, you are confounding religion with science.

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  8. 8. ddujale 07:06 AM 10/3/09

    it is very simple if you observe and think.
    human existence has relation to its environment, with other
    life forms and nature. some will seek others with the same characteristics and others will find some with opposite traits, even if you try to search and find answers to these observations up to the end of the universe (which nobody has define this limit, as i speak now).
    going back to the human being...
    if one feels comfortably good with another and mutually recognized, they stay as friends, as couples or whatever you may call it, till the end of their time.
    but if they dislike and hate each other, they become enemies,
    till the end of the universe. ( so, if two political rivals end up working together, it's because each one is comfortable on a common ground, but not necessarily liking each other very much, if you like).
    how will you feel when a stranger comes to your aid in times you needed help? you feel good.
    how will you feel when people you know puts you down
    when you least expect it? you don't feel good.
    how will you reflect the abovementioned to all the things around you, living or non-living which affects you, your family, your friends, your neighbors, your leaders and even
    more to your home, your city, your country and much more
    to our world, to our earth (keep us on earth for now as the others still trying to reach the end of the universe).
    one doesn't have to be a scientist or a genius
    who expounds the laws of attraction or an ecologist to explain the environment and even a religious dogmatist on marriage and divorce to know the most basic thing ...GOODNESS in all its forms and meanings.

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  9. 9. Wooder in reply to Jeanne Lesniak 10:54 AM 11/15/09

    "is clear that the Law of Attraction is a universal law - like attracts like."

    Well Jeanne Lesniak obviously failed grade 4 science. In Electromagnetism (which this LoA thing is supposed to be based on) opposites charges attract, like charges repel. Therefore the "universal law" is that like repels like not like attracts like.

    Before you (and by this I mean others who think this as well) read another psuedo-science book like the one you (see above) are describing, maybe you (ditto) should take the time to read some books on basic science, as your (Jeanne Lesniak this time) statement is as false as claiming that 2+2=5 or that it is a universal law that the sun revolves around the earth or that the earth is 6,500 years old.

    "is clear that the Law of Attraction is a universal law - like attracts like." ... sheesh, we really need to do something about our public school system on this continent

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  10. 10. paulw 10:05 AM 9/9/11

    Just a nitpick from a former physicist: if you're talking about magnetic fields, the reduction with distance is not inverse square (which is bad enough) but inverse cube. No doubt the next one of these nonsensical books will argue that good thoughts generate good outcomes by quantum entanglement.

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  11. 11. Wishladya 11:27 AM 12/3/11

    I've admired Scientific American for many years from the early 60's when I prepared articles for the Organic Chemistry Department of University of Illinois. I've also grown in my understanding of the relationship between Science and Religion & they mesh together perfectly! I would refer one to my theory in my blog article "Synchronicity and God and the Universe" at http://wishladysjournal.blogspot.com/2005/09/synchronicity-and-god-and-universe.html which explains my understanding of God and the Universe and how it is all scientific as well. Forgive my simplistic explanation of the construct of an Atom, I wrote the article for simplicity of understanding for those without a college education (not everyone reads Scientic American or legal Case Law for a hobby).

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