The Secret/law of attraction (Byrne)

Australian television producer Rhonda Byrne was named among Time magazine’s 100 influential people after The Secret became a bestseller in 2006. The book claims that thoughts attract matching events through a universal law. That metaphysical claim has many adherents but is not supported by scientific evidence.

When to use it

• Use the practical parts—goal clarity, visualisation and focused attention—when working towards a personally meaningful outcome.
• Possible applications include career progress, recognition or a financial objective, provided they are translated into action and realistic constraints.

Origins

Byrne’s Time recognition and the success of her 2006 book brought ‘law of attraction’ teaching to a mass audience; the magazine’s list contained 100 people. Her account drew from the older New Thought tradition and works including Charles Haanel’s The Master Key System, originally a 24-week correspondence course published in 1912, and Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich from 1937.

What it is

Byrne presents a three-part method: ask for an outcome, believe it will occur and become ready to receive it. The book treats thoughts as a force that causes the universe to supply corresponding events.

A defensible psychological interpretation is narrower. A clearly defined goal can influence attention, persistence, planning and the opportunities a person notices. Positive expectations may support effort, but they cannot guarantee health, wealth, promotion or any event controlled by other people and systems. Outcomes also depend on action, resources, chance, structural conditions and feedback.