The Pseudoscience of 'The Secret' | Live Science

But the premise behind the book has been disproved. According to Byrne, the secret is based on a New Age idea called the "Law of Attraction." It ... Skiptomaincontent LiveScience LiveScience Search Subscribe RSS HowItWorksMagazineWhysubscribe?Theultimateaction-packedscienceandtechnologymagazineburstingwithexcitinginformationabouttheuniverseEngagingarticles,amazingillustrations&exclusiveinterviewsIssuesdeliveredstraighttoyourdoorordeviceFrom$3.99View News Space&Physics Health PlanetEarth StrangeNews Animals History Forums More Forums Tech Culture Reference AboutUs Magazinesubscriptions TrendingUkraineinvasionupdatesPhysics&AstrophysicsCOVID-19CulturePregnancytips LiveScienceissupportedbyitsaudience.Whenyoupurchasethroughlinksonoursite,wemayearnanaffiliatecommission.Learnmore Thereisnoclear-cutansweryetonwhetherbeingupbeatcankeepyouhealthyorcureanything.Butthereisevidencesuggestingaconnection. LarryKingrecentlyhosteda"specialevent"broadcasttohundredsoftheatersacrossAmerica.Titled"BeyondtheSecret:SpiritualPowerandtheLawofAttraction,"theprogramisbasedonRhondaByrne'sbest-sellingNewAgeself-helpbook"TheSecret."Thebookpromisestomakedreamscometruethroughpositivethinking,andithas—atleastforByrneandherpublishers.TheSecretfranchise(books,films,DVDs,etc.)hasmadepilesofmoney,butquestionsremainaboutitsvalidity."TheSecret"claimstobebasedonscience,attimesborrowingphrasesfromquantumphysics.Butthepremisebehindthebookhasbeendisproved.AccordingtoByrne,thesecretisbasedonaNewAgeideacalledthe"LawofAttraction."Itstatesthatsimilarthingsattracteachother,sopositivethoughtsbringpositivethingsandnegativethoughtsbringnegativethings.Thereforeifwesimplythinkaboutthingswewant,wewillgetthem.There'sasuperficiallogictothis,butinphysics,itisopposites—notsimilars—thatattract.Regardless,thebook'sLawofAttractionhasnothingtodowithscience.Onecannotsimplywish,think,orfeelsomethingintoexistence.BadlogicWhenscientistsproposeanewtheory,theymustexplainhowitworks."TheSecret,"ontheotherhand,getsindeeptroublewhenittriestoexplainthemechanismbywhichthe"LawofAttraction"supposedlyworks.Accordingtotheidea,ourthoughtssomehowsendoutvibrationsthatsomethingintheuniversesomehowdeciphersandrespondsto.Ifwewanttobethinner,orhaveanewcar,theuniversewillsomehowprovideitifwethinkaboutit.Positivethinkingiseasierthandietandexerciseorearningmoneytobuyacar,butevenifthe"LawofAttraction"exists,howexactlywouldthepoundscomeoff,andthenewcarappear?Thereareotherseriousproblemswiththeso-calledscientificbasisfor"TheSecret."Accordingtothebook,"Everythingthatcomesintoyourlifeyouareattractingintoyourlifebyyourthoughts."Isthistrue?Everyonewhoplaysthelotterythinksaboutwinningandbeingrich(otherwisetheywouldn'tplay),yetveryfewwin.IftheLawofAttractionworks,whywouldthatbe?Shouldn'talloftheplayerswin,ifallittakesisdesireandthought?Accordingtothe"LawofAttraction,"ifyouhaveanaccidentordisease,it'syourfault,becauseyournegativethoughtsbroughtitonyourself.Ifanairplanecrashes,doesthatmeanthatoneormoreofthepassengerscausedit?Whataboutthethoughtsofothersonboardtheplane?Didtheoneperson'snegativethoughtssomehowoverridethepositivethoughtsoftheothers,doomingthemall?Thereareafewpositivemessagesamidtheplatitudes;ofcourseanoptimisticoutlookisbetterthanapessimisticone;andyesourthoughtsandfeelingsinfluencehowweexperiencetheworld.Thisisnosecret,andhasnothingtodowithanyso-called"LawofAttraction."TheoriginofthesecretAsuresignofcrankliteratureisaself-appointedexpertwhosemainsourceisapersonalinspirationorrevelation.If"TheSecret"hasnobasisinscience,wheredidByrnediscoverit?Sheadmitsshejustmadeitup,cobblingtogetherideasfromquantumphysics,NewAgemysticism,common-senseprinciples,anda1910bookcalled,ironically,"TheScienceofGettingRich."Byrnedecidedthatshehadstumbledonthekeytotheuniverse,andwroteabookaboutherideas,notbotheringtocheckforlogicalerrorsorscientificreality.Thesecrettobook'ssuccessisitsslickmarketingcampaign,mixingbanaltruismswithNewAgeymagicalthinkingandpresentingitashiddenknowledge."TheSecret"isnothingnew,norisitasecret.Fordecades,NewAgeandself-helpbookslikethisonehaveofferedupeasyanswerstolife'sproblems.Ifanyofthosebooksworked,andreallycontainedthesecretstosuccess,wealth,andhappiness,theywouldn’tneedtopublishmore—andtherewouldbenoneedfor"BeyondtheSecret,""ReturnoftheSecret,"or"SonoftheSecret.BenjaminRadfordismanagingeditoroftheSkepticalInquirersciencemagazine.Hisbooks,films,andotherprojectscanbefoundonhiswebsite.HisBadSciencecolumnappearsregularlyonLiveScience. BenjaminRadford LiveScienceContributor BenjaminRadfordistheBadSciencecolumnistforLiveScience.Hecoverspseudoscience,psychology,urbanlegendsandthesciencebehind"unexplained"ormysteriousphenomenon.Benhasamaster'sdegreeineducationandabachelor'sdegreeinpsychology.HeisdeputyeditorofSkepticalInquirersciencemagazineandhaswritten,editedorcontributedtomorethan20books,including"ScientificParanormalInvestigation:HowtoSolveUnexplainedMysteries," "TrackingtheChupacabra:TheVampireBeastinFact,Fiction,andFolklore"and“InvestigatingGhosts:TheScientificSearchforSpirits,”outinfall2017.Hiswebsiteiswww.BenjaminRadford.com. LiveSciencenewsletter StayuptodateonthelatestsciencenewsbysigningupforourEssentialsnewsletter. ContactmewithnewsandoffersfromotherFuturebrands Receiveemailfromusonbehalfofourtrustedpartnersorsponsors ThankyouforsigninguptoLiveScience.Youwillreceiveaverificationemailshortly. Therewasaproblem.Pleaserefreshthepageandtryagain. 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