Critics say 'The Secret' could be dangerous | CTV News

"The Secret" is the work of Rhonda Byrne, an Australian television and film producer. Her central claim is that the "law of attraction" governs ... Advertisement CTVNEWS Criticssay'TheSecret'couldbedangerous AssociatedPress PublishedSaturday,June23,20076:17PMEDT Share:   Reddit Share Text:     CHICAGO-Thewomanwithlong,darkhairlooksyearninglyatthegoldnecklaceinthewindowofajewelrystore.Shefixatesonthebling.There'ssomekindofdisruptionintheatmosphere.Andthen,thenecklaceisdrapedaroundherneck. Thescenesunfoldin"TheSecret,"a90-minute-longDVDadvocatingthepowerofpositivethinkingthathassold2millioncopies.Morethan5.2millioncopiesofthebookofthesamenameareinprint. While"TheSecret"hasbecomeapopculturephenomenon,italsohasdrawncriticswhoarenotquietaboutlabelingthemovementafad,embarrassinglymaterialisticorthelatestexampleofanAmericanpropensityofwantingsomethingfornothing. Somemedicalprofessionalssuggestitcouldevenleadtoablame-the-victimmentalityandactuallybedangeroustothosesufferingfromseriousillnessormentaldisorders. "It'satriumphofmarketingandmagic,"saidJohnNorcross,apsychologistandprofessorattheUniversityofScrantoninPennsylvaniawhoconductsresearchonself-helpbooks.Hebelievessomeareveryusefulwhenbackedbyscienceandfocusedonspecificproblems,suchasdepression. "'TheSecret'hasearnedmyantipathyforitsoutrageous,unprovenassertionsthatIbelievegobeyondtheordinaryoverpromisesofmostself-helpbooksintoadangerrealm,"hesaid. LawsofAttraction "TheSecret"istheworkofRhondaByrne,anAustraliantelevisionandfilmproducer.Hercentralclaimisthatthe"lawofattraction"governsouruniverse. "Thelawofattractionsaysthatlikeattractslike,andwhenyouthinkandfeelwhatyouwanttoattractontheinside,thelawwillusepeople,circumstancesandeventstomagnetizewhatyouwanttoyou,andmagnetizeyoutoit,"Byrnesaidinane-mailinresponsetoseveralquestionsposedbyTheAssociatedPress. Shesaidshewasstrugglingpersonallyandprofessionallyseveralyearsagowhenshewasgivenanearly100-year-oldbookcalled"TheScienceofGettingRich,"byWallaceD.Wattles.Init,readersareguaranteedtobecomewealthyiftheylearnandfollow"certainlawswhichgoverntheprocessofacquiringriches." Inspiredtodofurtherresearch,Byrnesaid,sheresolvedtocreateafilmtospreadthewordaboutwhatshefeltshehadlearnedaboutthe"lawofattraction." TheDVD,alsoavailableasaWeb-based,pay-per-viewvideo,wasreleasedinMarch2006.Itresemblesavideotapedseminar,featuringcommentatorswithtitlessuchas"quantumphysicist,""philosopher"and"visionary"--manyofwhomhadalreadywrittentheirownbooks.Itstrailerhascloak-and-daggerimages,yellowedscrollsandmysticalmusicevokinganothermassivepublishinghit,"TheDaVinciCode." Thebook,whichfollowedlastNovember,featuresimagesofwaxsealsandpaperthatmimicsparchment.It'scurrentlytheNo.1nonfictionbookonlistsofbestsellers,includingPublishersWeekly,TheWallStreetJournalandUSAToday,andisNo.1onTheNewYorkTimes'hardcoveradvicelist. Aswithmanypublishinghits,the"OprahEffect"playedarole.WinfreydevotedtwoshowsinFebruaryto"TheSecret,"andLarryKingandEllenDeGeneresalsofeatureditontheirshows.Itwasspoofedon"SaturdayNightLive"whenamanportrayingarefugeeintheDarfurregionofSudanwasblamedforhavingnegativethoughts. Thedrawbacks However,thefearthat"TheSecret"willleadtoablame-the-victimmentalityisaseriousclaimofcritics. Forexample,thebookdismissesconditionssuchasageneticpredispositiontobeingoverweightoraslowthyroidas"disguisesforthinking'fatthoughts.'"Andduringtimesinwhichmassivenumberofliveswerelost,thebooksays,the"frequencyoftheirthoughtsmatchedthefrequencyoftheevent." PsychotherapistandlifestylecoachStacyKaisersaidthatafterreading"TheSecret,"severalpatientshaveworriedthatitwastheirfaulttheywereabused,orlaidofffromtheirjobs.Othersseemtoexpecteverythingintheirlivestochangeovernight,shesaid. TheLosAngeles-basedKaiserjoinedseveralothertherapistswhopraisedthepositivethinkingespousedin"TheSecret,"butwhoquestionitsfailuretodiscussaction. "Peoplestarttothinkthattheydon'thavetousetheirfreewill,thattheydon'thavetohavepoweranymore,thattheydon'thavetomakechoices,"Kaisersaid."Theydon'trealizetheyhavetodothework.Andthat'stheconversationIkeephavingtohavewithpeople." Dr.GailSaltz,anauthorandpsychiatristatNewYork-PresbyterianHospital/WeillCornellMedicalCenter,pointedoutthatcognitivebehavioraltherapyseekstomodifyharmfulthoughtsasawaytoimprovepatients'feelings. Shesaidthatamongpeoplewhoareill,thosewhoremainhopefulandhaveapositiveattitudetendtodobetter.ButshewasespeciallyupsetaboutaportionofByrne'sDVDinwhichawomanclaimsherbreastcancerwascuredwithoutradiationorchemotherapy;thewomanwatchedfunnymoviesandhadfaiththatshehadalreadybeenhealed. Saltzreceivedhundredsofangryemailsaftershetalkedaboutherconcernsonthe"Today"show.Shethinksthatsomefansof"TheSecret"takeitfiguratively--theydon'tthinkthey'llgetanecklacejustbythinkingaboutit,butfeelimprovingtheirthoughtsimprovestheirlife.Butfromthee-mailsshereceived,shesaidsomepeopledobelieveitisbasedinscientificreality. "Livingisdifficult....Peoplewant...asolutionandananswer.Ifitwereaneasyone,like'thinkit'--thatwouldbeevenbetter,right?"shesaid."Iunderstand.It'sawishfulfillment.Ireallydounderstandthat." Dr.MariaPadro,apsychiatristatSt.Vincent'sHospitalManhattaninNewYorkCity,believesthatAmericansturntoself-helpbooksbecausecontemporarysocietyisstressfulandthereisstillsometimesastigmaconnectedtovisitingatherapist. Sheread"TheSecret"toseewhatthe"jibberjabber"wasabout.Shejokesthatshekeepsthebookinherbedroom,outoftheviewofvisitors.Still,sheseesvalueinitspositiveoutlook. "Ithinkthesecretisthateveryonehastheirownsecret,andeveryonehastheirowndream,"shesaid."Andthebookisoneofthetoolswecanusetogetit,butIdon'tthinkthatit'salittlemagicwand." 'Philosopher'hasconcerns Evenoneoftheparticipantsin"TheSecret"DVDandbooklamentsthelackofaction.JamesArthurRayisbilledas"aphilosopher,"althoughhesaysinatelephoneinterviewthatheisfivehoursshyofacollegedegreeinbehavioralscience. Hespeakstogroupsonhisownphilosophyofsuccess,andhemaintainsthatthe"lawofattraction"isjustoneofseven"laws"peoplemustusetoimprovetheirlives.Hefelt"TheSecret"was"agoodwaytointroducepeopletoanewwayofphilosophicalthinkingandlookingattheirworld."ButRaysaidduringthecreationoftheDVD,muchofhistalkabouttakingactionendeduponthecuttingroomfloor. "Youcanwatch'TheSecret'andcomeawaywiththeillusionthatyoucansitaroundinyourlivingroomandvisualizeyourmillionsdumpingintoyourlap,andthat'sjustnotgoingtohappen,"hesaid. Byrnecountersthatthetypeofactionhercriticsdiscussisn'trequiredbythe"lawofattraction." "Itisimpersonal,exactandprecise.Becomethatwhichyouwantontheinside,andyoushallreceiveitintheoutsideworld,"shesaidinheremail."Themostimportantactiontotakeistheworkwithinyou.Whenthatisdone,youwillbemovedintheoutsideworldtoreceivewhatyouaskedfor." Asforthewomanwithbreastcancer,Byrnesaid"TheSecret"fullysupportsallformsofhealing,andfeels"enormousgratitude"forwhattraditionalmedicinehasaccomplished. "TheSecret"owesitslifeasabooktoanOregondinnerpartywherethepresidentandpublisherofPortland-basedBeyondWordsPublishingmetoneoftheDVD'scommentators,whopromptedthemtowatch"TheSecret."AtriaBooks,animprintofSimon&Schuster,hasaco-publishingagreementwithBeyondWords.JudithCurr,Atria'sexecutivevicepresident,saidwhenshewatchedthemovie,sheimmediatelyenvisionedabook. Shewasespeciallyconfidentbecauseofthesuccessofthe"teachers"featuredontheDVD.Thecontributors,includingJackCanfieldofthe"ChickenSoup"series,hadsoldroughly400millioncopiesoftheirownbooks,sheestimated. "ItoldeverybodyherewhenIstilljusthadaDVDthatweweregoingtosellamillioncopies,"shesaid."Theyall,ofcourse,thoughtIwassmokingsomething." Now"TheSecret"isbeingpublishedin35foreignlanguagesandisthefastest-sellingself-helpbookinSimon&Schusterhistory. "It'sgreattobeinvolvedinsomethingthatcanhelpchangepeople'slivesinapositiveway,"Currsaid. Moneypouringin AmandaJacobellis,25,believesherlifehaschangedforthebettersinceshewatched"TheSecret." Earlierthisyear,shewastryingtoturnabuildinginWestHollywood,Calif.,intoamakeupsalonspecializingineyelashextensionsandevokingtheglamourofOldHollywood.Herrenovationwasonlyhalfdone,hercreditcardbillswerecomingdueandherbankercouldn'texplainwhythemoneyforaUS$50,000approvedloanhadn'tarrivedinheraccount. Sensingherdespair,afriendsuggestedshewatchWinfrey'supcomingshowon"TheSecret."Jacobellisdid,andboughttheDVDaswell. Shespentanightdiagrammingwhatshewantedinherlife,usingapieceofpaperandaSharpiepen:happiness,security,freedom;goodrelationshipswithherfriendsandfamily;fitnessandhealthgoals;lessstress--andinonecorner,shewrotethatshewantedherUS$50,000loanbythenextdayat3p.m.Shemadeacalltoherbankerthenextmorning:nonews.Butby3o'clock,themailarrived,containingalettersayingshecouldcalltogetthefundstransferredintoheraccount. JacobellisnowsellstheDVDinherMakeupMandysalon. "Ithinkwherepeoplearemistakenwhentheywatchitistheythinkalltheyhavetodoiswishandit'sgoingtohappen,"shesaid."Thatwasn'texactlythecase.ThisissomethingIhadputalotofenergyandtimeinto. "WhatItakefromitisnotthatyoujusthavetowishorhopeorthinksomething'sgoingtohappen....There'sawayit'sgoingtohappen....Whenyou'remorepositive,Ithinknewideascometoyouandyou'reabletokindofgetthroughhurdlesoroverobstacles." 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