Criticism, Countercriticism, and Claims
As the Law of Attraction ideas gained widespread attention, critics emerged from various corridors to voice concerns and divergent points of view. Those who believe in the power of the universal law found themselves defending their belief in the powerful working of the law. They advised those who doubted to at least try to set aside their opposition and be open to the possibility that the law could work wonders in their lives. Their basic premise, they would tell skeptics, was that if positive thinking and a grateful attitude attract the things you want, then the flip side of that idea is that negative thinking will draw to you the things you don't want.
Attract or Alter
Some Law of Attraction proponents have even explained that war and famine might be the culmination of a widespread pattern of negative thinking sending forth negative vibrations that attracts negative events. As Rhonda Byrne noted, the vibrational frequency of people's thoughts match the frequency of the event thrust upon them even though they may not have been thinking about a specific event.
Hindu and Buddhist philosophies teach detachment and the avoidance of judging experiences as either good or bad so as not to be impacted by them; however, Law of Attraction practitioners assert that it is, in fact, your thoughts that draw life experiences to you. You are not altering your relationship to or perception of an event. Instead, you are making it possible for it to take place through your emotions and thoughts.
Critics Find Similarities Elsewhere
Some Law of Attraction critics have noted that the idea that positive thinking can bring about well-being has resonance with the nineteenth century and twentieth century philosophies known as the New Thought Movement and Mental Science, respectively. In the latter philosophy, living things are originated from the world of thought and feeling, not out of physical matter. See
Some critics liken the Law of Attraction ideology to the New Thought Movement of Phineas Parkhurst Quimby and his teaching about mental healing. Quimby espoused beliefs that emphasized the importance of thought in the healing process. Others suggest the law resonates with Mental Science ideas of Thomas Troward: the “livingness of life consists in intelligence” and “the power of thought.”
Historical Figures Taught the Law
Even as critics' voices have been rising to confront the basic tenets of the Law of Attraction and verbalize concerns about blaming victims, teachers of the law assert that many historical figures — specifically, Buddha, Hermes Trismegistus, Plato, Aristotle, Beethoven, and Isaac Newton — knew about the law and secretly taught it. They say other teachers included Winston Churchill, Thomas Edison, Carl Jung, Albert Einstein, and Andrew Carnegie. More recent teachers include mythologist Joseph Campbell and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., whose most famous speech was built around the positive statement “I have a dream.”
Critics say that some Law of Attraction teachers are ridiculous to suggest that creative imagination, visualizations, affirmations, and the power of positive thinking can help a person manifest circumstances, objects, or healings. However, practitioners of the Law of Attraction point out that miraculous healings, even from seemingly incurable diseases, can and do happen. The Roman Catholic Church also acknowledges the regular occurrence of miracles. Before a person can be canonized as a saint, three miracles have to be attributed to him.
Mythologist Joseph Campbell made knowledge of ancient archetypes accessible through his television series The Power of Myth. Influenced by Jung's work with symbols (the language of the mind) and dreams, Campbell said to “follow your bliss.” His now-famous statement exemplifies the positive thinking expounded by Law of Attraction followers and they claim him as a “secret teacher.”
It is often difficult to assess whether an ill person has experienced a miraculous cure. Certainly, doctors can attest to the recovery, but explaining such a sudden (sometimes instantaneous) recovery in someone who has been diagnosed with a chronic affliction or terminal disease can be impossible. Still, many people do recover through the power of their faith and unshakable belief that they will become healthy again. When they have such faith and belief in having excellent health, they set up a powerful force for attracting recovery through the Law of Attraction. One of the most famous places for healing is in Lourdes, France. For a healing to be deemed miraculous, the church undertakes a thorough investigation to rule out other possible explanations. When there is no explanation, the person's cure is deemed a miracle.
In ancient Greco-Roman times, people often believed that their rulers were born of gods. Whether or not rulers truly did possess the gift to heal, their subjects believed that the mere touch of an emperor's hand could cure an ailment. Perhaps their positive thoughts generated the healing they believed was coming.
Wallace Wattles observed in his book The Science of Getting Rich that you shouldn't waste time daydreaming or building castles in the air but rather stick to a vision of yourself and your purpose with all the strength of the mind you are capable of mustering. There will always be those who believe in the power of positive thinking, whether they call it the Law of Attraction or another name. Critics will also likely continue to weigh in on whether the Law of Attraction is actually a force at work in the lives of humans. It will be up to the individual to decide to believe the critics or the advocates of the law.
