I was apprehensive about writing this post because I know that many of my readers buy into “The Secret” (a movie based in the law of attraction, featuring interviews and dramatizations). It is not my hope to upset you, but to wake you up. Even if you don’t agree with me, please read this with an open mind – afterwards, we can politely disagree!

Bobby Revell

A Look Behind the Marketing Cult

“The Secret” is basically the concept of Australian television author and producer, Rhonda Byrne, who claims she miraculously uncovered this ‘secret’ from reading The Science of Getting Rich, written in 1910 by Wallace D. Wattles.

She studied religions, cult leaders, televangelists, military leaders, philosophies and money making techniques used throughout history looking for a common thread – something that made them popular and effective. She also studied the ways powerful self-help, and positive attitude speakers fired up crowds and incited motivation.

This culminated in one of the biggest money making ideas seen from the self-help gurus; this is exactly my point. I hope you can wrap your brain around what I’m about to tell you.

The Hidden Thread of Mind Control

The most amazing idea in this, is that ‘magic thread’ Rhonda Byrne discovered; it is quite simply a marketing concept based on a little religion, yoga, Zen, quantum mechanics and power speaking. Do you see? The ‘secret’ she is selling people, simply describes how she is selling you on it.

She found (she really didn’t find anything, she is using the common techniques of cult leaders) a powerful way to sell you books and videos, and actually named the method she used after the concept she is selling! This is no secret and the truth screams in my face when I think about it! How unbelievably slick!

By psychologically playing into the hearts of millions of people who really need help, she has found a way to present you a cure, tapping into the psyche of desire that preys on your need for positivity and hunger for something to believe in.

Most of the people who believe in this pseudoscience, are mostly heartbroken women and men suffering from depression, or people who want an easy, magical money making technique (this is a fact). With Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement, she has sold over 3 million copies of “The Secret” DVD at $34.95 each!

Byrne is also a woman many women can relate to. She suffered depression and financial woes; this is one big reason she is able to sell her ideas. Women see themselves in her and she understands that. She is her own greatest sales tool! Do I hear corporate branding?

The psychological attribute of rationalization is thoroughly addressed in these concepts so that you are trained to believe it and argue for it – as you learn it, much like cult leaders do.

By the time you are feverishly enthralled in the program, you have already been trained to find endless reasons to not question it’s intent (the oldest trick in the book).

The real and only ‘secret’ is that if you can fool people, and prey on the emotionally distressed – making them feel happiness from the belief itself, you too can make millions the same way.

Here’s a basic idea believers are taught:

To attract an abundance of dollars, we must remember that we are wealthy in direct proportion to the amount of money that passes through our hands and that it is the movement of money that creates wealth.”

This is basic mind control, psychologically influencing you to rationalize it’s purpose; I learned that in high school.

The Wicked David Schirmer

One of the so-called gurus in the movie is David Schirmer, a multi-millionaire from Australia who is apparently ripping people off and using the secret to do it. Please watch the video below, you will see the truth!

My Conclusions

Perhaps you are thinking, “I see your point, but it has helped me and I believe it’s good.”

You have fallen into the matrix and swallowed the red pill! Stay in la la land or take the blue pill, and see how far the rabbit hole goes. The truth is, you do not need to purchase books and videos from these people to find happiness and cure an ailing heart or bank account.

You can be happy and make money by working hard and believing in yourself. Learn to be happy and fulfilled without the secret and law of attraction; this is the best advice I can give you.

If you carefully study the philosophies of Hermeticism and Theosophy, take yoga classes and listen to several Zig Ziglar motivational CD’s – perhaps you’ll see exactly how Rhonda Byrne conceived this marketing concept, just like I did.

It is very similar to the way scientology (sorry, I will not capitalize the S) was designed. Televangelists and cult leaders also use similar methods. Any intelligent writer with an understanding of how these ideas are conceived, can do the same thing. I did as a joke, read “Revelliantology For Newbies“.

Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. I’m not saying that there is no such thing as the law of attraction or that thought and visualization doesn’t work – because it does work. Many marketing “gurus” sell ideas that are there to make money and probably will not work for you. I have studied Zen, Taoism, yoga, aikido and many human arts all my life. I just recently learned about “The Secret” and the law of attraction – both were nothing new to me. I was surprised that people were making millions selling repackaged, ancient ideas.


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