What the bleep do we know, "The Secret", what is this madness!?

Question

I suppose this is sort of a rant, and I'm sorry if it is but I need some suggestions/comments.

Some time ago my friend said he got into quantum physics, so I asked him how. He said he watched a "documentary" called "What the Bleep Do We Know?".

So I watched this movie. The movie claimed that quantum physics shows that we create our own "reality". It was all a bunch of pseudoscience with no logic whatsoever.

I did some research and found that the three directors of the movie are part of a cult called "Ramtha's School of Enlightenment" and the leader of the cult is a wman who claims to channel a 10 000 thousand year old warrior called "Ramtha"! The woman is also in the video (the one with plastic surgery).

The movie incorrectly defines quantum physics and also gives much more incorrect info.

The movie has absolutely nothing to do with quantum physics, it is a publicity stunt! I couldn't believe people can be so gullible...

Then I stumbled across "The Secret" on TV.

After a read at http://skeptico.blogs.com I realised this "law" also can't be a law. If it was, it would work every time for everybody. But suppose a bunch of people are trapped in an elevator. Does this mean all the people were having negative thoughts? Doesn't that contradict the "Law of Attraction"?

Then I saw Fred Alan Wolf on screen. Fred Alan wolf is a "physicist, writer, and lecturer who earned his Ph.D. in theoretical physics at UCLA in 1963" and a complete nutter. He was in What The Bleep as well.

The movie claimed "Thoughts become things". Wow, and where is the evidence? How is that logical at all!?

Maybe one of those people in the elevator were indeed thinking positively, but the law didn't work for them, and a law is supposed to work every time.

This is terrible. These people are brainwashing everyone. I was at my science class at school the other day and my teacher was telling a hooligan that he can fix his life, just be thinking positive things and he should watch "The Secret".


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PS I missed a bit of text before the link of skeptico, sorry it explained "The Law of Attraction". Here it is:

It was so terrible, a bunch of philosophers, "quantum physicists" and so forth were claiming that a law called "The Law of Attraction" is "The Secret". They said that just by wanting something and thinking about it, the universe magically gives it to you. These people believe that disabled kids are born that way because they chose to be like that.

Answer 1

often, people will take a basic good idea, that has merit, and go/get crazy with it

to me , the law of attraction and being positive, means that thinking in positive terms can help you develop positive habits, which often will lead to you acheiving what you wish.
for instance, if i dont wish to be late for work, rather then driving fast, hoping for no trains etc, thinking in terms of the negative lateness, i should turn that around to, wishing to be on time, if i focus on the positive, i most likely will leave home in time , etc
but i do agree with you, to just sit and wish for things, and the extent some focus on that, doesnt seem right, nor like a law of nature, though yes i do think we to a great extent can create our own reality, we define and develop ourselves into who we wish to be, often inspite of outside influencences

Answer 2

I will not respond to your comments on the Crowleyesque "Secret," but I will defend 'What the Bleep do We Know?" I realize the film has been heavily criticized, regarding some of it's commentators, but that is no need to brush it under the carpet altogether. First off just because a woman claims to communicate with a 10,000 year old warrior (I can't prove her wrong) it has no bearing to whether her ideas are correct or enlightening. That's like saying Turing's work in computer science was wrong because he was gay. Second I grant that it may not of been in-sync with modern quantum physics theory, but it does open the doors for laymen to study the subject. It is a gateway and if one goes through it they will soon formulate their own ideas and decide what is agreeable with current theories and what is not.

So in short though it may be off the mark on a few points, 'What the Bleep" has succeeded in bringing more interest to the field of quantum physics, as shown with your friend.

Answer 3

I personally don't like "The Secret" because I don't believe that the law of attraction could actually make our lives as successful as it could get. It'll help things out, but it won't actually solve every little thing.

However, like the previous answer before me, he's right. You shouldn't be bias over this if you're doing research for it, because the information you need are most likely going to be negative ones to support your opinion over this.

Answer 4

Our fast paced, very hectic, world is full of suffering people looking for answers. Millions find answers in alcohol and drugs and ruin their lives as well al the lives of their children.

There are some people who are looking for answers to heal the heart...help the suffering. Some have turned to such things that you have described. We are still an evolving creature...give some space.

If just one person on that elevator has lived a better life, before the crash, he/she has left the world a little better as a result. There's no harm in this.

Lighten up.

Answer 5

Yea I hate the secret.

I believe it's a foolish knock-off of The Three-Fold Law, and Karma.

Those idiots who came up with it are charlatans, they can't just make up laws at their silly whims.

I don't understand how people can buy into it, it's so stupid. The "Law of Attraction" makes no logical sense, it's sort of like what withes do, trying to make things happen, but witchcraft makes more sense than this.

Answer 6

Personally I think that "the secret" is a load of crap. Thinking "positive thoughts" or whatever will not change things, but it may help yourself get things done. Of course I haven't read the book, but from what I hear, it sounds to me like a bunch of people who want to improve their lives just by thinking and not doing.


And I can't believe the part about the disabled kids! I think I want to march down to those people and slap them one by one =.=

Answer 7

It's nothing but utter non-sense and bullshit from people (physicists) who have miserably failed at life for being so centered and focused on crap like physics which does nothing to improve our human quality. These are the people that think they know everything and in the end they are left with nothing but a big hollowness inside from having dedicated their lives to total garbage and not to the real important things in life like the pursuit of hapiness and the fulfiling of one's passions. These people in the end resort to crap like "The Secret" to justify their failures in hopes that other people will believe it and end up acting like them, wishing and having positive thoughts to have their desires come to fruition.

Answer 8

If your research starts with a bias, then it will also end with a bias.

Answer 9

do some more research, there are real people the secret has helped.