~ Cosmic Connie*
My email "in" box, not to mention my poor Whirled brain, are just overflowing with deliciously juicy tidbits – a veritable smörgåsbord of Secret-related morsels. I really and truly need to get back onto more important topics, such as the upcoming end of the world, my religious background, and other matters of consequence, but The Secret just keeps popping up on the buffet table. So if you can stand another helping, today's specials are...
Secretrons grow a conscience (or, a Panoz Esperante in every garage?)
The ever vigilant Tony Michalski has alerted me to an interesting discussion on Marcy from Maui’s Powerful Intentions forum, regarding the poor and disadvantaged. Yes, I know that we’re not really supposed to "give energy" to unpleasant things, lest they find their way to our front door step. But sometimes, despite our most noble efforts, and the efforts of the New-Wage leaders who are only looking out for our best interests, that bothersome conscience gets in the way.
That’s what happened to the woman who started the PI forum thread. She had a most disturbing thought while playing a Secret video clip on her computer, a clip that she says she always plays while she talks to God:
Today it hit me hard. Here I am asking for all these things and I wonder what the poor and disadvantaged people of the world are doing this very moment. The misery they are in. The misery they deal with each minute of the day. What about the poor people in Darfur Africa who are being macheted and murdered by the thousands. What about the starving in Biafra and other parts of the world. What about the abused children. The handicapped, etc.
Do I have a right to be asking for things that I need when there are situations like this in the world? I read these forums and I see how people are trying so hard to manifest a new car, or $1,000,000, or a new soulmate, or new jewelry, etc. and I felt immediately guilty for even asking for the things I want.
Doesn't guilt such as this result in a negative vibration and therefore block us from receiving what we desire to receive? Do I have a right to ask for such things when there are other people in the world suffering so much? Can I ask for food for everyone, clothes for the homeless, cures for the diseased, peace for those in war ravaged countries? I don't know. Maybe we should all join with a massive group intent some night at a specific time and send our vibrations en mass to the Universe to resolve these problems.
What’s a gal to do when such dark thoughts enter her rosy world? Well, it turns out she needn’t have worried. Her question has already been answered. See, it’s possible to have the new car, the million bucks, the bling, and the new soulmate – and still be able to go out and save the world!
But you have to look out for number one. The first responder to the thread got it right: "Don't feel guilty! Once you manifest your wealth, you can share it with the disadvantaged. Look at Oprah!"
Bubbly Marcy, hostess of this LOA Tupperware party, piped in:
I do not believe calling people, any people poor and disadvantaged does them any service!
To me that is a judgment and i am certain there are many people who may have alot of money and stuff but are no more happy or healthy or even less than many people that are called poor or disadvantged (sic) by others.
I would never choose to think that a child that saw it's (sic) family killed would never get to see the Secret, or anything else that can serve them that can sooth them back to their connection! To me that would be holding them, in my mind, to a place where they can not feel better or align.**
And Mr. Fire, writing on his blog the other day, got it right as well: "After you've manifested a car or two, or more money, or a better relationship, you start expanding your desires. There are already numerous people in the world doing just that: using the Law of Attraction to cure cancer, AIDS, poverty, and more." (He’s working on erasing homelessness and poverty, both of which he has experienced.)
So, folks, don’t worry, be happy. Focus on that new car, that first million bucks, that diamond necklace, that trophy soulmate. The poor and the sick will always be there. But your opportunity to get in on the ground floor of that exciting new Internet-based business – the opportunity that could very well bless you with the life of your dreams – could disappear tomorrow. So you must act now!
The Secret helps woman get big new rack
In my ceaseless wanderings around the Net (more specifically, around Marcy’s wonderful PI forum, which Tony aptly describes as "comedy plutonium"), I found a reference to a January 30, 2007 article by Kimberley Hayes Taylor in The Detroit News.
According to the article, "The spiritual film has been distributed to every country in the world, [Rhonda] Byrne says, including 6 million copies in Africa."
Who says the producers of The Secret don’t care about those starving, war-weary, and possibly AIDS-infected waifs? The Secret will save them all.
The article quotes a skeptic who says The Secret is vapid and possibly dangerous, but Hayes ends on a high note, with an example of a person who tells how The Secret changed her outlook on life.
Aldonna "Godis" Smith watched the movie for the first time about two months ago. In small, simple ways, she says all her desires are being fulfilled. For example, Smith wanted a tall garment rack for her loft. A few days after she thought about it, a neighbor coincidentally called to ask if she needed a tall garment rack.
"It's so pertinent," says the Detroit photographer. "I believe this is what people call revelation times, and it's a time for truth. This truth is coming forward."
And you thought the Law Of Attraction wasn't scientific. You...you...you...SKEPTIC, you!
How do you say "Neener, neener, neener!" in a robotic monotone?
Tony tipped me off to another tidbit, this one from USA Today. The article contains quite a few critical quotes, not the least of which come from a main source of Rhonda’s original inspiration, Esther and Jerry Hicks and their imaginary buds, the Abe Gang. This is probably one of the few times the Abe Gang has spoken to a reporter.
Hicks and her husband, Jerry, have written about the so-called law of attraction — the "secret" that was the focal point of The Secret DVD. But contractual issues find the couple, and their Abraham entity, excised from the version now circulating.
No worries, they say. They're happy to stay on the road and pass on Abraham's keys to better living through the power of the mind.
"The secrets of life have never been a secret. It's like calling the law of gravity a secret," says Abraham via Esther Hicks, whose normally lilting twang suddenly takes on a robotic tone.
"People have been calling Jerry and Esther, saying, 'I have bought The Secret, but now what do I do?'
"The truth is, The Secret is merely a powerful catalyst that presents the possibility of a better life," says the monotone voice. "Abraham is smiling in the simple knowledge that, in truth, The Secret has not revealed 'the secret.'"
But I’m sure that Jerry, Esther, and Abe will, for the right price, take up the slack.
Starstruck Secretrons
It is very easy to get lost in the aforementioned Powerful Intentions forum, but every wrong turn is really a right turn. It isn’t luck that brings me to the odd thread here and there; it’s the Law Of Attraction! Wherever I go, I was meant to be there! In my wanderings today I came across a snippet from a male member named Chris, a self-described "citizen of the world" who, judging from his profile pic, is also a literal tree-hugger. This post was written last August, during the Tahoe Reno International Film Festival. It was at this festival that The Secret movie had its official world premiere. Chris writes:
Tonight I found myself at the Tahoe Independent Film Festival, but I felt like I was more at a rock concert when saw Rhonda Byrne, Rev. Michael Beckwith D.D. and Bob Proctor walk through the door. In fact I acted like I was at a rock concert. I was screaming their names as they walked in for the World Premiere of The Secret and the kick off of my Law of Attraction Tour!
Take a moment to think about this. Here is a middle-aged man SCREAMING for Rhonda "Let Them Eat The Secret" Byrne, Michael "Zormak" Beckwith, and Love That Bob. They must have been passing around some REALLY good drugs at that festival. Either that, or The Secret is even more insidious than I’d thought.
Well, that's it for today's buffet. I hope it didn't cause too much heartburn. Now let's all get back to manifesting the bright shiny objects of our dreams, and maybe while we're at it we can help manifest a square meal for someone who really needs it.
* You will, I hope, pardon my use of the male gender pronoun; I was simply trying to remain true to the original saying.
** Pssst, Marcy! Maybe if you had been more willing to exercise a little JUDGMENT, you wouldn't have been taken in by Tilak.
Dear Lakshmi of Bloomindale's & Durga of Fred Segal - or whatever capitalistic Hindus believe in. That PI Forum is the most amazing thing I've ever had the (dis)pleasure of experiencing for myself.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read their inane (add an s in there if you desire to manifest a more appropriate adjective) selfish blatherings I always react as follows: First comes the laughter, then horror, more laughter & finally the intense nausea & the sudden desire to buy a gun.
Listening to the consciousness-is-all-about-me egoistic rumblings of the PI forum, Byrne, Vitale, Dr. Phil, Caroline Myss, John Gray, Wayne Dyer, Deepak & this time & I must include Oprah (It's taken me a long time but I finally recognize the glaring fact that she is the common denominator to this depraved self-help cult-ure) has truly saddened me.
It's so ironic that I find myself feeling depressed by a group of people who are constantly proselytizing the virtues of personal happiness, positive thinking, self-love & taking care of number one first - but maybe that's the Law of Repulsion manifesting in my life? The real secret they don't seem to know about.
Why hasn't anyone ever gotten any dirt on Oprah? It HAS to be there. She must pay people off or threaten them. What else could there be? All indications show a woman who is a full blown narcissist. After researching the non-existent or dubious credentials of many of the above guests (most have diplomas & doctorates from unacredited universities/diploma mills &/or correspondence schools).
I am completely convinced Oprah specifically supports people with exaggerated or blatantly false credentials because she herself is seriously ill. Having a real doctor in the house would be flirting with disaster; both personally & professionally.
Jesus I am glad I have access to some sublime wine for a few more months. In the meantime, I've been trying to objectively understand why Americans seem to be the only ones seduced by metaphysical/loa stuff? Someone here or on Shamblog mentioned McLuhan. I found this prophetic statement by him:
Once we are enmeshed in the magical resonance of the tribal echo chamber, the debunking of myths and legends is replaced by their religious study. Within the consensual framework of tribal values, there will be unending diversity--but there will be few if any rebels who challenge the tribe itself.
Speaking of "Tribal Echo Chambers", how is Deepak? I have no idea what, if any shows from the States are available here. Our tv only plays DVD's. For some reason we cannot get satellite reception or even regular local stations. I'll have to look for the show on youtube. Thank you for letting me know about it. His whole "age is an illusion" schpiel has always made me wonder about him. Yet I currently find him to have the most integrity out of the Oprah camp which may really not mean very much these days.
I should probably burst that idiotic bubble now. He repeatedly jokes, "I'm FOR profit...P.R.O.F.I.T." (In case there are any lingering hopefuls like myself who may have actually had faith he could possibly have meant any other kind.)
Barolo Nebbiolo here I come.
Hi, Paulette. I believe the recent McLuhan reference was on Steve Salerno's SHAMblog. McLuhan was indeed a prophet (as opposed to being about "profit").
ReplyDeleteIt does seem that the US is more enamored of self-help than the rest of the world. Steve, for example, has seen more favorable coverage -- hell, more coverage period -- of his book and his ideas in Canadian media than in American media.
OTOH, we do have to remember that "The Secret" began Down Under...
I have a feeling you're not missing much by not being able to get American TV. There was, however, a funny segment last week on the cable channel Comedy Central, in which Stephen Colbert ("Steering the ship of news through the channels of truth") took on our pal Deepak. And Deepak made his "profit" joke right off the bat.
Among other things during this interview Deepak says, "I have the wisdom of aging but the biology of youth."
Here's the link to Part 1:
http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/?ml_video=79867
It may go on to Part 2 automatically but if it doesn't, here's that link:
http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/?ml_video=79863
I agree with you that even if he is egotistical and his science is questionable, Deepak is marginally more ethical than the Secretrons. And he has come out against The Secret (though many of the Secretrons say it's sour grapes).
Enjoy the Colbert clip...and I hope it upgrades your illusion! :-)
Paulette
ReplyDeleteI agree that the PI forum group is all about getting stuff. The grand-poba Marcy is by far the most self immersed person that I have ever met. However just as in Hollywood, when you meet the ACTORS you discover they are not who they portray. The PI group is full of dreamers not many of them will move past their computer in the direction of their dreams because now they have the Secret.
Marcy is all about the photo op, and the “I was seen with” media. To suffer through a diner party with her over the top graciousness is only tolerated by those who are hoping to gain something by being there. If she is getting half the great sex that she is constantly babbling about she could very well be the happiest girl around. Maui is not that big, most know the result of being seen with her is not favorable, so in the pictures just look to see who else is in that picture and you will see why they are together.
I would recommend that you use the feelings inside you that tell you what is right and what is not right for you, and avoid even reading those me-me-me-me posts.
Oprah did not acquire her wealth by backing people that where not going to bring her money in some form. She jumped on the big S wagon because she knows that by promoting the need to know you position yourself to sell the know. Just look at the people that call themselves “the secret teachers” they are positioned to rake it in. Deepak did the same.
Interesting insights, Anon...thanks!:-) And you hit it on the head about "promoting the need to know" etc.
ReplyDeletepaulette;
ReplyDeleteThere is a site called "i hate oprah.com" that has some interesting (read disgusting) information in regards to her hypocrisy.
Now I am really beginning to get disillusioned, soitgoes. All along I though Oprah was the savior of the world. Oh, well, another delusion bites the dust. :-) Thanks for your input!
ReplyDelete"Deepak ... has come out against The Secret"
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have a link that could verify this?
Thanks.
Thanks for the links Connie!
ReplyDeleteI do miss Colbert. I admit to having had a crush on him since the series, 'Strangers with Candy'. Now that his narcissism has reached the nether regions of blissful transcendence (probably happened when he interviewed Deepak) I really do need a Colbert fix.
I agree with you. I'm not convinced Deepak's comments about The Secret were prompted by jealousy.
But my desire for Matel to make a line of Secretron action figures does feel lonely without Chopra.
Hi Anon,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your insights. I can only imagine what a dinner party is like with her! I am almost jealous! Dear lord her "graciousness" I can again only imagine. I think she sees herself as a kind of guru & desires to have a lot of people around her fawning over her every word.
What I cannot imagine is what could possibly be gained by being "seen" with her? Is Maui a very pretentious place full of narcissists? If so, I'll save my money on airfare & head to Ibiza instead.
I never fell for Marcy & the other PI members' claims. The PI forum is a weird looking site. I always had the feeling I was entering a sterile all white glaringly lit convoluted labyrinthed many mansioned institution of some sort.
It's odd you mentioned her claims to a hot sex life? I always got the feeling that no one on her forum (or any of the other forums for that matter) were getting any sex of any kind.
In my expert PI Forum opinion, if Marcy is having sex it's all in her wonderful imagination & involves a lover who requires 2 C batteries.
Or perhaps she's taken a dolphin lover? I'm certain her IQ is off the hook & up there with our oceanic brainiac friends? No other species could posssibly bring our Marcy to the orgasmic stream of goods & services which our friendly flippers are known for.
There's a surreal coldness to all their messages. Like raptured virginal nuns sewing a quilt which doesn't exist while extoling the virtues of being brides of LOA & of course Abraham too. I heard Abe is hot!
I was only on the site for a month or two. After being reprimanded for my inquiring about all the health & beauty products everyone was selling & not knowing to say, "Abe/Hicks" & realizing that Marcy & the others were more than likely, disturbed individuals, I deleted my free membership (can you iamgine paying to be on that forum?!) and was happy to be free again.
While I never did take them very seriously (although their voices do at times make me feel queezy & frightened), I do think others probably do - which is very sad. I haven't read anything from Marcy in years until researching The Secret & finding Connie's blog. I thought it was hysterically funny the comments Connie was bringing up about Marcy & the other forum members. They are very truthful - and extremely humorous.
To see if all Abers are like Marcy & Pat & their delusional disciples - I went to a few 'Abe Meet-up' groups near to where I lived at the time.
Yep - they're nuts too. Almost the entire group was made up of superfical arrogant closeted angry lesbians (several had that eerie look of *perfection* which only a plastic surgeon can manifest for someone over the age of 35) & anxious effete "heterosexual" *spiritual* men who kept giving me their business cards. A lot of computer "experts" & engineers - I only know because everyone kept telling me what they did & how much money they made or how wonderful their jobs were or how much their homes were worth in "today's" market & how much they paid for it.
I'm not a professional therapist or anything but I believe I found a link between Asperger's Syndrome & loa lunatics which neurologists may wish to study.
If it's not Asperger's Syndrome then it's NPD or maybe the Aber's suffer from a combination of the two?
Another thing I noticed is that the Aber's & loa'ers have absolutely NO sense of humor. And they are extremely cheap. With all their talk of money! They constantly brag about what they *manifested* for free!
Thanks soitgoes for the link. I found the site last week when I began my attempt at researching Oprah. I wish they had more stuff though! It seems like there should be much more.
ReplyDeleteSupposedly she makes all her employees sign a life-long confidentiality agreement. I cannot help but feel that not only is this excessive but that it may not even be legally binding after a few years of someone leaving HARPO, INC.
Maybe the people at ihateoprah are doing he best that they can? Deep down I think there has to be something more sinister going on.
I found an interesting business interview. If the reporter is writing he truth about what she said. It piqued my interest that just before the WTC attack - Oprah complained to him (the journalist) that she was sick & tired of listening to people complain to her (a typical narcissistic reaction to the plight of others) about their lives & she doesn't know if she can do it much longer.
She expressed her growing desire to rip out the guest chairs & replace them with something else (but she admitted she was stumped with what to do next). Then the following week were the 9/11 tragedies. This event inspired Oprah (again a typical narcissistic reaction) - especially after she received a phone call from the first lady (an individual who has apparently had a lot of experience playing the classic narcissistic enabler role).
The reporter said that Steadman who is her "unofficial" advisor & kind of like a lifecoach from the sound of it (I guess they don't have a normal partner/lover relationship?) has been trying to convince her to get this - team up with the United Nations to spread her message & vision around the world?!
I think the only people who have gotten close to the truth about the big O are the guys at South Park.
Kevin, I have been looking for a link to the transcript of Deepak's "coming out," so to speak, on Bill Maher's show "Real Time." It was the March 9, 2007 episode. I did not catch the show but saw several references to it on LOA sites and blogs. The links to some of those references are on my March 15 post, "Chopra, The Secret, and the unenchanted world." (It's a long post but don't worry; the relevant links are in the second paragraph.)
ReplyDeleteHere's the link to that post:
http://cosmicconnie.blogspot.com/2007/03/chopra-secret-and-unenchanted-world.html
Paulette, I think the action figures are an excellent idea but they certainly don't have to be restricted to Secretron figures. The line could include the entire self-help/New-Age/New-Wage industry, including Chopra, Tony Robbins, and even those who aren't in the spotlight so much anymore but whose influence is still deeply felt, such as John Bradshaw.
ReplyDeleteI think the Jerry and Esther figures would be particularly fun, but I'm not sure how Mattel would handle their imaginary pals the Abe Gang, since no one really knows how many Abes there are and how they look. I guess they could cover it pretty well if Esther were a talking figure (speaking in a robotic monotone, of course). After all, in real life we don't see Abe. Only Esther sees Abe. And I think that may be a medication issue as much as anything else.
I'd say you should try to get Mattel on this quickly. Although I have to warn you right now that they're not all that receptive to brilliant ideas from upstart outsiders. They completely brushed off the suggestion I sent them a few years ago for Yeast Infection Barbie. It could have been a great promo tie-in with Monistat. But nooooo.
However, given the success of The Secret, maybe they'd be more receptive to an LOA Barbie, modeled after Marcy From Maui. She could have her own randy little dolphin figure, although that might not be age-appropriate for the usual target market for Barbies. (I'm sure that was the issue with my other Barbie idea.) I guess the dolphin will just have to behave himself. Anyway, I think I will get busy with my proposal to Mattel right now.
Paulette, I haven't been privy to much of Marcy's sex talk -- and I guess I can thank Goddess for small favors anyway -- but there was a mention on the blog post she wrote last September when she had dinner with the two Joes, their ladies, and Rhonda Byrne. (Just enough innuendo to make you lose your own dinner, LOL.)
ReplyDeletei'm sure you've seen the post but here's the link again:
http://marcyfrommaui.powerfulintentions.com/blog/article/4890853
(I still don't know how to insert live hyperlinks into these text-based comments so if that whole link doesn't come through, it's the Sept. 12 2006 entry on Marcy's blog.)
I've never hung around LOA'ers per se but have hung around other cultish New-Age/New-Wagers, and the behavior patterns are much the same. Christopher Guest ("Waiting For Guffman," "A Mighty Wind," "Best In Show," etc.) needs to tackle these cults. I think the results would be hilarious.
I agree with you about the Oprah site, Paulette. However, even as cynical as I am I always tend to believe in the less sinister explanation first, and it could be that the owners of the site just got bored with it or got distracted by other things. I only took a quick look at the site and didn't see anything about Oprah's love affair with The Secret -- definitely a major omission.
ReplyDeleteThe South Park guys get a lot of things right, in my book. South Park is one of my guilty pleasures.
Thanks Connie, i'll see if I can find that ep online.
ReplyDeleteAnd let me know if you find it. Thanks, Kevin!
ReplyDeleteFound it. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=deepak+chopra+bill+maher&search=Search
ReplyDeleteIn six parts. Going to watch it right now.
Thanks, Kevin! I'm also going to put the link on my upcoming blog post, which I may not get around to doing til tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteFYI the Deepak bits are in parts 4 and 5 I believe. Also i notice that in my browser the full link isn't visible, so heres a tinyurl.
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/39mxw2
Thanks again, Kevin!
ReplyDelete