What is the Law of Attraction?

The belief held by many theorists is that the universe is governed by a set

of universal laws; these laws cannot be changed, cannot be broken and apply to

every individual, regardless of age or nationality. These laws are the riverbanks

which guide the flow of their lives on its journey to its ultimate end.

The law of attraction is one such law. The law of attraction is the belief that

anyone can determine their destiny through the power of their minds.

"The Law of Attraction attracts to you everything you need, according to

the nature of your thoughts. Your environment and financial condition are the

perfect reflection of your habitual thinking." Joseph Murphy

The History of the Law of Attraction

Before we go too deep into the modern applications of the law of attraction

it is important that you understand that this is not simply New Age nonsense

(most descriptions of the law of attraction refer to it as a product of a New Age

Mentality). The principles of the law of attraction date back far beyond the new

found popularity of the New Age.

The immortal Buddha was actually one of the first to introduce man to the

law of attraction. He said, “What you have become is what you have thought.”

This was a principle that the people of the east were acquainted with for

centuries before it began to sweep into the western hemisphere.

The concept of karma also may have drawn its roots from the law of

attraction. Karma states that you will eventually be revisited by that which you

have sent out into the universe. If you have practiced kindness and compassion

you will receive in kind. If you have been deliberately cruel to another you will

receive back into your life that cruelty which you have sent out. Your actions and

thoughts morph into physical entities, causing the universe to react in kind.

The law of attraction began to gain popularity in the western hemisphere

in the 19th century, as people began to appreciate the power of positive thinking

and apply it to their life. This new concept was first introduced to the general

public by William Walker Atkinson, the editor of New Thought magazine, who

published a book called Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought

World in 1906.

As you can see, the law of attraction is not new. The concept that thought

can have a predominate affect on the course of a man’s destiny has been taught

by wise men throughout the ages, and has given rise to a whole new era of

beliefs.