As the power of positive thinking has grown there have been many which
have attempted to make a profit from this incredible discovery. This has spawned
a new era of “subliminal products”, which retailers then proceed to sell on the
market for a ridiculous price and reap the profits.
The difference between other subliminal messaging products and the law
of attraction is the profit margin. Quite simply, there isn’t one. You don’t need to
have any special equipment to maximize the power of the law of attraction; it is
all there in your own mind. Neither do you need a teacher to teach you how to
use it; once you have mastered the fundamentals upon which the law of
attraction is built you are ready to put it into practice.
These same sentiments cannot be expressed with regards to many of the
other subliminal programs on the market. These programs claim to be able to
help their users lose weight, stop smoking, become smarter, get a new job, move
past their shyness, improve their relationships, etc. Do they work? Not always.
The law of attraction is the only subconscious means by which to ensure success
in whatever endeavor you choose to undertake.
Various Other Subliminal Programs
It is only fair that if you are studying the law of attraction you learn a little
bit about the various other subliminal programs available on the market. This will
allow you to compare them all and understand why the law of attraction is the
only one which has been proven time and time again (regardless of what the
researchers would have you hear).
1) Subliminal Messaging
Subliminal messaging is one of the oldest forms of subliminal
manipulation, and has been the one to face the greatest amount of
controversy. The belief held by the believers in subliminal messaging is
that since memories can often be pulled forth from the subconscious to
the conscious mind, the subconscious must continue to have some effect
on the conscious, whether the owner of said consciousness is aware of it
or not.
Those who use subliminal messaging attempt to use various methods to
introduce an idea to the subconscious, which will then transmit that idea to
the conscious when the occasion arises. This is done through the
introduction of a brief message (often a thousandth of a second) to the
audio and/or visual senses. This message will be so short that the
conscious mind will immediately disregard it as being unimportant, while
the subconscious will take the information and store it away.
Subliminal messaging was first introduced in the
late 19th century and was introduced in the 1950s
as a possible marketing tool. Mr. James Vicary
claimed that during a film shown in his New Jersey
theater he had used a tachistoscope to broadcast
the words “Drink Coca-Cola” and “Hungry? Eat
popcorn” for 1/3000 of a second at five second
intervals, and that during the time of these
broadcasts sales of both increased dramatically.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca_cola
This sparked a huge debate among the people of the United States, who
were afraid that the government would now use subliminal messaging to
attempt to control the things they thought and did; they would not be able
to do anything about it because they would never know. This controversy
led to the banning of subliminal messaging for any type of marketing
purpose.
Although Mr. Vicary later admitted that the experiment had been a fraud
the concept of subliminal messaging had been brought out into the open,
and its possible benefits were explored at length; however, to date, no
study has definitively shown subliminal messaging to be an effective way
to control behavior.
2) Affirmation
Affirmation is the firm declaration of something to be true, and is intended
to convince the mind that what it wants to happen will. For example,
stating over and over again, “I can get any job I want” is intended to instill
in the mind the confidence to go out and get any job that it wants. This
resembles the law of attraction, but is not sufficient to sway the
subconscious until other methods are employed as well.
Wikipedia describes affirmation as so (this was interesting, showing how
affirmation and the law of attraction are joined together, and would not
have been the same if it was altered in any way).
“In spirituality and personal development, an affirmation is a form of
autosuggestion in which a statement of a desirable intention or condition
of the world or the mind is deliberately meditated on and/or repeated in
order to implant it in the mind. Many believers recommend accompanying
recitations with mental visualization of a desired outcome. Affirmation
could be viewed positively as a mobilization of one's inner resources, or
negatively as a kind of self-induced brainwashing, depending on the
psychological depth and wisdom of the affirmation. For example, believers
would consider "I am making more room in my life for success every day"
a much wiser affirmation than "I will win the lottery today!" Affirmations are
always phrased in the first person and usually in a present tense ("I am")
rather than a future tense ("I will") in order to increase the realization of the
statement for the affirmee.
Affirmations are believed to be a very powerful means of reprogramming
the unconscious mind. They appear to be most effective when repeated in
a quiet and restful state of mind and body, and when the desired outcome
is vividly experienced in one's mind and resulting emotions are felt. They
are an intrinsic part of many New Age groups including I AM Activity and
the Church Universal and Triumphant of Elizabeth Clare Prophet.
However, in these groups affirmations are generally recited in flat,
mechanical voices at top speed and volume, in order to elevate
particpants' "vibratory levels".
Perhaps the most often used and well-known affirmation is the word "Amen,"
which can be translated simply as "so be it" or "and so it is," affirming the truth
of whatever was written or said immediately prior. While often used to
conclude prayer, the word itself is neutral as to its context and exemplifies a
logical affirmation more than a spiritual one.
3) Visualization
Visualization works in much the same way as affirmation; you visualize
yourself achieving something and your brain will come to believe it is so;
therefore, you will be able to do it. Again, this is closely related to the law
of attraction but does not address any underlying issues which could
contribute to negative vibes.
In Conclusion
Although the power of the law of attraction has yet to be supported by any
physical means its effects have been proven time and time again. In spite of the
opposition which you will surely face, both within your own mind and throughout
the rest of your societal acquaintances, if you adhere carefully to the guidelines
set forth, you too will be able to unlock the power hidden within the depths of
your own mind and chart the course for your own destiny.
