The Manifestation Conflation
I remember the first time someone recommended The Secret, a feature-length documentary about the Law of Attraction.
“It’s life-changing,” they said.
The Secret teaches that we can attract anything we desire through willpower and positive thinking. Thoughts act as a magnetic force. By aligning our emotions and beliefs with our desires, we can shape our world and achieve spiritual enlightenment.
I was struggling at that time with fulfillment and purpose and the promise of effortless abundance was very appealing.
I watched, hoping to learn something, maybe a new perspective that would bring more happiness into my life. I certainly did not expect to dislike it so viscerally and completely.
Maybe it was the holier-than-thou attitude, the smugness, the self-congratulatory arrogance, or the distinct lack of empathy paraded by most of the characters. Perhaps it was the constant flaunting of their entitlement.
The universe is an ATM, and those who know “the secret” get unlimited withdrawals.
In the end, what I was left with was that $1,000,000 will fix everything.
Think it. Feel it. Believe it. Take it.
I remember sitting there, questioning myself: Was I being too skeptical? After all, the Law of Attraction is so central to the spiritual mainstream. Could it be that I felt so negative about The Secret because I was filled with self-doubt? Was I envious of their self-confidence and laser-focus certainty?
Or maybe my aversion was toward a form of spirituality that is so transactional, so concerned with wealth, outward validation, and status as badges of spiritual awakening.
1. The Real History of the Law of Attraction
When I started looking more into the history of the Law of Attraction, I was surprised to find that it is not ancient at all.
While the belief that thought and intention affect reality is ancient indeed, and a scientific fact, the modern interpretation of the Law of Attraction came to life with the American metaphysical movement of the 19th century, Christian Science, and finally with the New Thought Movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Figures like Phineas Quimby and Wallace Wattles (The Science of Getting Rich) began blending spirituality with capitalism, creating a quasi-religious justification for wealth accumulation. They reframed divine abundance as something you command for yourself that you can hold, control, and manipulate rather than something that should flow freely through and with you.
2. What Ancient Traditions Teach About Abundance
Most ancient traditions and philosophies, from Shamanism to Taoism and Christianity, believe in the power of thought, prayer, and intention. This is a truly universal concept.
However, in all these traditions, empowerment and abundance are about letting go of control and trusting that we will be provided for by acting for the greater good.
They warn about the dangers of controlling, hoarding, and self-interest, which create scarcity. Instead, they speak of sustainability, truth, inner knowledge, and humility.
3. What’s Missing from The Secret and the Modern Law of Attraction?
If ancient traditions are about balance and surrender, why does modern manifestation culture emphasize control?
Because our modern interpretation of the Law of Attraction is not about abundance—it is about fear. It is not about spiritual growth; instead, it exploits our deepest insecurities—the desperate need to control reality to feel safe.
It creates a hierarchy of scarcity, which contradicts the principle of limitless abundance. It strips away the value of the spiritual experience for external validation and personal gain.
The Law of Attraction tells you to attract more but doesn’t tell you that “more” is never enough.
4. Spiritual Narcissism
Even in Rhonda Byrne's feature-length documentary, the Law of Attraction doesn’t work for everyone. The only person who seemed real, human, and not emotionally stunted was the assistant, the sole individual in the show who needed some manifesting but couldn’t achieve it. Her treatment was condescending at best. She was manipulated into believing her inability to heal herself and attain financial stability stemmed from her lack of trust and commitment.
So, who is this Law of Attraction for? Based on the documentary, I would say that it fits well within the narcissistic spectrum, favoring those who can act in self-interest, lack empathy, and have a strong sense of entitlement and self-assurance.
The transactional brand of spirituality portrayed in The Secret rewards delusional certainty and privilege while punishing self-awareness and connection. It creates an entitlement mindset with flavors of narcissism because “I manifest what I deserve, and I deserve it all.”
5. The Better Alternative: Trust
The Law of Attraction is about bringing new things into our lives—a better career, perfect health, maybe a soulmate, and, of course, money, just enough to never be wanting again. Manifest what you want, and you will find fulfillment.
So why did these people in the documentary seem so hungry for more, ready to take another trip to the cosmic ATM so soon?
The Law of Attraction creates an illusion of control; therefore, it can only create the illusion of abundance. That is why what it brings is never enough; the cost is always too high, and scarcity always lingers.
It distorts universal spiritual principles into an even deeper illusion because it feeds on fear.
It lies to us because abundance is not about what we have; it is a state of being. It is what we discover when we wake from the dream of scarcity.
Ultimately, abundance is about faith. It requires trust beyond the self, humility, and the ability to accept uncertainty. It is about recognizing that we can only dispel the darkness by looking at it and that we can only grow free of fear by embracing it.
This may feel like, too much questioning, too much work. But then, at some point, the work starts to pay off.
Remember, this is a change that wants to happen, a chain reaction to make us complete again. When the process becomes self-sustaining, less effort is required. Synchronicities start to happen, and small needs are met in unexpected ways.
At the same time, some things become more challenging to achieve. At some point, this transformation process accelerates with momentum of its own; any resistance, any attempts to control our speed or direction, only causes pain and friction.
If abundance is limitless, then the less we hold and control it, the more richly it will flow.
In my experience, this is true as long as we are willing to shift our perspective from fear of the future to appreciation of the present. It means recognizing that our journey thus far has served a purpose; that lessons had to be taught, sometimes the hard way.
Letting go of control does not mean justifying self-indulgence or lack of purpose; quite the opposite. As the Dao teaches, non-action requires much restraint, clear intention, and acceptance of reality's cyclic nature and of the impermanence of anything that is not The Way.
6. Where Do I Start
It’s not your fault. The Law of Attraction is a winners’ story, a pyramid scheme. A lie that dreams itself to be real.
Now I understand why The Secret made me so angry; it’s because it had already let me down. I willed the six-figure jobs, the houses, the cars, the Michelin-starred restaurants, the watches, and even the lovers into my lfe, yet I felt miserable and lost. The more I had, the emptier I became. Looking back, watching that awful documentary was a wake-up call.
After so many years of trying to fix the world around me, of blaming everything outside of me for my unhappiness. I finally started to find peace and a sense of abundance by changing my experience of the world instead.
In my experience, the work boils down to three pillars:
• Face The Shadow
• Focus on the Present
• Trust your Intuition
These practices show us that true abundance is not about commanding the universe to give us what we want —it starts from finding contentment with what we already have.
Now close your eyes and ask yourself two simple questions:
What if you already have enough?
What would change in your life if you stopped wishing and, for a moment, began to notice the abundance that is already within reach?
That’s the real secret.
And it’s been there all along.