The Temptation of the Law of Mind

Many of my students have mentioned a book that is out now called “The Secret”. They all recognize that it is the law of attraction repackaged for today’s world. I have not read it, but it does seem to confuse some of my students who see parallels with what A Course in Miracles teaches about being responsible for what we see and experience.

The thing about the law of attraction is that it is real and it works. It is simply the law of mind: The mind always sees itself; it sees what it wants and what it believes. Understanding this law of mind often leads to the temptation to use it to make a better dream of separation from God rather than to transform the dream of separation into one of Oneness.

One of my students was particularly disturbed because friends of hers who follow “The Secret” now think they only have to ask God for something and it will show up. It is a fact that once you start communing with God your outer life improves as a reflection of your improved inner life. But that is a side effect. The purpose of communing with God is to remember the Truth – your Truth. If you become consumed with the side effect of your relationship with God, your focus will shift from God and stop causing the side effect. Seek God for your own personal gain and you are seeking separation – and that is what you will find.

Many people have used the law of attraction very successfully in their lives to manifest a better dream of separation from God. But notice they must keep seeking, they must keep manifesting more and more and that they never feel they have arrived. They no doubt think they are happy, but it is a precarious sort of happiness that relies on something “out there” showing up to supply it. When you rest in God you have everything. There is nothing to seek and there is only gratitude for what does show up.

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Comments

franklingut said…
Hello, best regards...

What about of using the Law of Mind for getting what we most want in life, like a house, trips, enough money, a succesfull career. Is that a bad thing? I'm confussed about it. Can you talk me a little more about it, please? I'm a new ACIM student.

Thanks you in advance.
11:21 PM
franklingut said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
11:22 PM
ACIM Mentor said…
There is no "bad" or "wrong", ManifestorPupil. There is no god outside of you sitting in judgement on you. But the idea that something outside of you can make you happy or at peace is an obstacle to the awareness that the only way to true, lasting peace is through an awareness of the Truth (God) within you. So you can try to use your mind to manifest what you want in the world. But you are distorting the Law of Mind's purpose for egoic ends. This is not "wrong" or "bad". It's just not an effective way to find true, lasting peace.
7:59 AM
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